Chapter 18 — Controlled Behavior _January 16, 2003, Chicago, Illinois_ 🎤 Steve {br} {psc} On Thursday afternoon, I left the office and hailed a cab to take me to the Art Institute so I could see Shaye's paintings. She met me in the lobby, greeted me with a quick hug, then walked me to the shared studio where she painted. As she'd said, her work was an eclectic mix of styles, and from my perspective, she had talent. "I'm no critic," I said, "but these are very good." "EVERYONE is a critic," Shaye countered. "And you don't have to butter me up! You had me at 'take a step to your left'!" "I was being honest," I said. "I think you have talent. Are there any rules about patronage?" "You mean the school? No. Hell, my professors would KILL to have a patron. They're all jealous of Deanna because she found hers when she was nineteen. He was only a year older, so I suspect he's the same age as you, give or take, but was already super successful." "Not to compete, but I had my first computer company in High School and my two friends who ran it with me and I sold it to pay for college. Then I started a new company." Shaye laughed, "It's always a 'dick size' war!" "Nah, he's worth WAY more than I am at this point, and that doesn't bother me. I was simply pointing out that I'm a successful entrepreneur and can afford the kind of patronage you'd need." "Besides the obvious, what's in it for you?" "Supporting the arts," I replied. "It's something successful capitalists should do." "You don't strike me as a Republican." "Good thing, because I'm not! I despise the current occupant of the White House, though the alternative wasn't much better. My politics are based on classical liberal ideas, which often are called 'libertarian', but I don't like that label. I'm for small government, individual liberty, and the free movement of goods, ideas, capital, and people. My guiding principle is to leave people alone as I want to be left alone. Basically, anything consenting adults want to do ought to be permitted." "Yeah, not Republican, for sure!" "And not Democrat, either. People ought to keep most of what they earn and run their businesses as they see fit. That said, I also strongly support unions." "Weird." "Keep that word in mind," I chuckled. "You'll use it often if you're sucked into my universe!" "I think that was MY role!" Shaye smirked. "As I said the other day, my schedule is a complete mess for the next two weeks, as I have to go to Florida and Arizona on business, and the weekends are tied up with family stuff. Things chill a bit after February 5th." "I could miss a few days of school if you wanted a traveling companion!" Florida wouldn't work because it was a NIKA event, but Arizona might. I was flying out on Sunday afternoon and returning on Tuesday morning, and the only plans I had were a half-day meeting at GlucoTech. The only downside would be not seeing CeCe, but there was no guarantee she'd be available. "If you're serious, I fly to Arizona the afternoon of Sunday, February 2, and fly home the morning of Tuesday, February 4." "Tuesdays and Thursdays are studio time, so I'd only miss one day of classes." I didn't need permission from my wives for overnights that didn't interfere with their time, and they knew about Shaye, so technically, I could just agree. I decided the better course was to call Kara and verify. "Let me call Kara, then check on the flights," I said, taking my mobile phone from my pocket. I called Kara, who answered right away and laughed when I explained the plan. As I had expected, she agreed immediately. I ended the call, then called Liesel at Windy City Travel. I asked her to book a companion ticket for me on both flights, something I could do via my American Airlines AAdvantage program combined with my Admiral's Club membership. She confirmed the flight and changed the hotel from a single to a double, though there was no increase in price. I thanked her, then disconnected the call. "All set," I said. "First Class? That can't be cheap!" "My seat is paid for by my client, and your seat is free because of my membership status with American Airlines." "Get out!" "I travel often enough on my own to have some perks, and combined with the miles staff at my company fly, American loves us, as does our travel agent. You will have to fend for yourself on Monday morning because I have a meeting from nine until eleven. There may be a dinner, and if there is, you can be my guest. I take it you have a skirt and blouse?" Shaye laughed, "I don't go for the grunge look the way Deanna did back in the day, though I don't think they called it that back then." "In the olden days?" I asked with a smirk. "I was born in 1984, which was when that scene started in Seattle. And I don't think you're old. Thirty-five?" "Thirty-nine." "You don't look it! So, how will this work?" "I can pick you up on the way to O'Hare on the 2nd. You