The Magic Sex Shop Chapter 2 Demonstrations
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February 5, 1993, Chicago, Illinois
Jamie called on Friday morning to let me know that the CPD had obtained a search warrant for Hart-Lincoln as we’d discussed with the FBI, and intended to serve it as soon as Greg was available. I told him I’d call Greg, then call him back with a time. Three hours later, Jamie, Greg, Zeke, and I were in a conference room at the Federal Building with Agents O’Toole and Stone, Detectives Boltz and Monroe, as well as three other FBI Agents, an Assistant US Attorney, an Assistant State’s Attorney, and four uniformed CPD officers.
“I’m Assistant US Attorney Jackson O’Malley. I’m supervising the search warrant that is to be served on Hart-Lincoln immediately following this meeting. I’m going to go over your roles and make it clear what you may and may not do.”
He spent the next twenty minutes describing the process, similar to what had been outlined during my previous meeting with the FBI. When he finished, the Assistant State’s Attorney spoke for about five minutes, mostly to the uniformed CPD officers and detectives, but he did have a few words for Greg and Zeke.
I’d brought Zeke after talking things over with Greg and Jamie, and then conferring with the FBI. Greg had been gone eighteen months, so we decided we needed someone who knew the latest version of our software to work with him to ensure things moved along as quickly and efficiently as possible.
When everyone had their marching orders, the room mostly cleared, leaving the two FBI Agents, two CPD Detectives, Jamie, and me while everyone else headed to the ‘Gold Coast’ offices of Hart-Lincoln to execute the warrants.
“Thank you, Mr. Adams,” Detective Monroe said. “We appreciate your cooperation.”
“You’re welcome.”
Agent Stone laughed, “I see you’ve repaired your relationship with the Chicago Police Department as well!”
“Repaired?” Detective Boltz asked.
“A long story,” I said. “Let’s just say I’m highly suspicious of law enforcement.”
“Mostly our fault, I suspect,” Agent Stone said. “He had some very close Russian friends back before the Soviet Union collapsed. He objected to us investigating him. He has lots of friends in the Navy and given what happened in the Walker case, not to mention the fact that he was friends with a high-ranking Soviet diplomat, well, we might have gotten off on the wrong foot.”
I nodded, “You’re just lucky none of you suggested to Tatyana Ivanovna that she was a ‘honey trap’. The end result of that would NOT have been pretty!”
“You dated a Russian girl?” Detective Monroe asked.
“Not just dated, but seriously considered marrying. In the mid 80s. Her father was Trade Attaché to the US. I met her in Austria when we were sixteen. We were an item for about four years.”
“And you have lots of friends in the Navy?”
“Officers at RTC Great Lakes, plus some who went to the Academy, and some ROTC cadets who later graduated and were commissioned.”
“I can see how that might attract federal attention!”
“Then there was the fact that I had some minor business dealings with Alderman Roti and Alderman Medrano.”
Both detectives laughed, “Another sure way to get unwanted federal attention!”
“Tell me about it,” I said ruefully. “Agent O’Toole, unless you need me, I’m going back to my office so Jamie can stop billing me for our idle chit-chat!”
Everyone, including Jamie laughed. We shook hands and I headed back to the office. Penny was in a meeting, which gave me the privacy to make a phone call. Jeri had suggested nearly a year before that I cultivate the press, and this gave me a perfect opportunity. I called Stan Jakes at the Tribune and tipped him off about the raid - off the record, of course. He thanked me, and we hung up.
Greg called just before 5:00pm to let me know he’d be working well into the evening, and I made sure he had my cell phone number.
“Busy day?” Elyse laughed as we got into my car for the drive home.
“You might say that. I’ll be interested to see if anyone calls me about the FBI and CPD raid on the law firm or if it makes the paper tomorrow.”
“I can’t imagine that it won’t make the paper. Four uniformed police officers, three plain-clothes detectives, two FBI agents, a US Attorney, a State’s Attorney, and two computer guys? It’ll be in the Trib. Who would call?”
“I can’t say. I signed a confidentiality agreement. But put two and two together.”
“Got it. Never mind. I have to say it’s nice seeing you helping the FBI for once, instead of fighting them!”
“A lull in combat. You know my opinion of the government.”
“Yes, we all do! Did you hear anything from Patrick Shaughnessy about the funeral home?”
“Not yet. He said to give his company a week. I have not told Jessica or Kara about it, and Al won’t say anything. I just don’t want any angst on their parts. If Patrick turns up something useful, I’ll let them know.”
