Chapter 21: Out Of The Question?

June 16, 2000, Chicago, Illinois

“Hi, Dad!” I said when he came into the main house on Friday evening. “Hi, Liz!”

“Hi, Jesse!” Liz exclaimed.

“Hi, Jesse!” Dad added. “Got everything set for your party?”

“Yes. Aunt Chess made sure I had all the stuff I needed, and Winter helped get everything set up this afternoon while Aunt Chess and Aunt Kara were at work.”

“OK. If you need anything, let me know. I’ll be around, but we’ll mostly leave you be.”

“Mom Two is chaperoning,” I said, rolling my eyes, knowing Dad would understand.

“Well, given I don’t think you were planning a naked dance, or an eighth-grade graduation orgy, that’s not exactly onerous!”

“This is MY party, not one of YOURS!” I grinned.

“See you at dinner, Little Duck!”

“Maybe you should gain some weight so you look more like a penguin and I can call you blubbery!”

“Fat chance!” Dad replied, completing one of our silly jokes.

He and Liz went into the ‘Indian’ room where my aunts were waiting, and I went back up to the attic room to triple check that everything was ready. I remembered to check to make sure the liquor cabinet was locked because I didn’t want my dad, moms, aunts, or any friends to get in trouble. I went back downstairs just in time for the doorbell to ring. I went to answer it, expecting it to be Kelly, and it was.

“Is your dad home?” Kelly’s mom asked.

“Yes. And my aunts. Do you want to talk to them?”

“Just for a second so I know they’re here.”

“OK, Mrs. Edmonds,” I said.

She and Kelly waited by the door while I went to get my dad. He went to the door, told Mrs. Edmonds he’d be home the entire night and that Mom Two would help him make sure everything was safe. Mrs. Edmonds was satisfied and left, so I took Kelly upstairs to the attic room.

“Mom is afraid we’re going to have a wild party,” she said.

I laughed, “Which is the opposite of my dad! He told me he knew I wasn’t going to have a naked dance or an orgy to celebrate graduating from eighth grade!”

“Gross!” Kelly said. “I mean, having sex with everyone!”

“But naked is OK?” I asked with a smirk.

“Not in front of everyone!” she protested.

“Hmm,” I said with a big grin.

“Jesse Block!” Kelly said firmly. “If you want kisses, you have to behave!”

“Yes, Dear!” I replied, the way my dad did to his wives when he meant the opposite.

Kelly smacked my arm lightly, but she didn’t resist when I put my arms around her, and we kissed. It was just one kiss because I wasn’t going to push things with her because I liked her a lot and she was fun to be with. I knew if I tried to do more than she wanted, she wouldn’t want to spend time with me.

“Dinner!” Winter called over the intercom.

Kelly and I went downstairs to have dinner with my dad, his wives, Liz, and Winter. Everyone else was gone. Mom One and Mom Two were eating together at my house and then Mom Two would come over.

“You guys start High School in the Fall, right?” Liz asked us.

“Yes!” I replied.

“And you’re still playing ice hockey?”

“Of course! I have to play for a High School team, but it’s basically the same as before. How is working for my dad?”

“I just started, so I haven’t done too much yet. Mostly I have to study for the Bar Exam and learn how everything works.”

“It’s easy,” I grinned. “You just do everything Aunt Stephanie says! Kind of like Dad when he was growing up!”

“It wasn’t QUITE like that,” Dad protested.

“He’s got your number,” Aunt Kara said, agreeing with me.

It was Dad’s turn to roll his eyes. I could always count on Aunt Kara or Aunt Stephanie, along with Mom One and Bethany to tell me about dumb things my dad did when he was a teenager. He didn’t hide them, but he also didn’t usually volunteer them to me. He did to Birgit, though, and now that we had teamed up, she shared SOME of those with me, but not all of them. She said she had to keep some secrets for Dad.

When we finished eating, Kelly and I went to the great room to wait for our friends to arrive.

“He’s a brat, isn’t he?” Liz said as she and I cleared the table.

