Chapter 11: Time For the Next Stage of My Life

August 13, 2002, Rochester, Minnesota

🎤 Steve

"An excellent set of 'cumming attractions'!" Sonya declared when we got out of bed at the hotel on Tuesday morning. "I'm looking forward to tonight!"

"So it lived up to the billing?"

"It beats a foot massage!" Sonya said with a soft laugh. "And your tongue knows its way around the 'holy of holies'."

"I have a firm rule against comparisons, but I have zero complaints!"

"Why have that rule?"

"Because I think it's bad form," I replied.

"But you've had to have had bad sex if you're as prolific as I suspect you are."

"Once or twice," I replied. "But those were rectified by appropriate education and instruction!"

"Oh, come on!" Sonya protested as we went to the shower. "That can't possibly be true, or you're way more selective than Naomi, or you have implied."

"Over two hundred," I replied.

"Holy shit!" Sonya exclaimed. "Seriously?"

"Seriously. And over half of them virgins."

"Jesus," she breathed. "And you're not joking about no bad sex, are you?"

"Sex is far more than 'Tab A into Slot B'," I replied. "Or any other slot. It's mostly about bonding, and that changes the whole character of the act. You're one of the rare ones who were, and I use this phrase advisedly, a 'casual fuck'. I rarely have sex with someone I just met; it's nearly always the end result of an intimate relationship. And by that, I mean an intellectual and emotional connection of some kind. That said, as demonstrated last night, it does happen."

And, I didn't add, nearly always arranged by someone else, and in this case, that 'someone else' was Naomi, just as Katt had arranged things with Elin.

"What would you say about your kids behaving the same way?"

I chuckled, "Who says they don't? But that's totally their business. My role is to ensure they are properly educated about birth control and STIs, and at that point, it's up to them."

"Out of curiosity, how old were you?"

"Fourteen. She was twenty-three."

"Damn!" Sonya exclaimed.

"You?"

"Fifteen. He was twenty-two. How did you manage to seduce a twenty-three-year-old?"

"I didn't. I was doing yard work for her. She thought I was sixteen or seventeen. When I told her I was fourteen, she hesitated but decided to go through with it. She taught me valuable lessons about ensuring my partner was satisfied and made it clear that any girl who offered oral sex deserved French kisses immediately afterwards."

"How long did that last?"

"Less than five seconds," I grinned.

Sonya laughed hard, "You got better!"

"Obviously! But to answer the real question, just two encounters. She was concerned about a long-term relationship that couldn't really go anywhere. You?"

"From December of my Sophomore year in High School until he moved to California for a job the following June after he graduated. My first time was an all-day sex marathon on the day after Christmas. I seduced him. After him, I mostly stuck to college guys in High School, though I went to my Senior Prom with the star fullback from our football team. In nursing school, I sampled a number of doctors and was mostly unimpressed. I think Naomi and Mary were right to avoid doctors. What about you?"

"There was a special girl after my first, but she was an exchange student, and we were only together once before she had to go home. Through her, I met a girl a year older who completed my education and coached me on how to get laid — a lot. She got off on me having sex with other girls."

"In front of her?"

"On occasion, and also sex with her in front of other girls, on occasion."

"Voyeur and exhibitionist?"

"Of a sort," I replied. "She's now a well-known criminal defense attorney and has been married to her High School sweetheart for over twenty years."

"And you've been married about that long but have a permanent hall pass."

We got out of the shower and began drying ourselves.

"It's mutual," I replied. "My wives — and I consider all three women my wives – have the exact same freedom, with the exact same rules."

Of course, none of them had ever exercised that freedom, though Jessica had come very close with Jorge.

"I've heard about 'open marriages' but never actually ran into one. I was skeptical when Naomi first told me, but she assured me that it was true."

"Cheating is not something I tolerate."

"So you've never been with a married woman?"

"I have, but in situations where I could be absolutely sure their husbands consented to and knew about the encounter. One of them has an open marriage; the other is a special circumstance that goes all the way back to High School."

We moved to the bedroom to begin dressing.

"You can't eat breakfast today, right?"

"Correct," I replied. "Mary wants a fasting glucose level and a glucose tolerance test. It's more about tracking changes than diagnostic at this point. That's true for most of the tests, as the root cause is unknown, though they suspect some kind of congenital condition with my hypothalamus. Basically, all my hormone levels are off, so to speak, in that they seem to have an exaggerated effect."

"Including testosterone!" Sonya said with a silly smile.

"That is actually one theory about my proclivity to have multiple partners."

"Do you have a specific type?"

I grinned, "Strawberry blondes with athletic builds."

"Be serious."

"I am! My eldest's mom, who came out as a lesbian in college, and was my girlfriend in High School, is a strawberry blonde. My legal wife, Jessica, is a strawberry blonde. And believe it or not, I prefer small breasts."

"Not!" Sonya said, but she was laughing. "Show me a guy who doesn't like huge jugs, and I'll show you a liar."

