Chapter 3: Unwarranted Assumptions

May 29, 1983, West Monroe, Ohio

"What happened yesterday?" Mom asked when I came downstairs on Sunday morning.

"What do you mean?"

"You and Tasha."

I shrugged, "I might have decided I'd had enough of Deacon Vasily and went to Tasha's house and announced we were going to Grant Park and that I'd have her to church for Vespers, and then after Vespers, announced we were going to Pizza Inn for dinner."

"What's the real story?" Mom asked with a knowing smile.

"That's the real story. Tasha stated she wasn't going to be held prisoner for something Sasha did, and her mom backed her."

"Which explains the pained look on Deacon Vasily's face. Whatever possessed you to confront him in that way?"

"Because someone convinced me I needed to be sure that Tasha and I would be happy and both have our needs met," I grinned.

"And from that, you went to Tasha's house and simply made demands."

"I talked to Janey in between. That's over and done with; for good, I might add. I also had an interesting talk with Liz. And one with Maggie."

"Maggie Schumacher?"

I nodded, "She was more than a little confused and put off by her experience at church."

"And?"

"On Friday night she said some things which she wanted to apologize for, and then we had a short talk. She left with Liz and Mindy to go meet their friends at the pool, and I decided to go get Tasha."

"So you two are a couple now?"

I shook my head, "No. We're going to get to know each other on our terms and decide where to go from there. She'll come visit me in McKinley when she can."

"And Deacon Vasily is going to allow that?"

"Does he REALLY have an option? Tasha will be eighteen in August. And as she pointed out to him when I told him I was going to take her to Grant Park, he can't expect her to get to know me and marry me if we're never allowed to spend time together. But it was Matushka who insisted he allow it. I'm going to take Tasha to lunch after Liturgy, and then I'll come back here to get my stuff before I head back to McKinley."

"When do you plan to come home again?"

"I don't have any plans in that regard. You're welcome to come see me in McKinley any time. Liz knows that, and I'm sure she'll come see me. I just need to be away, Mom. I believe you were the one who suggested that. Two years ago."

"Me and my big mouth," she laughed. "But I think I was right then and that you're right now."

"I also suggested to Tasha that she consider going to junior college when she graduates."

Mom nodded, "That would give her a bit of seasoning."

"I think she tastes good as is!" I smirked.

"I think it's time for you to go to church, Subdeacon Pig!"

"You love me anyway!"

"I do!"

I grinned, hugged her, and headed off to church.

May 29, 1983, McKinley, Ohio

I arrived back at Taft just after 4:00pm, having spent an enjoyable two hours with Tasha after church. I went into the dorm and up to the second floor, where I dropped my bag in room 200, my Summer living quarters. Once I double-checked that everything was in working order, I went to the basement and got a cart, then took the elevator to the eighth floor to begin moving my things.

As far as I could tell, I was the only one in the dorm, which made using the elevator much easier. It took about forty-five minutes to move everything and another twenty until I had everything in place. I'd need to repeat what I'd just done at the end of the Summer when I moved to room 800, but that was several months away.

I picked up the phone and dialed Nancy's number.

"Hi!" she said when she answered. "Are you back?"

"Yes. Still want to hang out?"

"Absolutely! Mom made enough spaghetti if you want to have dinner here, and then we can go out."

"I can be there in thirty minutes," I said.

"That's perfect!"

We said 'goodbye', and I took a quick shower in MY shower, then dressed in jeans and a T-shirt. I grabbed my baseball cap and then headed back out to my car. Twenty minutes later, I was at the Landers' front door, and Nancy let me in. Dinner was ready, so we went straight to the kitchen to eat spaghetti, garlic bread, and salad. At the end of the meal, Nancy and I cleaned up, then headed out to my car.

"What do you want to do?" I asked as I pulled out of the driveway.

"I'm up for pretty much anything," Nancy replied. "Movie? Bowling? Ice Cream? Milton Lake?"

