Climbing the Ladder 5 - Reaching New Heights
Copyright© 2026 by Michael Loucks
Chapter 2: Reminiscences
Fiction Sex Story: Chapter 2: Reminiscences - Jonathan's business life is booming, but he's also suffering from yet another loss. While he's done his best to pick up the pieces of that sundered relationship, he can't help but feel responsible. However, where two close relationships have withered, another blooms. Violet has transitioned from a badly damaged girl to a vibrant woman. Will he continue to climb this ladder, or will there be another ladder to climb in his future? No matter what, the only direction he plans to go is up.
Caution: This Fiction Sex Story contains strong sexual content, including Ma/Fa Workplace
May 29, 1984, Chicago, Illinois
Violet and I had a nice dinner at Morton's The Steakhouse, then we took a cab to her house so she could get clean clothes for the morning. When we arrived back at the condo, only Bianca and Sofía were there, as Deanna was at Ateljé D and CeCi was working. I was happy to see Bianca had just finished nursing Sofía, so I took the opportunity to hold Sofía until she fell asleep, then took her up to her crib.
I wasn't surprised when Bianca followed me.
"Did something change?" Bianca asked.
"Are you worried she cut you off?" I asked with a grin.
Bianca laughed softly, "I guess I am."
"No. Violet and I are not a couple, and privately I'll say we haven't gone beyond what you could call 'necking', and we didn't even kiss in bed."
"You, right?"
"Yes. I know I'm not ready to make any kind of commitment beyond the one I made with you about Sofía and a 'sometime in the next ten years' commitment to have a baby with Violet. I know I said I thought she was the one, but I don't trust myself enough to act on that at this point. Add in Bev's suicide, and I'm being even more careful."
"That makes sense. The Art School Girls are all just fucking, and the girls who have the potential to not be just a fuck you haven't been to bed with."
"You just excluded Taya and Teri," I said.
"I think if you're honest with yourself, those two are also just fucking. Taya just found a way to keep fucking you for a time; Teri wanted you to jump her bones the second she laid eyes on you! She just had to convince herself she didn't need a wedding ring to have her brains fucked out!"
"All of that is probably true. I just need to figure out what I can promise Violet."
"Have you asked her what she wants?"
"We're talking about it. Anyway, we need to get back downstairs."
We left Sofía's room and went back downstairs. As I had the previous night, I made tea, and Violet and I went into the Japanese room.
"To be safe, we should probably set limits before we go to bed," I suggested.
"If so, it's your limits for your safety," Violet replied. "I'm ready to do everything with you, including Violet and Jonathan sundaes!"
"Lily and I are going to have words," I chuckled.
"Why? Don't you think a girl should ask her experienced friend for advice?"
"That does make sense. Will you be upset if I say I want to wait at least until I come back from Cincinnati?"
"I told you I'm here for you however you need me to be. If you just want to cuddle, that's fine. But what's not fine is not kissing me!"
At another time, and with just about any other girl, I'd have asked 'Where?' or used some kind of innuendo. I was, as Violet had suggested, concerned about me, but I was also concerned about her. That concern for Violet might have been misplaced, but in my mind, the caution was warranted despite her change in ... well, everything.
"Understood," I said. "May I explain?"
"Of course!"
"Part of my ... mental block is probably the best way to put it, is adjusting my thinking and adapting my behavior to the person you've become. In a way, you've had much more time to deal with the changes than I have because I could only gauge based on what I experienced and what you told me. In fact, as recently as a few months ago, I was unsure you would ever be able to be with anyone that way.
"That was, to some extent, reinforced by the way that heavy make-out session ended. Don't get me wrong — that's not a complaint, objection, or any other negative thing, just my reaction. You surprised me with the revelation about taking birth control pills, and your impish or sassy behavior is very different from how you behaved ... well, no, that's not right.