should definitely attend Philosophy Club on the 26th. As for the arrangement, we can discuss that in Arizona if that's OK." "Sampling the wares to see if they're worth it?" Shaye asked lightly with an arched eyebrow. "There is no _quid pro quo_," I said. "I'm happy to discuss being a patron of the arts without sex." "You do realize that I _want_ to fuck you, right?" "You made that clear, along with other activities!" Shaye laughed. "And I swallow like a normal girl!" "Good to know, though I've maintained that any guy who complains about the ending of a blowjob is an idiot who doesn't deserve one!" "And cream pies?" she asked with a smirk. I chuckled, "Not a big deal, given the number of snowballs I've had." "OK, now I have to ask, just how adventurous are you?" "With a few red lines, very! But there is one thing I need to mention, which shouldn't be a problem." "What's that?" "The price of freedom is a recent clean STD test." Shaye shrugged, "As you suspected, not a problem. My friends and I are all tested regularly. I'll get one before we go. And I'm on the Pill, so no worries there." "Double no worries — I had a vasectomy right after my youngest daughter was born. And I hate to run, but I need to head home for dinner and then get to the dōjō to teach my karate class." "See you on the 26th, and I'm looking forward to Arizona!" "Me, too!" We hugged, I left the Art Institute and caught a cab to Halsted, where I'd parked, then headed home. On the drive, Julius called to let me know that he'd arranged for an interview with the CPD and DeKalb County Sheriff for 9:30am at the McCarthy/Jenkins office in 311 South Wacker, a building which had the distinction of being the tallest building in the world known only by its street address. I thanked him, and we agreed to meet there at 9:00am. ————— {br} _January 17, 2003, Chicago, Illinois_ 🎤 Steve {br} "Is there any reason not to fully coöperate?" I asked Julius as we sat in a 'hotelling' office in his firm's space at 311 South Wacker on Friday morning. "It's my advice that you answer their questions as succinctly and narrowly as possible and not offer any ideas or speculation. While it's true that your DNA didn't match, and they have testimony from the cabbie and the videotapes, that doesn't mean they believe you are innocent." "Because our completely fucked-up legal system is not about justice or truth, but about arrests and convictions. That said, I promise no rants." "Good. As I said, be completely honest, but don't volunteer any theories or ideas. Let them draw their own conclusions. Any you suggest will make them suspicious, especially if you're right. And yes, I know how perverse that is. Eight years as a PD taught me all about abusive and aggressive policing and abusive prosecution, as well as judges who don't want to look bad, so they let the police and prosecution get away with all manner of shenanigans." "Do you know any more about what happened?" "No. CPD is playing it close to the vest, which is normal. They hold back as much information as possible in order to weed out false confessions but also to be able to trap a person of interest into making some kind of incriminating statement. And remember, they can flat-out lie to you with impunity." "Well, at least they aren't Feds, so none of the 'lying to the Feds' BS applies. And it's tough to make an 'obstruction of justice' charge stick for a misstatement." "On that, be sure to say you don't know if you don't know." I nodded, "I got it, Julius." "And I'm sure Melanie and Liz have repeatedly told you that defense attorneys remind their clients repeatedly about how to conduct themselves." I nodded, "Civil litigators, too." About ten minutes later, Deputy Mark Randolph of the DeKalb Sheriff's Department and Detectives Marco León and Bill Madison of the Chicago Police Department arrived to conduct the interview. "As we agreed, I will record this interview," Julius said after everyone greeted each other and a secretary had brought coffee. "That was our agreement," Deputy Randolph said. "And you'll make a copy of the tape available to us within twenty-four hours." "Yes," Julius agreed, pressing 'RECORD" on the tape machine. "Before we start, I want to have on the record that my client agreed to speak with you after you confirmed the following: there was no DNA match for my client and that the videotape from my client's security system, the cab driver, the owner of Bucktown Bistro, two physicians from UofC Hospital, and Mr. Jamaal Rahim confirmed my client's version of the events." "That is accurate," Detectives León said. It did not prevent them from considering me a suspect in some way, nor prevent the State's Attorney from obtaining an indictment, but it did set the ground rules and would help with a judge in jury if the police or prosecutors tried to tie it to me for lack of any viable suspects. "Then proceed, please," Julius