Chapter 18: Pumpkin Has a New Hobby

September 2, 2002, Chicago, Illinois

🎤 Steve

"A proper daddy/daughter dance, Pumpkin," I said when Birgit came into the attic room.

"You're just no fun, Dad!" she complained.

Birgit gave me an evil look, but complied with my request, and we danced with appropriate space between us. She was the only one of my daughters, in fact, the only one of the teens, who came up to the attic room. I didn't like the changes, but I was genuinely concerned about what Bethany might do, and the last thing I wanted was to give her more ammunition if she decided to fight back that way.

When our dance finished, Birgit left to rejoin her friends, and I went back to join my wives.

"Don't look now," Kara teased, "but that cute JAG lieutenant who's here for the first time is eyeing you!"

"I hope you mean Jenson, not Marks!" I chuckled.

"You wouldn't have a problem if Lieutenant Marks was eyeing you!" Suzanne declared.

"No, of course not, but he'd be terribly disappointed if he was interested."

"You never disappoint, Tiger!"

"In that case, I would absolutely disappoint! And you three are troublemakers!"

"I thought that was our role!" Kara smirked. "Was I mistaken?"

"Apparently not," I chuckled.

"Then go ask her to dance!"

I laughed, nodded, and turned to walk over to where the two lieutenants were standing.

🎤 Jesse

The short walk from Penny's house to the coach house allowed me to regain my senses just enough to ask the most important questions. I totally wasn't surprised to find Estefana was on the Pill and that she had a clean STI test. When we got to my room, I put on the Nelly CD, which had Hot in Herre, and pulled Estefana into my arms to resume our dance.

Our clothes didn't stay on past the first part of the song, and I really enjoyed Estefana rubbing her compact body against mine, but I really wanted to do that lying down. I moved her to the bed, had her lie down, and got on top of her. We kissed furiously, and I discovered she was dripping wet, so I lodged my dick against her labia and pushed into her. Estefana groaned into my mouth and shoved her hips upward so that with one more thrust, I was buried in her tight pussy.

Estefana wrapped her arms and legs around me and began moving, similar to how she had on the dance floor, and I began thrusting in and out. Estefana was very energetic and enthusiastic, and we developed a rhythm of thrusting and grinding. Less than two minutes later, she broke the kiss, groaned loudly, and had a huge orgasm, her internal muscles rippling and squeezing me as I thrust in and out of her. Ten minutes later, after two more huge orgasms for Estefana, I pushed deeply into her, groaned, and fired jets of cum deep inside her spasming pussy.

After the last spurt, I pulled out, then moved down so I could suck on the nipples of her small breasts, then kissed my way down between her legs and brought her off with my tongue. I kissed my way back up her body, suckled each nipple, then French kissed her before moving next to her.

"«¡Dios mío!»" she gasped.

"Yeah," I agreed.

We lay together for a few minutes while Estefan's breathing returned to normal.

"We should go back to the party," she said. "Just in case anyone looks for me."

"Let's shower," I suggested.

"Yes!" she agreed. "And I want to do this again!"

"Me, too!"

🎤 Steve

"Lieutenant Jenson, may I have this dance?" I asked the pretty young female JG with typically short-cropped brown hair.

She laughed softly and nodded, so I took her hand and led her to the dance floor. Not knowing her, I chose to go with hands on hips and shoulders rather than body contact.

"I hear you're a walking UCMJ violation!" Lieutenant Jenson said mirthfully.

"Given I'm not subject to military discipline, I'm not in violation! Who's been talking?"

"I can't reveal confidential information to a civilian!"

"Uh-huh," I chuckled. "Where did you go to law school?"

"Gonzaga. I'm from Spokane. I applied for my commission the day I received my Bar Exam results."

"Who invited you?"

"Lieutenant Commander Wilson."

That was Aaron, and it wouldn't surprise me if he'd warned Lieutenant JG Jenson.

"May I ask your given name?"

