Chapter 47: Teaching Moments

April 22, 2002, Chicago, Illinois

🎤 Steve

“Welcome!” Alex exclaimed when Kara, Jessica, Suzanne and I walked into Bucktown Bistro. “And happy birthday!”

“Thanks!” I replied.

“We have you in the small private room, and I have a special menu for you tonight! Some new things I’m working on to add to the regular menu. Everything fits the ‘Atkins’ trend, so it’s perfect for you.”

“Don’t go overboard on that,” I suggested. “While it’s medically necessary for me, it’s a fad for most people.”

He nodded, “I agree, but I need to put some on the menu. For most meals, we’ll allow low-carb substitutes. I’ve had enough practice with you over the past fifteen years!”

“I’ll seat you now,” Sam said.

We followed her to the small private dining room and, without prompting, a waiter brought our drinks.

“We’re such creatures of habit!” I chuckled. “And not just the medicus for whom that is de rigueur!”

“Doing it exactly the same way every time is what we strive for,” Jessica said.

“Talk about boring...” I chuckled.

“If you recall, Mister, I wanted a husband who curled MY toes on demand. I said nothing about being exciting!”

“On the contrary!” I countered. “You implied strongly you were a sex goddess, to whom nobody could compare!”

“You believed the advertisement?” Jessica smirked. “And here I thought you were a confirmed skeptic!”

“I believe I was exactly as advertised,” Suzanne said smugly. “Kara, on the other hand...”

“She played DOWN the sex goddess part!” I chuckled. “She didn’t let her out for months and months!”

“And I just wanted to have a torrid affair with the school stud after being expertly deflowered!”

“Loki put me in the correct seat on the correct flight!” Suzanne declared. “And he had me talked out of my panties before we landed in Denver! Nothing hidden and no surprises!”

“Minus the STI test requirement,” I chuckled.

“I was ready to kill you!” Suzanne growled. “I was so horny I couldn’t stand it!”

“And you weren’t surprised by the request to watch?” Kara asked.

“Well, that too, but it made perfect sense, just as taking the next step makes perfect sense. I wouldn’t have been ready for THAT honeymoon as a virgin!”

“You have no idea,” Jessica sighed. “All teasing aside, our wedding night was an amazing night.”

“It was,” I agreed.

“Absolutely,” Kara confirmed.

A waiter brought a mixed-greens salad for each of us, with a light Caesar dressing which began a sequence of amazing dishes, all of which were equally tasty. The final item was a surprise.

“No cake for me,” I said to the waiter. “Alex always has a berry concoction for me.”

“Alex made a low-carb cake!” Alex declared, coming into the room. “That piece, including the frosting, is less than ten grams of carbs.”

“I love you!” I declared. “Will you marry me?”

He laughed, “I believe you’re already spoken for multiple times over! But I will give your wives the recipe!”

“How?” Jessica asked.

“Blanched almond flour,” he replied. “I used liquid Stevia instead of sugar. The FDA hasn’t approved it for use in packaged food, but it is sold over the counter legally at GNC. I checked, and the regulations don’t prohibit me from using it so long as I list it as an ingredient.”

“And the icing?”

“Buttercream, but using granular Stevia instead of sugar. High fat, almost no carbs.”

I tasted it and it was out of this world.

“Alex, you are a genius!” I declared. “What about ice cream?”

“I ordered a professional churn, and I’ll make it with fresh cream and some mix of liquid and granular Stevia. It’ll be high fat, but low carb.”

“When you perfect it, would you let me know? I want to share it with my friend Katy, who makes her own ice cream at her bed-and-breakfast in Vermont. She’ll gladly pay a licensing fee.”

“Now THERE is a good idea!” Sam said from behind Alex.

“I guess that settles that!” he declared. “Sorry I couldn’t have that for tonight, but in a few months, I should have it perfected.”

“I can’t think of a better birthday present!” I declared.

Alex left and returned a minute late with a sheet of paper with the recipe for the cake, marked ‘Confidential’. I promised the recipe would not be shared beyond our immediate family, signed the check, and when we finished our desserts, we once again thanked Alex and Sam, and headed home.

“I haven’t seen you this happy about food in a LONG time, Steve!” Kara declared.

“My life changed today!” I declared.

“Why do I feel like sex is taking second place to a cake?” Jessica asked.

“I’ve had sex recently,” I chuckled. “Chocolate cake, not so much! And I saw how all of you, daughters included, reacted to the caramel-filled chocolate bars I bought you!”

“Maybe,” Jessica smirked.

“You know, if you talk less and drive faster, we’ll have more time for sex,” Kara prompted.

Not being a complete idiot, I sped up.

