A Well Lived Life Book 9 AnalaChapter 75 Callie
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October 30, 1993, Chicago, Illinois
“They’re all adorable!” Michelle exclaimed when she saw my kids and their friends. “How long do you let them stay at the party?”
“Until we finish the costume contest, which is usually around 9:00pm. There’s a category just for the kids. It’s been a bit of an issue between Jesse and Birgit. They compete over that like they do everything else.”
“Jesse had a snit last year because Birgit won,” Jennifer added quietly.
“Jesse has a snit about ANYTHING where Birgit comes out ahead!” Josie laughed. “Including that stupid Candyland game!”
“It does teach them their colors,” I said. “And basic concepts like taking turns. And being a good loser.”
“Somebody forgot to tell our son about that last one!” Jennifer laughed.
“Veronica was a real stickler about that, and Abbie is pretty good about it as well,” I said. “He happens to agree with Dale Earnhardt that second place is just the first loser!”
“Everyone in this house is so competitive!” Michelle said, shaking her head.
“They’re all my kids!” I grinned. “Why play if you aren’t trying to win?”
“Forget it Michelle,” Bethany laughed from behind us, “they play games in this house as a blood sport! I’m sure you’ve seen it!”
“I was in the poker tournament last Guys’ Night,” Tom said ruefully. “I THOUGHT I was a good card player. But Steve, Karl, Terry, and Jorge took me apart like I was a five-year-old! It was like they KNEW what cards I held!”
Jennifer smirked, “You didn’t spot the marked deck?”
“Jennifer!” I tried to say sternly while laughing. “Don’t give away our secrets!”
“Marked deck?” Tom asked, sounding very angry.
“Whoa, Tom!” Jennifer said quickly. “We’re teasing. Seriously.”
“They are teasing,” Kurt said. “I brought my own decks after the first time we played just to make sure Steve and Karl weren’t pulling a fast one on us as a joke. They aren’t. And given we have an armed US Marshal at the table, somehow I don’t think cheaters would last long!”
“Marshal or not, they wouldn’t last long,” I said. “Nothing could be lower than cheating your friends.”
“Well, there was that time that Jorge brought that two-sided deck!” Terry chuckled, making us laugh again.
“Are you going to stand here and yack or are we going to get this party started?” Abbie asked.
“You’re in charge of music!” I reminded her. “I don’t hear any!”
“And you can’t push play on the tape deck and turn on the amplifier and tuner? When did you become helpless?”
“Oh, he’s not helpless,” Kara giggled. “He knows exactly which buttons to press to make me purr!”
“And that’s all I’m good for?” I asked, trying to sound offended.
“Yes!” came a chorus from Kara, Kathy, Bethany, Abbie, and Elyse.
“You know, Grace is going to be here tonight,” I said. “I’m sure SHE will appreciate me!”
Kara giggled, “I don’t think that helps your cause because the ONLY thing she wants from you is a good, hard fuck! Or three!”
“Grace?” Michelle asked, sounding concerned.
“A girl who works for Melanie,” I said. “She used to be a Petty Officer in the Navy, and knew Nick. She and I got together on New Year’s a few years ago. You know how I was.”
Michelle nodded, “I do. But not any more, right?”
“Grace will need to find someone else to play with tonight,” I said, trying to reassure her.
Michelle smiled, but I could tell she was uncomfortable. Abbie put on some music, and I pulled Michelle to a quiet, corner of the room for a bit of privacy. She hadn’t been to one of our big parties and hadn’t really been exposed to the crazy talk that occurred between me and my closest friends. It was something she was going to have to adapt to, because if she didn’t, she was going to be upset almost constantly.
We talked for about five minutes, and I did my best to convince her not to take anything that was said at the parties too seriously. I also promised that I wasn’t going to run off with any girls. And I took the time to explain about Kurt and Kara, and how they behaved.
“And you’re OK with that?” she asked.
“Yes, because it’s all in good fun! You know how Kathy and I tease each other? Well, Kurt and Kara do, too. They just usually limit it to parties. That’s why you haven’t seen it when you’ve gone out with us. Jessica had started in on Jorge in the same way, and I think Jorge and Kurt have something planned to try to get Kara flustered tonight. I’m not sure there’s much chance of that, though. She’s the most free-spirited, uninhibited person I know.”
“But why do you do it?”
“Because it’s fun! We enjoy the banter, and everyone plays along. The important thing is that everyone agrees in advance what the ground rules are. That way nobody gets into an uncomfortable situation. And nobody will try anything like that with you. Have you noticed they treat you differently? Just like they treat Bethany differently? Or my sister? Or Elyse?”
“Sure.”
