Chapter 65: Halloween Surprises, Part II

October, 1984, Chicago, Illinois

When I returned home, I walked in the back door just as Penny was walking into the front door. She'd been working on the Macintosh for the past few weeks and was enjoying the challenge. Unfortunately, at this point, it was difficult to do any serious programming with the Graphical User Interface because an Apple Lisa was the required development platform. There were plans for that to change, but as yet, we had limited access to that environment.

Penny wouldn't tell me what she was coming to the party as, insisting that it had to be a surprise. I chuckled because that's exactly what I'd told her about my costume. I figured that whatever she came as, it was going to be cute, not sexy, because her mom and Bart would have to approve. We were just finishing up when Bethany arrived. I walked Penny to the door and reminded her that the Party would start at 7:00pm, and that she should eat dinner before she came. She sighed, reminded me that I'd told her that three times, stuck her tongue out, and then scampered home.

"She's still a little girl, isn't she?" Bethany asked.

"She reminds me of Stephanie at fifteen — a mix of woman and girl, though Penny is more girl than Stephanie was."

"Being deflowered by your Big Brother will do that to you," she said.

"How's the research project going?" I asked as we walked back to my study.

"Depressing. Every girl I talk to except your sister is a victim, and every guy I talk to except for you is an abuser. I swear, it's that kind of stuff like that makes me want to castrate every male on the planet!"

"Now you sound like Jennifer's ex, Jocelyn," I said.

"I'd never do it. You live on this planet and you are most decidedly male! I'm just appalled at the amount of abuse that goes on. Sadly, I think that I'm going to have plenty of patients for my practice. Between incest victims, rape victims, and relationship counseling, it's just amazing that anyone is normal."

"I'm sure not normal!" I said.

"So true," she giggled. "Who am I displacing tonight? I need to go clear it with them."

"No, you don't. You have priority," I said.

"It's only polite, Steve. Who?"

"Sofia," I said.

"OK. I'm going to find her, but then I have some reading to do."

"Me too. I have accounting homework; I need to go find Elyse."

Elyse and I worked on my accounting assignment for an hour or so, before I went to my study to work on a paper for my literature class. Most of our friends didn't come for study group because they wanted to be able to change into their costumes before coming to the party. Elyse had handled all the overnight arrangements, and the guest rooms were assigned to Kurt and Kathy, and Pete and Melanie. For those who weren't going home after the party, girls would crash in the sunroom, and guys in the great room.

Around 5:00pm, I went to the kitchen to see if Elyse needed help. She said that she didn't, but I stayed to talk to her. There were going to be somewhere around forty people at the party, including Malin and some of Elyse's other friends from UofC. Sofia had invited a couple of girls from Loyola, and I'd made sure that all my friends from IIT were invited to avoid a serious imbalance in the number of males and females.

About 6:30pm, Sofia, Kara, and I went upstairs to dress. Our plan was to make an entrance about 7:15pm, and Elyse had agreed to get everyone to the bottom of the staircase at that time. Sofia and Kara helped me don my outfit, which had quite a few pieces, the last of which had arrived earlier in the week from Georgia. Stephie had been a huge help, just as Tanya and Katya had the previous year. Once I was ready, the girls put on their costumes and I nodded in approval. My only regret was that Stephie wasn't there to see us, but Elyse was going to take pictures.

At the appointed time, Elyse came to the door to let us know that nearly everyone was there and that we should come downstairs. I took one girl in each arm and we walked to the top of the stairs.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Elyse said. "May I present Brigadier General Stephen Adams of the 5th Georgia Cavalry and his lovely daughters, Miss Sofia and Miss Kara!"

Everyone applauded and there were hoots and hollers as well. I was wearing a full Civil War re-enactors uniform, complete with boots, hat, sash, and ceremonial sword, and Kara and Sofia were dressed as beautiful southern belles, complete with low-cut dresses and push-up bras. I also had a theatrical beard because the notion of a clean-cut Confederate general just didn't seem right to Stephie.

"Daughters?" Sofia whispered. "Really?"

I just smiled and nodded. I hadn't told the girls about that idea that Elyse had suggested to me.

As we walked down the stairs arm-in-arm, I quickly scanned the other costumes. I was pretty sure I was going to win the contest for best costume again this year. That wasn't to say that there weren't a lot of cool costumes. And sexy ones as well. Elyse was dressed in a very short Roman toga; Dave and Julia had come in traditional Greek folk clothing; Kurt and Kathy were dressed as twins, though he had on a wig to give him red hair nearly identical to Kathy's; the twins were dressed as a good witch and a bad witch; Bethany was dressed as "Bucky" Badger, the UW mascot, complete with a mask; Jorge was dressed as a sheikh in the style of Rudolph Valentino and Cindi was wearing a gauzy dancing girl outfit that barely hid her considerable assets; Wen was wearing a 'Mao' jacket and cap, and was carrying a toy Kalashnikov; Penny was the epitome of cute as Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz, complete with a picnic basket that held a more than slightly insane Pete, who was barking up a storm.