"Before I impetuously put your gum in my mouth, I had a peek into your real personality. I kind of messed that up by going from 'be my friend' to 'go to bed with me' before we'd even been on a date. So, to put it in words that would sound bad — it's me, not you. I just need time to adapt to the new and improved Violet."
"I've seen a different side of you since December," Violet observed. "Externally, you're still mostly stoic and unemotional, but your behavior has changed. Not a lot, but enough that I noticed, and probably a few others have noticed as well. Then, Sofía was born, and you changed again. I think the way you held her on Sunday night after you found out about Bev was the new Jonathan. And I think that's as big a concern for you as my change might be."
"I suspect you're right," I said.
"Will you answer something honestly?"
"Sure."
"If I only wanted to have sex for fun or to prove to myself that I could, you would do it, right?"
"Probably," I replied.
"And it was when I said I wanted to make love that you kind of freaked out."
"I'd say that's probably true as well."
"That means we're both figuring out who we are, almost like two teenagers, even though we're both twenty-one. The difference is I've had time to overcome my trauma, and you haven't. That's what led to the role reversal we're experiencing. As much as I want to make love, you aren't ready, and despite my teasing about what Lily said, I don't just want to fuck. And neither do you, with me at least. And that's a good thing.
"If I had to point to the actual struggle you're having, it's that you're usually decisive and know exactly what you want, and you know the right thing to do. The fact that you can't answer that question for yourself is making you question your own judgment. But honestly, could anyone go through what you went through with Keiko without being affected by it? I think the answer is a resounding 'no'.
"Add to that having Sofía and everything that happened with Bev, and it's no wonder you're skittish. Being skittish is actually what's bothering you. As you've said, we have plenty of time, so go to Ohio, work through your concerns with what Nancy would call your interior life, and then we'll make love. I'm absolutely sure it'll be glorious. Until then, I'm here for whatever you need."
I smiled, "Thank you."
We finished our tea, then went up to my room, where we repeated the sequence from the previous night with the addition of a single soft kiss before I turned off the light.
May 30, 1984, Goshen and Milford, Ohio
The drive from Chicago to Goshen on Wednesday had been uneventful, save having slowed for a minor accident that had blocked one lane of I-65. When I walked into the house at 4:15pm, Mom was having coffee with Jennie Sanders and Beverly Vaughn, the friend who had taken her in when my grandfather had kicked her out of the house.
"Hi, Jonathan," Mom said. "I'm sure you remember Beverly Vaughn and Jennie Sanders."
"I do. Hi, Mrs. Vaughn, Mrs. Sanders."
"I think, at this point, you can call me Beverly!" Mrs. Vaughn said.
"And call me Jennie," Mrs. Sanders said. "I hear you're very successful."
"Things are going well."
"What did you plan to do for dinner, Jonathan?" Mom asked.
"I didn't have any plans," I replied.
"Mitchell and I are having dinner with the Vaughns and the Sanders, and a few others. You're welcome to join us, if you'd like to. We'll eat at Millcroft Inn, then go straight from there to Noakes Funeral Home for the wake."
"I'm going to take a quick shower and change into my suit," I said.
I'd taken the time to change out of my suit before leaving Chicago, as it was far more comfortable driving in khakis and a polo shirt, but I wanted to wear a suit to the wake.
"OK. The ladies were just leaving, and we'll meet them at the restaurant."
I said 'goodbye', then went to my old room. I hung my suit bag in the closet and put my weekender bag on the bed. I got my bathroom kit and went to the bathroom to shave, shower, and brush my teeth. Twenty minutes later, wearing my suit, I joined my mom in the living room.
"If I remember correctly," I said, "Jennie just had a baby."
"Yes; her name is Chelsea. She has a babysitter for Chelsea and Colin. Beverly's daughters will join us. Do you remember Debbie and Tracy?"
"Vaguely. I only met them once or twice, and the last time was about eight years ago."
"Debbie is nineteen and just finished her first year of nursing school. Tracy is seventeen and will be a Senior at Milford in the Fall."
