Chapter 63: Housewarming

May 12, 1984, Chicago, Illinois

"The only complication," Taya said when we walked into my bedroom, "is I want to spend the night, but Esme is my ride, and I absolutely need fresh clothes for the party tomorrow."

"I could arrange to get you home tomorrow morning. That way, you could come back with Esme in the afternoon."

"I'd like that. Let me go tell Esme not to wait!"

I nodded, and Taya left the room. She was back two minutes later.

"All set! She'll pick me up at home as planned for the housewarming party."

"I'm pretty sure I know the answer — boyfriend?" I inquired.

"No," she replied with a smile, "but if that's an offer..."

"I'm not ready for a relationship like that at this point," I said.

"Sorry, I know it's only been about five months."

"I'm also not sure I'm cut out for a long-distance relationship for three more years. I do remember what you said about a year ago when we were together. See me when you're home on breaks, finish your degree, come back to Chicago, and we'll see where I am. One thing I can pretty much guarantee is that I won't be in a committed relationship before you graduate from Princeton."

"I could sign up for that!" Taya declared. "Why are we still dressed?"

"I have no idea!" I chuckled.

We undressed, and I took in Taya's beautiful body — light-brown skin with a hint of red, long black hair, brown eyes, an athletic build with small, firm breasts, and long legs.

"Ready for some 'young beaver'?" she smirked as we climbed into bed.

"Indubitably!" I declared, recalling that Taya's Cherokee name — Tayanita — translated to 'young beaver'.

"Same as the first time? Oral, front, back, and another front before we sleep, then a long, slow, sensual screw in the morning?"

"You really got off on anal," I said.

"I did! And before, when I said I wasn't quite as crazy as Katy and Esme, I meant I haven't been with anyone except you."

"That really isn't any of my business," I said. "But as you revealed that, may I ask why?"

"I had a lot of fun without having sex. I dated, but I didn't meet any guys I wanted to go to bed with. Katy and Esme, on the other hand..."

"Are enjoying that aspect of college!" I chuckled.

"Shall we?" Taya asked, moving on top of me

"Yes!" I exclaimed, and we shared a soft French kiss.

May 13, 1984, Chicago, Illinois

"That was heavenly," Taya said as we got out of bed on Sunday morning.

"It was," I agreed as we walked to the shower.

I turned on the tap, adjusted the temperature, and once the water was warm, we got in.

"How often can I see you over the Summer?" she asked as I began soaping her body.

I actually needed a Friday date for the Summer, as CeCi was working on Friday evenings, and Taya would be perfect.

"Why don't we plan for Fridays; you could go out with Jack, Kristy, and me."

"So, a regular date? Dinner and a movie or show, then spend the night?"

"That's the norm, and it works for me if it works for you," I agreed.

We finished our shower, dried off, then dressed. We went downstairs, and I made breakfast. Once we'd eaten, I called for a car to take Taya home and, ten minutes later, escorted her to the lobby.

"Good morning, Mr. Kane," Burt, the doorman on duty, said. "Miss Awiakta's car is waiting."

"Thanks, Burt."

Taya and I hugged, then Burt walked her to the car. Once the car had pulled away, I returned to the condo to begin setting up for the housewarming party.

"What do I need to do?" I asked Deanna when I walked in.

"Move the wine from the main fridge to the fridge in the wet bar, and stock more beer and pop in the fridge, please."

I acknowledged her, completed the tasks, then took a short break to hold Sofía after Bianca nursed her. When she fell asleep, I carried her to her crib, then went back to help Deanna.

"What else do you need me to do?" I asked.

"Right now, there isn't anything else," Deanna said. "Vanessa and Cheryl will be here at 10:00am."

"I meant to ask — are we paying them?"

"I offered them each $40 for the day. There was enough money in the housewarming party budget to cover that, even after I reimbursed Kristy for the alcohol."

"And the artists?"

"Around 11:00am. I assume you saw the eight pieces I hung and the sculptures on the tables?"

"I did."

"There's a stack of catalogue sheets on the dining room table I created using the Macintosh. They describe each piece, name the artist, and note whether each piece is part of your personal collection or for sale. I know Keiko's family might show, so I put Nuclear Family in storage for today. The last thing I want to do is offend any of them."

