Chapter 64: Getting to Yes

August, 1985, Chicago, Illinois

By Saturday, things had returned to a semblance of normal. Bethany was spending time with Elyse, Kara, Sofia, Jennifer, and Josie, though she was still avoiding my little sister. That wasn't too surprising, given that my sister had called her a stupid, selfish bitch and the apology that she'd made had been half-hearted, if even that. I hoped that a talk with Kathy on Sunday would help Bethany's attitude, but also maybe shed some light on what she was thinking.

My preoccupation with Bethany, combined with the anticipation of seeing Jessica for the first time in two months, led me to be distracted during karate class. And that caused me, a brown belt, to be sent to stand with the white belts. Sensei Jim assigned quite a bit of extra exercise to, as he put it, focus my attention.

At the end of class, I took it out on one of the sparring bags, running through every single punch and kick combination that I knew completely exhausting myself.

"What was that about?" Stephanie asked as we walked home.

"Just my frustration with letting Bethany distract me. And thinking about what I'm going to say to Jessica."

"I wondered what was up. Sensei Jim was pretty upset with you."

"He's all about being on an even keel," I said. "And I, most decidedly, am not."

"How the hell can you be on an even keel when that stupid bitch of an ex-girlfriend treated you the way that she did?" she growled angrily.

"Stephanie!" Kara said firmly. "We talked about this. Stop it! Stop it right now! Bethany is still your brother's friend. And he still loves her. And if you don't start treating her well, she's going to end up moving out."

"Good riddance!" Stephanie declared with finality.

I decided to let Kara run with it; she had been doing a very good job of reining in my sister.

"Do you think Steve agrees with you?" Kara asked softly.

"He's still in love with the stupid bitch. He's back in 'dumb boy' mode again. He just needs to forget her and move on!"

"No, he is not in 'dumb boy' mode at all! He does need to move on, but he doesn't need to forget her any more than he needed to forget Jennifer. Or Birgit. They are all part of who he is. Listen to me! Lay off! Now! If you don't, you're going to alienate your brother. And that's something I never thought possible! Is that what you want?"

"No," Stephanie said quietly.

"Then be Bethany's friend. Do you think she decided this on a whim? Do you think she didn't realize what might happen?"

I actually had started to seriously wonder about that, but I couldn't say that now, as it would undo what Kara was accomplishing.

"No," Stephanie replied.

"Then back off," Kara demanded firmly. "And grow up. This isn't a High School romance where we take sides and shun people. We're adults. We need to act like adults."

"«Herregud! Hon vill verkligen skydda dig! Och Bethany!»" Sofia exclaimed. ("Jesus! She seriously wants to protect you! And Bethany!")

"«Javisst!»" ("Of course!")

Stephanie was quiet for the rest of the way home, and after we all showered, the girls went to have lunch while I got a Dr Pepper and waited for Jessica. She arrived about ten minutes later. I greeted her at the door, got her a 7-Up, and we went to the Indian room.

"What did you want to talk to me about?" she asked.

I chuckled, "Typical Jess; cut right to the chase."

"Do you see any point in dancing around whatever the issue is? I certainly don't."

"No, I don't. I'll just tell you straight up. Bethany got engaged last Monday. To a guy named Andrew that she met at the library a couple of months ago."

"Holy smokes!" Jessica exclaimed. "You didn't tell me you guys broke up over the Summer!"

"Because we didn't. She told me on Saturday, when we were in bed, that he'd proposed. And that she was going to accept his proposal."

"You're joking!" she said, but then she saw my face. "Whoa! You're not joking. Gosh, are you OK?"

"Reasonably so, yes. I have lots of friends looking out for me, especially Kara. But it leads me to a problem."

"You can't accept my proposal in the mental and emotional state that you're in. Don't worry about it. I wouldn't want you to. When you accept, it has to be because it's what you want, not because you're rebounding from a situation like you described. You really were in bed together? Like, naked? And stuff?"

I chuckled, "Actually, there had been no 'and stuff' since Thursday night when he proposed. She begged off by saying that she was tired and out of sorts. And I have no doubt about the out-of-sorts claim now that I know why."

"Well, that kind of puts a crimp in my timetable," Jessica said.

"Timetable?" I asked with a grin. "And what's with the 'when' comment?"

"You told me to tell you if I was printing invitations. I haven't. Not yet, anyway."

"You are damned sure of yourself, Miss Wilton!"

"Would you expect anything less?"

"No. I suppose I wouldn't. What's your plan for today?"

"Well, I had hoped to hear a 'yes' from you, but even if you said that, I wouldn't accept it today. Not given what's going on. Let's just hang out. We could go to the movies, or dinner, or both."

"Kara wanted to spend some time with us, too."

Jessica smiled, "Perfect! If she wants to be with us, then I'm even surer of the end result. If she didn't like me, I'd be out like yesterday's newspaper."

