The next three weeks were filled with our normal routine.  Eddie and I ran each morning with Brad and Kathy.  Cindy rode to and from school with the four of us, telling us about how much better things were now that her father was out the picture.

 

One afternoon after school, Kathy, Cindy and I went to the mall to shop for clothes.  After walking from shop to shop, we stopped in the food court to get a soda.

 

“How is your mom doing, Cindy?” I asked.

 

“Mom’s doing great!  We found out Dad had several bank accounts and Mom and I get half of the money.  Mom said her attorney froze all of Dad’s assets and that Dad called her to bitch.”

 

“What did she do when he called?”  Kathy asked.

 

“Mom told him that she was going to take him for all she could.  She also told him that if he ever came anywhere near me, she’d have him arrested.”  Cindy said.  “Did you hear about Erin’s party?”

 

“Yeah, Erin asked me if I wanted to come,” Kathy said.  “I told her I’d let her know after I talked to you guys.  Do you want to go?”

 

“I’ll talk to Brad.  If he wants to go, I will too,” I said.  “It’s this Friday, isn’t it?”

 

“Yeah, I guess she has the house to herself that night, her dad is going to be out for the night,” Cindy told us.  “Hey, Jen, when is your cousin going to get here?”

 

“Frank and my aunt will be here Thursday night.  Dad and Mom are picking them up at the airport.  I wonder if Erin would mind if I brought him to the party.”  I said.  “I won’t be able to go if he can’t go too.”

 

“I don’t think Erin would mind,” Cindy started to giggle.  “A cute boy like your cousin would be more than welcome, I know a couple of girls that would love to see some fresh meat.”

 

“Cindy!  My cousin isn’t meat,” I snapped, jokingly.

 

“Just kidding.  Is Frank going to fish the tournament with us between Christmas and New Years?” Kathy asked, reminding me about the money tournament we planned to fish out of Miami.

 

“I guess so, I kind of forgot that we had the tournament while he is going to be here,” I replied.  “It’s going to be crowded on the boat.”

 

Cindy and Kathy nodded and then Cindy started to laugh.  “Frank can sleep with Kevin and me.  I want to try two boys at once.”

 

“How are you going to do that, Cindy?  You don’t suck dick and you only have one pussy,” I quipped.

 

“True, but they can take turns,” Cindy shot back.

 

Laughing, we all left the food court and headed home.  Kathy drove so she dropped me off at home first.  After she and Cindy left, I went to talk to Eddie about the tournament and Erin’s party.

 

Frank and Aunt Sally arrived on Thursday night as planned.  Mom and Dad left my brother and me at home, going to the airport by themselves.  When they returned to the house, we all sat in the kitchen and talked for over an hour.

 

“I hear you guys are doing pretty well with your fishing tournaments,” Frank said.  “Mom shows me the newspaper clippings Aunt Ellen sends her.”

 

“We’ve been lucky, Frank,” Eddie said.

 

“Don’t be so modest, Eddie.  You kids have earned everything you’ve won,” Dad said.

 

“Frank, we have a tournament a week from Saturday, would you like to fish it with us?”  I asked.

 

“Really!  I’d love to go fishing with you guys.  Are we all going to stay on the boat?”  Frank asked.

 

“No, the adults are going to stay in a hotel,” Dad said.  “I have a meeting the day after Christmas.  I have a boat that someone may want to buy and I have to meet with the people.”

 

“Which boat, Dad?”  Eddie asked.

 

“It’s a custom boat that a guy ordered and then couldn’t pay for.  It’s almost finished, but because of the design, not too many people are interested in it.  When Mr. Bowman sold me the business, I inherited it,” Dad told us.  “I’d love to get it out of the shed; it’s taking up one of the finishing slips.”

 

“You kids are going to take the boat down to Miami.” Mom said.  “I’m afraid it would be too crowed on the boat with all of us on it anyway.”

 

“I though the boat would sleep six.  Mom told me it was a big boat,” Frank said.

 

“It will, but there would be thirteen people on it.  We want a car in Miami, so the adults will drive and you kids will take the boat,” Mom said.

 

Frank looked puzzled so I said, “We have six of us in the crew, Frank.  Kathy’s parents and Cindy’s mom will be going to Miami with Mom, Dad and Aunt Sally.  With you on the boat, we’ll have seven people.”

 

“How are we going to sleep seven people on the boat?”  Eddie asked.  “We only have three beds, unless someone sleeps in the upper berth in the small stateroom.”

 

“Maybe we can pick up one of those air beds they advertise on television,” Dad said.  “You could put it on the floor in the salon.”

 

“I’m sure you kids will figure it out,” Mom said.  “Why don’t you guys go outside or in the living room so Aunt Sally and I can get caught up.”

 

Eddie, Frank and I went out into the backyard and sat around the table on the patio.

 

“What do you guys have planned for the time I’m here?”  Frank asked.

 

“Well, there’s a party tomorrow night that we want to go to.  On Saturday, we will probably take the boat out so your mom can see it,” Eddie said.  “Next week, we should practice fishing so you know what to do, Frank.  Next weekend is the tournament in Miami.”

 

“Sounds like we’re going to be busy,” Frank said.  “Sounds like fun to me.  I can’t get over how warm it is down here; at home it’s freezing.”

 

“I would like to go to your house sometime,” I said.  “I’ve never seen snow.  I think it would be neat to make a snowman.”

 

We all talked for a couple of hours and then went in to go to bed.  Like in the past, Aunt Sally slept in Eddie’s room and the boys slept in the living room.  Dad bought a rollaway bed so my brother and Frank didn’t have to sleep together.

 

When I got up the next morning, I went to the bathroom without thinking about the fact my cousin and Aunt were staying with us.  Like most nights, I had slept naked and didn’t bother to put on a robe or anything when I left my room.  I stepped through the door just as Frank was coming out of the bathroom.

 

Frank’s eyes locked on my boobs and his face turned a bright pink as he stared at me.

 

“Good morning, Frank,” I said with a giggle and went into the bathroom, leaving my cousin standing there with his mouth hanging open.

 

After I was finished in the bathroom, I went to my room to fix my hair and get dressed.  I glanced into the living room as I went by the doorway, but didn’t see Frank.

 

Once I was dressed I went out to see what my brother had planned for the day.  Eddie was still sleeping on the fold out couch and Frank was now on the rollaway, watching television.  I decided to wake Eddie and get him going, but not until I had a little fun with Frank.

 

“What are you watching, Frank?”  I asked.

 

Frank avoided eye contact and replied, “I don’t know, just some lame show.  Listen, Jenny, I’m sorry about this morning.  I didn’t think anyone would be up yet.”

 

“That’s okay; just do me a favor next time.”

 

“What?”

 

“Make sure you’re naked too.”  I started to laugh and so did Frank.

 

I shook Eddie and told him to wake up.  He groaned, covered his head with the sheet, but I pulled it away.  My brother finally sat up and rubbed his face with his hands.

