A Well Lived Life Book 6 Kara IChapter 24 Thanksgiving Break Part I
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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 Spencers’.”
Later that evening, we made love, then fell asleep in each other’s arms.
I woke early and headed to my house to swim and eat with Stephanie and Joyce headed back to her house. Around 11:00am I picked up Kara for lunch.
“How are you today?” I asked.
“Uncomfortable, but happy,” Kara replied. “The fact that you did that without fighting with me about it meant a lot.”
“Was that some kind of test?”
“Yes, it was. And you passed!” she said with a smile. “You just did what I asked.”
“And how did it feel?”
“Strange,” Kara replied. “Very strange. What about you? How did it feel?”
“Fantastic. You have a really tight, hot, cute little ass,” I smirked.
“And what was that with your tongue? Wasn’t that gross?”
“Did it excite you?”
“Yes, but I felt kind of grossed out, too.”
“I just wanted to do it.”
She didn’t reply. I pulled into the lot at Frisch’s and we got out of the car and went inside to meet Tracey and Marty for lunch. Stephanie was right — Tracey had lost some weight and was dressed in a very cute blouse and jeans. She was indeed looking very good. Marty also looked like he was in better shape.
“You two are looking pretty good!”
“We’re exercising together,” Marty said. “We’ve each lost about ten pounds and have better muscle tone.”
“Cool. You guys seem to be doing really well,” I said.
“We are!” Tracey declared. “We’re talking about going to college together. And we have you to thank for all of this!”
“Another couple, Steve?” Kara inquired. “Pete and Melanie. Josh and Mary. Tracey and Marty. You’re a regular matchmaker!”
We enjoyed our lunches and had a great conversation. I invited Marty and Tracey to the party on Saturday and they said that they’d come. When we finished, Tracey asked Kara if it was OK to talk to me privately. Kara nodded her approval, so Tracey and I stepped a few paces away.
“Did you think about Jessica?” she whispered.
Stephanie had made a pretty strong argument, though I wasn’t quite sure.
“I did,” I said quietly. “I’m not sure,”
“Here’s her phone number. Call her. You’re not exclusive and she really wants this.”
I took the small slip of paper with the phone number and put it in my pocket.
“I’ll think about it, OK? I’ll decide today,”
“Think of it as a favor to me,” Tracey whispered.
We walked back to Kara and Marty, the four of us said goodbye and I headed for Kara’s house.
“What did Tracey want?” Kara asked.
“She just needs a favor. Something personal.”
“Personal? I thought she was exclusive with Marty!”
“She is. It’s not that.”
“Oh, OK.”
I wasn’t happy with the answer I had given Kara, but she had specifically told me she didn’t want to know about things like what I was considering. When she didn’t press it, I wondered if she had guessed what it might be. But then I realized that she really couldn’t know. When I dropped her at home, I let her know I’d pick her up around 5:00pm for dinner, then headed to my parents’ house.
After I arrived, I called everyone that I hadn’t already spoken to about the party. I received positive responses and set about making a shopping list. Stephanie, Kara, Bethany, and I would do the shopping on Saturday morning and set up for the party.
I still wasn’t sure what I was going to do about Jessica, so I walked across the street to see Debbie C and Alexa. They were doing great, and I was surprised to see that her boyfriend was there. She introduced Don, and I shook hands with him. I asked how things were going and she told me they still planned to get married in a year and a half when they graduated from High School. Alexa was already walking and starting to talk and was cute as a button. I stayed for about fifteen minutes, then walked along Overlook to Debbie V’s house.
She and Tracy were happy to see me, and we sat and talked for about twenty minutes. Debbie and Phillip had broken up, but she was dating a Senior named Roger and Tracy had a boyfriend named Carl. They both were doing well and Debbie was really looking forward to graduating in a year and a half. She was still planning on being a nurse and was going to go to UC for her undergrad courses, at least. They both made it clear that they’d be happy to spend some private time with me, but they weren’t pushy or demanding. I just smiled and let it go.
When I arrived home, Stephanie followed me to my room.
“Mom’s not happy about the party. But Dad told her that she wasn’t to interfere or say anything. He’s happy you came to visit, but obviously she’s not. She keeps hoping you’ll flunk out of college or your business will fail or something, so you’ll have to come beg her to let you move back in and she can say ‘no’.”
