A Well Lived Life 2 Book 6 SamanthaChapter 24 Bethany
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August, 1985, Chicago, Illinois
On Monday morning we had a short staff meeting because Dave and Julia weren’t back from their honeymoon. They’d return on Thursday, and things would get back to normal, at least at NIKA. Cindi reported that she had a few more presentations scheduled, and that she was sure we’d have another network installation in the next few weeks. She and Mario both had appointments so they left immediately after the meeting. Penny, Dany, and I got to work on coding.
“I talked to Elyse,” Dany said when we took a coffee break about 10:00am.
I chuckled, “And?”
“OK. Your life is officially nuts!” she laughed. “Perhaps even a bit too crazy even for me!”
“I provided fair warning! Are you happy here so far?”
“Absolutely. School starts next week, so that’s when my schedule changes. I guess Penny has two more weeks?”
“Yes. You’ll probably see her around on Saturday mornings when you’re here. She’s a great friend, in addition to being a great employee.”
“That much is obvious. Do you know that she’s madly in love with you?”
I nodded, “I’m aware. Penny and I have a special relationship but like you, she’s an employee, so ethically, she has to be off limits.”
Dany cocked her head and looked at me, but didn’t say anything. She and I went back to work until lunchtime.
“Penny, I need to run an errand. Why don’t you come with me and I’ll buy you lunch.”
“Yes!” she grinned.
“Dany, we’ll be out for a couple of hours. I have to run out to Wheaton to place an order. Penny’s coming along.”
“OK. I’ll hold down the fort! Mario is supposed to be back by 1:00pm anyway.”
Penny and I walked out to my car and we started on our way to Wheaton.
“Penny, I brought you along because I want to tell you that on Friday I’m going to ask Jessica and Kara to marry me.”
“Both of them?” she giggled. “Sounds like fun!”
“You’re OK with this development?” I asked.
“Sure. I knew it was going to happen eventually. Of course, I thought it was going to be Bethany, but she’s so dumb that she doesn’t deserve you! What a dope!”
“I know that’s how you feel, but you can never say anything like that to her!”
“I won’t. But if you asked me, I’d say yes in a heartbeat! Even if I had to share!”
“You wouldn’t like that, Pretty Penny. You wanted me all to yourself. But, we’ll be together forever, just in a different way.”
“I know. What are we doing in Wheaton?”
“Buying an engagement ring for Jessica, along with a diamond pendant, and then rings for Kara, Jessica, and me.”
“Oh cool! So she’ll get a necklace like Kara, Sofia, and Bethany have?”
“And you, Penny.”
“Mine’s smaller because you didn’t want mom to freak out!” she said.
“When you get older, I’ll buy you a full-size one. You deserve it.”
She smiled broadly and started asking questions about Jessica, Kara, and how the relationship would work. Her eyes grew wide at several points, but she took it all in and asked some thoughtful questions. By the time we got to Mr. Digrindakis’ jewelry store, she knew pretty much everything there was to know about Jessica.
“You are, wait a moment, Steve, Dave’s friend,” Mr. Digrindakis said.
“You have a very good memory, sir!” I said.
“What can I do for you and your lovely young lady friend?”
Penny positively glowed from the compliment.
“I need to buy an engagement ring, a diamond pendant like the one that Penny is wearing, only bigger, and then I need three custom rings.”
“Let me show you what I have. Since you are Dave’s friend, I will give you the same kind of deal that he received.”
He showed me a number of diamonds, and as I’d done three years before with Kara, I selected one that was just under a carat. The new one that I’d purchased for Kara, and offered to her on her birthday, was smaller, but I felt that wouldn’t create any issues for her. I picked out a setting that was almost identical to the one I had for Kara, and then looked at the pendants he had on display. Penny and I found one that we liked that was in the right price range.
“For the rings, I need to bring my designer out. One moment.”
He went to a back room, and a moment later he came out with a man who looked to be in his 70’s.
“This is Mr. Papadakis; he can design the rings for you. When do you need them?”
“No sooner than the end of September,” I said.
“This is easily accomplished,” Mr. Papadakis said. “Please, describe what you want.”
“Two lady’s and one man’s rings. They need to match in design. I’d like white gold, with three stones, two small rubies with a purple stone of some kind set between them.”
He nodded, “Spinel, I would think for the purple stone. It’s quite durable. You would want the stones set flush in the ring?”
“Yes.”
“So then just chips, really. I can do this. I’ll just need the sizes.”
I gave him Kara’s and Jessica’s sizes and he pulled a set of sizing rings from his pocket to check mine.
“Steve? Won’t you need a ring for your left hand?” Penny asked.
“Sure, but I want Jess and Kara to pick that one out,” I said.
About ten minutes later I had an order form with the total price, and a large discount shown. Penny gasped at the total, but it was actually less than I had expected to spend. I signed the order and Mr. Digrindakis ran my credit card for the pendant and a deposit for the other items.
“The diamond ring will be ready on Friday morning. I’ll call you when the others are ready, most likely in two to three weeks. Do you want to see a drawing before the rings are made?”
“That makes sense,” I said.
“I’ll have it on Friday morning when you come for the ring,” Mr. Digrindakis said.