"Is there something you want to see?"

"Breathless with Richard Gere and Valérie Kaprisky. You're OK with a movie rated 'R', right?"

I chuckled, "I'll get one of those fake noses with a mustache. But seriously, it's not a problem. I talked to my priest about it, and he basically said to avoid strip clubs, X-rated movies, and that kind of thing. I don't even know where those kinds of things ARE!"

Nancy laughed, "You've heard of Simon Leis, right?"

"The name rings a bell, but I can't place it."

"He's the prosecutor over in Cincinnati. He's the one who got the guy who publishes Hustler convicted on obscenity charges. There was other stuff that Cincinnati did that basically ensured there were no pornographic theatres or strip clubs. All that stuff was across the river in Kentucky."

I actually knew some vice had fled to Newport but had no clue about strip clubs or pornographic theatres.

"Good to know," I chuckled. "Not that I had any plans to go to any of those kinds of places even before I was ordained."

"How does your meal plan work over the Summer?"

"Once the session starts, it's the usual nineteen meals a week, which works out pretty well because I don't eat breakfast on Sunday mornings, and there's always food after the Divine Liturgy. Not to mention the occasional times I'll eat out."

"Are any of your friends here for Summer session besides Angie?"

"Just her. I'm sure I'll know some people, but nobody from my core group of friends."

"I'm free to hang out pretty much anytime you want, and you're always welcome at the house."

"Thanks. As an RA, I do need to be around campus. I'm not a prisoner or anything like that, but I do have to be available."

We arrived at the theatre and each bought our own tickets, then stopped at the concession stand to get popcorn and drinks. We found seats in the center, about halfway back, and about ten minutes later, the lights dimmed, and the 'Coming Attractions' trailers began. I found it amusing that 'trailers' appeared before the movie, but my grandfather had explained that in the past, they were shown at the end, but because people left the theatre as soon as the 'Feature Film' ended, they weren't very effective. That led to them going first. There were two upcoming movies I absolutely wanted to see — Trading Places and Octopussy. Wargames looked as if it might be fun, but the computer-based theme was kind of a turnoff.

I felt Breathless was decent, though I had real trouble believing that Valérie Kaprisky's character, Monica, an intelligent French architecture student, would risk everything for an affair with Richard Gere's character, Jesse, a cop killer. In the end, though, she realized the mistake she'd made and turned him in to the cops. The ending, a freeze-frame of Jesse turning to face the cops with a gun was perfect, because it left the TRUE ending to our imaginations.

"What did you think?" I asked Nancy as we left the theatre.

"I liked it. You?"

"It was pretty good. What do you want to do now?"

Nancy laughed softly, "After THAT movie? Do you even have to ask?"

I grinned, "I will admit that Valérie Kaprisky is smoking hot, and I very much enjoyed the display. Though I could have done without Richard Gere!"

"Men!" Nancy laughed. "Scared to death of another guy's thing!"

"Ice cream?" I asked, changing the subject.

"I suppose, if that's all that's available to lick!"

"The sex scenes got you all hot and bothered?"

"They didn't do the same for you?" she asked incredulously.

"I didn't say any such thing," I grinned.

"But you prefer we each lick our own ice cream cone?"

"Would you believe me if I said things are even more complicated now than they were three days ago?"

Nancy laughed, "With you? I'd believe it. May I say something about that?"

"Oh sure, why not?" I grinned. "Everyone ELSE is giving me advice!"

"You overthink things. Sure, some things DO need to be given serious consideration, but you overthink just about EVERYTHING. You should stop that. Sometimes, just doing the next logical thing is right. Sometimes, just doing what you want to do is right. Sometimes, just doing what feels good is right. But I agree, there are times when you DO need to think carefully."

"And you think this isn't one of those?"

"Not really, no."

"I tend to get in more trouble when I don't carefully consider the ramifications."

