Chapter 49: Siouxsie and the Banshees, Redux

June 4, 1989, Chicago, Illinois

I parked at Midway Airport, walked across Cicero Avenue and into the terminal building. I found the Delta arrival listing and walked to the correct gate to wait for Abbie's plane. I was a bit early, so I sat down in a chair to read the latest edition of The Economist. Events in China were unfolding so fast that the week-old news had already been overtaken by the military crackdown in Tiananmen Square, which had begun very early in the morning Chicago time.

The other thing that didn't make The Economist press deadline was that the Polish trade union, Solidarity, had handily won the first free elections held in Poland since before World War II. I wondered if that result would be allowed to hold, but didn't see how the Soviets could intervene without massive unrest that might bring down the entire Eastern bloc. It was already teetering because of the changes in Hungary, though the government had started to crack down on East Germans trying to use the border crossing with Austria to escape.

I heard the muffled, garbled announcement of the Delta flight from Albany via Pittsburgh arriving and looked up from my magazine to see the aircraft taxiing onto the ramp. About ten minutes later, Abbie Nolan, dressed in the same black wrap-around skirt and black blouse that she'd worn that night at her parents' bed-and-breakfast, walked through the door. I got up and walked over to her. She took the lead in extending her arms for a hug and then gave me a quick kiss on the lips.

"Hi!" I said. "Good flight?"

"It was OK. The guy sitting next to me didn't appreciate me at all. Anyway, we need to go to the baggage claim."

We walked down the concourse to the baggage claim and found the correct carousel. Abbie received more than a few stares, which she just ignored. I slipped my arm around her waist and she smiled and put hers around mine.

"Not embarrassed to be seen with me?" she asked quietly.

"No, of course not. I don't have any time for small-minded people. You should know that!"

"People are different in different circumstances. Being away from home makes it easy for you not to care, not to mention we weren't seen in public. It's different here, in your hometown, in public."

"Just me and five million of my closest friends!" I chuckled. "Were you afraid I'd act differently?"

"I was just a bit concerned. I've seen it before. People who are all cool in private but who can't handle being seen in public."

"I don't know if you're into public displays of affection, but if you want a kiss that will curl your toes, I'd be happy to give you one!"

"You can't kiss me THERE in public," she giggled. "At least not without getting arrested!"

"True," I chuckled.

A horn sounded and bags began to move past us. Abbie pointed to two fairly large bags that I grabbed from the belt. I asked her to wait while I went to get a Smarte Carte on which to load her bags.

"That's an awful lot of stuff for a couple of weeks," I said as we began walking towards the exit.

"I'm staying the whole Summer," she replied. "You said that was OK, right?"

"I did. And yes, it's OK. I was just surprised. What about New York City?"

"It'll be there when I'm ready to go. I don't have any firm plans except to explore Chicago. I'll probably get bored eventually, and that's when I'll leave."

"We have plenty of room," I said. "As long as you can handle a bunch of kids in the house, you'll be fine."

"Kids are OK. They ask questions, but they aren't bigoted like adults."

"I'm sure Jesse will have plenty of questions for you. He's three going on thirty!"

"Is that your oldest son?"

"Yes. He's a real handful."

"Like his dad, then?" she teased.

"You have no idea," I chuckled.

We got to the car, and I put her bags in the trunk, then returned the cart to a cart rack in the parking lot. I pulled out of the parking spot, drove to the gate, paid the fee, and headed north on Cicero Avenue towards the Stevenson Expressway. Thirty-five minutes later, I pulled into the driveway next to the coach house. We took Abbie's bags from the trunk and carried them inside, where we were met by Jessica and Kara.

"Abbie Nolan, this is Doctor Jessica Adams, my wife. And this is Kara Adams, my wife."

Abbie laughed, "It's good not to be the only subversive, counter-culture person in the room! Nice to meet you both!"

"We've heard all about you," Jessica said. "Our home is your home for as long as you want to stay."

"Thanks."

"Tiger, take her bags to her room and we'll give her a tour and get to know her," Jessica said.

"Yes, M'lady," I said, exaggerating a bow. "Right away, M'lady!"

"He's a goofball, in case you hadn't noticed," Kara said.

"I gathered!" Abbie smirked.

