Chapter 17: A Draft Pick

October 20, 1995, Chicago, Illinois

She waited a few seconds and the attorneys all shook their heads.

“As you all know, I have reports from DCFS, the mediator, and the guardian ad litem who I appointed. I’ve also conducted an interview with Marcia. It’s my job, as judge, to decide this case solely on Marcia’s best interests. At sixteen, she is old enough, and has demonstrated sufficient maturity, such that her wishes must be given very serious consideration.

“I am, as are all Family Court judges, generally reticent to change a joint custody agreement, but when the parents disagree on a fundamental issue, and no resolution appears possible, I’m forced to act. Marcia, I need to ask you some questions.”

“OK, Your Honor,” Marcia replied.

“Do you wish to live with your father?” the Judge asked.

“Yes, Your Honor.”

“And you wish to practice karate?”

“Yes, Your Honor.”

“Then it is my judgment that sufficient cause exists, and it is in the best interest of Marcia Ingles, a minor, that Robert Ingles be granted sole legal and physical custody of Marcia Ingles. Jillian Ingles will be granted visitation rights, though this is at Marcia’s full discretion. In addition, as of October 31st, all child support payments are hereby suspended. Marcia, you are to move to your father’s house as soon as he can make the necessary arrangements.

“Now, after hearing the testimony today, and drawing the obvious inferences, I’m going to amend my custody order. Mr. Miller, if Marcia returns to your dojo, she is to have no unsupervised contact with Mr. Adams until after her seventeenth birthday. You’re responsible to me for this order being followed. Mr. Adams, I won’t issue an order against you personally, but I expect you to follow the custody order.

“The clerk will publish the order to all parties.”

She banged her gavel and we all stood as she left the courtroom.

“She did you a HUGE favor,” Gwen said quietly. “The LAST thing you want is your name on an order of protection!”

“How the heck did they get the DCFS information?” I asked.

“I suspect they ran you through their system. Your name will be in there because there was an investigation. The DCFS investigator has to be thorough, so I’m sure she ran Mr. Miller’s name through the system as well.”

“What does ‘unsupervised’ mean in this context?” Sensei Jim asked.

“Just don’t let them be alone together at the dojo or any events. So long as there are people around, you’ll be fine. But you also need to closely monitor how he teaches her and his interactions with her.”

“Will do. Thanks, Ms. Meyer.”

“Yes; thanks, Gwen!”

“You’re both welcome. And I see a very happy young woman coming our way!”

Marcia walked over to us and greeted us, and we returned the greetings.

“When is your seventeenth birthday?” Sensei Jim asked Marcia when she came up to us.

“January 12th.”

“Are you planning to come back to the dojo?”

“Yes, of course! And I want to compete in the Thanksgiving and Boxing Day Tournaments!”

“I think it’s in all of our best interests if I train and coach you for those two. Once you turn seventeen, and we’re not under the judge’s order, Steve can train you again.”

“Why seventeen?” she asked.

“That’s the age of consent in Illinois,” Gwen said. “Basically, the judge understands what your mom was trying to say without it having been said directly, and the judge’s order acknowledges that.”

“You mean she thinks me and Sensei Steve...”

“That is what she’s afraid of,” Gwen said.

“That’s my MOM, not me!” she protested. “I like boys my own age! Sensei Steve is nice and all, but he’s twice my age! Ewww!” Then realizing what she’d said, she added, “Uh, sorry.”

I laughed, “There’s nothing to be sorry about. I’m actually VERY happy you feel that way!”

“Me too,” Sensei Jim added, “for obvious reasons. When will we see you at the dojo?”

“A week from tomorrow, according to my dad. He wants to meet with you.”

“Have him call me and we’ll set up a time,” Sensei Jim said. “We’re glad to have you back!”

She smiled and went to join her dad. Jillian Ingles walked past, and simply glared frostily at us.

