Chapter 96: That’s An Understatement If There Ever Was One!

July 31, 1997, Saint Petersburg, Russia

Our kids lost their first game in Saint Petersburg by a score of 5-4. They’d gone down 5-1, before storming back with three goals split amongst Nicole, Jake, and Tim. Jesse had been strong, but his defensemen weren’t up to the challenge, and our side gave up twice as many shots as we took, which meant the final score was not nearly as bad as it might have been.

I’d been a bit worried about Natalie after the conversation at breakfast, but she’d been very careful for the rest of the morning, and during the hockey game, to act exactly as she had in the preceding days. She talked with me, but not excessively, and didn’t say anything that might even hint at what had happened. The one exception was the seriously improved attitude her parents were seeing.

That evening I had a private dinner with Vanya and Dima at Vanya’s apartment, where we discussed business and how we might be able to cooperate on things beyond the two NIKAs. Vanya had been in touch with Matthew Archer in London, and arranged for him to visit Moscow for a meeting with Lyudmila. We drank, but I was careful not to drink too much, as I was expecting a visitor when I returned to the hotel, which I did just before midnight.

I unlocked my door, walked into the room, shut the door and stopped dead in my tracks.

“How did you get in here?” I asked.

Natalie smiled, “I wasn’t sure when you would get back. The bellboy was cute and I flirted a bit and told him this was my room, and that my dad had gone out with some friends and hadn’t left me the key. He let me in. There were two beds, so it’s not like he got the wrong idea.”

I wondered about that, but put the thought aside.

“For the future, you really should ask before you do something like this.”

“Are you upset?”

I shook my head, “No, I’m simply giving you advice. I think in this specific case, you judged correctly, but you do need to be careful.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t ask. I should have.”

“Let’s not worry about that now.”

“Did you like how my dad thanked you for having sex with me?” she smirked.

“He had NO idea what he was saying! Let’s sit down and talk for a bit.”

“You don’t want to...”

“I do, but I want to know how you feel and what you’re thinking. Come sit in my lap and we can cuddle.”

I sat down in a comfortable chair and she came to sit on my lap. She drew her legs up and I wrapped my arms around her. We exchanged a few soft kisses, then she rested her head on my shoulder.

“I feel like I’m a different person,” she said. “Like I walked through a door into a whole new world. But not just because we had sex. It really started when you talked to me as if I was an adult. You heard Mom and Dad say they really wanted us to call you ‘Mr. Adams’, but you want me to call you by your first name. And you listened to me, which adults almost never do. That made me feel special, though not as special as last night. Do you want me to tell you about that?”

“If you want, yes.”

“It was the most amazing thing I’ve done in my entire life, and when you first put it all the way in me, it was as if suddenly I was complete. It was weird at first, as I felt it spreading me apart, and the feeling was so different from anything I’ve ever felt. And then when you moved, I felt empty, but then immediately full again. Each time I had an orgasm, it was like my brain short-circuited. And then when you had yours, it was so warm, and I felt like I had lost complete control of my body.

“Then, when I took you in my mouth, I was amazed at how soft and hard you were, and how I could make you feel so good. I wondered if it felt as good for you as when you put your tongue inside of me, and I guess it did, because I made you orgasm. It was so cool when you pulsed, and I was a bit surprised when the first spurt hit the back of my mouth, but then it was like I was drinking you in. I like how it was warm, and sticky, and it didn’t taste bad at all. And I guess you don’t think so because you kissed me.”

“You kissed me after I had my tongue in you,” I said.

“Oh!” Natalie gasped. “I didn’t even think about that! I mean, you tasted different, but I didn’t even think about why! Do you like how I taste?”

“Very much. Now, how do you feel, right now?”

“Safe,” she said after a moment. “Special. Loved.”

“And how do you feel about me?”

“You mean am I in love with you?”

“Are you?”

She was quiet for a moment, “I love you, but it seems different from how I felt about my first boyfriend. I’m not sure I can explain, and maybe it seems weird, but it’s more how like I love my dad than how I felt about my first boyfriend.”

“There are many kinds of love,” I replied. “I love Mrs. Jaeger, but we’re not in love with each other.”

“She’s just so awesome. How long did you date?”

“Off and on for a couple of years, until she met her husband, Kurt.”

“Nicole will have her this year, because she’s starting sixth grade.”

“What did Nicole say?”

Natalie laughed, “We were a few minutes late coming down from breakfast because we were still talking. She was super curious, and we share everything, so I told her all about it. She won’t tell, I promise.”

“You know your sister better than anyone, I’m sure.”

“She’s a great sister. She thinks you’re totally cool, and she really likes Jesse, but just as friends.”

“For now?” I asked.

Natalie laughed, “Nicole doesn’t think that way because she hasn’t had her first period, but I think once she does, she might want to be Jesse’s girlfriend.”

And if so, she’d have to take a number and get in line! I was sure that my son was going to enjoy his teenage years, as the gaggle of girls who were interested in him grew by the day.

“Remember,” I said, “boys develop slower than girls, so it might be a few years.”

