Chapter 59 — True Confession

_April 28, 1984, Chicago, Illinois_

{psc} "Thanks for inviting me out last night with Jack and Kristy," Deanna said as she stretched then snuggled close on Saturday morning.

"Unfortunately, I need to get out of bed so I can have breakfast with Violet and go to class."

"You don't mind if I stay in bed, do you?"

"Not at all."

"I'll change the sheets when I get up," she said.

"Thanks."

I took a quick shower, dressed, then drove to Violet's house for breakfast.

"How long will it be before the situation with Bev is resolved?"

"That's up to Family Court in Ohio," I replied. "I think, at this point, we're no longer involved. It would be nearly impossible for Bev to subpoena either of us now. It would go back to Judge Bradford, and I suspect he would not be at all receptive to such a request. After what happened, I'm not sure they could get the Ohio judge to issue one for you because to do so, they'd have to show him the deposition results, and I'm pretty sure that would not go well at all."

"She really does need help. I can't believe how she acted at the deposition. She was always a bit flakey, but that was not something I would have expected."

"Me, either, though I had a hint from the last phone call we had where she called me names because I did what I promised her I would do."

"Give Heather to Bev's parents."

"Exactly. You were there when I said it, and she didn't revoke the guardianship documents."

"She and Glen married, so wouldn't that give him some kind of rights? Not to mention being her biological dad?"

"Yes, and last I heard, he was trying to challenge the guardianship documents, but that's between him, Bev, and the State of Ohio. I'm safe because I had no reason to believe the guardianship document wasn't valid. Remember, she and Glen married back in November without telling any of us."

"This whole thing is crazy!"

"I know," I replied. "And I can't help but think it could have been prevented."

"It's not your fault, Jon!" Violet declared.

"So it's 'Jon' now, is it?" I asked.

"Oh! Sorry! I didn't know you didn't like it."

"I usually go by my full name because that's what my mom always used, and I actually like it. Bev called me 'Jonny', which started around the time she was in kindergarten. I don't mind if you call me Jon."

"You know it's not your fault, right?"

"I know I can trace the start of the sequence to something I did. Part of me says that if I were able to go back and change it, I should. But part of me says that if I did that, my life would be so different as to be unrecognizable."

"You like your life, right?"

"With the exception of the situation with Bev, I do. Sure, I've made other mistakes, but it's impossible to go through life without making mistakes. And now, I need to finish eating so I can help you clean up before I go to class."

Twenty minutes later, after helping Violet clean up, I was sitting in class waiting for Professor Baum to begin his lecture on the history of money, something I would have thought would have been done at the beginning of the semester. I knew the general outline, but he filled in a number of gaps, concluding with the issuance of 'fiat' currencies and them becoming the dominant currency type.

I was no 'gold bug', but I did understand the nature of 'fiat' currencies and the fact that monetary inflation was limited only by the political will of what the British Press called the government of the day. There were some controls in place, but those controls could easily be overridden, and even a sound currency such as the dollar could flounder, similar to the Bolivar, or fail, similar to the Deutsche Mark of Weimar Germany.

In the end, though, the job I did depended on the liquidity of the dollar, which meant the Federal Reserve needed the flexibility to increase the money supply without having to acquire additional gold reserves. In my business, gold and silver were just commodities, similar to oil or grain. For me, they were, in effect, just another thing to be traded with no intrinsic value.

When class ended, I returned to Violet's house to have lunch. After lunch, I went back to the condo to spend a few hours with Bianca and Sofía.

"There was a call for you about twenty minutes ago," Bianca said when I walked in. "Kayleigh O'Connell."

"Did she say what she wanted?"

"No. She just asked that you call her."

"I'm not sure what to think about that, given the situation," I said. "She did speak to me briefly on Thursday, and it seemed like she had something to say, but then her grandfather returned. I suppose I should call her.

"Before you do, I had something I wanted to mention now that it's just the two of us here."

"Three!" I counted.

Bianca laughed, "Technically correct, but I doubt Sofía is going to care about the conversation."

"What's up?"

"In her spare time, which she has now because I'm not working, Chelsea has been reading her Bible."

I shrugged, "So? I mean, unless she's reading it _to_ Sofía, I couldn't possibly care less. Do you think she intends to do that?"

"I have no idea. I just thought I'd mention it."

