Title: Tales from an Unknown Corner
Chapters: 13-14 (of 20)
Author: Dai_wakizashi
Universe: Tfauc
Summary: Journey of a troubled young man looking for a path and
people around him, who, at times, give shape to his journey.
Codes: MF, FF, MFF, oral, anal, toys, petting, romance, drama
Status: in progress
Revision: 2.0
Web Sites:
ASSTR- /~dai_wakizashi/
SOL- http://storiesonline.net/home.php
EWP- http://www.ewpub.org/ewpub.html
Discussion Forum:
http://www.ewpub.org/messageboard/viewforum.php?f=76
*****************************************************************
TALES FROM AN UNKNOWN CORNER [Tfauc]
CHAPTER - 13: A Bombshell
Saturday morning, I woke up late. It felt good to be lazy for a
change. There were no Saturdays or Sundays on a rig, although the
morning reports were an hour later than weekdays, probably to
give a psychological semblance of a weekend, or the Ops engineers
wanted to have an extra hour of sleep.
After a visit to the bathroom for morning ablutions, followed by
a quick shower, I put on jeans and an t-shirt, and went to the
kitchen. Kathy was sitting on the couch, dressed in her peignoir,
her knees tucked underneath with the newspaper on her lap. The TV
was on with the morning cartoons. Grabbing a cup of coffee, I
joined her. After she finished browsing through the paper, she
put it aside and cuddled up to me and we watched the cartoons for
a while, enjoying each other's company.
She was extremely quiet and I was starting to wonder if something
was wrong with her. Sensing my anxiety, she said, "It's weekend
laziness, Bro. I'm all right, I just missed watching the cartoons
with you."
"You know, I've never been inquisitive about your life and you
know why, but don't you have a boyfriend or something? What do
you do on weekends, or when you have some free time?"
She laughed softly. "I'm lucky to have a brother like you. I know
some of my friends had a lot of problems with their elder
brothers."
"I guess, but then those brothers didn't have a lot of problems
with their sisters, did they?" I teased her.
"You can exchange me for one of those girls if you want, but I'm
keeping you as a brother."
"I didn't mean it like that and don't change the subject. It's
time for a little role reversal. I need a break."
"You sure do, Bro. I haven't been easy on you. Well, let's see...
There's a guy I've been going out for almost a year and a half.
It's kind of long distance relationship. He works for a company
that sells medical equipment and we met during one of his visits
to the hospital. We try to see each other when he comes to town.
He's not living so far away. About three hours by car. So, we
still manage to get away, but you know how it is with med school.
I still have almost one and a half years to go and the shifts at
the Emergency ward are keeping me busy."
"So, it's a serious relation?"
"Yeah. But, he's waiting until I finish school. Well, I finished
school, this is just specialization. But, you know how Mom is;
first school, then marriage."
"Wow! My sister is getting married... If he's waiting that long
he must be well-trained," I quipped.
"It's not like that at all, Bro," she retorted indignantly.
"I hope so, Sis. I haven't been much of a brother. You need a
strong hand," I said, goading her.
"You rat! I'm not like that at all."
"I dunno, Sis. You managed to whip me up pretty good on a regular
basis."
"Girls mature faster than boys, Bro. That's why."
"I'm not sure about that. How old are you?" I asked, then quickly
clarified my question with, "Mentally?"
She laughed at my quip. "It depends. Anywhere between 15 and 40."
"Must have come in handy all these years."
"You betcha."
"Tell me. How's he taking the long distance relation?"
"He's patient."
"He must be. Knowing you, I'm not surprised." I was enjoying
pressing her buttons.
"Give me a break, Mitch. I'm not like that at all," she replied
hotly. Then softening her tone, she said, "Not all the time. I
save that for you. But sometimes, I drive him crazy too, and he
loves it."
With an amused smile, she added, "In that respect, he's like
you."
"That's very presumptuous of you, Kathy. I never said I enjoyed
being driven crazy. Especially by you," I replied with a
pretentious tone.
"I know. That's why you don't put up with my antics." Her eyes
were dancing with mirth.
"I give up," I said, raising my hands in surrender, then
delivered a parting shot, "But, I hope he doesn't. Otherwise
he'll not be able to survive you."
"He doesn't need to survive. I keep him barely alive, to serve
his Queen."
"Shit, Sis. Show some mercy and throw him to the lions."
"Lions wouldn't know what to do with him, but I do," she replied
and colored slightly, realizing what she said.
I knew she had had several boyfriends, and we rarely talked about
that part of our lives. When we were young, we had teased each
other, as we were curious, but as adults, we rarely talked about
our private lives. Perhaps, because we had discovered sex, and
learned something about it.
"Does he make you happy, Kathy?"
"Yes, he does. And I make him happy too. Does that satisfy your
curiosity?" she replied without getting embarrassed.
"Sis, I know you have a busy life. Med school, the hospital. They
don't make for a very active social life. I worry about you, even
though I know you can take care of yourself. I just want to know
you are happy."
"I'm happy. Since we have that out of the way, tell me, dear
brother. Why can't I ask you the same questions?"
"But Kathy, you have used up your quota of questions for the next
ten years, whereas I'm still saving them up," I retorted with a
haughty tone.
"Oh, you! You're impossible."
She was coming with an elbow, but I quickly gathered her in my
arms, locking her securely in my embrace. She tried to break
free, but then gave up and relaxed. If she were a cat, I would
bet anything she would be purring at that moment. That was
another side of Kathy I had missed. Whoever the guy was, he was
getting a bundle of energy, but a loving bundle. If he treated
her right, Kathy would make his life heaven and if he treated her
wrong... Well, I didn't need to get involved, unless I wanted to
put him out of his misery instead of letting him suffer at
Kathy's hands. She wasn't really like that, but I enjoyed joking
about what a witch she was. She didn't have a vicious bone in
her, unless somebody sought to hurt her on purpose. She would
ignore them, but if they continued, all bets were off.
When we were young, I had seen how she had handled a few of the
boys she broke up with. She had been to the point and very
direct, cutting them loose, politely, without spite. One idiot
had tried to get back at her, more than once. Well, let me just
say he wished he had never set eyes on her and leave it at that.
Kathy knew how to take care of herself.
"Mitch, why didn't you hit on any of my friends when we were
young? I know some brothers who tried."
"I dunno, Sis. I was pretty shy and I was busy."
"You were still around quite a bit, when some of them were
visiting. You didn't even ask me about them," she insisted.
"I don't know, Sis. Why are you asking? This isn't about Sarah,
is it?"
"Sarah was the most frequent visitor and you liked each other.
You two were friendly, but I also remember a time when you did
try to hide for a while when she was around."
"I wasn't always with you two, Kathy. Most of the time I would be
studying in my room and when I heard you practicing, I would take
a break. I rarely came to your room to listen to her play and
sing."
"Why didn't you ask her out? Was it because she was a bit pudgy?"
"No, Sis. I always thought she was good looking, even beautiful.
I'm not even sure if I would call her pudgy... and there was more
to her than that. I never thought she would go out with me. If I
had known what I know now... Besides, she was your best friend
and it could have gotten awkward. You shared a lot. I had my
hands full with you, as I still do nowadays."
Thinking back to those days, I remembered something else; a
specific memory of Sarah and what I had really thought of her...
_Not only that, Sis, but I had seen her. My first living,
breathing girl. She wasn't just good looking, she was beautiful._
I was sixteen and Kathy and Sarah were fifteen at the time. Our
parents were out, visiting friends. Kathy was home from boarding
school for the weekend, and Sarah was visiting her for a practice
session. I was with my sensei, doing my practices. That day, I
was feeling tired and Sensei cut our lesson short, so I arrived
home earlier than expected. I heard Kathy preparing something in
the kitchen, and without even saying hello, I hurried to the
toilet. My stomach was feeling a bit queasy. I wasn't sure if I
would get sick, but I didn't want to take any chances. The door
wasn't locked. If it had been, I wouldn't have seen the marvels I
saw that day.
Nothing could have prepared me for the sight that greeted me when
I opened the door. Sarah was sitting on the cover of the toilet,
with her jeans and panties on her ankles and knees spread wide
apart. She was looking down, busy with her vagina. The fingers of
one hand was holding the lips of her vagina open, while the other
hand had something white, cylindrical, which she was trying to
put inside her.
Thanks to Playboy and several interesting books I was becoming
familiar with the female anatomy. I had not had any hands on
experience--so to speak, except working on myself(!) that is--but
I knew something of the wonders awaiting me. I was also aware of
the monthlies and some of the female products. After reading
about the stuff, one day I gathered my courage and asked my
sister to explain some of the female stuff. Although she teased
me a little bit, she eventually told me about the birth control
stuff, and other things like tampons and such. She wanted to be a
doctor and she had a small collection of text books, which I
borrowed from her and they came in handy--well, as handy as they
could be considering the majority of the text wasn't written in
any understandable terms. So, I knew Sarah was putting in a
tampon and I realized she must be having her period, although I
didn't see any blood when my eyes caught sight of the pink inner
flesh. She had very little hair around her mons and vaginal lips,
and it was pale blonde, which did little to hide anything from my
view.
At the sound of the door opening, she looked up, while her hands
stayed where they were and our eyes met. I was frozen to the
spot, waiting for a scream that never came. Sarah was frozen in
the middle of a delicate operation and she didn't even attempt to
hide her private parts. Our eyes locked to each other's but,
being a horny sixteen year old, my eyes strayed to her privates
for a brief moment and I sprang an instant woody. I was wearing
my sweats and my lump was clearly visible. I started to get red
in my face when Sarah noticed the bulge. When our eyes met again,
she blushed and realizing I had forgotten my manners, I quickly
turned my back and made my way out while mumbling, "Sorry. I
didn't know the toilet was occupied," closing the door behind me.
I had forgotten about my queasy stomach.
That must have been the most embarrassing point in my young life
and Sarah's too, but the most tantalizing experience as well. I
had butterflies in my stomach until Sarah left, expecting Kathy
to give me hell for what happened. I must have masturbated two or
three times before bed time, and a few more times in bed, late at
night, seeing the image of her flesh that had been burned into my
brain. After the pictures in Playboy magazines, I had had my
first peek at a girl. For more than a year, Sarah occupied my
masturbation fantasies regularly. After that eventful day, I
evaded her for several weeks, unable to bring myself to be in the
same room with her or unable to look at her in the eye. How could
I, knowing I was masturbating to her image? I was sure she would
know what I was thinking or doing, when she looked at me. I was
also expecting the axe to fall, especially from Kathy, but when
nothing happened, I realized Sarah had not shared that incident
with her. The embarrassment had eventually worn off, but I didn't
want to spring a woody every time I saw her. Afterwards, we saw
each other and interacted as we normally did, but we never
mentioned the incident or strayed anywhere near it. It was as if
it had never happened.
I had always talked about her as a good looking girl. Even
yesterday, I thought of her in those terms, mostly because she
had been pudgy. But, that day, when I saw her half naked, I
didn't see a pudgy girl. She didn't have thick legs or thighs,
just ample hips with some baby fat and a bit of a tummy--a sexy
tummy. I saw a beautiful girl. Since she was beautiful, I
wondered why she would be interested in me. But, if she was just
good looking, I could gather my courage to ask her out. The thing
was, I never gathered my courage, even though I was interested in
her for quite sometime. After that incident, the embarrassment of
the situation stopped me from ever entertaining the notion of
asking her out. Why would she go out with an impolite imbecile,
who embarrassed her? Eventually, Sarah fell into the background
noise, as I got ever busier with school, and martial arts, and
friends of my own.
