Chapter 70: The Pleasure of Your Company

April 5, 1992, Chicago, Illinois

“It’s nice to have you in bed tonight,” Jessica said. “How is Abbie?”

The three of us were lying in bed on Sunday evening after putting the kids to bed.

“She’s doing OK. She talked to Jason for over an hour yesterday. She only has one regret.”

“Enforced celibacy?” Kara giggled.

“Right the first time,” I chuckled. “She hasn’t gone three straight weeks without sex since she was fourteen. This should be interesting to say the least.”

“Can she handle it?” Jessica asked.

“I think so,” I said. “We talked for about twenty minutes while I was making dinner yesterday and again this morning when you two sluggards were still abed!”

“You and your ‘up before the sun’ physiology should just die!” Jessica groused.

“I don’t think you mean that,” I chuckled.

“It is annoying how wide-awake and happy you are early in the morning,” Kara said.

“Your daughter is just as peppy in the morning as I am!” I retorted.

“Birgit gets that from you, that’s for sure!”

“Tiger, what are we doing on Saturday for Bethany?”

“Joint Guys’ and Girls’ night,” I said. “She wasn’t thrilled with the idea of a birthday party. And I didn’t feel right taking her out on a date.”

“Because of her? Because of you? Because of us?”

“I’m pretty sure the answer is ‘D - all of the above’. I’ve been very careful because I want her settled and in a routine and don’t want to cause more turmoil. It’s easier just to put off discussing it now.”

“What about Jennifer?” Jessica asked.

“I suspect they’ll decide once they come back from Ohio. We’ll worry about it then.”

“Sorry to bounce around subjects, but what about the fundraiser?” Jessica asked.

“Kara and I talked and we agree with you. It doesn’t make sense to poke the bear, so to speak. I told Jeri I’ll go stag and, if anyone asks, that I have a perfectly acceptable answer. My wife is a doctor and she’s working at the hospital. Nobody can make a serious issue of that.”

“I’m sorry to sort of stick you with this. It’s really my fault for not talking to you first.”

“We dealt with that, but we do need to talk about what happened in the ER.”

She sighed, “I’ve been through that so many times, I’m tired of talking about it.”

“Babe, I get it. I’m not part of the club. It’s the same with my Navy friends. I’m not in their club either. It took time to figure it out, but there’s a bond there I can never have. I accept that. The same is true for you. So do what they do and talk to others in your club like Alicia and Gina. I bet you talked about this formally, both in the reviews and with Al, but you need to talk about the emotional side with your friends.”

“What did you say to him on Friday?”

“It was more what Al said to me,” I said. “He politely told me, in so many words, to butt out of questions that involve medical training. He’s consistently done that since you and I started seeing each other seriously. I understand his position, I just don’t like it. And he’s in a doubly tricky position given that he’s your dad!”

“We agreed we wouldn’t say things like that out loud!” Jessica said firmly.

“Al said the same thing,” I sighed. “I totally get it. I do. But sometimes it has to be voiced in private. I’m not going to tell anyone nor am I going to write it in my journal.”

“Speaking of which, your dad actually called the Sheriff on Christmas Day?”

“You know my sister,” I chuckled. “Do you think he had a choice?”

“Not if he wanted to live!” Jessica laughed. “And the police really came to check on you?”

“They did,” I said. “And then Jackie and Cindi came and kicked my butt, as I’m sure you read.”

“And you and Jennifer never mave love that week. That was actually pretty mature thinking.”

“We were a mess, both of us, and we recognized it.”

“I do have a serious problem with what happened at the end of that week.”

“I know,” I sighed. “And I guarantee if you ask Bethany now, she’d agree with you. I agree with you.”

“On a happier note, I did laugh at ‘Tatyana Ivanovna Adamsky’!”

“Tanya was so funny back then. She’s become much more serious now.”

“I can’t believe you didn’t call Elyse when everything went to hell. And a girl like Stephie who took you back after that? How could you EVER have let her go?!”

“Because she belonged with Jason. She always did. I should never have had the chance. He couldn’t see past Stephie being his best pal until after he’d made his mistake with Rose. But that’s getting WAY ahead of the story.”

“That’s pretty much the worst of it, right?”

“Yes. Not the end of me acting like an idiot, or even me and Stephanie, but of the more outrageous things. The thing with Bethany and my sister was it.”

“Stephanie seems like a shell of her former self,” Jessica said.

“Because she is,” I said sadly. “Doctor Mercer basically has to break her down and build her up again, with Ed’s help. I had a quick chat with Ed after dinner tonight. He says she’s doing much better. But she’s under strict instructions from Doctor Mercer not to get too close to me, OR even interact with me one-on-one.”

