Chapter 45: Dante 2

December 20, 2001, Chicago, Illinois

🎤 Steve

Late on Thursday morning, my IM chimed.

Bonita83: Hi! You there?
NIKASteve: Yes. What’s up?
Bonita83: Have you heard about the problems in Argentina? The riots and unrest in Buenos Aires?
NIKASteve: Yes. I saw it online late yesterday then this morning in the newspaper.
Bonita83: My dad thinks it’s too dangerous for me to stay here, and the financial situation is terrible. He wants me to come to the US right away, instead of in July. He’ll pay for me to stay with you.
NIKASteve: I need to talk to my wives. Will message you back later today.
Bonita83: OK!

I pushed back from my workstation and stood up, then began pacing across my office. I absolutely wanted to help Estrella, but I was concerned about adding an unexpected wildcard to my life. I had been expecting Estrella in Chicago, but I’d expected her to live in the dorms at IIT as they required for all incoming Freshmen, something I’d managed to avoid, as had Kara, but we were exceptions to the rule.

I also wondered how Estrella would get out of Argentina, and if she had the appropriate visas for the US. And I wondered, with the Argentine government freezing all bank accounts, how her father could pay. I thought back and remembered that he, like Alejandra’s father, kept secret foreign bank accounts denominated in dollars, pounds, francs, or D-marks. My personal hedge against the kind of financial instability Argentina was seeing was gold and silver, both coins and small bars, kept in the safe in the basement.

I also recalled the situation in Argentina while Alejandra had been in medical school, and how her father had advised her to stay in the US rather than return home for her Residency or to work. The situation was similar, though the rioting and civil unrest made things significantly worse for Estrella than they had been for Alejandra. I had no doubt that Estrella leaving was what was best for her.

It would have been perfect if Estrella could stay with Alejandra, but she had received an offer from the Mayo Clinic which she was going to accept, and she and Trent would be moving in January. After thinking it through, I decided I’d ask my wives. I called Jessica first, as I knew she’d be available.

“I’d laugh,” Jessica said after I explained, “but I understand your unease. It would only be for six or seven months, right?”

“You would think, but if she’s here for that long, she’d qualify for IIT’s exemption of living on campus. I will make it clear that I expect her to move to the dorms as planned. I can make the argument that another student has a prior claim on a room.”

“Rachel, right?”

“Yes, because I absolutely want to help her get away from Carla. And you know that Rachel is totally rational. She and I will talk, and we’ll come to an agreement about the parameters. And she’ll accept any limitations or even outright refusal with regard to physical intimacy. As I’ve said all along, Rachel is far more mature than Carla!”

“I’m OK with it. I do have one point to make that you didn’t think of.”

“Which is?”

“Estrella wants to work for NIKA. You promised Liz that Hope was the last one.”

“Shit. OK. That means I need to talk to Liz at some point. But one challenge at a time. I’m going to call Kara, then Suzanne. Talk to you later, Babe.”

“Bye, Tiger.”

I disconnected the call the dialed Kara’s office at the university and was lucky to catch her. I explained Estrella’s request and Jessica’s reaction and approval.

Kara laughed softly, “Well, contrary to Jess, I have to laugh, because the universe constantly delivers girls who want to have sex with you to you on a silver platter!”

“Loki does seem to operate that way,” I admitted with a chuckle.

“Estrella will have to stay in a guest room because I know there’s no way you’re going to tell Natalie she can’t use the nanny room.”

“That is pretty much the only option.”

“It’s fine with me. Just be firm about her moving to the dorms.”

“Thanks.”

We said ‘goodbye’ and I disconnected the call then called Suzanne who was home studying for her last exam. I let her know about the conversation with Estrella and my proposed plan, and she had no objections. I disconnected the call, sat down at my workstation, and opened adium.

NIKASteve: You’re welcome to stay with us until you can move into the dorms.
Bonita83: Thank you! Thank you! <3
NIKASteve: How do you plan to get out of Argentina?
Bonita83: Dad will drive me to Montevideo and I’ll fly from there to São Paulo, then to Miami, and finally Chicago.
NIKASteve: Visas?
Bonita83: Arranged. My father will need to know your bank account information to wire you money.
NIKASteve: We can worry about that once you’re here. When will you arrive?
Bonita83: Sunday evening. The tickets are reserved, we just need to confirm them and pay for them. My father wanted to be prepared.
NIKASteve: Send me the flight information once your tickets are confirmed.
Bonita83: I will! Thank you so much!
NIKASteve: How bad is it?
Bonita83: The President will likely have to resign, and the two main parties are refusing to cooperate with each other. There is a lot of violence and the economy is in real trouble. It’s very bad.
NIKASteve: Stay safe and send me the details.
Bonita83: I will!