“You’re hoping he finds a relative?”
“Yes. And Patrick had an idea that we didn’t think of. If we find Dustin’s parents, THEY make a claim of paternity on behalf of their deceased son and try for visitation rights. We don’t care HOW it happened, but if they can get a familial match, they could get a court declaration and THAT might put an end to this. But who knows? She could fight it, but the one thing she can’t do is claim, in court, that I’m the father.”
“I have to say I continue to be impressed by you not freaking out about things any more.”
“When will you stop being impressed so that it just becomes who I am?”
“Eventually!” Elyse smirked.
“Looks like our Pittsburgh and LA trips work out to be good timing for you!”
“You mean because Eduardo will be here on the 1st?”
“Yes.”
“I figured you had your hot young thing to take my place!”
“Nobody can take your place, Belgium!” I declared.
“When does Pia arrive?”
“Sunday the 14th and she leaves on Saturday the 20th. I’m working half-days most of the days that week so I can spend time with her. Jesse wants to skip school, but I told him Marta would be there when he got home.”
“Are they sleeping together?”
“They’re sleeping in the same bed, yes,” I chuckled.
“And you and Pia?”
“She’s not expecting anything, and I haven’t decided.”
“Because Samantha gave you only two exceptions? And you aren’t sure?”
“Yes. I told Jess and Kara she was one for whom I’d potentially use one of those exceptions.
“Who else?”
“Jodie.”
“Interesting choices. Who else did you consider?”
“Aimee, but I won’t see her for at least another year, if even then, and there’s no guarantee she won’t put her ‘no married men’ rule back in play. There is an outside chance I could see her when I go to Japan, but it’s not likely. And I do have a technical out because Samantha said the agreement doesn’t apply to Japan.”
Elyse laughed, “Lucky dog!”
“I believe my opportunities will be severely limited and perhaps non-existent given what I’m doing and where I’m going.”
“Who else?”
“Cindi, though I could use the ‘24 hour pass’ with her if I wanted to, but nobody knows about that except Samantha, my wives, and now you.”
“What pass is this?”
“A Christmas gift from Samantha because I limited how much money she was allowed to spend! No restrictions on who I could use it with.”
“I swear, you couldn’t write this stuff! Nobody would believe it! Who else?”
“Lyudmila, but she was never anything but a bit of fun and while I enjoy being with her, I’m not using up one of those exceptions for her. The same goes for Vera, but the chances I’m going to Russia or she’s coming here any time soon are small. Tara, but she has a boyfriend. So I guess it comes down to Pia or Cindi, assuming I don’t want to use the pass with Cindi.”
“She’ll be REALLY pissed.”
“Perhaps, but those exceptions are ongoing. In other words, if I pick Pia, I can be with her whenever I see her. That’s why Jodie is an interesting choice. Cindi is a one-and-done by our own agreement.”
“I find it amusing that a seventeen-year-old girl is in charge of your sex life!”
“I’m in charge of my sex life. The negotiations with Samantha were simple because they more or less match where I am at this point. And if you think about it, since last summer I’ve had Jodie, Alli, Michelle, Caroline, Wanda, Lena, and Ellie. And I’m getting a freebie with Ellie, if you will, because Samantha invited her to spend the night with us.”
“Do they... ?”
“Nope. They’re right there with you on that topic. Neither of them will even touch me if I’m doing something with the other.”
“I’m not THAT bad!” Elyse laughed.
“No, you aren’t, but their mentality is the same. I think I just argued myself into Pia and keeping a spot for Jodie. Cindi’s divorce was delayed again, so I don’t have to worry about that at least until April at this point.”
“She’s not in a committed relationship at this point!”
“No, but she’s still married. And that’s an absolute no-no.”
“So that you don’t have to make a potentially dangerous judgment call.”
“Correct.”
February 6, 1993, Chicago, Illinois
The raid on Hart-Lincoln didn’t make the front page of the Trib, but it did make it on page 3. It was reported as part of the investigation into what they were calling ‘the suspicious death of an up-and-coming young lawyer at a high-powered Chicago law firm’. The article which filled four column inches, gave a brief background on John Lentz, a brief history of Hart-Lincoln, and recapped John’s death. It didn’t mention NIKA, and I was happy to see that. Now it was just a matter of awaiting the fallout.
February 7, 1993, Chicago, Illinois
“These gatherings seem to be losing steam,” I said. “We’ve sort of talked out just about everything except politics and nobody wants to have political discussions.”
