Chapter 61: Why Not, Indeed?

May 5, 1984, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

After eating lunch with Bianca, I'd showered before heading to Milwaukee for my date with Nikki, the receptionist from Belarus Tractors. I found a parking spot and walked into Wolski's Tavern just before 3:00pm to find Nikki waiting.

"Hi!" she exclaimed.

"Hi. Shall we get a table?"

"Yes. Non-smoking OK?"

"Preferred."

We asked the hostess to seat us in the non-smoking area, though given most of the bar permitted smoking, it only helped a bit. A waiter came to the table and took our orders for a pair of draught beers, and returned with them almost immediately.

"What does a 'financial analyst' do?" Nikki asked. "And what are 'Series 3' and 'Series 7' licenses?"

"I manage a team of analysts who research and evaluate investments — stocks, bonds, commodities, currencies, and precious metals. That information is used to decide what investments will create the greatest returns for our clients. The two licenses allow me to broker any kind of financial instrument except life insurance or real estate. I run my own investment fund in addition to running the Research Department."

"Why visit a Soviet company? It's not like you can buy stock in them."

"True, but international trade is important to the global financial system. And who knows what will happen in the future? If Russia reforms the way China is starting to, maybe eventually, I could buy shares in Belarus on the Moscow or Leningrad Stock Exchange. What do you do for Belarus?"

"Whatever they ask! Basically, the usual receptionist duties plus accounting clerk and payroll clerk duties."

"How long have you worked there?"

"Since I graduated from High School last year. Are you originally from Chicago?"

"Goshen, Ohio, which is about thirty miles northeast of Cincinnati. You?"

"Waukesha, which is west of here."

"I've been there. A friend insisted I try a Ponza Rotta at Jimmy's Grotto. I loved it."

"Dinner later? You could take me there."

"I could absolutely go for that."

"How old are you? I'm guessing at least twenty-five."

"Twenty-one," I replied.

"Really? I would have thought you needed a college degree to do your job."

"No, just the securities licenses. And actually, my main job doesn't require any kind of license or degree. I am taking classes part-time because work pays for them, but they aren't required."

"Do you live in Chicago?"

"I have a condo in the city," I replied. "Do you live in Milwaukee?"

"I live in Waukesha with my parents. It saves me a ton of money."

"Mind if I ask what your dad does?"

"He manages computer operations and programming for Waukesha County. My mom is a secretary in the Waukesha County Sheriff's Department. What about your parents?"

"My dad was a salesman but died before I was born. My mom is a secretary at the local High School."

"So you never met him? Uhm, sorry. That's obvious from what you said."

"Don't sweat it. What do you like to do?"

"I'm a Brewers fan and like to go to games with my friends. I also like sailing on the lake with my best friend's family. My older brother is a pilot, and I like flying with him in his light plane."

"Does he do that for a living?"

"No. He's a CPA in Madison."

"So he's a bit older than you?"

"Nine years. We have different moms. Brent's mom had an affair and moved to California with the guy. Dad married my mom about five years after the divorce was final, and I was born two years later."

"What's it like to work for Russians?"

"Like any other job, I think. I mean, it's not like they made me swear to be a communist or whatever. I think the only strange things are the Soviet flags and pictures of Lenin and the current Soviet leader. Well, and the FBI surveillance."

"Of you?"

"They talked to me one time right after I started, but otherwise, they haven't bothered me. They watch Mr. Bykov and Yuri, the main engineer, and follow them sometimes. They have very restrictive visas that limit where they can go. So, like they can't go near any military bases or nuclear plants, or visit certain kinds of companies. Our field engineers, who are mechanics, are all Americans. That means they can go anywhere and not have to worry about it."

"What about the KGB? I met with a trade official in Chicago, and he had a KGB security guard."

"I bet that was Major Anisimova. I've met her a few times. She's actually very nice and has a fifteen-year-old daughter. Did you know Belarus offers to take any staff member to Russia every year? We can go once every five years."

"I didn't know that. Are you going?"

"Absolutely! I mean, sure, it's behind the Iron Curtain, but I want to do it. We'll tour the Minsk Tractor Factory, then go to Moscow and have a tour there. The entire trip is only five days in Russia, but it'll be fun."

"I'd say it's a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and I'd go if I was in your position."

"Do you get to travel for your job?"

"So far, I've been to Kansas, Wisconsin, and Ohio on business. Not exactly scenic tours, and the Ohio trip was to Cincinnati."

"Have you been overseas?" Nikki asked.

"No. You?"

"I've been to Canada, but that's it, and it doesn't really count as 'overseas'."

"How often do you ask guys who come into the office to have a beer?"

"You're the first! Most people who come in are farmers my dad's age! I haven't met anyone I really liked since I graduated High School, so when a nice-looking guy in a suit who's not too old came in, I decided to ask. I mean, what's the worst possible result? You said 'no'?"

"Good point!"

"So what do you do in your spare time?" Nikki asked.

"Hockey and baseball games, plus hanging out with my friends."

"Cubs or Sox?"

"Reds. I'm seeing them at Wrigley at the end of the month with some friends."