"OK. I'm not going to worry about it any more than I was concerned because her CV, as the agency called it, said she had extensive experience that included the church nursery and babysitting for people from her church. Seriously, if people want to believe those fables, they're free to do so. That said, trying to snare my kid into them is a different story altogether."

"Should I mention it?"

"Not unless something else happens. I mean, if she gives Sofía a book of Bible stories or something like that, then yes, by all means, say something. But I'm not going to lose any sleep because our nanny goes to church and reads her Bible. Or do you disagree?"

"I don't, I just wanted to make sure you knew."

"I appreciate it. Let me return the call, then I'll come sit with you and Sofía until I need to leave for my date with Alexa."

I went up to my room to make the call.

"Hi, it's Jonathan," I said when she answered.

"Hi. I wondered if you would want to get coffee and talk."

"Not to be rude, but nothing has changed on my side."

"I know, but…well, would you meet me for coffee? I promise it's not to try to convert you or anything like that."

"How about tomorrow afternoon around 3:00pm at the diner on Taylor just east of Aberdeen?"

"I'll see you there. Thanks."

"You're welcome."

After we said 'goodbye' and I hung up, I went downstairs and sat next to Bianca, who was nursing Sofía.

"Does that kid do anything except eat?" I asked with a smirk.

"I know, right?" Bianca said. "But I like nursing her. You can hold her when she finishes eating. What did Kayleigh want?"

"To have coffee. We're meeting tomorrow at 3:00pm. I'm not sure what she wants."

"I do!" Bianca exclaimed.

"Given she's a devout Catholic and made the point that she agrees with all Catholic doctrine, that would be completely off-limits without a ring and a wedding dress."

"Right, because Zappa was wrong when he sang _Catholic Girls_!"

"Some, I'm sure, because I've met them! But I've also met devout ones and ones who are in between. She did say it wasn't about converting me, but I'm positive that was so that I didn't think she was doing something like ambushing me by bringing her priest. Remember, she suggested I meet him. In any event, if it keeps Thomas Hart happy, it's worth a few hours of my time."

"How far would you go to keep him happy?"

"Not _that_ far! And he actually promised it wouldn't affect our relationship. But I'm not one to leave things to chance if I have a _reasonable_ way of nudging them in the direction I want them to go. And even if he's determined not to let it affect the relationship, an unhappy granddaughter might well affect things, even if he's said they won't."

"Hedging your bets, as it were?"

"Yes. Making the effort, despite the gulf between us, sends the right message."

"Changing subjects, it's strange having this huge place with only three of us here."

"Jack and Kristy no longer live with us, and Deanna has her studio at Ateljé D, where she'll spend a lot of time. And with CeCi working evenings, there will be quite a bit of time when it's just you, me, and Sofía. Are you still interested in a double date with Meg and Nicole, if they're interested?"

"Yes. Maybe next Friday, the four of us with Jack and Kristy, if that won't cause any trouble."

"It won't. I was fortunate Deanna was available last night."

"I was surprised you didn't call one of the other girls."

"Most of them are seeing someone either committed or casual, so calling Friday afternoon was a crapshoot, and I didn't want any of them to cancel their plans, especially the ones who wanted an exclusive relationship with me before Keiko and I became a couple."

"I suppose that makes sense, given you have all your art students! Why don't you call Meg and see if they're free?"

"Sounds good!"

I got up and went to the kitchen and dialed Meg's dorm and was fortunate to find her in her room.

"Are you and Nicole free on Friday, May 11th?" I asked.

"Absolutely! What did you have in mind?"

"A triple date – Jack and Kristy; you and me; Nicole and Bianca."

"Bianca?! What happened to Juliette?"

"She decided she didn't want to live with a baby full-time."

"I can see that, but nine months later? Tacky."

"People change. Can you and Nicole get to the lobby of the Hancock Center at 5:15pm that Friday?"

"Absolutely! Looking forward to it!"

"Me, too!"

After saying 'goodbye', I hung up and went back to sit with Bianca and Sofía. Sofía had finished nursing, so Bianca handed her to me.

"We're set for a week from Friday," I said. "This Friday is the gallery opening."

"We just have to be home by midnight," Bianca said.

"Yes, of course. I've been taking this young lady into consideration for so many things."