"And you'd be wrong," I replied. "In my mind, perfect breasts would fill a champagne glass at most. Or, as I've heard said, 'more than a mouthful is a waste'."

"And is that true about dicks?" Sonya asked as she slipped on her shoes.

"I have no idea! I've never had a dick in my mouth!"

Sonya laughed hard, "You're too funny!"

"You tell me if size matters," I replied. "It won't bother me one way or the other."

"You're nicely endowed. Not huge, but nice. And truthfully, between you and me, tongues and skills are more important than pure size. I was with one really big guy, I mean really big, as in eight inches and the circumference of a Coke can. But the sex wasn't better than last night. My first guy was a bit smaller than you, and trust me, that had zero effect on his ability to get me off! Repeatedly!"

"I have had no complaints," I replied.

Well, that wasn't quite true. Annie's complaint was not that the sex wasn't good but that it was inappropriate. And there had been a few complaints about ending relationships, but again, that wasn't about the sex.

"None from me," Sonya said, "except that you needed to get decent sleep last night! Shall we head to the hospital? I'll get my breakfast in the cafeteria."

"Sounds like a plan."

[Chicago, Illinois]
🎤 Jesse

"I have our schedule," Coach Nelson said when we gathered in the locker room before hitting the ice. "Our first game is September 14th against St. Rita."

"Nothing like starting off with the toughest game of the year," I interjected.

"Which means we have to bust our butts in practice before then, gentlemen," Coach continued. "And Lane Tech is the following Saturday."

"Who hates us, Coach?" Freddy asked.

"Nobody!" Coach replied. "We have to play them eventually, and first, middle, or last, doesn't matter. We always prep hard for them, and we'll be well-rested and fresh. I want to see you digging out there. Anyone who dogs it will get fifty laps at the end of practice for their entire line!"

There were collective groans, but I understood Coach's strategy. Guys might dog it when it only affected them, but if it affected their whole line, the peer pressure would keep them from slacking off.

"Let's get out there and hit it hard, men!" Coach concluded.

"Rah!" we all exclaimed and headed for the ice.

After warmups, we played a series of scrimmages simulating game situations, including defending a five-on-three with the opposing goalie pulled. That was brutal, and my 'iron three' struggled to clear the puck from the zone. The only real solution was not to get into that situation by not taking dumb penalties like the ones that had cost us the playoff game the previous year.

🎤 Birgit

"How does this work?" Julie asked as we walked towards the clinic at the hospital.

"They'll take your blood pressure, check your pulse, and listen to your heart. If they don't detect anything, they'll give you a prescription for the Pill and your first two months of pills. They'll also draw blood for an STI test."

"How much does it cost?"

"They won't charge you because you're a teenager. For adults, they charge about $50, but if you say you can't afford it, they reduce the cost, sometimes to zero."

"How can they do that?"

"Because the clinic is funded by charity," I said. "My dad is on the Board of Directors of the biggest donor."

"I bet!" Julie giggled.

I laughed, "Not for that reason!"

"You're really OK with what Tiffany wants?"

"That's up to her," I said. "But if I asked my dad not to, he wouldn't."

"Really?"

"Really. Are you interested?"

"No. He's hot, but he's too old for me. Would you do it with someone your dad's age?"

I had, but because I was only fourteen, I couldn't say, even though it had happened in Sweden.

"Yes. My dad has some really good-looking friends, but their wives wouldn't be cool with it."

"But you would?"

"My Uncle Pete or Uncle Kurt? In a heartbeat! They aren't really uncles, but that's what we call them. But my Aunt Kathy and Aunt Melanie would never go for it."

"But you thought the guy at Water Tower was a perv, right?"

"Yes, because he touched me without permission. I'd never go with him because he was fat, ugly, and dumb, but if he hadn't touched me and had just walked away, I wouldn't have said or done anything."

We arrived at the clinic, and Julie filled out her form. It had been more than three months since my previous STI test, and I'd been with three guys and Lilibeth, so I decided to have one, just to be safe. That's what Jesse and Dad did, and it made a ton of sense. Of course, answering the questions on the form meant I had to talk to the nurse about having sex.

"You're fourteen, and you've had four partners?" she asked.

"Yes. And I've had an STI test, and I'm on birth control pills. I asked my parents about getting them, and they took me to my gynecologist, who prescribed them."

"Nobody is forcing you to do anything?"

"No. The boys were all ones I've known since I was a baby, and the girl was someone I met earlier this year. She was the first, and it was an experiment for me."

"You know birth control pills won't protect you from STIs, right?"

I wanted to roll my eyes and say 'duh', but I didn't want the nurse to think I was irresponsible.

"Yes. That's why I'm having a test today, and I made sure the boys and the girl I was with had tests before we did anything."

"That's very responsible. Who taught you that?"

"My parents, but also I read Smart Teens; Smart Choices, which was written by my Aunt Bethany. Well, she's not really my aunt, but that's what we call her because she and my dad have been friends since Junior High."

I wasn't sure they still were because of the fight they'd had, but it was better to just tell it the way I had.