"What do you drive?"

"A burgundy 1983 LeBaron convertible with a 5-speed transmission. You?"

"A blue '83 Ford Fairmont sedan. It was a graduation present. Did you play any sports in High School? You look like you could have played defensive back."

"No. I worked to help make ends meet. It was just my mom and me."

"She never remarried?"

"No. She worked two jobs so we could have our little house and a car. As soon as I could mow lawns and shovel snow, I started working. Later, I worked at a lumber yard, a feed store, and for a landscaping company; all serious manual labor."

"That explains the physique. How did you end up in Chicago?"

"My uncle arranged for an entry-level job at Spurgeon Capital, and I worked my way up from mailroom clerk to mailroom supervisor to analyst to Chief Analyst and Head of Research. I earned my licenses in the process."

"Wow! That's amazing! I absolutely chose the right guy to ask to have a beer!"

We finished our beers, but it wasn't even 3:30pm, so it was far too early for dinner.

"We have a couple of hours to kill," I said. "Any suggestions for what to do?"

"Milwaukee has a good art museum and a zoo," Nikki suggested.

"I'm OK with either of those," I said.

"How about the zoo? It's actually on the way to Waukesha."

"Sounds good. I suppose I'll follow you, but directions would be good in case somehow we're separated."

She gave me directions, which I wrote in the notebook I always carried, and after I paid for the beers, we left the pub. We were parked relatively close to each other, so it was easy to coördinate. I followed her Ford Fairmont without incident, and we arrived at the zoo about twenty minutes after we'd left the pub. We spent about two hours seeing the main animal exhibits and chatting about growing up.

At 5:30pm, we left the zoo and headed to Jimmy's Grotto in Waukesha. We seated ourselves and ordered pepperoni Ponza Rottas and a pitcher of root beer.

"Do you have a specific time you have to be back in Chicago?" Nikki asked.

"No, and I don't have to be up early tomorrow. Why?"

"I thought maybe we could see a movie."

"Did you check, or do we need to get a paper?"

"I checked. I want to see Sixteen Candles. It's a romantic comedy and got great reviews. I'm pretty sure it's set in the Chicago suburbs. It's playing in Brookfield, which is just west of the zoo."

"I'm game," I said.

"Bonus points for not balking at a romantic comedy!"

"Do I get to see this scorecard?" I asked with a grin.

"That's not how it works!" Nikki declared mirthfully. "You should know that!"

"I actually never dated in High School. My girlfriend was a neighbor girl I'd known from the time we were both toddlers. We were close friends and simply became boyfriend and girlfriend. We mostly hung out and didn't go out much."

"What happened with her, if it's OK to ask?"

"I moved to Chicago, she started seeing someone, and got pregnant."

"She wouldn't come with you?"

"She was a year behind me in High School, so that wasn't possible."

"And she started seeing someone so quickly?"

"It's complicated. What I gave you was an outline. Both of us made mistakes."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to pry."

"It's OK."

Our Ponza Rottas arrived, and we began eating.

"I hope I didn't upset you," Nikki said a few minutes later.

"You didn't. I tend to be direct, and I don't mind direct questions. Usually, I give direct answers, but relationships are complicated, and, honestly, we don't know each other well enough to share at that level."

Nikki was quiet for a moment, then nodded, "You're right. It's just you seem so approachable and easy to talk to that I forgot we basically just met."

"It's OK, as I said. You didn't lose any points!"

"I don't suppose I get to see the scorecard, do I?"

"Here's where, if I knew you better, I'd make a joke, but based on what I just said, I probably shouldn't."

"Now you have to say it," Nikki demanded.

I chuckled, "I was going to say, 'Is this where I say I'll show you mine if you show me yours?'"

Nikki laughed, "That's cute, actually. Do you joke and tease a lot?"

"With my friends, yes, and they give as good as they get."

"That sounds like me and my two best friends."

We both focused on eating our meal and didn't talk much until it was time to leave to go to the movie.

"I live about a mile from here," Nikki said. "We could drop my car at my house, which will make it easier later."

"Sure," I agreed.

We got into our cars, and I followed Nikki to a residential subdivision with modest two-story houses. She pulled into a driveway, and I stopped by the curb. She got out of her car, walked over to mine, and got in. She gave me directions to the theatre in Brookfield, and I bought tickets for the 7:00pm showing. Neither of us wanted popcorn or drinks, so after using the facilities, we went into the theatre to wait for the movie to start.

When the house lights were turned down, I felt Nikki's shoulder lightly bump mine, then about fifteen seconds later, I felt it again. I took the hint and put my arm around her, something I obviously knew about but had never actually done in a movie theatre. It was a typical High School thing, which made sense, given Nikki had graduated the previous year and still lived at home.

If I understood the rituals properly, that meant I'd receive a 'good night' kiss when I drove her home after the movie. That would, I felt, inevitably lead to a second date, which created a conundrum — when to tell Nikki about Keiko and Sofía. One would likely generate sympathy, and the other, concern, given my relationship with Bianca. The question of future relationships could wait until it became necessary, if it ever did.

