Chapter 52: Ups and Downs

November 20, 2002, Tempe, Arizona

🎤 Steve

"Any last requests?" I asked when we arrived in my suite.

CeCe laughed softly, "«La petite mort» — the 'little death'?"

"Clever girl!" I observed.

"Are you implying I'm a velociraptor?" CeCe asked with her hands on her hips.

"Someone is very much aware of 'Darmok'!"

CeCe rolled her eyes, "As if anyone could spend more than two minutes at the Compound without being aware!"

She proved the point by walking over to the table, picking up my fedora, and playfully dropping it on the floor.

"Well played!" I declared.

"With one modification ... I want to fuck, not make love!"

"On a planet where everyone screwed like bunny rabbits, Wesley managed to receive a death sentence for trampling flowers!"

"You can play in my 'perfumed garden', and the only way you'd receive a death sentence is if I don't cum!"

"Have you read that book?"

"Yes! For my class in Eastern philosophy. Though I take issue with his idea of a perfect woman!"

I chuckled, "Plump, black hair, large black eyes, large breasts, and wide hips are pretty much the opposite of blonde, blue-eyed, small breasts, and an athletic build! In my opinion, he's mistaken!"

"Good to know! Of course, he says that a man worthy of praise can easily get an erection, doesn't cum quickly, and gets hard again quickly! And has a sufficiently large dick to ensure pleasure."

"I believe I qualify," I replied. "Though the refractory period gets longer with age."

"Time between, right?" CeCe asked.

"Yes. I'm sure you read Smart Teens; Smart Choices."

"Of course!" CeCe declared. "The Indian book does insist that oral sex is mandatory from the guy!"

"Conveniently leaving out reciprocity!" I chuckled. "But I've already pointed out errors he made in describing the 'perfect' woman. And I'd like to get a good look, please!"

CeCe smiled and began undressing, and I did the same so that a minute later, we were standing naked.

"I think this is the first time ever I'll have to tilt my head up for a kiss!" I chuckled.

"I'm only two inches taller than you!" CeCe protested. "And lying down, it won't matter!"

I held my arms out, CeCe stepped into them, our lips met, our tongues touched, and we were off to the races.

November 21, 2002, Tempe, Arizona

🎤 Steve

"You have amazing muscle control," I said to CeCe as we showered together on Thursday morning.

"And you have awesome oral technique and phenomenal stamina!"

"For an old guy?" I asked.

CeCe laughed, "For any guy! I hope three hours of sleep was enough."

"No, but I'll manage. And I can sleep in tomorrow because my flight isn't until 11:00am."

"I have class at 8:00am, unfortunately. Today, class isn't until 10:00am."

We finished our shower, dried ourselves, dressed, and, at CeCe's suggestion, walked to a diner for breakfast. After breakfast, I walked her to campus, then hailed a cab to take me to the GlucoTech offices, which were about two miles from the hotel. I'd missed my morning run and would on Friday, but that couldn't be helped. Well, it could, but having an athletic, enthusiastic bedmate took priority.

"Steve Adams, SKJ Partners," I said, presenting my SKJ business card to the cute brunette receptionist at GlucoTech.

"Good morning, Mr. Adams!" she said brightly. "John and Amelia are expecting you."

"Thank you, Serenity!" I said, reading the name placard on her desk.

She stood up and walked me to their offices, and my mind flashed back to watching Kimmy walk around the former NIKA offices in Hyde Park. I pushed that thought out of my mind to focus on the technology that I was sent to evaluate.

"Steve Adams, please meet John Abernathy and Amelia Sutton," Serenity said. "John, Amelia — Steve Adams of SKJ Partners."

"Thanks, Serenity!" John said.

She left, and I shook hands with both John and Amelia, who looked every bit as nerdy as the best software engineers at NIKA or Kara's Chemistry Mafia.

"There's coffee and pastries," John said. "Please help yourself."

"Pastries at a firm researching and developing continuous glucose monitoring?" I asked with a wry smile.

