Chapter 63: We Are The Champions!

May 17, 1991, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

“Another whirlwind trip?” Mario asked when I arrived in the office just after noon on Friday.

“It has to be. I have a wedding to attend tomorrow afternoon at 4:00pm out in Carol Stream. I have the first flight out again.”

“We have two afternoon meetings today. One with McCarthy/Jenkins, and one with a medical practice associated with UPMC.”

“Sounds good. How are things going in Philadelphia?”

“With Nelson, Reed, and Pulver? Everything is on track from our side. I talked to Mr. Reed, who said that Boston Legal threw a fit when they notified BLS that they weren’t going to renew their contract and were switching to us.”

“Which is exactly what happened the last time, back in February, with that deal you signed in Hartford. Let them have their fit. We’ve lost two to them in the past year, and WE haven’t thrown a fit. In fact, we helped both customers get the data from our database. We have that written into our contracts, even!”

“You’ve always insisted that we treat our customers equitably. And it’s paid off. We provide services for lawyers, and never once have they threatened to sue us!”

“No, only Dante did that!” I chuckled. “One of the reasons that’s in the contract is because of Ford, Jackson, and Finch in LA. Ben Jackson and I talked it through, and it makes perfect sense. Why put your data in a system if you might not be able to get it out?”

“Because then you can hold your customer hostage!” Mario countered. “I’m not saying we’d do that, but it appears that BLS did.”

“Stupid. Anyway, let’s grab a sandwich and get to our meetings. I have a hockey game to attend!”

“Oscar Williams called earlier. He said to go to the gate for the sky boxes and show your ID. They’ll have your ticket and let you in. He decided that was better than having it couriered over.”

“Perfect!”

“I’m jealous,” Mario said. “But I guess it’s great to be the king!”

“You’ll need to talk to Elyse, Jessica, Kara, or soon, Birgit, if you want to talk to the REAL power!”

Mario laughed, “That is the way your life seems to go! Let’s head for the deli.”

We had our sandwiches and then headed to our first appointment. Both meetings went well, and Ned Jenkins’ firm was very happy with the beta software and they were looking forward to the final release. Unlike Ford, Jackson, and Finch, they weren’t using it ‘live’ at this point. I made sure to extend personal invitations to everyone to the NIKA User Group meeting that would be held in Chicago in September, and encouraged them to attend.

After our second meeting, we went back to the office. Mario and I shook hands, and I grabbed my bag and headed to the hotel to check in. I took a quick shower, changed out of my suit and into comfortable clothes, and grabbed my Penguins jersey. I checked the time, and decided to head over to the stadium, because food would be served before the game started.

My ticket was waiting exactly as promised, and five minutes later I was shown into a box that overlooked center ice. I couldn’t believe the view and simply stood and gaped for a moment.

“Steve?” a man whom I guessed to be around thirty asked.

“Yes. Are you Mr. Williams?”

“Just call me ‘Oz’,” he said. “Everyone does.”

“Thanks, Oz! The view is amazing!”

“Never been in a private box before?”

“No, I haven’t. Usually we sit in the upper deck at the Chicago Stadium.”

“Well, enjoy this while you’re here!”

“Let’s hope it goes better than Wednesday night!” I said.

The Penguins had lost despite goals by Lemieux, Mullen, Samuelsson, and Young. Tom Barrasso had given up five goals, and the Penguins offense couldn’t overcome that. If they lost the second game at home, they’d be in a world of hurt, especially given how the North Stars had played so far.

“They’d better!” Oz agreed. “Help yourself to food and drinks. Everything except hard liquor is included, but the price for the drinks is better than you’ll find at any bar because it’s subsidized by the firm.”

“Thanks,” I aid.

“Let me introduce you to a few people.”

He introduced me to a dozen lawyers, some younger than me, and most with a spouse or girlfriend on their arm. That included Oz, who introduced me to a girl who looked to be about twenty-one, and would give Kara a run for her money in the looks department. I was impressed, until she opened her mouth.

“Hi, I’m Krissy!” she said, sounding like a complete airhead.

A short conversation confirmed my initial perception. Of course, with the way she was hanging on Oz, I didn’t think he was seeing her for the scintillating conversation! After a polite amount of time, I excused myself and filled a plate with food, grabbed a bottle of soda water and a lime, and went to sit in the seats near the front of the box. Several other attorneys joined me and we talked about hockey, and eventually, about NIKA. From the conversation, I hoped we’d get a chance to sell our software, but I didn’t want to abuse the hospitality with a sales pitch. We stopped talking when the national anthem was played.