"You're really comfortable with the situation? You've had a couple of months to rethink it in Ethiopia with no distractions."

"I'm not sure that comfortable is the right word. It makes it sound like I'm compromising. This isn't a compromise. Well, yes, we negotiated something we could both accept, but I don't feel like I'm compromising anything at all. The more I've thought about it, the more sure I am that it's right for me. What you've proposed has been pretty common in history, even with the advent of Christian monogamy. Why play silly games? Get it all out in the open, agree to something that works for you, me, and Kara, and do it."

"Now you sound like Kara, though from a slightly different angle."

"That's a good thing, don't you think? If we're to be co-wives, I guess that's the term, then we should pretty much agree on everything, or at least the major points. I would like to talk to her privately, if you don't mind."

"I don't mind at all. Going to ask her about Bethany?"

"Among other things, yes."

"Why don't I get her, then you two can decide what we should do later, and whether it's just you and me, or a threesome," I smirked.

Jessica laughed, "Cute."

"Kara said it the same way this morning. She can be a real card at times."

"Good! Now run along and get her and then go find something or someone to occupy your time!" she smirked.

I went and found Kara and asked her to go talk to Jessica and then I went to the coach house to hang out with Jennifer and Josie. They were cuddled on the couch, listening to music.

"Are you doing OK?" Josie asked when I sat down in the easy chair.

"Hanging in there. Jessica is here, and she's talking with Kara."

"Don't do anything rash, Steve," Jennifer warned.

"No way, Jen. I already told Jess what happened, and she told me that she wouldn't accept any kind of commitment from me until I was mentally and emotionally stable."

Jennifer laughed hard, "Well, there goes THAT relationship!"

"Don't be a bitch, Jenny!" Josie teased.

"Oh sure, like YOU think Steve is mentally and emotionally stable!"

"I suppose you might have a point," Josie giggled. "Testosterone seems to addle the brain!"

"And he certainly has an excess of THAT!" Jennifer smirked.

"Steve, come here," Josie said.

I got up and moved over to them. Josie took my hand and slid it inside Jennifer's sweatshirt. I could just feel a slight convex belly, where Jennifer had been completely flat before.

"Wow! You're starting to get a belly!" I exclaimed giddily.

"It's almost three months, and because I was so toned, he's starting to show just barely!"

"Her boobs are bigger, too!" Josie smirked, cupping both of them.

"Down girl!" Jennifer laughed.

"Mind if I check?" I teased.

"Go back to your own women, Steve Adams!" Josie said sharply, but with a big smile.

"Hey, this is the mother of my son!" I protested with a grin. "I should have SOME privileges!"

I went back to sit in the easy chair and the three of us talked for a bit about how things were going for them. They were both really liking their jobs, but not thrilled with their commutes. That said, neither of them wanted to move nor change jobs.

"Are Dave and Julia moving out now that they're married?" Josie asked.

"Not until we can increase their pay," I replied. "Right now, they get free room and board to make up the difference. Cindi can handle the low salary because Chris is working full time with a decent salary. So I figure sometime next year, maybe. What we need to do is get our software out and start collecting maintenance fees. That provides a regular income from which we can bump salaries. Sales are good, but you need regular, dependable cash flow. Or so Elyse keeps reminding me!"

"And we're paying you enough in rent?"

"Yes. It's more than I was receiving from Patience and Prudence, and with Stephanie living here, it's more than fine."

"And you're doing OK financially? I guess you have to be, with the wedding gift you gave us."

"I'm fine. Really. I saved a lot of money from the contracts I had, plus I've had some other income, and I had some cash left after my tuition was paid because Doctor Bauer arranged for a couple of modest scholarships for me."

Stephanie came into the coach house just then.

"Big Brother, your wives are looking for you," she teased.

"I guess that means I have to go," I said. "And they are NOT my wives, Squirt!"

"Yet!" she teased.

"Come sleep with us tonight," Jennifer suggested. "Well, unless those two make you a better offer!"

I chuckled, kissed them both quickly, hugged my sister, and headed back to the house. I walked into the Indian room where Jessica and Kara were sprawled out on the floor pillows talking. I found a spot of my own and relaxed as well.

"So, what's the scoop?" I said.

"Dinner, a movie, and ice cream," Jessica said.

"And Jess is spending the night," Kara said. "In a guest room."

"Sounds like a plan. Where do you two want to go for dinner?" I asked.

"We can't break our tradition," Jessica said. "It's worked pretty well so far."

"Connie's it is. And the movie?"

"National Lampoon's European Vacation," Kara said. "We both want to see it."

"The first one was hilarious, so, sure. Sounds good. What about this afternoon? Before dinner?" I asked.

"How about a sauna?" Kara smirked.

"Um, I'm not sure that's a good idea," I replied. "Jess and I haven't been that intimate."

"We haven't been intimate at all, Mister!" Jessica said.