_Talk about good memories! I hope she has forgotten that little
incident._
I smiled unconsciously at the memory, still lost in the journey I
was taking in the past.
"Is there a plan for today, Kathy?"
"I don't know. I rarely get the chance to be lazy. We could go
out for shopping or something."
"Yeah. We could do that. I need to check out what's new in the
bookstores."
"I'm not in the mood for that. Please?" she whined.
"And what am I going to do during my vacation?"
"I thought you would be spending time with Dana."
"She's working and..." I found myself saying, before I caught
myself.
Kathy was back at her game, laughing quietly at how easily she
had tricked me.
"Come on, Kathy. Can't I relax here, with you?"
"OK, Bro. Cease fire. I'll let you know when it's over," she said
with a magnanimous tone.
"Thank you. You're very kind, your _Haughtiness_," I replied, my
tone dripping pure sarcasm.
"I have some new books. Check them out. Otherwise, you can do
your book shopping on Monday. We can watch TV and relax."
"You also want breakfast served?" I teased her.
"That would be nice, Mitch." She looked up expectantly.
"Why don't you say, 'I want to be pampered'?"
She laughed at that quip. "OK. I want to be _pampered_."
So I was elected chef, once again, preparing breakfast. After
that I had to do the dishes, something I didn't really like. But,
Kathy was enjoying the break from her daily routine and I didn't
have the heart even to ask her to help dry the stuff. She went to
the bookshelf and selected a few books, bringing them to me,
saying they were her latest acquisitions. I found a new Ludlum
book and settled for a read. Kathy went for a shower.
The rest of the day, we spent reading and listening to music.
When we got tired of all that, we caught a movie or a cartoon on
the TV. Since she wanted to be pampered, I prepared tea and some
sandwiches around four o'clock, and served. After tea, I fell
asleep on the couch. I guess in this relaxed atmosphere, all my
tiredness was coming out. She woke me up two hours later and we
got ready for the party at Sarah's.
When I asked about the dress code, Kathy said, casual and sporty,
thus jeans were OK. I put on jeans and an Oxford shirt. It was
getting cold at night time, so I opted for a sporty tweed jacket,
going for semi-formal attire. Kathy was dressed in comfortable,
dark colored corduroy pants and a matching blouse. Her usually
dark brown hair was shiny, and she still had lighter tones,
bleached by sun on her summer vacation. A vest completed the
look. She had the top few buttons of the blouse open with her
necklace clearly visible.
_She really likes her gift._
I checked the time. It was too early to go to the party, but
Kathy said we needed to catch a quick bite at a hamburger joint
and pick up some flowers. Seeing that I was wondering why we
would be catching a bite, she told me that there would be snacks
and appetizers, but she didn't want to drink on an empty stomach.
I was pleased to see her being careful. I was reluctant to take
the car, since we both would be drinking, but Kathy convinced me
that she would have only one or two glasses of wine and would
drive us back home, plus we were going to go to the florist and
such.
* * * * *
By eight o'clock, I was driving to Sarah's place with Kathy
giving me the directions.
"By the way, Bro, the ceasefire is over," she announced, out of
the blue.
"And why is that, Kathy? Getting frisky?"
She didn't reply, but when I insisted, she sighed and said, "OK,
I'll be a good sport and give you a little bit of warning. I'm
hoping you'll be distracted by Sarah. Happy?"
"Thank you. You're most generous," I retorted.
She ignored my remark and switched to something different. "I
need to know something, Mitch. Do you mind if I warn her that
you're out of circulation?"
"I can handle it, but it's been a long time and you know her
better than I do. And you were the one who planned and schemed to
get me to this party. I think that might be best," I replied,
good naturedly.
"No problem. I just hope she takes the hint. You don't know this,
but she's lost that little bit of self-consciousness she had had
and became a very confident girl. She can get stubborn."
"I'll have to deal with that when the time comes. Thanks for the
heads up."
As we arrived at Sarah's apartment block, Kathy described me the
place. Sarah had a one bedroom flat, but it was big for a single
person. Apart from a large living room and a small dining room,
her flat had a medium sized kitchen, unlike Kathy's flat where
the kitchen was part of the living room. When I asked how Sarah
managed to afford it, Kathy told me, the apartment block was
older, far from the city center, and priced accordingly.
We took the elevator to Sarah's flat. On the way up, I put on my
glasses (I used them infrequently, when reading), and checked my
appearance on the wall mirror. I was planning to surprise Sarah.
She hadn't seen me for several years, especially with a moustache
and a beard. With the gray and white streak I had on my temples,
and the addition of glasses, I looked much older than a mere 25
something. The whole effect gave an appearance of an early-to-mid
30s college instructor.
When Kathy saw what I was doing, she chuckled. "You're a _rat_,
Mitch. That's a nasty trick to pull on a girl you've known for so
long."
"Hey! I'm the one you were planning to set up for an encounter
with a bombshell. Don't you forget that!"
She shrugged, but I could see she was amused.
"And you're not going to--" I started.
She cut me off. "No, I won't warn her. This, I have to see," she
finished with a soft giggle.
When we arrived at the fifth floor, Kathy directed us to Sarah's
flat and rang the bell. Kathy was standing in front of me to my
left and she had the flowers. I was standing slightly to her
right and behind her, with a bottle of Chardonnay (Kathy had
mentioned both of them preferred white wine). The door opened,
revealing a very striking young woman. Her hair was very pale
blonde, almost white and was cut short to frame a beautiful face.
She had a bit of make-up that accentuated her gray eyes and the
contrast between her hair color and eyes was dramatic. The dark
blue sweater was perhaps a size too small, but showed off her
bust line perfectly, leaving nothing to the imagination. For a
moment, I wondered if she was wearing any bra, since the material
was thin enough and I couldn't see any bra straps, and I got a
glimpse of bumps that looked to be her nipples. The stretch jeans
and a wide belt completed Sarah's new look, showing off her legs
and narrow waist.
_This is no pudgy or good looking girl. Mom is right; this is
definitely a blonde bombshell._
Having been warned, I was prepared for the new Sarah, but I have
to admit, she was beyond my expectations. However, I took in her
sight carefully, without showing any reaction. Sarah, on the
other hand, saw Kathy, before directing her attention to me. I
formed a quick and shy smile as strangers do when they meet the
first time. Seeing an older person, she returned her gaze quickly
back to Kathy, giving her a puzzled look, while saying, "Hi
Kathy."
Kathy returned Sarah's greeting, then half turned to me, but
before she could say anything, I politely cut in.
"So, you're Sarah," I said, assuming the tone and style of a
stranger and Sarah nodded with a polite smile. Returning her
smile, I added, "I've heard so much about you from Katherine."
The use of Kathy's full name, our apparent age difference and my
little speech created the image I wanted. Then I dropped the
bombshell. Even Kathy was unprepared for what I was going to do.
"Please allow me to introduce myself. I'm Katherine's new beau,"
I said, with a dramatic pause.
Sarah's eyes widened, and I heard Kathy's sudden intake at my
proclamation, but she caught herself in time. I knew Sarah was
surprised, because she glanced at Kathy's direction, before
turning her attention back to me.
"Mitchell Tanner. Pleased to meet you," I said without
hesitation.
For a full two or three seconds, she didn't make the connection,
and she was going to respond with her own introduction, when my
name percolated through her surprise, and she exclaimed,
"Mitchell!!!"
"Yep. The one and only," I quipped, giving her a smile full of
mischief.
Kathy was grinning from ear to ear, and Sarah realized she had
been taken for a good ride. She quickly turned on Kathy. "You
witch. You didn't say anything about how much he had changed, and
you let him pull that stunt on me? I thought you were my friend."
Then turning to me, she said, "I should be angry with you. I
would never have expected something like that. Not from that shy
and polite boy I used to know. My, but you've changed."
Taking my glasses off and putting them in my jacket pocket, I
gave her an appraising look, and said, "You haven't changed,
Sarah. You're as beautiful as ever."
Her eyes glittered at the compliment and she moved in for a hug
and a kiss. Stepping back, she gave another appraising look. With
a grin, she asked, "Since I can't get angry with you, I think
I'll take it out on your sister. Do you mind?"
"Be my guest." I grinned back.
Turning back to Kathy, she said, "Your new beau, eh? Your old
beau is coming later tonight. I'll let him know he's been
replaced."
Kathy perked up at that little bit of news and I cut into the
conversation. "Kathy, are you seeing others besides me? You've
got some explaining to do," with a serious tone.
"Get in the queue, Mitchell. She's mine first. When I'm finished
with her, you'll get the remains," Sarah retorted, laughing.
I expected Kathy to fight back, but she seemed preoccupied with
the news of her boyfriend. When she looked up, I gave her a
knowing snicker, but she returned it with an unabashed smile and
shrugged her shoulders. She knew what I was thinking. Her
boyfriend would keep her occupied, and distracted, and I wouldn't
have to watch my back all the time.
Sarah grabbed Kathy by the arm and invited us in. She took the
wine bottle and the flowers, and directed us to the living room,
where she made the introductions to several of her friends. I
knew some of the faces, so we exchanged quick greetings, and I
could see some raised eyebrows, surprised at my older look. I
noticed Sarah was pulling Kathy to the kitchen, and I was pretty
sure Kathy was going to get a bit of heat for her part in the
stunt I pulled, or she was going to wear Kathy's ear off with
questions about me. Either way, Kathy was in for some heavy
weather. I smiled internally at the thought. She deserved it,
what with paybacks and all that. I chatted for a few minutes,
before somebody mentioned there was some food and drinks in the
dining room. Excusing myself, I went to the dining room.
Sarah had set up a small buffet on one table, with some snacks,
starters and bowls of salad, and various alcoholic and non-
alcoholic drinks. I got myself a glass of wine, then headed to
the kitchen, wondering if Kathy was still alive. I had given
enough time to them to let them talk over whatever private stuff
they might want to talk about. It was time to see what was going
on. When I entered the kitchen the two were laughing over
something. Sarah asked me to open the Chardonnay we brought and I
filled two glasses for the girls and distributed the drinks.
Now that Sarah was finished with Kathy, she turned her attention
to me. With a mischievous smile, she said, "Your sister told me
you were busy. I didn't know clowns had so much work."
"Well, Sarah, it's like this: not only do we work the circus, but
we also do house calls and parties. So, yeah. There's a lot of
work to go around. The unfortunate part is we don't get
recognized as other entertainers. I heard there was a new singer
coming tonight for a private preview and the tickets were hard to
get. I had to beg Kathy to find some tickets for tonight's show,"
I returned.
"Really?" she responded, getting my drift, but she didn't know I
was setting her up again.
"Really. According to the critics, she's got the looks, but...
her voice leaves a lot to be desired. But we both know looks are
everything in the entertainment business, right?" I said.
She stared at me with her mouth open, astounded at my outrageous
description of her and how I managed to pull it off without
blinking an eye. I raised my glass, then took a sip from my wine,
enjoying myself immensely.
Collecting herself, she came back with, "Yeah, I heard the same.
I know her pretty well."
Moving in closer, she brushed her hand over my arm, then leaned
closer and said, "If you're interested, I can arrange a private
audition with her. You might like her. She's much nicer up close
and personal."
Taking a sip from her wine, she gave me a flirty look, her eyes
filled with mischief.
"Well... I would love to, but I'm not sure my girlfriend would
understand."
