At home with Melody
- 1 year ago
- 16
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September 4 1988, Chicago, Illinois
“Bill’s on the pole for today’s race,” I said when we arrived home from Saint Innocent of Moscow. “The race starts in about five minutes, so if one of you would fix lunch, I’d appreciate it.”
“I’ll do it, Tiger. I don’t care if I miss them going around in circles the first 50 times!”
“Darlington is an oval,” I said snarkily. “An egg-shaped oval.”
“OK. I don’t mind missing them going around in an egg-shaped oval the first fifty times or so! Go turn on the TV before you miss it and blame me!”
Kara and I took Jesse into the great room with us and I turned on the TV just in time to see the cars roll off pit lane and onto the ‘Lady in Black’. The Darlington track, often called ‘The Track Too Tough to Tame’ was, as I’d said to Jessica, a mile-long egg-shaped oval track. Legend had it that one end of the track was narrower than the other because the farmer who owned a minnow pond wouldn’t allow it to be removed to build the track.
“Is a mile-long track a short track?” Kara asked.
“Not really,” I said. “It’s kind of an intermediate track. Obviously, it’s not a superspeedway like Daytona or Talladega, but it’s also not like Martinsville or Bristol. The narrow end of the track makes it seem like a short track, though. Bill’s done OK here. His biggest win turned out to be in ‘85 when winning Darlington let him win the Winston Million and earned him the nickname ‘Million Dollar Bill’, though I seriously prefer ‘Awesome Bill from Dawsonville’.”
“So he has a good chance?” she asked as the green flag fell.
“I think so. He just jumped everyone on that start and he has clear track ahead of him. The problem is that damned black #3 right behind him, and Wallace in the #27 who’s only a couple of cars back. Those are the guys he has to beat. Winning isn’t as important as finishing in front of them.”
“That’s just strange,” Kara said.
“Tell me about it. NASCAR points reward consistency more than winning. I think there should be a much bigger point spread from first to second and second to third. Right now, it’s possible for the 2nd place finisher to have an equal number of points with the first place finisher, if the second-place finisher leads the most laps.”
“How would you set it up?” she asked.
“Well, instead of 180 to win, I’d make it 200 to win, 175 for second, 160 for third, then drop ten points for each position until you get to eighteenth, and then everyone else gets five points for starting the race, but nothing more. No bonus for leading the most laps or leading a lap.”
“Bill would have won the championship in ‘85 based on that formula, right?”
“Yes, I think so. I’d have to calculate it for sure, but he won 11 races and only finished 100 points behind Waltrip. A lot would depend on where Waltrip and Elliott finished when they didn’t place in the top five. If I remember right, Waltrip had an average finish that was one spot better than Bill over the course of the year. I don’t think that could overcome the couple of hundred points advantage Bill would have had from my way of scoring.”
“He looks good right now! He’s already lapping some cars!”
“That happens because he’s so far out front on a clear track.”
Jessica brought in sandwiches and chips, and glasses of lemonade. A short while later, Jennifer came to collect Jesse and took him back to the coach house.
The caution fell at lap 41 but Bill managed to maintain the lead after pit stops. He held it through another caution period, until lap 108, when Sterling Marlin passed him. Bill got back in the lead about fifteen laps later, but only led for ten, before being passed by Geoffrey Bodine.
“Damnit! He needs to get back in front!” I groused.
“He’s still ahead of Wallace and Earnhardt,” Kara said.
That was true until a few laps later when Earnhardt passed Bill and then took the lead. Earnhardt and Wallace traded the lead back and forth, with occasional laps led by Bodine, Ricky Rudd, and Marlin. Bill just couldn’t get back to the front. It held that way until a late caution, on lap 328. When the cars came back on the track after pit stops, and the green flag fell on lap 331, Bill powered his way to the lead and never looked back. Wallace and Earnhardt tried their damnedest to pass Bill, but in the end, he beat Wallace back to the line by a quarter of a second.
“That was TOO close!” I said, breathing a sigh of relief.
“How many points will he gain?” Jessica asked.
“Well, I think he led the most laps, so it should be ten on Wallace and fifteen on Earnhardt. The problem is, that next week they’re at Richmond, which is a three-quarter-mile track. If Bill can get a top-ten, he’ll be in good shape.”
“Keep thinking positive thoughts,” Kara said.
“I will!”
