Chapter 42: A Great Friday

April 13, 2001, Chicago, Illinois

🎤 Steve

“It’s bullshit!” Cindi protested.

I had her on speaker as I drove towards Oak Park on Good Friday morning.

“I agree, but that was Stephanie’s decision and the Board backed her on it.”

“But he didn’t do it!”

“All things being equal, I agree with you. And you know what I’m about to say.”

“That the fucking government has tilted the playing field such that ALL claims of harassment and discrimination default to ‘true’ unless you can prove your innocence. Utter bullshit!”

“Like it or not, those are the rules under which we have to operate,” I replied. “You know I’ve fought this tooth and nail from day one, and I’ve argued until the I’m blue in the face. Even my consiglieri agree, and you know I hire them to be my personal mouthpieces.”

Cindi laughed, “I’m sure you do!”

“Not that way!”

“Uh-huh!”

“Look, in the end, the letter has zero effect. What’s more problematic is what we do if there’s a second claim.”

“I know I’m going to ‘Dad’ instead of ‘Mom’, and this is unofficial, but what would you say if I found a way to move him to Chicago and put someone else in Durham?”

“No objections on my part. The sick part is we can do anything we want to him, including dismissing him outright. We can’t even warn her not to make false claims!”

“Your gut tells you it was phony?”

“My gut tells me we’re all fucked. I have no idea if she’s telling the truth or not, which is the entire problem with the system.”

“Sorry I bothered you. I just needed to vent and I know I can vent to you.”

“Always! See you tomorrow evening?”

“You know me, I’m not going to be caught dead in church at Easter or any other time! And I expect you to ensure I’m actually NOT!”

“If I’m around, I will do my damndest to ensure that no clergyman comes within ten miles of your coffin!”

“Thank you! See you tomorrow night.”

We both said ‘goodbye’ and I disconnected the call just as I hit the signal so I could exit the Ike at Austin. Five minutes later I pulled up to the Sarcu’s house and found a parking spot about half a block away. After I parked and locked the BMW, I walked back to the house, climbed the steps, and rang the bell.

🎤 Jesse

“I am SO glad we don’t have school today, but I wish there was a way we could play rat hockey,” Mikey said as we laced up our skates at Johnny’s Ice House.

“I talked to Tommy at the desk on the phone, and the only way that can happen is either a sponsored league or if we rented the rink. That would be $600 for two hours, which is about five times what our teams pay for ice time. It has something to do with liability insurance.”

“Ugh. When does Park District hockey start?”

“The last week in May with practices. Yours?”

“Same.”

“Can we go to Billy Goat for lunch?” Jerry asked.

“I’m down with that,” I replied. “I can’t imagine Mia, Nicole, or Libby objecting.”

“What movie did you get from Netflix?” Mikey asked.

“Cast Away,” I replied. “The Tom Hanks movie about the guy marooned on the island. Mia really wanted to see it.”

“No new girlfriend, Jesse?” Jerry asked.

I shook my head, “Nah. It’s like every girl I want to date has crazy parents. I’d rather hang out with Libby.”

“Why not date her?”

“We sort of are, if you think about it. But she’s Jewish and I’m Russian Orthodox, and we both want to marry someone who will go to synagogue or church with us. By just being friends we are both free to meet someone.”

“I can’t believe Joy’s dad reacted that way!” Mikey exclaimed. “My parents were careful about Marissa, but they weren’t nuts. She was allowed to date once she turned sixteen.”

“But you’re allowed to date at fifteen?” Jerry asked.

“Double standard!” Mikey replied. “But I’m not going to complain. And Nicole’s dad is cool because he thinks we’re just hockey friends. Her mom knows differently.”

I laughed, “‘Hockey friends’ like Mia and Jerry!”

“Yeah, well,” Mikey smirked. “But seriously, if that’s what her dad needs to think, I’m OK with it!”

“It’s funny because the dads seem OK but the moms are nuts!” Jerry said. “I always heard it the other way around.”

“You should meet my Grandma Adams. Or maybe not! She’s crazier than Francesca’s mom! But Grandpa Adams is awesome!”

“You guys ready?” Mikey asked, getting up from the bench.

All three of us left the locker room and met the girls by the door to the ice. It was open skate, so we weren’t allowed to do much more than skate circles, though we could skate backwards if we wanted. When Mikey took Nicole’s hand and Jerry took Mia’s, Libby grabbed my hand and we skated as a couple.

“Are you OK with being ‘not the girlfriend’?” I asked.

“Hmm. We hang out together. We have a great time. You fuck me silly on command. Yep. I’m OK with it! Is something wrong?”