I went back to work, and just before I left for home, Estrella sent me her flight details and I promised I’d pick her up from O’Hare.

🎤 Birgit

“What is Estrella like?” I asked Dad after dinner while we did the dishes.

“She’s eighteen and is going to study computers at IIT like Penny and I both did.”

I giggled, “«Älskare som du och Penny, också?»” (“Lovers like you and Penny, too.”)

“«Var försiktig, nyfiken dotter!»” Dad replied. (“Be careful, nosy daughter!”)

“Does «nyfiken» mean ‘nosy’?” I asked.

“Or ‘curious’. You’ve made great progress.”

“Going to Sweden will be a lot of fun next Summer! Estrella means ‘star’, right?”

“Yes. And that’s «stjärna» in Swedish.”

“Another of the sj words that are difficult to say!” I declared.

“Actually, ‘stj’ in this case. Swedish words are usually spelled as written, but the ‘sj’, ‘sk’, ‘stj’, and similar words you just have to memorize.”

I smirked, “«Sjuttiosju sköna sjuksköterskor skötte sju sjösjuka sjömän på skeppet i Shanghai!»” (“Seventy-seven pretty nurses care for seven seasick seamen on a ship in Shanghai!”)

Dad laughed, “You’ve been speaking with Sofia, I see! She used to laugh when I tried to say that tongue-twister. Do you know how to spell those words?”

“Aunt Sofia wrote it down for me, but I haven’t learned the spelling yet.”

“Did she tell you the one with all the homonyms?”

“«Farfar, Får får får? Nej, får får inte får, får får lamm.»” (“Grandpa, do sheep have sheep? No, sheep don’t have sheep, sheep have lambs.”)

“That’s the one. Do you know «Flyg, fula fluga, och den fula flugan flög!» (“Fly, ugly fly, and the ugly fly flew.”)

“No, Can you write that down?”

“Yes, I can,” Dad said.

I rolled my eyes, “WILL you write it down?”

Dad laughed, “I will.”

“If Estrella is nice, and I’m sure she is if you’re letting her stay here, she could share my room.”

“Are you sure, Pumpkin?”

“Well, it’s not like I’m going to be inviting any boys there soon.”

“Good to know,” Dad chuckled. “But you know that’s your business.”

“No tattooed biker gang members, I promise!”

“You do realize that Uncle Pete and Mike Knox are part of a motorcycle club, right?”

“Not the same thing, Dad! And you know it! But I’m serious about Estrella.”

“How about you two get to know each other on Monday and decide. You can invite her if you want.”

“May I ask a totally ‘nosy daughter’ question?”

“You may, but I might not answer.”

“Did you ever have sex in my room? I mean before it was my room?”

“Does it matter?”

“It’s curiosity, Dad!”

“You know that curiosity killed the cat!”

I was pretty sure he had, and in fact, I remembered a comment that I’d overheard about him and Stephie having had sex in every room in the house, in the shed, and even on the front porch swing! Even Mom hadn’t managed that!

“But satisfaction brought it back!” I said smugly.

Dad laughed, “Why am I not surprised you know the rejoinder to the curiosity statement?!”

“Because I’m your daughter, that’s why!”

🎤 Steve

“Birgit offered to let Estrella share her room,” I said when I joined my three wives in the ‘Indian’ room after karate. “I suggested they have a conversation on Monday, and if Birgit was still inclined, she could invite Estrella to share her room. We’d just need to assemble one of the spare twin beds.”

“Thereby reducing Estrella’s opportunities!” Suzanne smirked. “She’ll think twice about screwing in Birgit’s room!”

“Of all the people in this house, you should know that sex is NOT confined to bedrooms!” Kara declared.

“I didn’t say it was!” Suzanne protested. “I just said it reduced her opportunities. It certainly means no ‘overnights’.”

“She has a point,” Jessica replied.

“Steve,” Kara said, “Mattie’s friends are going to be here on Saturday afternoon to meet you so the three of you can decide. If you agree, then they can spend the morning here on the 30th.”