 

“What time is it?”  Eddie asked.

 

“Eight o’clock, time to get up and get going,” I told him.

 

“Why so early?  What’s going on?”  Eddie stood up as he asked me his questions.

 

“Cindy, Kevin, Kathy and Brad are coming over at ten today.  We wanted to let them get to know Frank, remember?”

 

“Oh yeah, I forgot about that,” Eddie said.  “I’ll go get my shower and get dressed.”

 

“Just remember we have guests, Aunt Sally is in your room,” I reminded him.

 

“Wake my mom up, Eddie, she won’t mind,” Frank said.

 

Eddie went to his bedroom door, knocked lightly and then went in.  He returned a few minutes later, carrying his clothes and went into the bathroom.

 

“So, Frank, do you have a girlfriend?”  I asked.

 

“No, I’ve gone out a couple of times, but that’s it.  Tell me about your boyfriend.”

 

“Brad?  He is the greatest guy in the world.  I just love him to pieces.”

 

“Eddie goes with his sister?”

 

“Yeah, Kathy.  She and Eddie are really close too.  We all get along real well and have a lot of fun together.  Brad and Kathy are the rest of the main crew on the boat.  My friend, Cindy and her boyfriend, Kevin, just started to fish with us too.”

 

“Sounds like you guys have a lot of fun together, Jenny.”

 

“We do.  We’re really lucky to be able to do the things we do.  Mom and Dad are so cool about everything.”

 

Eddie came out of the bathroom and we all went into the kitchen.  I began to mix pancake batter and Eddie started to fry bacon.  When Frank asked what he could do, I asked him to make coffee.  Eddie knocked on our parents’ bedroom door and woke them up.  Frank got his mom up and we all sat down to breakfast.

 

After breakfast, Eddie, Frank and I cleaned up while our parents got dressed.

 

“We’re going shopping,” Mom said.  “What are you kids doing today?”

 

I told Mom about the other kids coming over to meet Frank.

 

Mom, Dad and Aunt Sally left.  Eddie, Frank and I went out to the pool and relaxed in lounges.  We talked about several things, but mostly fishing.  Frank asked endless questions about how we fished.  Eddie and I took turns answering Frank’s questions, telling him about the techniques we used.

 

“You really know all about this stuff, don’t you Jenny?”  Frank said.

 

“Yeah she does.  She knows as much, if not more, than I do,” Eddie said.

 

Kathy, Brad, Kevin and Cindy showed up and Eddie and I introduced Frank.

 

“I remember Frank from the last time he was here,” Cindy said.

 

We gathered around the table and began talking about the party that night.

 

“How well do you know Erin, Kathy?”  I asked.

 

“Not real well, but I have a friend that knows her.  My friend, Megan, says she is really nice, considering how screwed up her life has been.” Kathy said.

 

“What do you mean, Kathy?”  Eddie asked.

 

“Megan said Erin lives with her father.  Her dad and mom are divorced and her mom lives up north somewhere.  I heard Erin used to live with her mom, but something happened so she moved in with her dad,” Kathy said.  “I don’t know what happened, but I guess it was really bad.”

 

“That’s too bad,” I said.  “Is she okay now?”

 

Kathy shrugged her shoulders.  “I don’t know.”

 

We decided to go for a swim.  Kathy, Cindy and I went to my room to put on our suits and the guys changed in Eddie’s room.

 

“Your cousin is cute,” Cindy said.  “Too bad we don’t have someone for him to hang with while he’s here.”

 

“Frank will be okay,” I said.  “We’ll just have to try to keep from fooling around with the guys in front of him.  I don’t want to make him feel uncomfortable.”

 

“Okay, I’ll try to keep my hands off Eddie, at least if Frank is watching,” Kathy said.

 

We all giggled and made a few remarks about our boyfriends.  Once we were changed into our suits, we went to the pool.  The boys were already in the water and we jumped in with them.

 

One of the things we liked to do was play a game we called chicken, where Kathy, Cindy and I would get on the guys shoulders and try to knock each other into the water.  With Frank there, we didn’t think it would be a good idea because of the odd number.

 

Brad came over to me, put his arms around me and kissed me.  “Why don’t you and Frank team up and play chicken.  I’ll take a turn later.”

 

“Are you sure, Brad?”  I asked.  “You don’t mind?”

 

Brad shook his head and smiled.

 

I kissed him and said, “You’re the best!  I love you.”

 

When I went over to Frank and told him to lower himself he looked shocked.

 

“You and I are going to be a team for a game of chicken,” I said.

 

Frank nodded, stooped down and I climbed on his shoulders.  Cindy got on Kevin and Kathy on Eddie.  We started jousting with one another, trying to topple the other.  I became very aware of the feeling of Frank’s neck on my pussy as I twisted and turned on his shoulders.  He held my thighs and I hooked my feet behind his back as we moved through the water.

 

One of the other things I didn’t think about was how aggressively we played the game.  It wasn’t uncommon for us to have our tops pulled away and our boobs exposed.  Normally, this didn’t stop play, but today we tried to cover ourselves as we played.

 

Cindy was the first to be dislodged from Kevin, leaving Kathy and I to decide the winner.  Kathy got a hold of me from behind and pulled me off Frank’s shoulders.  Frank continued to hold my legs and we both ended up underwater.  When we were untangling ourselves, my hand came between his legs.  I could tell he was excited and before moving away, I gave him a playful squeeze.

 

Once we surfaced, Frank stared at me, his face showing surprise.  I giggled, winked and pulled the bottoms of my suit out from between my butt cheeks.  Moving closer to my cousin, I whispered, “You seem to like the game.”

 

Frank’s face turned red and he tried to move away from me.  I put my hand on his shoulder and giggled.  “Don’t worry, it happens to Eddie, Kevin and Brad too.”

 

“What happens?”  Brad asked, having overheard me.

 

“Hardons, I was telling Frank all you guys get them when we play chicken,” I said.

 

“Hell yes,” Brad said, chuckling.  “What do you expect?  Any guy that doesn’t react to having a girl’s pussy against his neck would have to be dead.”

 

The others overheard our conversation and started to laugh.  Frank still looked uncomfortable, so Cindy went over to him.

 

“My turn to be your partner, Frank,” Cindy said.

 

We regrouped with Cindy perched on Frank’s shoulders.  I moved behind Brad, reached around him and grabbed his cock.  “Thanks, baby.”

 

“For what?”  Brad asked as I climbed on his shoulders.

 

“For being you and for making my cousin feel welcome,” I said.

 

We won the next round and then Frank paired up with Kathy.  After a couple more matches, we climbed out and rested in the warm sun.  Kathy, Cindy and I went in the house after we were dry and fixed sandwiches for all of us.  We carried the food and sodas out to the yard and placed them on the table.

 

While we were eating, our parents came home and joined us in the backyard.  We all spent the rest of the afternoon swimming and lying in the sun.  I made sure my cousin was always coated in sun block so he wouldn’t burn.  Kathy and Cindy also helped, rubbing lotion on his back for him.