“She’s certifiably insane and totally delusional if she thinks that will happen. I could get a computer programming job tomorrow that paid at least $20,000 a year, according to my professor, even without finishing school. I could stay in school and take a $7.00 an hour work-study job doing programming. And, if something goes horribly wrong, Larry’s grandfather will help me, as would the Blocks, Spencers, or Krajicks. I’d even go so far as to get back together with Becky and get help from her dad before I’d ask Mom for anything at all.”
“Only if you want to die, Big Brother,” she growled with sudden ferocity.
“I was just telling you what lengths I’d go to. Heck, I could call the Anderssons and move to Sweden. They’d pay for everything and help me get into college there. If I called Katt’s parents and asked for help, they’d help me in a heartbeat. Of course, Katt would break up with Mikael to be with me and that might wreck her skating, so I probably wouldn’t do that.”
“I have no doubt about any of that. Did you decide what to do about Jessica?”
“Tracey gave me her number. I suppose I should at least call her.”
“Remember what I told you about Laura? Same advice. Oh, and Michelle Bateman asked me on Friday if you were coming home. She STILL wants to get together with you.”
“No thanks. One thing I’m sure of is that I don’t want to be around people who treat others like dirt. I’ve seen too much of that from Mom. I also don’t want to be around judgmental people, nor people who don’t respect relationships.”
“You mean like Becky?” Stephanie asked.
“Yeah. Or this girl at IIT named Papiya, who pretty much said the same thing — cheat and don’t tell, because it’s just sex.”
“Your rule is a good one, Big Brother. Ed and I agree completely on that. There’s nothing lower than cheating. I saw the price you paid for that. It was well deserved, of course, but I don’t want to even contemplate being on the receiving end of something like the Triumvirate, even if it’s just Ed.”
“So you AREN’T actually the Princess, Lord High Ruler of the Universe that you pretend to be!” I chuckled.
“Well, of course not. But Ed doesn’t know it!” she smirked. “And if you know what’s good for you, you won’t tell him!”
“What; or you’ll spank me?” I teased, sticking out my tongue at her.
“You’d like that, wouldn’t you? Put your tongue back in your mouth before I make you use it.”
“In your dreams!”
“You know it, Big Brother. Now, go call Jessica and give her what she’s looking for.”
I sighed, “Fine. You win.”
“Oh come off it! She’s cute and I bet she’s going to fuck you almost to death. Think about all that energy and enthusiasm! You sound resigned, like it’s a death sentence.”
I was torn by it, but in the end, I wanted to be with her. I didn’t totally understand why, but I didn’t see any real harm. I wasn’t steady with Kara at this point and really, nothing stood in my way. I quieted the inner voice that was giving me pause.
I chuckled, “I guess I did. Let me call her.”
I dialed the number on the slip of paper that Tracey had given me. Jessica answered on the third ring. I identified myself, which caused her to squeal then start talking a mile-a-minute. She was as effervescent as she had been that morning at breakfast, sounding like she was going to explode.
“Jessica, relax and let me get a word in!” I said after three minutes of chatter about everything she was doing in school, what her dog was doing, and what she wanted for Christmas.
Stephanie smirked.
“Sorry, Steve!” Jessica exclaimed, sounding apologetic. “I was just so excited that you called. What did you want?”
“Tracey said you wanted to get together with me. I’m interested if you are.”
I had to move the phone away from my ear as she shrieked.
“Yes, yes! Can you come over right now? My parents both work.”
“Well, I wouldn’t have much time. How about tomorrow morning?”
“Perfect!” Jessica gushed. “My parents leave for work at 8:15am. Come at about 8:30am and I’ll be ready! Here’s my address.”
She gave me her address, and I wrote it down. We said goodbye, and I hung up the phone, shaking my head at her enthusiasm. If it translated the way my sister thought it would, she WAS going to fuck me almost to death! Stephanie had a smug look on her face.
“Did Tracey put you up to this?” I asked my sister good-naturedly.
“Not really,” she replied. “When Marty said he’d do it, but only as a threesome, and Jessica didn’t want to, Tracey asked me if she could ask Ed. I said no, that Ed and I were exclusive and we had a firm rule against that. She accused me, with a smile of course, of being a pain just like you are!”