"Ahh, that's a pity, Mitch. I heard that she's a fun girl and her
auditions are always full of fun. You would be missing a great
opportunity. But, if your girl friend isn't open minded, she
might have a different view."
She was still smiling and flirty, but there was definitely a
promise of serious adult fun in her delivery. I smiled back, but
my eyes were questioning. She gave a small nod followed with a
quick squeeze on my arm, confirming my suspicions, before taking
her hand off my arm.
Disengaging from me, she said, "I better check on the guests."
I was surprised by Sarah's actions and realized she was serious
about her invitation.
"What are you doing, Mitchell?" Kathy asked.
"Huh?"
"Are you trying to get into her pants?" she insisted.
"Come on, Kathy. You've heard the exchange. I was just joking and
she managed to turn it into an invitation, if I didn't
misunderstand her. Didn't you tell her I was out of the
circulation?"
"I did, but she said you were old enough to make your own
decisions. I don't know what got into her. You didn't help
either. Didn't you realize what you were doing?"
"What was I doing?"
"You were being charming."
"Kathy, stop and listen to what you're saying. I just made a few
quips and I was having fun, joking with her. What did you expect
me to do? Stand here like a shy fifteen year old boy and act
tongue tied and clumsy?"
At that, Kathy chuckled and gave me an embarrassed smile. "Sorry,
Bro. You're right. For a moment, I got worried about what might
happen to Sarah or to your relation with Dana. I have to warn you
though. I don't know why, but she's set her eyes on you and she's
horny."
"Horny?"
"Oh, yes. I know her pretty well. I know how she gets and acts.
You think she's flirty, but I saw her nostrils flare and the
slight flush on her skin, as she was flirting with you. Haven't
you seen how wide her eyes were?"
When I didn't comment, Kathy laughed. "Don't tell me you didn't
notice her tits. She's not wearing a bra and her nipples were
hard."
"Jeeez, Kathy! I'm not a virgin boy! I don't have to resort to a
strip search to see if I could score with a woman, when I want to
score," I replied, irritated with the way she was talking to me.
I didn't understand why Kathy was acting the way she was.
Patronizing, and almost jealous and bitchy. First, she accused me
of being charming and now, she was treating me as if I was a
virgin teenager. She never talked about girls the way she did.
Why would she talk about Sarah, her best friend, like that? I
took a careful look at her, trying to understand what was wrong
with her.
_Oh, man! Sarah was horny? Forget about Sarah. Kathy was on
fire._
I thought about what she said and how she said it. She was
frustrated. Her boyfriend was coming and I guess she missed him.
I wondered if my presence in her house was cramping her love
life. Perhaps, she didn't feel comfortable having her boyfriend
at her place when I was there.
"Kathy, I could spend the night in a hotel," I said, gently.
"What?"
"Sis, I don't want to cramp your life."
This time, she got what I was trying to tell her and she colored
slightly. Composing herself, she asked, "Was I being bitchy?"
"Something like that," I replied, smiling. "You live a busy and
stressful life, Kathy, and you told me you love him. You need to
relax, as anybody else. It's no big deal for me to get a room in
a hotel."
She gave a soft sigh, then said, "You don't have to do that,
Bro."
"Kathy, I'm not only thinking of you. I'm trying to protect
myself," I replied, with a teasing tone.
That got me a laugh, as I intended. She said, "The night is still
young. We'll see how it goes. I didn't know Mark was coming. If
he didn't mention it to me, usually it means he might not make
it. I just didn't realize I missed him. But, I missed you too."
"Well, thanks, but I don't think I can relax you like he does.
Come on, let's see what Sarah is up to," I said.
We made our way back to the living room. A few more people
arrived while we were talking together. There were one or two of
the sharks, and at first, they didn't recognize me, for which I
was glad. Unfortunately my relief was short lived, as they
eventually worked out who I was. As the siege got underway, I
made a quick escape to the dining room with the excuse to get a
re-fill. Kathy realized what I was doing, but she was caught up
in a conversation and was unable to come to my aid.
I filled up my glass and was busy filling up a small plate with
snacks. Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw the two girls
converge on me. Although they couldn't really engage me in a
conversation, while I was attempting to eat, they would stick to
me like flies. I tried to work out my options, but my thoughts
were interrupted by a cheerful, "There you are!"
When I turned around, I saw Sarah coming our way.
"I need your help with something in the kitchen, Mitchell," she
said.
Before the two other girls could say something, I said, "At your
service, Sarah." With my plate and glass in my hands, I walked to
her, giving a curt nod and a polite greeting to the two sharks,
as I passed them.
I followed Sarah to the kitchen. She put her glass on the small
table and taking my glass and plate from my hands, put them next
to her glass. Pointing me to the shelf with various packages of
tea and coffee, she asked me to get the coffee. It was pretty
high for her to reach easily, even though she was quite tall at
5'8", but to my 5'11" she was shorter. I didn't understand why
she didn't step on a chair to get it herself, however she had
saved me from the two sharks, so I was glad to help her with the
simple task.
When I gave her the package, she asked me to take a seat. I
pulled one of the chairs and sat by the side of the table,
watching her prepare coffee. Once the percolator was running, she
came to me and, without hesitation, sat on my lap, sideways, with
her back to the table, taking me by surprise. After settling her
butt comfortably and giving me the beginnings of a hard-on with
her efforts, she turned to face me.
Putting her hands around my neck, she said, "Tonight, I'm your
escort, or rather, your protection."
"Protection from what, Sarah?" I asked with a small laugh.
"Kathy said you called them sharks," she replied with an amused
smile.
"Oh! So, she put you up to the task?"
"I volunteered. After all, you're my best friend's brother," she
replied, flirting.
Moving closer, she brushed her cheek against mine. I felt her
soft breath washing over my neck. She gave a wet lick with her
tongue and nipped my earlobe, making me shiver.
"And, who is going to protect me from you?" I teased.
She pressed her tits against my chest and moved her hips, her
butt stimulating my semi-hard cock. I knew she could feel my
hardness.
"Mmmm... This feels nice. You know, you owe me," She said.
"Owe you? For protecting me or taking advantage of me?" I replied
with an amused tone.
"I won't take advantage of you and the protection is free," she
replied throatily.
"So, what do I owe you? I should charge you for parking," I
retorted.
Pulling back, she gave me a look filled with mirth. When she had
my attention, she said, "I showed you mine, but I never got to
see yours."
She moved her ass, rubbing my hard-on to make her point.
_Damn!!! She remembers that incident. After all these years..._
Seeing the realization on my face, she nodded her head. "Do you
think that's fair?" she asked, flirting.
"I was hoping you would have forgotten that accidental encounter.
You know, it was an accident."
"I know. I also knew I gave you an eyeful. Tell me Mitchell, why
did you hide away, for several weeks, after that incident?"
"I liked you, and I always thought you were beautiful. I was
embarrassed and I couldn't bring myself to look at you. I didn't
want to spring a woody every time I looked at you, because I
remembered what I had seen. That can be pretty embarrassing for a
shy sixteen year old."
"I guess. So, how many times did you have to masturbate?" she
asked with a knowing grin.
"You don't want to know," I replied, laughing.
"That many, eh?" she said with a snicker. "Well, I don't know how
many times I masturbated that night, but I remember I rubbed my
little button raw. You had the lead role in my fantasies for more
than a year."
"You weren't embarrassed?"
"I was, when it happened, but I also caught sight of your lump. I
was a horny little thing. Girls mature earlier. I liked you very
much, and I fantasized a lot. As shy as you were, I was self-
conscious about my looks. I hoped you would ask me out one day,
but it never happened and I thought maybe you didn't think I was
pretty, so I never tried."
"Sarah, I was really shy at the time. I always thought you were
beautiful. I even tried to convince myself you were just good
looking, trying to label you as pudgy. It worked for a while, but
I knew you were beautiful. I just couldn't get my courage up to
ask you out."
"I was _pudgy_. Did you really think I was beautiful?"
"Yes I did. And when I saw you half naked that day, I knew I was
looking at a beautiful girl. You had a bit of a tummy, but I
thought it made you look sexy. You had some baby fat, but that
didn't take anything from your beauty. I always enjoyed your
company and you know I didn't date any girls."
She smiled fondly at my reply, then said, "Kathy told me you're
out of circulation. It must be a recent thing, since she hadn't
said anything when I had asked about you."
"Yes, it's recent."
"Look, Mitch. I'm not going to try anything. Not after learning
you're involved with somebody. I hope you trust me when I say I
wouldn't come between you and your girl friend. We've known each
other for many years, and I'm still your sister's best friend. If
I did something like that, Kathy would have my hide. We're too
good friends for something like that. OK?" she said with a
serious tone.
"I hear a 'but' coming," I said, softly.
She smiled. "But, I was hoping for an opportunity to live out my
teenage fantasy. I liked you as a teenager and lusted after you.
I still lust after you, but that's got nothing to do with love. I
was wondering if you'd like to live out an experience with the
object of your teenage masturbation fantasies."
Giving me an embarrassed look, she continued, "I... I don't do
this kind of thing, Mitch. I don't try to steal another woman's
man. It's just... we've been friends for a long time, and I hope
you don't take my proposition the wrong way."
When I nodded my understanding, she continued, "I don't want your
answer now, Mitch. I'm enjoying flirting with you very much and I
get the feeling you enjoy it as well. Why don't we continue? At
the end of the night, if you want to, you can spend the night
here. No strings attached. We're both adults and know there's
nothing wrong with some recreational fun. That's all I'm asking.
I'm not looking for love or commitment. Just some fun time." The
look in her eyes was without any disguise and I could see she was
horny. Her lust was palpable, coming in waves. She gave me a
kiss--passionate, lustful, much different then what I had with
Dana.
She was really having an effect on me and I wanted her. I wasn't
sure if I would be cheating on Dana, and was feeling a bit of
guilt for wanting Sarah. Her talk about our teenage years
reminded me all the fantasies I had had about her when I was
young. I had lusted after her for a long time, but I had never
given an inkling of what I thought to her. Her offer was very
attractive and I found it difficult to put it aside without due
consideration. I guess my childhood attraction had been pretty
strong. I suspected she mentioned the past on purpose, which made
sense, considering we both confessed to teenage lust. Also, I had
been too long without female company. I didn't have much female
company in the last several years. I hadn't felt like getting
physical with any woman, after I had my heart broken--after
_her_. The few occasions wouldn't have happened, if I hadn't been
feeling lonely, horny, and the girls hadn't been interested as
well. Even then, I hadn't gone to bed with just anybody. After
her, 'just-sex' wasn't something that appealed. I had too much
emptiness. Dana had been right when we talked about my past, and
how she determined the true nature of what I called casual sex.
The few times I had tried purely physical relations had been more
than enough to convince me. I needed and wanted some kind of
emotional connection with the physical side. 'Just-sex' reminded
me of the emptiness more than the times I went without any sex.
I decided to give it a bit of time and see what would develop. I
wanted to think about my relationship with Dana. If I took Sarah
up on her offer, would I be cheating on Dana? At the back of my
mind, however, I knew if I was thinking about cheating or not
cheating, I had already made up my mind. I was just trying to
find a way to take Sarah up on her offer and not feel guilty
about doing it.
Getting off my lap, she stood up and pulled me to my feet. "Come
on, let's join the others."
Giving me a lustful look, she added, "I'll keep you safe."
"Riiightt," I retorted with a snort.
