Chapter 30: A New Home, Part II

March 31, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

The three deliveries and the cable TV install occupied the rest of the afternoon. Bianca and I finally left around 6:20pm and drove to the U-Haul rental agency. I signed for the truck, then drove it to the house, with Bianca following me in my car.

When we walked into the house, we found a note from Shelly saying she was out with Perry, and the answering machine was blinking. I played the messages, the first of which was from Kasia, calling to confirm a time for the move-out inspection. The second message was from Josie, who asked that I call if I wasn't busy.

"Go for it, if you want to," Bianca said

"We still have some rooms to christen."

"We can do them anytime, really. Nobody will object."

"Let me call Kasia first, then I'll call Josie. You're sure?"

Bianca smiled, "You know my advice!"

"A harem that we share!" I chuckled. "But there is one major flaw with your plan!"

"They don't all have to be willing, just some!" Bianca declared. "I know Keiko won't, but Deanna? She's an artist!"

I laughed, "Sophie and Ivy go to the same school and have never so much as kissed each other."

"They aren't artists."

"You're serious? That seems so stereotypical."

"Stereotypes are usually grounded in some truth," Bianca replied. "I'd say the odds are at least 50–50 that she'll go for it."

"Please be very careful," I said. "I'll be very unhappy if you mess things up."

"What do you like to say? That you aren't a complete idiot? Neither am I. I won't do anything foolish. Make your calls!"

I called Kasia, and we agreed to meet at 10:00am on Saturday. I reminded her she was welcome to join us for the housewarming. She said she'd stop by at some point, and after I ended the call, I dialed the number Josie had left.

"Hi!" she exclaimed. "How are things with the new house?"

"Good. Are you planning on coming to the housewarming party on Saturday?"

"Yes. Are you busy?"

"I have no plans."

"Interested in spending the night with a properly motivated girl with a tight cunny, a talented tongue, and who swallows?"

"Very! Would you like to spend the night?"

"Absolutely! I live in Evanston and can be there in about twenty minutes."

"Did you eat dinner?"

"No."

"OK. Bianca and I were going to order Chinese."

"That works! See you in twenty minutes."

We said 'goodbye', I flashed the switchhook, and called in an order to the local Chinese restaurant that delivered.

"Josie will be here in about twenty minutes, and I ordered enough food for the three of us."

"Another girl who's a foot shorter than you are."

I shrugged, "The parts still fit together properly! Keiko actually asked me about that, and I simply turned the question around."

"Between you and me, who's your favorite?" Bianca asked.

"Any answer to that question other than 'you' seems dangerous!"

"You know better than that! If push came to shove and you had to choose, who would it be? Keiko or Deanna? Or maybe Anna or Lily? I'm not including Violet because of what you said about her."

"See, the thing is, I don't have to choose right now! Which is a point I've made clear and which has actually caused some difficulty with girls who are looking for a steady boyfriend."

"Is there a specific reason you're taking Anna to Saint Martin rather than one of the other girls?"

"You?" I asked with a grin.

"I'd go in a heartbeat, of course."

"That's the same thing Deanna said, though she questioned if Anna might be some kind of honeypot trap."

"Based on?"

"Both Matheson and Spurgeon suggested I take her."

"Given everything you've said about that place, I could actually see them doing that, but from what you've said about Anna, that doesn't seem likely."

"Which is what I said to Deanna."

"I'm still a bit surprised you started seeing her despite being adamant about not doing that and after what happened with Haley."

"The situation with Haley isn't all that different from Teri or Phoebe, in that Haley wanted an exclusive relationship. The difference between the three girls is that Phoebe slept with me beforehand, Haley was waiting until we were a couple, and Teri insists on waiting until marriage. In other words, what happened with Haley had nothing to do with where she worked but that she wanted to be a couple immediately.

"As for Anna, I just can't see what Spurgeon and Matheson would gain by using her in that way. If I were married, or Anna was underage, then maybe I could see it. But what possible benefit could they gain from having Anna entice me into some kind of relationship? There's no upside for them, and a big downside if it turned out to be true and I discovered it. And it's not a question of loyalty because I'm loyal, and they know it."

"A reasonable point," Bianca agreed. "If there is no value to them, it doesn't make sense they would do it, though what about getting dirt on you? You know, she reports to them?"

"What dirt? I get laid a lot, but so do Matheson and Spurgeon, and I'm not cheating! Not to mention the fairly safe bet that the rumors about Spurgeon having a thing for fifteen-year-old girls while every girl I'm with is at least eighteen. Sure, in the past, there were seventeen-year-olds, but they were legal."

Of course, there was Jeri, who'd only been sixteen, but I was only nineteen at the time, and from everything I'd seen and heard, the government didn't care about that. They WOULD care about Spurgeon, in his forties, bedding fifteen-year-old girls. I didn't have a problem with it, except insofar as it put the firm at risk if he were ever arrested. Who he had sex with simply didn't matter to me, nor did their ages, so long as it was consensual.

