Chapter 28: A Reception

March, 1985, Chicago, Illinois

After what could almost be called a fantasy weekend in Ohio, reality hit me in the face almost as soon as I arrived home. I had bills to pay, homework to finish, and laundry to do. I also needed to do some shopping, as well as some other things around the house. But the first order of business was to call Larry Higgins.

"What happened?" I asked, after we greeted each other.

"I don't know," he replied. "Mom's trying to find out, but nobody's talking. I thought my grades and MCAT were easily good enough for UC, and I thought the interviews went well. Mom had talked to the doctors on the selection committee and thought it was a lock."

"That sucks. What are you going to do?"

"Work for my grandfather for the Summer while I think about it."

"Is there anything I can do?" I asked.

"Not unless you can conjure up an acceptance letter from a medical school!"

"I wish that I could. Keep me posted. I'll see you at Kathy's wedding on June 15th, if not before."

We said 'goodbye' and after I hung up, I opened my mail. There were two pieces of mail from lawyers — one was an ending and the other a beginning.

The ending was a copy of the dismissal order for Callie's lawsuit against Bert, Charlie, and me. There was also a copy of the 'Notice of Appeal' that Attorney Littleton had filed, with a note from Robert Klein that said the appeals grounds appeared frivolous and, most likely, the appeals court would refuse to hear the case.

The beginning was a copy of the incorporation paperwork that had been filed in Delaware, along with a number of other documents. The note from Samuel Jacobsen stated that he had sent a resolution to Joyce to sign so that Elyse and I could open the bank accounts. We'd just need the confirmed incorporation papers, which were expected by the end of the week. I picked up the phone and called Joyce.

"I received the package of papers on Friday, signed them, and sent them to you," she said after we'd greeted each other.

"Cool. How is your grandfather doing?" I asked.

"Good. He's stubborn, as I'm sure that you can imagine, but my grandmother is even more stubborn. I think you know how we Italian women are!"

"Oh, I most certainly do!" I laughed.

We chatted for a few minutes, and after I hung up, I wrote out the checks for the bills and put them in the pile of outgoing mail that was in the basket on the kitchen counter. I stopped to make a sandwich, then grabbed a Dr Pepper from the fridge and went back to my desk. I fired up my computer and put in the disk so that I could print out a paper that was due in my history class on Monday, and when that was finished, I found Kara and we went up to bed.

"You seem a bit harried," she said as we climbed into bed.

"Just so much going on," I said. "This was my last trip to Ohio until my sister's graduation. And that one is going to be crazy! I don't know if I told you, but it's the same day as IIT's commencement. My dad and sister will fly up, we'll go to my commencement, then we'll go straight to Meigs and fly to Lunken, near downtown Cincinnati. Then the next day, Stephanie and I will drive back to Chicago, though we'll stop to see Don Joseph on the way."

"That is crazy. When is Bethany coming?"

"Around April 12th," I said. "What are we doing for your birthday next week?"

"Making love!" she giggled. "What else would I ask for?"

"Well yes, but what I meant was, did you want to go to dinner? I'd love to take you to Chez Paul."

"But it's so expensive!"

"How many times do you turn 21?" I grinned.

"The same number of times I turn any other age!"

"Cute. I'll make reservations for us tomorrow."

"Could we ride one of those horse-drawn carriages they have downtown?"

"Sure!" I said, turning to kiss her.

That kiss led to many, many more and eventually to wonderful orgasms that left us exhausted and ready for sleep.

Mercifully, the entire week was routine, though Thursday evening with Penny certainly was exciting. On Friday, Wen asked if I would be around on Saturday, and I replied that I wouldn't, but that if she wanted to work on homework, she could come home with me then, or come on Sunday. She decided that Sunday would be best.

On Saturday, I had to skip karate, and my programming time with Penny, because I needed to leave home no later than 9:00am to get to Doctor Barton's house at 12:30pm. I dressed and wondered if I should pack an overnight bag. I didn't think I'd need one, but it certainly wouldn't hurt to be prepared. I'd put it in the hatch of my Daytona and if I didn't need it, nobody would be the wiser.

"Where are you headed today?" Sofia asked.

"Indianapolis. A reception at Doctor Barton's house. He's the trauma surgeon who saved Bethany's life. He asked me to come. I think he's still trying to talk me into taking the MCAT!"

Sofia laughed, "Yeah, right. You? A doctor? That's not happening!"

"Excuse me?! I'd make a great doctor!" I protested.

"A gynecologist, maybe!" she giggled.

"We could have a joint practice, then!"

"When will you be home?"

"I'm actually not sure. The reception starts at 1:00pm but I never asked how late it went."

"You packed a bag."

"Just out of an abundance of caution. If it gets too late, or I've been drinking, I'll crash at Doctor Barton's or a hotel or something."