April 24, 2002, Chicago, Illinois

🎤 Jesse

“Jesse-san, I would like you to come to dinner next Wednesday, please,” Akiko said as we cuddled after we had our second round.

“With your host parents?” I asked.

“Yes, but also my parents! They will be here from Japan. They chose to take their vacation in the US because they wish to meet my host parents and thank them. I would like them to meet you, too.”

“I’d love to,” I said.

“Good! We won’t be able to be together this way, because my parents will be here. They would not be upset, but it would be disrespectful.”

“I understand.”

“And if you do visit Japan, you will be able to share my futon!”

“That’s something that would be totally cool, but very difficult. How should I dress for dinner?”

“A suit, please. I like the black one you wear to your hockey games when the coach requires it. My parents are very formal, and they will dress for dinner.”

“And what time?”

“Please be here at 5:00pm. That way my parents can meet you and you’ll have time to talk before my host parents arrive home. I’ll cook that evening.”

“You know,” I said, “if you want help with that, you could ask my dad’s friend Yuriko.”

“It would be wonderful to have another Japanese girl to help. Let me check with my host parents, but I’m sure it would be OK.”

“Let me know tomorrow, and I’ll ask her.”

“Thank you!” she exclaimed, then kissed me. “Let me wash you, please. If you are well-behaved, I’ll suck you!”

I chuckled because I was always well-behaved and exceedingly polite with Akiko. After all, she was the most ‘correct’ person I knew, even more than Yuriko. I doubted Akiko ever even had a stray thought, she was so focused and disciplined. In that way, she was very much like Albert, who was more squared away than most of the naval officers we knew.

We went to the bathroom where Akiko did exactly as she’d promised — washed me head to toe, then gave me an exquisite blowjob. We exchanged a soft kiss, then went back to her room to dress. I helped her change the sheets on her bed, then she walked me to the front door, where we kissed once more.

“See you next Wednesday!” Akiko said.

“See you next Wednesday,” I agreed.

I left her house and headed for home.

🎤 Matthew

“I think we have the dance number down pat,” I said when drama practice ended.

“Me, too,” Maggie agreed.

“I still want to know what your parents are going to say about the dance!”

Maggie laughed, “If your girlfriend is OK with it, I don’t see a problem!”

“She knows it’s acting!” I declared. “Your parents, on the other hand...”

“They can have a fit for all I care!” Maggie declared. “Mark knows it’s part of the show.”

“Mark is pretty tolerant!” I chuckled. “It’s not every guy who will allow his girlfriend to dance that way with a guy AND kiss him!”

Maggie smiled, “Of all the guys on the planet, I can’t think of anyone who Mark trusts more than you! And it’s a peck!”

Because she’d asked Mr. Fruits to change it from a ‘romantic kiss’ as the script he’d written called for, and which he’d reluctantly done at my urging. Dancing was one thing, but kissing Maggie in a way she’d never kissed Mark just didn’t sit right with me. Mr. Fruits hadn’t known that, but I had pointed out that Maggie had a boyfriend and went to a very conservative church. Her dancing close to me was her rebellion, and as rebellions went, it was about as tame as could be, at least from my perspective. Her parents were going to be another matter altogether.

“Which show are they coming to?” I asked.

“Closing night! I bought the tickets for them!”

“Smart!”

“When is your Chicago family coming?”

“Friday night,” I said. “It’s the most convenient for them.”

“Call your other half and check in!” Maggie commanded.

“Yes, Dear!” I grinned.

I took my cellphone from my pocket and hit the speed dial for Chelsea.

“Hi!” she exclaimed. “How was the dress rehearsal?”

“We’re all set for tomorrow night.”

“How did Maggie feel?” she asked, obviously teasing.

“Like a friend!” I replied.

“A close friend!” Chelsea said, laughing.

“You’re as bad as she is!” I chuckled.

“She’s there, right?”

“Yes.”

“Lemme talk to her!”

I rolled my eyes even though Chelsea couldn’t see and handed the phone to Maggie. The next three minutes were a giggle-fest, and though I couldn’t hear Chelsea, I was sure she was giggling just as much as Maggie was. I rolled my eyes when she handed me the phone and she stuck her tongue out at me.

“What was THAT about?” I asked.

“Girl talk!” Chelsea declared.

“Uh-huh,” I replied flatly.

“Oh, please! You know we’re friends and we’re going to hang out some when I move to Chicago.”

“That scares me!”

“Oh, please! Your best gal friend and your fiancée SHOULD be friends!”

“So you can gang up on me?”

“In your dreams!”

“Nah,” I chuckled. “Not mine.”

“Every guy dreams of two girls at once!”

“Not me,” I replied, then sang, “I only have eyes for you...”

“I love you, Matt!”

