Chapter 61: You’ll Live

June 2, 2002, Chicago, Illinois

🎤 Steve

“Lunch is ready, Dad,” Birgit said from the door to my study at noon on Saturday.

“OK. I’ll be right there.”

Birgit stepped into the study.

“How was she?”

“Pumpkin,” I warned. “You know better.”

“What will you do? Turn me over your knee and spank my bare bottom? Yes, please!”

“Birgit Elizabeth!” I said sternly, fighting the urge to laugh.

“Forget it, Dad! There is exactly one way to get me to stop teasing you that way! And you know what it is!”

Oh, I did, and she knew it, too.

“You know why we can’t,” I said.

“Then you’re going to have to put up with me teasing you!”

“Just be careful, Pumpkin,” I said.

“Nobody else is here.”

“That you know of,” I said, nodding.

“What did I miss?” Kara asked.

“Just Birgit being Birgit about Rachel,” I said.

“Scoot, young lady!” Kara said to Birgit.

Birgit left and Kara came into the study and shut the door.

“Rachel is very sweet, though a bit flustered.”

“It’s not every day a woman sits down to chat with the wives of a man she just went to bed with!”

“And?”

“Today was the only time,” I replied. “It was a step she needed to take to find herself. Now she’ll figure out how to live her life. I’ll mentor her and assist her, but we won’t have sex.”

“Her choice or yours?”

“Hers. I certainly wouldn’t mind being with her again.”

“That good?”

“Loving and tender,” I replied.

“Your sweet spot, though she’s outside your target range!”

“As I said to Birgit, I dare you to say that to Jess!”

Kara laughed, “You know what I meant, and I’m sure it’s the same thing Birgit meant.”

“Of course, but I can tease you. Shall we have lunch?”

“Yes. Jackson and Holly are here, which is what I came to tell you.”

“OK. Thanks.”

We had a nice lunch, and after we ate, Jackson, Suzanne, Natalie, and I went to the sauna to have our usual chat before a rap session or Philosophy Club.

🎤 Birgit

“How are things with your boyfriend?” I asked Tabitha as she and I walked from our house where we’d met to Libby’s house where we had our Hangout.

“Great!” Tabitha exclaimed. “I really like spending time with him.”

“I bet!” I giggled.

Tabitha laughed, “Yes, that, of course, and it’s awesome; but I mean just talking, cuddling, or taking walks.”

“Are you guys going to move in together?” I asked.

“He has to be careful because of the divorce proceedings, but once those are finished, probably around the end of the year, we’ll figure out what to do. I also have to think about Hope, of course.”

“How is work?”

“Awesome! I really like it, and I had a good review at the end of my probation period. If everything goes well, I’ll be a shift supervisor, then an assistant manager, and eventually manage my own store.”

“That’s totally cool. What about college?”

“They have a program where they’ll pay some of my tuition, so I’m going to take a class in the Fall at UIC. You have finals this week, right?”

“Kind of,” I replied. “The end of the year tests in 8th grade are comprehensive and about being promoted, but it doesn’t matter, really, because I was accepted as a Freshman at the Lab School at UofC.”

“I heard you’re going to Vermont.”

“Yes. Next week, when Jesse goes to Minnesota, I’m going to see my friend Katy.”

“Can I ask you a personal question?”

“Sure.”

“Have you done it?”

“No. I haven’t even actually had a real kiss. But I’m on the Pill, so when I decide I want to be with a guy, I can. Probably this Summer, but it depends.”

“You’re lucky to have the parents you do,” Tabitha said. “My mom and dad were impossible! I had no idea what it meant to be an adult and, obviously, I’d never done anything. My dad decided who I should marry and treated me like a possession to hand over. Your dad taught me that I’m nobody’s possession!”

“For sure! I tried to convince my friend Fatimah of that, but I couldn’t make any headway.”

“The Saudi girl?”

“Yes. She’s getting married soon. I was invited to the wedding, but there is no chance that I’m going to go to Saudi Arabia and be treated like a second-class citizen! And having to cover every inch of skin except my face and hands? No chance!”

“I dressed like that until I met your dad.”

I giggled, “And once he undressed you, it was all over!”

“No!” Tabitha exclaimed. “That was the start, not the end!”

