Chapter 47: The Triumvirate, Part I

January 1981, Milford, Ohio

On Tuesday morning in chemistry class, Kara kissed my cheek and let me know that she’d spoken to Bethany. They were going to get together with Stephanie after school. Kara would talk to me once they had decided what to do. I thanked Kara again for loving me enough to forgive me.

At lunch, Bethany told me to go sit with Kara at the ‘Holy Rollers’ table. Tracey stopped me as I turned to head there.

“Steve, where are you going?”

“To sit with Kara. It’s complicated Tracey. Don’t worry about it. I’ll explain soon. How are you?”

“Well fucked, Steve Adams, well fucked!” she giggled. “Front AND back! Marty said to thank you any way I wanted to!” she said seductively.

“Tracey, as much as I would like those thanks in the way you’re implying, I’m exclusive with Kara now.”

“You have a rain check, any time!” she giggled and went to sit next to Marty, who appeared to have joined our table.

I went and sat with Kara, Susie, and the others at her table. I wondered how long my banishment would last. I saw Bethany and Larry talking with their heads together. I assumed it was about me. I’d have to talk to Bethany at some point, though I still feared she might simply tell the whole table what had happened as she had threatened to before I pleaded with her. Kathy kept her silence, but she did a quick glance at Bethany, then to me, with questions in her eyes. I shook my head a tiny bit, no, I couldn’t talk right now. Maybe later I’d have to face her anger as well; maybe she’d be a supporting friend. Right now, I didn’t know who would remain a friend.

After school, I went to the Junior High to help teach the computer class and work in the lab. I had trouble concentrating on anything because I knew that three of the four most important girls in my life were meeting, talking about me and deciding between them what to do about my violation of trust. I knew for sure that Kara would be an advocate for me, but Bethany and Stephanie were extremely pissed at me.

When I arrived home just after five, Stephanie wasn’t there. I went to my room to do my homework. Around six, Dad called me to dinner and Stephanie walked in the front door as I headed to the table. I didn’t bother asking her because Bethany had told me that Kara would let me know what they thought.

After dinner, Stephanie told me to call Kara, so I went to my room and made the call. Kara asked me to come pick her up so we could talk. I let Dad know that I was heading out and then headed to Kara’s house. When I pulled into the driveway, Kara came out the door and got into the car. She leaned over and gave me a quick peck on the lips.

“You know where to go,” was all she said.

I put the car in reverse and backed out of the driveway, shifted to drive, and headed to the apartment. We walked inside, took off our coats, and kicked off our shoes.

“Make some tea, Steve,” Kara ordered.

I made the tea and poured a cup for each of us. Kara went to sit on the couch and patted the cushion next to her. I walked over and sat down.

“I have to say, both Stephanie and Bethany feel seriously betrayed, given you promised both of them specifically that you would stay away from Becky.”

“I know. Jennifer was pretty upset as well; and rightly so.”

“Stephanie said she’d talk to Jennifer. I think you’re lucky she’s in Seattle right now. You’re also lucky that you weren’t intimate with Bethany,” Kara said. She blushed and continued, “Either of them would be likely to cut your testicles off and feed them to you, according to Bethany.”

“So, how do I regain your trust? I mean, all three of you?”

“Only time can do that. There is nothing you can do, actually. It’s what you can’t do. What you can’t do is anything that violates our trust. You’re on probation, Steve; I guess that’s the best way to put it. And we’re your probation officers,” she said with a smile. “Though a real probation officer would get in serious trouble for screwing the daylights out of their charge!” she giggled.

“What are the terms?” I asked, resigned to my fate.

“For this week, you sit with me and my friends. After that, you decide where you and I sit. Basically, if you aren’t with me, you need to be with Bethany or Stephanie. Obviously, there are exceptions for being alone in your room at home or when you are in class. I’ll be coming with you to the computer labs on Tuesdays and Thursdays. We will make an exception for your business work, but you’ll need to tell one of us exactly where you’re going and what you’re doing. We’re going to help you avoid temptation.”

“What about the Sweetheart Dance? And my dinners with Joyce or Elyse?”

“For the Sweetheart Dance, you are only allowed to dance with Elyse or Bethany; she’ll be there with Larry. No other girls. Do you hear me?”

“Loud and clear.”

“We debated the dinners with Joyce, and Stephanie convinced us that you and Joyce are platonic now and it’s been close to two years given you were involved intimately. Have your dinner with her. But I want to meet her. Set it up.”

“I will. What about visiting Larry’s grandfather?”

“Larry will cover that. Bethany already talked to him about it.”

That probably explained her private conversation with him at the lunch table today.

