Chapter 9: A Trip to Milford, Part I

September 1981, Milford, Ohio

Friday was routine until lunchtime. Afternoon classes had been canceled for both Elyse and me because of the Labor Day weekend, so I drove back to the apartment instead of having lunch on campus. Elyse and I packed our overnight bags and waited for Kathy and Bethany, who arrived as planned, and we left Chicago just before 4:00pm. It was my goal to make the trip to Milford in just under five and a half hours, which I could do if we grabbed fast food on the way and ate in the car.

“How are things at Madison, Bethany?” Kathy asked once we had pulled away.

“Good. Classes are fine and my roommate is cool. And I went on a date!” she said. “How about you?”

That was an interesting development. A date already? Of course, given the way Kathy had spoken to me, I wondered if she, too, hadn’t met a guy who might be someone she wanted to date. I looked in the rearview mirror and Bethany met my gaze, her eyes telling me she’d talk to me later.

“No dates, except for Steve. There are some guys in the dorm that have talked to me. We’ll see.”

That confirmed it, and I really shouldn’t have been surprised by the development. I’d suspected that Bethany would be testing the waters in Madison and though I hadn’t thought about it, it made sense that Kathy would do so as well. In both cases, they simply needed to get out of Milford, much as I had needed to, but for different reasons.

For Bethany, it was getting away from both me and Milford that was the key. For the first time, she didn’t have her usual collection of friends to rely on and didn’t have me there for her pretty much full time, whether we were lovers or not. Despite a pang of jealousy when she had said she was dating, I knew that it was good for her, even to the point of being physically involved with someone.

For Kathy, she simply needed to get away from Milford and the football player/cheerleader clique that had more or less controlled her life. If it hadn’t been for that clique, she and I might have started dating in seventh or eighth grade and our lives would have been completely different. At Northwestern, there was no clique to limit her, and I hoped that she would meet a guy who she really liked, even if it meant she’d no longer be with me. After all, our relationship was one of convenience, not one of romantic interest.

“Elyse, how are things going with you?” Bethany asked. “How is living with the big lug working out for you?”

“Oh, he’s handy in the kitchen, and he does more than his share of the work around the apartment. And I have access to use his computers for school and all the other stuff like the stereo. So I guess, yeah, it’s working out for me.”

“Oh, he’s pretty damn handy in the bedroom, too!” Bethany teased.

“Bethany?” I asked with faux annoyance, “Would you like to WALK the rest of the way to Milford?”

“Sorry,” she smirked. “Speaking of that, are you free for lunch tomorrow?”

“Sure. I’m seeing Stephanie first thing on Saturday to swim and have breakfast the way we used to, and I’m having dinner at Kara’s that evening. On Sunday morning, I’m having breakfast with Melanie and Pete and anyone else who wants to join us. Finally, I’m having dinner at Don Joseph’s house, so I’m sure I’ll see Joyce and Larry there. As of now, I have no plans for Monday. If I’m in Milford, Elyse will come there. If I’m at Don Joseph’s, she’ll pick you both up and go there instead. Either way, one of you two will ride with Elyse, and the other rides with me. I’ll let the three of you figure it out.”

“If you don’t mind, I’ll ride with you,” Bethany said.

I was sure that she wanted to be able to talk, and I was fine with that, as she had communicated with her eyes that she had something to say to me.

“Deal,” I agreed.

The rest of the trip was uneventful. We drove through Wendy’s in West Lafayette for dinner and made good time the rest of the way. I pulled into Elyse’s driveway in Glen Este at 10:35pm. After taking Bethany and Kathy home, I headed back to Colerain Township and Don Joseph’s house, arriving about 11:45pm. The lights were on, because they were expecting me, and I used the heavy brass door knocker to let them know I’d arrived.

“Steve!” Joyce said excitedly.

“Joyce? What are you doing here?” I asked.

She grabbed me and kissed me hard, “That! I didn’t want to miss seeing you.”

“You’ll be here on Sunday, right?”

“Yes, of course! Come on in. Grandfather is in his study.”

Joyce walked me to the study, then disappeared as I went in and shut the door.

“Steve! «Figlio mio»! How are you?”

“Good, Don Joseph! And you?”