"I appreciate that."

We were interrupted by a knock at the door, which surprised me, as nobody had called up to say someone had arrived. I went to the door and opened it.

"Hi!" Violet exclaimed.

"Hi," I replied.

We hugged, and she came into the condo.

"How did you get up without being announced?" I asked.

"My name is on some list, and Burt said I could come up."

"I gave the building a list of regular visitors," Bianca interjected. "Violet, obviously, plus Jack and Kristy. They also have a guest list for the party, and I included everyone we invited. They'll just be allowed to come up because otherwise, we'd be answering the intercom non-stop."

"Good thinking," I said.

"I came early to help," Violet said.

"Well, right now, there isn't anything to do," Deanna said. "So you can just chill for about an hour. CeCi?"

"Yes?"

"Could you run down to the grocery store and get paper napkins? We forgot to get those on our shopping trip."

"Sure," CeCi agreed. "Anything else we need?"

"Not that I can think of. Fortunately, the store is in the building, so if we do think of something, it's just a quick elevator trip away, and they'll deliver if we need anything and can't go out."

CeCi left, and Deanna came to sit with Violet, Bianca, and me.

"You seem to have taken over the party planning," I said to Deanna.

"Bianca is preoccupied with the miniature human you two ordered!" Deanna replied. "And it turns out I enjoy playing hostess. I was actually thinking of a way to market Ateljé D and help art students make some money — providing hostess services, waitstaff, and art displays. I'm sure there are plenty of potential customers in Glencoe, Winnetka, Oak Brook Terrace, and right here in the Loop. The overhead would be really low, and our fees would basically be pure profit."

"Very entrepreneurial," I replied. "It's your gallery and studio and your friends, so go for it."

"And if you only hire hot girls, there's more money to be made!" Bianca teased.

Deanna laughed softly, "Madame D's?"

"What am I missing?" Violet asked.

"They're joking about what are euphemistically called 'Escort Services' — high-class, high-cost prostitutes."

"You wouldn't really do that, would you?" Violet asked. "Run a prostitution service?"

"No, because it's not worth the risk," Deanna said.

"According to Al Capone," I said with a slight smile, "liquor, gambling, and prostitution were simply goods and services he provided as a businessman to the public, which were in high demand due to the government banning them! And remember, they busted him for tax evasion, not vice or murder."

"You don't believe that, do you?" Violet asked.

"I certainly believe he said it, and he's not wrong about those things being in high demand or wrong saying that the government had banned them. The public mostly either supported the provision of vice or was neutral about it until the Mob started killing members of the public and making high-profile hits like the Saint Valentine's Day Massacre. If you ask me, those things shouldn't have been, and shouldn't be, illegal."

"Alcohol and gambling, I understand," Violet said, "and I agree. But prostitution?"

"I'm going to be a bit uncouth, OK?"

"Sure."

"First, what's worth doing is worth doing for money. Second, it's a private transaction between two people. Third, in the end, what's the practical difference between buying dinner, movie tickets, flowers, and candy and simply handing over the cash?"

"Wait! You equate dating and prostitution?"

"No, I equate exchanging things of value in the hopes of having sex to prostitution. The prostitute is actually more honest in that she always completes the transaction."

"WOW!" Bianca exclaimed, laughing hard. "That's ... I'm not sure what it is!"

"Welcome to Jonathanland!" Deanna exclaimed. "He's right. Think about High School or college guys doing all the things Jonathan said, hoping to get laid. They are, in effect, wagering that the things they offer are sufficient to convince the young woman to go to bed with them. With the prostitute, it's a sure thing, which makes it the more honest transaction."

"And take it a bit further," I said. "Assume I buy you an expensive gift; you agree to go to bed with me, then return the gift and get cash from the store. That's legal or close enough that it would never be prosecuted. If I just hand you the cash, it's not legal, and we'd both be prosecuted. Tell me the practical difference."

"Once again," Bianca declared, "living in Jonathanland results in the most bizarre logical results you can imagine!"

"Or," I said with a smirk, "think about this bit of insanity — it's legal to have sex for free, but not legal to have sex for money unless you film it!"