They headed upstairs to start the tour, and I lugged Abbie's two large suitcases and her smaller carry-on to the basement in two trips. I put her in the right-hand room because my dad was using the left-hand one. He was out with the Navy guys, so he wasn't home. I went back upstairs and waited in the great room while the girls finished the tour. About ten minutes later, they came in and sat down.

"Nice house!" Abbie said.

"Thanks."

"And gorgeous kids, too!"

"Thanks again!"

"Abbie, what got you into the goth subculture?" Jessica asked.

"An exchange student from England named Aidan. He was a Senior when I was a Freshman. He turned me onto the music, which spoke to me."

"We've listened to Steve's CDs," Kara said. "Siouxsie and the Banshees, The Cure, and something he already had, Modern English."

Abbie laughed, "The first two are fine, but Modern English is a little too 'Pop' for me. Let me guess, he really likes I Melt With You?"

"From Valley Girl," I said. "I do like that song, and that movie actually has a bit to say about our relationship."

"Oh God no! I am NOT Hollywood! Though you might be Valley!"

"Like, totally, gag me with a spoon! Like, for sure, grody to the max!" I laughed.

The girls all laughed with me.

"Do any of you know anything about the goth scene in Chicago? I suspect not."

"I didn't," Jessica said. "But when I found out you were coming, I talked to some friends at work and got the names of a couple of clubs. But in Chicago, they card pretty hard anyplace there's alcohol. I hear New York is a bit more lax in certain areas."

"I got a fake ID before I left New York. It says I turned 21 yesterday."

"And it'll pass muster?" I asked.

"I paid enough for it," Abbie said. "It looks just like my regular driver's license."

"I was going to say that there's also a coffee shop in Lincoln Park and a diner in Bucktown where there are a lot of counter-culture folks, but it's a mix of goth, punk, and other alternatives. There's also Lakeview East, but that tends to be more about gays and lesbians."

"Things I never knew," I said.

"You don't get out much, do you?" Abbie teased, repeating what she'd said back in New York.

"Some of my best friends are gay or lesbian," I said with a smirk. "In all seriousness, Jesse's mom is lesbian and her wife is bi. They live in the coach house in the back we parked next to."

And, as demons who appear when their secret names are spoken, Jennifer, Josie, and Jesse came into the house. Jesse walked right up to Abbie.

"Hi!" he said. "You have black lipstick! And your clothes are black!"

"You're right! My name is Abbie. You must be Jesse!"

"Yes. I live with my mamas in the coach house. Dada lives here with his wives."

"How old are you?"

"Three! In February!"

Abbie laughed, "I see what you mean. He talks almost like an adult!"

"Has Dada kissed you?" Jesse asked directly.

"Yes," Abbie answered, laughing softly at his directness.

Jennifer, Josie, Jessica, and Kara all gasped, then started laughing hysterically while I groaned softly.

"Abbie," Kara whispered, when she'd recovered enough to speak, "Do you realize that you just admitted to a three-year-old that you've had sex with his father?"

"What?!" she asked.

"Later," I said, chuckling. "Jennifer, Josie, this is Abbie Nolan. She'll be staying with us for the Summer."

"Nice to meet you. We just came over to drop Jesse with Veronica. We're headed out to dinner and then a jazz club."

"Veronica?" Abbie asked.

"Our nanny," I said. "With all the kids around here, and all the women being professionals with careers, or students, we need lots of help."

"Steve needs more help than just about anyone," Jennifer laughed.

"I think I'm going to like it here," Abbie said with a smile.

Jennifer and Josie took Jesse to Veronica, then stopped back in the great room.

"Abbie, come visit sometime," Jennifer said. "Just walk across the yard and knock on the kitchen door."

"Thanks!" she said to them as they left.

"See what I mean?" I said.

Abbie nodded, "It's nice to be welcomed and not judged."

"Did Steve tell you about all the stuff that's going on here over the Summer?" Jessica asked.

"Uh, no," Abbie replied.

"Next weekend, his sister is having an end-of-the-semester party. Everyone is invited, including you. The weekend after that, four of Steve's employees are getting married here, and of course, you're invited. Elyse and I are going to have babies, and so is a close friend of Steve's that also works for him. She'll probably visit a lot after the baby is born. Plus there are regular Guys' and Girls' nights, and you're welcome to join us. And we entertain a lot. Anyway, I'm sure you want to unpack, and get settled, and probably talk with Steve. Don't mind us!"