I thanked him, we shook hands, and he kissed the back of Penny’s hand which caused her to giggle and blush. We got back in the car and stopped at Wendy’s on Roosevelt Road for lunch, then headed back to Hyde Park. When we arrived home, I put the pendant in a locked drawer in my desk, and then Penny and I went back to work.
“Steve, do you have a minute?” Mario asked as I walked in.
“Sure. What’s up?”
“Do you have time to call on a customer? They want to meet the owner before they sign up for a support contract.”
“No problem. I’m free the rest of the week, basically. Set it up. Which customer?”
“Allen & Baker. They want a dozen computers, a network, and a server.”
I laughed, “That’s where my friend Jamie works as a lawyer. I think it’s a lock. Let me know when.”
He picked up the phone and spoke to someone there and arranged a meeting for Wednesday afternoon. I only had one suit, and I figured it was time to buy another one. I’d have to do that soon, if I was going to have to go to meetings like this. Theo was always impeccably dressed, so I’d ask him the next time I saw him. That made me think about Anthony. I hadn’t heard from him, which didn’t bother me, but I was sure that something would be asked, and probably soon.
That evening after dinner, Penny and Dany went back to the office. I knew that I needed to talk with Bethany, and figured this was as good of a time as any.
“We should talk,” I said to Bethany as we left the dining room.
“OK,” she said. “Where?”
“It’s up to you. We can use the ‘Indian’ room, or the back yard, or go for a walk.”
“How about the ‘Indian’ Room?” she suggested.
“OK. I put water on for tea earlier, so let me fix the pot.”
She followed me to the kitchen. I put the tea leaves in the tea ball, put it in the teapot, and then added hot water from the kettle. I put two cups and the teapot on a tray and we went to the ‘Indian’ room.
“George, do you mind if we have this room?” I asked.
“No, it’s cool. I’ll go sit in the sunroom. I’m just reading.”
“Thanks,” I said.
I shut the door behind George and locked it, and then Bethany and I sat at the low table on the floor pillows. We were quiet for a bit while the tea steeped, and then I poured some for each of us.
“Are you doing OK?” I asked.
“I guess so,” she sighed. “I still feel like everyone is angry with me.”
“I know. I wish I could wave a wand and make it go away, but I think everyone will get over it. I’m certainly going to do anything I can to change that as quickly as possible.”
“Thanks. Are you doing OK?”
“Yes,” I replied with a nod. “I have something I need to tell you. I’m going to ask Jessica and Kara to marry me on Friday.”
She sighed deeply, “I’m not surprised. Are you sure?”
“The three of us spent most of the weekend together. Yes, I’m absolutely sure. It won’t surprise you that I talked to Anala, Jackie, Stephanie, Jennifer, Josie, Sofia, and Kathy.”
“Of course you did,” Bethany smiled. “And nobody told you not to?”
“I didn’t talk to them until after Kara told me that she wanted me to accept Jessica’s proposal.”
“Are we going to be OK?” she asked.
“I think that’s up to you and Andrew,” I said. “You need to bring him around at some point.”
“I know, but you have to admit that this is a lot to swallow for someone who isn’t used to it.”
“True, but Jorge adapted. Even Prajesh can take us in small doses and he’s the most conservative person I know! Well, not counting religious fanatics. Pete manages as well.”
“I don’t want to freak him out!”
“But that won’t change if it’s now or later. The longer you wait, the harder it’s going to be.”
“I know; I know,” Bethany sighed.
I wanted so badly to ask her if she was sure that she was making the right decision, but I really couldn’t do that. Kathy was right in that none of us could say anything to Bethany without it sounding like we were trying to interfere. It just wouldn’t be right. I wished there was something I could do, but I couldn’t think of anything.
“How are your parents taking this news?” I asked.
“They’re confused. My mom was truly shocked that you confessed to cheating on Kara. I explained as best I could what had happened without giving away too much information, but you spilled the beans, so to speak. My dad spent twenty minutes lecturing me on the phone yesterday! Why is everybody so upset?”
Now I was sure that she was making a huge mistake. If she didn’t know the answer to THAT question, she definitely wasn’t thinking clearly. Something else was going on, and I had no idea what it might be. The only thing I could think of was that she had, finally, decided that she couldn’t handle the group marriage situation and this was her way to escape. If she got engaged to someone else, it eliminated that issue.
“You honestly don’t know the answer to that question? Seriously?”
She sighed, “They all want me to marry you. They’re all angry that I hurt you.”
“Yes, that’s certainly the case. It’s no different from how a lot of them would have felt if I was the one to break it off with you instead of the other way around. Kathy would have been livid.”
“I suppose,” Bethany said. “She thinks I’m making a huge mistake. She didn’t say it, but it was clear from the way she reacted.”
“Given our joint history, that shouldn’t have come as a surprise. She told me what you two discussed.”
“No!” Bethany gasped. “You weren’t supposed to ever know that!”
I smiled, “It’s OK. Kathy did the right thing in the end. Remember our talk about fantasies? And how the best ones have to stay fantasies?”
She nodded, “Yes.”