 

“What are you guys wearing to the party tonight?”  I asked Cindy and Kathy.  “I was planning on wearing a skirt and a crop top.”

 

“I’m going to wear a skirt too,” Cindy said.

 

“I was going to wear shorts, but if both of you are wearing skirts, I will too.  I wouldn’t want to be different,” Kathy said.

 

We discussed what we were planning to wear, making sure we didn’t match.  At about four, Kathy, Brad, Cindy and Kevin left to get ready.  Eddie told them he’d pick them up at about seven.

 

I asked my parents what they had planned for the evening and Mom told me they were all going out with Brad’s parents and Cindy’s mom.  They were going to dinner and then out to a club to listen to music and dance.

 

“Don’t stay out too late tonight,” Mom said.  “Remember we’re all going out on the boat tomorrow.”

 

“I know, Mom.  We’ll get home at a reasonable hour,” I told her.

 

After dinner, I got dressed and Eddie drove us to Kathy’s house.  Kevin was already at Cindy’s house and we left for the party.  I shared the bench seat in the back of the van with Frank and Brad, sitting between them.

 

When we arrived at Erin’s party, there were several other kids already there.  Erin and her dad lived in a large Spanish ranch and, like most homes in the area, had a built in pool and a large patio in the backyard.  We went around back, guided by the music, and found Erin.

 

“Hi everyone, thanks for coming,” Erin said.

 

We all introduced ourselves and joined the small group of kids on the patio.  Erin had colorful Chinese lanterns hanging around the patio and a stereo system near the house.  A long table had food on it and a cooler full of soda was at one end.  The guys got Kathy, Cindy and I Cokes and we found a place to sit together.

 

I watched Erin flit around the yard, greeting her guests and talking with several of the kids I knew from school.  She was a very petite girl and only about five feet tall.  Erin’s auburn hair was long and tied into a ponytail.  After about a half an hour, I noticed she was making a lot of trips to where we were sitting, asking if we needed anything.

 

There were about twenty kids in the backyard; all of them couples except Erin and Frank.  Most of the kids were in small groups talking among themselves.  Erin came over, walked up to Frank and smiled.

 

“Would you like to dance, Frank?  I want people to stop sitting around and have some fun,” Erin said.

 

“Well, um, I don’t really know how to dance,” Frank said shyly.

 

“Sure you do,” I said.  “It’s easy.  Come on, Brad, let’s show Frank.”

 

Brad got up and we started toward an empty area on the patio.  Eddie, Kathy, Cindy and Kevin also joined us and we all started to dance to a fast song.  I watched my cousin and saw he was uncomfortable.

 

Brad must have sensed it too, because he moved closer to Frank and said, “Just have fun, Frank.  None of us know what we’re doing, at least the guys don’t.”

 

Frank smiled, thanked Brad and loosened up.  By the time the song ended, he was smiling.  The next song was slow and Brad took me in his arms.  I watched over Brad’s shoulder to see what Frank was going to do and giggled when Erin made the decision for him.

 

Several other couples joined in and began to dance.  After several more songs, we went to get sodas and rest.  Erin came over to where we were all sitting and sat next to Frank.

 

“Thanks for the dances, Frank, it was fun,” Erin said.

 

“Sorry I’m not better,” Frank said.

 

“Don’t be silly, you’re as good as any of the other guys that had enough guts to dance,” Erin said.  “Oh shit, I knew this was going to happen.”

 

“What?” I asked.

 

“Over there,” Erin pointed to a group of six kids.  “That asshole, Bobby Jackson, is putting booze in the sodas.  I told Nancy not to let him do that.  My dad will flip out if he finds out.”

 

“Go tell them to leave,” Kathy said.

 

“I would, but they won’t listen to me.  Why can’t everyone just have a good time without drinking?”  Erin said.

 

Erin’s voice was quivering like she was on the brink of tears.  I glanced at Brad and then at Eddie.

 

“I’ll tell them, Erin,” Frank said.

 

“I don’t want any trouble, Frank.  Bobby is a bully and will want to start a fight, he and his lackeys, they don’t make a move unless Bobby tells them to,” Erin said.

 

Frank stood up and headed to the group.  Eddie, Brad and Kevin followed him and so did the girls and I.

 

“Hey, Erin doesn’t want any drinking at her party,” Frank said as he walked up to Bobby.

 

Bobby was about three inches taller than Frank and looked like he out weighed him.  Bobby looked at Frank and laughed.

 

“Tough shit, I’m not going to stay around here without a couple of drinks, and I don’t plan on leaving,” Bobby said, laughing along with the rest of the guys he was with.

 

“Just put the booze away, Bobby,” Nancy said.  “Why do you always have to act like this?”

 

“Shut up, Nancy, nobody is going to tell me what to do.  If this punk doesn’t like it, I’ll just kick his ass,” Bobby said.

 

“Look, I don’t want any trouble,” Frank said.  “Just stop drinking and we can all have a nice time.”

 

Most of the other kids gathered around and watched what was going on.  Erin asked Frank to leave Bobby alone, but she still told Bobby to leave.

 

Bobby seemed like he’d had enough of Frank and the taunting of his friends.  He took a swing at Frank, but in an instant, Bobby was on the ground yelling for Frank to let him go.  When Bobby swung at him, Frank had caught his hand and twisted his wrist until he dropped in pain.

 

“I told you I didn’t want any trouble,” Frank said calmly.  “I think it’s time for you to go now.”

 

“Someone get this prick off me,” Bobby groaned.

 

One of Bobby’s friends stepped toward Frank, but was stunned when Frank’s free hand shot out and hit him in the forehead.  Eddie, Brad and Kevin stepped in and soon the ruckus was over.  Nancy apologized to Erin and then left with Bobby and the rest of them.

 

Erin wrapped her arms around Frank’s arm and thanked him.  The other kids also thanked Frank, telling him it was about time Bobby had someone stand up to him.

 

When we got back to our seats, I turned to my cousin.

 

“What just happened, Frank?”  I asked.  “What did you do to those guys?”

 

Frank chuckled and said, “I’ve been taking karate for years.  When I was younger I used to get picked on, but not anymore.”

 

“I can see why,” Erin said with a giggle.

 

We went back to dancing and having a good time.  Erin and Frank spent most of their time with each other, dancing and talking.  At about ten o’clock, Erin’s dad came out of the house.

 

Our group was sitting and talking when Erin’s father came over to us.

 

“How’s everything going, Erin?”  Her dad asked.

 

“Just great, Daddy.  We’re all having fun.  There was a little trouble, but Frank took care of it,” Erin said.

 

“I saw what happened, Erin.  I was about to come out when this young man convinced that group of kids to leave.”  Erin’s dad extended his hand to Frank.  “I’m Ted Riley, Erin’s father.”

 

Frank stood up, shook his hand and said, “Pleased to meet you, Sir.  I’m Frank Miller.”