“I love you, too!”

“Just over six weeks!” Chelsea exclaimed. “Then we’re together forever!”

“Minus me being in Oswego for High School and you being at Loyola for college!”

“A short drive or train ride away, instead of six hours in a car!”

“True! Talk to you tomorrow?”

“Yes! Bye!”

I closed my phone and slipped it back into my pocket.

“She told me not to steal you away, as if that were possible!”

“She has nothing to worry about! Not that you aren’t cute and not that you don’t feel good when we dance, but you aren’t her!”

“Which she knows, Matt. It’s all good! See you tomorrow?”

“See you tomorrow!”

We headed out to the parking lot for our rides home.

🎤 Michael

“Mike, I spoke to Eduardo earlier today, and he’s going to drive for the Sox/Angels game on the 18th,” Mr. Peterson said when he picked us up after robotics club.

“Cool!” I replied.

“It’s a night game,” Andi said, “so we’ll have dinner at Connie’s Pizza before we go to the ballpark.”

“Excellent! Andi, Mom is planning a party for my birthday. Are you free on June 18th?”

“What day of the week is that?”

“Tuesday.”

“I should be here. Our vacation is in July, just like yours.”

“Where are you going, Mike?” Mr. Peterson asked.

“Eduardo is taking us all to Cádiz in Spain. Andi, where are you guys going?”

“No place like that! We’re going to Myrtle Beach in South Carolina. Dad plays golf, and the rest of us go to the beach and hang out.”

“Is your whole family going, Mike?”

“You mean all my siblings? No. My dad is taking them to Sweden and Russia, except for my brother Albert, who is going to England to see his friends there.”

“How are you handling Summer robotics?” Andi asked.

“I’ll miss two meetings because of our trip, but I already let Mr. Perez know. Won’t you miss some?”

“Just one because of the way the trip works out.”

We arrived at my house, I thanked Andi’s dad for the ride, got out of the car, walked up the driveway, and went into the house.

April 27, 2002, Chicago, Illinois

🎤 Steve

“Morning!” I said to Allyson and Lucy when I saw them walking toward the ER just after Jessica had gone in on Saturday morning.

“Morning!” they called back in unison.

“Ever had two doctors in a threesome?” Suzanne asked as she, Kara, and I walked north towards home.

“Medical doctors tend to be boring in the sack,” I chuckled.

“You do not believe that for one second!” Kara protested.

“OK, Leila was a LOT of fun,” I allowed. “The exception that proves the rule!”

“And Jess?” Kara asked, sounding outraged.

Suzanne laughed, “He’s yanking your chain, Kara! You should know that!”

“Snuggle Bear...” Kara said menacingly.

“What?” I asked innocently.

“How would you like me to borrow King Kong from Elyse? Hmm?”

“If that turns you on, go for it!” I declared. “You know I’ll do whatever you ask, so long as it’s within the rules.”

“An advantage you have over Birgit, Kara,” Suzanne offered. “An advantage that she can never take away, no matter how annoying you think she is.”

“I’m just tired of the ‘mom is evil’ attitude!”

“She doesn’t think you’re evil, Honey,” I soothed. “She’s just asserting herself the way teens do. Jesse annoys the heck out of Jennifer and Josie at times, but they ignore him.”

“They aren’t even the most annoying ones!” Suzanne declared.

“Albert?” I asked.

“Obviously! He looks down his nose at anyone who isn’t as squared away as he is, and that haughty stare is just too much!”

“So, fighter jock?” I chuckled.

“Like Ice in Top Gun. Maverick would be WAY more fun!”

“Isn’t he a bit short for a fighter pilot?” I asked.

Suzanne laughed, “Nice Star Wars reference!”

“Albert does make allowances for his brothers and Nicholas,” I said.

“Nicholas, who wants to be a naval officer and doctor? Jesse who, despite living the American Dream of a teenage sex god, is pretty squared away? Do I need to go on?”

“Teenage sex god?” I chuckled.

“Birgit’s words, not mine!” Suzanne declared. “She seems as clued into the goings-on in the coach house as she is in the main house!”

“I used to call her the ‘Neighborhood Watch’ for a reason!” I said. “But I still say it’s the quiet ones you have to really watch out for!”

“Ashley and Michael?” Suzanne asked.

“Yes, though Miss Ashley is showing strong signs of coming out of her shell.”

“That really happened when Stephie became a word which Birgit uses, but I won’t,” Kara interjected.

“She’ll get over it,” I said. “She’s actually mellowed slightly, though if Nicholas is around, she’s worse.”

“I think it’ll be good for him to be back home with Tom and Bethany,” Suzanne said. “That’ll reduce the tension between him and Stephie.”