“Well, that’s hers. And yours, I guess. Now I understand what you were really saying when you told me about wanting a threesome with her again.”
“You turned her down before her wedding. Just like you did Katt.”
“Yes, of course. You know how much I love Kathy and how much I like making love with her. It’s almost as much as YOU like making love with her! But my rule is firm. It has to be. Sofia and I decided against making love again because I’d made up my mind to be with Jessica and Kara.”
Bethany smiled, “You’re right about that. Pam was fun, but I love Kathy as much as you do. Well, not in a romantic way, but if I had to share you with someone, she was the one I would have preferred. Not that Kara is bad in any way, but well, Kathy is Kathy.”
I nodded, “I know. Trust me, I know. Growing her pubic hair was such a clear sign of what she wanted that I had a very hard time resisting. But let’s get back on topic here. How do we move forward?”
“Will Jessica be OK with me as your best friend?”
“She’s bought into the program completely,” I said, “to the point of declaring Kara a co-wife. And the two of them agreed that they don’t need their own rooms.”
“No way!” Bethany gasped.
“Yes. Jessica is fully aware and very willing to join the circus. What about Andrew?”
She sighed, “It’s going to be a tougher sell. But I’ll work on him. We’re going away Labor Day weekend. We have a room in Lake Geneva, and I’ll tell him everything.”
“Don’t take this the wrong way, but you should have done that before you let him propose, or at least before you accepted.”
“I know,” she said. “I was afraid of how he’d react.”
We both sipped our tea quietly for several minutes. I really wanted her to open up about why, and I hoped she do it voluntarily. If she didn’t, then I was going to ask. The silence ended up lasting for ten minutes before she finally spoke.
“You want to know why, don’t you?” she asked.
“I do. But only if you really want to tell me.”
“I’ll try,” Bethany said. “I fell in love with him. It didn’t happen right away, of course, but I realized it before he asked me to marry him. That part I can’t explain any more than I can explain why I love you, or Kathy, or anyone else. But I always dreamed of a typical suburban house, with the picket fence, neighbors with kids, a dog or a cat, living with a good man, and being faithful to him and him to me for our whole lives.
“I never was able to find a guy who could provide that who measured up. We talked about that. I was always looking for a guy like you, but not like you, if you know what I mean. I wasn’t looking for Andrew, he just kind of appeared. He’s not you. He’s almost your exact opposite in many ways. He can provide what you can’t - the fulfillment of that dream. Does that make sense?”
“It doesn’t have to make sense to me,” I said carefully. “It only has to make sense to you. It has to make you happy. It has to meet your needs. If I couldn’t meet them, then it makes sense that you wouldn’t marry me.”
She sighed, “You see, that’s just it. You and Andrew meet my needs in very different ways. In fact you meet very different needs. That’s why it snuck up on me. I think you’ll understand that, given how you always saw yourself as having very different options and choices.”
“Yes, that’s quite true. It’s what I always struggled with in the past. Which girl met the real needs that I had. Not the ones that I had right at that moment, but the needs I had for the rest of my life. And if she didn’t meet them, I had to believe that she could meet them. I finally realized that you were that girl. I realized it just in time for you to tell me you were going to marry someone else. I wonder if I waited too long.”
“No, you didn’t. I knew you were ready to marry me long before you told me. But then I wasn’t ready to marry you, and made sure that was clear to you, so you didn’t ask. Maybe it had to do with what you told my mom. In fact, I think that was part of it, but only a small part. Mostly, it was figuring out what I needed, really needed, for the rest of my life. You provided so much that I wanted. But it didn’t match that dream I had of the future.”
“And Andrew does,” I said.
She hesitated, and then said, “Yes.”
“Why the hesitation?” I asked.
“Because when all my friends think I made a bad decision - in fact the absolute wrong decision - it’s hard to be as sure of myself as I was when he asked me. I was sure. That’s why I sort of pushed you away.”
“I know,” I said. “And it’s OK. As for your friends, they aren’t you, and they can’t decide for you. But unless you want to end all these friendships, you have to include us in your life, and Andrew has to be part of our clan. If he can’t, then you can’t. Anala didn’t want to integrate too far into our clan because she knew that when she eventually met her husband, it would have to end. Pete and Melanie are on the periphery because Pete can only handle so much crazy. Kurt and Jamie have more or less joined the program. Kenneth hasn’t been around much, but that’s a disaster waiting to happen.”
“Oh? Why?” Bethany asked.
“Confidentially, to my best friend, Katy is at least bi-sexual, but I think she prefers girls. She talked to Josie at length about it and she’s trying to suppress her feelings the way Jennifer did. I tried to warn her off marrying him, but she accepted Kenneth’s proposal. I think that’s eventually going to go down in flames.”
January 1981, Milford, Ohio On Friday morning, I called Kara as I had promised. We agreed to go out on Saturday evening. After completing my call to Kara, I called Bethany to see if she wanted to have lunch or dinner. “Both!” she said. “As long as your sister can come with us.” “Don’t trust yourself alone with me?” I quipped. “That will be the day, Steve Adams! Just pick me up around 11:00am.” “See you then!” I went to find Stephanie and let her know she was going out with Bethany and...