“What’s on for this week?”

“Nothing,” I said contentedly. “Other than lunch with Siobhán, I have nothing at all planned except for running, work, and karate. Next week, I only have the fundraiser.”

“And the joint party for you, Abbie, and Penny.”

“Yes, but I want that about as much as Bethany wants a party for her birthday.”

“The kids want it!” Kara said. “And that’s why you’ll do it.”

April 9, 1992, Chicago, Illinois

“You’re eating slowly on purpose!” Siobhán complained.

“Who, me?” I grinned.

“You know I’m dying to have that beautiful cock of yours in my quim!”

I chuckled, “Where the heck does that word come from?”

“Supposedly from Welsh. In Welsh, ‘cwm’ means ‘valley’.”

I laughed hard, “That’s PERFECT.”

“It’s a bit of a nasty word, but it just seemed better than the usual word Americans use for the female parts when they say ‘cock’.”

“I don’t like that alternate word at all. I don’t know why, but it just sounds demeaning.”

“Then I’m really glad I didn’t use it! Now, hurry up and finish eating!”

I made a show of deliberately eating my soup, which only created exactly the reaction I would expect in a red-haired Irish woman! I found myself dragged from my chair to the floor, and savagely kissed.

“A snog? That’s all you want?” I teased when she broke the kiss.

“Did you look that up in some slang dictionary?”

“No, I told you I have a couple of Brits working for me!”

We got up from the floor and I started to lead her to the bedroom, but she stopped me and began removing my clothes in the kitchen, dropping them in a pile on the floor. I helped her out of hers as well and we kissed fiercely. Siobhán pushed me back on the chair I’d been sitting on, and knelt before me. She used her talented tongue to get me hard, then stood up, turned around, grasped my shaft and positioned herself. She slowly sank down on me until I was fully embedded in her. She took my right hand and put it between her legs, and my left hand and put it on her right breast.

“You like?” she asked. “Nice, tight, wet, and warm!”

She began moving up and down while I rubbed her clit and tweaked her nipple. The palm of my hand was tickled by her soft, red pubic hair. Not as shockingly red as Kathy’s, but still lovely. I also very much enjoyed watching what was happening in the larger mirror on the wall.

“I like,” I said, then nipped her shoulder.

“This is my favorite position. It’s much easier for the guy to get me off.”

“What’s the record?”

“Six!”

“Let’s see if we can top that, shall we?” I said, kissing her neck.

Twenty-five minutes later, after her eighth orgasm, I came, firing spurt after spurt of cum into her still-spasming pussy.

“I think I’ll invite you back,” she sighed.

I gently lifted her off, stood up, carefully pushed her into the chair, and used my lips and tongue to bring her off once more.

“You win,” she sighed.

“I think we both did,” I said, extending my hand.

I led her to the small bathroom with the small shower, and we squeezed in to wash up. After the shower, we dried, and dressed, and she walked me downstairs. She changed the sign and unlocked the door.

“How long will your wives let this go on?” she asked.

“There really isn’t a defined time limit, but certainly not forever.”

“I wouldn’t expect that. Lunch in two weeks?”

“I wouldn’t miss it! See you then!”

We exchanged a quick kiss and I headed back to the office.

April 10, 1992, Chicago, Illinois

“Well, that’s no surprise!” I said. “Noriega was convicted of helping the Colombian drug cartels.”

“You said the fix was in the minute Bush ordered the invasion,” Jessica said.

“Now they’ll put him in federal prison forever. The chances they’ll ever let him out are near zero.”

“Probably so. You have someone who’s from Yugoslavia, right?”

“Yes,” I said. “Mikela Kovač. Why?”

“Has she said anything about what’s happening there?”

“She’s Serbian so she’s very upset with President Bush for recognizing Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Slovenia. I try to avoid talking to her about it. She fully supports Slobodan Milošević, and I think he’s very bad news.”

“So you agree with Bush recognizing those countries?”

“Do you agree with France recognizing the United States?” I grinned.

“Well, if you put it that way!” she laughed.

“I need to get to work. I’ll see you around 11:40am.”

We kissed and hugged, and I headed to the office.

April 12, 1992, Chicago, Illinois

“Happy Birthday, Sweetheart,” I said early on Sunday morning.

“That was a heck of a party last night! Fifty people singing Happy Birthday?!”

“Plus the kids! Jesse insisted that Keisha and Jill bring them over for cake, and I think he was right. Nicholas was very happy.”

“And covered in cake!” she laughed. “Poor Abbie!”

“She’s used to it. Stephie and Albert were pretty much covered in cake as well! Ashley is just too little. Give her some time! The kids all end up wearing more cake than they eat at ages one to three!”