“No, it’s just I noticed we’re acting more and more like boyfriend and girlfriend.”

“And?”

I shrugged, “It was just an observation.”

“It wasn’t as good when you were dating Joy because we had to be careful not to cross any lines.”

“Yeah, I noticed.”

“If you could have a wish, would you wish for Francesca to come back?”

I took a deep breath and let it out, “I’m not sure. I mean, I guess if her mom wasn’t loony, sure.”

“You know, you used to instantly say ‘yes’ to those kinds of questions.”

“I guess I’m just confused. Francesca. Kelly. Joy. Can I say something without upsetting you?”

“Of course, Best Friend!”

“Things with you are so simple.”

Libby giggled, “Are you saying I’m easy, Jesse Block?”

“Of course not!” I chuckled. “You know what I mean. You and I get along great and we’ve never had a fight and the sex is out of this world.”

“Of course it is!” Libby declared. “I’m a sex goddess!”

“Yes, you are!”

“Will we have time to fool around tonight?”

“We’ll make time!” I declared.

🎤 Steve

“My parents will call home sometime around 10:00pm to check on me,” Marissa said as we walked into a diner in Oak Park to have a late breakfast.

“What are Mikey and Nicole doing?” I asked.

Marissa laughed softly, “The same thing I want to do with you!”

“Is he bringing her back to the house?”

“I’m not sure. I know they’ll be at your house until 10:00pm and then Mia’s bringing him and Nicole home.”

The hostess seated us and the waitress came over to offer us coffee. I asked for decaf, and Marissa declined. We placed our orders, and I had to give my exact instructions, something I never had to do at Alex’s place.

“What’s with that?” Marissa asked.

“You know about my special diet, but nearly every place I eat they have some ‘standard’ thing they do, or they make assumptions. So I simply tell them not to put any carbs of any kind on my plate, period.”

“It doesn’t bother you that I’m having pancakes?”

“No. I’m having bacon, so nothing else actually matters!”

Marissa laughed, “You sound like Mikey. He loves bacon!”

“Who doesn’t?!”

“Can I ask you something?”

“What?”

“Why have breakfast? You know what I want.”

“I do, but this is me making sure, and wanting to have a chance to talk to you.”

“About?”

“Anything you want, but mostly for me to be sure.”

“I may only be a Senior in High School, but a girl asking you to have sex with her seems to me to be a pretty good indication she wants to have sex with you!”

I chuckled, “Yes, that’s true. But it’s also the case that something that seemed like a good idea might seem otherwise when it’s about to happen.”

“I’ve been waiting for this for years! I was tempted to play the song from All the Right Moves that Lea Thompson played right before she and Tom Cruise,” she lowered her voice, “fucked.”

“What are you going to do if reality doesn’t live up to fantasy?”

“Kill you!” she giggled. “But seriously, I know how it works, and I have a pretty good imagination, but I don’t think I’ll be disappointed. I hope you aren’t upset, but I asked Natalie directly about it and she admitted what happened in Russia. I mean, I suspected, but I didn’t know. After talking to her, I decided I want to start coming to the Rap Sessions once I turn eighteen.”

“Which is when?”

“The end of July.”

“Where are you going to college?”

“Northwestern. I’m majoring in healthcare administration.”

“So you’re going for a Master’s in the end, right?”

“Yes. Doctor Jessica said there are going to be more and more jobs in that area.”

“Yes, there are. May I suggest a biochemistry minor?”

“That’s the same thing she said!”

“That doesn’t surprise me. It’ll give you the ‘hard science’ you need to talk to doctors. Granted, it’s not medical school, but I think it’s a good counter to the business side.”

“I’ll call my admissions counselor on Monday. Can I call you for advice the way Natalie does?”

“Yes, of course. And you can come to the Rap Sessions. You know having sex isn’t required, right?”

“Steve, I want you to fuck me!” she declared, her voice low but firm. “I’ve wanted that for more than two years!”

“Sorry,” I replied.

“Have you had someone freak out? Is that why?”

“It’s a long, long story and if you read Doctor Bethany’s book Smart Teens; Smart Choices you’ll understand.”

Marissa shook her head, “I don’t see how you could be worried about consent when I directly asked you to fuck me!”

She had a very good point, and I was suffering from Bethany’s constant reminders about consent. I agreed with her, but I knew I was overdoing it, and most likely so I could justify my actions to Bethany when I had no obligation to do so. In fact, the only obligations I had were to my wives and to the young woman sitting across the table from me.

