Chapter 42: You Say Goodbye and I Say Hello

April, 1985, Chicago, Illinois

Bethany and I left the house about the same time that evening. She and her friend were meeting at Medici, where I'd been with Wen, and I was heading to Connie's Pizza as usual. We met at the bottom of the stairs.

"Tell me how many people kiss their girlfriend or boyfriend as they're going out on dates with other people?" she asked with a smirk.

"I told Kara not too long ago that very few people could handle Cirque du Steve!" I said with a smile.

"It is just one heaping helping of crazy around you, isn't it?" Bethany laughed.

"You should know that by now, Bethany! Sleep together when we get home?"

"You're really serious about not being with this girl until you and I sort things out?"

"It wouldn't be fair to you and it wouldn't be fair to her," I said.

"Then yes, I'd love to sleep with you!" she said with a huge smile. "And in less than two weeks, we'll REALLY sleep together!"

"I'm looking forward to it, Sweetheart!"

We hugged again, and she went out the front door to her car, and I went out the back door to mine. I wondered what the future held for Bethany and me, but right now I had to focus on the very near term — flying to Washington to say goodbye to Vanya Voronin and Katya Sergeyevna. I wondered too, how often I'd see Tanya after this trip, as we'd no longer meet in Washington and in a year she'd be heading back to Russia. There was also Doctor Bauer's party, Bethany's presentation, final exams, and graduation — both here and in Cincinnati. After that, I'd go on the road trip to get Jennifer and Josie. And of course, Karin's visit, though that would be at the end of June, after my friends and I started the business.

Jessica was waiting for me at the table when I arrived and stood up to give me a hug and a kiss on the cheek, which had become our usual greeting.

"Hi, Jess! How are you?"

"Good. And you?"

"Fine, though things are going to get crazy next week with everything that's going on. When are your finals?"

"The week of May 20th. And I'm sure you remember I leave for Ethiopia on June 5th. I'm wondering when we can see each other before then."

"How about June 4th?" I suggested. "Where do you leave from?"

"Chicago. I could drive up on the morning of the 4th. I'll be leaving my car with my cousin while I'm gone. Will you be free?"

"I'll make the time! This is probably a silly question, but will you have access to a telephone?"

"It's possible, but not likely. I'll do my best to write to you and you can write back, but I'm sure you can imagine that with the famine that's going on there, and the rebel groups, it's going to be sketchy. I assume you bought your copy of We are the World?"

"I did. I assume that Doctors Without Borders takes donations from riff-raff like me?"

She laughed, "They do."

She pulled a card from her purse and handed it to me.

"I'll send them something on a regular basis," I said. "If you're volunteering for them, they must be OK."

We put in our usual order and talked about our plans for the next five weeks. She was going to be spending most of her time studying while I was running off to DC and Madison. I explained to her about my friendships with Minister Voronin and Colonel Anisimova, and how I'd originally met his daughter Tanya in Austria.

"You do get around, don't you?"

"A bit. I've been to Europe four times and done quite a bit of traveling in the US, both when I was younger and recently."

"This Tanya, she's one of the members of your harem?"

I laughed, "I'd be careful who I said THAT to! But yes, she and I are lovers. Though not for much longer. In a year, she'll go back to Russia to study. And she is also not one to mess around with another woman's fiancé."

"Well, at least ONE of your girls is sane!"

"Are we about to renegotiate terms?" I asked.

"No!" she answered with a smile. "Did you have your test?"

"I did. I should have the results on Tuesday. I also talked to the girls closest to me who I'm still with and some of them were tested as well. I'll make sure the rest do."

"Good. I sure as hell do NOT want to use a condom for my first time if I don't have to!"

"I know the feeling. What about birth control?"

"Do you think I would have asked you to take me home if I wasn't prepared for that issue?"

"No, I'm sure that you wouldn't have. I almost expect you to hand me a script!" I chuckled.

She laughed, "Cute. But I don't need to try everything the first time!"

"You have a list, don't you?" I chuckled.

"Of course! When I find something interesting, I add it to the list!"

"You are nearly as crazy as I am!" I grinned, stopping myself from asking if I could see the list.

I wouldn't put it past her to really HAVE a list like that! In fact, I was pretty sure that she actually did!

"Nearly?" she laughed.

"Well, proposing on our third date would seem to qualify you for the same level crazy that I am."

She smiled, "I was ready to ask you that day in the cafeteria in Indianapolis. I was afraid that I'd scare you off."