"I don't recall ever meeting Mr. Vaughn," I said.
"I'm not sure you ever did because Beverly and her husband ... well, I suppose you're old enough for me to tell you they have an open marriage."
"Interesting."
"I was surprised when she married because she never wanted to be tied down. Anyway, I know you met Kent, Jennie's husband, because you were at the wedding five years ago. You met her first husband, Jim, but he died when you were eleven."
"Right. How do they know the Newtons?"
"Kent Sanders and Jim Newton have been friends since college; Beverly and Julie worked together for two years before Bev was born. You'll meet some other friends I met through Jennie. Nancy Blanchard, though she was Nancy Morton when I met her, and her daughter Kara, who is twenty. Sam Mercer, whose dad owned the drugstore where Jim worked as a soda jerk in High School, and his family — his wife Fran and their daughters Sarah and Abigail, who are seventeen and fifteen."
"Are you trying to tell me something?" I asked with a smirk.
"I'm just giving you the lay of the land," Mom said.
"Uh-huh," I chuckled. "'Lay'!"
"Get your mind out of the gutter, Mister!" Mom commanded.
"Right, because you didn't put it that way on purpose! Only Kara and Debbie are old enough, anyway."
"Sixteen is legal in Ohio," Mom teased.
"Maybe so, but the last thing I need is drama from High School girls! And why are you teasing me about that?"
"Because I can!" Mom declared mirthfully. "And you started it, Buster! You teased me about both Glen and Mitchell!"
"Possibly. You sure dodged a bullet there. With Glen, I mean."
"True."
"Has he taken a plea?"
"No," Mom replied. "The County Prosecutor offered forty years as his best deal because, well, Glen took one of the girls, who was only fourteen, for an abortion."
"Holy crap!"
"The Feds charged him with two violations of the Mann Act because he took one of the girls to a hotel in Kentucky. They also upgraded the charges for his attempt to cross the border. Even if he makes a deal with the County Prosecutor, he has at least six years of Federal time, according to Mitchell."
"Unreal. I would never have suspected that. I mean, sure, he was with Bev, but Bev was sixteen. That's a BIG difference from fourteen."
"And the age difference?"
"Just because I'm not interested in High School girls doesn't mean I'd tell someone not to do something that was legal. I mean, statutory rape charges mean the girl consented, but the state says she couldn't."
"He was actually charged with sexual assault. They changed the laws, and the girls were under fifteen, so it's equivalent to a regular rape charge."
"No wonder the prosecutor isn't offering a deal. He'd lose the next election in a landslide."
"Yes, he would. All of that aside, how are you doing?"
"OK. Bianca and Violet did a good job of helping me keep proper focus and perspective."
"How is my granddaughter?"
"Growing like a weed! She smiles now."
"And in about fourteen years, those smiles are going to cause you heartburn!"
"I don't think so," I replied. "I can't hold a double standard."
"That certainly would be out of character for you. I'd like to come visit soon."
"You're always welcome. You could either stay at Violet's, or we can keep Sofía in the bassinet in Bianca's room, and you can use the bed in the nursery. Just let me know."
"I will!" Mom replied. "Have you heard anything from your grandparents?"
"No, and I don't expect to. Jack called them and invited them to Keiko's wake and funeral, but they didn't show, which didn't surprise me, given your dad's view of Shinto and Buddhism."
"Did you ever look further into your father's family?"
"No. It's not as if they even know I exist, and I don't feel a burning desire to find out more about him."
Not to mention, the last thing I wanted to do was have to tell my mom he'd given her a fake name, nor did I want to force her into a conversation about the discrepancies between her story and the facts I'd discovered. It was better, as the saying went, to let sleeping dogs lie.
"I did find out that Bev left a note," Mom said. "But I don't know what it said. That rules out an accident."