“I remember that from health class. Nicole will have her first class this year, though I think she already knows more than the teacher!”

“Just how detailed were you?”

“Very! What I told you before was just part of what I told her.”

“Now I have a difficult question for you - what happens after Monday night?”

She sat up and looked me in the eyes, “I want to keep talking to you. I mean, like talking, not, you know, having sex. Well, I would want to do that if I could, but I guess what we do in Russia has to stay in Russia.”

“I’ll be happy to talk to you, at least as much as your parents allow it. As for sex, you need to develop relationships with boys closer to your age. The fact that you have to sneak in here should tell you that.”

“I know. I knew when I came here last night it might only be last night, but I wanted it. I wanted it to be with you. I couldn’t think of anyone better to be the first person I had sex with. You were wonderful, and if this has to be the last time, I’ll be a bit sad, but I’ll understand. Can I ask you something?”

“Sure.”

“If it were possible, would you want to in the future sometime? I mean after we go home?”

“So long as you understand what it means and what is actually possible.”

“You mean, if I thought you could be my boyfriend, or marry me or whatever?”

“Yes.”

“That would be like a fantasy or a fairy tale, and I know those aren’t real. I didn’t ask you for anything except to take me to bed and teach me.”

“That’s true.”

“Would you? Take me to bed? Now?”

I answered by standing up, carrying her to the bed, and making love with her until we both were thoroughly satisfied and then fell asleep.

August 1, 1997, Saint Petersburg, Russia

On Friday morning, after a wonderful shower with Natalie, I went for my morning run. As I ran through the streets of the city, I realized just how intoxicating Natalie was. In some ways, it felt very much like my relationship with Liz, though obviously not quite so fully developed. In a way, though, it was already deeper, because Liz and I had never seriously gotten into philosophy. There really hadn’t been a need, as she’d been what I would call a ‘well-adjusted teenager’ when we’d first met. Natalie had all the necessary skills and attitudes, but had needed a push from someone to get there.

For some reason my mind drifted across the Baltic Sea to a lonely churchyard where Birgit had been laid to rest. That sea had claimed her life nearly twenty years in the past, but her smile remained, as did the memories of our single time together, memories which were burned into my mind, never to be forgotten. Had she lived, things would have been so different as to be unrecognizable, and I wondered, briefly, what they might have been like.

As I neared the end of my run, I pushed those ‘What if?’ thoughts from my mind, and simply savored the old memories. Of first seeing a cute blonde girl sitting in the seat behind mine in homeroom. Of the first time I heard her voice. Of our first kiss which led to a single glorious afternoon in my bed. Of our plans for the future. And, something I certainly didn’t savor, everything turning to ashes with the terrible message relayed by Melanie.

And I wondered if somehow that was what it was about Natalie. She had, perhaps, a vague resemblance to Birgit, though she was a very different person. But perhaps, somehow, Fate, or some other force, was showing me what Birgit might have been like had she lived and had I joined her in Stockholm during my exchange year. It confused me somewhat, because it made no sense. And yet, in some strange way, it did.

As I walked past the hotel to cool down, something struck me. I’d always had a strong preference for girls who were fifteen or sixteen, and had never quite understood why. Was it because of Birgit? Had I, for the past twenty years, been trying to recapture that magic? Trying to live a ‘What if?’ that could never, ever come to fruition? As I thought about it, it made sense - Penny, Jacqui, LeAnn, Hope, Fawn, Tina, Emily, Samantha, and, perhaps most importantly, Sakurako. And now Natalie.

As I turned back towards the entrance to the hotel, my train of thought instantly derailed and I stopped dead in my tracks. Kelly was standing there, her hands on her hips.

“Do that little girl’s parents know she’s sneaking into your room?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” I replied evenly.

“Yes, you do. What do you think they’ll do if they find out?”

“Do you really think I’m going to sleep with you because you threaten me? If so, you’re out of your mind. I’ve been threatened with blackmail by billionaires and Mafia dons. I’ve faced down trained killers. If you want to play your little games, go ahead. But be warned, I WILL tell your husband about you coming on to me, and I’ll get Mary Sarcu to tell him about your escapades on hockey trips when he’s not along!”

She laughed, “Do you know what ‘cuckold’ means?”

“Oh, I do, but I strongly suspect you’re bluffing. In fact, I can see it in your eyes. I play WAY too much poker to not be able to read someone who is so simple. Your husband doesn’t know. And you know that if he finds out, you’re finished. And you don’t want to be, for some reason, or you would have left him. Go on, fire your bolt. You won’t destroy me, but the counter-battery fire will wipe you out. Not to mention the fact that you have nothing against me except your own words. No proof. Nothing.”

“What if I do?”

“I don’t see how that’s possible, but I’ll play your little game. If you present some kind of ‘proof’ which the Heaths accept, then I’ll speak with them and we’ll work it out like adults. In the end, the only person you’ll hurt is Natalie. Well, and yourself, when your husband kicks you out and files for divorce for cause, and I ensure he has the best divorce lawyer in the state.”