"Seriously?" I asked, rocked back a bit by that revelation.

"You said all the right things. You impressed Doctor Barton. You're nice looking. You're smart. You weren't scared of me. Everything else could be worked out. It was only a matter of figuring out that you and Bethany weren't really a couple."

"Wow! And I thought that I was impulsive!"

For the rest of our meal, Jessica explained to me in detail how things would go for the next six years of her life in medical school, Internship and Residency. She made the point, on several occasions, just how little time she would have for her personal life. The frank discussion reinforced exactly why she was willing to accept my relationship with Kara, or more truthfully, OUR relationship with Kara.

At the end of the meal, I walked her to her car. She stopped and turned to me and we hugged, and she kissed me softly, as she had before. Unlike before, I felt her lips part and her tongue tentatively probe forward. I moved my tongue to meet hers and Jessica tightened her arms around me, molding her body to mine. As our tongues tangled, the feel of her firm body against mine caused the usual reaction. I was sure Jessica felt it and it didn't cause her to back away. Eventually, she broke the kiss.

"Well now!" she gasped.

"Your first French kiss?" I asked.

She nodded, "Yes. You'll get all the firsts if you want. It is up to you."

"I understand. Let me get some of the insanity out of the way and then we'll figure things out."

"After Ethiopia, I guess?"

"Probably. No promises on timing. And yes, I know you might meet some dashing, debonair French doctor who will sweep you off your feet!"

She laughed, "There is no such doctor in my experience, French or otherwise! Perhaps a soldier! Call me once a week, please."

"I will. And I'll see you on June 4th."

She released me from the hug, got into her car, waved, and then drove off. I went back to my car and drove home. Bethany hadn't arrived home, so I made some tea and found Elyse and Kara sitting in the Indian room. When I asked if it was OK to join them, they laughed and waved me in.

"Where's Sofia?" I asked.

"At a party at Loyola with Leila and Alejandra," Elyse said. "She said not to wait up for her."

"Cool. And the others are out with their boyfriends?"

"Yes. Where's Bethany?" Kara asked.

"On a date," I said.

"A date?! What?!" Kara asked, obviously surprised.

"Yes, a date. With a guy she met at the UofC library."

"Did you guys call it off?" Elyse asked.

"No. This is part of making sure that it's going to work. We've always had some impediment that has kept us from being a couple. Every time we think we have it licked, something else barges in. We both want to marry, but we're not sure we should marry, if that makes sense."

"It does, but it's not something I expected," Elyse replied. "I thought when Bethany moved in, that was the last piece that needed to fall into place."

"You've met Jessica, and even talked to her about me. So I'm surprised that you're saying that."

"I figured once Bethany was here, everything would change. I guess that it didn't."

"Everything is going along as it should," I said. "Neither Bethany nor I are going to do anything until we decide if we're going to marry."

"And Jessica, she's OK with your plans?" Elyse asked.

"So it would seem. But you're getting way ahead of the situation. Bethany and I are doing what we need to do to be sure and to make it work."

"And you'd be happy with someone other than Bethany?" Kara asked.

"I'm not sure how to answer that. If I say 'yes', it sounds as if I'm saying Bethany isn't special to me. If I say 'no', it sounds as if I'm convinced that Bethany is the only option. Neither of those statements is true."

"Do you know anything about the guy Bethany is seeing?" Kara asked.

"Not really. And I don't need to. If the time comes when it's necessary to know, it will mean that Bethany and I will walk different paths."

"Wow," Elyse breathed. "That's pretty gutsy."

"It's not a competition. If I ask her, she'll say 'yes'. What she and I are deciding is if I should ask her."

"You are nuts!" Elyse declared mirthfully. "Certifiably nuts! Just ask the poor girl!"

"All in due time," I said. "She agrees with me that it's not time."

I finished my tea and was taking my cup back to the kitchen when Bethany came in through the front door. She called out, and I answered from the kitchen. She came to meet me, and then we went up to my room. We got ready for bed and climbed under the duvet.

"How was your date?" I asked.

"Nice. We had dinner and then went for a drink. How was yours?"

"Pizza at Connie's, as usual. Are you going to see him again?"

"Probably. Are you seeing Jessica again?"

"Right before she leaves for Ethiopia to volunteer with Doctors Without Borders for the Summer."

"Whoa! Ethiopia? That's nuts! When does she leave?"