"You may!"

I laughed, "OK, Counselor, what's your given name?"

"My parents thought they were cute and named me Scarlet Rose."

"That's a gorgeous name," I replied.

"For an attorney?" she asked.

"Well, if it makes your opponents dismiss your skills or underestimate you, it's perfect!"

"I hadn't considered that angle," she said.

"Own it, let them underestimate you, then kick their ass! Your goal is to get to the point my friend Melanie Spencer has reached — prosecutors cry when she walks into the courtroom!"

"I've heard about her from other JAG officers. I thought they were exaggerating."

"About the crying? Perhaps. Are they scared to death of her when she walks into a courtroom? Absolutely. Judges are afraid of her. She wins cases that appear unwinnable because she's that good. If she represents someone who is convicted, you can be sure they're actually guilty. Her effectiveness in death penalty cases has been reduced by the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act, but she still wins quite a few appeals of sentences."

"I don't think I'll handle too many death penalty cases. Mostly, it'll be drunk and disorderly, UA, and violation of orders."

"You never know," I replied. "Did Aaron, sorry, Commander Wilson, tell you about Nick Evans?"

"Yes. His photo is on the wall in the JAG office at Great Lakes, along with a memorial plaque. Did you want that sailor executed?"

"No. Life incarceration at Leavenworth was my preferred penalty. That was his wife's preference as well."

"I heard she'd be here. Which one is she?"

"She and her husband aren't here today," I said, trying to stay neutral. "Nick's son is here, but he's next door with the teens at their party."

"I'm curious, but who chaperones?"

"Nobody. We trust them not to break out the crack pipes or have a Viagra-fueled orgy!"

Lieutenant Jenson laughed softly, "Cute."

The song ended, I thanked her for the dance, then went back to my wives.

"Losing your touch, Tiger?" Jessica teased.

"I didn't even try!" I replied. "Steve 4.0, or whatever incarnation this is, isn't prospecting."

"You never prospected!" Kara protested. "Well, except with me!"

"OK, I'm purposefully attenuating my vibe," I replied.

"So long as you're happy," Jessica said.

"I am."

"I think you'll find plenty of med students who would be interested in serious 'stress relief' sessions!" Jessica exclaimed.

"Who will be students in the class I'm leading," I replied. "And despite the wink-and-nod treatment that kind of thing is given in the medical community, it violates our rules. I promise I'm happy and satisfied, and dialing things back a bit is not a negative thing in any way."

September 3, 2002, Chicago, Illinois

🎤 Jesse

"Ugh!" Nicholas groaned when he got into Aunt Kara's SUV very early on Tuesday morning. "It's too early!"

"Get used to it," I replied. "You have four years of this! And don't they make you get up early in the Navy for PT or whatever?"

"I'm going to college and medical school, then joining. Officers don't have to deal with that kind of stuff, especially medical officers. Albert will at the Academy."

"How does that work for you?"

"I go to college and medical school, then do something called the Match, but with the military, for my Residency. I'll have my MD, and I'll receive a commission. It's also possible to join the Navy and go to medical school and have them pay for it. I'll decide during college."

"Has your mom come off the ledge about you joining the Navy?"

"No. Tom tried to explain his job is more dangerous than a Navy doctor, but Mom is freaked out because of what happened to my dad."

"Before we were born, the CFD wouldn't go into the projects here without armed escorts and people shot at firefighters!"

"Tom told me, but Mom isn't rational."

"That sounds like Aunt Jess used to be with Albert's flying. She's chilled a bit."

"I heard he got to take off and land!"

"He did, but don't say anything about that around Aunt Jess."

"I won't."

"How does this work this morning?"

"You mean with school? We shower at the rink, dress for school, then I drive home and drop off my gear. You can drop yours at my house, then get it on your way home from school."

"Thanks."

We arrived at Johnny's Ice House, and Nicholas and I lugged our gear inside and went to the locker room to dress for our early morning practice.