said. "How did you meet Miss Nadia Granger?" Deputy Randolph asked. "Exactly as I told you on the phone — a mutual friend, Danielle Marlowe, suggested we get in touch. Danielle provided me with Nadia's AIM handle, and about two weeks later, I contacted Nadia, and we arranged to meet, though those plans were canceled." "Why was that?' "A client in California requested a meeting. I was already there, so I postponed my return flight by a day, which forced my meeting with Nadia to be canceled. We tried to connect a few times after that, but our schedules simply didn't line up, and I had several conflicts. Eventually, we agreed she'd come to my house on January 3rd." "In your messages with her, you discussed something you referred to as a 'babysitter' fantasy. What was that?" I wanted to laugh and say that any adult male who didn't know what it was had serious problems, but I knew that would not be appreciated. "She had a fantasy of being a virgin teenage babysitter and seducing the dad when he drove her home." "And you were willing to participate in that role play?" "Yes." "And the fantasy in which you said you were reluctant to engage?" Deputy Randolph inquired. "A fantasy of losing her virginity while tied spread-eagled to a bed." I saw a look pass between the two CPD detectives and had a pretty good idea that matched whatever evidence they had. "What happened the evening of January 3rd?" I took them through the visit from Jamal Rahim, Nadia's arrival, our conversation, and her abrupt departure when I'd refused to fulfill her bondage fantasy. "You're married, right, Mr. Adams?" Detective Madison asked. "I have what most people would refer to as an open marriage," I replied. "My wife was home at the time and aware of the request Nadia was making." "And she was OK with that?" Detective León inquired. "Yes. Our agreement allows for what we call 'dalliances'." "Your wife lets you play around?" Deputy Randolph asked. "Yes." "And your relationship with Danielle Marlowe?" "A dalliance," I replied. "At this point, we're friends but no longer intimate." "How did you meet her?" "Again, through a mutual friend." "And you were intimate with that friend?" "Yes, Deputy. And with the person who introduced us." "You were interviewed by the FBI and Chicago Police Department on suspicion of kidnapping. Tell me about that." "A young woman who I met in Ohio asked me to bring her to Chicago, and I agreed. The case was closed as the young woman was over eighteen and had traveled on her own volition." "Were you ever intimate with Miss Granger?" Detective León asked. "No," I replied. "Not even a kiss or a hug. In fact, I don't believe I even touched her in any way." "Cycling back to when she left your house," Deputy Randolph said, "she told you she was heading home?" "Yes. I offered to drive her to Union Station or call a cab, and she opted for the cab. I paid the cabbie in advance, giving him enough for both the fare and a generous tip. You can see that from the camera footage you have in your possession and the cabbie confirmed it, I'm sure." "She gave no indication she was planning to do anything other than take the train home?" "Correct." "Going back to her fantasy of being tied up, did she give you more details?" "Other than she wanted it to be with an older guy who tied her tightly to the bed so she couldn't move, no. Actually, I just remembered one thing — she said she owned soft ropes we could use for that purpose." Another look was exchanged between the two CPD detectives. "Do you know if she had them with her?" "I honestly don't know. She was carrying a shoulder bag, which I think would have been large enough to hold them, but I can't say for sure." "Was she wearing any jewelry?" Detective Maddison asked. "A necklace with a heart pendant outside her sweater. I don't know if she had on earrings, given her hair covered her ears. I don't recall seeing any rings or bracelets, but her wrists were covered by her sweater, so I can't be sure." "Do you know a Jonathan Kane?" Detective León asked. "I know who he is," I replied, surprised by the question. "I met him once, in passing, in the offices of the Lundgren Foundation about a year ago. May I ask how he's involved?" "We'd prefer not to say at this time," Detective León replied. I had a suspicion, but I wasn't going to speculate in front of law enforcement. "What was Miss Granger's mood when she left your house?" Deputy Randolph asked. "She was unhappy," I replied. "And curt." "And she gave no indication of her plans?" "Correct." "How had she planned to get home?" Detective Maddison asked. "I mean, if things had gone the way she'd intended?" "Her plan was to fulfill her bondage fantasy, then I'd drive her to her parents' house so we could roleplay her other fantasy in the bed she used as a teenager. After that, I'd have taken her home or to her car, but that was never made