“There is NO WAY Steve Adams has said everything he wants to say about sex!” Abbie laughed.
“Sometimes you have to stop talking and start doing,” I chuckled.
“Says the man who made me wait six months!” Kara huffed, but with an impish smile.
“Amateur,” Elyse teased. “I got him the first night!”
“Me, too!” Abbie smirked.
“I think I might be the only person on the planet who made HIM wait!” Jennifer said.
The room exploded in laughter.
“Being nervous and waiting isn’t a personality defect!” I chuckled. “Not at age 14!”
“You were each other’s firsts?” Elizabeth asked.
“No,” I replied with a silly grin. “If you recall, my first was 23 when I was 14.”
“I suppose it depends on how you calculate it, but my first time was with a girl in 7th grade,” Jennifer said.
“You knew you were a lesbian at that point?” Carissa asked.
“I had no idea what that even meant at that point. I spent the next ten years trying to figure it out. Alcohol, pot, and depression are not very helpful. It didn’t help that my first heterosexual encounter was what I guess we’d call ‘date rape’ now. And no, it was NOT Steve. He was a huge help to me, just as he was to Bethany in her recovery from her rape. The difference was, she admitted it very early on. I hid it from everyone until I was twenty-two.”
“Jen, we’ve talked about that,” I said gently. “Rape is violence, not sex. The first time you had intercourse was with me.”
“And that was true for me, too,” Bethany said. “Steve understood at fourteen that rape is not about sex, but about violence, power, domination, and control. And it doesn’t make the person raped ‘dirty’ or any other thing that comes to mind. Most of you have heard the story, but I was raped at 13, got pregnant, and had an abortion. But I gave Steve my virginity when he and I made love the first time.”
“What happened to the guy? Did you report it?” Carissa asked.
Bethany shook her head, “No. I wish I had, because he went on to rape at least three other girls before someone finally reported him. He got 15 to life for the three rapes, not including mine. When he was in prison, another inmate stabbed him to death.”
“That inmate apparently knew one of the girls,” I said, “and decided to show him what REAL penetration was like. With a shiv.”
“Now THAT is a fitting end to a piece of shit,” Elizabeth said.
I nodded, “I agree. Back when I heard about it, I said the only thing more fitting would for him to have been found with his balls stuffed into his mouth. One thing I simply CAN NOT abide is rape. Benton is lucky I didn’t know who he was before he left the area.”
“I didn’t tell Steve who it was out of fear he’d kill him.”
“But he’s a pacifist!” Joan protested.
“Not if you hurt someone he loves,” Samantha said quietly. “Then, he’ll destroy you.”
“Whatever happened with that asshole that attacked Michelle?” Elizabeth asked.
“He pled guilty back in November and was sentenced to fifteen years for attempted sexual assault with another seven tacked on for felony battery. The only sad part is the state has to pay for the reconstructive surgery and prosthetic eye.”
“The WHAT?!” Paula gasped.
“Michelle stabbed him in the eye with a pair of scissors,” Elizabeth smirked. “That kind of put him off his game.”
“Wow! Nobody ever mentioned that!”
“It was actually in the news report,” Elizabeth said. “She didn’t tell me that part.”
“Maybe this is the topic for today,” Bethany said. “Rape, sex, and violence.”
“Add in ‘consent’,” I offered.
Bethany nodded and I watched as she quickly transformed from my friend and lover Bethany, to Doctor Krajick. I listened as she talked and answered questions. As I expected, there was some pushback on the ‘acquiescence is not consent’ idea, but when I explained what had happened with Annie, some light bulbs went on. Nobody would classify it as ‘rape’, but most of the kids, including the guys, understood Bethany’s point far better, even if they didn’t completely agree.
“What about drinking?” Job asked. “Is one drink too much? Two?”
“That’s a tough question,” Bethany said. “But in effect, anything that impairs your judgment would impact your ability to freely consent. The same is true for drugs.”
“Being in love impairs your judgment!” Ben laughed.
Everyone joined in laughing.
“Yes,” Bethany said, “and that feeling often leads to a first sexual encounter which is later regretted. Though it’s usually among young girls, not guys.”
“Has any guy, EVER, regretted having sex?” Elizabeth asked.
“I hope you’re joking,” Jorge said firmly. “Guys can be coerced into sex and regret it later.”