Amelia laughed, "So long as you don't have diabetes, occasional pastries are OK!"

"And there you'd be wrong," I replied. "I'm not a diabetic, but I have to avoid complex carbohydrates and added sugars because I have an unusual metabolism and am extremely sensitive to changes in my blood sugar levels."

"And now I think I understand why Dante sent a guy whose CV basically screams 'computer nerd' to do his analysis!" John said.

"While I am a 'computer nerd', I'm also a businessman, and my wife is a trauma surgeon at the University of Chicago Hospital and a professor at the medical school. That's in addition to my medical condition, which I'd classify as either 'annoying' or 'interesting' depending on who's asking."

"Jumping right in, do you monitor your blood glucose?" Amelia asked.

"Not now, but I did for about eighteen months while my doctor at Mayo was trying to figure out what was going on."

"How did you find the testing regimen?" she asked.

"It felt medieval," I replied. "Sticking myself with lancets and putting drops of blood on a test strip several times a day. It immediately made me wonder about a better way, but nothing was on the market. Dante's request was actually unrelated to that, though, obviously, I have some basic understanding. What I'd really like is some kind of non-invasive monitoring that transmitted data directly to a handheld device like a Palm Pilot or one of the new Blackberry phones that I'll have next month."

"Non-invasive is probably two decades away," John said, "if not three, by the time we figure out how to do it and get FDA approval. Continuous monitoring is achievable, though it requires a probe inserted in your arm that has to be replaced every two weeks."

"How often can you take readings? Continuous doesn't, at least in my mind, mean a reading every second."

"It's configurable down to five minutes right now, but fifteen or thirty minutes is more practical," Amelia said. "And, if it's combined with an insulin pump, it could be what amounts to an automated solution for Type 1 patients who have to have insulin. For Type 2, it would be more of an alerting system to tell you to increase or decrease your consumption of high-glycemic-index foods."

"I'm sure you have a presentation for me," I said.

"Actually, I think this conversation is better," John observed. "And we do have approval to demonstrate how it works for you, if you're willing to sign a release."

"I'm game," I said.

"Then let me get a tech, and we'll set you up. We'll arrange to take it out after dinner tonight."

The procedure was simple, and relatively painless, but given most people tested themselves four times a day, inserting the monitor probe was a one-time thing, compared to fifty-six lances that would otherwise be necessary to obtain only a fraction of the data. A receiver with a display clipped onto my belt, and readings began to appear.

"Did you eat breakfast?" Amelia asked.

"Yes, but zero carbs. I had bacon, eggs, and coffee."

"And your glucose is normally this low?"

"Yes. If it goes above about 130, I start to feel effects of what amounts to a mild bipolar disorder manic phase."

"Interesting. Do you think we could see your medical records?"

"I can call Mary Whittaker at Mayo and ask her, and then sign a release you can fax to her. You might also want to speak to Doctor Mike Loucks in Rutherford, Ohio, who has reviewed my records and has made some suggestions to Mary for lines of inquiry."

"Cleveland Clinic?" John asked.

"No. Chief of Emergency Medicine at Rutherford Regional Hospital and Trauma Center. He's a friend of my wife's and, by all accounts, one of the best doctors on the planet."

"At a rural hospital?" Amelia asked.

"His goal, from the time he first thought about being a doctor, was to serve his community. He was born about fifteen minutes from that hospital and has never practiced anywhere except there and the next county over. He went to med school in that other county and did his Residency there as well."

"Interesting. Let's start with a tour, and then we can come back here and go through our presentation, if that's OK."

"It is," I agreed.

The rest of the morning was taken up with the tour, the presentation, and meeting the scientists and engineers who worked under the direction of John and Amelia. John was the head engineer, and Amelia was an MD with a PhD who had never practiced medicine beyond her Residency in endocrinology and had gone into research.

We had lunch with the engineering and research teams, and after lunch, I sat down with their CFO to go over the books, something crucial to Dante's decision. Their run rate compared to their existing capital was sustainable, but they absolutely needed an infusion of capital to make the leap from lab to commercialization. After two hours with the CFO, I was confident that they were sufficiently prudent in their spending and would put new capital to good use, and Dante would see an excellent return when the product hit the market.