While she was picking our glasses, I discreetly arranged my hard-
on, but she caught me and licked her lips lasciviously. To take
my mind off the effect she was having on me I took a bite from my
plate, but decided I wasn't hungry, and left the plate on the
table. Giving me my glass, she hooked her arm in mine and I let
her steer us to the living room. She directed us to a love seat
and after I sat down, she sat on my lap, as she had done in the
kitchen.
"This is just to mark my territory, so they leave you alone, but
we have to put on a good show," she said, before locking her lips
to mine.
We shared a hot and wet kiss, with lots of tongue action. After
she checked out my tonsils, we broke the kiss. Moving her ass,
she felt my hardness. "Mmmm. I think I better keep it warm. I may
not get another chance. Do you mind?" she asked.
"It's hard to mind, Sarah."
"I can feel how hard it is," she replied, with a teasing smile.
I caught Kathy watching us and she gave me a quizzical look. When
I gave her a small shrug, Sarah felt it and asked, "Kathy?"
"Yep. Sarah, is her boyfriend coming?"
"Yes. I got a call about two hours ago. He was calling from a gas
station and was on the way here. Why?"
"Kathy said she didn't know he would be coming and she's still
not sure if he'll show up. I think she missed him a lot and is a
bit frustrated. I don't want her to get annoyed with you, because
you're flirting with her brother. You two are too good friends
for something like that."
"Oh! I didn't tell her that he was on the way. I wanted to see
her squirm after that little stunt she let you pull. I'd better
get her calmed down. Don't go anywhere," she said, before getting
off my lap to talk with Kathy.
I turned my attention to the other guests, my eyes sweeping the
room. To my disconcert I saw the mousy brunette--Lizzie or
something--the most brazen of the sharks, eyeing me. As soon as
we made eye contact, she smiled and started in my direction. I
was pretty sure she had seen the show Sarah and I had put on, and
I suspected she was going to ignore it. I wondered how far she
would go in her attempts. I was hoping she wouldn't risk
offending Sarah.
"Hi, Mitchell. How are you?"
"Fine. How are you?" I replied politely.
"I'm fine," she replied and made a move to sit on my lap, as if
it was an everyday occurrence. I told you she was brazen.
"Sorry, that seat is reserved and I know she would mind if
somebody else used it," I said quickly.
That stopped her on her tracks, but she wasn't going to give it
up so easily.
"Oh! I didn't know you were involved with somebody. Who's the
lucky girl?" she asked, as if she hadn't seen the show we put on
a few minutes ago.
I didn't care for her brazen ways. Although I was polite with
people, this time I felt like teaching her a lesson. So I called
her theatrics.
"We've never known each other well enough for you to get intimate
with me or sit on my lap. I don't know what gave you the idea.
Unless, you saw the owner vacate that very spot."
She colored slightly at that, before coming back with, "You mean,
Sarah? I know you were childhood friends, so I didn't give it a
second thought."
I decided to let her off the hook, before it got nasty. I had
exacted a little measure of satisfaction, after all.
"Yes, among other things, we've been childhood friends as well,"
I replied with an even tone.
"So, how long has it been?" she asked.
She just didn't know when to quit.
"Is that pertinent... to something?" I asked, pointedly.
"I was just making conversation. Sarah is a good friend, but she
didn't mention anything."
She was implying a close friendship with Sarah, but we both knew
they were not close friends, not like Kathy. I also suspected she
was questioning if I was really involved with Sarah. I haven't
exactly lied, carefully evading the question, while nudging her
to draw the wrong conclusion, so I was a bit pissed off at what
she was implying, almost calling me a liar. I tried to calm
myself, before responding to her.
"Well, I know Kathy is a very close friend of Sarah, but I didn't
hear any other names mentioned," I replied, offering her an exit,
while returning the favor--implying she lied about the degree of
her friendship.
"Maybe she forgot to mention," she came back, her eyes flashing
with irritation.
From the way she said it, I knew she was going to get nasty
instead of making her exit. She started with, "I'm pretty sure,
she wouldn't mind if--" while making a move to sit on my lap.
I quickly stood up and cut off her tirade. "Contrary to what you
might think, I can't allow myself to be the cause of something
that will end your close friendship with Sarah."
She knew she had lost the round, but she was a spiteful bitch. "I
didn't figure you for a wimp. Are you that much pussy whipped?"
I wasn't going to reply to her, because I didn't know if she
would make a scene; a slap or throwing her drink. But, she had
crossed the line, with her verbal abuse. A quick glance revealed
her glass was almost empty, so I decided to take the risk.
"Oh, I never said I wasn't a wimp. I gather you don't like wimps.
What can I say, my loss," I said, giving her a shrug. She wasn't
expecting that response and I caught her unaware, as I hoped I
would--setting her up for my parting shot.
As I turned to make my exit, I delivered my parting shot. "Now,
if you'll excuse me, I'd like to get pussy whipped, by a _real_
woman."
And, with that, I quickly walked away, before she could react. My
plan worked like a charm. As I walked away, I could feel her eyes
trying to bore holes on my back. I headed for the dining room,
but saw Kathy and Sarah standing at the kitchen door, smiling, so
changing my direction, I went to them. From their looks they had
seen what happened and they wanted to hear the details.
"What did you say to Lizzie, Bro? If looks could kill, I would be
attending your funeral right now."
"She was getting brazen, so I put her down. That's all."
Addressing Sarah, I teased, "I thought you promised protection."
"From the looks of it, you're doing just fine, Mitch," she
laughed.
"Easy for you to say. I was sweating bullets there," I joked, but
I was still apprehensive, because I didn't know if Lizzie would
let it go. Some women could get vicious.
Seeing me concerned, Sarah put me at ease. "Don't worry, Mitch.
Lizzie can be brazen and nasty, but she wouldn't create a scene
that would tarnish her image. She doesn't like being gossip
fodder."
Moving in, she plastered herself to my body. "Besides, I'll keep
you company. I enjoyed my seat."
I stole a look at Kathy to see how she was taking the
developments, but she didn't seem to be bothered by Sarah's
attentions or my reaction to her. I guessed Sarah must have
calmed her down.
We heard the door bell ring. "Kathy, can you get the door?" Sarah
asked.
When Kathy left us, she disengaged and hooked her arm in mine.
She took us back to the living room.
"I think that's Mark, Kathy's boyfriend," she said with a
conspiratorial tone.
She steered us to a spot with a view of the hall and the door,
where we could see who had arrived. I saw Kathy wrapped in the
arms of a tall guy with dark brown hair, sharing a long, hot
kiss. Kathy was hanging on his neck, her body plastered to his,
writhing in his arms. They surfaced from the kiss panting, but
too worked up to quit. As I expected, they went at it again, but
this time with soft, tender, short kisses, trying to cool off.
"They look hot, don't you think?" Sarah said.
When I looked at her, I could see she was worked up by the scene.
Just like Kathy had described, her nostrils were flaring with
each breath, her face was flushed, and her nipples were prominent
under the thin sweater. Seeing me giving her an appraising look,
she said, "I told you I was a horny thing and I haven't changed
much."
"If they've got you this much worked up..."
"Your sister is a hot woman, too, don't you think?" she responded
with a lecherous grin.
"Thank you for the reminder, Sarah," I retorted, feeling
uncomfortable. "I could have done without it. I know she's a
woman and she's beautiful. But, I rather don't think about
something like that. Especially how hot my sister is. I'm still
her brother."
She laughed at my discomfort. "You know, the two of you are
unusual siblings. You're very close, without being possessive.
She's lucky to have a brother like you."
"Well, she might be, but I'm not sure I would say the same thing
about her," I replied with a snort.
"She drives you up the walls, doesn't she?"
"That, she does. So, tell me. What's her guy like?"
"Being brotherly?" she asked with a laugh.
When I nodded, she said, "I think you'll like him. He's quiet,
has a good sense of humor, and he's crazy about Kathy. Well, both
of them are crazy about each other. I'm surprised they haven't
gotten married, yet. By the way, don't be surprised to see a
different Kathy."
"What do you mean?"
"Oh, you'll see. She's different when Mark's around. She becomes
a little kitten."
"Really? So she's saving her claws for me? Now, I'm jealous!"
"Don't be. Kathy drives him up the walls, too, just not so
frequently. You know she has a sharp mind. Mark's no slouch
either and he's patient. They're a pair, I tell you."
"Thank you, Sarah," I responded with a soft but genuine tone of
gratitude.
"For what?" she asked, perhaps a bit surprised at my tone.
"For telling me all that. You're her best friend, and know her
well. I haven't been around lately, and I never nosed into her
life. But, I worry about her happiness."
"Ah, Mitch. I love her like a sister. She's happy. They're happy.
Don't worry about her. Come, they're finished getting
acquainted."
Putting his arm around Kathy's shoulder, Mark guided them into
the living room, while Sarah steered us to them. Kathy made the
introductions. He was slightly taller than me, about an inch or
so, with a good build and wide shoulders. He had a firm hand
shake, a friendly smile, and a calm, confident countenance. Even
though some first encounters would feel awkward, especially when
they involved boyfriends or girlfriends of siblings, I warmed to
him immediately. He was older than me, but I looked older than
him and Kathy made a few quips about how hard she had been on me,
causing premature aging. Then, she asked him if he was still
willing to take the risk and marry her, knowing what might happen
to him. He smoothly replied, he had no problems about aging, as
long as she was willing to join him until they both got wrinkles,
then he burned her with a soft kiss. He seemed to be the genuine
article, and I found myself liking the guy more and more, by the
way he treated Kathy, and how Kathy responded to him. I also knew
Kathy didn't give her heart easily, and I was confident that I
could like any man who passed her muster.
"Get a room, guys," Sarah quipped.
Kathy came back with, "Thank you, Sarah. You're such a good
friend. Where's your bedroom?" making everybody laugh.
Sarah was right, Kathy was acting different. Mark and I went to
pick up drinks for the girls, getting acquainted with each other,
then we mingled. Sarah made her rounds among the guests but she
kept her forays short, trying to keep me company as much as
possible. The party was going strong, small groups forming and
breaking, but there was an air of expectancy among the guests--
Sarah's recital. She must have felt it also, because when she
joined Kathy, Mark and me, she said, "I think it's time to liven
up this party."
"OK. We'll get things going while you get your guitar," Kathy
offered.
While Sarah went to pick up her guitar, Kathy recruited our help
in informing the guests that the recital would be starting
shortly.
* * * * *
CHAPTER - 14: Fair Play
Sarah came back with her guitar and pulled up a chair, facing the
guests. I moved to a spot facing her and sat on the floor,
crossing my legs. One by one, the guests found seats, some on the
carpeted floor like me, and some on the chairs and couches. Mark
was on a couch, with Kathy on his lap cuddling with him. She had
her arm around his neck, her head resting on his shoulder. She
really looked like a little cat; her 5'7" frame a warm and loving
bundle in Mark's protective embrace. He was gently caressing her
back as they exchanged loving looks, lost in their own world. It
was apparent that both of them had missed each other and both
looked happy and content.
_Good for you, Sis._
After tuning the strings, Sarah was ready. She gave a small smile
to me and started singing. Man, was she good! I had forgotten how
pure her voice was. I wasn't the only one feeling like that. For
half an hour, she enthralled everybody with the clarity of her
voice and her handling of the guitar, before taking a short
break. Even though the guests were all friends and acquaintances,
the applause and cheering were genuine. Once again, I couldn't
help but wonder why she never turned professional. During the
break, I asked her about it.