I chuckled, “Yeah. She wants me in the worst way, but unlike Melanie, she restrains herself. So I guess that means you aren’t going to bring Shelly into a threesome with you and Ed.”
“That’s right,” Stephanie confirmed. “One guy, one girl. That’s what I want. I got all that other stuff out of my system with you.”
“Wow. So you went full crazy at the start, then became about as conventional as possible.”
“I know! Don’t get me wrong, I loved every single thing we did together, and I don’t regret it. I’d still be doing it if we hadn’t changed our relationship. But with Ed, no.”
“You’re in love with him!” I said, realizing what was really going on.
“Yes,” she said simply. “And he’s in love with me.”
“Damn! Good for you, Stephanie. I’m really happy. I’m sure Bethany is as well.”
“Ed says she is. And she’s happy with Gene, though she’d come back to you in a heartbeat.”
“Maybe. Every day she’s with Gene, that becomes less likely. And that’s a good thing. She’s a new person, Stephanie. Wait until you see her at lunch tomorrow. Speaking of which, we’re going to make it a late lunch, 1:00pm so that I have four hours or so with Jessica. Let Ed know, will you? But not why. Keep this to yourself.”
“I’ve learned my lesson in that regard,” Stephanie said.
“Good!”
The phone rang and Stephanie answered it. She laughed and handed me the receiver.
“Thank you!” Tracey gushed.
“You’re welcome. Why is this such a big deal to you?”
“She’s my best friend and she’s wanted you since the start of eighth grade. I’m glad I could help her.”
“Why me? She’s cute as a button. I’m sure there are guys who would want to be with her.”
“She wants someone who’s experienced and really good. That’s you.”
“You’ve talked about me, I guess.”
“Yeah, to her. And to Michelle, who is beside herself, that you won’t do it with her and you did it with me.”
“Too bad for Michelle,” I replied flatly. “I don’t appreciate how she treated you and people who treat my friends that way are absolutely not someone I want to be friends with, let alone do anything else.”
“I know. She’s really sorry, but I totally understand. By the way, I know how careful you are, so I want you to know that I took Jessica to the clinic to see Doctor Gustafson about six weeks ago. She’s on the Pill.”
I chuckled, “Thanks, Tracey. But please don’t set up any more like this. I’m getting out of the business, so to speak.”
“Yeah, I know. You and Kara are getting really serious. I could tell at lunch. I promise. Just make it as good for her as it was for me, please.”
“I promise!”
We hung up, then I went with Stephanie to hang out in her room for a change, mostly because she had the beanbag chairs and I didn’t. We sat and talked until it was time for me to leave to pick up Kara. I’d wanted to spend the whole day together, but she’d had to do something with her parents for the afternoon. I arrived at Kara’s house just after 5:00pm and she came out to meet me before I even got out of the car.
“Any particular place you want to go?” I asked.
“Not really, so long as we end up in bed!”
“Kara Blanchard, you are insatiable!”
“I haven’t seen you for a month! And I won’t see you until Christmas! Then I’ll have you for two weeks at Christmas, then maybe a weekend or two, then Spring Break, then probably when you finish school. Then you’ll go away for a month. I have to be with you as much as I can when you’re here. Then, when we move in together, you can make love to me when we go to bed, when we wake up, and during the day! All the time!” she giggled.
“We do have to go to class and study, and I have to work!”
“I know. But you know what I mean! It’s your fault, anyway!”
“My fault?”
“If you hadn’t taken my virginity, none of this would have happened!”
“I didn’t take a thing!” I countered. “You threw it at me! And insisted!”
“I did. And I insist you make love to me!”
“I was thinking of Friday’s, but that would take a couple of hours. Is three hours of sex enough for you tonight?” I smirked.
“It will have to do!”
We did go to Friday’s and then back to the Spencers’ house, where we made love until it was almost time to take Kara home. I wished she could stay the night, but that just wasn’t going to happen. We showered quickly and used Melanie’s blow dryer to make sure that Kara’s hair was dry, and then I took her home. I told her I’d see her after lunch with Ed, Stephanie, and Bethany, and that we’d have the afternoon and evening together.
