Chapter 81: A Midnight Phone Call

April 27, 1984, McKinley, Ohio

"I think I've finally recovered," I said as Lara and I headed to the movies on Friday evening.

"Sleep?"

"And gorging myself on rich foods which I hadn't eaten for two months! My body was totally out of whack. But I wouldn't trade Lent and Holy Week for anything."

"You're sure you're OK with seeing Racing with the Moon?"

"It's what you chose, so yes. If I didn't want to see something, I wouldn't have said, 'Pick whatever you want'!"

"Is your sister still planning to be here tomorrow?"

"Yes. She's looking forward to meeting you. I meant to ask, do you want to come to her graduation? It's Thursday night during exam week."

"Are we ready for the whole 'meet the parents' thing?"

"I'm not sure it's quite so momentous as I thought it might be. But I am going to leave just in time to get to the school, then go to my parents for as short a time as I can get away with, then come back to review for my Friday morning exam. So, really, there won't be much interaction at all."

"If you don't mind, I'll pass. I'd feel really weird basically saying 'Hi' and 'bye' in a few minutes. I think it might seem like I didn't want to be there or you didn't want me to be there."

"I hadn't considered that," I replied. "I'll leave it up to you. When are you going home?"

"Friday afternoon. My exam is on Friday morning. My cousin is picking me up. I'll barely have a week at home before we leave to go on our cruise. You?"

"Remember, I'm RA over the Summer. I'll go home on Friday night for one of Liz's parties. The dorms close on Saturday, so I'll stay at Doctor Blahnik's house for a week. That will let them do the cleaning and maintenance for Rickenbacker 1 and 2, then I can move my stuff downstairs for the Summer. And there's a good chance I'll need to be back in Rutherford for Sasha's wedding, which might be that Saturday. I'll find out on Sunday from Tasha."

"Crazy!"

"Tell me about it. But not all that much crazier than what we're planning."

"Minus the baby."

I chuckled, "Well, yeah. That can wait a bit!"

"On the topic of sex, are we waiting until the end of the Summer?"

"I think so," I replied. "Right now, we can still chalk it up to a very, very enjoyable casual 'thank you' fuck. The next one will have meaning FAR beyond that."

"Are you equating sex with marriage now?"

"Not quite, but you have to admit that given the direction things are going, the one thing implies the other, at least somewhat."

"I suppose it does," Lara said. "Because as you say, I can just say I decided I wanted to do it, and it meant nothing. Now, though, you're right — it'll have meaning. I hadn't really considered that beforehand, as we discussed. As I said, your perspective is strange, but it makes sense. You don't want to just fuck, you want to make love, and you can't make love until you're ready to love me."

"That sums it up very nicely. The question is, are you OK with that? I don't want you to be frustrated or feel neglected."

"Given we're going to be away from each other for the entire Summer, it might be better not to. I could REALLY get used to it, and then going for two months without ... not to mention I think right now I'd prefer not to tell Father Nicholas I was sexually active, given the obvious implications."

"COULD get used to it?" I asked with a grin.

"I suppose 'addicted' is a better word! I'm curious, and please be honest. Did I satisfy you?"

"You did."

"There's a lot more exploration to do, and I want to do that."

"Me, too."

Lara put her hand lightly on mine, not impeding me from moving the shifter but maintaining contact.

"I never asked," I said, "do you drive?"

"Yes. I got my license last Summer. And yes, I can drive stick."

The movie, which was set in 1942, was a good 'coming of age' story, and we both enjoyed it. When the movie finished, we went to Verner's for ice cream, then headed back to the dorm.

"Wanna make out?" she asked.

"You read my mind!" I replied.

We went into my room, I put on 99 Luftballons, an album in German by Nena and Lara and I spent the next thirty minutes necking, cuddling, and talking.

April 28, 1984, McKinley, Ohio

"Elizaveta Petrovna this is Larisa Sergeyevna; Larisa, Elizaveta," I said.

Liz rolled her eyes, "I go by Liz! Nice to meet you, LAURA!"

Lara, Clarissa, and I laughed, both because I was tweaking Liz, and she was doing the same to me.

"How was breakfast this morning?" I asked.

"Good. I hate that I can't spend real time with Paul, but I know I just have to be patient."

"Graduation is in four weeks," I replied. "When are you telling Mom and Dad about moving in with Emmy?"

"Monday before graduation. I don't need the drama for the next three weeks."

"Did you get your application in for Harding Junior College?"

"I did. I met with a counselor last week and figured out a class schedule that will work with the job at the diner."

"That's good."

"What are we doing today?"

"We were thinking mini golf," I said. "They opened today for the first time since last Fall."

"That's cool. Can we go to A&W for lunch?"

"Sure."

"Can I talk to you privately for a sec?"

Clarissa and Lara both nodded, so Liz and I walked onto the grass a short distance from the dorm.

"What about Maggie?" she asked.