expressly clear." "So, to your knowledge, she had no other plans than her meeting with you." "That's correct." "Is there anything else you can tell us? Anything at all?" Deputy Randolph asked. "I don't believe so," I replied. "I think that's all for now," he said. "We may have further questions." "Contact me, please," Julius interjected. "My client is happy to coöperate, but I need to be present for any questions or discussions." "Of course," Deputy Randolph agreed. "Mr. Adams, thank you for taking the time. If you think of anything you feel might be helpful or remember anything you haven't told us, please call me." "I will." Julius shut off the tape recorder, then showed them out and returned to the conference room. "Jonathan Kane is an investor, right?" I nodded, "He runs Clermont Capital. He worked for Samantha's dad but had a falling out with him back in the 80s. He left Spurgeon Capital and started his own firm. As I said in the interview, I met him once, in passing, in Jeri Lundgren's office." "You asked if they'd reveal their interest; I know you well enough you have some theory." "I'd bet he owns the building. The paper mentioned a holding company owned the building. I seriously doubt he's a suspect, but you never know." ————— {br} _January 18, 2003, Chicago, Illinois_ 🎤 Matthew {br} "Thanks for agreeing to come to Jesse's game before we drive to Ohio," I said to Chelsea. "So long as we're there in time for dinner with my parents, it's cool. We're only leaving about two hours later than planned. "Hi, Matthew!" Dad said, sitting down next to me. "I thought you guys were on your way to Ohio." "We decided to come watch Jesse's game. We were at Eduardo's townhouse, and we'll be at Aunt Jennie's by 5:00pm their time, at the latest. Did anyone else come with you?" "Natalie, but she ran into some friends in the lobby. Are you going to the race in Rockingham?" "We wouldn't miss it! And Eduardo has tickets for both the Canadian Grand Prix and the US Grand Prix. Are you going to any races?" "Just the race in Joliet, because Samantha asked. I take it you'll be there, too?" "Yes!" "Hi, Matt!" Natalie exclaimed, sitting down next to Dad. "Hi, Natalie! How's your sister's team doing?" "So far, so good. They should make the regionals, and Nicole is really looking forward to playing Jesse!" I laughed, "She's been trying to beat him for years!" The warmups finished, the teams took their positions, and the puck dropped. We didn't have to wait long for serious action, as the teams traded three goals in the first six minutes, with Jesse's team scoring two. "Sloppy play on both sides," Dad observed. "Both came out aggressively." The game settled down and the period ended with the score 2–1. "How is play practice going?" Dad asked. "So far, so good." "How is your friend Maggie?" "Not good," I replied. "She doesn't talk to me, and she's having trouble with grades, at home, and at church." "Is she seeing a counselor?" "Not a good one," I replied. "Mom talked to Maggie's mom and suggested Maggie needed to see a psychologist, but they reject psychology. She's receiving counseling from her pastor." "The whole 'psychology is just a way to make excuses for sinful behavior or thoughts' idea?" Dad asked. "Yes. Maggie's mom basically told Mom to butt out. I talked to the school psychologist, but she can't do anything because Maggie's parents expressly forbade her from talking to Maggie." "Not good," Dad observed. "Not at all," I agreed. ————— {br} 🎤 Jesse {br} "Focus, guys!" I said in the locker room after the first period. "We played sloppy defense, and we're lucky they only got one!" "Sorry, man," Freddy said. "Won't happen again." "Men," Coach Nelson said, "if you want to crash out of the playoffs, sloppy defense will guarantee it! And it's not just on the defensemen. I want aggressive, not foolish! Three men in one corner of our attacking zone is NOT smart. That happened three times, and every time, they had a breakaway. Fortunately, Jesse stopped two out of three, but even Dominik Hašek and Jean-Sebastien Giguere can't stop every shot!" We all changed our t-shirts, drank bottles of Gatorade, and then headed back onto the ice for the second period. "On the plus side," Freddy observed, "Coach compared you to the Dominator!" "Well, if we don't dominate Lane Tech, we're going nowhere!" I declared. "You and Mike need to pick up your game and don't cheat the blue line so much." "We got this, Jesse!" Mike declared as the referee skated to center ice to drop the puck. They did pick up the game, playing smarter, and throwing their bodies in front of several shots, making my job easier. Nicholas scored a goal, and we held off a furious four-minute assault by Lane Tech at the end of the period. We gave up a single goal in the third, then scored on the empty net to win 4–2. We had one game remaining, against Saint Patrick Catholic, and we only