On Tuesday, I was up early and went to my parents’ house to swim and eat with Stephanie. At about 8:15am I headed to the address that Jessica had provided. She lived just off Route 28 on Happy Hollow Road, which wasn’t too far from Kara’s house, which was on McClelland Road. I arrived at about 8:25am, which was a few minutes early, but I didn’t see any cars in the driveway. I pulled up and parked, then walked to the front door and rang the bell.
The door opened and Jessica asked me to come in. She quickly shut the door behind me. She was dressed in a short, black silk robe that was tied at the waist.
“Hi!” she gushed. “Would you put your car in the garage? I’ll open it. Don’t want anyone seeing it and getting suspicious!”
I went back out and the garage door opened and I pulled the car in and she shut it. I walked back into the house through the door from the garage. She led me through the house to the stairs, then upstairs to her room. She had a full-size bed with light blue sheets and pillowcases and a dark blue blanket that was turned down. The rest of her room was typical — a desk and chair, a dresser, an REO Speedwagon poster, and a Cincinnati Bengals poster. Sheer drapes covered the window, allowing light in, but nobody would be able to see.
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June 1982, Milford, Ohio Melanie, Kara, and I headed over to the Kara’s house to talk to her mom. I explained what Don Joseph had said and gave her the piece of paper with the phone number. “How is this even possible, Steve?” Nancy Blanchard asked. “I’ve been working for him for about five years, and I dated Joyce, who’s his granddaughter, for several of those years before Kara and I got together. He likes me and wanted to help, just as he did with the suit and the dresses.” “And this is...
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December, 1981, Milford, Ohio Kathy and I made good time driving back to Milford on Saturday afternoon. We grabbed a quick lunch in Lafayette, but otherwise we drove straight through to Milford, talking quite a bit along the way. We discussed her relationship with Kurt and mine with Kara. Both of us were happy with where things were and how they were going. I let her know that Elyse and Warren were getting serious, and I let her know about Stephie as well. “Hmm. That might make it crowded...
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...
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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...
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, 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...
October 1981, Milford, Ohio Kara and I headed to Frisch’s for lunch. Our food arrived quickly, and we started eating. “A lot has happened in the last week,” I said. “Oh?” “Bethany has a steady boyfriend in Madison.” “Really? I had hoped something like that would happen, but I wasn’t counting on it. I always thought she was going to wait until you actually married before she did something like that. So she’s really moving on?” “That’s a good question. I would say that she’s recognized...
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...
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, Chicago, Illinois On Sunday morning after breakfast, Kara packed her things, said goodbye to her mom, and followed me to my car. I drove to the Spencers’ to pick up my things, where I thanked Trudy and reminded her that I’d be back on Friday. Kara and I took my bags to the car, loaded them in the trunk, and set off for Chicago. As usual, the drive was uneventful. I had encountered neither traffic nor an accident, nor been pulled over a single time despite all the back-and-forth...
May 1982, Milford, Ohio On Monday morning, I followed my usual routine for being in Milford and had lunch with Trudy Spencer after our sauna. That afternoon, Krista and Beth were coming over to talk about business. Kara would join us as well. Beth arrived about 2:30pm and Krista and Kara walked over from the school campus and arrived about 2:45pm. The three of us were very happy with how things were going. We had a total of twenty-two veterinary clients paying a monthly support fee, about a...
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...
July 1982, Milford, Ohio Sandy came into my room and shut the door, shaking visibly. She leaned against the door and didn’t move further into the room. “Relax, Sandy,” I said gently, trying to ease her nerves as best I could. “Are we going to do it now?” she asked, her voice cracking with emotion. “No. We’re just going to talk,” I said. I could see visible relief. That confirmed to me that she was very nervous about doing this and I needed to be very cautious. “Talk about what?” “About...
October 1981, Chicago, Illinois I went to my room, closed the door and dialed my old number in Milford and Stephanie answered. “Hi, Stephanie!” “Hey, Big Bro! How’s Chicago?” “Pretty good. A lot of stuff is happening. But I have a favor to ask. Well, really, it’s a favor from Ed. I’m coming home this weekend and I was wondering if I could borrow the keys to the apartment.” “You and Kara? On Saturday? I’m sure the answer is yes. Where are you staying?” “I was going to call Mrs. Spencer...
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...