“And if I see Elyse like I had planned?”

“She’s just a friend? There’s nothing sexual between you?”

“No, there isn’t. We had sex on one occasion, at a wedding two years ago. She put the kibosh on sex after that. We’ve gone out quite a few times, just as friends, since I got back from Sweden.”

“Hmm. That’s a tougher situation. I’ll leave that to Stephanie’s judgment. You have to do what she tells you in that regard. I’ll probably want to meet Elyse as well.”

“This is a pretty tight leash,” I said.

“You’re right. It’s supposed to be! You made a promise and we’re all going to help you keep it. Things will get better, if you show us we can trust you.”

“Having you with me is not really punishment. The same goes for Bethany and Stephanie.”

“There is one last thing. Spring Break. My family is going to Florida. I asked my dad and there is no way you can go with us. That was my preferred solution, and Bethany and Stephanie thought it was a good idea. That won’t work, so Stephanie promised to keep a close eye on you that week.”

I suppressed a chuckle. I bet she did! If she wasn’t going to make love with me, she was going to make damn sure I didn’t have sex with anyone. The fact that Stephanie had thought it was a good idea that I go with Kara’s family pretty much confirmed that things between Stephanie and me were at a low point, and not likely to change any time soon. We still had a close relationship, but I’d really made a mess of the intimacy.

“That’s fine. Frankly, I’m happy that the four of you, including Jennifer, are even talking to me at this point. And I certainly don’t deserve the way you’ve treated me.”

“No, you don’t. But then again, you do. You’re not a bad guy. You’re a really good guy, but you have some big flaws. We all have them. You just haven’t seen mine yet. You’re probably still blinded by love. I’m not perfect, no matter what you might think.”

“I love you,” I said softly.

“Then show me,” Kara demanded. “Make love to me right now.”

I took her in my arms and we made slow, passionate love before showering together. After we dressed and changed the sheets on the bed, I took her home, kissed her goodnight, and headed back to my house. I walked into the house and headed towards my room. I heard Stephanie talking to someone.

“No. I’ve said that four times now. It’s a two-letter, one-syllable word. It’s not hard to understand.”

She listened for a bit.

“No. Now, don’t call here again!” She said angrily and hung up.

“Hi, Steve,” Stephanie said to me.

“Let me guess, that was Becky?” I asked, sure that I was right.

“Yes. She called to talk to you, obviously.”

“Obviously.”

“I told her you weren’t here. She wanted to leave a message, and I told her I wouldn’t take one. We went back and forth. You heard how it ended.”

“You were incredibly calm, Stephanie, given the things you’ve said about her in the past.”

“I figured if I lost my temper, it wouldn’t have the same effect as just calmly telling her ‘no’.”

“I don’t think she’ll give up that easy, Squirt.”

“No, she won’t. So I’m adding something to what Kara told you. You don’t answer this phone. I’ll answer it. If I’m not here, let someone else answer it. I realize there might be a time where you’re alone in the house, but that’s really rare. In that case, answer the phone. But if it’s her, you hang up. Do you hear me, Big Brother? The second you hear her voice, you hang up the phone. Do not even talk to her.”

“Yes, Stephanie,” I said evenly.

“Everything OK with Kara, Big Brother?”

“Yes, Squirt. She’s an amazing girl,” I sighed.

“I still say you are the luckiest fucking idiot on this planet, Big Brother. She should have cut your balls off one at a time with a dull knife and fed them to you.”

“I know. Trust me, I know!” I said, cringing at the thought. “So, I hear from Kara you tried to send me away for Spring Break.”

“At this point, I felt that was the best solution. It would have meant having to go with Mom and Dad to Myrtle Beach, but I’d have tolerated that so that you could be with Kara.”

“So you were serious about us, then,” I said with sadness.

“Steve, I told you that if you touched Becky, you could never touch me. Do you have even the slightest idea of how upset I am?”

I rubbed the fading bruise on my cheek, “Oh, I have an idea.”

She laughed softly, “I guess you do. Tell me; why do you think I would consider being with you after this?”

“I don’t know. I ruined everything.”

“You certainly made a mess of things. I talked to Jennifer.”

“And?”

“She agrees that Kara should have cut your balls off, but she also understands why she didn’t. Jennifer loves you, Steve. She agrees with our plan. She also told me she doesn’t think you and Kara will last because of you and me.”

“There is no you and me, Squirt.”

“Jennifer thinks there is,” Stephanie said with a small sigh.

“Just like you think Jennifer and I are soulmates and will end up together. It’s a mutual admiration society! And one that involves you two making love. Well, assuming that can ever happen.”