“Don’t speak to her,” Gwen said quietly. “Either of you. If she calls, simply decline to have a conversation. Marcia’s dad has sole legal and physical custody, which means her mom has no parental rights. Everything needs to go through Marcia’s dad, or Marcia, once she’s eighteen.”

“Gwen, can I ask you a question?”

“I’m billing you by the hour, so sure!” she smirked.

She was referring to my ongoing complaining about attorneys. I just shook my head and smiled in amusement.

“How much trouble could I be in if I claimed, in court, to be married to both Jessica and Kara?”

“To be frank, I have no idea. Illinois doesn’t have laws against you claiming to be married when you aren’t, and you file your taxes properly, and are careful in any interactions with the government. But, as you well know, and referred to today, Illinois still makes fornication and adultery illegal. A lot would depend on the circumstances and the decision of the judge and prosecutor. Judge Teague got the picture, and you deftly answered in a way which confirmed what Mrs. Ingles’ attorney was saying was accurate, but in a way such that the judge didn’t have to take official notice of. That’s the OTHER reason she didn’t issue a protective order.”

“Do you think any of that was in the DCFS report?”

“It’s possible, but they didn’t contact you, so I suspect all they found was that there was an investigation which was closed as having found no evidence and with an order issued by the Family Court protecting you. I suspect they didn’t put any details into the report to avoid any chance of you coming after them. But Mrs. Ingles’ attorney would have seen your name listed, and that’s why she probed. She was stuck, really, because she had to ask blind.”

“Something one should never do in court!” I said.

“Not if you can avoid it. That’s why depositions are so helpful, but Judge Teague felt they were unnecessary because the only issue appears to have been with regard to the unsupervised contact. Mrs. Ingles’ refusal to compromise doomed her, especially given Marcia’s obvious preference.”

“Ms. Meyer, do you think I need to have only female instructors coach female students?” Sensei Jim asked.

Gwen shook her head, “No, Mr. Miller, I don’t think so. Just be smart. After all, what if Jesse’s mom was an instructor?”

I couldn’t help but laugh, “I’ve had PLENTY of instruction from Jennifer since we were fourteen! Just not about karate!”

“Good,” Sensei Jim said, ignoring my wisecrack. “I would really hate to be in a position where I had to promote someone who wasn’t ready just to keep the jackals at bay. I swear, some days I think taking on the Việt Cộng was easier than fighting the lunacy that American society has become. The next five years are going to be LONG.”

“Five years?” Gwen asked.

“I’m retiring to Japan. Steve, Will, and Therese will take over the dojo.”

“How are you going to have time, Steve?” Gwen asked.

“That’s why there are three of us. We’ll get help from other black belts as well. Our goal, Sensei Jim’s and mine, is that when he finishes college, Will is going to become the master of the dojo.”

“You outrank him, don’t you?”

“Yes, but you heard what I said about ranks above 3rd Dan. It’s a problem easily resolved by the head of our school in Japan. And there is literally nothing which says that the highest-ranking belt is the official head of the school. That’s up to the master of the school in Japan as well.”

“Interesting. Well, unless there is something else either of you need, I’m going to head back to my office.”

Sensei Jim and I both shook our heads and Gwen left the courtroom. He and I followed her out but stopped in the hallway.

“You’re OK with my plan?”

“Of course. You’re my Sensei.”

He smiled, “That’s not what I asked, Steve-san.”

“Yes, I’m OK with your plan. It makes perfect sense. I have no objections.”

He smiled, “Good.”

We shook hands and then walked out to our cars.

October 22, 1995, Racine, Wisconsin

“I’d say that’s VERY good news,” Molly said as we cuddled in her bed on Sunday morning.

“I agree. I’d have told you sooner if you hadn’t dragged me right to your bedroom from the front door!”

Molly laughed, “I have about fifteen years to make up for! We can have brunch whenever you’re ready.”

“I think I’ll have another serving of Wisconsin Beaver before we go downstairs!”