"OK. You're awfully young to be having sex and for having so many partners, but you seem mature and well-informed."

"Thank you," I said, trying my hardest not to show how I felt about her comments.

She drew the blood, had me check the label on the tube matched my name and birthday, and I went back to the waiting room to wait for Julie. She came out about ten minutes later carrying a small, white bag, which I was sure had her birth control pills.

"Everything OK?" I asked.

"Yes. Why do you have a bandage?"

"I had an STI test because my last one was before I had sex, and I just want to be sure, even though I checked to make sure the boys and the girl had a test, which you should always do to be safe."

"That was in Doctor Bethany's book," Julie replied. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"Did you swallow?"

"Yes! It's sexy, it tastes OK, and the boys really like it."

"What have you done?"

"Oral both ways, vaginal, and anal."

"NO WAY!" Julie gasped. "With Peter?"

"No. With an experienced guy who knew how to do it. It was weird, but if a guy asks, and he does what I want, I'd do that again."

"What do you like?"

"Everything!" I exclaimed. "Sex is fun and feels really good. You'll see in about five weeks!"

[Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota]
🎤 Steve

I had my blood drawn for the fasting glucose panel, then had the glucose tolerance test, which made me lightheaded and gave me manic feelings. The only saving grace was the nuclear stress test, which had me on a treadmill for an extended period before I had my cardiac ultrasound. Once those were complete, I joined Mary and Naomi for lunch.

"I'll get a report, obviously, but anything on the cardiac test?" Mary asked.

"Nary a blip on the monitor and the ultrasound tech said she didn't see anything obvious."

"Your results for the glucose tolerance test were similar to your past tests, so not really any change there other than what I'd call normal variation. Your fasting glucose was in your normal range. I also received the results from the other tests, and everything is in your normal range. Your lipid panel was perfect."

"And the MRI EEG was negative for brain matter?" Naomi teased. "You know, normal for a guy!"

"Despite Steve's 'body count', as some of his female friends call it, he doesn't actually think with his member. For him, sex is mostly cerebral."

"I like smart girls," I replied. "The two at this table are perfect examples. And you know my wives are a PhD Chemist, an MD, and a future JD. I'm curious about last night..."

"I simply invited her to dinner to round out the group," Naomi said. "Everything else was her."

"Not even close!" I declared. "She had way more information than a woman invited to a dinner gathering!"

"You're busted, Naomi," Mary said. "He's not upset, just curious."

"I wasn't available," Naomi said. "Greg and I are serious, so I thought Steve might enjoy some company. He appears to have done so."

"He did," I replied with a smile. "And Mary is right; I'm not upset, just curious. But in the future, please check with me."

"Sorry," Naomi said, sounding chagrined.

"That wasn't a reprimand," I said gently, "simply a request for the future."

"Dialing things back?" Mary asked.

"Being a bit more selective," I replied. "Aided by the fact that I'm moving into 'too old' territory for most girls under twenty. The twenty-year age gap is pretty significant, even if I'm in good shape."

"I know you're meeting with Clara after your CT, but would you give me a clue? She only shares the relevant parts of her inquiry."

"The short version? Partly me drawing back from being the type-A entrepreneur and focusing on coding, partly the social environment and what I said before about age. It is, in effect, time for the next stage of my life."

"And you're happy with that?"

"I'm content to allow the new stage to unfold as it should."

"Spock, in Undiscovered Country, right?" Naomi asked.

"Yes. Not in the sense of determinism but in the sense of what's right for me based on my own decisions and actions. All I ever wanted in my life was to be free to act and not be compelled to do anything I didn't want to do or be anyone I didn't want to be. What I've always wanted to do is program, and finally, I'm at a point where I can do that full-time."

"And that changes your approach to life completely?" Mary asked.

I chuckled, "I didn't say I was going to become a monk! Nor that I was going to have no new relationships, only that I was dialing things back a bit."

[Chicago, Illinois]
🎤 Jesse

I saw Viktoria in the stands and raised my stick to her when she waved.

"Who's the smoking hot blonde?" Freddy asked.

"A girl I know from church."

"I think I need to start going to your church! There's nobody who looks like that at my church! I'd worship her all day!"

"Damn, Jesse," Mitch, one of our Freshmen who had made the third D-line, said. "She's here for you?"

"We have a date this afternoon."

"Unreal," he said, shaking his head.

"THIS ISN'T A QUILTING BEE!" Coach Palmer, the D-line coach, called out. "Get moving, men, or there will be laps!"

"YES COACH!" Freddy and Mitch called as they skated back to their positions.

We finished practice, and after showering, Nicholas and I left the locker room together. I'd let him know that Viktoria would be riding home with us, so he wasn't surprised when she met us in the lobby. She hugged me and kissed me, and a bunch of the guys whistled or catcalled. Viktoria smiled, blew them a kiss, but then kissed me again.

We went out to Aunt Kara's SUV, loaded our gear, and then Viktoria got into the passenger seat while Nicholas sat in the second row. I got into the driver's seat and, after everyone had buckled in, set out for home.