The more significant problem, as I knew it would be from conversations with Jessica, was FDA approval as a medical device. That was no simple task, and there would be opposition from the manufacturers and distributors of the lancet/strip/monitor systems who would claim that GlucoTech's product was untested, dangerous, and inaccurate despite all the evidence I'd seen to the contrary.

At the end of the day, John, Amelia, and I had dinner at a nice steak house, and when we finished eating, we went back to their office so the tech could remove the glucose monitor probe. Once that was done, I returned to the hotel. I had two hours before CeCe finished her hostess shift, so I began working on my report to Dante. Knowing he was impatient, I dashed off an email with my preliminary thoughts, then began writing the detailed analysis.

I took a break to call home and spoke to my daughters, then my wives.

"Did you meet a cute girl on the plane?" Kara asked.

"No. My seatmate was a financial analyst for Clermont Capital, the main competitor to Spurgeon in Chicago. The waitress at dinner flirted, and it was clear she was available, but she hadn't had an STI test."

"That's a rarity!" Jessica exclaimed. "That pretty much always works out for you!"

"True, but in this case, it was probably good that it didn't because later evidence suggested it was a prostitution sting."

"Evidence?" Kara asked.

"Something Cecilia Carpenter pointed out."

"Cecilia Carpenter?" Kara asked. "As in Jesse's CeCe?"

"She's a student at Arizona State and also works as a hostess at the restaurant at the Hyatt."

"I think Tiger buried the lede!" Jessica teased.

"I think 'Tiger' buried himself in CeCe!" Suzanne declared mirthfully.

"Give the girl a cookie," I chuckled. "CeCe and I had a chat, she made it clear she and Jesse were done, and then propositioned me. She is absolutely yummy!"

"I HATE YOU, Snuggle Bear!" Kara groused.

"I take it my Senior Wife is green with envy?" I asked.

"I'd say!" Suzanne replied. "Jennifer is going to be equally jealous!"

"Are you sure there won't be any problems with Jesse?" Jessica asked.

"CeCe won't say anything, nor will I, and I did verify that they're done. She really wanted to be Jesse's girl, as in a couple, but that's not where the Duck is at this stage in life. CeCe's been dating here and, from what I gather, has had other lovers. And yes, she did have a clean STI test."

"What made you suspect the waitress was a prostitution sting?" Suzanne asked.

"CeCe said that Shelly, that's the girl's name, always asks for money, and something just screamed 'sting' similar to that situation at Union Station years ago."

"Would you have given her money?" Jessica asked.

"No. That would have caused the same thoughts to arise. It's one thing to make a deal similar to the one with María Cristina or the one I'm likely to make with Keiki Aukai next month."

"Are you seeing her again tonight?" Kara asked.

"I expect to have those long, athletic legs wrapped around me in about an hour!" I teased.

"You're mean, Snuggle Bear!" Kara said accusingly.

"Guilty as charged!"

"How did the meeting go?" Jessica asked.

"I actually had a chance to test their invasive continuous monitor. It was pretty cool watching my blood sugar fluctuate based on what I was eating and doing. I sent Dante a positive 'first glance' report, and I'm working on the complete report. This is the real deal, Jess. We're absolutely going to make some money on this if Dante decides to invest. If it weren't for the express prohibition in the contract with Dante, I'd put some of our money behind this."

"What about non-invasive?"

"After lengthy discussions with everyone, including their regulatory expert, I'd say around 2025, assuming they can get it through the gantlet of FDA approval. Well, and assuming the tech works. These folks are brilliant, so if anyone can do it, they can."

"Who's running the medical side?"

"Amelia Sutton, a PhD with an MD who did her Residency in endocrinology at Stanford but then went into research rather than practice medicine. She's absolutely brilliant. And before you ask, she had a rock roughly the size of Gibraltar on her left hand!"