“What cause?”

“As I said, you came on to me. And Mary Sarcu knows who you’ve been with. And, if you want to get down to brass tacks, I’m enough of a cold-hearted bastard to fuck you senseless and then tell your husband I’d done so! Care to take THAT chance?”

“You’re a real asshole!” she growled angrily.

I shrugged, “I’m not the one cheating on my spouse, so what does that make YOU?”

“Fuck you!” She spat. “And it’s just sex!”

“Care to take a wager on your husband’s opinion about that? In fact, I’ll wager that the outcome between me and the Heaths is less contentious than between you and your husband. You see, you have NO idea what is going on. None. You’ve made assumptions, but you have no proof.”

“Why would a fifteen-year-old girl go to a grown man’s room?”

Her response suggested to me that she had no proof, and I wondered if she actually knew, or if she thought the threat alone would scare me into sleeping with her. She wasn’t bad looking, and she might even be fun, but the one rule which I could never violate was the one with regard to cheating. Kelly wasn’t like Elena, by ANY stretch of the imagination.

“To talk philosophy? To get advice? To have a sounding board for talking to her parents? You see, I run gatherings at my house where we do that all the time, and with kids who are in High School. I’m also a karate instructor, and I work with teens there as well. The point of both those things is exactly what I said - to talk philosophy, to mentor them, and to prepare them for the adult world. I’d wager you don’t even do that for your son!”

“He’s eleven!”

“So is Jesse,” I replied. “And HE is more adult than you are! Now, if you don’t mind, I’m going to have a shower, and I’d appreciate it if you stay away from me. If you don’t, I WILL talk to your husband. That’s not a threat, it’s a promise.”

I walked past her, and into the hotel, deciding to take the stairs rather than wait for the elevator and risk having her near me. As I climbed, I wondered if I should have Natalie tell her parents about her visits, albeit without revealing the details of exactly what happened. I reached my room, stripped off my running clothes, then got into the shower.

As I showered, I weighed the possible outcomes and the possible risks. They didn’t strike me as the type to involve the authorities, and given that the age of consent in Russia was fifteen, the Russian authorities would do nothing. American law was a bit trickier, but I hadn’t brought her to Russia, and I hadn’t violated any local laws. It might be difficult, but in the end, I felt nothing would come of it.

It did, on the other hand, have a potential to completely disrupt the trip and the tournament. Depending on how upset the Heaths were, they might even pull Nicole from the team, but I doubted it would come to that, and if necessary, I’d find some other place to stay, perhaps Vanya’s apartment, for the duration, avoid the group, and change my flight back. Natalie would certainly be hurt by that, but I felt she could manage it, even if it was difficult.

That led me to the question of what to do. I wondered exactly how Kelly knew Natalie had visited me. Natalie had assured me that she hadn’t been seen coming to my room, but unless she was practicing spy tradecraft, it was always possible someone had seen her without being seen. I could ask Natalie if she had seen Kelly, and perhaps get a clue from that. I quickly finished in the shower, dried off, dressed, and called Natalie’s room. Nicole answered and handed the phone to Natalie.

“Hi,” I said. “I need to ask you something. Did you see Brandon’s mom, Kelly, either when you were coming to my room or after you left?”

“I passed her in the hall this morning, but I had turned the corner when I saw her, so she couldn’t know where I was. Why?”

“She threatened to tell your parents you visited me.”

“No!” she gasped.

“Relax,” I replied. “I don’t think she will, and I’m certain she doesn’t know anything. All she can do is say she saw you in the hallway this morning. And you weren’t near my room.”

“But what if my parents ask?”

“Then you tell them you came to talk to me and see how they react. You tell them you went back to your room because I was going to run. But unless they ask, it’s better not to say anything.”

“Can I see you tonight? I want to.”

“Let me think about the risks, OK? Remember what I said?”

“Yes. Can we spend time together today?”

“As much as your parents will allow, but just like yesterday.”

“Friends.”

“Yes. Brandon’s mom will be watching for ANYTHING she can use against us. I mean, even you touching my arm, or anything like that.”

“Why is she being like this?”

“Why do you think?” I asked lightly.

“Oh!” Natalie laughed. “She’s jealous because SHE wants to sleep with you! And you won’t. Bummer for her!”

I chuckled, “Just play it cool, and things will work out.”

“I can do that. I’ll talk to Nicole. She’ll be cool.”

“Thanks.”

I felt much better about the situation, though I had no way of knowing for sure what Kelly would do, nor if there was any safe way to see Natalie again. The latter was fully dependent on the former, but there were also other reasons not to risk it. And I knew that our burning desire to be with each other would cause us to take inappropriate risks if we weren’t cautious about how we handled things.

At breakfast, Kelly glared at me but I simply ignored her. I was reasonably sure nothing would be said, and given what I’d said to her, I seriously doubted she’d make another attempt to seduce me or threaten me. After all, I’d told her quite directly that if I did have sex with her, I’d tell her husband, and I was positive that he wasn’t openly a cuckold.