I am Baaack! Part 12

Jack took Robbie's hand and instead of shaking it, he bowed and kissed it. As he straightened up he said, in an entirely different tone of voice than that he had used with Dainie, "You, my dear, are on the naughty list! But then." and he grinned, ".that can be quite nice."

Then he turned to Joan, and pulled what looked like a TV remote control out of his pocket. He handed it to Joan and turned serious. "Here's Stella's control. I agree with you that she's been punished enough, more than enough, but are you sure you want to take." and he gave an imperceptible nod toward Dainie, ".with you? You don't know how she will react once the control is deactivated and she sees you. Dainie could stay here with me."

"Thank you, Jack, but I have to take her. Personal reasons. I have Robbie with me, and she'll protect us. Believe it or not, she's a Marine."

Jack smiled. "Well, that's all right!" He turned to Robbie. "Me, too. Vietnam. We'll have to talk. Semper Fi! I'll leave you to it then," he said, turning back to Joan. "She's the second door, third floor. You'll give her my offer, then?"

"Sure will, Jack," said Joan, and turned toward the stairway. "Come on, ladies."

Jack watched as they mounted the stairs. He was basically a nice guy, who believed that what consenting adults - accent on the "consenting" - did in the privacy of his rooms was their own business. He had met Joan in college, and the two had become friends. He had already had a wife he adored, and, being an intelligent man himself, he was not put off by Joan's intellect. Both he and his wife had sensed that there was something sad and dark behind Joan's almost fanatical drive for success. In the course of events, she had told them, and they had agreed to help her if they could.

After college, they had lost track of each other for awhile, as he and his wife stayed in their college town while Joan moved away. When his wife died, Jack had moved to Chicago and, with her insurance money, had started the Whip and Cuff. He hadn't seen Joan since the funeral, and did not know she was in Chicago. He was surprised when she contacted him, but they easily resumed their former friendship.