"I owe your sister big time, Mitch. My parents tried to tell me,
but I wouldn't listen. Kathy, however, convinced me to continue
my studies. I was too young. If I had turned professional at the
time, I would have botched it up. Now, I really enjoy med school
and I want to finish it first. After that I might reconsider,
maybe as a part-time thing. I really want to be a doctor. Music
is fun, but I'm not sure if it would continue to be fun if I
turned professional," she said.
After the break, she did the last part of her recital. The songs
were a collection of various genres: ballads, country, pop, rock-
-from various singers and bands like Joan Baez, Anne Murray, John
Denver, Kenny Rogers, Randy Crawford, Neil Young, Leonard Cohen,
Scorpions, and many others.
While Sarah was singing _Almaz_, an old song from Randy Crawford,
I noticed she was keeping her eyes on Mark and Kathy. She had a
look of adoration in her eyes. Curious, I turned to see what was
going on. I saw Mark brushing tears from Kathy's eyes, and kiss
her forehead and top of her head a few times. For a moment I
wondered what was wrong, before I realized Kathy was just being
emotional. When the song was ending, Kathy raised her head and
they shared a long, sensual kiss.
After Kathy, it was my turn, but I didn't know it. Towards the
end of her recital, Sarah sang _Lady in Red_, the only Chris de
Burgh song in her repertoire. I was lost in her voice, feeling
very relaxed. When she started singing that piece, I couldn't
resist the pull of the memories and instead of fighting them, I
let them take me on a short journey. It wasn't an uneasy
experience, as it had been a year ago with Pops at the rig. This
time, it was a remembrance of happier moments. But, melancholy
and longing were still mixed with it.
Sarah sang a couple more songs before ending her recital, and I
went to the dining room in search of something strong. I had
enjoyed the recital, but I wanted to get a bit of a buzz.
Locating a bottle of vodka, I filled up a glass mixing it with
orange juice. Then I went to the kitchen to get some ice. Sarah
found me in the kitchen busy filling the empty ice maker. I
returned the ice maker to the freezer and stirred the ice cubes
in my glass before taking a sip. It was strong, but that was what
I needed after the short trip down memory lane.
"You know, I forgot to ask what your favorite song was, before
the recital," she said.
When my eyes returned to her face from the glass of vodka, I saw
her eyes were searching my face.
"Sarah, it was great. I enjoyed your selection. But more than
that, I enjoyed your singing."
"Why were you--" she stopped, as if changing her mind at the last
minute, and switched to something else. "You saw Kathy and Mark,
when I was singing _Almaz_?"
She had a quizzical look in her eyes and I wondered what she was
planning to ask. "Sarah, what was it you wanted to know?"
"Nothing," she replied, quickly. "You saw Kathy and Mark..."
"Yeah, I saw them." I was still wondering what was running in her
mind, what she had been planning to ask. "Sarah, I can see you
have something in your mind, and I got the feeling you wanted to
ask something. Are we not friends?"
With a resigned sigh, she said, "It's... I just thought you
reacted to one of the songs, but I wasn't sure if you liked it or
hated it."
"I told you I loved your selection, Sarah," I replied, with a
reassuring smile.
"I didn't want to pry," she said. Her voice was soft, but colored
with something I couldn't identify. She reached and caressed my
cheek, making me close my eyes, and give in to her gentle touch.
I opened my eyes, and took hold of her hand, kissing her palm,
getting a fond smile.
"Was it their song?" I asked.
"Kathy's favorite, but Mark loves it also. Sometimes, your sister
can get pretty emotional," she answered with an emotional timber
in her voice.
"Yeah, I noticed. Mark seems to take good care of her."
Her face lit up with joy, and she said, "Yes, he does." It was
easy to see she was happy for Kathy, reminding me how close they
were. Moving in, she pulled me for a kiss, rubbing her body to
mine. "Mitch, may I..." she started, but collecting herself she
stopped herself before asking what she wanted to ask.
I raised an eyebrow, questioning.
She hesitantly asked, "May I take care of you, tonight?"
She was having an effect on me, and I had not forgotten her
earlier remarks. I still remembered how I had lusted after her
when I was young. Grown up, she was really something. I was
starting something (perhaps a relationship) with Dana, and I
loved her, but I found myself lusting after Sarah. I was hungry
for the physical contact as much as love. What's more, I didn't
want to be bothered by the past. Not tonight. I wanted to free
myself from the melancholy that I felt a while ago. I examined my
feelings. I wanted Sarah. It was going to be casual. No different
than other times with other girls, although I had known Sarah
much longer. But Dana bothered me. I wasn't in a committed
relationship with her, yet, but we were planning to get to know
each other. Was it wrong to have some fun with Sarah? Was it
cheating?
Sarah broke in to my thoughts. "You know, Kathy wants to take
Mark to her place. Mark could take her to a hotel, but Kathy
doesn't care for hotel rooms."
"So, you're suggesting, I should spend the night here? To help
them out?" I asked, with a chuckle.
"What a swell idea," Sarah responded with a smile, but it was a
measured smile, as if she was scared of going too far.
"You're _wicked_, you know that," I said, with a smile.
"I'm not wicked. I'm practical and horny. And I'm trying to help
out," she responded. I could feel her lust, and she was trying to
keep herself under control.
"You mean, help yourself?" I laughed, trying to put her at ease.
Seeing me laugh, she relaxed considerably, and retorted, "Well,
it's not only me. I'm helping out you, Kathy and Mark as well."
Working her hand down to my crotch, rubbing my cock, she pulled
me down for a kiss. I found myself responding to her attentions,
kissing her back and rubbing my free hand on her side, massaging
the outer swell of her tit. I was hard under her expert
ministrations, and made up my mind. I liked her and lusted after
her as a teenage boy. I was curious how she looked under her
clothes. I wanted to know how her body would feel under mine. As
she had said, here was a chance to live out a teenage fantasy.
When the kiss was over, I said, "You know, I'm a great believer
in fair play."
When she heard that, her nostrils flared, and for a moment I
thought she was going to have a go at me right there in the
kitchen. She was steaming. She took a few deep breaths, trying to
calm herself, then gave me a short kiss, her hand still busy
rubbing my cock, over my jeans. Pulling back, she took my glass
and put it aside.
"I don't want you drunk, Mitch. I never thought I would get the
chance to live out my fantasies, and I don't want to miss out. Do
you mind?"
Pulling her in, I pressed her body to my chest, trying to feel
her tits. "I wouldn't miss it for the world, Sarah. I've lusted
after you for a long time, too."
"Good. I hope I can hold out until the party is over."
"You waited longer than that Sarah. How difficult will it be to
wait a few hours?"
"Very difficult, Mitch. It's always remained a fantasy. Now, it's
a reality. God, I need to change. My panties are soaked," she
replied, her breathing getting heavy.
"Do you need a hand?" I teased her mercilessly.
"In fact I do. I need to put in a tampon to keep my panties dry.
You can help me with that. After all, you've seen how it's done,"
she retorted with a snort.
"You sure it's only a tampon you have in mind?"
"Yes, I'm sure. I want to save the other for later. It will be
difficult but worth the wait."
Putting my arm around her waist, I said, "OK, lead the way."
"Lead the way?" she asked confused.
"Well, I don't want you to soak your panties."
"You serious?" she asked, surprised I would go ahead with what
started as a teasing quip.
"Sure, Sarah. We can even use the bathroom to enact the whole
episode. Do you really need to change your panties?"
"Oh, my God! I didn't, but now, I need to," she said, giggling
like a school girl.
"We better use your bedroom. It will be more comfortable and
private."
She led us through the living room to the short hallway. Her room
was at the end of the corridor and there was a bathroom halfway.
Before we passed the bathroom, the door opened and Kathy emerged.
Seeing us headed in the direction of the bedroom, she gave a
questioning look.
"I need to give a hand to Sarah with something. We'll catch you
in a few minutes," I replied.
She almost bought my explanation, that is, until she caught sight
of Sarah. Well, Kathy knew Sarah too well not to notice Sarah was
on fire and we were up to something, and she didn't need a
crystal ball to guess what that something might be. She raised
her eyebrow, questioning, but I shook my head 'no, it's not what
you think' manner.
I didn't think she bought it, but she replied, "OK, I'll see you
later."
I caught her exchanging a brief look with Sarah, before she
turned and headed for the living room. When we were inside
Sarah's bedroom, she closed and locked the door.
"What was that, Sarah?" I asked.
"What was what?"
"The brief exchange between you and Kathy."
"It's nothing, Mitch."
"Come on, Sarah."
With resigned sigh, she moved in to caress my cheek, and put me
at ease. Then she said, "Your sister loves both of us and she's
trying to protect us. When I was talking with her, I told her
about my teenage lust for you. She was concerned that I would get
hurt, or that your current relationship might be affected. Mitch,
I know you don't like it if Kathy interferes with your private
life, but this isn't really interference. Please don't get angry
with her, OK? She's a dear girl and she can't help herself
sometimes. And you know she loves you very much. I don't have any
siblings, but Kathy had been better than a sister. You know
sisters are allowed a bit of latitude."
"She has lots of latitude," I replied, with a resigned sigh.
"Yes, you've given her lots of latitude, but she tries hard not
to take advantage of that."
I nodded. Then something else occurred to my mind. "I'm not going
to be the subject of your girl-to-girl talks, am I?" I asked.
"I'm generous with my grades, don't worry!" she teased.
"I wonder why that doesn't reduce my performance anxiety," I
retorted.
"You think too much, Mitch. We'll have a great time. We lusted
after each other too long. I don't think either of us is going to
have any performance anxiety," she replied and pulled me in for a
kiss.
Disengaging, she went to her wardrobe and got a clean panty and a
small towel from a drawer. Rummaging in her dresser drawer, she
took a tampon, then spread the small towel on the edge of the
bed.
"It will be easier to put the tampon in if I lay down. I'm
soaking wet and I don't want to leak on the comforter."
I moved her close to the edge of the bed, and took off her belt.
Then I started undoing the buttons on her jeans. I could feel her
excitement. Her breath was coming fast, in short gasps, heavy
with arousal. After unbuttoning the last button, I knelt in front
of her and asked her to hold onto my shoulders for support,
before gently grabbing her ankles to remove her shoes one by one.
She had shapely feet, with dainty toes. Taking hold of the
waistband of her jeans, I pulled them down, as slowly as
possible, teasing us both. I could smell her womanly scent. When
the jeans cleared the crotch of her panties, I saw they were
translucent from the wetness. She wasn't kidding when she said
she was soaked. Once the jeans were on her ankles, I helped her
out of them, and put them to the side, next to her shoes. When my
gaze returned to her center, I could hear her breath catch with
expectation. Leaning forward, I inhaled her heady fragrance. Her
inner thighs were wet with her seeping juices.
Taking hold of her panties, I pulled them down with the same
teasing slowness. I watched carefully the unveiling of her pussy.
She had pale yellow pubic hair on top of her mons, neatly shaved
in a triangle. Her clitoris was already out of its protective
hood, and looked large. There was no hair to be seen around her
vagina or the lips. I pulled the panties to her ankles and she
stepped out of them. She moved to sit on the edge of the bed, but
I gently cupped her ass cheeks, stopping her from sitting on the
towel. Moving my hands to her legs, I nudged her to spread her
legs. Taking the towel, I wiped her juices from her thighs.
