Chapter 47: Summer of \'84, Part II

July, 1984, Chicago, Illinois

On Thursday morning, Jackie and I ate breakfast together, and then she left to head home. I started a load of laundry and then walked to the shop to pick up my rented tux. As I turned the corner onto Woodlawn, I saw a black sedan parked in front of the house and two men in suits standing on my front porch. I sighed. It had to be the FBI. I continued up the street and up the steps to my porch.

"Mr. Adams, do you have a few minutes to talk?" Agent Feldman asked, showing me his badge and ID.

"I thought we cleared this up last time, Agent Feldman. Nothing's changed. I haven't been asked to turn over state secrets, as if I knew any."

"That's not why we're here. Well, not directly. We wondered if you might help us with something. Can we please come inside?"

I really didn't want to talk to them, but remembering my dad's advice, I figured that listening to what they had to say couldn't hurt.

"Sure. Come on in," I said, unlocking the door and letting them in to the house.

I hung my tuxedo in the closet by the front door and led them through the kitchen to my study and motioned for them to sit.

"Agent Johnson, Agent Feldman, I'm listening."

"You're attending a reception at the Russian Embassy on Saturday, is that correct?"

I nodded, "Yes. I've been to several events like this with Tatyana. Why?"

"We're wondering if you might be willing to report back to us on what you see and hear."

"No, Agent Feldman, I would not. I was invited by friends, and I am not going to spy on them for you."

"You're an American, these are enemies of the United States," Agent Johnson said.

"They aren't MY enemies; they're my friends. Tatyana is a college student, just like me. Her dad is Trade Attaché and is building business relationships between Russia and the US. I won't snitch on my friends."

"«Omertà», Mr. Adams?" Agent Johnson asked.

I controlled my breathing and body language. I didn't know if he knew something, was fishing, or was teasing.

"For me to keep my mouth shut, I'd have to know something. I don't. If Tatyana's shoe size is a state secret, that I might know, though I'd never tell you even that piece of information."

"You won't help your country?" Agent Johnson asked.

"Help my country do what? Create more tension? Why don't you bribe a busboy, or something? They'll likely get closer to someone important than I will!"

"You're trusted, Mr. Adams," Agent Feldman said.

"Yes, and that's exactly why I won't do this for you. Now, unless there's something else, I need to get ready for my trip. Good day, Agent Johnson, Agent Feldman."

Agent Johnson started to say something, but Agent Feldman put his hand on the former's arm to silence him.

"We're sorry to have bothered you, Mr. Adams," Agent Feldman said. "If you change your mind, and I hope you will, please call me at the number on the card I gave you."

"I still have it in my desk drawer," I said. "But don't hold your breath."

I showed them out and then shut the door and leaned against it, shaking my head. Vanya, Tanya, and Katya all trusted me as a friend. What the FBI was asking me to do would be right up there with asking me to rat out Don Joseph. It just wasn't going to happen. If this were a James Bond movie, I'd suspect that they had planted some kind of listening device, but I didn't think that was the case. And if they had, there was nothing ever said in my study, nor on the phone, that would betray anyone, Russian, Italian, or Sicilian.

The rest of the morning was mercifully calm, and after lunch, I finished packing and put my weekend bag and my suit bag with the tuxedo into my car. I folded and put away my laundry and then double-checked that the house was properly locked up. I set the thermostat to 80°F so that the house wouldn't overheat, and so the AC wouldn't run too much. I locked the front door and walked out to my car to drive to O'Hare.

July, 1984, Washington, DC

I was getting used to uneventful travel, and the flight to Washington was true to the pattern. I walked off the plane with the other passengers to find Tatyana and Colonel Anisimova waiting for me. I walked over to them and greeted them.

"Good afternoon, Comrade Colonel," I said, formally.

"Good afternoon, Stephen Rayevich," she replied.

I smiled, leaned forward, and kissed her cheek. "How are you, Katya Sergeyevna?"

"I am fine, Stepa, thank you for asking."

I turned to Tanya and kissed her Russian style.

"Good afternoon, Tatyana Ivanovna," I said.

She looked at me with surprise and Colonel Anisimova stifled a laugh.

"No kiss, Stepa? You kissed Colonel Anisimova, but not me?" she protested.

"I thought you did not want me to be «некультурный»," I teased.

Tanya smiled, "Perhaps it is OK to occasionally be «некультурный»."

I took her in my arms and kissed her deeply. She sighed and smiled when I released her.

We walked out to the limo for the ride to the Voronin home in Georgetown. As usual, we had an FBI car following us. I chuckled.

"Is something funny, Stepa?" Tatyana asked.

"I saw the FBI car. They've come to visit me a couple of times to ask about your father and to find out if you were a honey trap," I chuckled.