“One last wild fling before the New Year’s resolution!” Suzanne declared.

“Did you want to sleep with us tonight?” Kara asked.

“Any night! Just ask!” Suzanne replied.

I heard the doorbell ring and then heard Birgit scamper to answer it. A minute later she was at the door to the ‘Indian’ room.

“The virgin sacrifice has arrived!” my precocious daughter giggled.

“Who?” I asked.

“One of the cheerleaders who sold us the yummy candy which my moms got twice as much of as I did!”

“Next time you could have none!” Kara said.

I suppressed a groan because that was exactly the kind of thing that reinforced attitudus teenagicus. I got up, and went to the foyer where Kristy was waiting. She looked really cute in her pink down jacket, white scarf, and white knit cap.

“Hi.”

“Hi! I have the test results. Kelly said I didn’t need to worry about birth control because you had an operation so you can’t get me pregnant. Would you accept my V-card?”

It was, I’d decided, part of my ‘last fling’ and given Kristy had just turned seventeen, had no concerns in that regard.

“I will,” I said. “At your house or here?”

“Uhm, when are you free?”

“Sunday morning would be the best time, or it would likely have to wait until sometime after Christmas.”

“We go to church on Sundays, so that wouldn’t work. My parents will be in Green Bay for New Year’s Eve and they’re leaving very early that morning. Would that work? At my house? You could stay as long as you wanted.”

“That would work,” I replied, thinking that was a perfect cap to end the year. “But we have a party that night, so I’d need to be home no later than mid-afternoon.”

“They’re leaving at 6:00am, so how about 7:00am?”

“Sure.”

“Kelly said she told you about the pizza party. Well, Mirabella and I planned it, and I really wanted that party. Would it be OK if I invited two other cheerleaders? Both of them are seventeen and have their V-cards. That way the four of us could play some of those games we all wanted to play!”

I almost laughed out loud at the craziness of the situation. If I was going to ‘retire’ it was potentially with a bang. Or a lot of bangs. A crazy morning and early afternoon of sex on New Year’s Eve, and then it would be my kids who picked up the reins, if they chose to do so.

“I have to clear something like that with my wives. Can you wait a few minutes?”

“Yes. Thursday is my parents’ ‘date night’ so I have some time. I’m not sure how long they’ll stay out, but at least another thirty minutes, and I live less than ten minutes from here.”

“Then just hang tight.”

I turned and allowed the goofy smile I’d been fighting to escape, then walked to the ‘Indian’ room.

“What?” Kara asked, seeing my expression.

“Think ‘Luckiest Dumb Boy’, but over-the-top.”

“I’m not even going to hazard a guess what that little vixen suggested that has you grinning like an idiot!”

“She wants to invite two other seventeen-year-old cheerleaders with V-cards and play some of the games that she and Angelina’s sister had planned for the pizza party.”

Kara and Suzanne broke up laughing, and Jessica smirked and shook her head.

“It would be on the 31st,” I continued, “so literally, I would go out with a bang! Or a lot of bangs! On the first of January, the new me, with rare random deflowerings and fewer dalliances takes over.”

“Because there’s a very good chance that Hope and Sarah will begin dating,” Suzanne said, “and you’re trying to keep Estrella within limits. That would make Natalie the only regular girl besides us. And then the very rare, and far between girls we spoke of.”

“So, what say you, wives? May I live out one of the ultimate male fantasies by deflowering three seventeen-year-old cheerleaders on New Year’s Eve?”

“What do you think, Jess?” Kara asked.

“I think we let Tiger have his fun. He is, after all, voluntarily hanging up his cleats as of the stroke of midnight on New Year’s Eve. Tiger, may I ask something without trying to seem like I’m either looking for loopholes or trying to lock you into an answer?”

“Sure.”

“What about Audrey and Annita?”

“I was Audrey’s ‘wedding fuck’, it was just temporally displaced because the mindfuck wasn’t complete! Annita will, Loki willing, appear at some perfect point, and we’ll reprise our lovemaking. Of course, it’s also possible she might be married or in another committed relationship, and we’ll just have an intimate conversation.”

“Thanks for answering.”

“You know darn well that Steve will ‘come out of retirement’ in the right circumstances with the right girl,” Kara said. “And that’s OK. Suzanne?”