Sofía fell asleep, and I carried her up to the nursery and put her in her crib. I checked that the intercom was on, then went back downstairs to spend another thirty minutes with Bianca before leaving for my date.

Just before 4:30pm, I arrived at Northwestern and saw Alexa in front of her dorm, so I pulled to the sidewalk, and she got into the car.

"Hi!" she exclaimed. "Where are we going?"

"Golden Bull in Chinatown or Star of Siam are both good options, given you're not twenty-one."

"I swear, the buttinskies are out of control! Wisconsin is still nineteen, but I bet that doesn't last due to pressure from Illinois and Washington, DC."

"You're probably right. Which place?"

"Thai sounds good."

"Thai it is."

I pulled away from the curb and headed south.

"How much has Sophie told you about me?" I asked.

"Believe it or not, not much. I know you're from Ohio, you're a financial analyst and stockbroker, and you're Deanna Haight's patron. Deanna told me about your wife, which I mentioned during a modeling session. Sophie and Ivy gave you rave reviews, but you already know Sophie didn't let on about your anatomy. Where do you live?"

"I just moved to a condo at 175 East Delaware Place, north of the Loop. Before that, a house in Rogers Park. I was living in an apartment in Bridgeport when I met Sophie. Did she tell you how we met?"

"Your date walked out on you because Sophie did the usual Ed Debevic's schtick."

"That was the sequence of events, but even before that date, I was questioning whether I should continue to see her. I had pretty much decided to end things, and during dinner, things came to a head. When we finished eating, I suggested we should end the date and she got up and walked out. The funny thing was that after Sophie had flirted with me, my date suggested Sophie would give me her number if I asked. I suspect you know what happened."

"Sophie asked you out, and the next evening, she showed up with a bottle of Jack. Later, she introduced Ivy and Deanna. And that's really all I know. How did you get to be a stockbroker by age twenty-one?"

I told her the story, finishing just as I parked in the Rush Street lot about a block from Star of Siam.

"So when you met Sophie, you were still working in the mailroom?" Alexa asked as we got out of the car.

"I had just been promoted to supervisor at that point. What about you?"

"There isn't really much to tell. Grew up in Naperville, went to Naperville Central, was on the school newspaper, was in the top 5% of my class, and enrolled at Northwestern."

"Why the modeling gig?"

"Sophie dared me because I was basically the opposite of her in High School, and Deanna encouraged me. I think that was before she asked you."

"Yes, because you had accepted by the time she asked me. What did you do in High School?

"Sophie was the party animal, while I preferred walking the Prairie Path or in a forest preserve or hanging out with my friends downtown or at the Riverwalk."

We walked into the restaurant and were immediately shown to a booth.

"Why did you agree to pose?" Alexa asked after the waitress took our drink orders.

"When the original model dropped out, Deanna asked, and after giving it some thought, I agreed because I wanted to help her. I did have a chuckle about you being Sophie's sister."

"Would you do it again?"

"I did volunteer to model for Claire's Saturday adult class in the Fall. She said she was going to ask you, too."

"She did, and I agreed. You're posing for Britney, right?"

"Yes. And CeCi Forsythe, who is one of my housemates, along with Deanna and Bianca."

"Bianca has a girlfriend, right?"

"Did. They broke up because her girlfriend decided she couldn't handle living with a baby. I'll say it's an interesting experience so far!"

"So, you got to live out the male fantasy of screwing the lesbian?" Alexa asked with a smirk.

"Bianca is bisexual. I never really understood that fantasy. Someone suggested it's because guys think all lesbians need is a good screwing to turn straight, which makes zero sense. I mean, they don't think gay guys will turn straight if they screw a girl."

"Men are pigs. Well, not all, but enough. Try being a good-looking teenage girl sometime, and you'll find out."

"You're the second person I've heard that from in the past week."

Which tended to confirm the rumors about the guys at Spurgeon who went after teenage girls, not to mention Glen's obvious predilection for High School girls, including Freshmen."

"I know some girls who like older guys, but mostly that's guys in college, not guys old enough to be their dad. You're about three years older than me, which is about right."

"What are you looking for?"

"I thought that was blatantly obvious!" Alexa declared.

The waitress returned to take our orders, then left to put them in with the kitchen.

"I believe you know what I meant," I said with a smile. "Are you looking for a boyfriend? A husband? A fling?"