“You know Kathy and Kurt are our dearest friends, and none of us would do anything to mess that up. The same goes for Jorge. I trust him with my kids and with Jessica. And I know you’ve seen how Melanie acts around me.”
“I can’t believe her husband lets her do that!” Michelle protested.
I chuckled, “Nobody tells Melanie what to do! JUDGES cower before her! And she’s been kissing me like that since High School when she and Pete were just dating. It’s all play acting. You missed a lot of this because of how much time you spent in your room, both before and after you went to Pennsylvania. I don’t know if anyone told you, but Melanie and I dated before she met Pete.”
“I don’t know much about what happened in High School before you met Kara. She’s told me about what happened from that point.”
I nodded, “I dated Melanie, Kathy, Bethany, Sofia, and Jennifer before I met Kara. I’m sure some of them have told you things.”
“Yes.”
“And they aren’t the craziest ones. Have they told you about Cindi?”
“No.”
“A couple of years ago, before her son was born, she came in body paint. Period. No clothes. That was the culmination of her wearing less and less each year. Since her son was born, she’s been a bit more careful about how crazy she gets. She still dresses to flaunt her figure and show some skin, but it’s not like it was before. She’ll probably have on something like you do, now that she’s toned it down a bit.”
“And I thought the Rap Sessions were wild,” Michelle sighed.
“You don’t have to stay if you’re uncomfortable,” I said.
Michelle smiled, “I trust you to keep me safe.”
“Then have a good time, dance with some sailors to keep up the military morale, and enjoy the party!”
We hugged and when I turned I almost bust a gut laughing. Jorge and Kurt had Kara on the dance floor and were doing the most exaggerated ‘dirty dancing’ moves imaginable. They were dressed identically as ‘Latin Lovers’ and Kurt was even wearing makeup to make his skin a few shades darker. I couldn’t hear them, but clearly something was said and the two of them made to unbutton a button on their shirts. I DID hear Kara squeal, smack them both on the shoulder and then burst out laughing. The three of them hugged and she came back to me.
“It was a draw,” she giggled.
“You’re losing your touch, Honey!” I teased.
“I’ll get Kurt out there alone so Kathy can have her fun!” Kara giggled. “And I’ll talk to Trish, Gaby, and Abbie!”
“Uh-oh!” I chuckled.
“Turnabout is fair play!” Kara said primly.
“Michelle, would you like to dance?” I asked.
“I, uh, don’t know how.”
I took her hand and led her to the dance floor and spent the next hour teaching her to dance, stopping only to get a drink. When I released her, she and I went back to stand with Kara, who was smirking as she watched Gaby, Trish, and Abbie drag Jorge onto the dance floor.
“This is NOT going to be pretty,” I said.
Jason walked over to where Kara, Michelle, and I were standing.
“Somebody has to explain this to me,” he said.
I was glad he had a smile on his face, as this was his first real experience of ‘crazy’ just as it was for Michelle.
“Are you upset?” Kara asked.
“No, just confused! I trust Abs completely.”
Kara explained to him the history of our relationships with the Jaegers, and how Jorge had become involved, and her marshaling her forces against a joint effort by Kurt and Jorge to try to put her in her place. From his laughter, it was clear that Jason found it amusing, despite being very conservative.
“The guys on a lot of NASCAR teams pulled stunts like that,” he laughed. “That bit in Days of Thunder with the fake cop was the kind of thing they’d pull all the time. Alan frowned on it, and it doesn’t happen as much as it used to in the old days, but it still goes on.”
“Thanks for being a good sport!” Kara said.
I watched as the girls got Jorge so flustered that he finally threw up his hands and walked off the dance floor, leaving the laughing girls standing in a circle. They hugged, then Trish went to Jorge and gave him a hug and a kiss. I could see him talking to her, and I was sure he was swearing revenge!
The costume contest wasn’t nearly as good as ones in the past, with quite a few people simply wearing simple masks. When it finished, I helped Jennifer, Elyse, and Bethany gather the kids to take them to the coach house where Shanita and Kayla had the smaller kids who had their own party.
“Did you arrange that?” I asked Elyse.
“For Nicholas to win? No. But it sure worked out, didn’t it?”
“Jesse can hardly complain, and neither could Birgit, so yes!” I agreed.
She went back to Eduardo and I rejoined Kara and Michelle. The rest of the party was uneventful, and when it finally wound down, Kara and I went to bed.
“I was sad we didn’t get to dance to our song,” Kara said. “But I agree it wouldn’t be right to do it without Jessica.”
“Abbie remade that mix tape just to remove that song, and leave in the one for the ‘Gang of Four’. I hated that!”
“Have you thought about kidnapping her to Iron Mountain again?”
“Yes, but this time, she might actually call the cops,” I sighed. “I told you how she was when I gave her the results from Mayo.”