Putting the clean side of the towel on the bed, I took a closer
look at her vagina. Her labia were thin, but swollen. I traced
the outside of the lips with my finger, feeling for any signs of
stubble, but found them to be baby smooth. It was obvious that
she had shaved recently. I didn't have to wonder if she was
hoping to get lucky. I knew she was watching me, so I looked
around as if searching for something, then looked up at her.
"Looking for something?" she asked, her voice throaty, coming out
as if she had difficulty talking.
"Yeah. I don't think the tampon will help much. We need to get
the excess juices. Do you have something like a... vacuum
cleaner?" I asked with a serious expression. She was so gone, it
took a moment for my question to sink in. Before she could
respond, I said, "No? Well, OK! Then I'll have to improvise."
With that I grabbed her ass cheeks firmly to keep her stationary
and, leaning in, I quickly stabbed my tongue between the folds of
her labia, giving a slow lick from bottom to top. She gave a
small scream of surprise and stumbled back, but I caught her. As
my tongue made its way towards the top of her vagina, I felt her
leaking more juice, wetting my beard, so I returned to the bottom
and dug my tongue deeper to collect them, making her moan. Her
channel was flooded with her oils. She was not only a horny
thing, but a very wet one. I locked my lips around her labia,
while my tongue got busy in her channel. I wasn't going for
finesse. I was trying to get her juice. My beard and moustache
got soaked very quickly.
"Mmmm. You're delicious, Sarah."
My efforts were having an effect on her and I felt her legs
shake. She was desperately trying to stay on her feet, holding on
to my shoulders to keep her balance, even though I was supporting
her with my hands on her ass cheeks. I ceased my efforts and
stood up. When she felt me standing up, she opened her eyes. I
could see she was far gone, trying to focus on my face. I gave
her a soft kiss, letting her taste herself. As our kiss
continued, she started shaking like a leaf and I was surprised by
the intensity of her arousal. Her lust and need was palpable,
running through her body like a forest fire, unstoppable.
Breaking the kiss, I softly said, "Sarah, baby. Calm down."
It took me several tries, before I could get her attention.
"Easy, baby. Take deep breaths... Yes... like that... one more
time... yes..."
I realized, this little re-enactment of the embarrassing
encounter from years ago had opened the flood-gates for all her
pent up fantasies. She had waited too long, had lusted too much,
and now, she was getting what she thought she would never
experience. It had proven too much. I had an extremely horny girl
in my hands, who was burning up with lust and going crazy with
her need.
"God, I need you, Mitch. I need you to fuck me... _Now_! I can't
wait... I'm burning..." she said, almost pleading; her words
coming in a rush interrupted only by her panting.
I knew I had to get her off at least once if not twice before she
could gather herself. Breaking the kiss, I gently caressed her
cheeks to focus her attention on me. She was panting heavily and
her eyes were unfocused, unseeing. I guided her to the bed and
laid her down, with her ass on the edge.
"Please, Mitch. I need it," she whimpered.
"I'll take care of you, Sarah. Relax. Don't worry," I replied,
and gave her a kiss. I kept caressing her face, watching her
carefully, until she realized she was laying down on the bed, and
I had her attention.
"Just close your eyes and enjoy, Sarah," I said and moved to a
kneeling position. Holding her legs up and spreading them, I
placed them on my shoulder. She was seeping her juices onto the
towel and her clitoris was distended. Licking her from bottom to
top, I hit directly on her clitoris with the bottom of my tongue,
to get her off as fast as possible and take the edge off her
need. That one touch was enough. She screamed, and I mean, she
really screamed; the sound echoing from the walls of her room,
and her hips lurched.
I locked my lips and gently sucked her clitoris, feeling her come
like a freight train. She gave short, sharp screams, her hips
shaking and her hands clutching my head, pulling me to her pussy.
Before her clitoris got too sensitive, I dipped my tongue into
the folds of her vagina and licked her inner lips, to keep her
going. Once her orgasm was over, I switched between her labia,
inner lips, and clitoris, while working a finger into her slick
channel. I could feel the erratic fluttering from the aftershocks
of her orgasm. Her channel was flooded with her juices, and I
knew I could bring her again, while she was still hot. I worked a
second finger in and stroked them together, while I worked on her
clitoris. She responded with soft wails that turned into yelps
and little screams each time I stroked with my fingers. I didn't
dare try the 'ON' switch, as I was scared of the reaction I might
get. Instead, I worked her to a second orgasm, stimulating her
clitoris, while working her channel with my fingers.
A few minutes later, she gave another scream, this time softer,
and had her second orgasm, wailing like a wounded animal. It
wasn't as sharp as her first one, but it was a long one. She kept
wailing and I was getting concerned whether she would breathe.
Her body was shaking and trembling, her head whipping from side
to side. Her hips kept lurching against my face, and her thighs
tried to squeeze me. Then, her wail turned into moans and she
started to gasp and pant. Her inner muscles kept fluttering and
pumping her fluids, wetting my fingers and the towel under her
ass. I brought her down gently, drawing out her pleasure and
listening to her breathing. Her belly was contracting and I was
sure she would feel sore from all that workout.
When it was over, I used the end of the towel to wipe my hand and
chin, then went about cleaning her juices from her thighs and
pussy. The part of the towel under her ass cheeks was soaking wet
with her juices and I was sure the comforter had a stain. She had
lost a lot of body fluids. That done, I sat next to her and
caressed her face, watching her carefully. Her hair was tousled,
but because it was cut short in an easy to keep style, it wasn't
messed too badly. She had a fine sheen of sweat from all the
thrashing she had done during her orgasms and her make up needed
refreshing. Her skin had a pleasant glow. When she finally opened
her eyes, they were soft and relaxed but, instead of the lethargy
of an orgasm, her gray eyes were shining with a strange hue. The
arousal was still there. I could see she would be ready to go a
few more times in a short while, but the edge was off; her
burning need temporarily satiated.
"Sarah, baby. Rest a moment and I'll get you something to drink,
OK?"
She closed her eyes to indicate her understanding.
I left her room, making a stop at the bathroom to wash my hands
and face. Picking up a fresh towel and filling the cup I found in
front of the mirror, I returned to Sarah's bedroom. The water
helped with her thirst. I used the towel to clean her up more.
"How are you feeling, Sarah?"
"God, Mitch. I've never felt this kind of need before. I thought
I was going to die. I was burning up. I scared you, didn't I?"
"Yes, for a while. I didn't expect such a reaction, but I
understand. You must have fantasized about it a long time. All
the built-up emotions inside... had to come out."
"I did fantasize a lot! I told you I lusted after you, but I
didn't expect it would be like this. I'm sorry."
"It's all right, Sarah. We still have the whole night."
"You're not scared to continue?"
"Why should I be scared?"
"I don't want you to take my reaction wrong, Mitch. I love you,
as a friend and a bed partner. Do you understand?"
"I understand, Sarah. We've been friends since childhood and we
lusted after each other. We just didn't know what to do about it
then. Now, we do. You still have a lot in your system and you
need to get it out," I replied.
She smiled at that. "Yeah. You're right. I didn't know how much,
until a while ago. How about you?"
"I have some pent up lust as well, but I can wait. Not many
people get to realize a childhood or teenage fantasy. In that
respect, we're lucky. Now, we need to get you ready. We've taken
longer than we planned and I'm afraid you've been pretty vocal."
"Really?"
I nodded.
"Screw that. This is my house. I got my bells rung and I'm not
going to apologize for it. Especially for something that I never
thought I would ever have," she replied, with an uncompromising
tone. I could see she wasn't concerned or bashful about what
people might have heard, or any gossiping.
"Still, you might want to brush your hair and refresh your
makeup."
"OK. But first, I want you to put the tampon in."
"You sure you can handle that?"
"Yes, Mitch. I can handle that. You took the edge off."
I got off the bed and kneeling in front of her spread legs, I put
the tampon in, taking care not to hurt her. I could see she was
already juicing up when I was busy with the tampon. After the
delicate operation was over, she got off the bed. Then she picked
the wet towel. As I expected, on the comforter, there was a wet
spot. When she saw it, she chuckled and shrugged her shoulders.
"I guess I'll have to take it to the cleaners, but it was worth
it."
She put on the new panties and then her jeans. Sitting in front
of her dresser, she cleaned up all her make up, but didn't put on
new make-up, going for a natural look. She didn't need to. She
had the freshly fucked look and was going to flaunt it. After
brushing her hair, she was ready. Before leaving the room, we
shared a gentle kiss.
"You washed up?" she asked.
"Wouldn't do to go out smelling like that, would it?"
"No, but it could help you keep the sharks away," she teased.
"I don't think I need any shark repellant, anymore. Not after
your public announcement," I quipped back.
Laughing, she said, "Well, they can eat their hearts out."
"I don't want to sound arrogant, but some may, when they take a
look at you. You positively glow. You're going to flaunt it,
aren't you?"
"What can I say, I feel absolutely wicked. Why not add insult to
injury?" she quipped with an impish grin.
Putting her arm around my waist, she said, "Let's go. I'm dying
of thirst."
* * * * *
Back in the living room, Kathy saw us. From the smile on her
face, it was apparent she had not missed what happened. I would
have been surprised if anybody had. Sarah led us to the kitchen
to get a glass of water. A few minutes later, Kathy joined us.
_Why did I think she would not?_
She didn't beat around the bush and went directly to the point.
"Are you staying here?"
"Yes. Sarah asked me to help with the clean up after the party
and we want to catch up on old times," I replied without skipping
a beat, before I realized I had said the wrong thing.
"Catch up on old times? I thought you already did that?" she
quipped.
"Well, we still have some more catching up to do," Sarah said.
I added pointedly, "We also thought you and Mark would like to
have some quiet time at your place."
"Thank you," she replied, her tone softer, without a trace of
teasing. "You guys want to join us for a late brunch, tomorrow?"
she asked.
I looked at Sarah to see what she wanted to do.
"Sure, Kathy. Can we make it a bit later than usual, say two or
three o'clock?" Sarah replied.
Hearing that, Kathy laughed at Sarah. Then with a knowing look,
she quipped, "No problem, Sarah. Just don't kill him. He's the
only brother I've got."
"I wouldn't do anything you wouldn't, Kathy," Sarah came back.
"If you excuse me ladies, I think I'll join Mark. I don't think I
want to hear anything further."
I must have been brain-dead--'probably I imbibed too much pussy
juice' I thought--as I realized I had repeated my mistake a
second time. It was not only the wrong thing to say, but was also
like waving a red flag to a bull; an invitation.
"Yeah, you do that. We'll join you later. We have to catch up on
things," Kathy came back, stopping me dead on my tracks.
When I looked at Sarah, she had an unabashed smile on her face,
enjoying my discomfort and Kathy's incessant teasing.
"I changed my mind," I said, hoping they would not talk about
some things in my presence--Yeah, call me stupid! I know I can be
a dumb ass!
"OK, keep us company then," Kathy said casually, with a shrug.
Without skipping a beat, she turned to Sarah, and asked, "So, how
was he?"
_Would somebody kick me in the ass? Please? Better yet, can
somebody lend me some brains?_
I didn't know who was using my mouth, but it sure wasn't me--I
wouldn't be that stupid, would I?
As I stood there, shocked at her gall, Sarah replied, "Very good,
Kathy. You wouldn't believe it."
"Oh, I think I would. I heard you. Loud and clear," Kathy
responded.
Their tone was casual as if they were having a conversation about
a movie or something. The only thing that was out of place was
the smile they both had, knowing the effect they were having on
me.
"That doesn't do justice to how it felt, Kathy. It was much
better than that," Sarah continued.
