A Well Lived Life Book 6 Kara IChapter 19 North and South Part I
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November, 1981, Chicago, Illinois
“How are things going?” I asked.
“Amazing!” Kathy said with a huge smile. “He’s just what I needed. Last night was the first time we could sleep in the same bed. Doing that with you was always my favorite thing!”
“Oh, really?” I chuckled.
“Actually, yes. You holding me in your arms while we slept was the most amazing feeling. Don’t get me wrong, the orgasms were out of this world, but feeling safe, secure, and loved; it’s the best thing there is. And I felt that with Kurt last night.”
“Good. So what do you want to talk about?”
“How do you know if you’re really in love? I mean, like, in love enough to want to be with someone for the rest of their life?”
“Hell if I know!” I chuckled. “I’m the last guy to ask that question of. I can’t figure it out for myself! Why are you asking?”
“Because being with Kurt feels a lot like being with you and we weren’t in love.”
“Well, not in love, but we love each other. We might, had we not both been foolish, have been in love back in seventh and eighth grade. But that doesn’t mean we don’t love each other. And you know what? That’s an OK basis for a long-term relationship. In different circumstances, don’t you think we could marry and be happy? And never regret it for a moment?”
“Ah! And that’s exactly what Elyse is feeling with you! I get it now; and it makes sense. Maybe I’ve been going about this all wrong.”
“How so?” I asked.
“That being in love isn’t what’s important. I could see you and me married and living happily together. And I think that you’re right that neither of us would ever regret it. I was looking for love and trying to make it happen by spreading my legs. What you showed me is that being a good friend, being close to someone, feeling safe and secure is what’s more important. And fantastic sex came after that.”
“And with Kurt, you were careful because of me. You became friends and were comfortable. Then you guys took it to the next level. And you did it incrementally. I bet with your jock boyfriends, you had sex on your first or second date.”
“Yes. Because I thought I had to and because that would get the guy to stay around.”
“And with Kurt, you made sure he wanted to stay around before you had sex. I’d say that’s the better strategy. One thing I’ve learned is that having sex too soon can lead to all kinds of problems. It’s one of the reasons I delayed things with Kara.”
She nodded; I guessed she was, finally, understanding the better way to form a relationship.
“How are things with her?” she asked.
“Complicated, as always. Between her dad, the distance, and my fear of making a lifetime commitment right now, we’re not where she wants us to be. We’re still planning on living together next Fall. I think at that point, we’ll be in much better shape and we’ll be able to really work on a long-term relationship. She’s handling it remarkably well.”
“Long distance has got to be difficult. Add the fact that she’s still in High School and that you two come from totally different worlds and I’m amazed things are going as well as they are for you two.”
“It’s not easy for her, that’s for sure. But so far, she’s handling it. I think, in the end, it’ll all work out.”
We walked a bit further in silence, then turned back to the apartment. Just before we turned the corner onto 53rd Street, she stopped, turned, and hugged me. She gave me a quick, soft kiss on the lips and said, “Thanks.” We walked around the corner and went inside.
“Steve, you have a message that I think HAS to be a prank call. It just can’t be true!” Elyse said excitedly.
“Charlene Tilton and Victoria Principal called and they want a threesome?” I teased.
“You wish! But this is even stranger than that. Some lady who said she was with the Russian Embassy in Washington. She left a number for you to call.”
“I bet it has something to do with Tatyana. It’s not so strange. Let me call and find out.”
“On a Sunday morning?” Elyse asked.
“I’m sure they know I’m a student. Sometime Sunday would logically be the best time to call. They may have even tried during the week and not left a message on the machine,” I said.
I dialed the number and a woman with a Russian accent answered. I identified myself.
“You are Stephen Adams of Chicago, Illinois?”
“Yes. What’s this about?”
“Miss Tatyana Voronina has listed you as her escort for a dinner at the Embassy on January 9th. I need to confirm your address to send a formal invitation. It will include everything you need to know. This will be a formal dinner. I understand you were with her at a dinner in Chicago, so you know the dress requirements.”
“I do,” I said, and gave her my address.