She looked skeptical but didn't say anything. I kissed her and headed for my car. I hadn't said much of anything about Jessica to anyone except for Bethany, and wasn't sure why I was keeping it from them. Most likely, it was because I was confused about the whole situation and didn't want to try to have to explain. I hadn't even said anything to my sister about it simply because it was too difficult to explain at this point.

March, 1985, Indianapolis, Indiana

As I headed south on I-65, I replayed the conversations I'd had with Jessica during our three dates. What surprised me the most was that a new girl, one who saw me as a prospective husband, hadn't run screaming when she discovered my lifestyle. That, in and of itself, intrigued me. It was one thing for a new girl who just wanted to have some fun to accept the situation, it was an entirely different thing to respond the way Jessica had.

She'd talked about negotiations and terms, and being open to an unconventional relationship, but unconventional didn't even begin to describe the craziness that I was contemplating. Even Penny and Sofia, who knew about the situation in advance, had difficulty with it, not to mention Karin's outright rejection of the idea; though she had made an allowance for having kids with Elyse and Jennifer BEFORE we got married.

In my mind, I couldn't see Jessica accepting anything even remotely resembling what I was fairly sure was going to happen in the future. The only thing I could do would be to follow Anala's guidance and make sure that I was completely truthful and honest with Jessica. There was just one fly in the ointment — Stephanie.

Bethany could, most likely, deal with a once-a-year thing if that's what was going to happen. I doubted that Jessica could, and there was no way I was going to broach that subject with her in this lifetime in this universe. That said, Stephanie had left things more or less in my court, so to speak, so I could, if need be, reset them to what they'd been before the previous Sunday.

I also had no idea what was going to happen between me and Jennifer, and until that was sorted out, it was hard to know what the future looked like. I'd bend over backwards to accommodate Jennifer's needs, and that might well preclude any kind of relationship with Jessica. It wasn't that I was expecting that Jennifer had magically turned heterosexual so that we'd be able to marry, but I wanted her to be a part of my life for the rest of my life, and on her terms. The same as was true for Bethany. Everything else had to take a back seat. And that included any kind of sexual relationship with my little sister.

I stopped in a Rest Area to use the restroom and double-checked my atlas to confirm the directions to Doctor Barton's house in my mind. I was making good time and would be there about twenty minutes earlier than planned. I took a short walk around the Rest Area to stretch my legs and get some fresh air, then got back in the car to complete the drive. I pulled into Doctor Barton's long, sweeping driveway about 12:20pm. I parked along the side of the house, and then got out of the car and walked to the front door. I rang the bell and waited.

"Steve! Welcome," Doctor Barton said. "Come on in."

I followed him inside. His house was similar to mine, though decorated in Early American as opposed to my more minimalist Scandinavian modern style. To me, it smacked of a stuffy, old-money family, though Doctor Barton didn't act like I would have expected someone of that background to act. He ushered me into his study and offered me a drink. Out of deference, I asked for a Coke.

He laughed, "You can have a drink. I won't be offended. Most of the medical students drink."

"No, Sir. If you aren't drinking, I'll stick to soft drinks."

He nodded and came back with a Coke for me and a 7-Up for him.

"No caffeine, either?" I asked.

"Limited. I had a cup of coffee this morning. But you can imagine even the slightest shake can cause trouble in surgery."

"And your students follow the same guidelines?"

"The smart ones. Of course, alcohol isn't a guideline. You'll lose your license if you come to work after you've been drinking. And it's pretty much zero tolerance. Do you have any friends who are pilots?"

"One, but she's only seventeen, so that's not really an issue for her. I drink quite a bit of coffee and tea, but there's very little damage that the odd shake of my hand can do when I'm typing on a computer keyboard."

"True. Different professions require different disciplines. You and I probably aren't cut out to be carpenters or electricians or bricklayers, and those have their own set of skills."

"Very true. I do like to cook, I play an average game of chess, and I'm just about to earn my brown belt in karate."

"Well, that will keep you fit. Your job is going to involve a lot of sitting on your butt. Remember, keep a proper diet and exercise. No need to go nuts, just watch your weight and, if it starts to go up, make small adjustments. Fad diets are silly. Watch your sugar intake as you get older, though."

"Thanks for the advice!"

"I hear that you've invited Jessica out on three dates."

I laughed. Hard. "You mean she's instructed me to take her to dinner three times, and to a movie the third time!"

He nodded, "That sounds more like her. I'm still not sure if I should be pissed off or depressed."

"Over what?"

"It appears that all those girls, with the obvious exception of your gorgeous little sister, are current or past girlfriends, and you have several girlfriends at the moment."

I nodded, "They are, and I suppose I can understand the sentiment."

"Don't take this the wrong way, but how does a computer nerd end up with all those model-quality girls?"

"By being nice to them and never, ever taking them for granted. By not looking at them as pieces of meat or conquests. By caring for them and loving them, no matter what happens."

"Which explains why Jessica is interested in you."

"She's talked to you about me?"

