Chapter 28: Clothing Optional

September 28, 2002, Chicago, Illinois

🎤 Birgit

"Do you have a usual routine and route?" Bob asked when we stood on the porch waiting for Dad and Suzanne, who had just returned from walking Mom to work. My mom had been with them, but she didn't run with us.

"We stretch for a few minutes here, then we head to Washington Park and run a circuit there, then walk home to cool down."

"I think I'll go to the park and wait so I don't have to run to keep up with you! That's def not my strong suit!"

"It's so easy a girl can do it!" I teased. "Two girls, in fact!"

"Uh-huh," Bob replied. "I'll see you at the park!"

He left the porch and began walking towards the park, and a minute later, Dad and Suzanne came out of the house.

"Where's your friend?" Suzanne asked.

"He decided he wouldn't be able to keep up with us, so he's walking to Washington Park, and he'll take pictures there."

"Then let's stretch," Dad said.

We did our stretching exercises then set off at a slow pace towards the park, as the cement sidewalks could put a serious strain on our shins, even with good running shoes, which we all had. When we approached the park, I saw Bob with the camera to his face, taking pictures as we jogged towards him. He moved strategically as we ran so he could take additional shots, then headed back to the house to wait for us to complete our full five-kilometre run.

Bob was waiting on the porch and took some photos as we approached at a brisk walk. We did some final stretching to cool down, then went into the house. I was tempted to tease Bob about showering with me, but without knowing if he'd had an STI test, I didn't want to get into an awkward situation where I offered something that couldn't actually happen.

"I need to shower," I said. "I'll be back down in about ten minutes."

"What?" Bob smirked. "No candid pictures?"

Dad, Suzanne, and I all laughed.

"Only if you want to get arrested," Dad said. "I wouldn't advise it."

"You can wait in the sunroom," I said, pointing.

Bob nodded and walked to the sunroom while Dad, Suzanne, and I all went upstairs so we could take showers. I envied Suzanne because I was sure she and Dad would shower together. I showered quickly and was downstairs before Dad.

"I noticed that you believed me when I said my dad was totally cool, right?"

"Hey, if he can have three wives, two regular girlfriends, and assorted others, I wasn't too worried."

"Dad is totally cool."

"What's next?"

"I get my morning cuddles with Dad, we have breakfast, then we chill until it's time to go to the dojo."

"OK to shoot pictures while you're cuddling?"

"I'm OK with it, though you'll need to ask Dad if he is."

"He's your dad!" Bob protested.

"And it's your camera!" I declared.

"Fine," Bob declared, rolling his eyes as Dad came into the sunroom.

"Mr. Adams, is it OK to take a shot or two of you and Birgit cuddling? She's OK with it but said I needed to ask you."

"Yes, of course," Dad replied.

Dad got into the chaise, and I got in with him, but I decided to cuddle on the opposite side from what I usually did so that I was facing Bob.

"Making sure Bob gets your 'good' side?" Dad asked.

"Every side is my good side!" I declared.

"Whatever you say, Pumpkin!"

"If only!" I giggled.

"Is she always like this?" Bob asked.

"This is tame," Dad declared. "She's usually worse!"

"Hey!" I protested.

Bob snapped several pictures and then set his camera aside. He sat quietly while I cuddled Dad, but Dad and I couldn't have our usual talk because I had to be careful about what I said in front of Bob. That was true even though he knew quite a bit about our family. When Mom called us for breakfast, I got my usual extra three minutes of cuddling.

"Dad, are you going to Jesse's game today?" I asked as we went to the kitchen for breakfast.

"No. Pete is in goal today, and Nicholas isn't playing, so Jesse and I discussed it, and he agreed it was OK for me to go to karate today."

"Could we spar, then?" I asked.

"If you want to land on your butt!" Ashley smirked.

"Did anyone ask you?" I said, looking daggers at her.

"No! But that never stops YOU from commenting!"

"Eldest sister privilege!" I declared. "And eldest in the house!"

"And someone who is getting awfully big for their britches!" Mom said.