September 5, 1988, Chicago, Illinois
“So what are you going to do?” Jessica asked as Kara and I walked her to work.
“I don’t know yet,” I said. “I told Melody that I’d meet her for breakfast and we’d take it from there. No promises.”
“You’re really struggling with this one, aren’t you?” Kara observed.
“Yes. It’s complicated, I guess. I know I say that about a lot of things, but I’m trying to figure out the right balance. I told you what Jolene said yesterday.”
Kara giggled, “I still say you should have thrown her down on the mat and relieved her of her frustration in the way you do best!”
“I know you’re teasing, Kara,” Jessica said. “I think Steve made the right decision. These are complicated relationships and he has to see them regularly at the dojo, and with Melody, also at the house because she’s one of Stephanie’s friends. It’s different with that girl up in Milwaukee. He’s not going to travel up there just to see her, and he’s not going to invent work that he’d have to bill to his Russian friends as a pretext.”
“So you don’t have a problem if I see her again at some point?” I asked.
“No.” Jessica said. “You didn’t give any indication that there’s a budding relationship or anything like that.”
“A friendship, I guess. But it’s uncomplicated. One of the few things that is! Tasha was complicated. Lyudmila could have been complicated, but she turned out not to be. Jolene is complicated. Melody is complicated. In fact, all of Stephanie’s friends would be complicated, for much the same reason.”
“That sounds like you’re saying that any girl who has any interaction with you except on rare occasions creates a problem,” Kara responded.
“Has the potential to be a problem. Just being complicated isn’t a problem, it’s what those complications are. I’ve run into plenty of difficult situations in the past, as I’m sure you can imagine. A lot of girls have difficulty separating sex from love, and my concern is emotional attachment. Tasha was a prime example of that, and Penny was as well. Or is. That’s one of those situations that are SO complicated that I can’t contemplate it. It’s the same thing that kept me from giving in to Becky on several occasions. But obviously, I let my guard down a few times there.”
“You’re worried that Melody won’t be able to handle it as just a fuck?” Kara asked.
“Exactly. Some girls can. Some can’t. I’m sure there are guys like that, too, though I suspect they’re an extreme minority. And even when they set out to just fuck, sometimes it doesn’t work out that way.”
“Like with me,” Kara said.
“Precisely.”
“Which is why you wouldn’t have sex with me at first. You thought I might develop an attachment that you couldn’t reciprocate.”
I nodded, “That’s right.”
We walked up the sidewalk to the door and I pressed the brake on the carriage wheel.
“I’m sure you’ll do the right thing,” Jessica said. “You usually do.”
“I don’t want to hurt her,” I said.
“I know,” she said.
We hugged and kissed, and then Jess and Kara hugged and kissed. Jessica bent down to kiss Birgit, then walked through the double-doors to whatever awaited her inside. I released the brake on the carriage, and Kara and I started our walk home.
“What are your plans for the day?” I asked.
“We’re taking all the kids to the park. We’ll have a picnic and stay all afternoon. We’re leaving around 9:00am, and Kathy, Julia, Carol, and Ginny are meeting us there with their kids. The boys are playing golf, so they won’t miss the girls. And Jennifer and I gave Veronica the day off.”
“Leila and Alejandra are leaving early because they’re going to a cookout with Sofia and Stavros at his parents’ house in Racine,” I said. “And Stephanie and Jorge had something going on today.”
“You could bring Melody to the house, then. Nobody will be home before 6:00pm.”
“I’m not sure that’s a good idea,” I said. “If we do this, her dorm is a better choice for a host of reasons.”
“I thought you might want to use the sauna. It’s a nice, relaxing, calming place to talk.”
“Until things heat up!” I chuckled. “I’ll think about it.”
“Don’t overthink it, Snuggle Bear. Just see where she’s at and take it from there.”
“That’s my plan,” I said.
“Are you happy overall, Snuggle Bear?”
“Yes, I think so. Do you think that I’m not?”
“I don’t know, actually. Your children make you happy, but you just don’t seem to be yourself, I guess.”
“Too sober? Too thoughtful? Too introspective?”
“You’ve always been introspective; maybe too sober and thoughtful, or maybe just preoccupied. I know your responsibilities at work and karate require all of that, but, for example, you didn’t start skydiving again like you planned.”
“The new drop zone is even further away,” I said. “It would be an extra forty-five minutes to get there. And honestly, I just don’t have the time. What do you propose that I do? And don’t say that I need to find more dalliances. That is NOT the problem!”