"I'd say you're right that it wouldn't make any sense. I did get the impression you weren't as high on her as you had been."

"I think I was just trying to make sense of why she was pushing so hard on Bev, but I think I've figured it out. Anna sees the time we spend together as an investment for the future. It might not pay off, but if it did, then Bev would be a risk to the relationship. It would make perfect sense for Anna to decide to stop seeing me if Bev could simply waltz back into my life and displace my girlfriend or wife."

Bianca nodded, "I can see that."

The doorbell rang, and I went to answer it.

"Hi!" Josie exclaimed.

"Hi. Come in."

She entered carrying an overnight bag, then, and we hugged, and she gave me a quick peck.

"Do you need help moving tomorrow?" she asked.

"We're moving and cleaning this house, so I'll take all the help we can get. No church on Good Friday?"

"No. My mom goes to church, but my dad, my brother, and I don't."

"The food will be here in about fifteen minutes. Can I get you something to drink?"

"7-Up or Sprite, whichever you have."

"Both, actually," I replied.

"Then 7-Up."

I went to the kitchen and got a 7-Up for Josie, an Orange Crush for me, and a Pepsi for Bianca, which was her current favorite pop.

"What needs to be done here?" Josie asked.

"Once we move everything out, patch and paint the walls, then clean from top to bottom. We have until 10:00am on Saturday, which is when the landlord is coming to do the walkthrough inspection."

"Who is helping?" Josie asked.

"My friends Tom, Stuart, Dustin, and Archie, along with Keiko, Deanna, Kristy, Allyson, Lily, Violet, Ellie, Miranda, and, of course, Shelly and Bianca. The guys will move all the furniture."

"I'm happy to clean or paint," Josie said. "I'm too small to carry anything bulky or heavy!"

"Keiko basically said the same thing," I replied. "But there will be plenty to do, trust me. Stuart will have everything organized. We have a U-Haul, which is parked in the driveway, so that's set. We're meeting here at 6:00am to start loading the truck."

"Ugh! 6:00am!"

"It's not so bad if you stay over," Bianca interjected.

"OK, fine, but it's still 6:00am!" Josie protested.

"I'm allowing for all manner of contingencies," I said. "That gives us plenty of time for any problems or emergencies."

The doorbell rang, signifying our food had arrived, and after paying the teenage delivery boy, I brought the food to the kitchen, where we ate at the dinette table. When we finished eating, we disposed of the cartons, and then, at Josie's request, we went up to my room.

April 1, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

"Ugh," Josie groaned when the alarm rang at 5:30am.

"We have just enough time for a shower," I said, getting out of bed.

Josie groaned again, got up, and followed me into the bathroom. I turned on the tap, adjusted the temperature, then emptied my bladder into the toilet. Josie sat down and did the same, then we got into the shower under the warm spray.

"That was weird," she observed as we each used a bar of soap to lather ourselves.

"Right," I chuckled, "Taking a leak is 'weird' after several hours of sex last night."

Josie laughed softly, "I was going to say something about it being private, but I suppose it pales with having your dick in my tight cunny and your talented tongue in me after you've cum. Or for my talented tongue to coax cum from your dick and swallow it."

"Or kissing afterwards," I added. "Or any of the other stuff we did or could do."

"It's just I never peed in front of anyone, ever, before."

"And before a month ago, you hadn't had sex but lost your virginity with an audience!"

"Oh, stop!" Josie groused good-naturedly.

We took turns rinsing off, then got out of the shower, dried ourselves, and went to the bedroom to dress.

"Can I ask you a serious question?" Josie inquired.

"Yes," I replied.

"Is there a reason you didn't call me after I told you I was interested?"

"I take it you want a completely honest answer?"

Josie smiled as she hooked her bra and said, "Do you have any other kind?"

"Usually not!" I replied. "First and foremost, I mostly allow the girls to define the terms of our encounters. That goes back to how things were with my girlfriend in High School. She basically made all the decisions for us."

Well, right up until I'd decided to move to Chicago without even speaking to her about it.

"Second," I continued, "I'm basically playing the field, which I think we discussed."

"A polite way of saying that you're 'drowning in pussy', as Ellie described it."

"Ellie's not wrong, but it's also the case that I would, when the time is right, limit myself to one person for the rest of my life."

"I guess I'm confused because I said I was interested."

"I certainly wasn't trying to cut you out because you said that, but think about our encounters — twice with the group last year, then about four weeks ago, you came to my door and asked to spend the night. Then you called tonight."

"So, how does a girl get more of your attention?"

"By asking," I replied. "But also understanding that I have other commitments, including class three nights a week and some social obligations. And knowing that at this moment, I'm not looking for a steady girlfriend."

"Well, as a girl who gave up her cherry with an audience and watched other girls give up their cherries and then had what amounts to group sex with you again, I don't think I have any misconceptions. And no conceptions, either!"

"That would be, let's call it 'inconvenient'."

"I'll say!' Josie exclaimed as she pulled on a pair of jeans. "So, given I'm interested and motivated, what's the correct strategy?"