“It might, though you probably won’t be involved. I don’t think I can be with you like that.”

“I understand,” I said resignedly.

“Do you really? Do you really understand? What it would have meant to me? To us? If you had understood, I don’t think you would have thrown it away for a night of passion with Becky van Hoek.”

“And you can’t forgive that? For us?”

“No, I can’t,” she said softly. “I really can’t.”

I just stared at her as she turned and left the room. I decided to call Jennifer. She was really the only one I could talk about Stephanie with the way I needed to. I dialed her number. She answered on the first ring. After we said hello, I got right to the issue.

“Jennifer, what can I do about Stephanie?”

“Just love her, Steve. You hurt her pretty badly, probably even more than you hurt Kara if I understand everything correctly. If you think of Stephanie as your wife, you cheated on her. Not only that, you cheated on her with someone who has done terrible things to you. Do you think that’s easy to forgive?”

“No, I’m sure it’s not. I made a huge mistake.”

“Yes, you did. And now you have to deal with the consequences. How are things with Kara?”

“I continue to be amazed at how she’s dealing with all of this.”

“So are the rest of us. And if you and Stephanie are not going to be together, then maybe I have something to worry about with Kara. If there’s nothing to tell her, then you might end up with her. Is that what you want?”

“Are you trying to send me a message of some kind?”

“No. I just need to know what you’re thinking. What’s going to happen with us?”

“We’re going to IIT together, Jennifer. A lot has happened during the last six months. We’ll have a lot to talk about and work through in Chicago.”

“You didn’t really answer the question.”

“Jennifer, right now, today, the best thing for me to do is to be in an exclusive relationship with Kara. I don’t know if it will last or not. If it does, then yes, I have to make a decision in August as to what to do. But I have my commitment to you that we’ll be together at school.”

“Yes, you do. And you have a commitment to Karin to see her in about sixteen months. What happens then? What if we get back together in August and then when you go to Sweden the following June, you decide she’s the one for you? Where does that leave me?”

“Now you’re getting too far ahead of where we are! Don’t change your plans over this stupid mistake I made with Becky, please!”

“Forget about Becky, OK? My plans are set. They aren’t changing.”

“Do you think I can fix this with Stephanie?”

“Just love her. That’s all you can do. At this point, it’s up to her. But I wouldn’t count on her changing.”

I sighed, “I miss you Jennifer.”

“I miss you, too, Steve.”

We talked for a few more minutes, then hung up. I went to Stephanie’s door. She was sitting on her bed reading and looked up with a questioning look, but still serious.

“Stephanie, no matter what happens, no matter what you decide, I love you,” I said and went back to my room, not waiting for her reaction.

I finished my homework and went to sleep.

The rest of the week went according to the girls’ plan. I ate lunch with Kara and her friends, and other than Wednesday evening, when Beth and I did a demonstration of our software for a deli owner in Mariemont, I was with one of the three girls. Friday night, Kara and I went on a date.

When I arrived at Kara’s house, her dad answered the door and invited me in.

“So, Steve, Kara tells me that you’re a couple now.”

“Yes, Sir, it’s what she wanted all along. It just took me a bit of time to be sure. I’m pretty cautious about making commitments.”

“That’s a good thing. If you two are going to be serious, then we should probably meet your parents.”

Uh oh. It sounded like he thought going steady was simply a stepping-stone to engagement and marriage. I knew he thought Kara should get married when she graduated, but that was more than a year away. Even more concerning was the idea of meeting my parents. That would end in disaster.

“Well, Sir, I don’t think we’re quite that serious yet. Kara is aware I don’t plan to get married until I get out of college, which is more than four years from now.”

“Going steady is a serious step. It’s the first step on a path you’ve put yourselves on.”

“I’m aware,” I said evenly. “But Kara and I are taking things one day at a time right now. This is the very first time I’ve ever gone steady. I’ve dated a lot over the years, but I’ve never had a steady girlfriend. We’re not rushing things.”

“Steve, in our thinking, you don’t go steady unless you are thinking that person might be the one you marry. That’s the way we’ve raised Kara.”

“I’m well aware. And she’s made it quite clear that her goal is to marry me. I’m not in a position to ask her, and won’t be for some time.”

Kara came into the room just then.

“Kara,” her dad said, “Steve and I were just talking about you two going steady and the future.”

“Dad! I asked you not to do that, please! You’re embarrassing me!” Kara said, almost whining.

“Kara, you know what we’ve taught you about relationships?”

“Yes, I do. And Steve knows what my goals are. Please don’t pressure him!”

I was a bit surprised at how strongly Kara was talking to her dad.