 

Erin began to introduce the rest of us to her father.  When she told him my last name he grinned.

 

“I know who you kids are; you’re the fishermen—right?”  Mr. Riley said.

 

“Yes, that’s us,” Brad said.

 

“I’ve read about you in the paper; you guys seem to do pretty good,” Mr. Riley said.

 

We all nodded and thanked him for the party.  Mr. Riley sat down, after asking his daughter if she minded and began to ask us questions about fishing.

 

“You know, I’ve been here for five years and have never been out fishing.  When I lived up north, I did a lot of bass fishing, but not since I moved here,” Mr. Riley said.

 

We told him how much fun it was to catch the large fish and about the boat.  Finally, Erin said it was time to eat and shooed her dad away.  He laughed and went back into the house.

 

“Your dad seems real nice, Erin,” Frank said.

 

“He is, he just worries about me too much,” Erin said.

 

“There’s nothing wrong with that, it’s a good thing he cares about you,” Cindy said.  “Believe me, I know.”

 

After eating pizza, we regrouped.  Erin was sitting next to Frank and holding his hand.  The two of them talked to each other, keeping their voices low enough so the rest of us couldn’t hear them.

 

Frank took Eddie and me aside and asked, “Do you think it would be okay if Erin came with us tomorrow?”

 

“Sure, Frank,” I said.  “Just have her ask her dad if she can go.”

 

Eddie nodded and said, “No problem, we have plenty of room on the boat.”

 

“Jenny, would you please come with Erin and me to ask him?”  Frank said.

 

I agreed and we went into the house.  Erin led us to the living room and she asked her dad about going on the boat.

 

After thinking for a moment, Mr. Riley said it would be okay if he could talk to my dad first.

 

“I have a better idea,” I said.  “Why don’t you come with us tomorrow?  That way you can meet our parents and go out on the boat too.  We may even do some fishing.”

 

“Are you sure your parents would approve of you asking a stranger to join them?”  Mr. Riley said.

 

“Hang on, I’ll ask,” I said, taking my cell phone out of my purse.

 

I called my dad, talked to him for a moment and then handed the phone to Mr. Riley.  He and Dad talked for a few minutes and he handed the phone back to me.

 

“I guess we’re all set,” Mr. Riley said.  “We’re going to meet you at the marina in the morning.”

 

“Thank you, Daddy!” Erin said, hugging him.

 

We went back out and told the rest of our group about Erin and her father’s plan to join us.

 

At about midnight, the party broke up, leaving our group as the last kids still there.  We helped Erin clean up and put things away before saying goodbye and heading home.  Before we left, I told Erin what to bring with her.

 

After dropping Kathy, Brad, Cindy and Kevin off, we went home and into the house.  Our parents were still out and we all sat in the living room for a few minutes.

 

“It looks like you and Erin hit it off, Frank,” Eddie said.

 

Frank nodded and said, “Yeah, she’s really nice.  She even kissed me goodnight.”

 

“That’s cool,” I said.  “We should get to bed, tomorrow is going to be a long day.”

 

Eddie and Frank agreed and we went to bed.

 

I was almost asleep when I heard my parents come in.  Mom stopped by my room, checked on me and asked about the party.  I told her that we all had fun and then told her goodnight.

 

The house was busy the next morning with all of us getting ready to go.  I showered, packed my things and went to help my mom while Frank and Eddie got ready.  While Mom and I were fixing breakfast, Aunt Sally came out of Mom’s room with nothing but a towel wrapped around her.

 

After a quick breakfast, we packed the van and headed for the marina.  We pulled into the parking lot right behind Kathy’s dad.  Kevin, Cindy and her mom were in the car with the rest of the family.  When we parked and got out, Erin and Mr. Riley came over to our van.

 

I introduced everyone to Erin and her father and then we gathered our things and headed to the boat.  Once onboard, Eddie showed Erin, Frank, Aunt Sally and Mr. Riley around.  Kathy, Brad and I got the boat ready to go, while Mom made coffee.

 

I started the engines and warmed them while Kathy and Brad disconnected the shore power and water.  They untied the lines and we pulled out of our slip.

 

Erin and her dad came up to the flying bridge.  Mr. Riley was a little surprised to see me at the helm, driving the boat.  He watched intently as I maneuvered to the gas dock and pulled up without touching the pilings.  Frank helped Eddie and Brad tie off and fuel the boat for the day.

 

“You should get her pumped out, Eddie,” I called down to my brother.  “We’re half full and we have a lot of people onboard today.”

 

I used the radio to see if a man we knew was selling bait from his boat today.  We could get bait at the gas dock, but we’d found the man’s bait was fresher and less expensive.  I told my brother the man was waiting for us so Eddie wouldn’t buy bait.  With the boat filled with fuel, we motored over to the man selling fresh bait and bought enough for the day.

 

“Your boat is really something, Jenny,” Erin said.  “I’ve never been on anything like this.”

 

“Erin’s right, it is a beautiful boat,” Mr. Riley said.  “Thank you for inviting us.”

 

“No problem, we love taking new people out,” I said.

 

My dad and Mr. Waters came up to the bridge and Dad offered Mr. Riley a cup of coffee.  He took it and complemented Dad on the boat and my ability to operate it.

 

“All the kids are good at running the boat,” Dad said.  “I made sure they could before I let them take her out on their own.”

 

Mr. Riley acted shocked.  “You let the kids take the boat out alone?”

 

“Sure, why not,” Dad said.  “They are very responsible and can handle anything that comes up.  When they have a tournament, they take her for a weekend.”

 

Erin’s dad shook his head.  “You must really trust your kids.”

 

“We do, all of us trust the kids and we will until they give us a reason not to,” Dad told him.

 

I fought to keep from laughing when Mr. Riley said, “Harry, aren’t you and your wife afraid the kids will—you know?”

 

Dad did laugh and said, “There’s nothing to be afraid of, Ted.  If the kids are going to fool around, there’s nothing anyone can do to prevent it.  Look, they don’t drink, they don’t do drugs and they don’t give us a minute’s trouble.”

 

Dad, Mr. Waters and Mr. Riley went down to see what the women were doing, leaving Erin and me alone on the bridge.

 

“Jenny, did I just hear what I think I heard?”  Erin said.

 

“I don’t know, what do you think you heard?”

 

“I think your dad just told my dad he didn’t care if you fooled around with Brad.”

 

“You heard right, Erin, he doesn’t.  All of our parents know we sleep together when we’re on the boat.”

 

“My dad would kill me if he ever found out I was doing that.  He doesn’t even allow me to really date.”

 

“Do you?”

 

“Date? Yes, sometimes.  I find it hard to trust boys, so I don’t date them long.”

 

“Why not?”

 

“When I lived with my mom, her boyfriend’s son started messing around with me.  I was twelve at the time it started and at first it was fun, you know; show and tell.  One day Mom was out with her boyfriend and we were alone.  He wanted to fool around, but I didn’t want to.