“No,” Kara smiled. “It’s not that. I think you need some time to just relax. We should plan a vacation. I think that actually might be it.”
“When? If Jess gets pregnant, she’ll have her baby early next summer which pretty much means no vacation before school starts for you again.”
“How about December? Classes end on the 1st, and exams are over on the 9th. Maybe Jess could get a week off then?”
“What would we do?”
“Nothing!” Kara said. “Nothing at all! We rent a cabin somewhere in Wisconsin or Minnesota or the Upper Peninsula and build a fire and make love for a week!”
“What do we do with Birgit?”
“Bring her along, of course! She won’t mind if the three of us make love as long as she gets fed!”
“I think that sounds like a good idea,” I said. “Getting away from everything. No phone. No TV. No computer.”
“Do you want me to look into it?” she asked.
“Yes, and we can talk to Jess about it tonight. She’s already planning one week off for Orthodox Holy Week next year.”
“I’ll find a nice, cozy, out-of-the way place for us to go.”
“Thanks,” I said.
When we arrived back home, we went up to our room and I lay with Kara while she fed Birgit. I left about 5:00am to run with Jacquelyn, and when we finished, I headed back home for a shower. Kara and I cuddled with Birgit after my shower. The love I felt from Kara and the feelings we both shared being with Birgit made me wish we could stay in bed all day; but I knew we both had places to go and people to meet today.
I left just before 7:30am to meet Melody at a small breakfast café near the Museum of Science and Industry. It was a bit chilly for early September, with the temperature hovering around 50°F. I had on a light jacket as well as my usual fedora, and when I saw Melody, she was wearing a cable-knit sweater and had her hands shoved into the pocket of her jeans.
“You could have waited inside,” I said when I walked up to her.
“It’s not so bad, but I expected it to be a bit warmer!”
“Hey, it’s Chicago. If you don’t like the weather, wait a day and it will change!”
We walked into the café and were seated right away. I refused the menu and just ordered coffee, bacon, scrambled eggs, and toast, and Melody did the same.
“So?” she asked.
“Let’s just eat breakfast and worry about what comes next after we eat. How was your first week of school?”
“Good,” she said. “Not much happens, really. In each class we get our syllabus and our first reading assignment, and maybe a bit of homework. How is your business?”
“Busy, which is a good thing. Have you talked to Cheryl?”
“Almost every day. She’s doing OK, I guess. She did go see the counselor you recommended, but she quit going. I’m not sure why. She seems to be doing better, though I’m a bit worried about her.”
“Why?” I asked.
“I’m not sure I should say, but I need to talk to someone.”
“I’ll keep it to myself,” I said.
“I think she’s trying to prove that she’s straight. She’s been with at least three different guys since the party.”
I nodded, “And I bet that’s why she stopped seeing Doctor Alborg. He very likely told her that was destructive behavior. It doesn’t work like that. I have another friend, someone you have never met, who used to live with us who got married to prove that she was straight. At some point, that’s going to blow up in her face, I’m sure. It may already have, but she more or less dropped out of our circle of friends a year ago, so I don’t know.”
“So what should I do?”
“Be her friend. Don’t judge her, but encourage her to use protection and get tested for STDs. Gently encourage her to get professional help. Society is so damned judgmental, and friends and parents can be the worst. I’ve been around gay and bisexual people since High School, and I’ve seen the shit that society dishes out. Jennifer’s dad took a long time to come around, and Josie’s parents barely tolerate her relationship with Jennifer. I’ve had my fill of judgmental assholes on just about every topic imaginable.”
“So you don’t think it’s wrong? In any way?”
“Is what you’re hoping we do wrong? In any way?”
“I don’t think so, obviously.”
I smiled, “I’m not sure that’s so obvious. You had to think about it for nearly a month. And what would your parents say about it?”
“It’s different. We’re straight, you know, normal.”
“I am ANYTHING but normal,” I said fiercely. “And I’ll be damned if I will allow anyone to tell me that what Jennifer and Josie do is abnormal in ANY way. They love each other, for Pete’s sake! Where the fuck do you get off saying that it’s not normal?”
“Sorry,” she said, cringing at my outburst. “Please don’t be angry with me!”
I took a deep breath and blew it out.
“No, I’m sorry. I’m not angry and I shouldn’t have blown up like that. But it’s exactly that attitude that is the problem. You and I don’t get to define for anyone else what their relationship should be. Do you want your parents to define yours?”
