Chapter 29: Kara and Tracey

October 1980, Milford, Ohio

Thursday and Friday were normal and Dona didn’t bother Bethany. I was glad, but I was a bit concerned that there would be more fallout. I hoped that wouldn’t be the case, but experience told me that there might be.

On Friday morning, the Student Council started handing out the computer dating sheets. I got mine and wasn’t surprised to see Bethany at the top of the list. Kathy and Mary were fourth and fifth, respectively, and Erin was ninth. The rest were a mix of sophomores and juniors who I knew by name but otherwise didn’t really know, except for the girl in the number six slot. That was Tracey Jones, the girl in Miss Barkhurst’s biology class.

In chemistry class, I asked Kara about her computer dating list.

“I would never do such a thing!”

“Afraid you might have me at the top of your list, Kara?” I chuckled.

“There’s no way! That would never be possible.”

“What? That a guy like me and a girl like you could have stuff in common?”

“We don’t have anything in common, Steve.”

“I bet you’re wrong,” I grinned.

“I’m sure I’m right,” she said smugly.

“Let’s make a bet, then,” I said. “We’ll both answer the questions on the form, then we’ll compare them. I win if we agree on more than half, you win if we disagree on more than half.”

“Why bother? I know how it will turn out.”

“Me too. That’s why I want to bet,” I said.

“Fine. It’s a bet.”

“If I win, you have to go out for ice cream with me,” I smirked.

“What, like a date?” she winced in disgust.

“Yes, a date, Kara!” I answered. “Not so sure of yourself now, are you?”

“I am absolutely sure! If I win, you can’t speak to me for the rest of the year unless I speak to you first.”

“Deal!” I said. “I’ll bring the questions on Monday and we can answer them.”

“Fine,” she said as the bell rang.

I chuckled to myself. I’d found out enough about her so far this year that it was a lock that I’d win the bet, even with giving totally honest answers to the questions.

After chemistry, I went to Miss Barkhurst’s class. It was a dissection day again, and as usual, Michelle and Tracey were having trouble. Miss Barkhurst sent me to help them as I had the previous times.

“Steve, when are you going to ask me out?” Michelle asked, her voice sickeningly sweet.

“If you’re just looking for a good time, Michelle, any time,” I smirked. “But you need to deal with the dissection first.”

I directed her attention back to the crawfish in their dissection tray. It took a bit of effort, but they managed to complete the assignment. I got up and checked to make sure nobody else needed any help, then went back to my seat in the front of the room.

When the bell rang, I was surprised that Tracey came up to me, her face scrunched up, biting her lips.

“Steve, do you have a date for the Sadie Hawkins Day dance?”

“Nobody has asked me so far,” I replied.

“Do you think you could go with me?” she said, her lips quivering nervously.

“Can I think about it and tell you Monday?” I asked.

“I guess that’s fine,” she sighed, deflated, “but if you aren’t answering me now, I’m sure you’ll turn me down.”

“Why do you think that?” I asked.

“Because I’m not good looking and nobody wants to ask me out. I heard you tell Michelle you would go out with her for a good time. Nobody wants to do that with me.”

This was a girl who was seriously lacking in self-esteem. She was right that she was not pretty like Michelle, and she was a little on the chunky side, but I wouldn’t describe her as fat. If she asked, I could certainly show her a good time, so long as that’s ALL she wanted. And I’d have to be very clear about it.

“Tracey, I’m sorry. Yes, I’ll go to the Sadie Hawkins Day dance with you. I would have most likely said ‘yes’ on Monday, it’s just that I’m careful about making snap decisions. They tend to get me into trouble.”

“Really?! You’ll go with me?! You aren’t kidding?”

“Yes, Tracey, I’ll go with you.”

She lowered her voice, “And you’ll make out with me like we’re supposed to after the dance?”

“If that’s what you want, I absolutely will.”

“Thank you! Thank you!” she gushed, then kissed me on the cheek as she left the room.

“Wow Steve, I’ve never seen Tracey that happy,” Miss Barkhurst said. “She’s always kind of mopey. What did you say to her?”

“She asked me to go to the Sadie Hawkins Day dance with her, and I said yes.”

Miss Barkhurst laughed softly, “I’m surprised you don’t have a girlfriend, Steve. You seem pretty popular.”

If she only knew!

“I’m dating Bethany Krajick, though we’re not a couple. She’s my best friend and when my former girlfriend moved to Seattle, Bethany and I started going out. And yes, before you ask, she’ll be fine with me going to the dance with Tracey.”