December, 1981, Milford, Ohio As I drove to Kara’s house, I thought more about my conversation with Bethany. And the more I thought about, the more I realized that I had totally missed the signs. I had fallen in love with Kara without feeling the connection — in a sense, our kisses, and even our first lovemaking, didn’t feel different from many other girls I’d been with. But it was different. It was different because I loved her. And, eventually, we HAD felt the spark of the connection. We...
December, 1981, Milford, Ohio I pulled into the driveway at the Spencers’ and went inside. Melanie was halfway up the stairs and turned to say hello. “Want to spend some time in the sauna with me?” she asked. “Only if you promise to behave. I need to make a phone call first, and it may take a bit of time.” “I do. And I’ll wait. If you want privacy, use the extension in my room. I can read while you’re on the phone.” I nodded and walked up to her room and shut the door. It hadn’t changed...
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...
July 1982, Milford, Ohio Joyce, Kara, and I sat quietly on the lower bench while the steam built in the sauna. I was really going to miss the easy access to a sauna when I went back to Chicago. IIT had a steam room that I could use, but they required towels and it wasn’t ever quiet. It also wasn’t co-ed. “Joyce, I didn’t see Terry at your grandfather’s house yesterday,” I said after about five minutes of silence, other than the steam hissing and our breathing. “He’s sort of upset with...
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...
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...
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...
December 1981, Chicago, Illinois I really should have guessed that what Jennifer was saying was prompted by a girlfriend who saw me as a competitor, but I had to know if it was just Jocelyn, or if it was from Jennifer’s therapist as well. “And not your therapist?” I asked. “No. The reason Doctor Clauson didn’t want me to come is because she knows how I feel about you and that you’re in a serious relationship with Kara. She’s afraid that I’ll have a serious setback, or do something stupid...
April/May 1982, Chicago, Illinois I made very good time driving back to Chicago, assisted by the radar detector, and arrived at my apartment before 6:00pm Chicago time. As usual, Stephie and Elyse were sitting on the couch when I walked in. “Well, another fantasy up in smoke!” I teased. “Get your mind out of the gutter, Yankee!” Stephie exclaimed, getting up to hug me. “Did you have a good weekend?” “I did. How about the two of you?” “Same as always, though I didn’t have a date on...
August 1981, Chicago, Illinois We ended up not getting crazy that night. We made love and fell asleep in each other’s arms. We woke up the next morning and repeated what looked like was going to be the pattern for the school year — I jogged and Elyse showered, I showered, and then we ate breakfast. “Bye, Honey! Have a good day,” she said again. I headed to IIT and after parking I walked into the Stuart Building for Computer Science 200. I’d been permitted to skip CS100 because I already...
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...
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...
December, 1981, Chicago, Illinois I made good time on my drive back to Chicago, arriving just before dinner. Other than one stop for gasoline and the restroom, I had driven straight through. When I pulled up in front of the apartment, I didn’t feel like cooking, so I parked, dropped my things inside, and then walked to the Chinese restaurant and got takeout. I took it back to my apartment, retrieved two weeks’ of mail from the mailbox, then went inside. I set the food on the table and sorted...
July 1982, Milford, Ohio It was getting close to the time that both Kara and I had to leave, and Kara was still crying softly as I held her in my arms. I simply held her tight and occasionally kissed her hair and whispered that I loved her in her ear. “Kara honey, are you going to be OK to have lunch with your mom? Do you need me to call off my lunch with Anna and stay with you?” She sniffed, “No. I need to pull myself together. Mom’s expecting me and I don’t want her to worry or be...
April 1982, Chicago, Illinois and Washington, DC Sunday evening, after dinner, I excused myself and called Joyce. I knew she’d have good advice for me, knowing the full situation. “Shit,” Joyce said, “That is really bad. Some of those guys don’t care about age. In fact, they want the teenagers because they attract clients and they can actually charge more. Grandfather absolutely forbids his guys from using girls who are under eighteen. One time he found out about a girl who was only...
September/October 1981, Chicago, Illinois When we walked in, the light on the answering machine was flashing. I pressed the button to listen. It was a message from Bethany asking me to call her. I picked up the phone and dialed her dorm. They put me through to her room. “Hey, Bethany, what’s up?” “Can I come see you next weekend?” “Kathy will be here, but sure. Why?” “I just need to talk to you face-to-face.” “Is something wrong?” “No, I promise. Nothing is wrong. I just need to talk...