“I’ll shut up now,” I replied.

Marissa laughed, “You’re so funny. Can I ask how you ended up married to two girls and having a live-in girlfriend?”

“Just lucky, I guess,” I teased.

“Mikey is jealous! But somehow I don’t think Nicole will put up with that!”

“Most girls won’t,” I replied. “It took a lot of hard work and a serious effort to find Kara and Jessica. And there were a lot of bad times, but we finally worked it out.”

“Two girls who would share you and let you have sex with other girls.”

“Yes. It goes back to a bunch of stuff that happened in Junior High and High School. Fundamentally, I don’t believe in monogamy.”

“Obviously!”

“I’m assuming you couldn’t share, right?”

“My husband? No.”

“So...”

“How can I be with you? I don’t think sex has to only be for marriage. I have the chance to do something I really want to do. It’s not like we’re going to be boyfriend and girlfriend, like you and Suzanne. It’s just going to be great sex!”

“I’ll do my best,” I chuckled as the waitress brought our food.

“There is one question,” I said as we began eating. “We can either use your bed, or I have a place we can go where nobody will see us.”

“That might be better so that nosy neighbors don’t see you come into the house. Where?”

“A loft apartment my company keeps for out-of-town staff. It’s empty this weekend because of Easter.”

“There would be fine. My fantasy didn’t involve doing it in my bed!”

“It was his bed in the movie, right?” I asked.

“Yes. She played her sax on the street corner outside his house. Maybe I should have worn my marching band uniform!”

“She was pretty cute.”

“I have the same cute butt though my boobs are a bit smaller.”

“I have a strong preference for small breasts.”

“Can I ask another question?”

“Yes, of course.”

“Why do you do this?”

“I suppose the trite answer is that it’s who I am. Different people have different theories as to why, but I have a very, very strong attraction to a very specific type of girl - intelligent, an athletic build, and small breasts. Usually a girl in her teens, and often, but not necessarily, a virgin.”

“And if I’d asked you at fifteen...”

“That’s a ‘What if?’ question about the past and I try not to spend too much time thinking about those kinds of questions because there are so many variables that it’s impossible to know the answer. There are so many considerations that I find it impossible to say anything with certainty.”

“So you explained why you were attracted, but why did you say ‘yes’?”

I smiled, “Because I didn’t have any good reasons to say ‘no’!”

“What would cause you to say ‘no’?”

“There are rules, even for me, though they’re rules I impose on myself - for example, no girls who work for my company, or who work with either of my wives, or practice at my karate dojo. Also, nobody who is in a committed relationship. And the age of consent is always a factor.”

“Uhm, why is it OK for you to be in a committed relationship, not the girl?”

“Because I fully understand the ramifications of what I’m doing, and my wives and I are completely in tune. I can’t be sure about what the other person’s spouse might think or how they might react, so it’s safer simply not to. There have been some rare exceptions to that rule, but following it has prevented a world of hurt. And I have zero interest in helping someone cheat.”

“Cheating is bad.”

“It is. Which is why my wives know everything. That’s another rule.”

“Is it OK to ask how old you were?”

“It is. I was fourteen and she was about ten years older.”

“Whoa! Fourteen?”

“Yes. But it was also in 1977; times were different.”

“I barely knew what sex was at fourteen!”

“Same here,” I chuckled. “But I had a very good teacher!”

“And if Birgit were doing what we’re going to do today?”

“It’s her business, not mine, unless I think she’s in some kind of danger.”

“You mean being abused or whatever?”

“Exactly. Everyone has to manage their own sex lives while being faithful to any commitments they make. And that includes teenagers.”

“No double standards like Mikey being able to date at fifteen when I had to wait until I was sixteen?”

“No. No double standards.”

“What else would cause you to say ‘no’?”

“If I thought the girl had improper or ulterior motives. If I felt she was expecting more from me than I was able to give. If she expected a long-term relationship or had designs on changing my relationship with my wives.”

“But Suzanne is long-term, right?”

“Yes, but there was basically a very specific role for her to fill. It’s a long story, but I’ve always had three girls who helped me manage my life. Usually, in the past, it was a girl who I considered my girlfriend and two others who were close. Sometimes I had sex with both the other girls, sometimes not. Suzanne stepped into the role which was open because of some things which changed in my life. But it took a long time to get to that point. And a very special person who could not only understand and accept the conditions, but embrace them.”

“Natalie told me you talk about stuff like this at the Rap Sessions and that it’s really helped her and Nicole figure out how they want to live their lives.”

“That’s part of the goal. The other part is to do something to counter the insanity that we see around us.”