“I’m good as well,” he replied. “You have made new friends in Chicago?”

“Yes. I have. I’ve already set up one computer system for them.”

“Good. Good. Have a drink with me!”

He poured us each a glass of sambuca and we drank it down.

“We have a place for you in the guest house. My wife has made up the bed for you. Just go out the back door and walk straight ahead and into the door. The room is on the right. Are you joining us for breakfast?”

“Thank you, Don Joseph. I plan to have breakfast at my parents’ house tomorrow. I will be here for dinner on Sunday. I hope this is acceptable. If not, I’ll change my plans.”

“No, that is fine. We will speak on Sunday, then. Have a good night.”

“Good night, Don Joseph.”

I grabbed my bag and walked out the back door and into the guest house. The lights were on and I took a quick look around. There was a small kitchen with a table and chairs, a room with a sofa and TV and a bathroom with a large tub. There appeared to be two bedrooms, one to the left and one to the right. The one on the left was dark and the door to the one on the right was closed, but I saw light coming from under it.

I opened the door and dropped my bag and started laughing, but then stopped because, in reality, what I found wasn’t amusing — it was dangerous.

“Joyce, your grandfather will kill me if he finds you like this!” I said to the gorgeous girl lying naked on the bed.

“So don’t let him find us. Go lock the door, put the chain on and come get in bed with me!”

Knowing Joyce, there was no way in hell she was going to yield on the issue and I hoped that neither of her grandparents decided to come and check on me. That would be nothing short of a disaster. I did as she’d ordered, locking the door and putting on the security chain. I grabbed my bathroom kit and brushed my teeth, then came back, stripped off my clothes, turned off the lights and got into bed next to Joyce.

“You’re crazy, you know that?” I asked.

“Don’t worry about it. They won’t come around checking, and I’ll leave very early in the morning.”

“And your parents?”

“They know I’m with you. It’s not a big secret from them that we’re having sex!”

“That’s a change. I mean, your mom knew, but your dad?”

“He figured it out. At this point, I’m almost twenty years old, so it’s not like he has any real control over me.”

“And your grandfather?”

“I’m sure he suspects. I’m not going to tell him. And he won’t kill you. In fact, he won’t say a word unless I go to him and complain, which I WILL do if you do not make love to me right now!”

I chuckled and pulled her into my arms and kissed her. We made love and fell asleep, our bodies entwined.

I woke up at first light, slipped out of bed and showered. When I finished, I came out to find Joyce already dressed. I kissed her and she left and then I dressed and headed home to see my sister.

I pulled into the driveway and Stephanie came bouncing out the front door and up the steps to the driveway. She nearly tackled me when I got out of the car. She gave me a huge bear hug and kissed my cheek.

“Hey, Big Brother!”

“Hey, Stephanie!”

She broke the embrace and took my hand. I grabbed my bag and closed the car door, and let her pull me into the house. We went down the hall to our rooms. We changed into our suits and met at the pool. We swam our laps, showered, dressed, and went to the kitchen for breakfast. Dad came in while we were getting everything ready.

“Hi, Son. Your sister said you were stopping by today. How are things going?”

“Good so far. Classes are going OK. It’s a lot more studying than I’m used to, but I have plenty of time. I started taking martial arts classes and I’ve even had some time to see some friends. I did make a sale for the business as well.”

“Very good. It sounds as if you’re settling in quickly,” he said. “Is everything OK with the apartment and your friend Elyse?”

“Yes. She and I get along very well. No problems.”

“Are you seeing anyone? I know you and Kara are still working things out with her parents.”

“Kathy and I have gone on a date. Do you remember her? The cute redhead that’s been to a few of my parties? She and I have been friends for a long time. We went on a date last weekend, but it’s not anything serious. She knows all about Kara, and Kara knows I went out with Kathy.”

“Are you going to see Kara?”

“Yes, tonight for dinner. I’m having lunch with Bethany today, breakfast with Pete, Melanie, and some others tomorrow, then dinner at Don Joseph’s on Sunday. I don’t have any plans for Monday, though I’ll probably try to see Kara again before we head back.”

“Dad, can I go to breakfast with Steve tomorrow? Instead of church? It’s not like I don’t go every week.”