“Bethany’s a good student and really cute, Steve. Don’t let her get away!”

“Thanks for the advice, Miss Barkhurst! I don’t plan on letting her get away.”

I went to lunch and found Bethany and told her about Tracey.

“That’s a surprise, actually. I would have expected Michelle to ask you, or maybe Erin, or even Kathy.”

“Kathy wouldn’t ask without talking to you first, I’m sure. Erin and I are just friends at the moment and as much as she would like to be with me, she wants a boyfriend.”

“What about Debbie V?”

“Shh! That relationship is mostly secret. Only a few people know about it. Remember, we saw her at Homecoming and she didn’t even ask to dance with me. We have great sex together, but we don’t want anyone else to know about it, well, besides you.”

“Great sex, huh?” Bethany giggled.

“Yes! You know me.”

“I do. Are you going to rock Tracey’s world for her?”

“That’s up to her, but you know I’ll discuss things with her first!”

“And what about Michelle?”

“I told her that I would go out with her if it was just for a good time. We’ll see. But I have a bigger shock for you.”

“Now what?” Bethany asked with an arched eyebrow.

“Kara Blanchard.”

“No fucking way, Steve! There is just no fucking way! You didn’t accidentally hang out with the stoners this morning and get a contact high, did you?”

“I’m not saying I’m going to screw her. I made a bet with her that I’m going to win. She has to go out for ice cream with me.”

“She’ll die if she has to be seen in public with you!”

“I know that!” I laughed.

“What was the bet?”

“That we’d match more than half the questions on the dating form. It’s a total lock. I’ll win easily.”

“You cheated!”

“Me? Cheat? Why would you say that?” I chuckled.

“Because you know that almost everyone matches about half!”

“I also know enough about Kara to be sure of it as well.”

“This is just too funny!” Bethany laughed. “I can’t wait to see what happens when she has to pay up.”

“Too bad it’s not a bet like when I used to play strip chess!”

Or like the Olympic bet Suzana had made with me! I smiled at that fond memory.

Bethany laughed hard, “As uptight as she is, I don’t think that girl gets naked in the shower!”

“Well, she’s got a body I’d like to see naked in the shower,” I declared.

“That will happen about the same time you can buy a real light saber!” Bethany giggled.

“Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a good blaster at your side, Bethany!” I said piously.

“Hmm. Blaster or light saber? I supposed you could call it either, depending!” she giggled.

“Cute! Anyway, just keep in mind that I’ll see you after school.”

“I can’t wait! I’m already wet just thinking about your light saber, Steve.”

I laughed, hard.

“Remember, I’m taking the SAT on Saturday so I’m going to want to be home by 11:00pm. I think five hours should be enough for the likes of you!”

“It’ll never be enough, Steve Adams. Never!”

I just shook my head. The rest of the school day was uneventful. We detoured by way of Klondyke and Overlook to drop Mary and Debbie V at home, then headed to the apartment where we made passionate love after I took off her purple bra and panties. It was simple and sweet and emotionally satisfying. And it was a hell of a lot of fun. I had Bethany home, fully satisfied, by 10:30pm. I grabbed a snack from the fridge before I went to bed.

On Saturday, I took the SAT test and, as I had with the ACT, felt that I had done really well. I’d have the results of both tests by the end of October at the latest and all my applications were in. I spent the rest of the day relaxing and writing letters.

On Sunday, I made my call to Karin. She had received the ‘S’ charm for her necklace and the sweater that Debbie had helped me pick out for her birthday. Later, I had my play date with Debbie. After lunch, I drove myself to Don Joseph’s house for the first time. I arrived before the Abbadellis, but after Larry and his family. I found Don Joseph and his friends on the bocce court as usual, though we all had on sweaters because it was only in the upper 50s. As usual, whoever I was paired with was winning, which continued to amuse Don Joseph.

When Joyce arrived, she did the same thing that she always did — cheered for me. Don Joseph simply shook his head and smiled at me.

“Go greet my granddaughter Steve, she still has no manners!”

I figured a hug would be the best approach, but Joyce had other ideas. She hugged me, of course, but then gave me a soul-searing French kiss and hugged me as tightly as she could.

“Well, hello to you, too,” I chuckled when she released me.

She gave me a huge smile and said, with a twinkle in her eye, “Go finish playing with grandfather, we can play later!”

I went back to the game.

“I see she is still madly in love with you, Steve,” Don Antonio said.

“It appears so, Don Antonio,” I said with a smile.