"June 5th. I'll see her on the 4th."

"When do you leave for Washington?"

"On Tuesday morning. I'll be back on Thursday night. I have to pick up my tux tomorrow. There's a reception for my friend Ivan Voronin on Tuesday night, then a May Day celebration on Wednesday night. I'll have lunch with the KGB Colonel and her husband, and spend a bit of time with Tanya. But mostly it's to see her dad."

"Did you get a good-night kiss?" Bethany asked.

"Yes. You?"

"No. Not on the first date. Maybe not even on the second. I'm still conservative, despite what happened on your birthday!"

"Kurt talked to me afterwards and made it clear he was cool with whatever had happened."

"Good. Let's get some sleep."

She snuggled close to me and we fell asleep in each other's arms.

Saturday was normal, with karate, studying, and time with my friends and housemates. I picked up my tux on the way home from karate and picked up the tickets from the travel agency. Jorge let me know that he'd be taking a class over the Summer and doing some work at IITRI — the research institute attached to the university. They were installing Ethernet, and he had a Summer job working on the wiring crew. I let him know there would be an open room and asked him if he wanted to stay at the house; he said he'd love to. We worked out a number for rent that fit his budget and shook hands on the agreement.

On Sunday, I drove out to Sandwich to go skydiving. None of the girls were interested in going just to sit around and watch. I spent the day jumping with Wally and Amy. I made five jumps from the DC-3, and they started teaching me how to do relative work. By the fifth jump, I had learned to maneuver well enough that Wally said we'd try an eight-way star the next time I came out, which I told him would be the following weekend. That evening, I did homework and called Jennifer, Stephanie, and Tatyana.

On Monday, I confirmed with each of my professors that I would miss Wednesday's class and ensured that there were no assignments due or any quizzes. Of all the four professors, only Mark Agnini gave me a hard time, and his objection was in jest. I'd already scored the maximum number of classroom participation points, so missing one class wasn't going to change anything at all.

April/May, 1985, Washington, DC

On Tuesday morning I was up earlier than usual, packed my bags, ate a quick breakfast, and drove out to O'Hare to catch the first flight to DC. The flight boarded on time, and there were no delays in taking off, or in landing, and I walked off the plane only one minute past the listed arrival time. As soon as I exited the Jetway door, I saw Tanya and Colonel Anisimova waiting for me. A second later, I chuckled to myself when I saw Lyusya next to her mother.

"Good morning, Comrade Colonel," I said, kissing her Russian-style.

"Good morning, Stephen Rayevich. I trust your flight was OK."

"It was. How are you, Yekaterina Sergeyevna?"

"Very good. I have a new posting. I will be head of security for our delegation to the United Nations in New York!"

"That's great!" I said. "It will be good to know I can see you from time to time."

"I agree. That would be nice."

"What about Aleksey?"

"He will still be posted to Washington, but we will be able to see each other often enough."

I turned to Tatyana.

"Good morning, Tatyana Ivanovna," I said formally.

"This is your greeting?" she asked, trying to sound offended.

"Tatyana Ivanovna, I do not wish to be «некультурный»!"

"You may be as «некультурный» with me as you wish, Stephen Rayevich!" Lyusya giggled.

Colonel Anisimova said something sharply in Russian to Lyusya, which caused Tanya to laugh.

"Kiss me, Stepa, please!" Tanya requested.

I took her in my arms and gave her a soft, loving kiss.

"How are you Tanya?" I asked with a smile.

"Fine, now that you are holding me in your arms!"

I hugged her tightly, then let go. I moved to Lyusya and greeted her with Russian kisses.

"This is not right!" she complained. "You have greeted me with real kiss before!"

"I have, but I am not certain that your mother, the Colonel, will permit it. I do not know what she said to you."

"I told her to behave and act like a proper young woman," Colonel Anisimova said with a smile.

"She is mean, my mother! I am not permitted to have any fun!"

"I don't believe that at all," I countered.

"Come, Stepa," Tanya said, "let's go to the limo. We have lunch with the Colonel and her husband in about two hours."

We walked out of the terminal to the waiting limousine, which took us to Georgetown. I didn't notice any FBI cars following the limo, so either they were being more careful than usual, or they weren't bothering to follow Tanya, which I suspected was the likeliest explanation. Thirty minutes later, we arrived and Tanya and I walked into the Voronin residence.

"Good morning, Stepa!" Ivan Voronin said warmly, kissing me Russian-style.