"A husband?! Are you out of your gourd?! I need to graduate from college first, at least!"

"I was just listing the possibilities! I'll cross that one off the list!"

Alexa laughed, "Cute. I'm not making any long-term plans with anyone or about anything except finishing my degree. Everything else, I just take one day at a time and see where things go."

"Not to disrespect Keiko, but that's what happened with her. We met, began seeing each other, and taking each day as it came led to us marrying. That said, there is the question of whether you and I will see each other regularly, irregularly, or if this is just a single date."

"Do we have to answer that now? Can't we just worry about today and let tomorrow worry about itself?"

"Yes, of course. I think my caution comes from dating a few girls who had the idea that moving beyond kissing was a commitment to at least an exclusive relationship."

"Did you sleep with any of them?"

"One, because I didn't understand she felt that way until after we'd been together, and the way she had behaved before didn't imply it at all."

"I think a lot of girls assume it does and think guys should understand that."

"Deanna suggested that there are three basic types — the ones who have to be virgins on their wedding night; ones who will have sex with a steady boyfriend or fiancé; ones who think no commitments are necessary."

"That sounds about right. For guys, I think most would fall into the third category, but there are some guys who are in the other groups. The way I see it, it's responding to the risks — girls risk getting pregnant and all the crap that goes along with that. Guys don't have that risk."

"Child support?"

"OK, sure, it costs them money, but they don't have to actually be involved in any way, and it doesn't mess up school or work or whatever, and there is zero stigma. It's also impossible to tell if a guy fathered a kid out of wedlock, whereas it's impossible to hide the fact that you're pregnant once you get to a certain point."

"True. I guess I hadn't thought much about it beyond a girl being willing or not, mainly because I don't ascribe to any particular moral code."

"I went to church with my parents when I was little, but both Sophie and I stopped when she was sixteen and I was fourteen. My two younger brothers quit going last year."

"How old are they?"

"Sixteen and thirteen."

"When's your birthday?"

"I turn nineteen next Thursday. When's your birthday?"

"November 3rd. I'll be twenty-two."

The waitress brought our food, and we began eating. While we ate, we chatted about our classes, our families, and sports. When we finished eating, I paid the check, and we left the restaurant.

"Your condo is close, right?" Alexa asked as we got into the car.

"Yes. It's in the Hancock Center."

"I'd like to see it."

"Then we'll do that."

I drove the relatively short distance to the Hancock Center, and we traversed the elevators to reach the 91st floor. Alexa's reaction was the same as everyone else's.

"Whoa!" she exclaimed. "This is…unbelievable!"

"Believe it!" Bianca declared.

"Alexa, Bianca Pérez, my housemate, and Sofía's mother. Bianca, Alexa Wilson, Sophie's sister."

They exchanged greetings, and I asked about Sofía, who was asleep. I gave Alexa a tour, which ended in the art gallery, where Deanna had already hung some paintings.

"Sophie said you were really successful, but I don't think she knows the half of it!"

"She and Ivy were more interested in their married professor than hanging out with me!"

Alexa laughed, "I heard all about that one. Those two girls are crazy!"

So were CeCi and Deanna, though I wasn't going to reveal that, nor was I going to advertise.

"Do you want to go to a movie or just hang out?" I asked.

"How about we share a bottle of wine and get to know each other!"

"I'd say we're pretty familiar as it is!"

Alexa laughed, "True."

"Cabernet, White Zinfandel, or Chardonnay?"

"Chardonnay. Go get a bottle and bring it upstairs."

"OK."

I went downstairs, retrieved a bottle from the fridge, uncorked it, got two glasses, and returned upstairs. I found Alexa sitting on the loveseat in the master bedroom, so I walked in and closed the door. I poured wine for both of us, then turned on the stereo and put on _An Innocent Man_ by Billy Joel.

"Well, that's not you, for sure!" Alexa declared when she saw the album.

"Not since June 22, 1980!"

"You remember the exact date?"

"It was Bev's sixteenth birthday," I replied. "She gave _me_ a present! You?"

"True confession? It'll be tonight."

"Sorry," I said because I was sure I registered surprise and that Alexa had noticed. "I just didn't expect you to say that, especially with how comfortable you were with being naked together in front of the students, not to mention my hands on your breasts and the other intimate poses."

