Chapter 31: Stephie and Jason

October 19, 1986, Chicago, Illinois

"How was Indianapolis?" I asked Kara when I found her studying in the Indian room.

"Great! Jess and I had a wonderful time relaxing in her apartment in our pyjamas, cuddling, and talking. How was Wisconsin?"

"Great! Bethany and I had a wonderful time relaxing in the suite in our pyjamas, cuddling, and talking!"

"I KNOW that's not true!" she laughed. "Is everything good between you two?"

"It is. She's ready to move forward. I'd expect that she and Nick will be a couple pretty quickly now, and I think my sister was right in predicting that they'll marry in a year or so. Those two need each other, and he can provide her with everything she wants and needs."

"Did you call Jess yet?"

"No. We just arrived home. Bethany went upstairs, and I came to find you."

"Then let's go call Jess," Kara said.

We went to my study, and I dialed Jessica's number in Indianapolis. She answered on the second ring.

"Hi, Babe!" I said.

"Hi, Tiger! How did it go?"

"Perfectly. I'd say Bethany is ready to move on."

"Did she ask you to stop calling her 'Sweetheart'?"

"She did, but I knew that was going to happen. It had to, if she's going to move on. Using that pet name for her was part of what held her back, even after we married. How did you know?"

"She told you that we talked, didn't she?"

"Yes," I said. "I guess I'm not surprised that you talked about that."

"And a lot of other stuff. She really loves you."

"And I really love her. But we were, as we said a few times, 'star-crossed lovers'. Fortunately, we didn't end up like the couple that was originally written about."

"No, you didn't. What do you think would have happened if Bethany had died in that accident?"

"I don't even want to think about it," I said. "I've already lost someone that way and I never, ever want to experience it again."

"You don't get to decide that, Tiger."

I sighed, "I know. Can I ask why you told Bethany about Lyudmila?"

"Because I wanted her to be aware that you struggled with these decisions, but in a very different way. In a way that might have led you ultimately to refuse her request. You didn't, but your new way of thinking could very well have led you there. That's not a bad thing overall, but in this case, it could have been a disaster."

"Well, it's all past us now," I said.

"Yes, it is. I'll see you on Friday evening. I'm coming up to Chicago. I'm not on call this weekend."

"Awesome. Are you planning to go with us to Atlanta? We need to cancel your ticket tomorrow if you aren't."

"I can go," she said. "The race won't thrill me, but I would like to meet your friend Stephie."

"Great! I love you, Babe!"

"And I love you, Tiger!"

We hung up and Kara and I went up to my room so that I could unpack my bag. I did that and gathered my laundry to take down to the machine. Once I'd started the load, I set about preparing dinner. As I was getting the ingredients out, the phone rang.

"Hi, Steve! It's Mary!"

"Hey! What's up?"

"I got a job and you won't believe what it is!"

"OK," I chuckled. "What?"

"It's with the State Department in DC. I'll be on the Russian Desk, doing research and analysis!"

I chuckled, "I suppose I could just give you Tanya's phone number. And maybe her dad's. Then you'll have a direct source!"

"That would be awesome, but those kinds of contacts are left to a three-letter agency."

"I was NOT talking about espionage!" I protested. "Just friendly conversations!"

Mary laughed, "I know. I was teasing you because of the run-ins you had with the FBI. I was actually asked about you when I had my background check for the security clearance."

"Say what?" I asked.

"They basically required me to list everyone that I'd been involved with or friends with since kindergarten. Your name tripped some alert. It was no big deal, really. I'm pretty sure it was just the fact that you have Russian friends and that the FBI talked to you about the Walker case."

I sighed, "That's going to follow me around forever. I am SO glad I didn't go into the Navy or government service. When do you start?"

"January 5th. I'll still be working for the think tank in Boston until the end of the year."

"Cool. So you and Josh managed an extra six months! I'm guessing that he'll apply for something in DC?"

"Yes. He's talked to several Beltway Bandit firms, plus Georgetown, about a lecturer's job that could lead to a full professorship. One of his professors here put him in touch with someone there."

"Very cool! Keep me posted on everything."

"We will! I heard that you're going to be in Boston in November."

"Yes, for Katy's wedding. It's going to be a whirlwind, but we can have breakfast on Sunday morning."

"Cool. Call me with the details and we'll see you then!"