October 4, 1986, Chicago, Illinois Later that evening, I told Bethany that Kara and Jessica had agreed to the date, and that I’d made the reservations. She stayed in with Kara and me, and we watched television and ate popcorn. Tasha had come for her usual homework session, but had left immediately afterwards, saying that she was going home so that she could go to church on Sunday morning. “Anyone interested in a sauna?” Josie asked. “Sure,” I said. “Is Jesse joining us?” “Yes! Jenny will...
February 1981, Milford, Ohio Sunday was Krista’s first day with Beth and me. I noticed that Stephanie hung out with us far more than usual. I suspected that she was keeping an eye on Krista because everyone knew Krista had been flirting with me the whole year. She had just turned fourteen, which meant that my age restriction rules wouldn’t apply. I found it amusing that the girls were analyzing all the threats. It was almost like the military assessing enemies and preparing contingencies....
September/October 1980, Milford, Ohio On Sunday after I called Karin, I had my weekly ‘play date’ with Debbie V, and she helped me pick out a gift for Karin, as her birthday was coming up and I wanted to send it so she could get it in time. I spent the rest of the day with Beth, working on computer dating and programming stuff. Bethany had come over for a few hours in the afternoon and hung out with us. I also let Beth know that the following Sunday we’d only have a short day because I had a...
November 1980, Milford, Ohio On Thursday, I had my usual date with Elyse. We were still just good friends, and I didn’t expect that to change anytime soon. On Friday, Bethany and I went to dinner at Ponderosa and had steaks and baked potatoes. Once we finished, I paid, and we walked quickly to the car, driving straight to the apartment. We had our clothes off in seconds after closing the door. “I need you to fuck me silly,” Bethany growled. I pulled her to me and kissed her hard, our...
May 1981 — Milford/Cincinnati, Ohio “Steve Adams, I promised to fuck you to within an inch of your life, and that’s what I’m going to do. If you can walk out of this hotel tomorrow morning, I’ve failed!” “I do need to be able to walk out, as well as drive home!” I protested with a laugh. “True. So maybe only to within two inches. Or is it just over six?” she giggled. “Cute, Bethany, cute!” I chuckled. “And,” she smirked, licking her lips with the tip of her tongue, “I have a very special...
March 4, 1990, Chicago, Illinois “Well?” Kara asked with a smirk as she, Jessica, and I sat down to a quiet dinner in the ‘Indian’ room. “About as wild as could be. I was more than a little concerned by Abbie’s plan, but in the end, when she told me why, it made perfect sense.” “What was her reasoning?” Jessica asked. “She felt that it had to be raw sex and nothing more, because otherwise Becka would never have left.” Kara giggled, “Abbie seems to get smarter every day.” “I never had a...
April 6, 1986, Chicago, Illinois It had been a wonderful ten days with Jessica in Chicago, and both Kara and I were sad to see her packing her things for her trip back to Indianapolis. We’d had a very good taste of what life would be like once Jessica was in Chicago full-time, but that was still more than a year away. Between now and then, we’d be apart more than we were together. “We’ll miss you, Babe,” I said as I put her bag into the back seat of her car. “I’ll miss you both! I’ll see...
May 26, 1987, Chicago, Illinois “I suppose that does solve the problem,” Dave said when I told him about Tom. “I’m just surprised he didn’t tell me when I talked to him.” “I guess he wanted to talk to me because it’s my company. Honestly, it’s not our focus and if we had inquiries in that area, I think we should send them to Tom. We need to put as much effort into our main software packages as possible. We have four now, and that’s a tall order with six full-time programmers and two...
August 1980, Milford, Ohio I rang the bell and Bethany opened the door a few seconds later. We got in the car and I pulled out of the driveway. “Where to, Bethany?” “That depends. Do you want to eat or should we just go straight to making love?” she giggled. “Let’s eat and talk, which is what you said we would do.” “You still aren’t sure.” “That’s right. What do you want to eat?” “Let’s go to my dad’s country club! You’re dressed OK in slacks and polo.” “I wondered why you had on a...
May-June 1981, Milford, Ohio I woke up on Friday morning with the song Efter Plugget going through my head. «Nu är det bara en sommar kvar Ungefärg 59 dar Så ska man göra som alla andra Man ska in i cirkeln och vandra» (Now there’s just a Summer left Just about 59 days Now I’ll do like everyone else and join the rat race) Of course, the song didn’t really apply, since I did have a plan and knew what I was going to do, but it still came to mind. I swam with Stephanie, then we showered...
September 1980, Milford, Ohio At school on Monday, Erin came to find me at my locker. “You didn’t ask me out, Steve!” “I’m sorry,” I said, closing my locker. “I’ve been really busy. But we could go out for dinner and ice cream on Tuesday or Thursday?” “Thursday is fine! I do have to be home by 9:00pm.” “I’ll pick you up around 5:00pm.” In Miss Barkhurst’s class, we had our first dissection — earthworms. I got a kick out of who had problems with handling them and who didn’t. The funniest...