"Huh?" Violet asked, obviously confused.

"Porn!" Deanna declared. "It's legal to make pornographic movies, and the actors and actresses are paid to have sex on film. With VCRs and portable video cameras, you could pay for sex, film it, and sell tapes, and that would be fine. Make the same transaction without selling the tapes, and it's a crime."

"I'm not sure what to say about that," Violet said.

"That the government should butt out of our private lives and private consensual transactions!" Bianca declared.

"Think about this," I said. "I ask someone to come live with me in exchange for sleeping with me. They get, in effect, free room and board, and that isn't a crime, despite the fact that they are, in effect, being paid for sex."

"But would you do that?" Violet asked.

"My dad always joked that men always pay for sex," Deanna said. "And that the government had simply outlawed certain forms of payment!"

"Jeri commented that one of her dad's friends maintains that getting married is the most expensive way to have 'free' sex ever invented!"

"Seriously?!" Violet asked.

"He has a point," Deanna said with a soft laugh. "Ask any of the guys at Spurgeon who are divorced!"

"Going back to your idea," I said. "I think you should go for it. As you said, the overhead is basically whatever it costs you to advertise, and you have an available workforce in the students who are always looking for spending money, and not just the girls. Write up a short business plan and then implement it under Deanna Haight Creations."

"What's that?" Violet asked.

"Her corporation," I said.

"You have one, too, right?"

"Yūsuke Holdings for my rental properties."

CeCi returned with the napkins, and almost immediately, there was a knock at the door. I got up to answer it and let Vanessa and Cheryl into the condo. They each greeted me with a hug and a 'society kiss' where our cheeks touched.

"Hi!" Deanna called out, coming over to us. "I'll give you a quick tour, then we'll talk about how I want to handle it."

I went back to sit with Violet, CeCi, and Bianca while Deanna did her thing. I realized she had, in effect, not just taken over the party planning but was also running the household since Sofía had arrived. It seemed to be working well, and if Deanna wanted to continue, I was positive Bianca would be OK with it, given work and caring for Sofía. I was also very busy and would be busier during the Summer, with classes three days a week, including on Saturdays until 1:00pm.

At 10:45, Deanna had us put out snacks, and I put one of the smooth jazz discs Deanna had bought into the Compact Disc player. Kassie, Kendra, and Stacey, the art students, arrived just before 11:00am, and shortly after, the first of our guests arrived. I greeted Pete Mueller and his wife Katy, and following them, a steady stream of our friends began arriving.

I was surprised when Noel Spurgeon arrived at 1:30pm with Valerie, his wife, and a few minutes later, Murray Matheson and his wife, Ellen.

"I think we're paying the kid too much," Murray said to Noel.

"I could always talk to Frank Meyer at Glenwood if you guys don't think I'm worth what I'm earning," I said.

"The kid has balls, Murray," Noel said. "Two years ago, he was afraid of me! Now he's mentioning jumping to a competitor as if he's talking about the weather."

"There's always Don Sussman at Paloma," I said, "though I'd have to move to Connecticut."

"Smart ass!" Murray said. "But Paloma is too risk-averse for your style. And Glenwood is heavily into convertible bonds, which are also not your style."

"And you don't think I could adapt if necessary?" I asked.

"Jesus Christ, Kane!" Murray swore. "You are a cool customer!"

"Yes, but I'm your cool customer, and Noel's, and I'm sure as hell not going anywhere any more than you two are actually thinking of reducing my compensation!"

"That's enough shop talk, boys!" Valerie declared. "Let's get drinks!"

They moved away, and Violet came over to me.

"I know they were at Keiko's service, but their showing up here is huge," she observed.

"It is. It's about sending a message that they value my work. They both know that I could eventually go out on my own, so they're going to do everything possible to prevent me from seriously considering it. They'll only stay for a short time, I'm sure, but that's the point of a housewarming party."

I mingled with the guests, very happy that Deanna had hired Vanessa and Cheryl to act as hostesses, and I was pleased that my guests were interested in the art Deanna had hung both from my 'private collection' as well as from Kassie, Kendra, and Stacey, as well as two other students.