“You mean about treating teenagers like little kids instead of like young adults?”

“Among other things.”

We finished our breakfast, I paid the bill, left a tip, and we walked out to my car.

“My turn for a question,” I said as I pulled out of the parking lot. “How much have you done?”

“Kissing, but that’s it. Even though I thought about it, I wasn’t really interested in doing it with either of the guys I dated. They were nice, but I just didn’t feel like I feel now.”

“And how do you feel now?”

Marissa giggled, “Truth?”

“Always the best.”

“That I want to be fucked! That I need to be fucked! My body is demanding to be fucked! By you! I want to feel your tongue in me! I want to feel your dick in me! I want to feel you cum in me!”

My right foot, seemingly on its own, pushed the accelerator towards the floorboards.

🎤 Birgit

I was sitting at my desk and had just turned on my computer, when there was a knock at my door.

“Birgit?” my mom called out.

“Come in!” I called back.

“I just came to check that your room was clean.”

I rolled my eyes. We had a domestic, but Mom had decided I needed to clean my own room. Of course, Winter cleaned MOM’S room, but if I complained, I knew I’d get some other chore I really didn’t want to do. And I knew if I complained to Dad, he’d say that cleaning my room would ‘build character’ and then he’d send me to Mom to get more chores! I loved my parents, but ... I stopped thinking that way, because I knew Mom would know!

“It’s clean, Mom. You could eat off the floor!”

Mom made a face, “No thanks! What are you doing today?”

“I was about to chat with Katy on Instant Messenger.”

“OK. I don’t see any clothes on the floor or any obvious dust, so I’ll leave you alone on your day off from school!”

“Thanks,” I replied.

She left and closed the door. I opened my chat and clicked on Katy’s name.

DadsPumpkin: Hi!
AppleOrchardKaty: Hi! How are you?
DadsPumpkin: Good. Parents are a pain!
AppleOrchardKaty: Oh, please! You have the best parents on the planet! What now?
DadsPumpkin: Mom came to check and make sure my room was clean!
AppleOrchardKaty: Perhaps if you hadn’t told her it was when it wasn’t in the past, she wouldn’t do that!
DadsPumpkin: That was TWO YEARS ago!
AppleOrchardKaty: Trust, but verify!
DadsPumpkin: This is me rolling my eyes!
AppleOrchardKaty: And this is me playing the world’s smallest violins for you. In stereo.
DadsPumpkin: Can I stay with you for the whole month of June?
AppleOrchardKaty: If you don’t mind sharing a room with Davey for a month. And if it’s OK with your parents.
DadsPumpkin: The parental units will be in Hawaii for a week.
AppleOrchardKaty: I was surprised you didn’t want to go.
DadsPumpkin: I’d rather visit you!
AppleOrchardKaty: And I’m glad to hear that! Was your room clean?
DadsPumpkin: Duh! And I did my laundry. And I put fresh towels out in my bathroom. And I made sure there were extra rolls of TP!
AppleOrchardKaty: You never complain about doing those things here!
DadsPumpkin: It’s different!
AppleOrchardKaty: Because you volunteer rather than being told. You don’t like to be told to do anything!
DadsPumpkin: So? You don’t like it! Neither does Dad!
AppleOrchardKaty: True! But don’t you think it’s your responsibility to keep your room clean?
DadsPumpkin: To MY standards!
AppleOrchardKaty: You sound like your dad talking about the government!
DadsPumpkin: Duh!
AppleOrchardKaty: Does he assign chores?
DadsPumpkin: No! It’s my moms!
AppleOrchardKaty: But he expects you to do things like help with dishes and things like that, right?
DadsPumpkin: Yes.
AppleOrchardKaty: And you do them, right? And you’re happy to do them?
DadsPumpkin: Oh shut up! 🙂🙂 <3
AppleOrchardKaty: Your dad always used to say ‘I hate you!’ when we made those points. What are you doing on your day off?
DadsPumpkin: Having lunch with my Muslim friend Fatimah at her house. I have to wear a scarf. Ugh.
AppleOrchardKaty: It’s polite.
DadsPumpkin: That’s what Dad says. No WAY could I live like that! They think boys are supposed to run everything and you know how dumb boys are!
AppleOrchardKaty: Including your dad?
DadsPumpkin: Especially my dad! 😉😉😉
AppleOrchardKaty: Maybe I should take a screenshot and show him!
DadsPumpkin: He knows! 😉
AppleOrchardKaty: You’re a goofball! I need to get to work! Chat soon! L8r!
DadsPumpkin: L8r!