“Good. I will send your invitation. Please bring it with you. You will need to show it to the policeman outside the Embassy to gain admittance.”
I thanked her and hung up.
“Just as I thought,” I said to Elyse. “Tatyana invited me to a formal dinner at the Embassy in January. I’m sure I’ll hear more about it from Tatyana in her next letter.”
“Spying for the Soviet Union, Steve?” Kurt asked with a look of curiosity.
“No, knowing Steve, it’s much more likely he wants to engage in some ‘international relations’,” Kathy quipped, making air quotes with her fingers.
Everyone laughed at that, including me. We spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing until Elyse and I made dinner, and after dinner, Kathy and Kurt bid us goodbye and headed back to Evanston.
“That was a lot of fun. I enjoyed having them here,” Elyse said once they had left.
“Me too. I had a good talk with Kathy. She’s pretty damn happy and I am as well. I was certain that once she got out of Milford, things would be much better for her. I’m glad she didn’t go out for the cheer team at Northwestern. That might have just perpetuated her problem.”
“She still has a thing for you, you know.”
“I do. And I have one for her. But it’s not like you mean. She’s an awesome friend, but our paths in life are different. I think I told you that our paths would have been radically different if we had just gotten past our own foolishness and insecurity back in seventh or eighth grades. I’d say she’s similar to Bethany, though with Kathy, it’s not in the remote hopes that someday I’ll be with her.”
“What do you have planned for tonight, honey?” Elyse asked sweetly.
“Well, I believe I have an appointment to make love to my friend, but otherwise, no plans. Why?”
“Let’s take a bath together. Pour us each a glass of wine and we can soak in the bubbles.”
We spent the next hour drinking wine and cuddling in hot, soapy water. When we finished, after we rinsed off the suds and dried off, we went to Elyse’s bed and made love. It was different feeling skin on skin rather than pubic hair and I thought maybe I’d keep shaving. We fell asleep in each other’s arms and slept soundly until Monday morning.
Nothing of note happened on Monday. On Tuesday, when I walked into my Computer Science class, I saw Jackie there without Papiya. That was odd, because I’d never seen them apart except for when I went with Papiya to her room. Jackie got up and grabbed my arm and asked me to walk with her. She took me down the hall to the small student lounge.
“Are you OK?” she asked.
“What do you mean? I’m fine. What’s up?”
“No problems with the team?”
I knew what she was getting at now. She wanted to make sure that my visit with Papiya hadn’t caused any trouble.
“No, of course not,” I replied. “Why would there be?”
“I told Papiya she should wait until the project was turned in before she slept with you. I was afraid that you might be upset with her.”
“Upset? Why the hell would I be upset?”
“You don’t know?”
“Know what?” I asked, now a bit worried.
“You don’t live on campus! I bet you don’t hang out with too many people here.”
“Just you two and another girl from one of my classes. There are a few guys I talk to in class, but that’s about it. Why?”
“Papiya has quite the reputation. Let’s just say she keeps score.”
“Score?”
Jackie laughed, “She has a little book she keeps track of all her conquests in. Complete with scores and ratings. She’s been through at least three dozen guys that I know of since she arrived here last year. She went to an all-girls High School, and she chose IIT because, to quote her, it’s a target-rich environment.”
I chuckled, “I think I know how that works. When I lived in Sweden, my class was 23 girls and 7 guys. Just out of curiosity, do you happen to know my score?” I smirked.
“Six.”
‘Six?’ was my immediate outraged thought. Six? Bullshit! I was sure there are guys better than me, but that fuck rated an eight at least! I wasn’t sure my ego could take THAT rating. But then I reconsidered.
“On what scale?” I asked.
“One to five!”
“Uhm, then how do I get a six?” I grinned.
“That’s reserved for guys she’d do it with again. Only one other guy got a six and he graduated last year.”
I chuckled, “OK. You had me worried there for a minute. So why would I be upset?”
“Most guys want her again and when she says no, they get upset. I told her that she could wreck our team if that happened, but she wouldn’t wait.”
“Whatever. It was fun, but if she thinks I’ll come to her door and beg, she’s delusional.”