October/November, 1980, Milford, Ohio I didn’t know for sure what to expect when I walked into chemistry class on Wednesday. I had tossed and turned in bed and hadn’t slept well because I couldn’t get the situation with Kara out of my head. It was going to be a mess, no matter what happened. That was the only thing I was sure of. “Hi, Steve,” Kara said quietly. “Hi, Kara,” I answered, not looking her in the eye. “What’s wrong?” “I told you last night what was wrong and what would...
April 19, 1986, Chicago, Illinois After the party ended, Jessica, Kara, and I went up to our room to talk. “Now may I ask the question?” Kara said, looking at me for approval, which I gave with a nod. “Jess,” she continued, “please don’t get upset, but it seems like you’re trying to goad Steve into doing something just so you can beat him up for doing it.” “Why would I do that?” Jessica asked. I found it interesting that she didn’t deny it. That revelation meant that the conversation...
January 26, 1987, Chicago, Illinois “Promise me something,” Stephie said as we waited for her flight to be called. “What’s that?” I asked. “Don’t try to come see me near the end. I want you to remember me this way.” “Peaches...” I protested. “I told you I was coming to say a proper goodbye. If it goes like I think it will, I won’t be in any condition to even know that you’re there. Just do this for me, please. Red will call you when it’s time. Now promise me.” I sighed deeply, “I...
October 1980, Milford, Ohio Another week of school passed, and after school on Friday, I showered and dressed in my black slacks and black polo for my date with Kara. “That outfit is going to get you laid for sure, Big Brother!” Stephanie smirked. “I don’t think so. If everything goes perfectly, I’ll get a nice goodnight kiss, and that’s it. A single kiss.” “Jeez, Steve, you’re really losing your touch!” she teased. “It’s not like I’m not having sex, Squirt. I’m just not as crazy as I...
April/May 1981 — Milford/Cincinnati, Ohio When I woke up on Sunday morning, I called Karin, then swam and ate breakfast with Stephanie. When Dad got up, I thanked him profusely for allowing the party and for keeping Mom away from us. He told me he was quite pleased with our behavior, and that, as he’d expected, there had been no fights, no booze or drugs, and that we’d left everything spotless. He warned me that Mom might say something to me about it and reminded me to just keep my cool. I...
September, 1980, Milford, Ohio Things with Bethany seemed normal on Thursday. After school, I helped Mrs. Seime with the YFU Exchange Program presentation. There were six sophomores who participated, and I spoke for about five minutes about my experiences and answered questions. In my judgment, only one of the students was truly a serious candidate, a Sophomore girl named Jo Filmore. I talked to her after the presentation a bit and she said she’d fill out an application. I told her I’d be...
July-August 1980, Milford, Ohio On Sunday morning, Stephanie and I swam and ate breakfast before she went to church with mom. I had thought about going to church, but really had no interest in doing so. I suspected Mom would have had quite a bit to say about me going to church given my ‘sinful, immoral, and deviant’ lifestyle. It really wasn’t worth the trouble for something I didn’t think was all that important. I made my usual weekly call to Karin and had a nice chat with her. We couldn’t...
June 15, 1986, Chicago, Illinois “What did Bethany have to say?” I asked Jessica as we showered together on Sunday morning. “We talked a lot about you, and about her, and how things had come to where they are now. I guess I helped make a mess of her life, so I feel a bit of an obligation to help put it back together.” “No way, Babe! Bethany did what she did because of things that happened long before I met you. I assume that she told you that we’d pretty much agreed to get married and that...
September 1980, Milford, Ohio I was up early as usual on Saturday morning. I swam with Stephanie and we ate breakfast together. I let Dad know I’d be out with Bethany most of the day and would be home just after midnight, which was well before my 1:00am curfew. I left the house about five minutes before 8:00am and drove to Bethany’s house. I knocked softly on the door so as not to disturb anyone who might be sleeping. Almost immediately, Bethany opened the door and came out giggling, giving...
January 1981, Milford, Ohio On Monday, when I sat down beside Kara in chemistry class, she reached over and squeezed my hand. “Kara, let’s have lunch, I need to tell you what happened on Saturday.” “OK. I’ll meet you at the computer lab.” I dropped my hand to her knee and squeezed as the bell rang and Kara smiled. At lunch, I stopped to tell Bethany I’d be talking to Kara and then went to the computer lab. Kara arrived just about the same time I did. I unlocked the door, and we went...
August 1980, Milford, Ohio Late on Wednesday evening Dad met my flight at Greater Cincinnati airport. He let me drive home so he could be sure I was ready to take my driving test. When we arrived home, he told me he was satisfied with my driving and he would take me to the BMV on Friday. We talked about buying the car and he offered to co-sign a note for me, so I didn’t have to use all of my savings to buy the car. He figured that if I put down $3000, I’d have payments of about $130 a month...
September 1980, Milford, Ohio When I arrived home after my date with Joyce, Stephanie came to sit in my room and talk. “Hey, Squirt!” I said. “Hey, Big Brother,” she said, seeming a bit down. “What’s wrong?” “Oh, a few things. The most important one is that I’m worried about Bethany. I talked to her today, and she’s really fixated on the idea that you two are going to be married and live happily ever after. I know she’s told you that she’s OK with all the other girls, but I don’t think...