Suzanne laughed softly, “This is new for me as a wife, rather than ‘just’ an intimate advisor, but I have no problems with how things have turned out. I don’t think I could ask for more. I’m certainly not feeling any stress of any of this.”

“Then go tell the little girl she can have her fun,” Kara smirked. “So say we all!”

“So say we all!” Jessica and Suzanne chimed in.

I left the ‘Indian’ room and went back to the foyer where Kristy was waiting.

“A couple of conditions,” I said. “First, an STI test is required. Second, I need to be absolutely sure you’re all at least seventeen. Third, not one word of this can leak to anyone. And fourth, you need to wear your cheerleading outfits!”

“Cool!” Kristy squealed, throwing her arms around my neck and giving me a kiss. “And the cheer outfits were part of the plan!”

“What’s your address?”

She gave it to me, and I made sure she had my phone number so she could call the house if there were any last-minute difficulties. She left and I went back to the ‘Indian’ room.

“That squeal was obvious!” Kara said with a silly smile. “Think you’ll survive?”

“I think those three little girls will have no idea what hit them!” Jessica declared.

December 21, 2001, Chicago, Illinois

“Now what?” I asked with trepidation.

“First the good news,” Jocelyn said over the speakerphone. “Judge Coates pushed Knowles and Jackson, as successors to EB, to settle and they made an offer which the former EB clients will accept.”

“That’s good,” I replied, waiting for the other shoe to drop.

“The bad news is that Knowles and Jackson have filed a series of claims against NIKA which Deborah will tell you about.”

I groaned, but said nothing.

“We could call this ‘Dante 2’,” Deborah said. “Everything from tortuous interference to copyright claims. Most of it won’t survive a motion to dismiss, but there will be parts of it that do. They were very careful not to exactly repeat any of the previously dismissed claims, though none of the original claims were dismissed with prejudice, so that doesn’t really matter.”

“When can we get copies?” Liz asked.

“You’re on the service list, so I suspect you’ll see them today. Same for you, Jamie. And both SKJ Partners and Patent Partners were named as well. They served us less than twenty minutes after they filed.”

“Nuisance suit for the most part?” Stephanie asked.

“Yes,” Jocelyn confirmed. “In fact, a cursory examination shows we win even the ones which make it past dismissal.”

“Please tell me they were dumb enough to file against Nathan,” I said hopefully.

“No. He’s named in the pleadings, but not as a target. They didn’t name Spurgeon, either. And there are no named defendants, just the corporation and the LLC. Some of the claims go all the way back to Lone Star and DCP. Basically, anything that wasn’t adjudicated, settled, or dismissed with prejudice.”

“Their shotgun is fully loaded,” I observed.

“When is our reply due?” Stephanie asked.

“February 15th because of the holidays. The Chief Judge assigned this to Judge Coates given she was already handling cases in which the parties were involved, and I don’t see Braun objecting, though you never know.”

“What are they looking for?” Jamie asked.

“The usual collection of injunctions and monetary damages to be determined at trial. Ben thinks they’ll make a settlement offer and run to the judge asking her to push us to settle.”

“Which is why you think they won’t ask to change judges,” I said.

“Yes.”

“This is completely different from their extortion scheme against their clients.”

“You can characterize their behavior that way here, but do NOT say it anywhere else,” Deborah cautioned over the phone. “And Kimmy, do not record Steve’s comment in your meeting notes.”

“I know him well enough!” Kimmy said, laughing softly. “I wrote ‘Steve observed this was different from their abusive behavior towards their clients’ in my notes.”

Everyone else laughed.

“A true and accurate statement!” Liz said, shaking her head.

“There’s one more thing,” Stephanie said. “A friend of mine, who I can’t name, called about an hour ago to let me know that Janice Parker filed a complaint with the Illinois Department of Labor asking that NIKA be investigated for covering up sexual harassment.”

“What the fuck?” I growled.

“They get dozens of complaints like that every month,” Stephanie replied. “Most of them are given only cursory review because they don’t present any actionable evidence. They’re kept on file for three years, and if there are no further complaints, and no actionable evidence, they’re expunged.”

“So she refiles, or has someone else refile, every thirty months or so to keep an active file open?” I asked.

“That might be possible,” Jamie said, “but it’s doubtful it would gain her anything without something for them to act on. I guarantee you there are active files on pretty much every successful business with more than a hundred employees. People file routine complaints when they’re fired and most of them go exactly nowhere.”