“Thank God! I was really worried because you seem like such a nice guy. And the nicer the guy, the more upset they are when she refuses. But it also seems like under that nice guy image there’s an animal!” she giggled.
I had an idea where this was going. I’d put money on it.
“We’re going to be late for class. Come on,” I said, taking her arm.
“I’d like to find out,” she said softly and walked to class with me.
Of course. Her friend had talked me up and now she wanted me. It was like Freshman and Sophomore year of High School all over again. I began to think it had been a serious mistake to be with Papiya. For sure, Kara wouldn’t like it. But if it led to a reputation like I had in High School, and word got around campus and Kara heard it when she came here, it would be nothing short of a disaster. I needed to talk to Jackie and find out if Papiya talked to anyone but her.
When class finished, I pulled Jackie aside. Papiya asked what was going on and Jackie just waved her off and walked down the hall with me.
“Jackie, does she talk openly about this? Or is it just you as a confidante?”
“Just me, as far as I know. The guys talk a lot, but she doesn’t mind. In fact, she encourages it. She likes turning down the guys she thinks are losers. It makes her feel powerful, I guess. She could easily have had twice as many guys as she’s had, but she’s somewhat picky. Well, at least it seems that way.”
That sounded like my situation in High School, though I never kept a scorecard!
“OK. I just don’t want a reputation around campus. That wouldn’t be a good thing.”
“Nobody will know besides me. I’m sure of that. The only way it would get out is if you talked.”
“Good. I’ve not said a word to anyone and I don’t plan to. I need to get to lunch with my friend. I’ll see you guys on Thursday at the computer lab to finish our project.”
“Cool. See you then, Steve,” Jackie said and walked on to join Papiya.
Papiya turned and winked at me, then walked away with Jackie, their heads close together, indicating that they were talking, and most likely about me. I wondered how much of the conversation Jackie would share. That more or less depended on what was really going on. It was entirely possible that Papiya had put her up to the conversation, just as it was possible that it was Jackie actually being concerned. Well, it didn’t matter so long as it was kept quiet. I walked to The Bog and met Stephie for lunch.
After lunch, we went to the computer lab to work on our CS homework. I was just putting the finishing touches on mine, which had made me chuckle when it was handed out. It was, in effect, a simpler version of my computer dating program. I’d quickly whipped it up on the TRS-80 in PASCAL and was now typing up the punch cards. Stephie was working on a CS100 program in FORTRAN that performed a simple bubble sort. I finished just before 3:00pm and Stephie, with a bit of help from me, finished at 3:30pm.
“Want to come back to my room and hang out for a bit?” she asked.
“Sure. I just need to leave in time for dinner and my karate class.”
“I remember, Yankee. Us Southerners ain’t dumb!” she teased.
We headed across campus to her dorm and went up to her room. Without asking, she handed me a Dr Pepper. I accepted it and we sat on her bed, leaning back against the padded door on the shelving unit.
“I talked to Daryl and Red some on Sunday. Daryl backed off a bit, but he’s not happy. Red told me to fergit Daryl and go out with you.”
“You know my situation,” I said evenly.
“I do. I wasn’t talkin’ permanent or nothin’, just datin’. You said that was cool.”
“I did. I just don’t want to mislead you.”
“You ain’t. You’ve been totally up front and honest with me, Steve.”
“Your accent seems to be coming back, Peaches,” I grinned.
“It does more when I’m tired. I didn’t sleep so good on Sunday night after talking to Daryl. He’s pretty upset, and that upset me.”
“I can understand. I’ve been in long-distance relationships and they’re tough. And it’s not easy to break up, either, especially if you didn’t see it coming.”
“True. Red told me the same thing. He’s pretty cool.”
“He sounds a lot like my friends Bethany and Kathy. I can talk to them and get really good advice, they’re fun to be with and we like doing the same kinds of things.”