I hung up and told Kara what Mary had told me. She was happy for both Mary and Josh, and said that she was looking forward to seeing them in November. We finished making dinner and called our housemates to the dining room to eat. After dinner, Kara and I went to the sauna to relax before heading up to bed.

October 24, 1986, Chicago, Illinois

"Hi, Bethany!" Jessica said as we walked into the great room. "Hi, Nick!"

"Hi, Jessica," Bethany said. "When are you back for your next rotation?"

"Next weekend, though, my husband and wife are dragging me to a race in Atlanta!"

"There is the little matter of a wedding," I said.

"How is Stephie?" Bethany asked.

"No change, which I guess is good," I said. "Jess said it's a wait-and-see thing. Are you guys ready for the movie?"

"We are," Nick said.

We took Kara's car, as it was the only one that would comfortably seat all five of us, and headed for the theatre at Water Tower Place. Nick and Bethany had decided on The Color of Money, starring Paul Newman and Tom Cruise. The five of us enjoyed the movie and afterwards went for ice cream.

"Thanks for agreeing to the double-date," Bethany said to Kara.

Kara smiled, "Of course! But it's not exactly traditional! Steve has two dates!"

"Is ANYTHING Steve does traditional?" Bethany teased.

"No!" Kara and Jessica said together, causing everyone to laugh.

"What are we doing for Girls' Night tomorrow?" Bethany asked.

"Elyse hasn't told me," Kara said. "She and Jennifer were planning something. I hear that Jesse is going to hang out with the guys!"

I chuckled, "Only for an hour or so. Then Penny will take him back. Josie made me promise not to let him smoke any cigars!"

"You shouldn't smoke around him, Tiger," Jessica said. "In fact, I'd prefer that you didn't smoke at all."

"I wondered when you would give him grief about that," Bethany giggled.

"A cigar every two weeks is not a lot of smoking," I said. "And I've cut way back on my pipe smoking."

"I know, Tiger, but of all the people here, you should be the most acutely aware of cancer."

I sighed, "Yes, Dear."

Nick laughed, "And so it begins!"

"Watch it, Lieutenant!" I chuckled. "I saw the matching parakeets!"

He'd given Bethany a pair of parakeets — a yellow male and a green female. She'd put the cage in her room, after talking about it with my little sister.

"What can I say?" he grinned. "Bethany is for the birds!"

Bethany gasped in mock outrage and smacked him hard on the arm.

"No goodnight kiss for you!" Kara teased.

"At least you didn't call her a birdbrain!" I teased, and then, "Ow!" as Bethany kicked me hard under the table.

"Watch it, Mr. Adams," she smirked.

We finished our ice cream and headed back to Hyde Park. My wives and I decided on a sauna, and Bethany, after making sure it was OK to use our old 'weekend rules', invited Nick to join us.

"It's kind of late," he said.

"You can crash in one of the guest rooms," I offered.

"Please stay," Bethany said.

"Now, how can I refuse that?" he grinned.

Fifteen minutes later, we were all sitting in the sauna.

"So let me get this straight," Nick said. "You don't just sit in here naked with the guys on Guys' Night, or with your wives, but with all your friends? Co-ed? And the girls are OK with this?"

Bethany laughed, "Ask Kara about greeting the pizza guy at the door naked!"

"What?!" he gasped, obviously shocked.

"Elyse, Cindi, and I all went to the door naked to get the pizzas for Steve's birthday party."

"Somebody tell me exactly what I'm signing up for here," Nick said, shaking his head.

"Nick, I told you all about my relationship with Steve," Bethany said. "I just didn't explain that he had similar relationships with quite a few other girls. And, just so you aren't completely freaked out when you see it, he and his sister sit in here naked. They've done that for years, since they were teenagers."

"Uh, OK. That would just be too weird. I'm not sure I could be naked in front of my sister."

"Jesse has been in here, too," Kara teased. "With ten naked women!"

"Jesse is only eight months old!" Nick protested. "That'll change in a year or so."

"No, it won't," I said firmly. "Nudity and sex are not the same thing."

"And when you have daughters?" he asked.

"What about it?" I asked. "They do this stuff in northern Europe and nobody freaks out about it."

"Uh, this is going to take some getting used to," he said.

"Just roll with the punches, Nick," Jessica said. "That's what I've done, and it's worked out pretty well."