I chuckled, “And I wouldn’t have it any other way! You’ve certainly heard both Birgit and Jesse give me grief.”

“Yes, but that doesn’t make him any less of a brat! It just makes him fun!”

“Very true!”

The phone in my study rang and I put the dishes on the counter and went to answer it.

“Hi, Steve! It’s Natalie.”

“Hi. What’s up?”

“Do you mind if I hang out at your house tonight while Nicole is at Jesse’s party?”

“Bored because Jack is home in Cheyenne?” I asked.

“SO true! He’s been gone ten days and it seems like forever!”

“You know you’re always welcome here. I have another friend here, too, but she won’t mind. You can hang out with her, my wives, and me while the soon-to-be Freshmen engage in wanton debauchery!”

Natalie laughed, “Right! That group? I bet other than my sister and MAYBE Jesse, they’re all little goody two shoes!”

“Jesse did say that a debauched party was more my thing than his.”

“No kidding! See you in twenty-five minutes!”

“OK.”

I hung up and finished clearing the table with help from Liz, and then dried dishes as Winter washed them. We’d just finished when Jesse’s friends began arriving - Nicole and Mikey were first, followed soon after by a steady stream of classmates and hockey friends, for a total of about forty kids. Josie went upstairs to chaperone, Winter left for her date with Kendall, and Liz, Natalie, my wives, and I went into the ‘Indian’ room.

“Are you in college?” Liz asked Natalie.

“I start at UofC in the Fall. I’m majoring in Russian studies.”

“Another Russophile?” Liz said, shaking her head. “Though I guess Steve is equally a Japanophile.”

“I was on the Russia trip with the hockey team and basically fell in love with Russia. Then I talked to Steve’s friends who used to be in the KGB, Soviet Army, and the one in the diplomatic corps. I also talked to his friend Mary who works for the State Department. You’re his lawyer friend, right?”

“One of them. You’ve met Melanie and Jamie, right? And the Navy JAG lawyers.”

“The first two, yes, but I haven’t really talked to any of the Navy guys.”

“How long have you known Steve?”

“We basically met on that Russia trip. I’d seen him at hockey games but never talked to him. He treated me like an adult and we spent a lot of time talking during that trip. Now he’s my mentor.”

“Mine, too!” Liz said. “Have you met Samantha?”

“The woman who has like ALL the money?” Natalie asked. “Yes.”

“Steve was her mentor as well.”

“I was, and am,” I replied. “But that fortune existed long before I met her! I know you both know what happened to her dad.”

Liz laughed, “Yes, and I heard what Elyse said about it! I mean, sure, he broke the law, but if I understand correctly, all his ‘victims’ were willing and walked away with a million bucks!”

“That is pretty much the story,” I said. “It was the parents who lost their minds, not the teenage girls.”

“They just lost their virginities!” Kara exclaimed. “Where’s Jack tonight, Natalie?”

“Home in Cheyenne. He’ll be back at the end of August when school starts again. He’s in political science as pre-law, Liz.”

“Just what the world needs,” I said with a theatrical sigh, “ANOTHER lawyer!”

“Oh, PUH-LEASE!” Kara exclaimed. “You like quite a few lawyers!”

“Compared to the total number of lawyers on the planet?” I asked with a silly grin.

“Ignore him, Natalie!” Jessica said.

“I actually agree with him about lawyers in general,” she said. “I’m hoping Jack goes into criminal defense like Mrs. Spencer.”

“She’s told you to call her Melanie,” I replied.

“I know. But she’s ancient!”

“She’s a year older than I am!” I protested.

“Like I said,” Natalie teased.

“Anyone interested in a sauna?” Kara asked. “We can use ‘weekend rules’ if you need to, Natalie.”

“No. That’s Jack’s issue not mine. You know I was in the sauna naked with you guys a bunch of times.”

“Liz?” I asked.

“As if I’m going to object after knowing you for seven years?”

“OK. Kara, if you’ll go turn on the sauna while I go make sure the kids haven’t bound and gagged Josie, then we’ll have our sauna.”