“No!”
“Well, then why do you think you can define Cheryl’s? Or Jennifer’s?”
“I guess I can’t. But it’s weird. You know, to think of two guys like that. Yuck!”
“Melody, I’m about as straight as they come. I would feel the same way about sex with a guy or watching two guys have sex. But guess what? Nobody is MAKING me do that. What they do is their business. And besides, I bet there are things men and women do that you feel that way about!”
“But what if they kiss in public and stuff?”
“You’ve kissed in public, haven’t you?”
“Of course!”
“So, what’s the issue?”
“Uh ... uhm ... I ... uh ... I don’t know. I guess it just makes me uncomfortable.”
“Your comfort isn’t their problem,” I said gently. “You were pretty uncomfortable with the things that Lisa, Peggy, and I revealed that we’d done in the past. And I seem to recall you offering that you would do anything I wanted! Think that through a minute.”
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October 1982, Chicago, Illinois The drive back to Chicago was as uneventful as usual, and I arrived at the apartment just before 6:00pm. When I arrived, Elyse and Stephie were sitting on the couch and Jackie was sitting on the loveseat. Stephie hopped up as I opened the door and greeted me with a hug and a kiss. “Hi, Peaches!” I said. “Glad you’re home, Yankee!” “Hi, Steve,” Elyse and Jackie both said. “Hey,” I replied. “How was the weekend?” “Well, it was just Kurt with me, Stephie,...
June 11, 1989, Chicago, Illinois It was just after 3:00am when I kissed Trish goodbye. She’d been an enthusiastic, energetic, and adventurous lover. We’d done just about anything either of us could think of, though her breasts weren’t large enough for a tit-fuck. The last time had been in the shower where we’d ostensibly gone to clean up afterwards, but instead I ended up taking her from behind as she leaned against the wall of the shower. “I think I’ll have you again, Steve Adams,” she...
May 1978 The first couple of weeks in May were busy with school, work, and friends. Except for Becky, I didn’t even have any dates. But I was OK with that. Well, almost OK. I wanted to see Anna, but it likely wasn’t going to happen until school was out. I had tutoring sessions with Melanie, but she still wouldn’t talk to me about anything other than Spanish. Barely a hello. I was grateful for the tutoring, but it was maddening seeing my friend this way. I hoped someday she could understand...
March, 1982, Milford, Ohio As I drove along I-65, I thought about what Stephanie had asked for and what Bethany had said without even knowing about the request. Of course, because Bethany and I were so in tune, she might have actually had an idea that I was struggling with getting involved with my sister again. I kept turning it over and over in my mind and I kept coming to the same conclusion — that I shouldn’t do it. I was torn between doing what Stephanie wanted and doing what Kara and...
September 7, 1992, Chicago, Illinois “That went reasonably well,” Michelle said when her parents drove off. “There were a few times I thought my expression would give away something I shouldn’t. You were messing with me, weren’t you?” She grabbed both my hands and smiled, “I was telling the truth, in my own way. Thank you!” She leaned forward and kissed my cheek. “So, what’s left?” I asked. “To visit UofC tomorrow and formally withdraw from classes. To spend some time with you and your...
October 1981, Chicago, Illinois I arrived back at the apartment just before 10:00pm and saw the address for the party. I decided I wasn’t particularly interested in going so I put on some music, poured myself a glass of wine, and started reading more about Russia. I was alternating between the history and culture book and the Communist Party book, decided on the history and culture book for this time. I didn’t get much reading done because I was thinking about Tatyana, which led me to...
January 23, 1996, Chicago, Illinois “Father, bless!” I said, greeting Father Basil with upturned palms. “Bless you, Stephen,” he said as I kissed his hand. The waiter showed us to a quiet table along the wall of Roditys in Greektown. He took our drink orders and was back quickly. We placed our food orders right away and he left to put them in with the kitchen. “I’m not quite sure how to address this, so I’m just going to ask you bluntly. Are you the father of Michelle’s baby?” I shook my...
June 29, 1995, Chicago, Illinois On Thursday, I finally had lunch with Melissa again, something I hadn’t been looking forward to. Much like with Cèlia, Melissa and I had passed an inflection point and I was left with sub-optimal paths forward. I’d been struggling with the possible solutions, and all of them had pitfalls. When I walked into Takumi, I had something of a plan. Whether it was good or not would only be known once everything played out. “I spoke to my wives,” I said after we’d...