"You're telling me that you would have no trouble being naked in front of me?" he asked.

Kara looked at me and smirked. I shrugged, and she stood up, removed her towel, folded it and sat down on it. Nick's eyes nearly bugged out of his head. I just shook my head at Kara's complete liberation.

"Relax, Nick," I said. "Pete's been in here with us, and he's even more conservative than you are. Heck, Pete, Melanie, Jennifer, and I did this quite a bit back in High School."

He shook his head, "It's a bit outside my experience. Ripon, Wisconsin, isn't exactly a hotbed of liberalism!"

I chuckled, "The city where the Republican Party was founded. Back when the Republicans were the progressives and Democrats the conservatives. But I thought you were from Arizona?"

"Wisconsin, originally, but we moved to Arizona when I was ten. Anyway, it's going to take some getting used to."

"Just do what you're comfortable with," I said. "My wife is a bit extreme."

"Oh, I am not!" she protested. "You are just as bad, if not worse. You're being polite!"

"Yes, I am. Not to mention that Bethany is somewhat more conservative than the three of us, and you know that I respect that."

"Thanks," Nick said. "It'll just take some time to get used to some of the more libertine ideas that Steve has."

"Hang around him long enough and you'll be sucked into his world," Bethany said. "You have fair warning!"

Later, after we all had showers, I showed Nick to the guest room, and then headed back upstairs. Bethany stopped me at the top of the stairs.

"He's going to need some hand-holding," she said. "He's pretty conservative."

"I'm curious, and you can tell me to mind my own business, but has he seen your scars?"

She nodded, "I showed him. Just pulled up my t-shirt one day. As I said, he knows everything. And like you, he doesn't give a damn about the scars."

I chuckled, and leaned close, and whispered, "And once he gets a taste and feel of that tight, hot cheerleader pussy, he won't remember a damned thing about those scars!"

Bethany giggled, "Don't forget the luscious cheerleader lips, the soft cheerleader tongue, and the hot, tight cheerleader ass!"

"So now you're going to tease me like this forever?" I grinned.

"If your wife, who is perhaps the best-looking girl I've ever met, can strip in front of my boyfriend, you're damned straight. I'm going to tease you!"

"Kara is certainly the most liberated of anyone here," I said.

"Besides you? Yes. I agree. Nick will come around. But I'd prefer he sees me naked in a different context first."

"Moving that fast, are we?" I asked.

"We'll see. He's skittish, given what happened with his High School sweetheart. And it's not that serious just yet."

"Bullshit!" I chuckled. "His and her matching parakeets? He might as well have given you an engagement ring!"

Bethany smiled, kissed my cheek, and went to the room she shared with my sister without a word. She'd decided to act on what we'd talked about, and I knew that Nick had no chance of resisting. Stephanie was right — they would be married by this time next year. I smiled and went into my bedroom to be with my wives.

"I thought Nick was going to have a stroke," I said as I shut the door behind me.

Kara smirked, "His eyes did look like they might pop out of his head."

"Well, of course!" Jessica laughed. "You could be a super-model, Kara!"

"Jess, you have nothing to be ashamed about," I said. "Besides, Kara's breasts are too big!"

Kara shrieked in mock outrage and tackled me onto the bed. She shrugged off her robe and shoved an erect nipple into my mouth.

"Too big? Too big?" she shrieked again. "Jess, get the bag of toys. Our husband needs to be taught some manners!"

"I agree!" Jessica said, grinning evilly.

I was not going to complain!

October 25, 1986, Chicago, Illinois

"I'm not sure I can go to karate today," I said when I woke up. "You two nearly killed me last night!"

"Serves you right!" Kara said primly. "You insulted my wonderful breasts. I HAD to defend my honor. And Jess had to help!"

"You loved it, Tiger! All of it!"

I had. The most outrageous moment had been when I was screwing Jessica and Kara had surprised me and taken me from behind with the strap-on. I'd cum almost immediately, but stayed hard long enough for Jessica to have two more orgasms.

I dragged myself out of bed and to the shower, standing under the hot spray for about fifteen minutes, which is how long it took before I felt even remotely able to make it downstairs for breakfast.

"Is everything OK with Nick and Bethany?" Kara asked, as we dressed.

"Yes," I said. "She's moving things forward. He was just a bit off-kilter last night. He'll come around. Kara just shocked him a bit."