"I was never ashamed of my body or a prude, and it's not like I haven't had boyfriends. I've made out quite a bit, but touching only over clothes. Sophie had a reputation, which I didn't want, and frankly, I wasn't ready. Now I am. I'm on the Pill, and unlike Sophie, I do sleepovers!"

"Not that you intend to stay that long, but I'm meeting a friend at 3:00pm."

"I'm not the jealous type, and I don't own you, so it's OK to say you have a date!"

"It's actually not a date," I countered. "But understood."

"That gives us what? Eighteen hours? That should be enough for my first time!"

"Did you have something specific in mind?"

"To give my first blowjob and have my first fuck. After that, wild sex, sleep together, then more wild sex!"

"That sounds like a very good plan!"

"Then let's get undressed!" Alexa said, setting down her wine glass and standing up.

I set down my glass and stood up as well. This time, unlike during the modeling session, we watched each other undress. Also, unlike the modeling session, I felt blood begin to flow, and by the time I was undressed, I was mostly erect. As soon as Alexa was naked, she came over to me, gently grasped my shaft, and gave me a soft kiss.

"I wanted to touch this when I saw it, but that would have created a significant problem!"

I moved my hands to her breasts and cupped them gently.

"Holding these almost did that."

Alexa kissed me again, then gently pushed me back to sit on the loveseat. She knelt in front of me and began slowly stroking my fully erect shaft, then planted a soft kiss on the tip. A second kiss followed, then I watched as she parted her lips and took my glans into her mouth as I felt her free hand cup my sack.

She moaned softly, then started swirling her tongue. She sucked softly and began bobbing, slowly taking more of my dick into her mouth. When she had me halfway in, she slowly pulled back, gently dragging her teeth along my shaft. I groaned from the intense pleasure, and Alexa repeated that about every five bobs.

Alexa seemed to be in no hurry, and I was certainly in no rush to cum, as I was really enjoying the sights, sounds, and sensations of an exquisite blowjob. It continued for several more minutes until I twitched, and Alexa pulled back, so just my glans was in her mouth.

Alexa stroked faster, gently squeezed my sack, and I groaned deeply as the first jet of cum blasted into her soft mouth. Alexa applied just a bit of pressure with her teeth to the base of my glans, and I groaned again as jets of cum splashed into her mouth, my orgasm intensified by her hand squeezing my sack and her teeth on my glans.

I felt Alexa swallow, then bob twice before releasing me. She stood up, sat in my lap, and we exchanged a fierce French kiss, our tongues twisting and twirling around each other. I moved my right hand to her left breast and began strumming her nipple with my thumb. Alexa moaned softly, and after about a minute, I stopped her in my arms, stood, and carried her to the bed.

I lay her on her back, then got into bed next to her. We exchanged another French kiss, then I moved so I could kiss her breasts and suck on her nipples. After enjoying her breasts for a time, I kissed my way down her flat stomach to her neatly trimmed pubic hair and planted several kisses on her mons before moving between her legs.

I lowered my head and ran my tongue along her slick labia, enjoying her musky smell and taste. I wanted a full taste, so I carefully pressed my tongue into her tunnel, coating it with her juices. Alexa moaned softly, then groaned when I flicked her clit with my tongue. I pressed my tongue deeply into her once more, then flicked her clit again before closing my mouth around her and sucking gently.

I brought her off twice before I felt the stirrings of my next erection. A few strokes with my hand had me rock hard, and I moved on top of Alexa. I grasped my shaft, rubbed it along her slick labia, then positioned it at the entrance to her tunnel. I leaned down to French kiss her as I pushed forward, entering her tight, slick pussy. Three strokes later, I was buried inside her.

"Holy God!" she gasped, breaking the kiss.

"No, still Jonathan!" I replied.

Alexa wrapped her legs around me and raised her hips, and I didn't delay. I began moving, slowly at first, gradually increasing the force of my thrusts, and Alexa met each one, matching her movements to mine. We fucked at a modest pace, one that would certainly allow me to go a long time.

Alexa had a pair of good orgasms over the next ten minutes, after which we began fucking hard. She had a third orgasm, and the spasms of her pussy were enough to take me over the edge. I groaned and pushed as deeply into her as I could and ground against her clit as I pumped cum into her. When our orgasms passed, I gently withdrew and moved to lie on my back next to Alexa.