“You know what I meant!” I protested, but we were both laughing.

🎤 Jesse

“When I come back from Sweden, I’m changing churches,” I said to CeCe as we walked to my house after our Hangout.

“What?! Why? You’re not going to be Orthodox?”

“I am, just a different parish, which is what I should have said. I’m probably going to go to the Cathedral. It’ll be easier, given the run-in I had with the Deacon. Well, not directly, but you know what happened.”

CeCe smirked, “That lure would never work with you!”

“Oh really? What about YOU?”

“I meant to go steady, at least at this point. You know I wanted to have sex with you because I was horny! The relationship happened after! None of your «Filles du jour» thought fucking would make you a couple! The deacon’s daughter sure did!”

“True.”

“What time do you leave for Minnesota on Saturday?”

“My flight is at 8:30am,” I said. “So I have to be at Midway at 6:30am because of the security checks.”

“Then it’s too early for me to come to say ‘goodbye’. My parents would never let me come over at 5:30am. Can we go back to your house after we go out with the gang on Friday?”

“Yes.”

“Awesome! And thanks for inviting me to your brother’s birthday!”

🎤 Matthew

I hated waiting at the airport, but the reason I was waiting made it OK. Unfortunately, Chelsea’s flight had been delayed, so Eduardo and I were sitting outside the security doors for arrivals, waiting for her. I suspected we’d need to go right to my dad’s house rather than to Eduardo’s condo as we’d planned, but in the end that wouldn’t make much of a difference.

Her flight ended up being sixty-five minutes late, despite the internet showing it as having left on time. I stood impatiently just outside the doors and a few minutes later, she came through them and we exchanged a chaste hug because she’d turned eighteen.

“I’ll give you a VERY nice kiss later!” Chelsea said quietly.

“Where?” I asked quietly.

“I’m willing to negotiate,” she giggled.

We walked over to where Eduardo was, then went to the baggage claim to wait for her two suitcases and a duffle bag. They showed up on the belt about twenty minutes later, and Eduardo and I grabbed them, and the three of us went out to his car. We loaded everything into the trunk, then Chelsea and I got into the back seat while Eduardo got into the driver’s seat.

“I think we should head straight to your dad’s house,” Eduardo said. “You don’t want to be late for your own birthday party!”

“I was thinking we’d have to,” I said. “We’ll be a bit early that way, but losing an hour made it impossible to get to Lincoln Park and back in time.”

“It’s not a big deal. I’ll take you there on the way home after the party.”

“We appreciate it.”

That meant we’d lose time at home, as I needed to get to sleep at a reasonable hour because finals started in the morning. Once the week was over, we’d move to the townhouse for the Summer.

I had an awesome birthday party at Dad’s house, and after dinner, cake, and presents, Eduardo, Chelsea, and I left to go to the townhouse to drop off her things. Once we’d done that, he drove us to our house, where Chelsea and I decided to go right up to my room. We quickly undressed and got into bed.

“I’ve missed you!” she said.

“About that kiss?” I asked with a grin.

“Where would you like the kiss?” she asked, licking her lips.

I slid my hand down over her stomach, into her pubic hair, and then over her lower lips.

“I’ll kiss you here,” I offered.

Chelsea giggled and slid her hand down to cup my sack.

“And I’ll kiss you here!”

She moved on top of me, straddled my face, and took me into her mouth as I pressed my tongue into her. It didn’t take long for both of us to cum, and after we kissed, we cuddled.

“Sorry I couldn’t make it to your graduation,” I said.

“It’s OK,” Chelsea said. “The timing stunk and my dad’s parents were staying at the house, so we couldn’t have slept together anyway.”

“I was surprised you chose to fly up alone.”

“I’m eighteen! I told mom and dad I was an adult, I had everything arranged, and you were going to help me. They insisted on coming up next weekend to ‘make sure everything was OK’.”

“They’re just acting like normal parents,” I said.

“Your dad wouldn’t do that! Nor would Eduardo! Well, they would if you asked.”

“Mom would,” I said. “She’s a mom!”

“I know you need your sleep, so let’s make love, then turn off the light.”