My stubborn side kicked in. I wasn't going to give them the
satisfaction of being run off the kitchen, so I gathered myself
and assumed a nonchalant stance. I was also curious how far they
would take it.
"Oh, I wouldn't be so sure, Sarah. The conversation almost came
to a stop, when we heard you," Kathy piped up.
At that, Sarah colored a bit and gave a questioning look to Kathy
to see if this was part of the joke they were having at my
expense or if she was being serious, but Kathy was not giving
anything away. I took heart at that development, and was sure
that Kathy's comment would put a stop to the charade.
Composing herself, Sarah forged on. "I disagree, Kathy. Nothing I
could say can compare to how good it was."
Not wanting to stop the joke early, Kathy relented. "Hmmm. I
guess I have to take your word for it. Tell me, what happened?"
Getting back into the swing of things, Sarah continued. "Well, he
took off my belt. Then he unbuttoned my jeans. After helping me
off with my shoes, he slowly pulled my jeans down. Once he had
them off, he took hold of the waistband of my panties. He could
see I was soaking wet. Oh, that reminds me... I'm forgetting what
brought the whole thing on in the first place." At that Sarah
gave a meaningful look to Kathy.
Taking the hint, Kathy responded, "Yeah, tell it from the
beginning. I don't want to miss the story."
"Well, he agreed to spend the night here. I was pretty worked up
by then, so I told him I needed a change of underwear. He
reminded me that we could enact a teenage memory." With that,
Sarah took a dramatic pause.
Of course, Kathy didn't miss the signal and asked, "Teenage
memory? I don't remember you telling me about a teenage memory
involving Mitch."
"No, I didn't tell you. It had been pretty embarrassing, but
since it was long ago, now I can. After all, that's what started
this whole episode."
_Nooo! They aren't going to stop._
_Of course, not, you ding-dong! What were you thinking? Were you
thinking at all?_
I wasn't really embarrassed, but I felt awkward. Not only that,
but I wasn't sure how much detail Sarah was going to get into. If
I had learned something about women, but especially about Kathy
and Sarah, it was obvious they were going to get pretty explicit.
After all, they had known each other too long and shared too
much. I had a growing suspicion they shared more than some
sisters did. I gave a pleading look to Sarah, who returned it
with a teasing smile.
"Excuse me just a moment, Kathy," she said, before moving to
stand in front of me.
Wrapping her arms around my neck, she pulled me for a kiss.
"Mitch, if you haven't realized it yet, Kathy is simmering. We
usually get each other worked up. This isn't the first time. You
know how women can get. I want to see steam come out of her
ears," she whispered.
"I knew this was going to come back to bite me in the ass. It
didn't when we were teens, and now..." I whispered back.
"Well, it was long overdue, Mitch," she retorted with amusement.
"Darn, Sarah. She's my sister. Can't I have some dignity?"
"Come on, relax. It's all in good fun. Nothing will happen to
your dignity. We'll have a great time tonight and so will Kathy,
once she leaves with Mark," she whispered with a wicked grin.
Why did I think they would not talk about it? Women were worse
than men, when it came to such matters. Kissing her I said,
"Don't be generous about the details," even though I knew she
would be.
When Sarah released her hold on my neck, I took a look at Kathy.
She was watching us with interest, but I could see she wasn't
concerned about my decision. Rather, she was curious about the
story from the past. I could see she was also getting slightly
worked up. Mark was going to get very lucky, if Sarah could pull
off what she was planning to do. From what I had seen of Mark and
Kathy, I knew it was a foregone conclusion, but now, it was easy
to see my sister in a different light; a young, beautiful woman,
very much in love, and simmering. When Sarah had commented
earlier on how hot a woman my sister was, I had felt a bit
uncomfortable, mostly because I didn't want to think about her or
look at her as a woman. My brotherly instincts had always been
too strong and too strict. Of course I loved my sister, but as a
brother. Now, with her merciless teasing, and apparent interest
in what Sarah and I had done a while ago, I realized she was
acting like a woman rather than a sister.
"Since you're not in a hurry to keep company with Mark, I better
tell him he's going to wait," I said, trying get at her, to even
the score somewhat.
She took it in stride. "I'll make it up to him later," she
retorted with a snicker, and quickly followed it with, "Sarah
will make it up to you as well."
Losing my composure, I replied, "Kathy, the way you talk
sometimes--"
"Don't spoil the fun, Mitch. You're my brother and Sarah is my
best friend. We've known each other since childhood. Mark is my
lover, and I don't hide it. I didn't get to know much about the
girls you've dated. I missed out on the sister's privileges. Now,
I can get to hear what a stud my brother is."
Except as teenagers, we never teased each other or talked about
sex or our relationships. What's more, we had been very close. On
the other hand, in the last few years, I had been distant, a
closed box. I realized Kathy had always been the one to try to
bridge the distance. I guessed her interest and curiosity was
partly fueled by her desire to hear something juicy from Sarah,
and partly to know something about her brother.
"I give up," I said and left the kitchen, muttering, "Women!"
"You can't live with them; you can't live without them," they
chorused behind my back, laughing.
I needed a drink, and Sarah had confiscated my glass of vodka in
the kitchen. In the dining room, looking over the choices, I
settled for a glass of beer. I didn't want to disappoint Sarah,
although there wasn't much of a chance of that, remembering how
quickly she got off. Back in the living room, I found Mark going
over the CDs. After making a few selections, he went over them
one more time to chose one, and put it in the player. When I
heard the song I wanted to plug my ears, hit my head to the
walls.
_Why isn't there an off-switch?_
I felt like downing a stiff drink, but it wasn't something I
resorted to very frequently when old memories awakened; triggered
by a melody, or a phrase I had heard, or a scene in a movie I had
watched. I didn't use sleeping pills when I couldn't sleep. Yes,
I had gotten drunk, on rare occasions, but usually among friends,
or to blow off some steam after work hours (as it had happened
with Pops), and mostly for recreational purposes and not as a
solution to my problems. I had just gotten over the song Sarah
sang, and now Neil Diamond was singing _September Morn_; another
song from the past, perhaps not as memorable as _Lady in Red_,
but almost there. And, it was pulling me on a journey I wasn't
willing to go on.
. . . . .
It was mid-summer... the beginning of _my summer_... and the
end... the summer when my heart was broken and handed back to me.
I had finished six weeks of grueling work in the desert--the last
industrial practice I had had as part of the college program at
the end of my junior year--and was back at home; tired from the
work, the stress, and deeply tanned from working on the rig. I
was looking forward to eight or nine weeks of vacation at our
summer flat by the beach, before the fall semester of my senior
year started. My parents decided to join me later. Kathy was busy
with something else, and she stayed with them, thus giving me the
opportunity to have some quiet time by myself at our flat.
The morning I arrived at our summer flat, I spent most of the day
opening the house, cleaning it and getting it ready. By mid-
afternoon, I was at the beach taking my afternoon run along the
coast that stretched for more than twenty miles. It was a ritual
I had rarely let go when I was here, at my beach. Back in my
hometown, I didn't care much about jogging or running and had to
force myself. (These last several years, on the rig-site, I
rarely ran; the work was hard enough, and on rare occasions when
I could find some free time in the afternoon, Tai Chi exercises
offered some relaxation). But on this beach, I loved to run.
There were also a few secluded spots where I could practice Tai
Chi while facing the sea and smelling the salty sea air.
Sometimes I did my practice in the sea, when it was calm (usually
very early in the morning), belly deep in the cold water. Some
combinations were not possible, especially when I tried to do
them as slowly as possible, so I used a different variation of
the forms.
That first evening, while I was thinking trying to decide whether
to cook or go to town to grab a bite, Gillian dropped by and
invited me to dinner with her parents. My parents had met
Gillian's parents when they were buying the flat. It had been a
chance encounter at the real estate agent's office, both families
realizing they were going to be neighbors at the vacation spot.
When we moved into our flat, the two families had quickly become
good friends, and continued visiting each other back in town when
we returned from vacation as the friendship between them grew.
Gil was a year younger than Kathy, but you couldn't tell by
looking at her. As tall as Kathy, she looked bigger, taking after
her mother, who was a tall woman with big bones. With curly light
brown hair that always looked tousled, and brown eyes that were
alight with liveliness, she was a tomboy, and she and Kathy got
along great. And for me, she was sort of an impish second sister.
All of us spent a lot of time together all year around, but we
had the most fun during the summer vacations with several other
kids from the neighborhood.
So, that evening, when she invited me for dinner, I didn't
hesitate to accept it, looking forward to a great time with Gil
and her parents, who were really very nice people. After dinner,
I offered to take Gil to a small disco by the beach, even though
I didn't feel like it. I was feeling pretty tired, but my polite
side won over my tiredness. Her parents were pleased, and Gil
asked if she could bring a new friend of hers; a girl from next
door. I knew there was no way I could get out of it.
When Gillian introduced her to me, I felt something stirring
inside me, as if I was standing at the edge of an abyss, and
staring into the eye of a storm brewing, the feeling making me
uneasy. I caught her brown eyes giving me fleeting looks, and she
seemed as apprehensive as I was. Before I could collect myself,
our eyes locked for a brief moment, and I saw the clouds that
seemed to drift in and out of them. With an effort I tried to
center myself, surprised at my reaction to this strange girl, but
I was unable to. My insides were in turmoil, and I turned my
attention back to Gil, trying to break the spell this girl was
having on me. However it was a short lived relief. When we shook
hands the touch was electric; I heard the beat of my heart loud
in my inner ear, and felt the rush of blood; my skin was tingling
as if it had caught fire. Our eyes locked again, and I knew I was
hearing the _Siren's Song_ calling out my name. My heart was
captured by the mysteries those brown eyes held in their depths.
When I released her hand, her expression changed to something
like relief. I didn't understand her reaction at all, but to ease
any disquiet she might be having, I averted my eyes, taking her
in. I noticed the goose bumps on her arm, and realized I had
goose bumps on my arm, too, despite the fact that it was a very
warm night without any breeze.
That was the beginning... of the end!
In a short span of seven weeks, I experienced every known emotion
and probably a few unknown, unnamed ones as well. Luckily, my
parents saw only parts of the whole episode, since they arrived
quite late. As things got worse, I didn't stick around, but
headed back home earlier than planned.
It was September, the trees and the streets covered with golden
flecks, and the Fall Semester looming in two weeks time. It was
melancholy time, unless I did something about it, so I got busy
getting ready for my last year at the college. I spent most of
the nights awake, pecking at the typewriter, writing my report
(industry training I did at the rig) to be submitted for grading
by the middle of the Fall Semester. When I got tired from it, the
memories would come in a flood; the hurt and pain still fresh,
the 'what ifs' and 'whys' following closely behind. The few hours
of sleep I managed would be invaded by dreams of her: us in her
bed as we pleasured each other, feeling that invisible chord that
bound us tightening around me, taking me home. Those intimate
moments would be replayed in vivid detail; so much so that I
would wake up to her touch or her smell, finding myself either
painfully erect or wilting from an involuntary ejaculation. But
the worst part had always been the incredible feeling of
emptiness that settled over me as that special chord got severed
in that waking moment, and the longing and heartache that
followed it.
After a week of constant nightmares, I dreaded falling asleep,
and I started keeping a diary; scribbling the memories and
whatever else that came visiting, hoping to get rid of them, and
usually falling asleep with emotional exhaustion when dawn was
breaking. During those times, I found myself listening to
_September Morn_ by Neil Diamond that played quite frequently on
one of the music channels. After a few times of listening to it,
it had come to symbolize my melancholy, but I had been unable to
avoid it, hanging to each note, each word, as Neil kept singing.