As the feature started, I made a concentrated effort to quiet the analytical part of my mind so I could focus on enjoying the movie. Enjoy it I did, as the comedy far outweighed the romance, and Anthony Michael Hall stole the show with one-liners that caused the audience to laugh repeatedly. Nikki clearly enjoyed the movie, as she was laughing right along with me.

"That was awesome!" Nikki gushed when we left the theatre.

"I agree! I really enjoyed it."

We walked to the car, and I held the door for Nikki to get in. Once she was in, I closed the door, walked around to the driver's side, and got in.

"Do I have enough points for a second date?" I asked as I started the car.

"Yes!" Nikki exclaimed as I pulled out of the parking spot. "Absolutely! When?"

"First, let me tell you two things that are very important."

"Uhm, OK. What?"

"I was married, and my wife died of leukemia on December 27th of last year."

"Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry!"

"Thanks. The second thing is that before I married, a lesbian friend asked me to help her have a baby. I did that, and I have a one-month-old daughter named Sofía. She and her mom live in my condo with me but have their own rooms."

"I, uhm, don't know what to say about that."

"You have plenty of time to think about it," I said. "The next few weeks are very busy, so it would probably be three weeks before we can go out again."

"The timing..."

"I was faithful to my vows to Keiko. She and I were dating, but not exclusively at that point, though we were moving towards being a couple. She was diagnosed with leukemia and started treatment before I asked her to marry me. One side effect of treatment is infertility, so Keiko and I agreed that I'd fulfill Bianca's — Sofía's mom — request.

"That all happened before we had a traditional Japanese engagement ceremony. Shortly thereafter, Keiko and I married in a civil ceremony because the future was unclear; then later on, we had a Shinto wedding ceremony. The chemo didn't work, and we couldn't find a compatible bone marrow donor. Given there was no hope, she chose to stop treatment and come home, and died two days after Christmas."

"You weren't married very long."

"No, we weren't. I met her through a mutual friend in February. We had our engagement ceremony in August, as well as our civil wedding ceremony. Our Shinto ceremony was in October, and she died in December."

"You married her knowing she was going to die?"

"Knowing she might die," I countered. "I had decided she was the one before her diagnosis, and I felt anything other than following through would be betraying everything I believe in — to be honest, to keep your word, and to follow through on your commitments."

"It sounds almost like Love Story," Nikki observed.

"There are parallels. Bianca insisted I see the movie after Keiko's diagnosis but before the engagement ceremony."

"Does your baby's mom have a ... girlfriend, I guess it would be?"

"She did, but the girl broke up with her because she didn't want to live with a baby. That happened right before Sofía was born, despite the girlfriend agreeing it was OK for Bianca to have a baby. I'm sure Bianca will find a new girlfriend."

"And she'll live with you forever?"

"That is the plan," I replied. "Bianca works for me as a data analyst."

"Is that how you met her?"

"No. I met Bianca at a party thrown by a friend of a girl who is the daughter of a floor trader and who temped in the mailroom. I hired Bianca after I was promoted last August."

We had reached her house, and I pulled into the driveway. We both got out of the car, and I walked her to the door.

"Do you want me to call you?" I asked.

Nikki was quiet for a moment, then nodded, "Yes."

I debated whether or not to try to kiss her, and when she didn't turn to unlock the door, I was confident that I should. I leaned forward, and our lips touched in a soft kiss.

"I had a good time," she said. "Call soon, OK?"

"I will. Though, as I said, things are a bit hectic for the next two weeks. I'm taking another securities license exam on Wednesday, and I have my final for the class I'm taking on the 19th, and that's when things will calm down. But I'll call before then."

"Great!"

Nikki gave me a quick kiss, then turned to unlock the door. Once she was safely inside, I headed back to my car for the ninety-minute drive home.

May 7, 1984, Chicago, Illinois

"«Abuela» knows that we're celebrating Violet's birthday tonight, right?" I asked Bianca as we ate breakfast together on Monday morning.

"Yes. I'll bake the cake this afternoon. Violet turns twenty-one today, right?"

"Yes. Her gift was delivered on Wednesday. I'll bring it down after I dress for work. I also ordered flowers for her. They'll be delivered this morning."

"How did things go with the girl from Milwaukee?"

"I was surprised you didn't ask last night when I got into bed."

"I was exhausted! Sofía was cranky yesterday, and I didn't get much sleep. Fortunately, Chelsea will be here today, and I can nap this afternoon after work."

"What was wrong?" I asked.

"Who knows? Baby-itis? I think some people call it 'colic', but she was just unhappy and cried a lot. Fortunately, she calmed down just before you came home and fell asleep. She was fine when I fed her at 2:00am and 5:00am."

"I wasn't around Heather enough to know, but when does she start eating baby food?"

"Probably around six months, but only to supplement breast milk. I'm going to make her food the way my mom did for us — basically purée it in a blender."

"What kinds of things?"

"Bananas, apples, peaches, carrots, and peas. Tapioca pudding is a common one, and I'll do that, too. Eventually, I'll purée chicken. She'll nurse until she's around sixteen months, though she may stop sooner on her own. So, Milwaukee?"