🎤 Birgit

I got up early so I could run with Dad and Suzanne, and after running and showering, I went to the sunroom for my morning cuddles.

"Ready for a new school year?" Dad asked as I climbed into the chaise.

"Yes! And ready to be in High School!"

"Did you decide on any extracurricular activities?"

"Boys!" I giggled.

"Yes, yes," Dad said, laughing, "but besides that?"

"I have karate, so I don't think I need sports, so I was thinking about the photography club."

"That sounds like fun," Dad observed. "Do you know what's involved?"

"Not yet. There's a meeting after school today."

"Just let me know what you'll need in the way of a camera. Your Instamatic won't cut it, I'm sure!"

"I think you need a real camera," I said.

"An SLR, most likely," Dad replied. "If you decide to join, find out what you should have, and I'll get it for you."

"Thanks!"

Mom called us for breakfast, but I got my usual extra three minutes of cuddles before we went to eat with the rest of the family.

🎤 Ashley

"This should be interesting!" I declared as Albert, Birgit, Stephie, and I walked into the building at the Lab School.

We used the floor plans that we'd received, and we each found our homeroom classes. When I found mine, I was happy because I knew three girls who were there — Krista, Mary, and Lucía. They weren't part of the Stepsisters, but they were friendly, so I felt that was a good thing. I said 'hi' to them, then found the seat with my name and sat down.

My homeroom teacher was Ms. Sally Carlson, and under her name on the board was written 'Phys Ed', which meant she was a gym teacher. She was tall and blonde and looked like what I thought CeCe might look like when she was in her late thirties or early forties.

"Hi! I'm Chadrima!" a pretty girl with light brown skin said. "My dad teaches physics."

"I'm Ashley! My mom is a trauma surgeon at the hospital."

And my other mom was a chemistry professor, but I felt it was wiser to wait to get to know someone before I hit them with the details of what Dad called the Compound.

"Are you new, too?"

"Yes. I was at LaSalle. You?"

"We were in Georgia. Dad was teaching at Georgia Tech, and we moved here in June."

"Where do you live?"

"Near 48th on Kenwood."

"We live on Woodlawn near 49th, so just a few blocks away."

"I love your blonde hair!"

"I love your brown skin!"

"What lunch do you have?"

"Second."

"Me, too! Eat together?"

"Sure!"

A bell rang, and Ms. Carlson stood up and introduced herself, then called the roll.

🎤 Birgit

At the end of the day, I stayed at school while my sisters and Albert headed home. I found the correct room for the Photography Club meeting and sat down to wait. There were about fifteen kids in the room, and I wondered how many would join the club.

"Hi, I'm Mr. Tavares!" a man who was about sixty said. "Welcome to the Photography Club informational meeting! Everyone, take a seat."

I was already sitting, so I just waited for the other kids to sit down. Most of them looked like Freshmen, which made sense, as anyone who had already been at the school the previous year was probably already in the club if they were interested. Once everyone was seated, Mr. Tavares began his presentation.

"Photography is much more than just having a camera and taking pictures," he said. "Students in this club have opportunities to improve their skills by understanding and learning about what makes a good photograph, from composition to artistic expression. We'll be using film cameras for most of our work, but it's perfectly acceptable to use a digital camera on occasion.

"All levels of experience are welcome and encouraged to explore this exciting side of the visual arts. Even if you've never taken a single photo in your life or only used a pocket camera, you're welcome, as would be a student with a top-of-the-line SLR and a collection of lenses that would cost me a year's salary! For those of you who don't know, the SLR or Single-Lens Reflex camera is the standard camera you see used by photojournalists and professional photographers.

"Photography Club students are encouraged to practice their skills while photographing school-related activities and sporting events, as well as special moments in your life, including family celebrations, vacations, and, frankly, anything else that might interest you. Even the most mundane objects can be turned into beautiful photographs by the application of creativity and artistry.