"Her butt IS getting bigger," Ashley smirked.

"EXCUSE ME!" I objected. "It's the cutest butt in this house!"

"I've seen better," Dad said, smirking.

"HEY!" I protested.

"Mrs. Adams, do you have any suggestions for dealing with a snippy blonde?" Bob asked.

"Well, it takes one to know one," Suzanne offered.

"Sexy college pussy does NOT give you a pass, Suzy-Q!" Mom said, causing everyone to laugh.

"Is it always like this?" Bob asked.

"Yes," Yuriko said. "They are very irreverent. Especially the 'eldest daughter'!"

"HEY!" I protested.

"I think that was a compliment," Dad said.

"I'm still looking for advice here," Bob declared.

I narrowed my eyes, staring at him.

"Dark suit, red tie, and a satin interior for the coffin," Dad said.

"I don't think so," Bob replied. "A simple plaque is all I would need because I'm afraid they'd never find my body!"

🎤 Jesse

"Any last-minute advice?" Pete asked as we waited for Coach to give us our final pep talk before our game against Brother Rice.

"Same as always. Trust your defensemen, don't go down into the butterfly too quickly, and keep your stick on the ice to guard the five-hole."

"Good advice, Block," Coach said. "Glad you've finally begun to follow it!"

"Hockey camp was well worth it," I replied.

Both for hockey AND for meeting Scarlett, though I could have done without the rapist roommate.

"Men, the only thing I have to say is to stick to our game plan, stick to your zones and watch the passing lanes. Pete is in goal today, and we're short one player. Nicholas is here, but he can't dress for the game. That means we'll run three lines as we practiced, with Jim moving up from O4 to O3 and Teddy and Gene rotating into other lines. Pay attention to my calls so we don't have a 'Too Many Men' penalty. Jesse will help me with keeping playing time equal. Let's get 'em!"

"RAH!" everyone shouted back.

We headed out of the locker room to the ice, and Pete and I swapped roles, with me standing in goal for the initial warm-up shots and Pete taking the final ones. That left it to me to collect the pucks when the horn sounded, so I did that, then skated to the bench. It was always strange to sit on the bench during a game, but I knew it was good for Pete to get some in-game experience, as he'd need it if I were ever sick or hurt or something unavoidable came up. He'd also be the starter his Senior year if things worked out the way they usually did.

I picked up the clipboard with the form we used to track shifts and marked an 'X' in a box following each of the players on the ice for the initial face-off, and when they came off the ice, the number of seconds they had played. It was a LOT of work, but it was very helpful for Coach and for us to review stats, because I also recorded shots on goal and goals. I had a serious appreciation for the work Jerry had done when I was a Freshman and Pete had done since then.

The game started out well, with our team maintaining control of the puck for most of the first ten minutes, but we couldn't get a puck past the Brother Rice goalie. That changed when Freddy stole a puck with eight minutes to go in the first period, skated in on the goalie, got him down, then flipped the puck over the goalie's stick-side shoulder. That broke the dam, unleashing our offense, and it was 4-0 by the time the horn sounded to end the first period.

🎤 Birgit

At the dojo, Bob shot an entire roll of film during warm-ups and practice, and about ten minutes before the end of our session, «Shihan» Will allowed Dad and me to spar. We put on our protective gear and moved to the center of the training room, with Miyu acting as referee.

Dad was taller, so he had a longer reach, but I had been sparring regularly for years while he hadn't been allowed by the doctors to spar. I'd also been working with Miyu and Sensei Will on techniques to minimize the reach advantage taller people had, so I felt I had a reasonable chance against Dad. We took our positions opposite each other, bowed to Miyu, and bowed to each other.

Bob was taking pictures, but I had to put that out of my mind and concentrate, or Dad would win easily, though if he pinned me to the floor ... I pushed that thought out of my mind as well, as that distraction would cause me to lose quicker than thinking about Bob and his camera!

"Ready? Begin!" Miyu declared.

I decided my best chance was to surprise Dad, so I tried a triple-strike attack and connected both the second and third.