The rest of the guests were a mix of pirates, witches, nurses, and other usual fare. Then I spotted my competition. Jamie dressed as Han Solo and Jackie as a near-perfect slave Leia. I knew then and there it was going to come down to one or two votes. I certainly wasn't going to win in a walk for overall best costume nor for best couple. I walked over to them with the girls still on my arm.

"Well, damn!" I chuckled. "I think you two may have topped me!"

Jackie laughed, "I knew you'd have something over the top, so we had to go all-out. I think you'll still win. That uniform is amazing and the girls both look sexy. And to call them your daughters? Nice touch with pretty much everyone here knowing that you're sleeping with them!"

"That was Elyse's suggestion! The daughter, part I mean!"

Both of them laughed, and the party was in soon in full swing. I shared a three-way dance with Sofia and Kara before we split up. Jorge came over and asked if there was any way we could put on an LP for him. I nodded and opened up the stereo cabinet and powered on the turntable. I put the platter on the turntable, carefully set the needle in place, and adjusted the volume. He'd given me a scratchy copy of Carlos Gardel singing Yira Yira, and once the music began, he and Cindi started dancing a tango.

They'd clearly practiced, and everyone quickly moved off the dance floor to give them room. As good as they usually were, this was a tour de force that resulted in loud applause and cheering from everyone in the attic. Jorge bowed and Cindi curtsied and I switched back to our party mix tapes.

Penny walked into the attic room just then, so I walked over to ask her to dance.

"What happened to Pete?" I asked.

"I took him home. I wanted everyone to see me with him, but he was being a dope! Mom said I can come get him when it's time to vote on costumes."

I chuckled, "As excitable as Pete is, I'm not surprised! I wonder if Melanie knows your dog's name!"

"The girl who's married to the government agent? I don't think so."

"When you bring him back, make sure you tell them!" I chuckled, taking her into my arms.

The song was perfect for Penny — Every Woman in the World by Air Supply. She sighed deeply as I held her in my arms. She put her head on my chest and moved slowly with me, her young, firm body pressing tight against me. About halfway through the song, she lifted her head and looked up at me.

"I love this," she said. "If only I could spend the night."

"Maybe someday, but remember what I said about it being dangerous."

"I know," she said. "I wish I could dance more, but my mom forbade me from dancing with anyone but you."

That didn't surprise me at all, because all the guys were college-age, which would be very dangerous for Penny.

"I understand her concern," I replied. "Be happy she's letting you dance with me!"

"Now if I could just figure out how to get her to agree, it's OK for me have sex with you!" she giggled.

"Don't even try, Pretty Penny!" I warned.

"I know," she sighed.

The song finished, and I let her go. She got herself a Coke from the fridge and sat on one of the benches. Jackie went over to sit with her. I walked over to Wen and asked her to dance. I immediately wished I'd waited to hear what the next song was. Just as we stepped out onto the dance floor, Shalamar's Dancing in the Sheets started playing. I wondered if her English was good enough to understand the reference, and suspected after two years in the US, it probably was. When she smirked at the line, I knew it was.

"Did you pick this song?" she asked.

"No! I didn't make this mix tape. I think it's Dave's."

"Oh," Wen said, sounding disappointed.

I wasn't sure how to handle that remark, so I simply let it go and changed the subject.

"Where did you find the Mao jacket and cap?" I asked.

She laughed, "The costume shop in Hyde Park. I had help from Dave and Julia. The toy gun came from Venture. How about yours?"

"I'm sure that you remember my former girlfriend, Stephie. She helped me get the stuff from Civil War re-enactors in Georgia. I have to return everything except the hat, which she had made for me."

"Cool," she said, pausing for a moment. "Is it fun?"

"Is what fun?" I asked, completely missing the point.

"Dancing in the sheets," she said, almost inaudibly.

"It is, when both people are sure that it's the right thing to do and they're both ready for it."

The song ended, and she didn't step away from me. The next song was I'm So Excited by the Pointer Sisters. I laughed and thought that Dave had put his 'I want to get laid' tape in too early in the evening. I'd have to ask him about that at some point.

Wen and I danced to the song, though I had to be careful with the sword hanging at my side, even though it was in a scabbard. When the song finished, Wen asked for one more dance. I was afraid of what Dave had next and just laughed when Marvin Gaye's Sexual Healing came on. Wen laughed.

"Who's the guy who made this tape?" she asked.

