Chapter 34: Friendship Needs No Words

June, 1983, Göteborg, Sweden

The SAS DC-9 from Heathrow rolled out on the runway at Landvetter, bringing me back to Sweden for the second year in a row, and for the third time overall. After the plane taxied to the ramp and had parked, the doors were opened. I stood up, grabbed my carry-on bag, and headed off the plane and into the terminal. I found the baggage claim and after a short wait, collected my bags. I switched my brain into 'Swedish' mode and prepared to speak little or no English for several weeks.

Customs and passport control were quick and efficient, and I had no trouble with either of them. I walked out into the arrival hall and saw an older man with a card bearing my name. He took one of my bags and I followed him outside to a black Mercedes. He loaded my bags into the trunk and we were quickly off on the drive to downtown Göteborg. We arrived at the Hotel Vasa on Viktoriagatan twenty-five minutes later and the bellman unloaded my bags from the trunk. We went to the reception desk, I presented my passport and was quickly checked-in.

The clerk gave the key to the bellman, who led me to the elevator, and we rode up to the third floor. I was shown to a modest room with a high ceiling, a nice-sized bed, and windows that looked out over Viktoriagatan. The bellman showed me the bathroom and asked if there was anything else I needed. I tipped him with kronor that I had left over from the previous year, and when he left, I unpacked my bags.

I picked up the phone and dialed Sofia's number to let her know that I'd arrived. She asked if I minded if she came over and I told her that I didn't mind at all. Because it was Sunday, she'd ask her dad to drive her because the buses only ran every two hours, which I remembered to be the case. When we hung up, I called reception and asked for Håkan's room and was quickly connected.

"«Hej Steve!»" Håkan exclaimed when he heard my voice.

I let him know that I'd checked in and he asked if I needed anything. I said that I didn't, and he said that Katt and Mikael would be by to see me right away. We'd be having dinner with Mikael's family on Monday evening, and I could bring Sofia if I wanted to. I told him I most certainly did. Less than five minutes later, there was a knock at the door. When I opened it, Katt nearly knocked me over when she hugged me.

"How are you, Katt?" I asked.

"Great! In six days, I'll be married! Do you believe it?"

"No, I don't, but I'm going to be there to see it!"

Once Katt released me, Mikael and I shook hands.

"You can kiss her, Steve," he chuckled.

"I figured if she wanted a kiss, she'd ask for one!" I said with a smile.

"Is that how that works? I can have whatever I ask for?" Katt teased.

"That is NOT what I was saying!" I chuckled.

"Damn!" Katt said.

"Steve, I told you before that I didn't have a problem with you and Katt being together a last time," Mikael said.

"I know, and I remember you said that, but I'm the one that has a problem with it," I said. "Now, if she just wants to cuddle like old times, that I can do. But more than that? No. And I do know what I'm turning down!"

"What plans do you have while you're here? We haven't really talked much since January — just one phone call."

"Well, I'm seeing Sofia today, and Torbjörn and Elizabeth tomorrow. On Tuesday, I'm taking the train down to Helsingborg to see Pia and the Anderbergs. I'll be back on Thursday, and I'm seeing my friend Suzanne that evening. On Friday we have the rehearsal and the dinner and on Saturday we have the wedding. You're going on your honeymoon and your parents are heading home, so I'm heading to Alingsås to see my friend Tina, and then going to Stockholm to see Karin. I'll be there about 9 days, then I'm flying home."

"Sounds as if you'll be busy!" Katt smirked.

I ignored the comment with a small shake of my head and my own little smile, and simply asked what time dinner was on Monday. After I confirmed the plans, Katt and Mikael left, and I took a shower to freshen up from the flight. I spent quite a bit of time under the hot spray and by the time I got out, dried off and dressed, I only had to wait about ten minutes before Sofia arrived.