needed a tie to ensure we advanced to the City Championship, but that kind of thinking was a sure way to lose. Coach only handed out one game puck, and that was to me because he was unhappy with how badly we'd played in the first period. When we left the locker room, I saw Zahra and her dad but didn't even wave, as the last thing I wanted to do was attract attention from Mr. Rahim. Given I wasn't going to see her, I asked Libby, Lilibeth, and Luna, whom I'd given rides to the rink to have lunch, and they agreed. The four of us got into Aunt Kara's SUV and headed for Ricobene's. ————— {br} 🎤 Birgit {br} "Hi!" I exclaimed when Kevin Fogerty walked into the dōjō on Saturday morning. "Hi, Birgit." "I spoke to Sensei Will, and we can spar at the end of class. I'm ready for you!" Kevin laughed, "And I'm ready for you!" We had sparred in December, and I'd lost 2–1 after having beaten him at the tournament. That made this the deciding match, so to speak, and I would have to be very smart and use every bit of skill to beat him. I walked Kevin over to Sensei Will and introduced them, and then I saw Miyu come into the dōjō. I went over and bowed to her. "Welcome back, Miyu!" I said. "Thank you. I'll bring Kenji this afternoon so you can see him." "Awesome! Do you remember Kevin Fogerty from the tournament?" "I do! Are you sparring?" "After class." "Great! Let's line up; it's almost time to begin." I totally wasn't surprised when she was called to lead our meditation and exercises, though she wouldn't be able to spar for a few more months. About an hour later, Sensei Will ended class and informed everyone that Kevin and I would spar. We put on our gear and moved to the sparring mat. Dad and Miyu got the flags, with Dad scoring Kevin and Miyu scoring me. The first two rounds were completely evenly matched, with neither of us scoring three points before time expired. That brought it to the third round, which would decide things. We'd go until someone scored three points, no matter how long it took. I reviewed the first two rounds in my mind, and I couldn't come up with any weakness or tell. I was certain Kevin was having the same problem because we were basically evenly matched. When the round began, we both moved cautiously and traded feints and weak strikes to try to gauge how the other person would respond. I thought back over the two full matches and the current partial match and decided I needed to try something radical and aggressive. Dad and Miyu had been working on it with me, but mostly Dad because Miyu had been away having her baby. I used a simple combination that left me open to a strike, which I knew I could take and yield a point, but it would set up what I wanted to do. Kevin connected with his counter punch, then I dropped, put my hand on the mat, and executed a low spinning sweep kick, which caught him by surprise and took him to the mat, giving me two points for the takedown, making the score 2–1 in my favor. Kevin hopped up with a rueful smile, and I repeated the sequence, but this time, instead of dropping for a low spinning kick, I faked it and simply made a side kick, catching him fully in the stomach for the final point. Sensei Will stepped up and held up my hand to signify that I had won. I bowed to Kevin, then went over to where Miyu and Dad were standing with my mom and sisters. "Excellent move, Birgit!" Miyu said, congratulating me. "Thank you for teaching it to me!" "Great job!" Dad declared. "Thanks, Dad!" After receiving congratulations from everyone, I went to the locker room to shower and change, then met Kevin so we could have lunch at the diner. "That was a good move," Kevin said. "I haven't learned it yet." I suspected I knew a LOT of moves he hadn't learned, but I had to be circumspect with Kevin because of the dreaded 'age difference' thinking all adults seemed to engage in, except my parents and their friends. "Thanks. It helps to have a dad who is 6th Dan and a mom who is 1st Dan, though she doesn't teach at all." "Why is that?" "She's more interested in exercise than the deeper precepts of the 'The Way'. Dad has a Saturday afternoon class for a small group of students who are equally serious. Sensei Miyu and I both attend." "What's different about that class?" Kevin asked as we entered the diner. "It's much tougher and requires a commitment to absolute obedience and discipline and applying the precepts of «Dōjō kun» and the «Shōtōkan nijū kun." "You don't strike me as the type of girl who would obey _anyone_!" "Yeah, well," I giggled. "But it's about emotional, mental, and spiritual growth. I'm sure you know the Five Maxims." Kevin nodded as we sat down in the booth where the hostess led us. "Seek perfection of character; be faithful; endeavor to excel; respect others; refrain from violent behavior." "Exactly. And the ultimate aim of Shōtōkan?" "The answer does not lie in victory or defeat, but