"He doesn't mean sex, Jessica," Kara said. "He's talking about a different thing. And I forgot about that. We could go for weekend rules, it's Saturday, after all."

"OK," I said.

"Somebody explain what just happened," Jessica requested. "It's like some kind of secret code!"

Kara laughed, "No, that's when he talks to Sofia in Swedish. I'll fill you in while we get ready. Wait here and I'll get some towels and robes. Snuggle Bear, go get the sauna ready."

"Snuggle Bear?" Jessica laughed. "Really?"

"You have no idea, Jessica," Kara said dreamily. "He does the best cuddling on the planet. And there are many who can testify to that."

"Hmm," Jessica said.

"And that's just the start. Or the end. He cuddles after he screws you into next week! Or next year!" Kara giggled.

"Enough!" I chuckled.

"Getting a little too warm in here for you?" Jessica asked.

"Careful, or I might just have to prove it to you. Both of you!"

"Oooh!" Kara cooed. "Can we? Please?"

"I'm going to get the sauna ready!" I said.

"Chicken!" Kara teased.

I got up and left the room, smiling and shaking my head. Between watching a pornographic movie, wanting to make one, and suggesting a threesome with Jessica, I was seeing a very different Kara, and it hit me that I needed to start treating her like the new person she was, instead of the fragile woman that she'd been before. When I considered the way that she'd dealt with Stephanie and her concern for Bethany, I respected her even more. She truly was becoming an amazing woman.

I went to the basement and adjusted the controls of the sauna, then went to the bathroom, undressed, wrapped a towel around my waist, put on the robe and went back to wait for the girls to come down, which they did about five minutes later.

We took off our robes, went into the sauna, and after I ladled water onto the rocks, we sat down on one of the benches. I found it interesting that Kara sat on the other side of Jessica from me, rather than on the other side of me, but when I thought about it, it made sense. In effect, Kara and Jessica were trying to decide if they could be co-wives. When they figured THAT out, then they'd sit on either side of me. My newfound respect for Kara went up another notch.

"This is Steve's refuge from the world. He comes in here to relax, meditate, escape, and, occasionally, fuck."

I just shook my head. Kara was playing things for all they were worth, knowing that I wasn't going to touch Jessica in that way anytime soon.

"You keep bringing up that topic, Kara," Jessica said. "What am I missing?"

Kara laughed hard, "Oh, I suspect that you'll find out. There's a reason why the girls were lining up to be with him!"

"He turned me down, you know."

"Of course he did," Kara said. "Believe it or not, despite all the girls that he's had, he understands what it means to have sex with someone. In your case, he knows it would commit him irrevocably to you. And he isn't ready to do that just yet."

"Where did you find this guy?" Jessica asked.

"In chemistry class my Junior year in High School. The minute he sat down next to me, I knew I wanted him. And I was a good girl from a Bible church."

"I went to a Baptist church for years, I know the type. You seemed to have turned out OK."

"Steve's responsible for that. You seem to have escaped as well."

"I did, fortunately," Jessica replied.

I decided that I was going to stay quiet and simply let them talk. The conversation was giving me insights into both girls, and I was growing more and more comfortable with Jessica's proposal. I knew myself well enough that this wasn't the time to accept, but that time also wasn't far off. If Kara was OK with Jessica, and I was OK with Jessica, then Jessica might well be the one.

I still had my concerns about Bethany, but there was nothing I could do except be her friend and love her. As for Sofia, even with her 'revised' thinking, I was fairly sure that she'd come to the conclusion that what I was offering wasn't for her. If she surprised me, I'd have to decide between her and Jessica, and, at the moment, I'd certainly decide on Jessica.

There really weren't any other options at this point. Karin couldn't accept Kara as an equal, and neither Aimee nor Anna were interested in signing up for my circus. Penny wasn't either, but she was too young, no matter what she thought. Her recent offer was tempting, but I knew I had to keep her at an appropriate distance so that she found a guy closer to her age. My other recent encounters weren't really options, either. LeAnn was even younger than Penny and not an option, despite her desire to be one. Wen, Alejandra, and Leila were a lot of fun, but I didn't see them as prospective spouses.

I could reject the whole 'group marriage' idea and marry Kara, but if I did that, it opened up a world of possibilities, including Anna, Aimee, most importantly, Sofia. That choice would certainly make my life simpler, but I didn't think simple was a consideration given I'd already made Jennifer pregnant and had committed to doing that with Elyse as well. It hit me that Jessica didn't know about Jennifer! I had to interrupt the conversation.

"Jess, did Kara tell you about Jennifer?" I asked.

"No. What about her?" Jessica asked.

"She's pregnant," I said.

"Yours? As you planned?"

"Yes. She and Josie had their commitment ceremony after I got Jen pregnant. She's due towards the end of February."

"One down, two to go?" Jessica asked with an arched eyebrow.

"Elyse wants two kids. And Kara wants two."