June 3, 2002, Chicago, Illinois

🎤 Steve

On Monday afternoon, we had a party in each of the offices to celebrate NIKA’s 17th birthday. We had a videoconference so that Stephanie and I could each speak to the staff, then everyone had cake, ice cream, and other treats. Alex had made a low-carb cake and provided some low-carb ice cream for me, so that I wasn’t left out. Not long after the celebration ended, Kimmy let me know that Franklin Volstead was calling for me.

“Good afternoon,” I said when I picked up the phone.

“Good afternoon,” he replied. “I’ve reviewed the offer, and I believe we have a deal.”

“Excellent. The money will be in the escrow account by tomorrow morning. Please send back one copy of the executed contract and keep the other for your records.”

“Will do. May I ask your next step?”

“My attorney will get in touch with the founders and present them each with offer sheets for their shares, along with a commitment to honor any contractual obligations, and to retain them on personal services contracts for a year.”

“They’ll jump at that. I heard this morning through a contact that they were interested in finding a way out.”

“A bit quicker than I’d hoped,” I said. “I’ll get my attorney working on this immediately. I have one more question.”

“Sure.”

“Would you like to be the first conversion from Simply Legal to NIKA Legal? I intend to shut down Simply Legal completely.”

“I expected that. Have Cindi call me and we’ll work out the details.”

“I look forward to a mutually beneficial relationship in the future.”

“I’m amazed at how easily you can let the past go.”

“Carrying a grudge does nobody any good,” I replied. “And besides, it was all Braun, never you. Ben was sure of that all along.”

“Ben’s the best young lawyer I know, and his firm is the powerhouse I expected it to be. Anyway, I’ll let you go. I’ll get the executed contract to FedEx before the end of the day.”

“Thanks. I’ll have Kimmy call your assistant to confirm the funds are in escrow as soon as I receive the notification.”

“Thanks, Steve.”

“You’re welcome.”

We said ‘goodbye’ and I disconnected the call, then dialed Jacob Goldberg’s number. His assistant put me right through to him.

“You can execute the next steps,” I said. “I just spoke with Franklin Volstead.”

“You should wait until you have the executed contract.”

“Normally, I would, but he also let me know the Knowles and Jackson founders are looking for a way out. I don’t want to get into a bidding war or get scooped. Make the calls, please.”

“You’re the client.”

“It’s minimal risk,” I replied. “My deal with Volstead is contingent on the deal with the founders, and I can back out with them at any time if something feels fishy.”

“I’ll call you as soon as I speak with them.”

“Thanks. I’m going to call Samantha Spurgeon and have her transfer the money into the escrow account you established.”

“OK. Speak to you soon.”

I disconnected the call, then dialed Samantha’s direct number. She answered on the first ring.

“The deal with Volstead is set,” I said after we greeted each other.

“OK. I’ll have the money wired to the escrow account immediately.”

“Thanks, Samantha.”

“Always nice doing business with you! Lunch this week?”

“How about Wednesday?”

“Perfect. I’ll have Ernie make reservations and I’ll send a car for you.”

“See you on Wednesday!”

I hung up, then went to Stephanie’s office to let her know that everything was underway.

🎤 Jesse

“When can I see you again?” Angelina asked as we put on robes to walk to the bathroom so we could shower.

“I’ll be back on the 23rd, so sometime the following week. I’ll call you when I get home, OK?”

“Yes! Dad gave me permission to go out with you any night, so long as you have me home by 11:00pm.”

“Cool,” I said as we got into the shower under the warm spray. “Remember, I’ll be in Europe from July 12th until the end of July.”

“We’re going to visit my grandparents in Guadalajara for a week in the middle of July, so that works out well. You know, I never asked, but what do you do at hockey camp?”

“A mix of games, exercise, classroom, individual instruction, and time with strength and conditioning coaches.”

“All guys?”

“This one does allow girls, so there might be some, but I don’t know. Nicole is going to one that is girls only later this Summer, hosted at UW Madison.”

Angelina and I washed each other, then dried each other, and went back to my room to dress. She helped me change the sheets, then I walked her home. When I returned to the Compound, I went to the main house to see my dad.

“Hi, Dad,” I said, finding him in his study.

“What’s up, Jesse?”