“And guys can be raped,” Bethany said. “And I’m not talking homosexual rape. Men can be abused spouses, as well. It’s not common, but it does happen. If you think society is hard on female rape victims, you should see how male rape victims are treated, even by the medical community.”
“How can a guy be raped?” Mike asked. “I’m asking seriously. I’d need an erection, and I can’t imagine getting one at gunpoint or knifepoint. That would have the opposite effect!”
“Your body will respond to manual or oral stimulation in most instances,” Bethany said. “Involuntarily. Or you could be drunk and your resistance is low and you do something you ordinarily wouldn’t have done. I heard about the experiment Kara ran a year ago? Several of you men had involuntary reactions. Embarrassing ones, if I understand correctly.”
“Uh, yeah,” Mike laughed nervously.
“So if you can’t control it in THAT situation, do you think you could control it if you were somehow incapacitated?”
“I see your point. I guess I just never thought about it that way.”
When we finished, and most people had left, Abbie put on the tape of the ‘Busch Clash’, an invitational race for pole winners from the previous season. The race didn’t go well for either Bill Elliott or Alan Kulwicki, who finished 9th and 10th respectively.
February 8, 1993, Chicago, Illinois
“Did you find anything?” I asked Patrick Shaughnessy when he called first thing on Monday morning.
“Not much, unfortunately. We have the name of the person who arranged for Dustin Brady’s cremation, a Gayle Tomkins. Unfortunately, the address and phone number are no longer valid, and there’s no forwarding address active with the Post Office. At this point it’s basically a needle-in-a-haystack search. Do you want me to continue?”
“That’s a tough call. I’d say that Carla might know who this Gayle Tomkins is, but I’m not sure getting in touch with her makes any sense.”
“We could do that without it pointing back to you. Even finding out if she knows who Gayle Tomkins is could be helpful.”
“OK. Let me give you Carla’s phone number.”
I gave him the information and he said he’d get back to me in a few days. I held my staff meeting then Elyse and I took Zeke into one of the small conference rooms.
“Any problems Friday? And no details, please.”
“No problems. Greg is still Greg! We were there until about 2:00am. All the stuff went to the police and FBI. Greg said he’d call in his hours to Chris.”
“OK. Sorry about messing up your Friday night. Take Tasha out for a nice dinner and bring the receipt to Elyse. We’ll cover it.”
Zeke nodded, “You’re a good boss, Boss! How well did you know this lawyer who did the swan dive?”
I grimaced at the comment, but it was typical Zeke.
“I met him maybe a dozen times over the past year or so. He did the other side of the BLS financing and also of the real estate transaction for this building. I also saw him at some Lundgren Foundation events.”
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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...
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...
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...
July 8, 1997, Chicago, Illinois “Is it really that surprising?” Leah asked. “I suppose not,” I replied. “I just didn’t read too much into the kiss on the cheek.” “I didn’t think it was a good idea to kiss you on the lips with all those people around, because I had no idea who they were or what they would think. You were VERY careful with our dance, so I kind of followed your lead.” Which showed very mature thinking on her part. Both of these girls were exactly the kind of students I...
November 8, 1993, Chicago, Illinois A dark fog swirled before my eyes as I tried to take stock. My head hurt, badly. I felt something on my face and realized, dimly, it was an oxygen mask. My right hand was uncomfortable and I recognized the feeling of an IV and pulse-oximeter. My left arm ached fiercely. On my chest I felt the pads and wires of an EKG. I didn’t feel anything else wrong as I continued taking inventory. I tried to open my eyes, but the fog didn’t clear. I tried to speak, but...
August, 1983, Chicago, Illinois In the morning Anala and I ran as we had the previous time, then showered together, carefully washing each other’s bodies in an intimate but non-sexual way. After our shower we went to the kitchen and I made breakfast and we sat down to eat. “Steve, may I make a suggestion?” she asked. “Sure.” “Broaden your circle of friends. Other than me, all of you are white, nominally Christian, 20-year-old Americans. And you don’t invite me to your Sunday...
June 23, 2000, Chicago, Illinois “Steve,” Kimmy said over the intercom, “I have a Suzanne Aavik for you.” “Thanks,” I replied. “Put her through, please.” A few seconds later, Suzanne was on the line. “Hi!” she exclaimed when I greeted her. “I’m in Chicago for three weeks. Can I still run away and join the circus?” I chuckled, “You might want to find out what the circus is actually like before you join! If you’re free, you’re welcome to come to the house tomorrow or Sunday and meet the...