"I'm going to look for anything she's published," Jessica said.

We spoke for another few minutes, then I let them know I loved them all and that I'd see them on Friday afternoon. After I hung up, I worked on my report until there was a knock at the door. I got up and let CeCe into the room, then saved my work and shut down my laptop.

"How did it go today?" she asked.

"Very successful," I replied. "Unfortunately, I can't say more."

"Well, I didn't come here to talk!" she declared and began disrobing.

November 22, 2002, Chicago, Illinois

🎤 Birgit

"HI DAD!" I exclaimed when he walked into the house.

"Hi, Pumpkin!"

"Hugs, please, because I have to go meet the gang for dinner."

"And they're more important than I am?" Dad asked.

I stepped close, "Take me upstairs to my room, and I'll forget all about dinner! And you'll forget about anyone else!"

"I can take you to your room," Dad smirked, "But I can't stay."

"You're just no fun, Dad!"

"So Penny tells me nearly every day! Go have fun with your friends!"

I hugged him, kissed his cheek, received a kiss on my forehead, then left the house to meet Jesse in the coach house. He was ready, so we set off for the Chinese restaurant. The gang had agreed to see Die Another Day, a James Bond movie, and unfortunately, Philip really wanted to see it, while I would have preferred to skip it so we could talk.

At the restaurant, I saw Tomás, and despite my complaint about not being able to kiss Philip in public or even hold his hand, I was glad because that would have sent the wrong message to Tomás. He was tall and good-looking, plus he was an athlete and a really nice guy. But I couldn't go out with him until I resolved the situation with Philip. And the same was true for Bob, who was with Meghan.

I'd come to the conclusion that I didn't want a steady boyfriend and that I'd made a mistake not making it clear to Philip beforehand. I realized that I'd have to deal with situations similar to Peter and Julie because, as Katy and others had said, teens typically paired off. Jesse had similar problems with girls like CeCe and Angelina, though he'd have happily paired with Francesca if her stupid mom hadn't lost her fucking mind about the idea of Francesca and Jesse fucking.

I stifled a laugh when I once again thought about the girls I'd been with and how there had been zero drama. That was true of Lee and his boyfriend, too. Zero drama. And if I was honest with myself, and I had to be, there hadn't really been any drama with Peter except mine. And that little snit had caused me to mess things up with Bob. I was determined to rectify that, but it would take time.

Everyone was chatting, so I pushed all of that out of my mind and joined in the conversation.

🎤 Steve

"Details!" Kara demanded, trying to look stern as my wives and I relaxed in the Indian room.

"Tall, sexy, soft in the right places, tight in the right places, and amazing muscle control that was like a massage! Also well-versed in 'Darmok' and knowledgeable about Eastern philosophy."

"Your new sweet spot? College girls?"

"My sweet spot is the three of you," I said. "Whatever else is true, there is nobody better."

"Liz," Jessica countered.

"As special as she is, she's not any of the three of you. I am, without question, the luckiest man in the world because I have the three of you! Well, and my kids, but that does not detract from how lucky I am to have found the three of you."

"Quirks of Fate," Suzanne said. "A chance seating arrangement in chemistry class, Bethany's accident, and a chance meeting on a flight to Denver."

"But isn't that true for almost everyone? It's rare to have a situation like Jesse's with Francesca or Matthew's with Chelsea. Or, and I suspect this will recover, Stephie's with Nicholas."

"Didn't you just contradict yourself?" Kara asked.

"Those are truly outliers. How many people actually marry their High School sweetheart these days? In the 50s and 60s? Sure. Less so in the 80s and 90s. College sweethearts are more common now, and if you think about it, it's because you meet so many new and interesting people, as opposed to going to school with them for a dozen years. Kara and I are outliers in that regard. Almost nobody we know married their High School sweetheart."

"Stephie?" Kara inquired.

"Yes, though she and I were within a hairsbreadth of being permanent. Loki had other ideas and, in a strange twist for him, put Stephie with exactly the man she needed to walk with her down that terrible path she was destined to walk."