There had been a big surprise during practice. Paul Coffey, who was supposed to be out for at least another week with a broken jaw, was dressed for the game, though he was wearing a full-cage helmet, like the one Jesse was required to wear, to protect himself. Given the way the North Stars played, I wasn’t sure that would be good enough.

As with the previous games the Penguins had played, their opponents went for physical and the Penguins went for finesse. It was difficult for the Penguins to create open ice, but fortunately, Mario Lemieux didn’t care about such difficulties. Surprisingly, the Penguins’ first goal came shorthanded, when Bob Errey beat Jon Casey to open the scoring. Special Teams had brought the North Stars to the Finals and had just let them down.

“Yes!” Bill, the lawyer sitting next to me yelled, leaping to his feet and spilling his beer.

I jumped up a bit more carefully, and screamed with the rest of the 17,000 fans. Later in the first period, on the powerplay, Kevin Stevens fired a shot that found its way into the goal, giving the Penguins a 2-1 lead and causing the stadium to erupt once again. The period ended 2-1, and I felt pretty good. Tom Barrasso looked strong in net, and the Pens, while not dominating, controlled the game.

Mike Modano got a goal on a powerplay not far into the second period, but what happened after that left me, and the rest of the people in the box, stunned. About fifteen minutes into the second period, Phil Bourque made a pass to Lemieux, and the referee’s arm went up for a delayed penalty as Mark Recchi had been knocked to the ice by a North Star. With the delayed penalty, Barrasso made a beeline for the bench to get a sixth attacker on, but it was totally unnecessary.

Lemieux streaked up the ice, sped up more than I’d ever seen anyone do, but was headed straight for two Minnesota defenders. That didn’t matter. He blew by Neil Wilkinson, and then faked Shawn Chambers so bad that Chambers looked like he was cemented in place. Lemieux passed the puck to himself BETWEEN CHAMBERS FEET, and charged for the goal. Casey came out to challenge him, but Lemieux slid like a baseball player and backhanded the puck into the net. I’d never seen anything like it. Apparently neither had anyone in the stadium. There was a brief stunned silence, and then complete bedlam and a standing ovation for Lemieux.

“My God! That goal!” Oz shouted from behind me. “Super Mario!”

I was cheering loudly and knew I’d be hoarse before the night was out. The Pens were up 3-1 on a goal that was going to make every highlight reel for years to come. The period ended 3-1, and I felt really good about the way things were going. There was one question I’d been waiting to ask, and I did that during the second intermission.

“I hear rumors that DeBartolo is looking to sell the Penguins,” I said to Oz.

He smiled, “Are you looking to buy? I could probably get you a meeting if you have the cash!”

I chuckled, “My business is successful, but not THAT successful. I’d have to do a leveraged deal and I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“You know I can’t comment on anything.”

“I figured it couldn’t hurt to ask. So long as they stay put in Pittsburgh, I’m OK with it.”

“I’ve heard nothing to the contrary on that,” he said. “But you could read that in the local papers, too.”

The third period was brutal. Kevin Stevens got an insurance goal, but Gordie Roberts of the Penguins was ejected near the end when he was charged with a major penalty for spearing Brian Glynn. That put a minor downer on the game, but overall, I was very, very happy. The Penguins had tied the series at a game apiece, and I’d seen my first ever Stanley Cup Championship game live and in person!

“Thanks so much for inviting me,” I said to Oz as people began to file out. “I really appreciate it!”

“This was Ned’s ticket. Did he tell you that?”

“No, he didn’t. I owe him more than I thought.”

“He’s a good guy. I’ll be able to bring him for game five, which is a sure thing now.”

“I’ll be sure to thank him profusely!” I said.

We shook hands and I said goodbye to the lawyers I’d been sitting with, and made my way from the stadium back to the hotel. I took a quick shower and was just climbing into bed when I heard a knock at the door.

“Room Service,” a voice called out.

I looked strangely at the door, because I hadn’t ordered room service. I grabbed my robe and put it on, and went to the door. I opened it and started laughing.

“Come in, Tara!”

She came in and I shut the door behind her.

“How did you find out which room I’m in?”

“A friend of a friend works here! You know, connections!”

“And you thought you would just show up unannounced?”

“I heard from Marie you were going to be in town for the game and I decided to surprise you. Are you surprised?”

“I am!” I chuckled.