March 1979 Monday was back to the normal routine of school. Debbie Courtney, who lived across the street and had turned fourteen the last week in February, started flirting more with me on the bus each day. Debbie Vaughn, who lived just down the street, would turn fourteen on March 16th and invited me to her birthday party. And Donna Woody, who lived just down the street in the other direction, would turn fourteen on March 20th. She had made it clear what she wanted for her birthday, and in...
June 2, 1990, Chicago, Illinois “My office, please,” Sensei Jim said after class on Saturday. I followed him to his office and waited for him to bid me to sit. He did, and I sat in the usual chair across from him. “She has a real problem, you know that, right?” he asked. “I do. That’s why I insisted she start seeing a counselor.” “I run a huge risk having her here with that kind of temper and her violent acts.” I nodded, “I understand. May I ask what you intend to do?” “I really don’t...
February 21, 1991, Chicago, Illinois “Hi, Sweetheart!” I said, greeting Bethany at the door. “Uncle Steve!” Nicholas exclaimed. I took him from his mom and he hugged me tightly. “Is Jesse with his moms?” Bethany asked. “Yes. They won’t bring him back over tonight so you and Nicholas can surprise him in the morning.” “Perfect!” “How was the drive up?” “The same as usual. Just a bit of traffic in Northern Indiana. Otherwise, smooth sailing. It was driving the other direction that was a...
November 4, 2000, Chicago, Illinois “Good morning, Sensei,” Miyu said when Kara, the girls, and I walked into the dojo on Saturday morning. “Good morning, Miyu.” “Do you have a moment, please?” I nodded and we went to the small practice room for privacy, as Sensei Jim had a family in his office. “What can I do for you?” “I need you to meet a young man,” she said. “I think you might be taking this ‘not do anything without permission’ a bit too far!” Miyu shook her head, “No, I’m not....
May 1979 The limo dropped me at home about 9:00pm. I took my stuff to my room, stripped, and hung up the tux. The rest of the things went into the hamper. I took a shower, put on shorts and a t-shirt, and walked down the hall into my dad’s office. I saw no reason to put this off any longer. “Stephen, you need to explain yourself!” my mom demanded. “I was in Mrs. McGrath’s, well, Mrs. Sanders’ now, wedding, as I said.” “You walked her down the aisle! You’re sixteen and not even related to...
Thursday, April 28, 2005 (Continued) Leaving Katelin's transport arrangements aside for the moment, I followed up on an idea I'd just had. Knowing my tape recorder was still running, and hoping it could pick up our voices when it was in my pocket, I said, "Wayne, if I call the police, are you going to get caught up in the lies your father told them?" "I'm not involved in that." #1: "Let me hazard a guess, it involves violence, and...
November 3, 1990, Chicago, Illinois “I still don’t understand why you told everyone to leave Katy alone last night,” Elyse said on Saturday morning. “Because we weren’t going to talk her out of it. I could tell by the way she told us. I hoped letting her sleep on it would allow her to hear what we had to say. Obviously I was wrong.” “I was surprised that she wouldn’t talk to Jennifer at all,” Kara said. “I thought Jennifer would be the one to get her to listen to reason this morning.” I...
February, 1983, Chicago, Illinois Our first joining since the previous summer was slow and sweet, trying to express our deep love for each other through the motions of our bodies. When we finished, Karin held me tight and refused to let me move off of her. “Sleep there, please,” she whispered. I kissed her once more then adjusted my pillow so that I could rest my head next to hers. It wasn’t the most comfortable position, but it was what Karin wanted. The feel of her firm body under mine,...
July 3, 1996, Chicago, Illinois I blinked several times and took a breath before responding. It didn’t help. The best I could do was contain my visceral reaction at her completely out-of-line request and her wrong-headed assumptions when she had NO idea what had happened in my life the previous eight months. “What makes you think you can make that request after refusing to talk to me for nearly eight months? And equally importantly, without explaining Alexi? And without giving me the first...
August 12, 1994, Chicago, Illinois “Fuck ‘em all,” I sighed. “Especially Donald Fehr. Running to Federal Court, the NLRB, and Congress? I’m really tired of the government putting its thumb so heavily on the scale.” “Well, we’re not going to resolve that problem today,” Elyse said. “Jackie and Jeremiah want to come over.” I chuckled, “Why am I not surprised? I bet you anything he had a rough sketch done ten minutes after they hung up the phone.” “They want to discuss options. Kimmy felt...