 

“One thing led to another and the next thing I knew, we were screwing.  I told him not to, but he did it anyway.  I guess it wasn’t really rape because we’d done other things and I never stopped him before.  I didn’t think anyone would believe me if I said anything so I didn’t tell my mom.”

 

“This happened when you were twelve?  How old was the boy?”

 

“I was fourteen when that happened; he was two years older than me.  Anyway, he wanted to do it whenever we could.  At first I tried to stop him, but I would usually let him so he’d quit bugging me.  It wasn’t that I didn’t like it; I just didn’t like feeling like I had to.

 

“When I finally had enough, I told my mom about it.  Her answer was to put me on the pill and tell me if I didn’t do it, her boyfriend might leave.  I put up with it for another couple months, but when her boyfriend started to hit on me, I called my dad.”

 

“What did your dad do when you told him what was going on?”

 

“Dad flew to Chicago that day, picked me up and brought me down to Florida.  I never told him everything, just that I was afraid to live there.  That was three years ago and I haven’t talked to my mom since.  She was more interested in her drug addict boyfriend and his kid than she was in me.”

 

“I’m really sorry to hear that you had such a bad experience, Erin.  You know, not all boys are like that, don’t you?”

 

“I know, but I haven’t met one yet.  Every time I go out with a guy a couple of times, they start talking about sex.  If I let one of them feel me up; he tried to get into my pants.  Don’t get me wrong, I like fooling around, but like I said, I don’t want to feel like I’m being forced.”

 

“To tell you the truth, I have no idea what it feels like to be forced to do something I don’t want to.  Brad is a real sweetheart and never gets pushy.  Sometimes, when we’re staying on the boat, we just sleep.”

 

Erin sighed and said, “Maybe there’s someone out there like that for me.”

 

Eddie came up and said, “Mom has some fruit and juice in the galley, Jen.  Why don’t you and Erin go eat and I’ll take the boat.”

 

“I had breakfast, Eddie.  How can you be hungry?”  I said.

 

Eddie shrugged his shoulders and grinned.

 

“I didn’t have any breakfast, Jenny,” Erin said.  “I didn’t want to be late so I made dad rush out of the house before we could eat.”

 

Eddie took over so Erin and I could go down to the galley and get something to eat.  Kathy, Brad, Kevin, Cindy and Frank were in the cockpit, rigging tackle.  Erin and I went into the cabin and sat at the table.  Both Erin and I quickly noticed her dad was sitting on one of the settees and talking to Cindy’s mom.

 

Mom fixed Erin a bowl of cereal, and an orange for me.  Each of us drank juice and listened to the women talk.  We were almost finished eating when I felt the boat slow down.

 

“Eat up, Erin; time to fish,” I said.

 

After cleaning up the table, Erin and I went out to the cockpit.  Her father followed us and asked what he could do.

 

I handed Mr. Riley a rod, baited the hook and told him how to let out the line without fouling the reel.  I gave another one to Erin and showed her the same thing.  Kathy and Brad helped Frank set the starboard rigger and one of the other rods.

 

“I thought we’d try for a couple of Dolphin for dinner and then go out for bills,” Eddie yelled down from the bridge.

 

“Good idea, Eddie,” I yelled back.  “You see anything from up there?”

 

“Yeah, there is a bunch of weeds floating about two hundred yards ahead.  I though that I’d make a pass once you guys were set up,” Eddie said.

 

“Eddie thinks there may be fish near a bunch of weeds he sees ahead.  When he makes his pass, we have to be ready.  Erin and Mr. Riley, you watch the portside,” I said, pointing at the left side of the boat.  “Frank you watch the starboard rods.  If we pick up a fish, the rest of us will tell you what to do.”

 

“Erin and I are ready, Jenny.  Please call me Ted,” Erin’s dad said as he put his arm around his daughter’s shoulders.

 

Eddie called out that we were passing the weeds and we all watched the rods.  Nothing happened and I felt the boat turning.

 

“I saw fish come up, but they didn’t take the baits.  I’m going to come around again and make another pass at a different speed.  Drop the riggers back another fifty feet or so,” Eddie said.

 

I showed Erin how to let more line out and reattach the line to the outrigger.  We had six lines out, two outriggers, one on each corner and two off the stern.  As we neared the weeds, Eddie called out for us to be ready.

 

One of the port corner rods took off and I grabbed it out of the holder.  After setting the hook, I handed it to Mr. Riley.

 

“Here you go, keep the tip up and try to wind in line.  When the fish makes a run, let him go, but be ready to wind again.  You can’t let them get any slack,” I said.

 

The rest of the group came out of the cabin to watch when they heard me yell, “Fish on.”  Mom, Dad and the Waters went up to the bridge and Cindy’s mom and my aunt stayed in the cockpit.  Mr. Riley was winding on the reel, but the fish was running.

 

While everyone watched Erin’s dad, I kept checking the other rods.  I saw the starboard rigger rod go and ran over to it.  “Fish on!”  I yelled as I cranked on the reel.  “Here you go, Frank.”

 

“We better clear the rods,” Kathy said.  “We have a double on.”

 

Brad and Kathy grabbed a rod each and brought them in.  Cindy and Kevin hesitated for a moment, but then jumped in and helped without being asked.  Once the lines were in and the rods stowed in the holders, I went back to coach Erin’s dad.

 

We landed both fish and, after taking pictures, put them in the fishbox.  Brad hosed down the deck, washing the slime away and we reset the rods.  Eddie made another pass and we picked up another fish.  I gave the rod to Erin and helped her land her fish.

 

“That was amazing!” Erin said.  “Did you see me catch the fish, Dad?”

 

“Yes, honey, I saw you, you did a good job—I think,” her dad said.

 

“She did great, so did you, Ted,” I said.  “We’re going to see if we can pick up another one for Frank and then go out for billfish.”

 

Eddie made a couple more passes past the weeds and we caught another Dolphin.  Once the fish was in the fishbox, we pulled the lines and began changing the tackle for billfish.  It was almost noon, so Mom decided we should have some lunch.

 

It was a calm day and the seas were almost flat.  Eddie took the boat out of gear and let her drift.  There wasn’t another boat in sight and the radar was clear so there was no chance of hitting anything.  Before coming down, Eddie shut off the engines, leaving the low hum of the generator as the only noise.

 

“I’m going to change into my suit and go for a quick swim,” I said.  “It’s getting hot out here.”

 

“Sounds good, Jenny,” Kathy said.

 

Kathy, Cindy, Erin and I went to the master stateroom and pulled out our suits.  We changed and then went back out to the cockpit.  The boys went in, changed into their trunks and came out to join us.  I opened the transom door and jumped in the cool blue water.  We stayed close to the boat, treading water.  After a few minutes, we got out and rinsed off.

 

“That was refreshing,” Erin said as she dried off.

 

I took out the sun block and handed it to Frank.  “You better put some of this on, Frank.  You don’t want to burn.”