"A question which has been on my mind for the past three weeks," I said. "I'm not quite sure what to do, really. I didn't plan to meet Lara; it was just one of those things. I really was just planning to finish the semester, conclude things with Tasha, then spend time getting to know Maggie and see where that led. I was also going to talk to some of the girls at Saint Michael who Tasha thought would be possible matches. But Lara and I hit it off really, really well, and that kind of upset my plans."

"Does Maggie even have a chance?"

"Yes, though, to be completely honest, Lara is a very, very good match. She'll be gone for the Summer, vacationing with her family, and when she comes back to school in August, we'll see where we are. I haven't made any commitments to Lara, just as I haven't made any commitments to Maggie, other than that we would see each other over the Summer and figure things out."

"I think her dad managed to wreck things by keeping her away from you. I hate that he's going to get his way!"

"In hindsight, I shouldn't have given her the prayer book and the prayer rope; that's what caused the problem."

"Only because her dad searched her room. He's a total control freak. Should I say something to her?"

"No. I have to talk to her myself. Having you or Hannah do it would be really low. Mom made the point when April and I broke up that I owed her at least a chance to talk face-to-face."

"I heard April is engaged to a guy from Goshen. I don't know his name or anything."

"That's good. I never wished anything bad for her, but I made a serious error in not having a blunt talk about church before booking the motel. I learned a lesson there, but a couple of years too late."

"She had a nice body and was sweet, but she wasn't right for you."

"My options were pretty limited in High School," I said. "Well, except for your friends, I guess."

Liz laughed, "So they have NO taste; what can I say?"

"Actually," I grinned, "they tasted pretty good!"

"Gross, Mikey!"

"Don't dish it out if you can't take it! Please don't say anything to anyone back home. I'll talk to Maggie when I see her."

"Are you still planning on coming to graduation and the parties?"

"I said I would," I replied.

"Are you bringing Laura?"

"No. It's exam week, and I really am just going to be at your graduation, come to the house for a few minutes, and then come back to McKinley. I'll be back on Friday evening and stay the weekend, except for bringing Maggie to McKinley. Clarissa will come home with me. OK, for her to sleep in your room?"

"Yes, of course!"

"Then let's get to mini golf!"

We had a blast playing mini golf, had a good lunch at A&W, and spent some time in my room listening to music. Liz headed home when Lara, Clarissa, and I left for Vespers.

April 29, 1984, McKinley, Ohio

"Are there any wedding plans?" I asked as Tasha and I walked into Doctor Blahnik's house.

"They're worried about the baby coming early, and they absolutely want to be married when my niece or nephew is born, so they're talking to Father Herman this afternoon about how soon they can do it. The real problem is getting a judge to sign the papers. Dad is going to the courthouse tomorrow with an attorney."

"Did he say anything about how long that would take?"

"No. They have to fill out the papers and file some kind of motion. I don't know anything more than that."

"You know Father Herman could do the betrothal ceremony at any time. That's not the legal marriage in the eyes of the State, but it would be something."

"You know my dad, he wants it done properly, but I think you're right about how they should do it."

"Honestly, Father Herman could do the entire ceremony and delay signing the marriage certificate. It's not like they're going to have sex anytime soon!"

We walked upstairs to my room, undressed, and after I filled the tub, we got in together.

Tasha laughed, "And you're still bad! Even so, she's over sixteen, so that wouldn't be illegal anyway."

"Just let me know; I'll do my best to be there for the wedding. Any changes in your plans?"

"None at all! Everything is set with the apartment and the job. I'll move the week after graduation. Mom and Dad are helping me, but I may need you to help if Sasha has her baby at an inconvenient time."

"Again, just let me know. I'm sure Mr. Sokolov will make whatever allowances I need, and Clarissa will be here."

"What is she doing for the Summer?"

"She has a job in the Bursar's Office at Taft for the Summer. She's also doing some volunteer work for a clinic in McKinley. Can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"Yuliana or Elizaveta seem VERY concerned about Lara."

Tasha laughed softly, "I didn't say anything! It would be WAY too risky, but I haven't been to church with you in some time, so they probably think we broke up and they didn't get their chance!"

"Do girls REALLY think like that?" I asked.

"Mishka, you are the catch of two parishes! You're going to be a doctor, you're nice-looking, and you're very sweet. Of course, the girls would be upset seeing you with a strange girl, especially one who is Orthodox! Think of it this way — they go to church with you, but you don't ever ask them out and bring other girls to church."

"I just don't see myself as a 'catch', given all the difficulties I'll encounter with medical school and Residency. I don't think those girls really understand what's involved. It would be different if I were a Resident, but that's five years from now. Think about the discussions we had."

"That's part of why I suggested Elizaveta because she'd only be twenty-two when you finished your first year of Residency, and given how well-off her family is, you could even start a family before then if you wanted."

"And is that what SHE wants?" I asked.

"She's like me in that way; she wants to be a mom."

"At age fifteen?"

"Well, no, silly! But she doesn't want to wait until she's in her late 20s. The traditional girls — Yuliana, Elizaveta, and me, for example — are all like that. Girls like your sister, or my sister, or Angelina, aren't. If my sister hadn't made the mistake she made, it would have been ten years before she had children and perhaps as long before she married. I believe she wanted to go to college and have fun!"