When I opened the door, I started to greet her, and she put her finger on my lips and came into the room and shut the door behind her. She lowered her finger and kissed me softly. When she broke the kiss, I started to say something and her finger went right back to my lips and she shook her head.

Sofia slowly traced her finger from my lips, over my chin, and down my neck. When she came to the buttons of my polo shirt, she slowly and deliberately unbuttoned them, then, using both hands, pulled it over my head. I hadn't even said hello to her, and it was clear that I wasn't supposed to. Over the next few minutes, she removed the rest of my clothes, then stepped back, and after looking me up and down, unbuttoned her sundress and let it slip to the floor. Her lacy white bra and panties soon joined the dress on the floor. She took my hand and led me to the bed.

We pulled down the duvet and got into bed together. This completely silent approach to lovemaking made me think of Anala, and I wondered how best to communicate with Sofia. Ultimately, it had to be through touches, facial expressions, and direct eye contact. Sofia and I kissed and touched, our hands gently exploring each other's body, using soft touches in sensitive places to slowly move us towards our ultimate goal. A kiss on the lips, on the neck, or on the shoulders, a caress of a breast, a hand run across a back or butt, and light touches of more personal spaces quickly had us both breathing harder.

I scooted down the bed just enough to lovingly take Sofia's hard right nipple into my mouth and gently run my tongue over it. A gentle suck caused her to moan, and I switched to her left nipple to do the same. Tiny, quick kisses down Sofia's sternum led my lips to her stomach, and then to the soft, dark tangle of her pubic hair. Her womanly scent filled my nostrils as I kissed further and got a first fleeting taste of her juices. I slowly dragged my tongue along her labia, then pushed it into her to cover it with the intoxicating fluids.

Soft licks and sucks on Sofia's clit caused her to gently buck her hips as I slowly brought her towards her first orgasm. Small shudders and soft moans told me that she was getting close, and a few seconds later she groaned and I felt small spasms as I pressed my tongue deeply into her and drank in her juices.

I slid up on top of Sofia and pressed my dick against her labia. I looked deep into her eyes and then slipped just my glans inside her steaming folds. Remembering that it had been a year since she had sex, I began slow, short strokes, never going more than two inches into her. We kissed softly as we moved gently together, never breaking eye contact. Ever so slowly, I began stroking deeper until, after a full five minutes, our pubic hair meshed together.

Taking cues from Sofia's eyes, facial expressions, and the movements of her hips, I brought her to two moderate orgasms before she sensed my building pleasure and we accelerated our movements. When Sofia began moaning between every gasping breath, I thrust harder and pushed her past the point of no return. She groaned loudly and began humping frantically as her pussy spasmed around my dick, bringing me over the edge as well. I pushed deeply into Sofia and cum exploded from my dick, pulsing several times before my orgasm ran its course.

We kissed softly while our breathing slowed and my dick deflated. During the entire time of our lovemaking, neither of us had spoken nor broken eye contact, except for when I was using my tongue to pleasure her. She smiled broadly and her eyes told me that we were done, so I moved off of her and pulled her to me. I was resolved to stay quiet until Sofia broke the silence she had initiated. It was twenty minutes before she spoke.

"Friendship needs no words," she said in Swedish.

"Very true," I replied. "How are you, Sofia?"

"Good. Fantastic, in fact! It's great to see you!"

"And you. That was an interesting greeting!"

"I read that quote in a book about Dag Hammarskjöld — it's something he said. As for the greeting, I never, ever want our lovemaking to become common, or routine, or something we just do. I always want it to be like that, almost like it's the first time we're together."

"I agree. Lovemaking shouldn't just be routine. I liked it; it was just a bit surprising."

"I know you too well, and I just didn't want any of your usual arguments against making love."

"Is there a reason I shouldn't make love with you?" I asked with sudden concern.

"You're always the one with the list of reasons not to! I wasn't interested in a twenty minute debate!" she giggled. "What are the plans for the week?"