"Typical «некультурный» Americans!" Tanya exclaimed. "As if I would prostitute myself in such a way!"

Katya Sergeyevna laughed, "It has been known to happen!"

"But not with me!" Tanya protested. "I may serve the State, but never in such a way! This is not a James Bond movie! Would you do such a «некультурный» thing, Comrade Colonel?"

"I serve the Soviet Union," Colonel Anisimova said in the flat tone of a KGB agent receiving instructions.

I was pretty sure that the Colonel was kidding, but Tanya reacted.

"No!" she gasped.

Colonel Anisimova laughed, "Of course not, Tatyana Ivanovna!"

We arrived at the Voronins' residence and I carried my things up to Tatyana's room, and then we sat on her loveseat with tea and cookies which had been brought in.

"What are the plans, Tatyana?" I asked.

"A late dinner with my parents, and Father wishes to drink with you, as usual. Tomorrow I must attend a briefing about the reception in the afternoon, but otherwise we will spend the time together. Lunch at the bistro and a private dinner here in my room. On Saturday, again, we will be together, and then you will escort me to the reception. I have arranged for you to meet the Ambassador as well as the Military Attaché."

"Showing off your prospective husband?" I chuckled.

"I suppose one could see it that way. But you know that dating an American raises questions with my government just as much as it does with yours for dating the daughter of a diplomat. Sunday we shall sleep late because we will not get in before 2:00am, and then Monday morning you fly home. Is this acceptable?"

"Of course! What did you do with Lyudmila?" I asked with a grin.

"She is with her father. She was not happy that she could not meet you at the airport, but she does not need any more kisses to encourage her!" Tanya said with a laugh.

"For sure. What shall we do until dinner?"

"I think a big, strong, handsome American man can figure out something to do with a beautiful, sexy Russian woman. What do you think?"

I smiled and pulled her to me. One thing was certain, I had no reservations about making love with Tatyana, and showed her just how much I enjoyed being with her. When we finished, Tatyana lay with her head on my chest, and cuddled tight. I ran my hand along her shoulder, down her arm, and then cupped her firm butt, squeezing it softly.

"I sense something has changed with you, Stepa," Tanya said.

"Nothing that should worry you, Tanya. In fact, it should please you. I'm working to rein in my 'playboy lifestyle' as you and your father called it. I had a very, very good talk with Karin when I was in Sweden, and several good talks with Jackie and Anala. What was it that made you concerned?"

"Just something about how you loved me. It was deeper, more intimate, more loving."

"And did you like it?" I asked.

"Yes, of course. Besides making me feel good, it made me feel very much loved. Something I have not felt too often with you. This is not a complaint, just an observation. Have your feelings for me changed?"

"I hadn't thought about it, really. A lot depends on what you decide to do when you graduate in 1987. In a sense, how I feel doesn't matter if you decide to return to Russia."

"A practical answer, Stephen Rayevich, but not one that reveals important information."

"I don't want to influence your decision. If you give up your dream for me, I think you might be very unhappy, eventually."

"This is a very unselfish thing to say, Stepa. It is a hard decision, and one I have thought much about. I do not have to decide for another year. Do I have this long to think about it?"

"I think so, yes. Could you truly live with an American playboy?" I asked.

"If he were to reform, yes, of course!" she giggled. "It is exciting to be with a 'bad boy', but this is not what I wish for my husband. Do you understand?"

I chuckled, "I certainly do!"

"You know how to be «культурный», Stepa. You just need to apply that to your entire life."

If I did that, I knew my sister would start calling Tatyana my 'ball and chain' before too long. But there was something to be said for the kind of stability that Tanya was offering. It was intriguing to me that each of the 'main girls', as Jackie was calling them, offered something different. Deciding what it was that I needed in my partner was going to be key to deciding who I would eventually ask to marry me and what kind of relationship I would have.

"I do not wish to be boring, Tanya!" I protested.

"Do you think I am boring?" she asked with a note of annoyance. "Was what we just did boring?"

"No, but you know that I'm not traditional, nor do I abide by the rules that others set except when I have no choice. It's why I would not make a good husband for a Soviet diplomat."

"I suppose that is true. I have much to think about, just as you do. Now, let's shower so we can be ready for dinner with Mother and Father."

We got out of bed and went to the shower in her private bathroom and spent time hugging and kissing, as well as washing, before drying off and dressing for dinner. Just before 7:00pm, Tanya and I went downstairs to the sitting room to meet her parents for dinner.

"Stepa! Welcome!" Ivan Voronin exclaimed, getting up to kiss me Russian-style.

"Good evening, Vanya!" I said.

He released me to his wife, who also greeted me with Russian-style kisses.

"Welcome, Stephen Rayevich," Anna Voronin said.