"Sophie wasn't kidding," Alexa said, breathing heavily.

"That blowjob was amazing!" I declared. "Though a bit scary."

Alexa laughed softly, "My best friend from High School gave me pointers. Her college boyfriend taught her how to do that. I was afraid I might hurt you, but obviously, I got it right."

"I'll say!" I declared.

"I need to thank whoever taught you about using your mouth! That was heavenly."

"Bev. I was totally clueless about female anatomy and physiology, so she taught me what she liked."

"Those orgasms were more intense, not that the ones I had while we were fucking were bad."

"I've found many girls, maybe most, have better orgasms from oral than from screwing, but Bev taught me how to get her there by putting pressure on her clit and grinding."

"I owe her a debt of gratitude! What next?"

"Sixty-nine, then fuck? Repeat until we're tired. In the morning, more of the same, then a shower and breakfast."

"Sign me up!"

_April 29, 1984, Chicago, Illinois_

Alexa and I had done exactly what I'd proposed, and after breakfast on Sunday morning, we left the condo so I could drive her back to Northwestern.

"Can I say something without you freaking out?" Alexa asked after I pulled out of the parking garage.

"Probably, but I can't promise!"

"When you first entered me, what ran through my mind was that we fit perfectly together, and we were made for each other. But later, after the third time, I realized that was just basic anatomy."

"I think, and this is just me speculating, that there is something in our evolutionary development that makes women want to pair off. If you think about it, that would have been advantageous to raising a child, especially in prehistoric times. I'm positive religious belief factored in, but I suspect there is something deeper."

"It was deep, alright!" Alexa exclaimed. "I think you might be onto something. A sociology professor made the point that views on virginity likely had their origin in ensuring that any offspring belonged to a specific man. He pointed out that, for example, in Islam, there is a waiting period after a husband dies before the woman can remarry to ensure she's not pregnant."

"I can see that," I replied. "Monogamy would ensure that as well."

"Yes, he pointed that out, too. Basically, there are sociological and evolutionary advantages to monogamy or polygamy, especially in the days when self-defense required brute strength. As he put it, guns are the great equalizer because they take away the strength, weight, and agility advantages."

"That makes sense, too, though wouldn't having more than one husband provide for better protection than one husband with many wives?"

Alexa laughed, "I'd say it would, but guys aren't interested in signing up for that!"

"I'm sure there's a sociological explanation for that, too."

"The identity of the father, for one, but we actually didn't go into it."

"So how do you feel now?"

"Fucked!" Alexa tittered. "And empty! I never felt empty before, but I sure do now."

"It's 'tomorrow', so I'm curious what you're thinking."

"That we keep it casual, see each other occasionally, and see how things go. You said last night you weren't ready for a serious relationship, and I'm just finishing my Freshman year at Northwestern. OK to be completely honest?"

"Yes, of course."

"You having a kid and Bianca living with you is not how I pictured my long-term relationship playing out."

"I totally understand your point. My life is complicated."

"I'm not saying it's impossible, just that I have to consider it. We have time, obviously, so unless you object to my plan, I'd like to see you sometime in the next few weeks."

"I don't object."

"Good!"

I dropped Alexa at her dorm at Northwestern, then returned to the condo to hang out with Bianca, Sofía, Deanna, and Ceci. I had a few things to do first, including changing the sheets on my bed and starting a load of laundry. I did those things, then took my suits and shirts down to the dry cleaners on the sky lobby floor.

Happily, when I returned to the condo to sit down with the girls, Sofía was awake, and I was able to hold her.

"Is everything set for next Friday?" I asked Deanna.

"Yes. You know I put up flyers at school, and I personally invited my professors. I also took out an ad in the _Daily Defender_ and in the _Reader_."

"Good plan. I had lunch with Stan Jakes recently and invited him. He'll be there and hopefully write an article."

"Awesome. I also confirmed with Vanessa and Cheryl, who are my waitstaff. They'll wear black slacks and white blouses, which are traditional. I know I mentioned Kristy bought the champagne, and I arranged party platters from Jewel. All of that was in the budget I gave you."

"And John Margolis?" I asked.

Deanna laughed, "As I said, he gets his advance showing, but he's NOT going to get to play with the kitty!"

Bianca and CeCi both laughed.