“Six months,” Kara sighed.
“I know, Honey. I wish there was a solution, but I don’t think there is. Al and I were both sure she was going to hit bottom at some point, but she’s simply turned completely stoic on us; ‘Mr. Spock’ in the extreme. Jesse says he thinks she’s sad, and so does Jorge, but she’s simply turned on ‘Doctor Jessica’ mode and she never turns it off.”
“I don’t understand how anyone can live that way,” Kara sighed as she snuggled close.
“Me either,” I agreed.
October 31, 1993, Chicago, Illinois
Sunday was a lazy day around the house. In the morning, after breakfast, I spent time with the kids, and during the afternoon, I watched the race from Phoenix with Jason and Abbie. Kara was doing homework for one of her PhD courses and was closeted in my study, while Michelle was spending time with Birgit and her friend Tiffany. The race wasn’t bad for Bill - he finished fifth. With one race to go, Earnhardt had the championship all but locked up. He would only need to finish 34th or better at Phoenix to win his sixth Winston Cup.
Michelle and I cooked dinner with help from Jesse and Birgit who had put aside their competition long enough to cooperate to set the table.
“They’re so cute when they cooperate,” Michelle said quietly.
I nodded, “They love each other to pieces, but they’re both so ‘Type-A’ that they can’t stand the other gaining even a tiny advantage. But I think the one to really watch out for is Stephie. The quiet ones are the most dangerous!”
Michelle laughed, “So, like me?”
“You were NEVER quiet!” I laughed. “You might have spent a lot of time cloistered, but you certainly talked in the Rap Sessions and you talked my ear off in the sauna, ‘Indian’ room, and my study!”
“Dad, Nicholas is here,” Jesse announced, coming back into the kitchen.
“With his mom and Tom?”
“No! They have a date! Aunt Elyse said she knew!”
“Well, set a place for him, please. Is Tiffany staying?”
“No! Her mom just took her home!”
“OK,” I said.
That settled, we had our family meal, and then spent time together until all the kids were in bed. After Jesse and his moms went to the coach house, Kara, Michelle, and I spent time in the sauna, then went up to bed. As I had the previous Sunday, I slipped my hand underneath Michelle’s arm and cupped her small, firm breast. She sighed deeply and snuggled close and the three of us fell asleep.
November 2, 1993, Chicago, Illinois
“How do you want to handle the Pittsburgh hire?” Cindi asked.
“I don’t see any choice but to bring your top one or two candidates here. We’re not going to Pittsburgh for more than a month and I know you don’t want to wait. That’s how Charlie handled the Denver hire.”
“I don’t want to wait for the trip. Mario did a good job of screening and I talked to his top two candidates. I’ll bring them in one at a time. Honestly, I won’t go against Mario’s recommendation unless there is some major problem.”
“Same here,” I said. “Make it happen.”
“Thanks.”
She left my office and a few minutes later, I headed out to my car to drive to have lunch with Al Barton. We met at Medici as usual, and talked about everything except Jessica. We’d both said everything we had to say on the topic, and she wasn’t talking to either of us. When I finished lunch, I headed back to the office.
November 5, 1993, Chicago, Illinois
“Hi, Stan,” I said when I walked into Venice Café.
“Hi, Steve.”
“So, what can I do for you today?” I asked.
“Before we get to that, I wanted to let you know that I heard from a contact in the State’s Attorney’s office that they worked out a plea deal with Lisa Glass. Forty years in exchange for a guilty plea.”
“Wow. What were they holding over her?”
“Death or life without parole. She’s pleading to the federal charges as well. No time in exchange for a guilty plea and large fine.”
“I suppose I’m not surprised by the plea,” I said. “But I’m shocked that she’d arrange for John’s murder.”
“There’s more to this, but the Feds haven’t tied it all together. There’s a missing piece, but nobody seems to know what it is, and nobody’s talking. To me, that has Outfit written all over it. Did the FBI ask you about any unions or the Outfit?”
“They really focused on Lisa, and asked about some city employees, but I had nothing to give them. They’ve talked to me in the past about our work for the unions, but nothing came of that because NIKA’s work is all above board. I’m VERY glad we got out of the construction and transportation sector.”
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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...
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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...
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...
July 23, 1994, Naperville, Illinois “Steve, help me get him on the floor,” Doctor Washington, who reached us first, said. “Quickly!” We moved Al to the floor and I loosened his tie and unbuttoned the collar of his tuxedo shirt, while Doctor Washington took his pulse. “One of you get a bag!” he said urgently. “And call 9-1-1!” I pulled out my cellular phone, moved back a bit, and dialed. “Doctor Robertson ran to her car,” Gina said. “Daddy?!” Fawn cried from Georg’s arms. Belinda looked...
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...