December 5, 2000, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota “I had a good time last night,” I said. “I was surprised you invited a friend!” Mary laughed as we walked into the exam room, “Naomi had a good time as well. You know what a Resident’s life is like.” I nodded, “No social life.” “Exactly. You guys seemed to hit it off pretty well.” “Yes, but I’m not here for that!” “You’re everywhere for that, and you know it!” I couldn’t help but laugh. “Let’s just say that you hit the sweet spot -...
March 1980, Hovås/Göteborg, Sweden I woke early as usual, but just enjoyed being in bed with Katt. When she woke, she hopped out of bed and pulled a robe out of her closet and handed it to me. “There’s a spare toothbrush in the bathroom. Go have your shower, then we’ll have breakfast after I have my shower.” I quickly showered and brushed my teeth, and went back to Katt’s room. She went to shower and came back a few minutes later. She dressed, and I got a very good look at her sexy body...
April 5, 1997, Chicago, Illinois “You missed cuddles this morning!” Birgit said accusingly when I walked into the house about 9:30am. “I know, Pumpkin, but I had a work emergency and had to go see Aunt Joyce and Grandpa A.” “And now we have to get ready for karate!” “I know. We’ll have some family time this afternoon. I don’t have any plans.” “Good!” I hugged her and the rest of the kids, then went to find Kara. We hugged and kissed, and went straight upstairs to get ready for...
September 3, 1989, Chicago, Illinois “Good morning, Sensei,” I said, bowing to Sensei Jim. “Good morning!” he said waving me to a chair in his office. “How was your trip?” I asked. “Enlightening. I spent most of my time acting as a manservant to Sensei Robert and Sensei Hiro.” “He who will lead, must first serve,” I said. “Someday, I’m going to send you to Sensei Hiro, should he live long enough. You understand.” “Does that mean you are now 6th Dan?” I...
Melody and I met the first day of our freshman year of High School. We became instant friends and through our years of school, we ended up in a lot of the same classes and even ran on the track team together. Mel was absolutely beautiful, long blonde hair, the sexiest eyes and a smile that would just light up a room. Her body should’ve been in a museum, it was perfect in every way. The only physical difference between us was that my blonde hair was a little shorter, and my eyes being blue,...
Remix, Chapter 3: Melody By Brevdravis Getting his braces removed didn't hurt as much as he remembered. Of course, the last time that he had this procedure, his mouth had been a ravaged chunk of beef, with metal sticking into it at odd angles. The metal was still there, but the lack of injuries greatly lessened the inevitable discomfort. James ran his tongue over the teeth that sat solidly in their sockets. Apart from one tooth that jutted slightly on the lower left side of his...
This story was inspired by the Legacy Universe, and though not a part of it, I would like to thank Morpheus for the thought and creativity displayed in all of the writings posted here and other websites. I hope this story can do justice on its own Where to begin, that is never an easy question to answer. Particularly when the person saying it doesn't have a clue as to where or when things actually started. I guess the best place to start would be some Vital Statistics... I am, or...
Melody and I met the first day of our freshman year of High School. We became instant friends and through our years of school, we ended up in a lot of the same classes and even ran on the track team together. Mel was absolutely beautiful, long blonde hair, the sexiest eyes and a smile that would just light up a room. Her body should’ve been in a museum, it was perfect in every way. The only physical difference between us was that my blonde hair was a little shorter, and my eyes being blue,...
October 29, 2000, Chicago, Illinois Birgit followed me as far as the stairs, then scooted upstairs when I went to the front door and opened it. “Hi!” Sophie said. “Hi!” I replied and held the door open so she could come into the house. I closed the door behind her then led her to my study where I waited until she went in, and then walked in, closing the door behind me. I nodded to one of the wingback chairs, she sat down in one, and I sat down in the other. “Is something wrong?” she...
August, 1983, Chicago, Illinois I walked in the near 90°F heat to Carla’s place. I was grateful that the humidity of the morning had dropped significantly; otherwise the heat would have been unbearable. By the time I walked up the steps to the apartment over the photography studio and knocked on her door, I had broken into a light sweat. Carla answered almost immediately and invited me inside her studio apartment. The air was moderately cool, and the window air conditioner was running full...