“So THAT’S your fantasy now?” Kara teased.

“I’ll leave the BDSM to Jennifer,” I chuckled.

Kara went to the basement to turn on the sauna while I went upstairs to the attic room to check on things. Josie had everything well in hand, so I went back downstairs.

“Your dad was checking on us?” Mikey asked me.

“He was making sure we hadn’t stuffed Mom Two in the closet so we could raid the liquor cabinet ... or worse!”

“But we wouldn’t and he knows it!” Mikey protested.

“Sure, but he has to do the ‘Dad thing’ and be able to tell the parents he checked on us, in addition to Mom Two being here.”

“Our moms are totally cool,” Nicole said.

“Hockey moms ARE cool!” I replied. “And Mom Two is here because she knows some parents would object to us being left alone. She can be a bit overprotective, but I know she just wants to keep me safe, and she’s not nuts like Francesca’s mom.”

“It sucks that they changed the phone number!” Robby said. “She hasn’t called you?”

“No. I had hoped she would, but I’m sure she’s on double-secret probation, or whatever.”

“That sucks,” Missy said. “So, are you and Kelly a couple?”

I looked over at her and she smiled.

“We’re working on it,” I replied.

“That’s sick,” Joe said, shaking his head. “You checked with her to see what you should answer?”

“If you want a ‘good night’ kiss, Joe Stone, you better be VERY careful what you say next!” Sally said menacingly.

“I mean, it’s great that he made sure it was OK before he answered!” he said hastily.

“Dude, if all you get is a ‘good night’ kiss for THAT, you’re doing it wrong!” Paul declared.

Sally, Missy, Kelly, and Heather all squealed and smacked him.

“And if you think YOU are getting a ‘good night’ kiss, Paul Matthews, you are OUT OF YOUR MIND!” Heather declared.

“So I guess a blowjob is out of the question?” he smirked.

I was shocked that he said that, but even more shocked when Heather slapped him hard across the face, and turned and walked away, heading for the elevator.

“That was gross,” Sally declared, then turned and went after Heather.

“What were you thinking?” Joe asked. “I mean, I almost laughed but then I saw Heather looking daggers at you. If those were real, even Jesse’s Aunt Jessica couldn’t fix you, and she’s downstairs!”

“Once she calms down, you better apologize,” I said. “If you don’t, it’s going to mess up our group.”

“I’m not sure an apology is going to work,” Kelly said quietly. “That was one of the stupidest ‘boy’ things I’ve ever heard!”

“What happened?” Mom Two said from behind me.

I suppressed a sigh and turned to face her, “Paul said something rude to Heather. He deserved to get slapped. In fact, I’d say he’s lucky she didn’t kick him in the nuts.”

“Paul, I think you might want to leave,” Mom Two said.

“Mom, can he wait and apologize?”

“Come talk to me privately, please.”

Mom Two and I went over to the corner of the room and with the music, nobody would be able to hear us.

“What did he say?”

“We were joking about boyfriends and girlfriends, and he said something Heather didn’t like. It wasn’t bad, but she’s super possessive and controlling. She told him she wasn’t going to kiss him ‘good night’ because of what he said. He replied ‘So I guess a blowjob is out of the question.’. You saw the result.”

“You’re right; he’s lucky she didn’t kick him in the nuts. Or rip them off and shove them down his throat. You know we don’t tell you who to be friends with, but a friend like that can make a real mess of things. And I don’t think an apology is going to be enough to fix that one.”

“Dad says you have to give everyone a second chance when they mess up badly.”

“Yes, but only to the point that it doesn’t harm you or others.”

“That’s not what he says,”

“No, but it’s what I say. Your dad and I don’t agree on everything. And you know Mom One and I don’t agree on everything, either. And I know you don’t agree with your dad on everything.”

“OK. But can he try?”

“It’s up to you, Jesse, but I think he should just leave and try to fix it after she calms down. She’s not going to be in a mood to listen right now. I sure wouldn’t if someone said that to me!”

“I think he was just trying to be funny but it was dumb.”