"As I told Jonathan, $1000 is not nearly enough for me to fuck him as a thank you!"

"I want to know the number for Jonathan to give Costas a blowjob!" Bianca teased.

"Spurgeon Capital and all of Noel's assets," I said. "That would probably do it!"

"So a billion?"

"A billion in liquid assets; and that's after taxes!"

"You'd really do that?" CeCi asked.

"Hell no!" I chuckled. "But nobody is going to give me a billion dollars, either."

"You'll be worth that much someday," Bianca said.

"Even Noel isn't worth that much, but it's a nice goal."

"It's just us girls," Deanna said, "so I feel OK asking about your net worth."

"The condo, the house, and the pair of two-flats are basically a wash because of the mortgages, so I'd say just over a million, allowing for the taxes I'll owe on the carried interest."

"That's impressive for three years," she observed.

"That's impressive, period!" CeCi declared.

"Right place, right time, and a bit of luck out of adversity," I said.

"You don't mean Keiko, I'm sure," CeCi said.

"Bev. I landed my first major client because I had to be in Overland Park, Kansas, a place I'd never have gone looking for business."

"Jeri and the law firm were before that, right?"

"Yes, though I sent the prospectus to Overland Park before I signed Hart-Lincoln. And Jeri's trust fund was more about her mom than anything."

"That and her wanting you to fuck her!" Deanna declared. "I've seen how she looks at you."

"Jeri and I are business partners. She did suggest we be the preëminent Chicago power couple, but our worldviews are too divergent. She's very much 'win at all costs' and 'take no prisoners', whereas I'm more 'art of the deal' and 'win-win'. She has a completely transactional view of relationships, one that makes my patronage of Deanna look like a passionate, romantic love affair!"

"Because it is!" CeCi declared. "Neither of you are actual romantics, but you have a very special relationship, rivaled only by Bianca, and Keiko was beyond that."

"All of you are special in your own way," I said. "That includes you, CeCi."

I smelled an odor that could only mean one thing.

"I think someone needs a fresh diaper," I said. "I'll be right back."

I took Sofía upstairs, removed her soiled diaper, cleaned her up, then put on a fresh diaper. I put the soiled diaper in the pail and, after washing my hands, carried my daughter back downstairs.

"My dad would die before he'd change a diaper," Bianca declared.

"I didn't have a macho Mexican dad as a role model," I chuckled.

"He takes that WAY too far at times. I like strong men, for sure, but not that over-the-top Latin male bullshit. You balance it about right, Jonathan. Keiko called you an 'Alpha male' but said you were tender and loving, too."

"I didn't realize you two discussed me!"

"Of course we did! We all do! The 'Jonathan Project' is not a one-woman endeavor!"

"The 'Jonathan Project'?" I asked with an arched eyebrow and a smile.

"I'm mostly teasing but helping shape you into a well-rounded man who can be a father, a lover, a patron, a provider, and a friend. Keiko totally picked the right name for you that translates to 'Courageous Protector'. You're still doing that for her, or her memory, by walling off that part of your heart. Any girl who might have designs on you in the future will have to accept that, or she won't make the cut. And it's why you most likely won't marry again."

"I think Bianca is exactly right," CeCi interjected. "All of us, but especially Keiko, knew you would do everything in your power to help us; protect us when we need it; and give us space when we need it. I'm positive that years from now, no matter what happens, I'll be able to pick up the phone and call for advice or help."

"Absolutely," Deanna said. "I feel the same way. And I know Bianca does, or she wouldn't have had a baby with you. I'm hoping for a lifetime of good sex, too!"

"Me, too!" Bianca declared.

"Me, three!" Ceci exclaimed. "Though that might be limited by meeting a guy I want to have kids with."

"Just don't make an exclusive commitment," Deanna said. "Does anyone in this room give a fuck that Sofía's parents aren't married? And where you're going? They'll give zero fucks about having a kid without being married. Half of Hollywood is shagging the other half, and nobody cares except a couple of tabloid publishers and a couple of idiot preachers on TV!"

"True," CeCi said. "But that's years from now. Jonathan, can I spend the night tomorrow night? I don't get home until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays now."

"Yes, of course. I'm going to make lunch. Is everyone hungry?'

"Yes," came the chorus from the three adult women.

"Then let me put Sleeping Beauty in her crib, and I'll make some lunch."