 

Erin glanced at her dad, took the lotion and said, “I’ll do your back for you, Frank.”

 

Dad brought deck chairs and placed them around the cockpit.  Mom and Mrs. Waters came out with a tray of sandwiches, placed them on a small table and told us which were the tuna and which were the chicken salad.  Cindy’s mom and Erin’s dad came out with sodas, both of them were laughing.

 

Kathy, Erin, Cindy and I took our lunch up to the flying bridge and the boys followed.  Our parents sat in the cockpit and talked.  I could hear Erin’s dad telling Mrs. Hogan about his divorce and that he hasn’t dated since Erin came to live with him.  Cindy’s mom told Ted about her husband and how he treated her and Cindy.

 

“Clare, how do you feel about the kids going out on the boat without adult supervision?”  Ted asked Cindy’s mom as I eavesdropped.

 

I glanced at the rest of the group on the bridge and when I realized they weren’t listening, I turned my attention to the conversation below.

 

“I used to be concerned, Ted, but Ellen and Sarah convinced me that there was nothing I could do about it.  Let’s face it, it never stopped me when I was young,” Cindy’s mom said.

 

Mr. Riley laughed and said, “I know what you mean.  I guess it never stopped me either.”

 

“Ellen told me her views about it and it made sense to me.  She told me that I can’t expect Cindy to be honest with me if I force her to lie,” Mrs. Hogan said.

 

“What did you do, Clare?”  Ted asked.

 

“I put her on the pill and quit asking her questions.  I figured she’s going to do what she’s going to do and there’s little I can do about it.  Is Erin active?”  Mrs. Hogan asked.

 

“I really don’t know.  She really doesn’t date much.  She had some problems when she was living with her mom and she’s been very cautious where boys are concerned.  She doesn’t tell me too much about it,” Ted said.

 

“What happened?” Aunt Sally asked.

 

Ted started to tell the other adults the same thing Erin told me earlier and I turned on the stereo so no one on the bridge could hear.  I went over to Brad, sat on his lap and joined the conversation the other kids were having.  It was obvious that Frank and Erin were beginning to feel comfortable with each other.  They sat very close and Erin kept touching his leg when she talked.

 

After an hour, Dad called up and asked if we were going fishing.

 

“Yeah,” Eddie said and got up to start the engines.

 

Once we were under way, our parents came up and sat down.

 

“Why don’t you kids go down and rig the tackle, I’ll run the boat,” Dad said.

 

We all went down to the cockpit and began getting ready for our afternoon fishing.  Once the rods were rigged, we leaned against the gunwales and relaxed.  Brad put his arm around me and pulled me to him.  Leaning down, he kissed me on the lips.

 

It seemed Brad’s kiss was a signal and soon Eddie and Kathy were making out, along with Cindy and Kevin.  I looked at Frank out of the corner of my eye and saw him and Erin standing next to each other, watching us.

 

“Do you want to kiss me, Frank?” I heard Erin say.

 

I glanced at them and saw them start kissing.

 

“How far out do you want to go?”  Dad yelled from the bridge.

 

Eddie stopped kissing Kathy, ran up the stairs to the bridge.  When he came back, Eddie took Kathy in his arms.

 

“We need to get ready,” Eddie said.  “We’re almost where we’re going to fish today.”

 

“Do you think we can let my dad catch another fish?”  Erin asked.  “He had so much fun.”

 

“Sure, he can have the first fish,” Brad said.  “We go out all the time.”

 

“I would like to do this again,” Erin said.  “I’m really having a good time today.”

 

Erin looked at Frank and smiled.

 

“I don’t see why you can’t come out with us, Erin,” Kathy said.  “Frank is going to be here until after the first of the year and I’m sure he wants to go as much as he can.”

 

Frank nodded and said, “I sure do.  This is great.”

 

Dad slowed the boat and we began setting lines.  Erin called for her dad, telling him to come down.  Cindy’s mom came down with him, but she went into the cabin.

 

As we set the lines, we explained what we were doing to Frank, Ted and Erin.   Once the lines were out, Eddie went up to watch for fish.

 

“Eddie can see the fish come up and follow the teasers,” I said.  “When he sees one, he’ll let us know and we’ll take one of the baited rods and try to get the fish to take it.  Normally we use lures, but today we’re using live bait.”

 

“Are these fish like the Dolphin?  Do they fight hard too?” Erin’s dad asked.

 

“Billfish are a lot more fun to catch and they fight much harder,” Kathy said.

 

“Harder than the fish we caught this morning?”  Erin asked.

 

“Much harder, just wait and see.  You guys are really going to love this,” Brad said.

 

“I can still remember the first sail I caught,” Kevin said.  “I could hardly move my arms by the time I got him to the back of the boat.”

 

“What do you do with the fish?”  Ted said.

 

“We tag and release them,” I replied.  “We don’t take billfish.  Most of the people we know and fish with release them too; it helps preserve the sport.”

 

“There’s a fish following the port teaser,” Eddie yelled from the bridge.

 

I grabbed a rod, handed it to Ted and told him what to do.  “Just make sure you listen to Eddie.  When he tells you to, flip the lever and set the hook,” I said.

 

Kevin got a harness out of a locker and took it over to Erin’s dad.  He put the belt around Ted and told him how it worked.

 

“Slow the line,” Eddie instructed.

 

“Put your thumb on the reel and slow down the line,” I said.

 

“He ate it!” Eddie yelled.

 

“Okay, flip the lever and pull back on the rod,” I said.

 

Erin’s dad did what I told him and set the hook.  The fish took off, stripping line from the screaming reel.

 

“When he stops, pull back and start winding down on him.  Wind in line, letting the rod tip go down and then pull back.  You might want to put the rod butt in the harness, these fish can put a lot of pressure on the rod,” Kathy said.

 

Ted nodded and stuck the rod butt in the holder; I clipped the reel to the harness and stepped back.  The fish turned and Ted began to gain some line on it.  Dad turned the boat into the fish and tried to cut down the angle.

 

“Let’s clear these lines,” Brad said.

 

Frank and Kevin grabbed the rigger rods while Kathy and Cindy took the other two.

 

The fish Erin’s dad was fighting came up and danced across the surface on its tail.  When Ted saw the fish, he froze and I had to remind him to keep winding in line.

 

“Oh my God, did you see that?” Ted shouted, his voice filled with excitement.

 

“It looks like a nice sail,” Kathy said.

 

Cindy’s mom came out of the cabin wearing her bikini.  She noticed Ted was fighting a fish and stood near him to watch.

 

“I think Cindy’s mom likes your dad, Erin,” I said.

 

Erin nodded.

 

“I think she does too,” Cindy said.  “I think it’s cute.”

 

“I would love to see my dad get out and have some fun,” Erin said.  “All he does is work.”

 

The fish came up again and then disappeared.  Ted kept working on the fish, gaining line and bringing the fish closer to the boat.  When Eddie said the fish was close, Brad went to help Ted while I grabbed the camera.