“Teenage boys have a knack for doing dumb things.”

“Gee, thanks, Mom Two,” I replied sarcastically.

“You’ve been pretty good,” Mom Two said. “Go see your friends and maybe send Kelly to find out just how angry Heather is.”

“OK. And thanks.”

“You’re welcome.”

I went back to my friends and asked Kelly to go downstairs to check on Heather. Fortunately, most people hadn’t seen what happened, so the party continued. I danced with Nicole and Missy before Kelly and Sally came back to the attic room. I went over to talk to them with Missy following me over.

“She went home,” Sally said. “She’s really, really pissed. She said she won’t hang out with us if Paul is there.”

“Fuck,” I growled.

“Jesse!” Kelly exclaimed.

I smiled, “I’m allowed to say that word. The only ‘F’ word that will get me in trouble is ‘fair’!”

“What?”

“My dad says that word, the way it’s used, is far more offensive than a word for sex!”

“Please don’t use it,” she said.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you.”

“I think being polite is very important, and that means the words you use as well.”

“What are you going to do about Paul?” Misty asked.

I sighed, “Mom Two thinks I should make him go home, and I think she’s right. Heather didn’t do anything wrong.”

Kelly smiled and kissed my cheek, “Good decision.”

I hated having to do it, but I went over to Paul and told him that we all thought he should leave and he had to fix things with Heather if he could, or there would be serious problems with our group of friends. He was obviously upset, but the glares he was getting from the girls made it clear he didn’t have a choice. I went downstairs with him, made sure he left, then went back to the attic room and tried to enjoy the party.

“You know, I never asked,” Natalie said, “but when did you first use a sauna? In Sweden?”

I grinned, “No. Melanie Spencer’s parents had one in their house. I was fourteen.”

“The year Steve engaged in every form of debauchery known to teenage boys, and then some!” Kara teased.

“And you know exactly who is to blame for that!” I grinned. “But let’s not name any names, please.”

“What about you, Natalie?” Liz asked.

“Sixteen, in this sauna.”

“Eighteen for me, in this sauna,” Liz said.

“Sixteen,” Kara said, “in Melanie’s sauna.”

“And I’m the outlier, once again,” Jessica said with a silly smile. “Twenty-four, in this sauna. I’m the outlier on the OTHER question, too. Twenty-four. On my wedding night.”

“Really?” Liz asked. “I never heard that part of the story.”

“Really. Steve was the first man who I felt worthy of allowing into my panties, so to speak. The rest of you were teenagers. Fifteen, sixteen, and eighteen.”

“Was it worth waiting for?” Natalie asked with a smirk.

“You should know!” Jessica replied.

Liz’s eyes went wide as she made the connection, but I knew Natalie would be OK with that revelation in this very small, intimate circle.

“Ladies,” I cautioned. “Let’s be careful about revealing private information without permission.”

“Oh!” Jessica exclaimed. “Sorry. It just kind of slipped out.”

“Something you do NOT want to hear from our husband!” Kara teased.

All four girls laughed and I just shook my head.

“Seriously, though,” I said. “Let’s not be reckless, please. Natalie, are you upset?”

“No. I know about you and Liz, obviously, and I assumed she at least guessed, given your history, which she has to know.”

“Too many jokes about the ‘St. Martin Six’,” I said.

“As if our relationship was secret from anyone?” Liz asked. “Well, you know what I mean.”

“I asked Maria Cristina this question once,” Natalie said, “but can I ask you why?”

“The one thing you probably don’t know is that Steve and I are in love with each other and have been since St. Martin. But he’s obviously married, so there are real limits. But within those limits, I could have a very close, very intimate relationship with him. At some point, probably not too far in the future, I’ll have a serious boyfriend, and eventually get married and have kids. But until that point, I can be with the man I love. How long did your relationship last?”

“Which one?” Natalie asked with a smile. “The intimate one is still there; the physical one was limited to a few nights in Russia. My mom basically figured it out, and the price for being allowed to have Steve mentor me and continue our intimate relationship was to not have sex.”