"Nice moves, Pumpkin," Dad said.

Oh, I'd show him some moves if he let me, I thought, then shoved that thought out of my head before I lost my focus. I also had to be careful not to let Dad sweep my legs or get close enough to grapple, as he'd win if either of those happened. I attacked again, but this time, Dad blocked all three strikes, and I just barely escaped a counter-strike. We went back and forth, trading blocked strikes, and I tried to think of some way to get past Dad's reach and his good defense.

Miyu called time, so we had a one-minute break before the next three-minute round. I knew that every minute Dad sparred, his skills would improve because he was very good, just rusty. And that meant the second round would be more challenging than the first and the third more challenging than the second.

My thinking proved correct when Dad easily fended off my attacks in the second round and scored twice. The third round wasn't even close, and he managed to grapple and take me down to the mat, his body across mine. I wanted to stay there, but I knew that would cause no end of problems for both of us, so I reluctantly shoved him so he'd move.

"Sensei Steve wins by takedown," Miyu declared.

I narrowed my eyes at Dad, and he just laughed. We bowed and then lined up for our cooldown stretches. Once those were complete, Mom, Dad, Suzanne, my sisters, Bob, and I all headed back to the house. I took my second shower of the day, and then we all went to the kitchen for lunch.

🎤 Jesse

Playing one man short, and with our backup goalie, hadn't hurt us at all against Brother Rice, and we won easily — 7-1. British International was going to be a more challenging game, but if things went according to plan, we'd have Nicholas back, and I'd be in goal. Of course, with Loki always lurking about, things didn't always go to plan!

"Great game, Men!" Coach Nelson said once we returned to the locker room after the usual handshakes at center ice. "Next week, we have a tougher game against British International, which I know seems strange, given I can't name a single NHL player from Great Britain!"

We all laughed.

"I'll see you all bright and early Monday morning! You can hit the showers!"

I showered, dressed, and then met my moms, Libby, and Lilibeth so we could head home.

"Thanks for coming to the game," I said. "I know it's not as exciting when I don't play!"

"My heart could use the break," Mom Two said.

"Hardy-har-har," I deadpanned.

"What are you doing this afternoon, Jesse?" Libby asked.

"Ebele is coming over around 1:00pm," I replied.

"Oh, OK," Libby replied with a knowing smile.

"Just to hang out," I said.

"Uh-huh," Libby smirked. "Lilibeth and I will find something to do!"

"Have lunch and hang out with us," I replied. "It'll be OK."

"If you're sure."

"I am."

When we arrived home, I put my gear on the racks in the drying room, set the controls on the dehumidifier, sprayed everything with Febreze, then headed upstairs to have lunch with my moms, Libby, and Lilibeth. We ate lunch, and I helped clean up, finishing just before Ebele arrived.

"I hope you don't mind if we crash your afternoon," Libby said to Ebele.

"It's OK. We were just hanging out."

"Let's go to the main house," I suggested. "We can play pool or ping-pong."

"How about ping-pong?" Libby suggested.

We all agreed, so we headed to the basement of the main house.

🎤 Birgit

"Now what?" I asked Bob once we finished eating lunch.

"Are we allowed to shoot photos in your room?"

I almost said that we'd be allowed to fuck in my room, but I wasn't sure that's what I wanted with Bob. It was strange because I liked him and he was nice-looking. He was a bit out of shape, but that wasn't a turnoff because he wasn't fat.

"Yes, I'm allowed to have anyone I want in my room. Right now, my cousin Patricia is sharing my room because her mom is on her honeymoon, but otherwise, I have my own room."

"Her mom is divorced and remarried?"

"Yes. Her mom is my dad's little sister. She's in Monte Carlo on her honeymoon. Shall we go upstairs? If Patty is there, I can ask her to leave."

"How old is she?"

"Six. Her brother, David, is eight, and he's staying in my brother Albert's room."