“Want to celebrate the Penguins victory?” she smirked.

“I can’t think of anything I’d rather do right now! I didn’t bring rubbers, though.”

“I did!” she laughed.

“Smart girl!” I said, pulling her into my arms.

May 18, 1991, Carol Stream, Illinois

“The wedding service is really short,” I said. “I think Dave and Julia’s took about twenty minutes, total, start to finish. And there are no vows.”

“No vows?” Jessica asked.

“Correct. There are prayers, hymns, scripture readings, a procession, and a crowning. It’s really very simple and understated.”

“Not like ours, then!”

“And not like Katy’s,” I said.

“Hopefully this one will be more like ours than hers in outcome!”

“I’m sure it will,” I said. “Though I suspect Andrei could do without the drama. I’m just glad we made it on time. The two-and-a-half hour flight delay in Pittsburgh had me worried.”

“Better that than to get on a plane with a known mechanical problem, don’t you think?” Kara asked.

“Obviously!” I chuckled.

“Dad, can I stand with Mr. Vasily?” Jesse asked.

“Yes, of course. Go on.”

He walked over to where his friend was standing, while we kept Matthew, Michael, Birgit, Stephie, and Albert with us. Bringing the entire brood had meant my car and Kara’s minivan, as well as having Abbie come along to help chaperone. She was intrigued by the beauty of the church, but I could tell she was uncomfortable.

“You’ll enjoy the party afterwards,” I reassured her. “Lots of dancing and drinking and food!”

“I notice you put food last!” she laughed, quietly.

The ceremony was almost identical to Dave’s though instead of flowered crowns, they used actual royal crowns. Andrei had explained that they belonged to the church, and that the crowns they would take home would be similar to the ones that Dave and Julia had used. The ceremony preceded along the same lines, with the same readings, and finally Father Basil led Andrei and Svetlana in ‘The Dance of Isaiah’ as they circled the table three times, with the priest leading them, preceded by the cross and censer, and gave the same blessing I’d heard in Ohio.

The crowns were removed and everyone was dismissed to the church hall for the party.

“That really was short!” Jessica said as we sat down in the crowded church hall after she, Kara, Abbie and I had herded the kids into seats at small tables along the wall with the other children.

Father Basil came into the hall, and blessed the food, and the ladies of the church dismissed each table in turn to get their food. It was extremely well orchestrated, including having the teens help the little kids get their plates. A couple of the men brought out bottles of vodka and set them on the tables.

“I guess I’m driving home!” Jessica said. “Who’s driving the van?”

“I will,” Kara said. “I don’t need to drink! Steve, on the other hand, can’t resist vodka! Just ask Tanya if you see her again!”

Jessica laughed, “I heard that story! Or stories! And remember, I saw him drink in Moscow!”

“What did I miss?” Abbie asked.

“A whole lot before you got here!” I chuckled. “Ask me tomorrow night and I’ll tell you this story.”

We had a wonderful time, and I did drink too much vodka, though not nearly as much as I knew I would with Vanya and my friends in the Red Army. I did congratulate Andrei and Svetlana before I started drinking, and at the end of the evening, I managed to walk to the car on my own.

“You drank WAY too much, Tiger,” Jessica reprimanded me as she pulled the BMW out of the church parking lot.

“Just wait until I go to Russia,” I chuckled. “Tanya told me Dmitry and his friends want to take me drinking.”

“And who will watch Jesse?” she asked.

“Aunt Tanya!” he said from the back seat. “I can play with Lara! She’s three!”

“And another Adams boy falls for a cute Russian girl,” Jessica said quietly.

It seemed to be the way of the world. I wondered if someday, Jesse and Lara might actually get together. But that was at least fifteen years from now, and there was a lot that could happen in that time.

May 19, 1991, Chicago, Illinois

“Does this mean that they’ll play on Saturday?” Jessica said.

The North Stars had just beaten the Penguins 3-1 at the Met Center in Bloomington, taking a lead in the series, two games to one.

“Yes, assuming Pens win at least one of the next two games. Does the cabin you found have a TV, Kara?” I asked.

“I thought you said you wouldn’t let hockey interfere with our vacation?” she said.

“I just asked the question, Honey. If it doesn’t, it doesn’t.”

“It does,” she said. “Can we agree that except for hockey we won’t turn it on? That was our plan - to totally disconnect.”

“Yes, and if it’s that important to you, I’ll forgo the hockey game, or games, if it goes to game seven.”