July 1982, Milford, Ohio On Tuesday morning, I kissed Kara goodbye and headed to my parents’ house for my usual morning routine with my little sister. She was happy that I could spend the morning with her and asked to take a walk, so we weren’t in the house with my mom. “Let me guess — this walk will end in the clearing,” I said with a smile. “Yes,” she said, taking my hand as we walked down Overlook towards Klondyke. As usual, we turned around and walked back, taking the path to the...
March 13, 1994, Chicago, Illinois “Hi, Steve!” Ailea said when she opened the door. “Hi,” I replied, accepting the offered hug. There was no touching of lips, just of cheeks, and I wondered if I’d misread her intentions at her birthday lunch, or if, perhaps, she detected my reluctance to return the offered affection. “Lunch is ready, so go ahead and sit. I’ll bring it in from the kitchen.” I went to the low table, sat down, and a minute later, Ailea brought miso soup and sushi, our usual...
April 3, 1997, Dallas, Texas “Remember what I said about drinking too much,” I said, as I poured bourbon into three cups. We’d stopped at a liquor store, bought a bottle of Blanton’s, and then returned to the small suite I’d reserved at the Westin. Deborah’s room was down the hall, and Krissy’s was two floors below. Krissy’s comment had caught me a bit off guard, but I hadn’t reacted visibly. I didn’t know her quite well enough to know if she’d been teasing with Deborah, so I was being...
March 28, 1991, Chicago, Illinois “This day belongs to you, Kara!” I said when the three of us woke on Thursday morning. “Happy birthday!” Jessica said. “Thanks,” Kara replied happily. “I think I’d like an amazing birthday fuck from our husband, and then a nice loving shower with my wife!” Kara said. “Do we have enough time?” I asked. Jessica giggled, “I set the alarm for thirty minutes earlier!” “Then let’s not waste any of it!” I said pulling Kara to me. Kara’s squeals as I plunged...
April 1981, Milford, Ohio The rest of the week went along as usual, with Kara accompanying me to the computer lab, and me going on my date with Elyse. Kara didn’t raise the issues that were clearly spinning around in her head, but I knew she would, eventually. I did pull Mary and Tracey aside separately and ask them to be careful about their teasing and joking around Kara. They both agreed to tone it down a bit, which I figured was the best I could do. On Tuesday when I arrived home, I had...
September 4, 2000, Chicago, Illinois On Monday morning I went to my study to make a surreptitious call to ensure that the surprise I’d planned for Kara was still going to happen, and after confirming that it was, Jesse, Matthew, Michael, and I began preparing for the Labor Day party by getting beer and soda into coolers, getting the grill ready, setting up tables and chairs in the backyard, and ensuring the liquor cabinets were stocked while my wives and daughters worked on food prep in the...
September 1, 1987, Chicago, Illinois “I heard that you have some kind of plan to help Ed,” I said to Connie. “There’s no plan,” she replied. “A witness who saw the shopkeeper alive after Ed left came forward.” That sounded convenient, and I wondered if the witness was real or someone that Anthony had put forward to solve the problem. Certainly, the videotape was real, because I couldn’t imagine how Anthony could have faked that, but the witness? Who knew? “So is he being released? Or is...
August 17, 1997, Chicago, Illinois We finished lunch and Marissa and the younger kids went to play, but Natalie sat with the adults to talk, with coffee, tea, or soft drinks. The Sarcus were very comfortable, but the Heaths were still struggling. But, vitally, they hadn’t left and hadn’t insisted Natalie leave the group. “Can you explain how you developed this attitude and approach?” Chris asked. I nodded, “It started when I was just a bit younger than Natalie. My mom was a total control...
July 1979 — Falkenberg, Sweden On Friday, when I got back from my run, Pam was in her bra and panties again. I whistled at her, she giggled, then finished dressing. I showered, and we went to breakfast and finished up our last day. Once class was done, we were pretty much free. On Saturday, we’d have several optional activities and then on Sunday we’d head back to our host families. After dinner on Friday, I took Pam’s hand and we walked towards the river. It was quiet and peaceful, and...
July 1980, Over the North Atlantic We reached cruising altitude, and I settled back to read my book. Pam raised the armrest between us, snuggled close to me and read as well. The cabin crew offered drinks, and I had my first Coke in a year! Meal service began about an hour and a half into the flight. After the cabin crew picked up the trays and offered drinks again, they passed once more, offering headsets for the movie. Trevor and Maria took them, but Pam and I didn’t, instead we turned on...