January 1981, Milford, Ohio “Tell me, Steve, why the fuck I should even think about having sex with a stupid bastard like you?” “Because we love each other, Stephanie.” “Didn’t I tell you that if you fucked Becky, I would never sleep with you? And you did it anyway, didn’t you?” “Yes, you did. And I did. I screwed up. I know I did. What can I do to make it up?” “Steve!” she said, waving off my words, “What exactly does that conniving bitch have that you would be willing to throw away...
October 19, 1986, Chicago, Illinois “How was Indianapolis?” I asked Kara when I found her studying in the ‘Indian’ room. “Great! Jess and I had a wonderful time sitting around her apartment in our pajamas, cuddling, and talking. How was Wisconsin?” “Great! Bethany and I had a wonderful time sitting around the suite in our pajamas, cuddling, and talking!” “I KNOW that’s not true!” she laughed. “Is everything good between you two?” “It is. She’s ready to move forward. I’d expect that she...
May 17, 1986, Chicago, Illinois “Dance with me!” Leila insisted when I came into the sunroom. I took her hand and led her to the dance area, then took her into my arms. “When do you leave for home?” I asked. “Tuesday. I’ll be back in August. Thanks for letting us move in!” “You’re welcome,” I said. “So does everyone who lives here get privileges?” she whispered. I chuckled, “Dave lives here, so I think the answer to that is a resounding ‘no’!” She laughed, “You know what I...
January 1981, Milford, Ohio On Tuesday morning in chemistry class, Kara kissed my cheek and let me know that she’d spoken to Bethany. They were going to get together with Stephanie after school. Kara would talk to me once they had decided what to do. I thanked Kara again for loving me enough to forgive me. At lunch, Bethany told me to go sit with Kara at the ‘Holy Rollers’ table. Tracey stopped me as I turned to head there. “Steve, where are you going?” “To sit with Kara. It’s complicated...
February 1981, Milford, Ohio Sunday followed the usual pattern of a call to Karin, swimming and breakfast with Stephanie, and then doing homework until Beth arrived. When Beth arrived, I talked with her about an problem that we’d have to solve, and probably soon. If she was at U of I and I was at IIT, we’d have no real way of providing support to our customers in and around Cincinnati. I suggested we find a Freshman or Sophomore to help us over the Summer and after we went to Chicago. “Why...
June 1978 On Sunday morning I awoke well-rested. I ate breakfast and told Mom I wanted to go to church with them. She said ‘OK’, so I went to shower and dress for church. I saw Larry but not Jennie. Larry and I grabbed some juice after service and talked briefly. He wondered if I wanted to play some chess during the week and I readily agreed. We agreed he would come to my house on Tuesday night. When we got home I tried to talk to Mom again. She actually responded to my apology and accepted...
November 1980, Milford, Ohio I woke up with my alarm on Saturday, extremely tired, but in a far better mental state. I met Stephanie in the pool and she easily lapped me several times. I was sore and exhausted from the previous night’s swim, but I struggled through my usual 50 laps. When we finished, I took a long, hot shower before meeting Stephanie for breakfast. “Are you going to take my advice, Big Brother?” “Well, I’m going to talk to Bethany for sure. I’ll call her at 9:00am and ask...
March/April 1981, Milford, Ohio I had half-expected Stephanie to sneak into my room on Sunday night, but to my combined relief and regret, she didn’t. We were up early to swim and she once again looked around for any observers and gave me a quick kiss. “I missed sleeping with you last night, Big Brother,” she whispered. “I wanted to come to your room, but I knew it was too dangerous!” “We’ll find some time, Squirt, I promise!” “Good!” she whispered, “My pussy feels so empty!” “Just your...
August 1980, Milford, Ohio On Monday morning, Stephanie and I got up early enough to swim and eat breakfast together. Stephanie was starting eighth grade, so she’d be riding Bus #8 with me. Unfortunately, Jeff was also on the same bus, but I didn’t really worry to much about that because of what I planned to do. My first order of business, when I got to school, would be to get a parking pass which Seniors could get automatically just by asking. I also knew that Mom would then insist that I...
April 1981, Milford, Ohio On Saturday morning, after swimming and breakfast, Stephanie and I started setting up for Bethany’s birthday party. We were doing it at lunchtime because I would be in the play that evening. Stephanie and I were invited to her house on Sunday for her family celebration as well. I was happy the day had turned out nice, given we were planning on grilling hamburgers. I loaded the charcoal into the grill, and then Stephanie and I formed the hamburger into patties. I...
February 1981, Milford, Ohio On Wednesday, Kara simply smiled at me when I walked into chemistry class, rather than greeting me with a kiss. I knew that she and I had to have a long talk, so I didn’t let it bother me. I wasn’t quite ready to talk to her yet, thinking that Friday night would be best when we could be alone for an extended time. Of course, there was a question of whether or not she was willing to go out with me. “Kara, can I see you Friday night?” I asked. “Of course! We’re...