“Yep. Like I said, I’ve knowed Red since we was two and he was my first kiss in fifth grade. He was almost my first lover, but he got hisself a girlfriend about when we was going to do it. It was tenth grade, and we both wanted to know what it was like. I knew Daryl’d never do it until he got married and Red didn’t have no girlfriend at the time. We talked about it and was trying to decide fer sure when he met Rose. Her daddy’s a racer, but she hates racing. Anyways, they took up with each other and so it never happened. I just figured with Red, we could avoid all the baggage that comes with sex.”
“That almost never works,” I said. “A very, very good friend of mine once told me that sex changes us in unpredictable ways and has a profound effect on our relationships, even if it seems like it’s just casual or with a friend. It might have made a real mess between you and Red, or it might even have made you guys a couple.”
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June, 1982, Milford, Ohio “You know what? We need to eat something,” I said. “Let’s see your sister and your dad first, and then we can go out,” Kara replied, sounding very tired. We pulled into the driveway at my house and after I parked, we went inside. First, I went to find my dad and asked if he’d come talk to me and Kara privately. My mom glared at me but said nothing. It was cool and overcast, but not raining, so we went out on the deck. “Dad, I wanted to let you know that Kara and...
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August 1981, Chicago, Illinois On Sunday morning, I made my usual call to Karin. I described everything in the apartment and all the things I’d done during the week, including the reception. Both of us would start school in a week and we were both looking forward to it. When we finished talking, I went out for my run, showered, and ate breakfast. I made some tea, started a load of laundry, and then turned on the stereo. I put on an REO Speedwagon album and then relaxed on the couch with the...
October 1982, Chicago, Illinois The drive back to Chicago was as uneventful as usual, and I arrived at the apartment just before 6:00pm. When I arrived, Elyse and Stephie were sitting on the couch and Jackie was sitting on the loveseat. Stephie hopped up as I opened the door and greeted me with a hug and a kiss. “Hi, Peaches!” I said. “Glad you’re home, Yankee!” “Hi, Steve,” Elyse and Jackie both said. “Hey,” I replied. “How was the weekend?” “Well, it was just Kurt with me, Stephie,...
July 1982, Dawsonville, Georgia My drive south took me into Kentucky and I stopped for lunch at Wendy’s just after I passed through Lexington. As the countryside rolled past my windows, I reflected on the things that had happened recently. I hadn’t been keeping my journal as closely as I should have and resolved to spend some time alone at Stephie’s to put my thoughts on paper so I could put them in the computer when I got back to Chicago. I was a bit concerned about the situation between...
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...
November, 1981, Milford, Ohio On Sunday, I spent the morning with Stephanie swimming and eating breakfast, as well as making my call to Karin. I had lunch with Larry before heading over to Don Joseph’s house. The weather wasn’t good enough for bocce, so I sat with Don Joseph and his friends and talked before dinner and with Larry and Joyce after dinner. When it was time to leave, Joyce followed me outside. “Can I come spend the night with you?” Joyce asked. “Sure. I’ll see you at the...
March, 1982, Milford, Ohio “What’s the craziest thing you’ve done, Tracey?” “That one’s easy! Asking Steve to the Sadie Hawkins Day dance!” “What?!” Kara said, looking askance. “Think about it. I was a frumpy, shy girl with no self-confidence. I asked the school sex god to take me to the dance, knowing full well I’d probably end up losing my virginity, though I was worried he wouldn’t do it with me. Boy, was I wrong! Not only did he do it, but he spent the entire next day with me doing...
April 1982, Chicago, Illinois On Wednesday, Stephie and I came straight home from class so she could help Elyse prepare dinner. They had baked a cake on Tuesday night, and I saw a couple of wrapped presents on the counter. The night before, Elyse had told me that she’d made the purchases I’d asked her to make and that she’d put the bag on the shelf in my closet. I hadn’t looked because Stephie had been there the entire time, but given the girls were busy, I went to my room and shut the...
November, 1981, Milford, Ohio We made good time, arriving at Kathy’s house about 2:00pm. She and Kurt thanked me for the ride and we agreed that I’d pick them up at noon on Sunday so we could be back in Hyde Park by 5:00pm Chicago time and they could be back at Northwestern by 6:00pm. We agreed to have lunch on Wednesday, then I said goodbye, got back in the car, and pulled out of Kathy’s driveway to head to the Spencers’ house. Melanie and Pete were there waiting for me, and I got one of...