One oddity I noticed was Jeri Lundgren having a quiet, one-on-one conversation with Noel Spurgeon. That made me think of the things she'd said about finding someone to help her take on her mom, and I realized Noel Spurgeon fit the bill perfectly. Her challenge was that she was eighteen — three or four years older than the girls she said he preferred. That said, if she played the innocent virgin, it might actually work.

"Need your drink refreshed?" Cheryl asked.

"Thanks. Bourbon, neat."

She took my glass, went to the bar, poured in an inch of bourbon, and brought it back.

"Anything else I can do for you?" she asked with a smile and a twinkle in her eye.

"Not at the moment," I replied. "But if I think of something, I'll let you know!"

She walked away, and I walked over to Dustin, Archie, Costas, and Trevor.

"Great place!" Dustin declared. "I'd like to shoot it and submit it to an architectural magazine."

"If you do, you need to credit Natasha Mazarov and Deanna because Natasha did the interior design, and Deanna hung all the art."

"I can do that."

"You did some kind of layout like that last year, right?"

"For a guy named Steve down in Woodlawn. He's from the same area as you, I think. How close is Milford?"

"About ten minutes by car from my mom's house to the High School. Deanna is from Milford."

"Maybe she knows him; she's about the right age."

"She went to a Catholic High School, so unless that guy was there, they wouldn't have been in school together."

"No clue. I actually don't know much about him. I did the photo shoot for Brown Construction because they finished the basement and installed a sauna that seats twenty-five or so comfortably."

"Is that considered big? I don't know much about saunas."

"They usually seat six to eight. And the house has a fucking elevator!"

"An interesting use for an elevator, but OK," I grinned.

All four of the guys laughed.

"I'm glad to see you returning to normal," Costas said. "I know it's been tough."

"I miss her terribly, but thanks to you guys, Violet, and my housemates, I've been able to stay on an even keel and stay focused. It was touch and go for a while."

"It's rough, man," Costas observed. "Great condo, by the way!"

"The only thing left to do is buy the pool table, which I'll buy in July."

"Then I'll wait to shoot until then," Dustin said. "I wondered about the large, empty space, but now it makes sense."

"Jonathan," Archie said, "is there any way the four of us could get in on your fund?"

"Probably the only way I could do that is if the four of you banded together as an investment group, and I asked for an extra 'friends and family' slot. Well, unless you have $150,000 between you to invest."

All four of them laughed.

"Yeah, that'll be the day!" Costas declared. "I mean, I make decent money with the city, but nothing like that!"

"Give Nelson Boyd a call and ask him to set up a partnership, and I'll grease the skids at work."

I retrieved one of Nelson's cards and handed it to Costas.

"I'll call tomorrow."

"I'm going to mingle," I said. "If you need anything, just ask Vanessa or Cheryl."

"Over the top, Dude!" Trevor declared.

I saw Beth and Joshua come in, so I went to greet them, and Beth smiled and showed me her left hand.

"Congratulations!" I said, taking note of the nice diamond.

"Thanks!" Beth replied.

"Do you have a date yet?"

"My mom and grandmother are talking to reception halls to find out what's possible, then we'll talk to the Rabbi. Most likely in September or October."

"That's excellent! Enjoy yourselves! The food on the breakfast bar is all kosher."

"I appreciate that, thanks."

"I'm going to mingle. If you need anything, ask Vanessa or Cheryl, the hostesses."

"Thanks, Jonathan," Joshua said.

Next, I walked over to Alexa, who had just walked in with Sophie, Ivy, and a guy who I guessed was in his mid-forties.

"Welcome!" I said.

"You really traded up!" Sophie declared.

"He sure did!" Alexa smirked.

"I meant the condo! You'd be a downgrade!"

"Play nice, girls!" Ivy said. "They're like this all the time, Jonathan. Great condo!"

"Jonathan, this is Will Sorenson."

"Nice to meet you, Will," I said, offering my hand.

"And you," he said, shaking his hand.

"Make yourselves at home. There's food on tables and counters, and Vanessa or Cheryl will get you drinks."

"Thanks!" they all said.

They all moved off except Alexa.