"Patience," I replied. "And an understanding that I'll be seeing other girls, and I can't commit to any specific timeline. I also promise to be honest and forthright and let you know if I don't think we have a future together."

"Similar to what you did with Ellie?"

"I'm going to assume she shared with you that I said we don't click. That said, I promised to teach her about financial markets and recommended a degree in business or finance. On that topic, and a brief detour — what's your major?"

"Officially undeclared, but I've decided on journalism."

"OK. Back on track, it's important to remember that I don't have double standards, and you can conduct your life however you best see fit with no judgment from me."

"You mean sleep with other guys?"

"Or girls, if that's your thing."

Josie laughed softly, "I think I'll pass on that. The girls, I mean. And I haven't met another guy I'd do it with."

"That's your business. Shall we go downstairs? I need to get to Dunkin' Donuts and get breakfast and coffee for the gang."

Shelly and Bianca were both up, and I let them know Josie and I were headed to Dunkin' Donuts. Fifteen minutes later, we were back, and nearly everyone had arrived. The last to arrive was Tom, and once he'd grabbed his doughnut and coffee, I laid out the plans for the morning.

"We'll start with the furniture," I said. "Bianca, Shelly, and the girls will finish packing the few things that aren't already boxed, and once the truck is loaded, Stuart will explain to the girls about the painting prep, and they'll get started on that while we drive to the new house to unload the furniture. Once that's done, we'll go to Deanna's dorm to get her stuff, including her art supplies and studio items. Once those are at the house, we'll come back here for pizza.

"After pizza, we'll finish painting, then clean the house, top to bottom, including scrubbing the bathrooms, mopping the floors, and washing the windows. I expect to finish by 5:00pm, but if anyone needs to leave before then, that's not a problem. Dustin has to leave by 1:00pm for the rehearsal dinner for a wedding gig. Everyone is invited to the house tomorrow for a housewarming party, which will be basically an open house from noon until midnight. Any questions?"

There were none, and Tom, Stuart, Dustin, Archie, and I began loading the truck with furniture while Keiko, Deanna, Kristy, Josie, Allyson, Lily, Violet, Ellie, Miranda, Shelly, and Bianca packed the remaining items and moved boxes and smaller items to the great room to make it easier on the guys. When the truck was loaded, Stuart explained how everything should be taped and the outlet and switch covers removed. Once the girls got to work, the six of us left the old house. Deanna rode with me in the cab while the other guys piled into Stuart's Jeep Cherokee.

At the new house, we reversed the process, though I had to stop briefly to work with the Illinois Bell telephone installer to ensure the phones were properly connected. Given the number of people in the house, I'd ordered a second line, which would be the main house number, with the old number being my private line, as well as a third line for my computer modem or, eventually, a home fax machine. The kitchen phone would be two-button and access either regular line, but all other extensions, except the one in my room, would only be the common line, and the modem line was on a modular jack in my room.

When that was completed, and all the furniture was in place, and the boxes brought into the house, the six of us headed to Deanna's dorm to get her things, including her clothes, some personal items in her room, then everything from her cabinet in the studio — paints, brushes, easels, paintings, drop cloths, and smocks. We made quick work and headed back to the new house, where we unloaded everything and carried it up to the attic room.

Once that was done, we headed back to the old house to have pizza, and Dustin, Archie, and Tom left while the rest of us continued painting and cleaning. By 4:30pm, everything was in great shape — the walls were freshly painted, and the house was spic-and-span. I did a final walkthrough to ensure the house was ready for inspection and nothing had been forgotten. When that was completed, I announced we were done. Stuart took off then, saying he'd see us at the party.

Jack and Kristy planned to bring their things in the morning, and neither of them needed a truck, so I left to return it, with Bianca driving my car behind me so I had a ride to the new house. Keiko, Deanna, Ellie, Miranda, and Josie accompanied Shelly to the new house, Lily and Violet headed home, and Kristy and Allyson went to meet Jack at the Hancock Center so they could go to his house and pack his things.

"That went really smoothly," Bianca said once I'd returned the truck and was in my car.

"Thanks to Shelly's dad and Stuart," I replied. "Without their help, it would have been much more challenging."

"You do have one challenge," Bianca said with a sly smile. "Five girls who all want to spend the night with you!"

I chuckled, "I can think of far worse challenges to have!"

"I'd suggest playing games, but I'm not sure how Keiko would react. Everyone else has been in some kind of group thing with you."

"Keiko said that she feels it's a private thing," I replied. "So I'm not sure that will work. Changing topics, I'm helping her bring her things from the dorm in the morning, and after that, I'm meeting Kasia at the old house. Once we finish the walkthrough, I plan to go to Jewel to get the rest of the things we need for tomorrow, including ice, plus to stock the fridge for meals for the week."

"I'll come with you, if you want."

"The more the merrier. The car is big enough that you, Shelly, Deanna, and Keiko could all come to the store, and we'd still have plenty of room in the trunk for the groceries."