We went upstairs, and I saw that Patty was with Ashley and Stephie, which meant I didn't need to ask her to give Bob and me privacy. Bob took a number of shots of me sitting at my computer and then some of me standing in front of my full-length mirror. Once he finished, I gave him a tour of the rest of the house, ending in the basement where Jesse, Libby, Lilibeth, and a pretty black girl were playing ping-pong on the table that fit on top of the pool table.

"And this," I said, opening the door, "is our sauna."

"I've never been in a sauna before."

"We could, if you wanted, though you probably don't want your camera in the steam."

"That would wreck it, for sure. But it doesn't matter because I don't have a bathing suit."

"You don't need one!"

"Then what would I wear?"

"Nothing!"

"And you'll wear yours?"

"No, I almost never wear a suit in the sauna, only when someone isn't comfortable with everyone being naked, which is what I usually do."

"Naked. With guys?"

"I'm not ashamed of my body, and any guys who were invited wouldn't stare. And if someone did, that would be the last time they were invited."

"Has that ever happened?"

"Just once I'm aware of, with someone Jesse invited."

"Hang on a sec. You've been in the sauna, naked, with your brother?"

I had to consider how much I trusted Bob and if I thought he could handle the circus at the Compound. He seemed cool, and so far, he'd more or less taken everything in stride without freaking out, including my dad's unique set of relationships.

"With the whole family," I replied. "Though my younger sisters have taken to wearing bathing suits, which is pretty normal for girls in Europe from ages twelve to eighteen."

"What does Europe have to do with a sauna in your basement?"

"Dad is more in tune with European ideas on nudity and sex. He was an exchange student in Sweden about twenty years ago, and that's where he began formulating his ideas. I was there over the Summer on vacation, and I'm going to be an exchange student for my Junior year in High School, the same as Dad was."

"That's cool! What about your friends?"

"Mostly," I replied. "But some parents want their kids to wear bathing suits, so we accommodate that, as I said. Dad's rule is that if even one person objects, we all have to wear bathing suits or wrap towels around ourselves."

"Just out of curiosity, where do you change?"

"Sometimes we just strip off our clothes right here and go in, other times in one of the guest rooms or the bathroom. There are robes in the closet, along with towels, so if you don't want to parade through the house naked, you can do that. And, to answer your next question, yes, I could, and would, walk up to my room naked, and nobody would say a word."

"What about your brother and his friends?"

I laughed, "Libby, Lilibeth, and I have all been in the sauna together with Jesse. I don't know about the black girl, though, as she's new."

"I have to ask," Bob said with a goofy smile, "but is there anything normal about your family?"

"No! But we aren't the problem; society is! Too many hangups, too much concern about what other people are doing, and too scared to take any risks."

"I take back my question," Bob said. "It's not about being 'normal' but 'conformist'. Those words don't mean the same thing."

"No kidding! What we do is normal; it's society that's fucked up! And the word 'normal' has negative connotations. What we do is not typical, but there's nothing abnormal about it. We aren't the ones with hangups or who freak out because somebody does something different from how we do it. It's all about respecting each other, which society doesn't do despite claiming to do so."

"I hadn't exactly thought about it that way, and I'm getting the impression there's more to life here at your house than you've let on."

"Things at the Compound are very different, and you'll find that our approach to life is much healthier. We all respect each other, we all love each other, and nobody will interfere with how we each choose to live our lives, so long as we continue to respect each other and contribute to the family by doing chores, helping each other when needed, and sticking together as a family."

"How far does that freedom go?" Bob asked.

"Far enough that we could go up to my room and go to bed, and nobody would say a word."

"Is that an offer?" Bob asked with a smirk.

"Have you had an STI test recently?"

"No, but things haven't, uhm, gone that far with Meghan or Mariana."

"It's possible to contract an STI, including hepatitis, without having intercourse. My parents only have two rules — reliable birth control and a clean STI test. Beyond that, it's the most personal decision anyone can make, and therefore, only the person can decide for themselves."

"I'd say you were yanking my chain, but I get the impression you're serious about everything you've said in the past ten minutes."

"That's because I am."

"And you'd really go to bed with me?"

"The only way to find out the answer to that question is to get an STI test and then ask!"

"Just like that?"