 

We brought the fish in through the transom door, removed the hook and hoisted it up so we could take some pictures.  Ted stood on one side of the fish with the rod in his hand and Erin stood on the other side.  I took several shots and then we tagged and released the fish.

 

“That was awesome,” Ted said.  “I can see your attraction to fishing.”

 

“We all like it,” Brad said.  “We’re all glad you and Erin are enjoying yourselves.”

 

Cindy’s mom hugged Ted and congratulated him on the fish.  Kathy, Cindy and I started to reset the teasers and Erin helped.  Once the boat was ready, we told Eddie and he told Dad.

 

We took three more fish before calling it quits.  Frank took the second fish and Erin the third.  When the last fish hit, Cindy’s mom took it with the help of Erin’s dad.

 

Dad turned the boat toward port and we put away the fishing tackle.  Once we were finished, we all went up and joined our parents on the bridge.

 

“So how do you like deep sea fishing, Ted?”  I asked.

 

“Jenny, don’t call him by his first name; you know better than that,” Mom said.

 

“It’s okay, Ellen; I asked her to,” Ted said.

 

“Are you sure?  I don’t like it when kids call adults by their first names, it’s rude,” Mom said.

 

“I agree with you, but these guys don’t seem like kids to me.  They’re much more mature than most of Erin’s friends their age,” Ted said.  “Anyway, to answer your question, Jenny, I had a wonderful time.”

 

Ted looked at Erin, smiled and said, “This is the first time I’ve spent a day with my daughter in ages and that was the best part.”

 

Erin blushed and her eyes filled with tears.  She went to her dad, put her arms around his neck and hugged him.  Everyone was silent for a few moments as Erin and her father held each other.

 

“It was great for me too, Daddy,” Erin said and then she moved back to sit with Frank.

 

“Didn’t I tell you, Ted?” Cindy’s mom said.

 

“Yes, you did tell me, but I had a hard time believing you,” Ted said.

 

“What did you tell my dad?” Erin asked.

 

Mrs. Hogan smiled and said, “I told your father that if he spent any time around this group, he would rediscover his daughter and have some of the best times in his life.  I know that’s what happened to Cindy and me.”

 

Dad pulled the boat into the slip and Eddie and I ran down to tie it up.  Brad and Kevin helped while Kathy and Cindy washed down the cockpit.  Once the boat was secure, Eddie grabbed the fish and put them into the cooler we kept on the pier.  I went below, got the knife bag and a box of Ziploc bags.

 

“We’re going to clean the fish,” I said.  “Anyone want to help?”

 

Ted, Erin and Frank decided to go with Eddie and me.  Kathy, Brad and the others said they had already seen it done and would wait for us.  We took the fish to the cleaning station and my brother and I made short work of the filleting.  Erin and Frank helped wash and bag the fish and Ted watched us, asking questions about how we did it.

 

Once the fish were cleaned and bagged, we went back to the boat.

 

“We are talking about having dinner at our house,” Mom said.  “Harry wants to cook some of this fresh fish on the grill tonight.  Would you and Erin like to join us, Ted?”

 

“Sure, as long as Erin wants to go,” Ted said.

 

Erin was standing with Frank and nodding her head with a big grin on her face.

 

“I guess that answers that,” Erin’s dad said and then he chuckled.

 

Everyone went to our house and into the back yard.  It was still warm, so we decided to go for a swim before dinner.  It was a little crowded with all of us in the pool, but our parents didn’t stay in it long.

 

While the adults sat and watched us, we paired up for a game of chicken.  With four girls on top of the boys’ shoulders, the play turned rough.  Brad charged Frank and I grabbed Erin, trying to pull her off.  Kathy grabbed me from behind while Cindy reached in and took hold of Erin’s arm.

 

Finally, we all toppled into the water.  Because no one could be declared a winner, we did it again.  Cindy was trying to pull me off Brad.  She reached for my shoulders, missed and pulled my top loose.  When I felt the top hanging around my neck, I told Brad to go after her and Kevin.

 

“So that’s how you want to play,” I said, laughing.

 

When Brad and I caught up with Cindy, I pulled the tie on the back of her neck and her top dropped around her waist.  Cindy and I started to laugh and went after Kathy, coming up behind her while she tugged and pulled with Erin.  Kevin and Cindy reached Kathy first and Cindy untied her top.

 

“Kathy!  You’re losing your top,” Erin shouted.

 

Brad moved behind Frank and Erin and I pulled her ties, causing her top to fall away.

 

“So are you, Erin,” I said.

 

Erin crossed her arms, covering her boobs.  I knocked her off Frank’s shoulders and then jumped in after her.  Cindy was laughing so hard she fell without being touched.

 

It wasn’t until I heard our parents laughing that I remembered we weren’t alone.  I found Erin’s top, handed it to her and smiled.

 

“Sorry, Erin.  I forgot you were new and haven’t been around us before.  Sometimes we get carried away when we goof around,” I said as Erin put her top back on.

 

She looked at me and noticed my boobs were still uncovered.  “Aren’t you embarrassed being topless in front of all these guys?”  Erin asked.

 

I started to put my top back in place and shook my head.  “I’m used to it, Erin; they’ve all seen me before.  When we’re out on the boat, we go topless a lot.”

 

“I hope my dad doesn’t find out, Jenny.  He’ll never let me go on the boat with you guys again.”

 

Cindy and Kathy had their tops back on and we all climbed out of the pool.  Our parents were all huddled close, talking about something I couldn’t hear.  Eddie asked if any of us wanted sodas and then went into the house to get Cokes.

 

“Excuse me please,” I said.  “What time is dinner?”

 

Mom looked over her shoulder and said, “We’ll start dinner in a few minutes, Jen.”

 

When the conversion our parents were having broke up, I led Erin over to her dad.

 

“Mr. Riley, I’m sorry about what happened in the pool.  I guess I didn’t think before things got carried away.  Please don’t be mad at Erin; it wasn’t her fault,” I said.

 

Erin’s dad looked at me and then at Erin.  “Are you okay, Erin?”  Ted asked.

 

“Yes, Dad, I’m fine.”

 

“Did what happened upset you?”

 

“Not really, I was a little shocked and embarrassed, but not upset.  I’m just worried that you’ll be mad at me and won’t let me hang around with Jenny and the others.”

 

“To tell you the truth, I was a little upset at first, Erin, but I’m not now.  You’re seventeen and old enough to decide for yourself.  If it doesn’t bother you, I guess it’s okay.  I must admit, it makes me a little uncomfortable to see you like that.”

 

“You!  How do you think I feel about my dad seeing my boobs?”  Erin said.

 

Cindy’s mom put her hand on Ted’s shoulder, leaned forward and said, “I don’t know why, Erin.  You have lovely boobs.”

 

“Thanks, Clare,” Mr. Riley said.  “I was afraid to say it.”  Ted turned to Erin.  “You are a very pretty young lady, Erin.”