Nancy laughed, "I think you get in equal amounts of trouble either way! I'm not talking about doing obviously dumb stuff, but Mike, as much as I like you, I swear, you do NOT know how to have a good time!"

"You do know that I enjoy my life, minus my relationship drama, right? Just because my relationships are complicated doesn't mean I'm not having fun!"

"But even your 'fun' is carefully considered."

"By which, you mean who I have sex with, right?"

"Perhaps," she replied with a smirk. "In all seriousness, I do believe you overthink things quite often. It's part of your focused approach to life. I do understand it, and I'm NOT telling you to deviate from your career goals and the things you need to do to achieve them."

"So your definition of enjoying life and being fun would involve going back to my room?"

"And licking ice cream off each other!"

I chuckled, "That might be a bit cold."

"Not for long!" she laughed.

"You know my concern, right?"

"You STILL haven't learned to just play?" she asked, shaking her head in exasperation. "Have I asked you for anything? Tried to get back together with you? Told you I wanted to be your girlfriend?"

"You HAVE asked for sex," I grinned.

"You KNOW what I meant by that, you blockhead!"

"I do; I guess my difficulty is with the fact that we dated before."

Nancy shook her head and spoke firmly but quietly.

"And you think because I want to play, that means I'm going to try to get back together with you? Even after I told you that wasn't why? You either don't believe me or don't trust me. I'm not expecting anything. COULD we get back together? I have no clue. WOULD we if we could? I have no clue. Do I EXPECT it? No."

She had a reasonable point, but I also felt she was introducing ANOTHER complication. She didn't see it that way, obviously, but I did. I was sure it WAS related to the fact that we'd dated because I actually COULD play with Mindy and Kristin. Nancy and I had certainly enjoyed being with each other, even if our relationship was rocky, because we were both struggling with things from our past.

"So what do you expect?"

"Oh, for the love of ... are you kidding?" she laughed. "Or do I need to spell it out?"

"I guess I was asking if this was a one-time thing."

"I don't know. Do we NEED a plan? Or are you overthinking this?"

I took a deep breath and let it out. I was having flashbacks to my conversation with Janey and, before her, Melody. But Nancy's approach felt much more like a friend offering suggestions. She obviously had a goal, but I also knew she'd continue our relationship the way it was if I didn't change my mind.

"I'm probably overthinking it," I said. "I suppose the thing that most concerns me, taking into account what you've said, is my own approach to what amounts to casual sex."

"See, now THAT is a legitimate question. It's one I've had since I was fifteen. I always knew I'd have sex before I got married; it was really only a question of who and when, and how to decide. Your view was different, though."

"And I was conflicted from the start. I WANTED to have sex, but I was concerned about what it meant and how I could reconcile it with what the Church teaches. I got past it, at least partially, but I still struggle with what Melody called 'sexual ethics'. I guess I don't really have a complete answer, and I'm not quite sure how to develop a complete answer. It seems wrong to simply do whatever feels good and basically have no rules other than 'I want to do this'."

"I agree, and if you'll allow me to marshal one specific argument, you and I have already been together."

"An interesting point," I agreed, "but which only matters if counting partners is the important question. I'm not sure it is."

"May I ask you a question which is completely and totally inappropriate? And one which I'll understand if you refuse to answer?"

I nodded, "Ask."

"Have you ever just played? Just had sex to enjoy it without worrying about a relationship?"

"Yes."

"Which brings me right back to wondering why you have a problem with it. I keep coming back to you, not being sure you can trust what I'm telling you."

"Can I tell you the first thought that popped into my mind?"

"Sure."

"That the only way to prove you wrong is to agree to have sex with you, which would, I think, imply you don't trust ME if I say I believe you."

"Interesting. I'm not sure the logic actually works, but I understand what you're trying to say."

We reached Yellen's and walked inside. I ordered a turtle sundae, and Nancy ordered a cone with two scoops of vanilla. When the kid behind the counter handed us our orders, we went outside to sit on a bench next to the building.