February 23, 1986, Chicago, Illinois “We’ll talk about it next weekend,” I said. “Not now?” Jessica asked. “Are you sure that you’re OK?” “Yes and no. It really was the only thing that could happen with Bethany. I told you that about a month ago.” “So you were prepared?” Kara asked. “As much as I could be,” I sighed. “I think everyone pretty much expected this to happen. But that doesn’t make it any easier.” “Where will she go?” Kara asked. “I’m hoping she’ll move in with Kathy and...
January 23, 1987, Chicago, Illinois “Hi, Peaches,” I said as she walked out of the Jetway door. “Hi, Yankee!” she said, flashing me a smile. She stepped aside and dropped her carry-on bag and I pulled her into a tight hug. I immediately started crying. “Damnit, Yankee! Don’t start that already!” she ordered. “You can cry later.” “But Peaches...” I protested. “But nothin’. Look at me.” I released her slightly so we could look in each other’s eyes. I fought back the tears and she...
December 31, 1986, Chicago, Illinois My wives and I were eating breakfast when Elyse came into the kitchen. She sat down with us and I served her bacon, eggs, and pancakes. “Jess, I really want to thank you for letting Steve spend two nights with me!” Elyse said. “You’re welcome,” Jessica said. “How are you doing?” “No morning sickness and I feel great!” Elyse said. “Especially the last two mornings!” Jessica and Kara both laughed. “We know how THAT feels!” Kara said with an impish...
St. Stephen’s Day, 1984, Indianapolis, Indiana I went to see if Ed had returned and found him and my sister sitting with Kara. Ed looked even happier than he had earlier, so I assumed my sister had properly thanked him. “She’s awake, but groggy,” I said. “She has no idea what happened, though. Ed, why don’t you go see her?” “Thanks!” he replied, giving Stephanie a quick kiss. “I see you properly thanked him!” I teased, after he left. She laughed, “I did. Twice!” “You weren’t gone THAT...
November 3, 1986, Chicago, Illinois “Ugh,” Jessica groaned when her alarm clock went off at 4:00am. The three of us had agreed that Kara would stay in bed and that I would get up with Jessica and eat breakfast with her. We left a soundly sleeping Kara in bed, and while Jessica showered and quickly dressed, I went downstairs to make breakfast. “You didn’t have to get up with me, Tiger,” she said as I served her bacon and eggs. “I’m going back to bed once you leave,” I grinned. “Do you plan...
December 1980, Milford, Ohio “How was your trip to Indianapolis?” Debbie asked in the car on Monday morning. “Pretty good. And very tame, actually. Katt had competition skating every day, so we were in bed early.” “I bet!” Mary giggled. “Believe it or not, we were asleep by 10:00pm both Friday and Saturday nights. Katt and I made love once each day. Well, Friday afternoon was pretty wild, but she’d already finished her skating for the day,” I said. “You mean to tell me that, except for...
December 1980, Milford, Ohio and Boyne Mountain, Michigan The rest of December followed the pattern that had been set at the beginning of the month, but now Debbie was seeing Phillip every Saturday. I didn’t invite Kara out because I wanted her to think things through, but I saw her in chemistry class and at lunch and told her that we would talk after I returned from Columbus. On Saturdays, I had lunch with Bethany and hung out with Larry during the evening. It was good to hang out with...
October 1980, Milford, Ohio Thursday and Friday were normal and Dona didn’t bother Bethany. I was glad, but I was a bit concerned that there would be more fallout. I hoped that wouldn’t be the case, but experience told me that there might be. On Friday morning, the Student Council started handing out the computer dating sheets. I got mine and wasn’t surprised to see Bethany at the top of the list. Kathy and Mary were fourth and fifth, respectively, and Erin was ninth. The rest were a mix of...
January 1981, Milford, Ohio In chemistry class, Kara reminded me about our date. “As if I would forget!” I challenged. “I’ll pick you up at 5:00pm as promised! How about Chinese food tonight?” “That sounds good,” she said. “I have quite a few things to talk to you about, too!” “Did my dad give you the third degree?” “Kind of, but it’s more than that,” I said. The bell rang, preventing any further conversation. At lunch, I talked to Bethany. “I asked Elyse to go to the Sweetheart Dance...
July 25, 1986, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, and Tennessee “Have a safe flight, Lyusya Alekseyevna,” I said as she picked up her carry-on to board her flight. “Thank you, Stepa. I will call you on Wednesday with my address. And thank you, Kara Alanovna!” “You’re welcome, Lyudmila!” Kara said. “Kara, may Stepa give me a proper kiss?” Kara smiled and nodded. I pulled Lyudmila into my arms and kissed her deeply. “Thank you for loving with me, Stepa. It was wonderful!” she whispered. “And...
March 1981, Milford, Ohio On Saturday morning, Stephanie and I swam, then ate breakfast. Dad loaded up the car for the drive to Myrtle Beach just after 9:00am. Mom tried one last time to talk him into making Stephanie go along, but he resisted, saying that he’d already told her she could stay. Mom objected vehemently to Stephanie being around me, but she knew that argument wouldn’t work with Dad. I hadn’t made any plans for Saturday, and Beth and I agreed we’d skip this Sunday’s work because...