 

Erin blushed and said, “Thanks.”

 

Ted chuckled and asked, “Is this as uncomfortable for you as it is for me, Erin?”

 

“Yes,” Erin said.

 

“You know, if you don’t want it to happen again all you have to do is say so.  I talked with Ellen and, while she has a very strong opinion about women and nudity, she said that no one would ever ask you to do something you don’t want to do, at least not any of these guys.”

 

“What did Jenny’s mom say about it?”  Erin said.

 

I laughed and said, “Mom thinks it’s wrong that guys can go around without shirts and girls can’t.  She said, ‘What’s good for one is good for the other’ and tells anyone that will listen.  In fact, I’m surprised Mom still has her top on.”

 

“I guess that makes sense,” Erin said.  “Are all of you nudists?”

 

“We’re not really nudists, Erin; we just aren’t all hung up about it.  If one of us sees another naked, we don’t think too much about it; it’s no big deal,” I said.

 

Cindy was listening to our conversation and said, “Once you get used to it, you really don’t notice.  After awhile, it just seems natural.”

 

Erin giggled and asked, “The boys, too?”

 

Both Cindy and I nodded and giggled along with her.

 

Erin turned to Ted and said, “Dad, they’re talking about going fishing tomorrow, can I go if they do?”

 

“I don’t see why not, Erin.  If you want to go, it’s fine with me,” Ted said.

 

Erin’s dad went to see if he could help with the grill.  Cindy, Erin and I went to the other side of the pool and sat down with Brad and the others.

 

“Is your dad pissed?”  Kathy asked.

 

“No,” Erin said.  “I thought he would be, but for some reason he seemed to understand.  I think it might be something Jenny’s mom said to him.”

 

“Oh no, not the women are equal to men speech,” Eddie said.

 

Everyone laughed, having heard Mom’s rant before.

 

“Does everyone run around on the boat naked, even your parents?”  Erin asked.

 

“Yeah,” Kathy said.  “We’ve gone skinny dipping with them and to a nude beach.”

 

“Isn’t it weird seeing your parents naked like that?  I can’t imagine seeing my dad in the nude,” Erin said.

 

“It was really weird at first, but after the initial shock it was okay.  I guess you just get used to it,” Kathy said.  “After a while, I didn’t even notice when they’re naked.”

 

After dinner, we hung around and talked about a bunch of different things while our parents had coffee.  I noticed Erin’s dad was always near Cindy’s mom and they would touch each other when they talked.

 

I realized I wasn’t the only one watching when Erin said, “Looks like my dad and your mom are hitting it off, Cindy.”

 

“Yeah, it sure does,” Cindy replied.  “I wonder if they’ll go out?”

 

“I think it would be cool.  Dad hasn’t gone out with anyone since I moved in with him, at least not as far as I know,” Erin said.

 

The sun was going down and I decided to get dressed.  Kathy, Cindy and Erin also wanted to get out of their suits, so they went in the house with me.  Once we were in my room, Erin said, “I left my clothes on the boat.”

 

“I think I have something you can wear,” I said.  “What do you want?”

 

“Could I borrow a tee shirt and shorts, Jenny?”  Erin asked.

 

“Sure, how about underwear, want a bra and a pair of panties too?” I said.

 

“I don’t think your bras would fit me, you have bigger tits,” Erin replied.

 

I opened my lingerie drawer, dug to the bottom and started bring out sets of underwear that were too small for me.  “What size bra do you wear, Erin?”

 

“Thirty-two A,” Erin said.

 

“How about this one?”  I tossed Erin a red and white lace bra.  “I have the matching panties in here somewhere.”

 

“This is brand new, it still has the tag on it, Jenny,” Erin said, looking at the price tag.  “This thing cost a hundred and twenty dollars!”

 

Kathy, Cindy and I giggled.  “Jen’s mom works in one of those fancy lingerie shops in West Palm, Erin.  She gets those things for free all the time,” Kathy said.

 

I found the matching panties, handed them to Erin and watched her check the tag.

 

“I can’t wear these, Jenny.  I have outfits that don’t cost as much as these things.  I’ve never seen panties that cost fifty dollars or a bra that cost over a hundred.  I don’t think all my underwear together is worth what these are,” Erin said handing them back.  “Don’t you have a plain old bra and a pair of cotton panties I can borrow?”

 

I shook my head.  “No I don’t.  You can have those, Erin.  The bra won’t fit me and I have lots of panties.”

 

“I don’t know about Cindy, but Jenny has given me a bunch of things from her mom’s shop,” Kathy said.

 

“Me too, I have plenty,” Cindy said.

 

Erin removed the tags from the panties and bra, took off her suit and put on the new lingerie.

 

“These are beautiful, Jenny.  Are you sure you really want me to have them?”  Erin said.

 

“Yes, I’m sure.  Here are some more you can have.  I needed to clean out this drawer anyway,” I told her.

 

“I’ve never worn a thong before; it feels weird,” Erin said as she tugged at the thong.  “I like it though; it’s cool.”

 

Erin looked at the pile of items on my bed and once again said she couldn’t take them.

 

“Erin, if you don’t take them they’ll just go to Goodwill or something.  Mom gets tons of these things every time the style changes.  Please take them, Erin; I want you to have them,” I said.

 

I got out a tee shirt and a pair of shorts for Erin and we all got dressed.  Kathy and Cindy left while I found a bag for Erin.

 

“How do you like my cousin, Erin?” I asked.

 

“He’s cute, Jenny.  I like him.”

 

“Frank is a nice guy as far as I know.  He’s a little shy though,” I said.

Erin giggled and nodded.  “He’s a lot shy.  I’ve had to ask him to kiss me; he’s never tried on his own.”

 

“I don’t think he’s gone out with many girls, Erin.  I’ve never heard him talk about a girlfriend that I can remember.”

 

Erin giggled and said, “He’s not a real good kisser—not yet, but he’s learning.”

 

“Are you going to teach him how to kiss, Erin?”

 

“If I have my way I will.  You know, it’s nice being around a boy that isn’t always trying to feel me up or get his hand into my pants.”

 

“If you keep making out with him he might try.  He is a boy after all.”

 

“I don’t know, Jenny; he’s awfully shy.  I think that if I want him to feel me up, I’m going to have to tell him or show him.”

 

“Do you want him to?”

 

Erin grinned and said, “Maybe, we’ll have to see what happens.”

 

Erin and I left my room, went out to the backyard and sat down with the rest of the group.  Everyone was sitting together and joking around.

 

“Where are the clothes you were wearing earlier today, Erin?”  Ted asked.

 

“I left them on the boat, Dad.  Jenny loaned me these to wear home,” Erin said.

 

Erin’s dad smiled and returned to the conversation.  After about an hour, everyone decided to go because we wanted to be up early to go fishing.  Eddie agreed to pick everyone up at seven in the morning.

 

I helped Mom and Aunt Sally clean up and put the dishes in the dishwasher.  When we were finished, I went to my room.