"Dave, I think. The guy over there in the traditional Greek folk clothing. I think it's meant for later in the evening at fraternity parties, if you know what I mean!"

"Does this make you think about doing things like that with me?" Wen asked shyly.

"Just being with you after that first time we kissed makes me think about it," I said gently.

"Me too. That's why I went home that first night. I was scared about how I was feeling."

"That's normal," I reassured her. "When you're ready, you'll know."

The song ended, and we walked over to get a drink. I'd just taken a sip of my bourbon when Elyse grabbed my hand and took me out on the dance floor for a slow dance. While we were dancing, Jackie came over to us.

"Steve, do you think it would be OK for Jamie to ask Penny to dance? I was talking to her, and she told me what her mom said. Jamie will be very proper with her, and it would make her day."

"I don't see why not, so long as Penny keeps quiet about it."

"If she can be quiet about being fucked silly by you every week, I think she can keep quiet about a single dance with Jamie!"

Elyse and I both laughed.

"Sure. Tell him it's OK."

She walked over to Jamie and nodded. He asked Penny, whose eyes lit up. She looked at me and I nodded, so she got up and Jamie led her to the dance floor they danced at arm's-length. Penny had a huge smile the entire time, and when the song finished, Penny hurried over to me and gave me a big hug.

"Thank you!" she said, sporting a huge smile.

The next song was slow, so I danced with Penny again, and then we went downstairs to get some snacks. It was close to the time for the costume judging, so I walked next door with Penny to get her dog and put him in her basket. Pete was barking like the insane terrier he was, and Penny was shushing him to absolutely no effect.

"Nice costume, Steve," Bart said. "It's pretty realistic. Some of the guys in the theology department are re-enactors, but they wear Union uniforms, as I'm sure you'd expect with guys from Illinois."

"I wanted to make sure I had something unique, and I had Stephie, my former girlfriend, help me get the stuff from Georgia."

"Very cool! Thanks for watching out for Penny. Don't let her forget that her curfew is 11:00pm tonight."

"I promise she'll be home by then. We're holding the costume contest vote as soon as we go back, then we'll play some games, and then she'll be home."

"Penny, remember — no smoking and no drinking," Bart said.

"I know!" she grumped.

Bart gave me a knowing look and Penny, Pete, and I went back next door. We found Pete and Melanie and Penny told Melanie her dog's name.

"He sounds about like Pete!" Melanie teased at the dog's constant barking.

"Oh, is THAT what I sound like to you? Careful, Mel, or you'll be sleeping in the doghouse!"

Elyse called us just then to come to the attic for costume voting.

"There are seven contests — best overall, best guy, best girl, best couple, most creative, sexiest, and honorable mention. I have a bunch of ballots here. Just write one name next to each line, except for the couple. And for the purposes of that contest, Steve, Kara, and Sofia count as a couple. For honorable mention, you can't vote for anyone that you have listed on your ballot anywhere else."

It took about ten minutes, but then Elyse had all the ballots. She, Julia, and Katy counted the ballots. Elyse announced the results.

"Honorable Mention goes to Penny!" she grinned.

Everyone clapped, and Pete barked like a maniac. Penny beamed. I wondered if Jackie had arranged that, as I hadn't heard discussion of the 'Honorable Mention' contest when I'd discussed it with Elyse.

"In the least surprising development of the night," Elyse announced, "Sexiest costume goes to Cindi as the dancing girl!"

There were lots of cheers and wolf-whistles. It didn't surprise me, though personally I'd voted for Jackie. Cindi simply had the assets that had attracted more votes.

"Most creative goes to Kathy and Kurt for being a pair of red-headed twins!" Elyse announced.

There was a nice round of applause.

"Best couple goes to Jamie and Jackie as Han Solo and Leia!" she said.

There were quite a few sounds of disbelief, but there was much more applause. I'd pretty much figured that was going to happen, given how perfect their outfits were, and the fact that there were plenty of geeks and nerds at this party.

"Best girl goes to Jackie as Leia!"

The group erupted into cheers, applause and a few wolf-whistles.

"Best guy goes to Steve for his Confederate general!"

Lots of cheers followed.

"Best overall goes to Jackie for Leia!" she said.

Lots of loud cheers and applause.

"Speech!" someone yelled.

"I would have won sexiest if I had boobs as big as Cindi's!" Jackie laughed. "You men are so predictable! Who was second, Elyse?"

"Jorge! I guess the women like tall, dark, and handsome Arab sheiks!" she exclaimed. "But is anyone surprised that Tits over there won? She has a barely there costume that every guy is drooling over!"

I pulled Elyse aside and asked her about the 'Honorable Mention' category.

"I talked to Jackie, and we decided to do it. We got all the girls to vote for Penny, which guaranteed that she'd win."