"It was a forlorn hope," I said. "She was irrational and overly emotional when she was in Chicago for the hearing and the deposition; my attorney observed that she needed a complete psychological evaluation. The paralegal who was assisting him said the same thing later on. I really didn't want Bev to lose custody, but I was truly frightened for Heather."
"You weren't the only one," Mom said. "Julie and Jim were beside themselves and felt helpless. What you did was very wise, even if you feel responsible for what happened with Bev."
"I do, and I don't," I replied. "As I think back over everything, I don't see how I could have done anything differently. The time to do something differently would have been after I spoke to Uncle Alec to ask for help finding a job in Chicago. Had I asked Bev to come with me to Chicago, things might have turned out differently.
"But that's speculation, and who knows what might have happened, because it's entirely possible Bev would have rejected the idea of me moving to Chicago and told me not to go. More importantly, I certainly wouldn't have Sofía, and I'm not about to give her up for some speculative alternate history, if it were even possible."
"Which is how I felt about you. I made some poor choices, but once I had you in my arms, I couldn't imagine a life without you, even though life was VERY difficult at the time. Beverly took me in because she was outraged at how my dad had acted. She was able to talk her dad into co-signing the note that allowed me to buy this house."
"I don't believe I ever met him."
"He and Beverly's mom divorced, and he moved to California. I haven't heard from him in fifteen years."
"How did you meet Jennie Sanders?"
"Your grandfather and her dad both worked at P&G. She's about eight years younger, but we got along great despite her being in second grade and me being a Sophomore. Times were different back then."
"Did you go to her first wedding?"
"No. She flew to California to get married before Jim shipped out to Viet Nam. Those were terrible times for the country — assassinations, riots, and war."
The doorbell rang, and Mom got up to answer it and let Mitchell into the house. I greeted him and shook his hand, then the three of us got into his Mercedes and headed for downtown Milford, where the Millcroft Inn was located. When we arrived, we were ushered to a private dining room.
As I entered, I stopped dead in my tracks, seeing a stunning blonde who had to be the most beautiful girl I'd ever seen, even beyond Mary Kealty.
"Who is that?" I asked my mom quietly.
"Kara, Nancy's daughter."
"Uhm, wow!"
Mom laughed, "That is the usual reaction men have when they see Kara. She's seeing a guy from Milford who lives in Chicago."
"I bet he's the one who owns the house my friend Dustin photographed last year," I said.
"I don't know anything about him. Let me introduce you to everyone."
She did, and I took note that all of the girls were nice-looking, though if Kara hadn't been in the room, I'd probably have called them pretty. Once the introductions were made, I went over to Kara.
"I understand you're seeing someone in Chicago," I said.
"Yes. Steve Adams."
"He owns a house in Kenwood, right?"
"How did you know?"
"My friend Dustin Brady took photos of your boyfriend's house last year."
"Steve isn't actually my boyfriend. He was, but I broke up with him. We started seeing each other again at Christmas. What do you do?"
"I'm Head of Research for Spurgeon Capital and also manage an investment fund. What about you?"
"I'm working as an administrative assistant, but I'll be starting in the Chemistry program at IIT in Chicago in the Fall. I delayed two years to stay with my mom after my dad died."
"My condolences. Did you know Bev?"
"No. My Mom was friends with her mom through Jennie McGrath. Well, Jennie Sanders."
"I don't recall seeing you at the wedding."
"My dad would never have set foot in a Catholic church. We went to a very conservative Bible church."
"That sounds like my grandfather," I said.
A waiter came in, and we all sat down. With the seating plan, I ended up sitting next to my mom, with Tracy Vaughn on my other side. I would have strongly preferred to sit with Kara, but she was basically at the other end of the table with her mom.
"I met you like eight years ago," Tracy said. "Sorry, I didn't remember, but Mom reminded me. I was around nine, I guess."
"You grew up," I said,
"You, too! Do you have a girlfriend?"
"No."
She leaned close and whispered, "Then, after dinner, let's go back to my house and fuck on my waterbed!"
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