"I have to ask a direct question, and I hope you don't mind. But it's OK to mess around?"

"I think Jesse's question answered that for you, but yes, it's fine," Jessica said. "I'm sure Steve told you about our relationship. It's OK. And nobody has to hide anything in this house."

"Obviously," Abbie said, still seeming a bit bewildered.

I took her hand and led her to the basement and the guest room that she'd be using. I told her my dad would be staying at the house for a few days, but that he wouldn't be a problem.

"What did Kara mean when she said I admitted that I had sex with you to Jesse?"

"Exactly what she said. Jesse pretty much put two-and-two together pretty quickly about kissing and babies. Because we all use the sauna naked, he knows that girls and boys have different anatomy, and in a VERY little kid way that the parts go together. Anyway, when he asked you if we'd kissed, he was asking if we'd had sex. You said 'yes'. So now he knows."

"And people call ME strange!" she laughed.

"I warned you fair and square! I may not 'get out much' as you say, but within my little world here, I'll probably be stranger than you are."

"I think I understand where you're coming from now," she said. "You get grief about this, don't you?"

I nodded, "I do. And quite a bit of it, though I do my best to avoid people who can't handle it. But it has affected my business in the past, and caused some serious rifts with people over the years. And you just met Jennifer and Josie. So I do know a bit about where you're coming from."

"What are the limits?" she asked.

"Of what?"

"You and me?"

"There aren't any, really. Well, a recent STD test. And proper birth control. But otherwise, only that I can't stay all night with you unless you get permission from Jessica and Kara in advance."

"But we could screw whenever we wanted?"

"You can't monopolize me; I do have lots of other obligations. So the answer to the question is a qualified 'yes'."

"And you could go with me to one of the clubs?"

"I actually talked about that with Jessica and Kara. The question was, do I dress like a poseur or just come as my usual Yuppie self? The consensus was as my Yuppie self to show your new friends that there are non-judgmental people in the world."

"And you can get into the scene? For real?"

"No drugs. But otherwise, yes, I'm interested."

"None of my close friends in New York were into drugs. There was some experimentation, but that mostly was people I wasn't too close to. I'd be really curious to see how people respond to a Preppy who isn't a stuck-up asshole."

"Yuppie might be a better term, though none of us are into conspicuous consumption."

"Yuppie isn't better than Preppy. More stuck-up assholes who think their shit doesn't stink. So how does living here work?"

"Well, I'll get you a key so you can come and go as you please. You can get a bus a couple of blocks from here in any direction or you can walk west to the L, which is our elevated and subway, or walk the other direction to the Metra Electric. There are timetables in the kitchen. Breakfast is whenever you want, but I usually eat around 6:30am after I run, and cook for whoever is up. Lunch is serve-yourself, and I usually eat at the office, though I come home sometimes to eat with the kids. Dinner is almost always at 6:15pm. If not, there will be a note on the chalkboard upstairs. Otherwise, just be polite and respect everyone's space, and do your own thing.

"There are plenty of snacks, both healthy and junk, as well as soft drinks, cold water in a pitcher, and that kind of thing. Help yourself when you want. Towels are in the closet right outside your room. Laundry is scheduled on the board upstairs. I have no problem with you drinking here, but please don't get drunk. The only place smoking is allowed in the house is the sunroom, though we go outside when we can. No drugs. Period. I think that about sums it up."

"You know, I should probably call my parents and let them know that I'm safe."

"There's a phone in the kitchen or, if you want privacy, in my study. The one in my study only rings there and in my bedroom. The one in the kitchen is the general number that rings on the other three phones. Come up and we'll get you your key and you can make your call."

We started out of the room, and she put her hand on my arm.

"How come you haven't asked the question that has to be burning your mind right now?"

"I figured you'd tell me or show me," I said. "If you didn't, then it was none of my business."

"Unreal," she breathed.

"What?"

"Let me make my phone call first," she said.

We went upstairs and while she used the phone in the kitchen, I got a key to the house and one to her room from the lockbox in the pantry. Abbie's call only took two minutes, saying that she'd arrived safely and ensuring that her parents had the correct phone number for the house. She hung up, and I gave her the two keys. I got us each a Coke, and we went back downstairs, and Abbie started unpacking.