"We'll work with both black-and-white and color film, and we'll learn how to develop black-and-white photos. That process is easily done with a dark room, basic equipment, and chemicals. Developing color film is more complex and not something we're able to do here, but we have an arrangement with Wolf Camera to develop color film at a significant discount.

"To really get the most out of this club, you should either own or have access to a proper 35mm SLR camera. You don't need anything fancy, nor do you need more than a single lens to get started. Wolf Camera has several models in various price ranges, and they offer them at only $25 above their cost to club students instead of the usual markup. They also provide us with discounts on film purchases.

"I have information packets for you to take home to your parents, which include a permission slip and a list of suitable cameras, though, as I said, any proper 35mm SLR is acceptable. One of our students even has a camera once owned by his grandfather. So if your parents or grandparents have a camera they'll allow you to use, that's just fine.

"Our meetings are Mondays and Wednesdays, immediately after school, for two hours. For weeks with a Monday holiday, we'll meet on Tuesday instead of Monday. Our first meeting of the year is next Monday. Take your packets home, speak with your parents, and if you want to participate, bring the permission slip and your camera with a roll of film next Monday. Any questions?"

A few kids asked questions, but they didn't really add anything to what Mr. Tavares had already said. When there were no more questions, we were dismissed, and I left the classroom to meet up with Fangsu, a girl I'd met in Algebra class. Her dad was a math teacher, and it turned out they lived one block north of us on Woodlawn. She was also a Freshman and had attended the Math Club information meeting.

"I like math," I said as we left the building. "Just not that much!"

Fangsu laughed, "Well, you know the stereotype about Asians and math, right? And I told you my dad teaches math at the University. Mom teaches math at Maria High School. You said your mom teaches Chemistry, right?"

"Yes."

"What do you plan to do when you go to college?"

I laughed, "Busted. Study chemistry!"

Fangsu laughed, "Not computers like your dad? That's what I would have expected because it's the best field to be in. I'm going to study computers in college."

"I like using them for homework and chatting, but otherwise, I'm not really interested. Can I ask you something?"

"What?"

"What does your name mean?"

"The Chinese characters mean 'Fragrant flower'. Are you named for a relative the way lots of Europeans and Americans are?"

"No. I'm named for my dad's first girlfriend, who died in a boating accident when she was fifteen."

"Whoa! And your mom was cool with that?"

"Yes. My little sister is named for another one of my dad's girlfriends, who died of cancer when she was in her twenties."

"I think being your dad's girlfriend sounds dangerous!"

'Only to virginity!' I thought, but didn't say.

"He and my mom have known each other since High School, and she's still around, so not that dangerous!"

"Does your name mean anything? I mean, besides being someone else's name?"

"Yes. It's a Scandinavian form of 'Bridget', which means 'power, strength, vigor, and virtue'."

"Are you an athlete? You look like one!"

"No, but I study Shōtōkan karate and have a brown belt."

"That's cool! When did you start?"

"When I was six. My dad is 6th Dan and is a Master Instructor."

"Wow! That's prestigious!"

"What about you?"

"Soccer. You should join. Everyone gets to play, so there aren't any tryouts."

"I don't really have the time with everything else. I'll have Photography Club two afternoons, plus I have karate three or four times a week."

"Did you see they have a Philosophy Club?"

"Yes, but I'm already a member of a club like that! My brother Jesse and I have what we call 'Hangouts', which are like my Dad's Philosophy Club that he's had for a long, long time."

"Who goes? I mean, to your club?"

"Friends of ours. There's one girl who's nineteen, but everyone else is in High School. You could come, if your parents are OK with it."

"What do you talk about?"

"Everything! Politics, society, sex, current events, or whatever we want to. We meet on alternate Sunday afternoons, and we start next Sunday."

"Where?"

"At our friend Libby's house. Check with your parents, and if they're cool, I'll give you the details."

"Awesome!"

🎤 Steve

"Do you have a minute?" Birgit asked after we arrived home from the dojo.