in the perfection of the character of the «karateka»." "So, I'm working on it!" I declared. "But so is my dad, even though he's 6th Dan. All that is required is that we continue striving to improve until our last breath." "And then?" I shrugged, "Who knows? Nobody has presented convincing evidence that there is anything after death, but it's possible, because the universe is far more complex than we can even imagine. I just don't assign a benevolent deity as a way to explain that complex; it's more likely to be Loki than Yahweh!" "Loki?" "The Norse god of change and chaos; also known as the 'Trickster'. I don't think he's real, in the sense that he's some kind of actual being, but he personifies my perception of the universe better than anything else." "You don't talk like any Freshman I've ever met!" And I bet I didn't fuck like any Freshman he ever met, either! But I _had_ to keep control of my mouth and brain, or I'd mess things up the way I had with Philip. I also didn't want to mess things up with Bob or Tomás, so I had to be smart about it. "Because I'm not like any Freshman you've ever met!" I declared. "Seriously, do I ACT fourteen?" "No. But…" "I know, I know," I sighed. "You're a Senior. You're eighteen. But could we _please_ set that aside and deal with reality, not some adult delusion where anyone under eighteen is somehow still a toddler? Please just treat me based on how I act and speak, not on some other person's notion of what it means to be a teenager." "My parents…" "I'm the girl, and it's supposed to be _my_ parents who are concerned. They aren't." Well, they might be concerned for Kevin, but not for me! "Your dad wouldn't be concerned?" "So long as you respected me, no, he wouldn't. And it's up to _me_ to decide if you respect me or not." "How does that even work?" "Because my dad trusts me to make good decisions." "I don't know," Kevin said. We were interrupted by the waitress who took our orders, then the conversation continued. "Let's just keep doing what we're doing, please," I requested. "I'll come to your dōjō next month as we planned, and we can have lunch." "How will you get there?" "I was thinking of just taking the keys to my dad's BMW but the government frowns on that!" "You know how to drive?" "Boys can do it, so how difficult could it be?" I teased. "Hah hah." "No, I can't. But either my brother or one of the college students who live at our house — Suzanne or Yuriko — will drive me. Dad has to teach, of course." "Do you know which day?" I pulled out my small pocket calendar and checked when Jesse's playoff games would be. "February 15th would work for me." "Great!" ————— {br} [Cincinnati, Ohio] {br} 🎤 Matthew {br} "What are you kids doing this weekend?" Aunt Jennie asked as we sat down for dinner. "Tonight, after dinner, we're going to visit Joe and Amelia, and I think Deb and Krissy will be there with their boys," Chelsea said. "Tomorrow morning, we're just hanging out, then in the afternoon, we're hanging out with Pavel, Larisa, and their friends. On Monday we're having breakfast with Matt's grandpa, lunch with Marcie and her boyfriend, then heading home." "Just your grandpa, Matt?" Kent asked. "My grandma does not appreciate anything about our extended family," I said. "She's invited, but I don't know if she'll be there or not. Mike and I try." "And the others?" "Ashley and Stephie both try, but Birgit and Jesse have more or less given up. Albert has ZERO time for anyone who isn't 'squared away', and Grandma Adams absolutely doesn't fit!" "He's working on achieving Eagle Scout, right?" "Yes. He's doing his service project now at the hospital where Aunt Jessica works. He and some other Scouts spend time in the pediatric ward playing games, reading to kids, and so on. He's finished all of his mandatory merit badges and has just his electives to complete once the service project is done." "That's a great achievement. He's flying, too, right?" "Yes. He'll have his pilot's license as soon as he turns seventeen and is going to try to have his multi-engine certification before he goes to the Academy." "How is drama?" "Non-stop drama!" I declared, causing Uncle Kent and Aunt Jennie to laugh. "Seriously, it's going great, except I lost my main co-star." "What happened?" Uncle Kent asked. "Some personal issues which prevent her from participating," I replied. "Fortunately, there are others who can step up." "Jen, we should go to one of Matt's plays," Kent said. "Matt, when is _Fiddler on the Roof_?" "March 6th through the 8th. If you let me know which days, I can reserve tickets for you. We usually sell out our Friday and Saturday shows, but we can reserve tickets for relatives." "We'll check the calendar after dinner," Aunt Jennie said. "But probably Saturday will work best." "Cool! I'm sure Mom will let you use the guest room." We finished dinner, helped with dishes, then Chelsea and