“You are still treating her well, if she greets you like that, Steve,” Don Joseph added.

“Yes, Don Joseph, it would appear so!” I said with a big smile. I had no clue what was going on with Joyce, but a kiss from her always put a smile on my face!

We finished the game, and I went to find Joyce. She was inside, talking with Larry and Sarah. I saw Connie but purposefully didn’t make eye contact with her. Joyce waved me over to sit next to her on the couch. When I sat down, she took my hand and held it while we talked. I was a bit surprised at the way she was treating me, and at one point Larry looked at me with a raised eyebrow. I just shrugged slightly because I had no more information than he did.

When it was time for dinner, Joyce and I were seated next to each other as we usually were, but Connie had a new spot on Joyce’s left, where she couldn’t even make eye contact with me. I assumed that was her mother’s doing because Connie still had a thing for me despite everything that had happened. And as always happened at the Grossi’s, I was ganged-up on by women insisting I eat more food than any human should ever eat in one sitting.

After dinner, Don Joseph invited me to join him and his friends for Sambuca. He poured me a full glass, I noticed, rather than just a splash as he had before.

“So, Steve, you and Joyce seem to be getting along quite well.”

This was dangerous ground, but I wasn’t going to say anything to make Don Joseph think there was a problem. There really wasn’t, and Joyce and I were getting along, we just weren’t even close to being a couple in the way Don Joseph assumed.

“Yes, Don Joseph. But we know that things will change when I go to college, most likely in Chicago. She’ll still be here at the University of Cincinnati.”

“This is true, though it is not too far away. You would come home on your breaks, or even for a weekend occasionally.”

“Of course.”

“How will you pay for college?” he asked.

“I have some money saved, and Beth and I will keep running our business, so I think I should be OK.”

“Steve, «figlio mio», if you need help, you must ask me. I will help you, of course.”

“Thank you, Don Joseph.”

“Now, go spend time with my granddaughter! If you wish to take her on a date, I will not be upset!”

“Yes, Don Joseph,” I said.

I went to find Joyce. She grabbed my hand and asked me to take a walk with her.

“I see you’re confused, Steve!” she giggled.

“Just a bit. Was all of that just a show for your grandfather?”

“No, of course not. You know how I feel about you. Granted, we aren’t dating, but he doesn’t need to know that. Things haven’t really changed that much, other than we aren’t sleeping together, and he doesn’t need to know THAT!”

“And your comment about playing?” I smirked.

“I was teasing. Well, mostly teasing. You remember our conversation?”

“I do. You know I’d love to play with you, Joyce!”

“Steve Adams, are you asking me to bed?” she said softly.

“This game again?” I chuckled.

It dawned on me finally, exactly what she wanted. She wanted to make love, but I had to ask her. If I did, she’d say yes and willingly make love with me. It was a tough decision, but I thought at the moment it was a bad idea.

“Joyce, if I ask you, I know you’ll say ‘yes’. And it would be glorious. We haven’t made love for almost a year and a half and I want you so badly. I can’t ask you right now, though. It’s not good for us.”

She sighed deeply, “Damn.”

I was right. That was what she wanted, but it would make a mess of things and put us right back into the cycle we had been in before.

“I want it, too,” I said. “I really do. But let’s wait. It’s not time yet. You said our time will come and I think you’re right.”

“Will you kiss me?” she asked quietly.

I pulled her to me and we hugged tight, kissing deeply, our tongues tangling around each other. Our kiss expressed our deep desire to make love, a desire that could not be fulfilled, at least not at this point. We broke the kiss and finished our walk, hand-in-hand. When we got back to the house, Joyce stopped me before we went inside.

“I want you to ask me when you think it’s the right time. I trust you to make the right decision,” Joyce said softly.

That was an amazing change for Joyce. She was beginning to trust my judgment about our relationship. Well, either that, or she was so horny she didn’t care.

“Can I say something without you getting upset?” I asked.

“Yes.”

“If you’re just that horny and you want to screw, we can do that. No strings, no promises, no commitments.”

She sighed deeply, “I want you in me right now. Every way. But no, I don’t want to just screw. When you’re ready to make love, you’ll tell me.”

“I will,” I said. “Count on it.”

We walked inside and had coffee with Joyce’s parents and Larry, and then I headed home. At home, I made my weekly call to Jennifer. I also called Katt to catch up. She missed me and was looking forward to Thanksgiving. She said her friends were helping, but she really wanted me with her. Of course, there wasn’t much I could do about that in the short term.