I chuckled, "Touché. If you want to spend the night tonight, you're welcome to. Tomorrow night, I have dinner with Katt and Mikael and their families. You're invited. Before dinner, I'm hanging out with Torbjörn and Elizabeth, but I'm not sure what we're doing."

"It's not a surprise, but they planned a party. A bunch of your old classmates will be there, and they invited me. It's at 11:00am in the park across the street from where Torbjörn lives."

"Cool. Well, I suppose you can spend tomorrow night as well, if you want. I'm heading down to Helsingborg to see my friends there on Tuesday and I'll be back on Thursday. I'm going to dinner with my friend Suzanne on Thursday, but then Friday and Saturday you and I will be together, and on Sunday I leave for Alingsås and then Stockholm."

"I'll stay. I need to get some clothes and stuff from home. My dad is supposed to pick me up later. Why don't you come to our house for dinner and then we can come back here for the night. I really want to sleep in your arms."

"Are you seeing anyone?" I asked.

"No. I've gone on dates, but I haven't found anyone who even comes close to what I'm looking for. You didn't get engaged since I talked to you the other day?" she asked with a silly smile.

"No," I chuckled. "And if I had, I wouldn't have let you do what you did earlier."

"True," she said with a small laugh and a quick peck.

Then, she added with a more serious tone, "Have you thought about coming to Sweden and finishing university?"

"I have, but I'm going to finish in Chicago. I told you about the house, remember?"

"Yes. Is there room there for me?" she asked.

"Are you seriously thinking about moving to the US?" I asked.

"I've thought a lot about it. I'm going to apply for a student visa. I'm looking at schools in Chicago, in addition to Chalmers and a few other schools here."

"Sofia, you know that Stephie is living with me. I don't want you to get the wrong idea."

"Right now, I'm just looking into it. Let's worry about it if I get accepted to a school and get a visa. Before then, it's just speculation."

Arguing with her wasn't going to get me anywhere, at least not at this point. The key was to make sure she knew, really knew, that I couldn't promise anything, and that I had no intention of changing anything with my relationship with Stephie.

"I suppose that's true. Just keep in mind my situation. We'll keep talking and writing as we have."

"Good! We have about an hour before my dad gets here. Now, make love to me again!"

We made love again, then showered and dressed and went down to the sidewalk to wait for her dad. He showed up about ten minutes later, and after he and I shook hands, we got into the car and headed for their house in Hovås. Mrs. Katsaros greeted me warmly and Frederick and I shook hands.

While we waited for dinner, Sofia and I went to her room and she packed some clothes and the other things she'd need to stay at the hotel with me. My old hockey stick was still on her wall, and a picture of Sofia and me was on her desk, along with one of my Senior pictures. Those two things told me as much as anything that Sofia had said. She was still hoping that somehow things could work between us.

Dinner was excellent and while we ate, I answered rapid-fire questions from Anne-Marie and Costas about school, my new house, my friends, and my family. It was clear that I was being interviewed as a potential husband for their daughter, despite the fact that I made it clear that I was quite serious with Stephie. In fact, everything about my interaction with Sofia and her parents seemed to be about figuring out how to get us together long term.

In one sense, I found it amusing, and I really wasn't offended by it. It was similar to what other parents, or grandparents, in the case of Don Joseph, were trying to do — Jennifer, Joyce, Karin, Sofia, Tatyana, and Kara all had at least one parent or grandparent trying to find a way to bring me together with their daughter or granddaughter. Amusingly, Stephie's parents seemed to be taking a completely hands-off approach to our relationship as far as I could tell. I knew that Pia's parents liked me, and so did Tina's. In the end, it was really only the late Alan Blanchard that hadn't liked me.

When we finished dinner, Sofia made a phone call and about fifteen minutes later, Petra and Tomas arrived. It was good to see them again, and we had a good time talking. Tomas said he and Anna-Carin were still dating and Frederick mentioned that he was still seeing Maja. Petra had started working at a travel agency because she didn't want to go to college. She was dating a new guy and was probably going to move in with him at the end of the Summer.