I pulled Molly on top of me and we kissed deeply for a few minutes before she slowly impaled herself on my shaft and gently rode me to a fantastic mutual orgasm. We cuddled for a bit, then showered and went downstairs to breakfast wearing only robes.

“The only downside of the situation is that Sensei Jim is going to coach her for the two local tournaments at Thanksgiving and Christmas.”

“Why?”

“Because the judge, acting out of an abundance of caution, said I should have no unsupervised contact with Marcia until she turns seventeen. Sensei Jim felt it would be easier if he coached her.”

Molly laughed, “They think she wants to fuck you!”

“Her mom does,” I said. “Want to fuck me, I mean. Marcia decidedly does not!”

“According to whom? I’ve seen how she looks at you!”

“And she made a point of telling me and Sensei Jim I was ‘old’, even saying ‘eww!’ about the thought.”

“Then she’s a damned good actress!” Molly laughed.

“You do know it’s possible to find someone attractive, and be enamored in them, and not want to have sex with them, right?” I asked, popping some bacon into my mouth.

“Yes, of course. Care to make a wager?”

“That depends on the stakes,” I smirked.

“I see that evil smile! What debauchery do you have in mind?”

I shrugged, “I can think of lots of things!”

“Well, I’ll win so I’m not worried. On or about her seventeenth birthday, she’s going to offer to have sex with you.”

I shook my head, “No, she won’t. I’m confident what she said to us was true. It’s her MOM who would have come on to me if I hadn’t revealed details of my private life. But let’s forget about Marcia for now.”

“You won’t take the bet?”

“You’re THAT confident?” I grinned. “Confident enough that if I win I get to tie you up and take you ANY and EVERY way I want?”

Molly gasped, “You are NOT putting it there! Period!”

I chuckled, “Suddenly, you aren’t so confident!”

“Never mind!”

“Uh-huh,” I said smugly.

“Just eat your brunch!”

“And then you?” I smirked.

“Right here? On the kitchen table?”

“It is the place to eat, isn’t it?”

We finished brunch, and I did exactly that, pleasuring her with my lips and tongue, then taking her, hard, bent over the table.

“Damn,” she gasped when she stood up, her knees wobbly, “Why the hell did I wait so long for this?”

“I have no idea,” I grinned. “But I’m not complaining!”

“Come on, let’s shower again and go for a walk.”

Fifteen minutes later, we were walking hand-in-hand along her street.

“How are things with your Sensei?” I asked.

“Frosty. I think he knows it’s only a matter of time before I ask him to let me be your student. And I think he knows he really has no option but to agree. I figure sometime in the Spring.”

“You do remember our relationship has to change at that point, right?”

“Yes, of course. You’re a fantastic lover, but in the end, this is a fling; my first fling ever. It’s glorious, but it can’t last. You said so yourself back when I first teased you about it. I’m not some dreamy-eyed sixteen-year-old with fantasies of you being in love with me!”

“There is something to be said for Ben Franklin’s opinion on the matter, though you wouldn’t pass his test!”

“He liked older women?”

“Experienced women. For him, taking a girl’s virginity held the potential for WAY too much drama. Not to mention their lack of bedroom skills!”

“You didn’t complain!” Molly laughed.

“I’m not Ben Franklin!”

“Before we go back to talking about karate and mentoring, I’m curious about something.”

“What’s that?” I asked.

“Would you have done anything differently if you would have known I was a virgin?”

“Probably not. It’s different at twenty-eight than at sixteen, or whatever. You’re more likely to be able to handle it emotionally without regret, and as physically active as you are, there was not much chance of you having an intact hymen.”

“Is that really an issue? The hymen I mean?”

“Mostly, no; but there was one girl who, to use her own words, bled ‘like a stuck pig’ when we did it. But that’s a rarity. Mostly it’s either just like a tiny pinch according to the girls, or no feeling at all because it’s thin or non-existent. Not every virgin bleeds, contrary to popular myth!”