“Your mom has just calmed down. I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”

“Dad, could she come to Don Joseph’s for dinner? Larry could bring her there and bring her home. That way, she doesn’t miss church. And I’m sure Ed would love to come along.”

“Yes! Please?” my sister asked sweetly.

“That’s fine.”

Stephanie beamed.

We finished preparing breakfast and Dad sat down to eat with us. As in the past, we finished and cleaned up just as my mom and Jeff were coming to breakfast. My mom looked about to say something, but a very hard look from my dad seemed to silence her. That was a good sign. If I could avoid any confrontation, I’d be happy. Stephanie grabbed my arm and dragged me down the hall to my room and shut the door.

“What’s got you so pumped up?” I asked.

“I’m just really happy to see you! School is going well, Ed is learning quickly, Mom has calmed down, and Dad is giving me more freedom. What’s not to be happy about?”

“I’m glad to hear it. Things are going that well between you and Ed?”

“Absolutely,” she smirked. “He hasn’t got your stamina, but he’s very attentive, just as you were, and he’s a quick learner!”

“Too much information!” I chuckled.

“I didn’t give you details, Big Brother!” she smirked. “Are things going OK with you and Kathy?”

“I think she’s going to end up dating someone from Northwestern. If she does, then she won’t be with me too often, if at all.”

“Wait! What about your plan?”

“Why should that interfere with her being happy? She and I were never going to have a long-term relationship. I’ll be fine. I’ve met a few girls who could be interesting if they were interested in a long-term casual-type relationship.”

“Be very careful. You know how Kara feels about that, and you also don’t want to mislead her or anyone.”

“I know. I’ll have to figure things out as they happen. One day at a time.”

“You could go see Bethany and Pam?”

“I have an earth-shattering newsflash for you. Bethany is dating. And it wouldn’t surprise me if she’s thinking of having sex with the guy.”

“What? It’s only been two weeks!”

“True. But am I REALLY available for her? The way she wants? No. What does she expect to happen? Not wish, but expect?”

“You to get engaged to Kara.”

“Exactly. So she’s looking for a guy who can meet her needs. It’s a smart move. Just like Joyce has been dating. I promised Bethany that her having sex with a guy wouldn’t change how I feel about her and if, god forbid, something happened to me and Kara, I’d still consider her.”

“She thinks the same thing Jennifer does?”

“She did. I think I’ve convinced her otherwise.”

“How are things with Elyse?”

“Pretty good. We get along and there are no issues.”

My sister cocked her head and looked at me, as if evaluating what I’d just said. She looked me directly in the eyes and I was doomed.

“That’s why you aren’t worried about Kathy! Holy smokes! When did it happen?”

“Stephanie! If you so much breathe a word of this to anyone, and I mean ANYONE, I’m doomed!”

“C’mon Steve, you know I won’t tell,” she said with a smirk. “‘Fess up! When?”

I sighed, “The very first night. She said it was something we were going to do and we should get it out of the way.”

“And?”

“Pretty much every night. She sleeps with me if Kathy isn’t there.”

“Wow! That WAS fast!”

“But you cannot tell ANYONE. You can’t tease or even hint at anything!”

“Tell what, Big Brother?” she said with wide innocent eyes, zipping her lips and making as if locking them and tossing away the key.

“I love you, Stephanie!”

“I know,” she giggled.

“Bitch!” I chuckled.

“Asshole!” she giggled.

We hugged, and she gave me a quick peck on the lips to show that it was all in good fun.

She wriggled a bit and said, “You still feel good, Big Brother,” then broke the hug and stepped back.

“You are bad, Stephanie!”

“What are you doing until lunch?”

“I didn’t have a plan, really.”

“Then let’s walk down the street. Debbie said she hoped to see you.”

We headed over to the Vaughn’s house and sat and chatted with Debbie and Tracy. Debbie and Phillip were getting along well, but Tracy wasn’t dating anyone seriously and made it clear that she’d happily take me upstairs. I gently let her know that I was pretty serious with Kara and that it wouldn’t be a good idea. We left about an hour later and I said goodbye to Dad and Stephanie and drove over to Bethany’s house.