“I suppose you’ve had a bit of experience!”

I chuckled, “A bit. I was happy to see you laughing and having a good time last night.”

“I had a couple of melancholy moments, especially when I was dancing with Howard and we talked about Nick. He really misses him.”

“He’s not the only one,” I said. “Jeri’s been good for Howard, and has helped take his mind off Nick.”

“And everything else, from what I hear,” Bethany laughed.

“And just what are you implying, Doctor Krajick?”

“I see how you two interact. I’ve known you long enough! Others might miss it, but I didn’t. Your sister probably didn’t, either.”

“I have to keep my distance from Stephanie at parties like that. Doctor Mercer doesn’t think I should invite her and Ed, but I think that would do more damage than the way I’m handling it.”

“I can see both sides, obviously. But if you and she can handle it, yours is the right way to do it. Ed seems to have her in a reasonably good place.”

“Besides being completely broken?” I said.

“She’s having all the normal reactions that any incest victim would have. And so are you, though they’ve been played out in different ways. I really wish I’d put a stop to it when I had the chance.”

“I’m not sure you could have, and it probably would have ended our friendship completely.”

“I could have told an adult,” Bethany said.

“And how would THAT have turned out?” I sighed. “You know that nobody would believe it was her, and I would have been in real trouble, even if it hadn’t been consummated.”

“But...”

I interrupted her, “Stop beating yourself up. Stephanie and I made our own choices and we’re living with the results of those choices. That’s it.”

“When are you and I going to talk about us?”

“Give it time, Sweetheart. Get settled, live here for a bit longer, and then we’ll talk.”

She sighed, “I knew you’d say that. Ever practical!”

“I try. I don’t want to mess this up!”

“Me neither,” Bethany sighed.

“Good. Now, we need to go check on my daughter before she decides to have another ‘naked breakfast’!”

Bethany laughed, “She’s going to be a handful!”

“Going to be? Who are you kidding?”

We walked to the kitchen and found Birgit eating cereal. She jumped up and hugged me, then Bethany, and then sat back down to finish eating. I started making Sunday breakfast.

“Thanks for buying Nicholas a tricycle yesterday. You didn’t have to do that!”

“No, I didn’t, but the other boys have bikes now, so I thought he should have one.”

“But you didn’t buy one for Jesse?” Bethany asked.

“And incur the wrath of his moms?” I chuckled. “They bought his for him. I’m allowed to buy birthday and Christmas presents, or give him things on special occasions, but they’re his parents, if you remember.”

“That’s a very strange arrangement.”

“Is it really? Jennifer and Josie are married and Jesse is their son. Yes, he’s mine and I treat him like any of the other kids, but in their situation, as lesbians trying to be a family, I totally get the desire for non-interference. They’ve let me take him to Russia twice now, and the second time we stopped in Sweden as well. But I asked them before I mentioned it to him.”

“Daddy loves Jesse, but Jesse’s mommies are in charge!” Birgit said from the table.

“There you have it, from the authority on relationships in the house!” I chuckled.

“And who is in charge of you, sweetie?” Bethany asked.

“Daddy! I love Daddy! Daddy loves me! He decides!”

“What about Mommy?” Bethany asked.

“Both mommies love me, and they love Daddy! And Daddy is in charge!”

“How much did you pay her?” Bethany asked, laughing.

“She gets paid in cuddles, right Pumpkin?”

“Daddy cuddles best!”

“I agree!” Kara said, coming into the kitchen with Stephie in her arms. “I call Daddy ‘Snuggle Bear’ because he loves to cuddle!”

She kissed me and went to sit down with Birgit. Jessica came in a moment later with Ashley.

“Where are the boys?” I asked.

“Sleeping! You know, like normal human beings!” Jessica said.

April 20, 1992, Chicago, Illinois

“You know, I might just strangle someone before the end of the night,” I said to Howard.

“You and me both, Steve. That bit about the Navy and whales would have had Jake Tarrance right in my future mother-in-law’s face.”

“My friend Aimee as well. These people are complete whack jobs. I can’t believe Jeri is just letting this go.”

“This one she doesn’t have much choice about,” Howard said. “The only Foundation money being spent is to cover the cost of this fundraiser. All the money goes directly to the animal rights group.”

“I did some research on the woman who founded this group. Do you know that she was quoted in 1989 in Vogue magazine as saying ‘Animal liberationists do not separate out the human animal, so there is no rational basis for saying that a human being has special rights. A rat is a pig is a dog is a boy. They are all mammals.‘ That’s nuts. Plain and simple. And we’re sponsoring that kind of garbage?”