“I wanted to let you know that I’m going to transfer my membership to Holy Virgin Protection Cathedral when we come back from Europe.”

“That’s your prerogative, of course. Mind telling me why?”

“The short version is that Viktoria mis-characterized our dates to Deacon John, and he’s so mad at me he can’t see straight. It was all lies, and Father Basil knows, but Deacon John refuses to accept what happened and blames me.”

“I normally don’t ask this question, but how far did things progress?”

“I believe you old folks call it ‘petting’,” I grinned.

“Watch it, Little Duck!” Dad growled, but he was smiling.

“It was totally mutual, and you know I’d never, ever go further than a girl wanted to, as you taught me, but she blamed it all on me and her dad believes her. She admitted to me that she didn’t tell the truth, but she’s afraid of what he’d do if she did, so I’m basically hosed.”

“What did Father Basil say?”

“About the situation? That there isn’t much he can do because anything Viktoria might have told him in confession can’t be repeated, and I seriously doubt she confessed, from what she said. If you mean about transferring, I haven’t told him. I just decided yesterday after Viktoria admitted she lied. I don’t see any other solution. In the end, in two years, I’ll most likely be in Madison, and I’ll be a member of a parish there.”

“Father Basil is going to be very disappointed,” Dad said. “But you have to do what’s best for your spiritual health.”

“I know, and that’s why. I discussed it with Macrina briefly and with CeCe, and I’m sure it’s the right thing to do.”

“OK. How far is the Cathedral?”

“It’s in Des Plaines, so it’s about the same distance, but it’s actually a bit less driving time, because it’s I-90 the entire way except for maybe the last mile.”

“Thanks for letting me know. How are finals going?”

“Piece of cake, Pops! I’m going to go have dinner with my moms then study.”

“Have a good evening, Jesse. Let me know if there’s anything you need me to do.”

“I think I have it covered. I’m sure Father Basil will call you.”

“I’m sure he will,” Dad agreed.

I left and went back to the house to have dinner with my moms, then went to the Duck’s Nest to study until bedtime.

June 5, 2002, Chicago, Illinois

🎤 Steve

“Steve, I have Jacob Goldberg on the phone for you,” Kimmy said.

“Put him through, please.”

She connected the call, and I greeted Jacob.

“Two out of three are ready to sign,” he said. “The third wants more for his shares, because he thinks he has you over a barrel.”

“He’s mistaken,” I replied. “I can complete the deal with Volstead, convert the shares to voting shares, demand payment of the dividends owed on the preferred shares, and force them into bankruptcy within ten days.”

“I explained that to him, though I had to be a bit circumspect so as not to violate any ethical rules.”

“Perhaps I should call him,” I said. “I can tell him what I plan to do, right? And that’s not considered an actionable threat?”

“You don’t have the same ethical considerations, so you could say anything you want, so long as you don’t threaten him personally or suggest you’re going to engage in illegal behavior. Your plan is perfectly kosher, and you could, as we discussed, set a countdown timer where every day he delays, you knock a few percentage points off your offer.”

“Which founder?” I asked.

“Jameson Miller,” he said,

“The guy without his name on the door?” I asked, incredulous. “Really?”

“Really. He was a silent partner until the merger with EB, then suddenly became very vocal.”

“That sounds like trouble,” I observed. “His role is design, so I may up my offer on the condition that he walks away. I don’t need someone like that on a personal services contract. What’s his background, if you know?”

“He went to law school, but I can’t find any record of him passing the bar. That’s not necessarily definitive, as there are a number of reasons that might prevent me from finding the records. Your friend who used to be in the KGB could probably tell you for sure.”

I chuckled, “Nobody can hide from Katya! But I think Cindi has a full dossier, so I’ll check with her before I do anything. How did you leave it with Knowles and Jackson?”

“I sent them packets of information today with everything laid out as we agreed. I’ll follow up with them tomorrow afternoon.”

“Thanks.”

We said ‘goodbye’, I hung up, and then went to Cindi’s office. I shut the door and leaned against it.

“I need something,” I said.

“Anything!” Cindi exclaimed, and began unbuttoning her blouse.

“Bob would kill both of us,” I chuckled. “And besides, you and Walt are a couple, and I doubt you have permission!”