December 1982, Milford, Ohio When I arrived at the Blanchards’ at about 10:20pm, Kara was waiting for me. She quickly came out to the car, and we headed to the Spencers’. I opened the front door of the house with my key and we entered the mostly darkened house and went up to my room. I brought in only the things I would need for the night, deciding that I could bring the rest of my things into the house in the morning. Kara and I made love, then cuddled afterwards. “I never asked you what...
November 1982, Milford, Ohio After dropping Elyse in Glen Este, I headed to the Spencers’ to drop off my stuff and then drove to Kara’s house. Kara hadn’t been clear about me staying every night at her house, so I didn’t want to assume. “Hi, Snuggle Bear!” she said when she opened the door. “Hi, Honey!” I said, pulling her into a hug and kissing her. “Do you need to get your stuff?” she asked. “I wasn’t sure from our last conversation which nights I could stay here, so I dropped my...
July 1982, Milford, Ohio Thursday, Friday, and Saturday were nearly identical — swimming and breakfast with Stephanie, spending the day with Kara, finding time for a sauna, and making love in the evening. I did end up sleeping alone on Saturday night because I took Kara home so she could go to church in the morning with her mom. She would drive to my house after church to help set up for the party, which was starting at 2:00pm and might even continue after fireworks, depending on how...
July 1981, Milford, Ohio Tuesday’s lunch at Kara’s was similar to Monday’s, though Kara’s mom spent a bit more time talking to us. It became totally clear to me that she was supportive of our relationship. I didn’t think she’d do anything to clearly violate her husband’s decisions, but knowing that she was there for Kara made me feel a lot better. Kara and I exchanged a nice kiss when I left around 2:30pm for my date with Joyce. I went home and showered and dressed. I left a bit earlier...
March, 1982, Milford, Ohio At the Spencers, I quickly changed clothes, then headed to pick up Kara. Our evening followed the usual pattern for this week — dinner, lovemaking, a sauna, and then cuddling on the couch in the basement until I had to take her home. On Thursday, I swam and had breakfast with Stephanie, and after she left for school, I headed back to the Spencers’. I went to my room and wrote in my journal. I sat down in the beanbag chair to read my history text from school. I was...
October, 1981, Milford, Ohio “What do you want me to do?” I asked. “Oh no, you don’t! It’s not about what I want, it’s about what you want. And you have to be sure that what you say and what you do line up with what you want. Telling Kara you’ll get engaged to her next Summer but starting a relationship with a new girl in Chicago is hardly consistent! I’d say that qualifies as ‘misbehaving’ by any reasonable standard, AND so was sleeping with Elyse.” “OK, let me rephrase that. What’s your...
December, 1981, Milford, Ohio On Tuesday morning, I swam and ate breakfast with my little sister and hung out with her until it was time to head out to see Anna. I was still surprised that she’d called out of the blue, and was really curious as to what it was that she wanted. Even though I hadn’t driven to her house before, I’d been there enough times to remember how to get there. I parked in the driveway, then walked up to the front door and rang the bell. Anna opened the door almost...
August 1982, Chicago, Illinois I woke early on Sunday morning after a good night’s sleep. I was pleasantly surprised to not find Elyse in my bed. I wasn’t sure what our relationship was going to be, and I wanted to talk to her before anything happened, rather than afterwards. I went out to run, though I really would have preferred a sauna to help clear my head and organize my thoughts. When I got back, Elyse had just started a pot of coffee and I went to the shower. When I finished and...
September 1981, Milford, Ohio Friday was routine until lunchtime. Afternoon classes had been canceled for both Elyse and me because of the Labor Day weekend, so I drove back to the apartment instead of having lunch on campus. Elyse and I packed our overnight bags and waited for Kathy and Bethany, who arrived as planned, and we left Chicago just before 4:00pm. It was my goal to make the trip to Milford in just under five and a half hours, which I could do if we grabbed fast food on the way...