"She can still go to college," I replied. "She has to finish High School first, of course."

"She's more worried about her baby and getting married."

"Not to be contrary, but I'm wondering if that's what Sasha wants or if she's doing it because it's what everyone else wants?"

"I thought you were OK with it!" Tasha protested.

"I'm OK with the concept, obviously, but the more I've thought about Lara, the more I wonder if Sasha really wants to be married. And if so, married to Yaroslav. I'm afraid she's doing what she thinks everyone else wants her to do and that she feels trapped."

"And if you had been the father to April's baby?" Tasha asked.

"I would have done the honorable thing, but it would have been ugly because of church. I'd have offered to marry her but insisted she convert."

"And if she had refused to convert, you would have married her anyway. I know you well enough, Mishka, to know you would do the right thing even if it wasn't what you wanted."

"Because I'd feel trapped," I sighed.

"And so Sasha finds herself in a situation with very few options. I think this is the best one, and I thought you did as well."

"I suppose I'm simply seeing it as 'bad', not as the best option amongst many bad ones."

"Is that how you would have seen the girls at Saint Michael if Lara hadn't come along? The best of bad options?"

"No," I replied, shaking my head. "My situation is different because I could delay my ordination. Lara is very intriguing, and we hit it off pretty well, but things moved almost too quickly. That's why we're taking things very slowly, and we'll talk after she comes back to Taft in the Fall."

"This Summer, will it be Clarissa, Jocelyn, you, and me most of the time?"

"Yes. And I'll see Maggie."

"She's going to come to church with us, isn't she?"

"I'd assume so, yes. I do need to talk to Father Nicholas about her because I don't want anyone, whether it's Maggie or Father Nicholas or Lara to get the wrong idea. I know what Maggie wants, but she and I are not on the same page, and I have serious doubts if we ever will be. It's possible, but I doubt it. As Liz put it, Maggie's dad basically prevented anything from happening by keeping her away from me. If that hadn't happened, Lara and I would never have got together because Maggie and I would very likely have been an item."

"God works in mysterious ways!" Tasha declared. "And now, I'd like YOU to work on me!"

We got out of the tub, quickly dried ourselves, then went to bed to make love. Two hours later, we got out of bed and went to the shower to clean up.

"Mishka, I was wondering if there was a reason you were always dating girls who weren't Orthodox — April, Emmy, Angie, Maggie, and Kimiko. And Jocelyn, too, I guess. Was there something wrong with the girls at church?"

"I dated you and Katy Malenkova," I countered as I soaped Tasha's exquisite body.

"Yes, but we were exceptions. It was as if you were avoiding Orthodox girls."

"I hadn't thought about that," I replied. "I'm not sure, really. Part of it was that at Holy Transfiguration, there was kind of a gap in girls of the right age, which would have been fifteen to seventeen. You, my sister, and Larisa were the only ones in that group. There were lots of younger girls, like Susana, and then the college girls, like Irina. There were girls at Saint Michael, but during High School, I basically never saw them, except on rare occasions."

Tasha rinsed off, then took the soap from me so she could wash me.

"I suppose that makes sense for High School, but after you came here, you mostly went for girls who weren't Orthodox, too. Please don't take this the wrong way, but was it because you thought they wouldn't have sex with you?"

"If that was my strategy in High School, it backfired VERY badly!" I replied with a grin. "And speaking of that, what's your timing for us?"

"I want to sleep in your arms the last time. I think it's the right thing to do to end this part of our relationship. Not long after I move, if that's OK."

"Yes. I don't want to interfere with you and Nikolas Dmitriyevich. He's a very lucky man."

"And I'm a very lucky woman to have had you for a lover and to have you for a friend in the future."

"I'm sorry I couldn't be what you wanted."

"I could say the same thing, Mishka. But we were wise to understand that now."

I rinsed off and took Tasha into my arms, enjoying the feel of her wet, naked body against mine.

"I will always love you, Natalya Vasilyevna."

"And I will always love you, Mikhail Petrovich! We have shared something special, and I'm very glad."

"Me, too."

"Good! Now, let's dry off, dress, and go meet the future Mrs. Loucks and Clarissa!"

May 5, 1984, McKinley, Ohio

"I say you sing to Sarah!" Lara teased.

She and Clarissa were sitting in my room while José and I warmed up for our concert, which would begin shortly.

"You're a troublemaker!" I replied.

"What did I miss?" José asked.

"Sarah wouldn't mind a tryst with Mike," Lara said with a twinkle in her eye. "But she won't do that to me."

"So you just want to tease her and get her hot and bothered?"

"Yes!" Lara smirked.

"How about I sing to her," José grinned. "I can actually do something about it!"

"What about Rebekah?"

"We're not steady. Well, I mean, we're lovers, but not exclusive. She's had other people, and so have I."

Lara laughed, "Then go for it!"

"Mike?" José asked.

I shrugged, "I certainly can't take advantage of it! Let's switch then, and you sing lead on a few of the songs. You've really improved, and I'm sure you can do it. I'll give you the starting notes and then back you."