I headed to Uncle Jake's house. ————— {br} [Chicago, Illinois] 🎤 Steve {br} "If I get beat by a girl again…" Jesse said, looking directly at Lieutenant Nomura. "What? You'll shrivel up to nothingness?" she asked with a smirk. "He's yanking your chain, Lieutenant!" Karl declared. "Trying to put you on tilt!" "Seriously?" Jesse asked. "No 'bro code' here?" "Jesse," I said, "if you use the catchphrase, I believe they'll call it justifiable homicide!" "You got THAT right!" Aaron declared. "Now that the posturing is out of the way, can we play some cards?" Terry asked. "You could just give me your chips now," Jesse declared. "It'll save time, effort, and pain!" "Not a chance!" Terry exclaimed. "Shuffle up and deal!" I announced. As occasionally happened, I had a run of bad cards, and my chips were slowly siphoned off by blinds and some speculative bets, none of which paid off, and though I survived the first table breaking up, I didn't make it much longer, losing my last few chips to Dave. "Somebody mark this day down!" Dave declared. "I knocked Steve out of the tournament and out of the money!" "Yeah, yeah," I chuckled. I took the opportunity to spend some time with the men who didn't usually play poker — Al, John, Miles, and Joel. ————— {br} 🎤 Birgit {br} "Do you have the details for Saint Martin?" Hannah asked. "My mom wants to know what time the flights are." "It's Samantha's plane," I replied. "So it's whatever we want! We'll leave sometime in the morning on March 16th and return in the evening on March 22nd. I did ask Samantha for the phone number at the house there, and I'll give it to you. I don't know if our mobile phones will work there or not. I seriously doubt it, so we can't count on that." "OK. Mom's just a bit nervous." "She's not going to change her mind, is she?" "No. But it's the first time I'll be away from home for more than one night. My dad is actually cool with it because it's basically all girls; well, Bob and Javon, but your dad made it clear about the sleeping arrangements!" "Uh-huh," I smirked. "Like you're going to follow THOSE!" "So far as my dad knows, I am! Bob is sleeping with you, right?" "Yes." "What else is there to do besides the beach?" "There are tons of cool cafés, but unfortunately, you have to be eighteen to get into most of the clubs. That said, it's legal for us to drink, though I don't think we should, except maybe wine with dinner. But we can all work on our tans, that's for sure!" "I need to get a new bathing suit! But one my parents don't know about!" "Let's go shopping next weekend! I'm sure Tiff and Naomi want to get new suits, too!" "String bikinis!" Hannah exclaimed. "It better be strong material for you! You have such awesome boobs!" "And every single idiot boy at school only sees them! Ugh!" "You have to admit they're impressive, given you're only fifteen!" "You don't have anything to be embarrassed about! I bet yours will be like your mom's." "I hope so!" "What are you two plotting?" Tiffany asked, coming over to us. "World domination, of course!" I declared. "The Saint Martin trip," Hannah said. "I want to get a string bikini! Birgit and I are going shopping next Saturday." "Count me in!" Tiffany declared. "Me, too!" Naomi chimed in. That agreed, we went to join the other girls in Libby's basement. ————— {br} 🎤 Albert {br} "You don't play poker?" William, Cindi's son, asked me. "No. Dad invited me, but I prefer hanging out with the guys and playing video games. I also want to focus on flying and achieving Eagle Scout." "You want to go to the Academy and fly jets, right?" Jonathan, Aunt Melanie's son, asked. "Yes, but I'll fly whatever I can, including trash haulers!" "Trash haulers?" "Cargo. Honestly, I want to fly jets off carriers, but those slots are super limited. I'm doing everything I can to be ready, but there is no guarantee. Nicholas is basically guaranteed a commission if he finishes medical school. What do you plan to do?" "Computers, like my mom and your dad, though I want to program video games." "Where's Peter tonight?" Andy asked. "With Julie," I replied. "He'd rather play with her than with us!" "You mean they…" Eric asked. "As if THAT was a secret!" Nicky, Peter's little brother, said, rolling his eyes. "ALL the time! I mean, like ALL the time!" "He does have time for Scouts," I countered. "And he's earning good grades, so homework, too." "Yeah, but he blows us off all the time now!" Nicky complained. And the Friday group, too, at least according to Jesse. I felt his way was better — just dating casually until college and hanging out with your friends. Of course, I had Jane, but she was in England, and I only saw her once or twice a year. That meant I had plenty of time for the stuff I wanted to do, not to mention I couldn't marry before I graduated from the Academy, no matter what. "His loss!" Nicholas declared. "Let's put in the next _24_ disc!"