September 1981, Chicago, Illinois, and Milford, Ohio When Elyse arrived home she found me sitting in a beanbag chair drinking some of the bourbon that I’d had Joyce get for me. The wine was stashed in my room, though I left two bottles on the kitchen counter. “Uh oh! What’s wrong?” Elyse asked. “Just thinking,” I answered. “About Bethany?” “Yeah. It’s good, but it’s sad. She’s always depended a bit too much on me and now she’s moving on. We didn’t break up, per se, but she’s going to...
January, 1982, Chicago, Illinois On Monday, I woke up early to do my exercises and karate kata, then showered and made breakfast. Elyse showered while I exercised, and Stephie showered while I made breakfast. “You two had a good time yesterday!” Elyse whispered as I put the food on the table. “Yep!” I smirked. Stephie came out of my room and sat down at the table. The three of us ate and then Stephie and I headed to IIT. We stopped at her dorm so she could drop her overnight bag, then...
August 1982, Chicago, Illinois I woke up to the alarm on Monday morning, kissed Stephie, and quickly slipped on my running clothes and headed out. I took a slow, easy pace and worked to clear my mind and prepare to shift my focus to my schoolwork. The Summer had been a combination of fun, emotional highs, emotional lows, and adapting to the reality that Kara wasn’t going to be with me this year. On the other hand, I had Stephie, Elyse, Kurt, and Kathy close, and Kara was less than six hours...
July 1982, Milford, Ohio Kara and I awoke, and she took a quick shower before we drove to my parents’ house so I could swim and have breakfast with Stephanie. My dad joined us for breakfast before he had to leave for work. After cleaning up the kitchen, we went to my old room to hang out with Stephanie for about an hour before heading back to the Spencers’. Nobody was home and there was a note on the fridge that said that Frank, Trudy, Pete, and Melanie were out for the day because Frank had...
February, 1982, Chicago, Illinois On Monday morning, while Stephie and I were driving to school, she asked what I was doing for Valentine’s Day. I let her know I was going to Ohio, but that I’d be happy to celebrate with her either on the 11th or the 16th, because I was taking the three-day weekend in Milford. “I guess that will have to do,” she sighed, “because it does make sense that you would be with Kara on Valentine’s Day.” “Are you going to be OK, Peaches?” I asked. “Do I have a...
January 1982, Chicago, Illinois Bethany and Gene arrived just before 10:00am on Sunday morning. The apartment was full as both Warren and Stephie had spent the night, and Kurt and Kathy were staying the weekend. The plan was to have a big meal together around 3:00pm so that Gene and Bethany could get back to Madison before 10:00pm. Bethany was in great spirits and seemed very happy. I hadn’t had much chance to talk to her in the past few weeks because both of us were busy with school, and I...
February/March, 1982, Chicago, Illinois I made good time on the drive back to Chicago despite the light drizzle that I ran into just south of Gary. I walked into the apartment to find Stephie and Elyse stretched out on the couch, each one leaning on an arm and their legs alternating so they could put them out straight. “You two look comfortable,” I said, taking off my shoes and coat and dropping my bag. “Hi, Steve,” Elyse said. “Hi, Steve,” Stephie echoed. Neither of them moved to get...
March/April, 1982, Chicago, Illinois “What?!” I asked, incredulous. “How long have you and Elyse been fuckin’?” Stephie repeated. “Your pillow smells like her and I saw a small spot on the sheets. I wasn’t here since ‘fore you went to Ohio.” I sighed, “Since the first day she moved in. She basically had decided that it was eventually going to happen and so rather than spend months or years with that kind of tension, she decided to get it out of the way, so to speak. I tried to talk her...
December, 1981, Milford, Ohio On Sunday, after swimming and having breakfast with Stephanie, I called Karin, and then Stephanie and I hung out until lunch. I had let Kara know that I was going to Don Joseph’s, so I wouldn’t see her. After eating lunch, I called Stephie to see how she was doing. Things were fine at home and she was hanging out with Red and Rose, plus seeing her other friends from High School. Daryl had called her, but she wasn’t going to see him. “I miss you, Yankee. It’s...