"Plain vanilla?" I asked. "Are you THAT boring?"

"EXCUSE ME?!" she responded in mock outrage.

"I meant in your taste for ice cream, of course."

"You did not, and you know it!" she laughed. "Switching topics, sort of, how much do you think we'll hang out together?"

"I don't know, really. We'll see each other every weekday at the Quick Mart, and when we feel like it, we can do stuff. I have to watch how much I spend, just as I did before, but there's plenty of stuff to do where we don't have to spend much, if any, money. And I mean BESIDES that, my smirking friend!"

Nancy laughed, "It is free entertainment!"

"It's never free," I said soberly.

"You're lucky I want to eat my ice cream instead of dumping it over your head!"

"Why were you asking about hanging out?"

"Just curious. I was surprised when you told me last time you wanted to hang out occasionally. I'll spend time with 'Miss Delicious' and some of my other friends who are around for the Summer."

"How is Barbara?"

Nancy laughed, "Still giving expert blowjobs and saving herself for 'Mister Right'. She's going to Bowling Green in the Fall."

"So she'll have a whole new crop of guys to choose from?"

"She REALLY wants to meet someone who isn't from McKinley High."

"I'm not from McKinley High," I grinned.

"Hey, Buster! You told me there was a new champ!"

"I did say that, didn't I?"

"And do you remember what I said? I mean, later?"

"That it fit perfectly. It did, by the way."

"So, finish your ice cream, and let's go play!"

"Would it upset you if I say not tonight?"

"Frustrate me? Yes. Upset me? No."

We finished our ice cream, and I took Nancy home. I walked her to the door, and we exchanged a hug, and when she went inside, I walked back to my car for the drive back to the dorm.

May 30, 1983, McKinley, Ohio

On Monday morning, which was Memorial Day, I rose with my alarm, said my morning prayers, ran, then showered in my private shower. The building was completely quiet, and for the next four days, the only people around would be the cleaning and maintenance staff who were preparing the building for the Summer session. After my shower, I dressed, ate some Pop-Tarts, drank some grapefruit juice, and headed to the Quick Mart for my 6:00am shift.

Mr. Sokolov was already in the store, which wasn't open, so I knocked on the glass door to get his attention, and he let me in.

"Good morning, Mikhail Petrovich!"

"Good morning, Mr. Sokolov! Where shall I start?"

"Double-stock the beer and pop, we're going to need it! And fill the front freezer with bags of ice from the freezer in the stockroom."

"Yes, Sir!"

I had about five minutes before the store opened, so I quickly went to the back room and put on my smock, then went to the storage cooler and began moving individual bottles and cases of beer, as well as cartons of pop, to the hand truck. When it was fully loaded, I pulled it behind me to the area of the store where the coolers were and began re-stocking them. Any extra cartons and cases were set on the floor in front of the racks, where people could see them and get to them. I returned to the back room, filled the hand truck with bags of ice, and filled the freezer at the front of the store.

Those tasks completed, I walked the store, making mental notes of things which needed to be replenished. On holidays, we were responsible for stocking the 'warm' shelves with pop, rather than the Coke or Pepsi guy, and the same was true for the chips, rather than the Frito-Lay guy. By the time I finished, Mr. Sokolov had already waited on a steady stream of customers keen to get an early start to their Memorial Day holiday.

Nancy arrived at 8:00am, and I'd already replenished the cold beer, charcoal, and lighter fluid. By the time I finished my shift at 3:00pm, Milton Lake would be teeming with people, and all the good spots would be taken. I'd decided I was just going to hang out on campus rather than go to the lake.

There was a lull after 9:00am, and once I made sure there were no empty shelves, I went to the front of the store.

"Mikhail Petrovich," Mr. Sokolov said, "tomorrow when Nancy arrives, I'll leave the store. I'd like you to handle deliveries, please."