“You sound as if you have quite a bit of experience in that area; I mean with virgins.”

I shrugged, “Enough. But the real concern is emotional. I talked to you enough that I knew you wanted to have sex, and had a clear mind about it. That’s what I’ve done with nearly every partner in the past. I’ve been accused of talking them to death or making them wait far too long!”

“So you could be sure?”

“Exactly. Ben Franklin’s admonition has some truth to it, though I think he exaggerates a bit.”

“And my lack of experience?”

I shrugged, “I can be as crazy as you can imagine; perhaps even crazier; but I’ve had no complaints. Just regular, slow, sweet lovemaking is what I prefer. And, to answer your next question, I actually prefer to be with girls with less experience because I enjoy the teaching and exploration.”

“Kind of like with karate?”

“Yes, and teaching and mentoring in general.”

“I suspect teaching someone about sex is WAY more fun!” Molly teased.

“Short term? Probably. But what really makes me happy is seeing someone I’ve mentored succeed. Those benefits are public and long-lasting. Sex is, in the end, ephemeral.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean in and of itself, it’s simply two bodies generating pleasure for themselves and the other person. Or, it’s for reproduction. What it MEANS is a whole different thing, and very difficult to pin down.”

“Are you saying it’s just physical between us?”

“Is it?” I asked gently.

“I’m not sure how to answer that question.”

“Thus making my point, at least partially. How we feel about it changes over time. Do you feel the same way about it now as you did when you offered the USDA Prime Wisconsin Beaver in Chicago?”

“USDA Prime SHAVED Wisconsin Beaver!” she laughed. “But no. And how I feel changed since the first time we were together.”

“OK. And do you think how you feel today will be how you feel in six months?”

“No, probably not.”

“And it will be different with a steady boyfriend or husband, just as it would have been different if you’d lost your virginity at fifteen instead of twenty-eight.”

“I think I see your point. So what does this mean to you?”

“In this case? It’s my usual way of bonding with someone I want to have an intimate relationship with.”

“Uh, aren’t they the same thing?”

“No. If you do become my student, we’ll have a very intimate relationship, but we won’t be having sex. Sex can be part of an intimate relationship, but it’s not necessary in order to have one.”

“Didn’t you just say it was?”

“Yes. In this case, it is, for now. But it won’t be.”

Molly shook her head, “Every time we talk about deep subjects, I get confused. It seems to make sense, then suddenly you upend the apple cart!”

“Which has the result of making you think,” I replied. “And that’s going to happen for as long as I’m mentoring you. If nothing else, you’ll come out of this with a much better understanding of yourself, which is, actually, the entire point.”

“So us fucking is about me discovering myself?”

“Partly, yes. I’d push you into self-discovery even if we weren’t having sex.”

Molly laughed, “It’s a LOT more fun this way!”

“So, about karate?”

“I want to improve my focus and become more spiritually attuned. You know, be more like you.”

“Careful what you ask for!” I chuckled.

“Seriously? You seem as if you have it all together! A large, happy family, a successful business, and a gold stripe on your belt!”

“And you have NO idea of the drama which I’ve either generated or been part of over the past twenty years or so.”

“Which means I can have the benefit of that pain without having to go through it myself!”

“One of the first lessons I learned was that if you seek to avoid suffering, you’ll suffer even worse!”

“How so?”

“The harder you try to avoid suffering, the more painful that suffering you do experience becomes, precisely because you’re working so hard to avoid it and failing. It’s much better to accept suffering as a normal part of our lives and work through it. It’s OK to seek to minimize it, but trying to avoid completely is a fool’s errand.”

“Where did you learn that?”

“From reading a book by a Roman Catholic monk who spent a lot of time studying Eastern wisdom. His name is Thomas Merton, and the book is called The Seven Storey Mountain. I’d like you to read that, please. It’ll be in your local library, even in Wisconsin!”

“Jerk!” she laughed. “Why that book?”