November 25, 1986, Chicago, Illinois “The board approved the budget with consulting, rather than full-time staff,” Dave said as soon as I’d said ‘hello’ when I answered the phone. “Excellent!” I said. “Did the budget request cover both programmers for the whole year?” “It did. They did approve an additional position, but that’s for supervising the computer operators and managing the Prime Computers, not for programmers. That’s exactly what Mr. Forster had in his original budget...
August 21, 1986, Chicago, Illinois “Joyce, I said am not going to put up with this!” I declared for the third time. “Steve, don’t do anything rash or stupid. Threatening Connie was NOT smart.” “Oh, that wasn’t a threat; that was a promise!” I snarled. “I told her so, too. If Anthony or Connie, or anyone associated with them so much as THINKS about Becky, I will put a stop to this in whatever way and by whatever means I deem appropriate at the time. You know me well enough to know that...
November 1980, Milford, Ohio Sunday was typical, with my phone calls, working with Beth, and my play date with Debbie. What came out of the blue, just after Beth left, was a call from Joyce. She told me that her mom had wondered why we weren’t seeing each other except at her grandfather’s house. Joyce was afraid that would get back to her grandfather and might cause problems. She wondered if I would come to dinner at their house on Saturday. That was the day before I was planning to see Don...
April 24, 1987, Chicago, Illinois We had our usual business development meeting on Friday morning. The main points of discussion were Kaitlin’s new part-time role, and the new programming work we had for Belarus Tractors and Windy City Trucking. “I’ve been thinking about ways to find more business,” Cindi said. “I’d like permission to talk to Novell about being an official distributor. That would get us referrals from them, and it wouldn’t be limited to law offices. We’d have to get...
February 1981, Milford, Ohio I went and knocked on Stephanie’s door. She called out for me to come in, so I opened the door. She was sitting at her desk doing homework. “Do you have time to talk now, Squirt?” I asked softly. “Always for you, Steve. Always,” she said, getting up from her desk and following me to my room. I shut the door, and we sat side-by-side in the beanbag chairs. I held out my hand and Stephanie took it. I squeezed, and she squeezed back. “I think I’ve figured...
September, 20, 1986, Chicago, Illinois “I’m helping Bethany move back to your house today,” Nick said as we finished breakfast. “She said that you two had worked out your issues and were friends again.” “My sister told me about her moving back today. And we were never not friends, but everything that happened last year put a pretty serious strain on our friendship.” “She told me that you asked her to marry you and that she turned you down,” he said. I nodded, “I did. And she did. And as...
December 12, 1986, Chicago, Illinois Julia was just about to wrap up a special staff meeting, which included Tom and Debbie by speaker phone. “As the last item for our staff meeting, Steve has an announcement.” “All of you have been instrumental to the success of NIKA Consulting and have worked hard this year. I wanted to find a way to say ‘thank you’ in a meaningful way, and beause actions speak louder than words, I’m handing each of you an envelope with a check for $250 as a Christmas...
September 15, 1986, Chicago, Illinois “When is Bethany moving in?” I asked Stephanie as we ate breakfast with Kara and Jessica. “In a couple of weeks,” she answered. “And you’re really OK with sharing a room with her?” “Yes. Jorge was a bit put out, but I explained everything to him and we’ll work it out. There’s always a guest room if I have an overnight guest!” “True. I really appreciate you doing this,” I said. “I don’t think it’ll be for too long.” “Oh?” “She and Nick. I’ll bet...
June 23, 1986, Chicago, Illinois “Mario called last night to let me know he was safely in Los Angeles,” Julia said to kick off our Monday morning meeting. “What did you decide about Cincinnati?” I asked. “Cindi and I will do it,” Julia said. “With your sister and Elyse handling the day-to-day administrative stuff for the summer, I can spend the time. The real pinch is that it’s going to take Cindi away from sales for a week. We don’t have an option, though, because we really can’t afford...
February 13, 1987, Chicago, Illinois “How was San Diego?” I asked Mario as he came into the office for our Friday business development meeting. “A heck of a lot warmer than here!” he said. “At least it’s in the upper 30’s today, so it’s not so bad.” “No problems?” “No. They’re all set. I’m going to San Francisco a week from Monday. Zeke’s headed to Milwaukee next Tuesday. Cindi’s sending him to do a demo because she and I are both busy.” “Interesting,” I said. “Does she see him moving...
January 1981, Cincinnati, Ohio Becky took my hand, led me from the dance floor, and walked us silently to the elevator. She pressed the button for the ninth floor and the doors closed. Alone in the elevator, Becky crushed her body against mine and we kissed hard, our tongues engaged in a duel for supremacy, our hands roaming over each other’s backs and butts. The bell rang, and the door opened on the ninth floor and we barely disengaged to walk down to my room. I unlocked the door and...
December 12, 1986, Indianapolis, Indiana “How are you doing, Tiger?” Jessica asked after greeting Kara and me with hugs and kisses. “Shitty,” I said. “But I had a good talk with Bethany after Red called me.” Jessica smiled, “And THAT is exactly why I had to let you take her away to Wisconsin for a weekend. Granted, I didn’t know what the circumstance would be, but I knew you’d need Bethany eventually. And you would need her in a way that could only happen if you two repaired your...