On the exact same day that my future wife Lisa was turning 15 years old, on Saturday May 18, 1991, Christi and I were busy primping ourselves and stuffing ourselves into our Senior Prom duds – my black tuxedo and her blue dress and silver shoes, preparing for the final prom for both of us. We were drawing to the end of Christi’s Senior year at Beavercreek High School. I was close to finishing my first year of college at Wright State University.
We made the rounds at both of our houses, being photographed ad nauseum by both my Dad and her Mom. George stopped over to see us at my place and great shark attack photo seen here was snapped. (Even then, I never missed the opportunity to grab a unique photo!). Christi’s Dad wasn’t around to see us off to the Prom as he had been deployed to Iraq for Operation Desert Storm. Christi and I went to the Keeng Wha Chinese restaurant as we had the previous year - just the two of us.
In the Speer/Adkins residence living room
Please don’t stare at my mullet
Feigning a smile
With my other special lady
Christi and her giant foot
Outside the house on Edith Marie
Christi gets ready to do the moonwalk in high heels
Debonair mullet man
Our relationship was now more than two years mature – and although we were nearing the end of it – this was most certainly one of the most relaxing ‘dates’ we had ever had. While previous years’ proms were plagued with Christi worrying about what her parents would stay about her staying out all night, this one was much more relaxing, with Christi’s Mom Joy simply taking care of Ashleigh all night without asking questions. It was pretty much the last of our good times together as a couple.
Ashleigh sends her parents off on a date
The prom itself was held at the Montgomery County Fairgrounds Coliseum. I remember very little about it, except for running into a former co-worker named Mike Ashley who didn’t even go to our school. Oh, and I brazenly smoked a cigarette outside and scoffed at Mrs. Smith when she told me that I could be suspended for that – especially considering I had graduated the year before. The prom theme song was Hold On To the Night by Richard Marx. The senior colors were royal blue and silver, so Christi’s outfit was perfect. The class song was John Lennon’s Imagine and the senior flower was the white rose…but who cares?
Suave at my house
Christi glows and I geekily laugh
After the prom, she and I went to Bourbon Street – one of those rare bars where you only had to be 18 to enter. There was a bikini dance contest going on there and one of the participants was none other than Jackie Moore, who was there with her boyfriend Mike Minges. I never forgot that image of seeing her dance in her bikini, you can be sure! After hanging out there for a while and greeting Jackie (who took second place, by the way), Christi and I headed back to my house to spend the night.
The official prom picture
Christi described this prom in the program on the ‘memory page’ as “the best out of the the three years we went,” and noted that the best part was “being alone with Brad and actually being able to spend time with him all night without worries of Ash or parents – just the two of us.”
It was a nice note to go out on, for it wouldn’t be long until everything would come to a head.
Always second or third place…aggravating.
Second place is the first loser.
Jackie
April 29th, 2008