"I'm her mentor. She talks to me about pretty much everything and anything."

"Sounds like Bethany and me. She's my best friend and has been for years. You saved her life, which means I owe you a lifelong debt."

"She saved herself, Steve," Doctor Barton said firmly. "Never, ever forget that. She's a remarkable young woman."

"That is absolutely true. I'm curious; did you invite me here to discuss my love life?" I asked with a smile.

Doctor Barton laughed, "No, of course not. Though I am most curious about what you're thinking about with Jessica."

I chuckled, "She has me off-balance at pretty much every turn. One minute I think that we're friends, the next minute I'm thinking that she's printing wedding invitations."

"She's a hard driver and aggressively goes after what she wants."

"I've noticed!"

"Just keep your wits about you and be honest with her. She has a good nose for bullshit."

"Thanks for the advice!"

"Come meet my wife. My students will be here in a few minutes and it'll get a bit crazy."

I followed him to the kitchen and saw a stunning redhead with piercing green eyes. She was what I thought Kathy might look like when she was forty.

"Steve, this is my wife, Belinda. Belinda, this is Steve Adams, the young man I was telling you about."

"Nice to meet you, Steve. It's not often that Al is impressed, even by medical students."

"Nice to meet you, Doctor Barton," I said, recalling that she was an astrophysicist that worked for NASA.

"Oh, please call me Belinda. And this is our daughter, Fawn."

A young girl, about thirteen, walked into the kitchen. She was the spitting image of her mom, and I knew immediately that the boys were going to be goners when this one was a few years older.

"Hi, Fawn, I'm Steve. Nice to meet you."

"Hi!" she giggled. "Dad, some cars just pulled into the driveway."

"That will be my students," Doctor Barton said. "Thanks, honey. Run along."

She skipped out of the room, and it sounded like she went up some stairs. Doctor Barton waved me along, and I walked with him to the front door. He opened it just as five young men were coming up the walk. Doctor Barton greeted them by name and introduced me. I saw another car pulling into the driveway, and Doctor Barton waited by the door. Two girls, one of them Jessica, and two guys got out of the car. I recognized all but one guy and one girl as students who had been in the operating theatre. Jerome, the guy who had brought me up to the operating theatre, was with Jessica.

"Hi, Steve!" Jessica said.

"Hi, Jessica. Hi, Jerome," I answered.

"Hi," Jerome said.

Doctor Barton introduced the other two students, Brad and Diana. Jessica took my hand, and we all followed Doctor Barton to a large room that had tables of snacks and finger food, along with several bottles of liquor and soft drinks. I got a Coke from the table and Jessica got a grape soda. A few more students arrived while we were getting our drinks. We stood with several other students making small talk for a moment, then Doctor Barton asked for our attention.

"It's an open house today," he said. "Make yourself comfortable. Mingle. Talk. Several more students should arrive soon. Have a good time and let me know if you need anything."

"How was your drive down?" Jessica asked, pulling me aside.

"Just fine. How was your week?"

"Busy. Ridiculous amounts of homework, but that's par for the course. The block we're working on now is endocrine and reproductive systems."

"And you invited me for some hands on experimentation?" I teased.

"And if I said 'yes' to that?"

"You won't. It's not your style."

"And I doubt that you have any problems with those organs!" Jessica declared.

"Evidence would suggest that's accurate. But the status of yours is an unknown. Perhaps a thorough exam is in order!"

"Internal probes?" she asked with a smirk. "Deep internal probes?"

"Sounds good!" I chuckled.

"I have reasonable proof every 28 days that it's working as designed."

"Yeah, that's pretty convincing evidence! Are we going to spar all afternoon?"

She smiled, "Probably. Well, when we're not talking to Doctor Barton or some of the other students."

"Do you and Diana get along?" I asked.

"Not really. I just gave them a ride. She seems to think sleeping with half the class is a good life plan."

"You know, girls can enjoy sex just as much as guys, and it's only social stigma that says otherwise."

"Well, look who's all modern and liberated!"

"Is that a problem?" I asked.

"Oh, no, not at all," Jessica said. "More points for you, because I'm sure that you won't be upset if I make more money than you do, eventually."

"Good luck with that!" I chuckled. "My friends are pretty sure I'll be a millionaire by the time I'm thirty."

"Well, that would certainly help pay back the loans for medical school for sure!"

"I thought surgeons made a fortune," I said.

"They do, if it's plastic surgery or some specialty that's in very high demand. Trauma surgeons make very good money, but not a fortune. A CEO at a successful big company makes more. So in all seriousness, if you're as successful as you expect to be, there's a decent chance that you'll make more than I do. And besides, I won't make a lot of money before I'm 30."

"Is that a problem for your delicate ego?" I grinned.

"Money is just a means to an end. Once you have enough to live comfortably, take nice vacations, and pay for your kids' college so that they don't have to borrow money the way I did, you don't really need more. Not that I'll turn it down, mind you!"