“I think so, too,” I agreed. “I didn’t see the conflict that arose coming, but then again, none of us did.”

“Changing topics,” Kara said. “What are we doing tonight?”

“I was thinking My Big Fat Greek Wedding,” I said. “I think we all know enough about Orthodoxy and Greek traditions from Sofia and Stavros and Dave and Julia to get the inside jokes.”

“I’m not quite as clued in as the rest of you,” Suzanne said, “but I hear it’s funny no matter what.”

“You know we won’t object if you go out with your friends tonight.”

“I was with them last night when you guys went to Matthew’s musical. How was that, by the way?”

“Like the other things Mr. Fruits writes, different,” I said. “Matthew and his friends lobbied to do something other than Oklahoma, so Mr. Fruits wrote a comedic retelling of Cinderella, but setting it at a modern Prom. Matthew was John Prince and his friend Maggie was Cindy Rella. The kids did a good job, and the musical choices were interesting. They’re videotaping tonight’s performance and Matthew will get a copy for us. Well, assuming the school is still standing.”

“Why?” Suzanne asked.

“Because Maggie’s parents are fundamentalist, evangelical Christians and she has what amounts to a ‘dirty dance’ with Matthew. And it’s not her shoe that went missing!”

“Panties?” Suzanne asked. “Lost at some point on Prom night?”

“Right the first time!”

“And her parents allowed her to act in this musical?”

“She told them it was Cinderella and got them tickets for the closing show tonight. They will NOT be amused!”

“Does Chelsea know about that?” Suzanne asked.

“She and Maggie are good friends, and Maggie is Matthew’s best gal friend. Maggie would never have gone for the part if Matthew didn’t have the lead. They have a stage kiss, too, though Maggie and Matthew both insisted it be a peck, and checked with her boyfriend Mark that it would be OK.”

“I have to ask — trying on the panties?”

“Done with a shadow screen so all that showed to the audience was Maggie’s legs from the knee down, with everything else a shadow. And it was simulated, not real.”

“Which won’t mollify Maggie’s parents!” Kara declared.

“It’s the same thing I always say, the more control you try to exert, the more likely they are to rebel.”

“The more you tighten your grip, Tarkin, the more star systems will slip through your fingers.” Suzanne declared.

“Some parents will never, ever learn,” I said. “And neither will society.”

🎤 Albert

CmdrAlbert: Hi!
WarriorChick: Hi! Memorial Day weekend?
CmdrAlbert: Yes, Ma’am! Where to?
WarriorChick: Cincinnati, if that’s cool.
CmdrAlbert: If I can fly, anywhere is cool!
WarriorChick: You can fly.
CmdrAlbert: Awesome! Dad is having his usual party on Monday.
WarriorChick: I’ll fly in on Saturday morning, we’ll fly to see my dad, spend the night in Cincinnati, and fly back. You can see your grandpa and your Sicilian cousins if you want.
CmdrAlbert: That’ll be awesome! I’ll get in touch with Joseph and Amelia. Maybe we can see Deborah, Krissy, and their boys. I’ll have Dad talk to them.
WarriorChick: Sounds great! How are things?
CmdrAlbert: Everything is ship-shape and Bristol fashion!
WarriorChick: How is your English girl?
CmdrAlbert: Wife!
WarriorChick: All you Adams men are strange!
CmdrAlbert: No kidding! She’s fine. I’ll let Dad know the plans.
WarriorChick: Excellent! See you then!
CmdrAlbert: Cool. Say hi to John for me!
WarriorChick: Will do! Later!
CmdrAlbert: Albert out!

I closed my IM window and fired up the flight simulator. While it loaded, I went down and wrote the proposed flight days on the calendar. I’d mention it to Dad at lunch, because he was at karate. I went back upstairs, mapped out a flight plan to Cincinnati, selected the correct aircraft, and began the flight from Meigs to Blue Ash.

🎤 Steve

“Mom will pick me up at 5:00pm, instead of 3:00pm, as you asked,” Avanti said when she arrived at the dojo on Saturday morning.

“Good. Will you both be at Philosophy Club tomorrow?”

“Yes. You can assume that we’ll both be there unless I tell you otherwise.”

“OK. Go line up, please.”

“Yes, Sensei!”

She went into the training room as four teenagers — three guys and a girl — I hadn’t seen before came in through the doors from the sidewalk. They basically fit the racial makeup of the area — two African Americans, one Hispanic, and one Northern European, at least the blonde hair and blue eyes of the female implied.

“Good morning,” I said. “I’m Sensei Steve Adams. Can I help you?”

“I’m Mike,” the tallest of the guys, who was African American, said. “And these are Kyle, Diego, and Laney. We thought we’d check out the karate school.”