"Thank you, Anna Vasilyevna," I said, addressing her in the same way she had addressed me.

"Colonel Anisimova tells me that you have had some trouble with the FBI because of my visit to you," Ivan said.

"No trouble. Just visits. Your daughter was offended that they made a «некультурный» accusation."

"They accuse me of prostituting myself for the State!" Tanya said, still offended by the idea. "As if I would ever do such a thing!"

"And as if I would allow my daughter to do such a thing," Ivan sighed. "Do these men have daughters? Would THEY permit such a thing? Never!"

"You and I did joke about it," I said with a grin.

"Yes, and as you say, if my goal was to gain state secrets or turn you Communist, I should have those men who were working to make it happen shot for dereliction of duty to the State!" he chuckled.

"In any event, Vanya, it's no trouble. I've simply told them that you have done nothing except treat me as a friend, and I would never do anything to violate our friendship, nor would I think that you ever would."

"To what end? It is not as if you are a government agent or in the military, or work for a company with classified information. I do not think a programmer of alarm clocks and video games has any secrets to share," he said with a smile.

I chuckled, "Between the KGB and the FBI, I'm going to have more investigations done of me than most criminals!"

"You are intimate with my daughter. Do you not expect me, as a father, to make use of my resources to protect her?"

"I wasn't complaining, Vanya. I have nothing to hide from you!"

"Good! Then let us eat!"

We went into the dining room and had a wonderful meal, finishing with cake and coffee for dessert. When dinner was finished, Tanya and I went back to her room to spend some time together. Just before 10:00pm I put on sweat pants and a sweat shirt and went to join Ivan in his private study.

"Ah, Stepa, sit, please!" he said, pouring ice cold vodka into a glass in front of me. "I am glad you are here."

"Me too. I enjoy being with all of you, and the reception should be fun."

Ivan nodded, "Tanya wishes to show off her «культурный» American boyfriend! It is not often that such relationships are successful. All the men you will meet are good men, Stepa. They have families they love, including children. We Russians love our children as much as you Americans. Sadly, and I say this privately to you, both sides make the others out to be demons. We are competitors, with differing ideologies, but I do not believe either side has truly ill intent."

"I think that there are some men, on both sides, who do have ill intent," I said. "But I do not think the people of either country hate each other. I've yet to meet a Russian who I didn't like. Sadly, the few with ill intent seem to be in control of enough things to cause trouble between our countries."

"You speak plainly, Stepa. Yes, there are some men like this. Men who believe that we must use our nuclear weapons to destroy the West, but this is foolish as it would lead to our own destruction as well, and if anyone is left to pick up the rubble, it would be the Red Chinese and neither of our countries wishes this to happen!"

"So you oppose nuclear weapons?" I asked.

"They are bad for business, as I am sure you can imagine," Ivan chuckled.

"Yes, I can see how that would be one of your concerns!"

"In all honesty, I wish my daughter to live a long, happy life. Such weapons are a threat to that. But enough politics! Let us drink!"

And drink we did. Unlike the previous times, it seemed that Ivan was unconcerned about my ability to 'perform' with Tanya when we finished drinking, and it was nearly 2:00am before I managed to drag myself up the stairs to Tanya's room. She was asleep and barely stirred when I climbed into bed next to her and promptly fell asleep.

I didn't get enough sleep because Tanya woke me at 7:30am for breakfast. I felt queasy, though fortunately I didn't have a headache. A warm shower made me feel better, and breakfast helped as well.

"I must have a word with Father! He kept you from me last night!"

"Tanya, we have the next couple of nights. I had a good time talking with your dad."

"And this was more interesting than being with me?" she asked, hands on her hips.

"This conversation is going to get me into serious trouble!" I chuckled. "I'll invoke the 5th Amendment!"

"This is the one which says you do not have to talk to the police?"

"That's right."

"We have no such law in Russia. Is silly! Criminals could evade police with such a law in place. It is not good for public order!"

"Perhaps not, but it protects innocent people from being forced to say things that might embarrass them."

"But the police are there to protect us! Allowing criminals to hide behind laws is recipe for chaos!"

"Back to that again? We don't trust the police here any more than we trust the government. That's the point of the Second Amendment, which ensures that the people have the means to overthrow an oppressive government that does not serve the people. Jefferson and Trotsky both agree!"

"And you know what happened to Trotsky, Stepa!" she said with a smile.

"I do. But let's forget the politics and enjoy the day!"

We finished breakfast, then went for a walk around Georgetown. We didn't have a KGB escort, nor did I see any FBI agents following us. They never tried to hide themselves, so I figured I wasn't of interest to them at the moment. When we returned to the house, we drank tea and at noon, went to lunch at the bistro we'd eaten at before.