Around 9:00pm Costas drove Sofia and me back to the hotel and reminded me that I was welcome to visit again any time. I thanked him for his hospitality and we shook hands. Sofia and I went up to the room and immediately got into bed to make love. When we finished, we cuddled together.

"Sofia, you and your family really were putting on the full-court press," I said, trying to keep levity in my voice.

"My parents like you a lot. So do I. Why shouldn't we try? You're not engaged, you're not committed to Stephie. I know you're going to see Pia and Karin, and the other two girls are just for fun. I wish you weren't seeing them, but I'm not dumb enough to make an issue of it. At least not now. Is it wrong for me to try to get what I want?"

"No, of course not. I'm just concerned that you're putting all your eggs in one basket."

"Am I? I told you that I'd gone out with guys, but hadn't found what I'm looking for. Do you really think I've been sitting in my room for the last year pining for you?"

I chuckled, "I honestly didn't know. We never really talked about things like that. I told you about my life, but you never really told me about any guys."

"Because none of them really mattered. I was seeing Jöran off and on until March. We broke up and got back together a couple of times. He asked me out again last month, but I turned him down. I've tried a few times, and it's just not going to work with him. As for us, you told me that you weren't making any decisions until you graduated from college. That's two more years, right?"

"Yes, two more years, and yes, that's my intent."

"Then I still have a chance and I'm not doing anything that hurts me if it doesn't work out. The worst possible outcome is I finish college in the US, go to medical school in the US and then come back to Sweden, or maybe even stay in the US. The best possible outcome is you ask me to marry you. I'm not sure why you think I'm being foolish and not thinking things through."

"You do indeed sound like you've thought it through. The only thing new that you've told me since I got here is that you're considering college and medical school in the US. I guess I was just trying to make sure that you weren't doing something that wasn't in your own best interest, and I guess I'm worrying about something that isn't an issue."

"I do have one question," Sofia said, propping herself so she could look me in the eyes.

"Ask it," I said, knowing what the question was.

"Will you give me an actual chance? And I mean a real one. If I come to Chicago, can we spend enough time together to see if it might actually work?"

"That's a difficult question to answer. Stephie and I are living together, but I'm seeing other girls as well. I guess the question comes down to what you think is enough time and what you mean by a 'real chance'."

"It means that you don't foreclose anything and keep your options open."

"Well, we're talking another year from now, so how about this — we'll talk next Summer and see where things are. I'm warning you that I'll probably still be with Stephie, but I'll be completely honest with you about that the whole way."

"I suppose that's all I can ask for," she said.

We made love again and slept spooned together. When we woke in the morning, we squeezed into the small shower and helped each other wash, then went downstairs for breakfast, where we met Håkan and Inger. We sat with them and had our continental breakfast, then took the tram to Linnéplatsen, and walked to Torbjörn's family's apartment on Rosengatan. He buzzed us in and we took the elevator up to his floor. I hugged both Torbjörn and Elizabeth, who was there waiting as well.

"Are you and Lasse still together?" I asked Elizabeth.

"Yes. We're living together. We might get married someday, but who knows?"

"Cool. What's the plan for today?" I asked.

"We're heading across the street to meet about half your class, plus some assorted boyfriends or girlfriends. Three of the girls made arrangements for the food and drinks. The rest of us are chipping in."

We headed across the street to the park and saw several of my classmates — Helge, Annie, Bengt, Suzanne, Anne-Charlotte, Christina, and Margaretha. Over the next half-hour, several other class members, as well as boyfriends and girlfriends, showed up, including Elizabeth's boyfriend, Lasse. The one big surprise was seeing Suzana Jonsson. She was there with her boyfriend Gustaf. The other big surprise was that Annie brought her boyfriend, Jan, who, like her, was a student at Chalmers.