Aside from that, the diary didn't help solve the problems. Worse,
it had become a sort of a reference book, refreshing and
strengthening the memories, in the end, forcing me to quit
writing altogether. I knew I couldn't continue that way, and
since my course load was going to be much lighter than previous
years, and I didn't want to have too much free time in my hands,
I lined up a part time job. Over time, as I got busy with school
and work, the vivid wet dreams and the nightmares became less
frequent.
_Yeah. I didn't have much free time that year. The job was
pleasant and I didn't have to interact with people too much. The
rest of the time, the college kept me busy. But not busy enough.
That's when I worked out some of the things about her, in little
parts, as the pain and hurt gave way to emptiness._
By the time I was graduating, I wasn't able to deal with the
emptiness, and I had filled some of it with anger. It had been
easy, once I worked out some of the things about her and how I
had failed us, but mostly how I had failed her. That was when I
realized I needed to get away. Right after graduation, I signed
up with a small outfit and got the hell out of town, back to the
desert. It was a temporary job to fill-in the time until I had to
go for my military service. Since no other company was willing to
sign up somebody to let them go in half a year's time, my choices
were limited. But then, I didn't care much about the money. I
also knew the company was planning to pull some strings, and
postpone my military service to get a year or two of work out of
me; I had heard they had pulled the stunt on some of the students
I'd known. A little bit of legal wrangling put a stop to their
little scheme, though. I had no intention of delaying the army or
anything else that stood as obstacles in front of me. I wanted to
get over those momentary nuisances, so that I could get on with
my life, and find something better, if there was something
better--whatever it was.
. . . . .
Thinking back on those times, I was still surprised, even now,
how everything worked out as I had planned.
_Yeah, it did, didn't it? Except her, of course. She's still the
one I think of, whether I admit it or not. Didn't I fail that one
time?_
_Jeeez! It just takes one stupid song to dredge up a whole lot of
garbage from the past._
My unease and melancholy didn't last long. It was another tiny
piece from my past that erased the melancholy.
_The diary. The fucking diary! What did I do with it?_
I was close to panic trying to remember what I did with it. It
was so long ago that I had forgotten about it. Carefully digging
into my memory, I found that innocuous little detail. I had it
packed among my school-books, in a box with my other books, in my
room.
_Shit. Why didn't I burn it? Why? It could fall into the wrong
hands._
I was concerned, but not overly so. I wrote in the foreign
language I had learned in high school. Mom wasn't familiar with
the language, but Dad and Sis were fluent. I knew Dad wouldn't do
something like that, but Kathy was a different matter. She could
easily be tempted, once she recognized what it was and what
period of my life it contained. If it had been something else,
Kathy wouldn't snoop like that. But that period, on the other
hand, was a black hole for her. Like Mom, she was protective of
me--as I was coming to realize more and more. She would feel
guilty doing something like that, after the fact, but she would
also justify her actions (very logically and very rationally, I
might add).
_First business of the day, tomorrow: 'Search and Destroy!'_
I chuckled silently at my choice of a military term. I had
learned quite a bit during my short spell in the service, but I
hadn't really enjoyed my time. What's more, I had ended up doing
some serious juggling, trying to hide my past and my skills. I
wasn't a predator, but I had the skills of a predator, and
soldiering teaches you how to be an efficient predator (as if I
needed to be more efficient, with the anger tucked inside me), so
it had been a trying time. I abhorred violence, even though I
knew I would resort to it if forced to. Pops had me pegged right
a year ago. At the time, I could have easily resorted to
violence; the daily exposure to news of random violence
desensitizing me further and loosening my already weakening
controls.
I shook my head, trying to physically shake clear the cobwebs of
past, of history, but it didn't help of course. I focused on
tonight, and the delights Sarah was promising for both of us,
which eventually helped to erase the unease that had settled in
me. I noticed Mark was playing with the equalizer, trying to
enhance the quality of the sound. A little bit more of twiddling
with the controls, and he seemed to be satisfied with the
results. When he stood up, he saw me watching him, and raised an
eyebrow as he walked to me. I guess he was wondering where the
girls were.
"They're still in the kitchen," I said.
"Did they run you out?" he asked with a knowing grin.
"Yeah. Something like that," I replied, a bit uncomfortable where
the conversation might be headed.
"Mitch, we haven't had a chance to get to know each other. You
don't know me much, but I heard a lot about you from Kathy," he
said.
I didn't have a response, so I waited for him to continue.
"You know, I love Kathy. Very much so."
"I think it's very obvious that you both love each other," I
replied, with a small reassuring smile.
He gave me a long look, trying to judge the sincerity of my
reply. Satisfied with what he saw, he said, "I also know that she
loves you, very much. I have to tell you, at first, I was
surprised and almost jealous of her love for you, mistaking it
for something else," he said pointedly.
I almost turned red by the implication, and angry at the same
time. But, before I could say anything, he raised his hands
slightly in an apologetic manner, and continued, "At the time, I
didn't know what you did for work and where you worked. You may
not have realized it, but she worries about you, a lot. I suspect
she doesn't show it around you."
That gave me a pause. In the light of yesterday's talk about the
past, and how Kathy had kept my childhood struggles secret from
my parents, Mark's comment made sense. What's more, I heard
genuine concern for her in his voice.
Seeing the expression on my face, Mark asked, "She doesn't, does
she?"
"No, she doesn't. At least not much. I guess it's because I
haven't talked about things with Kathy for quite some time," I
replied, but my tone made it clear I didn't want to get into what
we haven't talked about. Kathy had probably mentioned something
about how distant and closed up I had been in the last few years.
Mark was, after all, her lover and they were planning to get
married.
Mark nodded his understanding. "Do you mind if I ask how bad it
is, where you work? We read a lot on the papers, or see it on
TV."
"It's bad, but not that bad. The media usually exaggerate. You
just have to be careful. Plus, it's mostly opportunistic
targeting. We have pretty good protection where I work. There are
softer, easier targets. That's why I'm not worried about it too
much. I'm pretty careful and cautious as well," I replied, trying
to downplay the situation as much as reasonably possible.
"But you never know what might happen. Wrong time, wrong place,"
he commented.
"You can't avoid everything, Mark. I'm sorry to say that, but you
have to be there to see and understand how it is. It's not a war
zone. Yes, there's a clandestine war going on, but... as I said.
It's not that bad."
Seeing I was getting defensive, he changed tracks. "Well, I think
Kathy seems to accept or understand it better now. She seems much
happier than a few weeks ago."
"What do you mean?"
"I'm not sure, but she's not as tense as she used to be,
especially tonight. Is that something to do with you and Sarah?"
he asked, then hastily added, "I didn't mean to butt my nose into
something..."
However, there was an unspoken 'but' at the end of that
statement, and from his embarrassed smile, he was referring to
Sarah's vocal escapade with me.
"I don't know. Sarah and I... we're not really an item, but we've
known each other for a long time."
"I've known Sarah for quite some time now. Well, she's Kathy's
best friend, and really a nice girl. The two could be sisters."
Then with a grin, he said, "Both are something. They can drive
you up the wall."
"Well, Kathy does, since we were kids. She hasn't changed. I
hadn't seen Sarah for some years, so I didn't know what to
expect. Kathy told me she changed."
"You kidding?"
"Nope."
"Then I have a word of warning for you. Don't take what I'm going
to say the wrong way, Mitch. I'm a straight shooter and I'm
usually very blunt. I don't think you care for sugar coating. I
really love your sister and respect her. Same with Sarah.
However, I know Kathy and Sarah can get pretty rowdy at times.
I've been a victim of their teasing too long."
I nodded.
"Were they teasing you or were they trying to get each other
worked up?" he asked, in a conspiratorial tone, giving me a small
grin, but it wasn't lecherous.
I didn't take offense at all, as there was a feeling of man-to-
man confidence, perhaps the beginnings of brothers-in-law
relationship in regards to Kathy.
"Both," I replied, returning his grin. "I really didn't expect
something like that, from them. We were close as siblings, and
still close, but... You know what I mean."
"Yeah. I know what you mean. Your sister is a real gem and she's
a handful, but that's what I like about her."
"Do you mind if I ask why you guys decided to wait?"
"Your sister wanted to finish her specialization. If it were up
to me, we would have been married. But I understand her reasons.
I guess I was scared somebody else would grab her in the
meantime. However, it worked out for the best. I do a lot of
traveling and it wouldn't have been nice being away from home for
too long when we're newly married. Just between the two of us,
I'm making some arrangements to improve the situation."
"What kind of arrangements?"
"I have the major accounts in this city with almost all the
hospitals and a few of the private clinics. I had been making
good money from the sales and commissions, so I managed to put
aside a tidy sum, which will come handy when we get married. But
most important, I finally convinced my boss we should set up a
small office here to give after-sales service to our major
clients. We have enough work to justify the costs, and we'll
probably get more clients if we have a presence here. There are
quite a number of smaller clinics and other private
establishments. By profession I'm an engineer, and I can run the
service side as well as sales. That would also mean I wouldn't
have to be on the road all the time, perhaps once a month to the
head office to wrap up projects and report."
"You're planning... to settle here?"
"Yes. Your sister is a very good doctor and she's made quite a
reputation. As soon as she finishes her specialization she'll be
offered a position. I know she likes that hospital and most of
her friends are here. I don't want her to have to start over
someplace else, where she has to prove herself. It's not that she
couldn't do it, but it would be a waste of time. She had invested
a great deal in that hospital and she deserves to reap the fruits
of her efforts. Since I can settle here, it's the most logical
solution. Neither of us is going to be giving up something."
"She doesn't know anything about this, does she?"
"No, she doesn't. It's going to be a surprise. She'll probably
figure it out though."
"Why do you say that?"
"I would be spending more time here, setting up an office, and
hiring staff. It will be hard to hide it from your sister. Don't
you think?" He grinned.
"Heh. Understatement of the year, Mark. You better come clean
before she figures it out or you'll not hear the end of it," I
replied with a laugh.
"That's what I figured, too. I'm just trying to tie up the few
loose ends and get an approval for my formal proposal. I don't
think it will take more than a few weeks. I've already pegged
down specific office locations and prices. Half of the staff is
already selected from our technical group, and I have been doing
some unofficial reconnaissance for talent in the city during the
last few months. Once I have the official OK, I'll break the news
to her. As I said, it will be difficult to explain my activities
here once I get busy with the actual setting up of operations.
How long are you on vacation, Mitch?"
"About four weeks, roughly. Why?"
"As I said, I expect an answer very soon. If it works out, I
would like to go out for a celebration to break the news to
Kathy." He gave a meaningful look, making me laugh.
"You're scared of Kathy's reaction, aren't you, and want some
support?" I asked.
He gave a hearty laugh. "Yes. I'm afraid you're right about my
ulterior motives."
"You don't have to worry about that, Mark. I've seen how she is
with you. She's very different. She's a very independent girl.
She had always been like that, even when we were kids. Very
competitive as well. But around you, she's different. I know that
she loves you very much. What you're trying to do tells me that
you love her back. Long distance relationships are pretty
difficult, and yet, you two managed it. I think she'll be
thrilled when you break the news. I know she feels lonely and she
needs her man around. If things work out as you planned, count me
in. I'll certainly be there."
"Thank you, Mitch. I appreciate the vote of confidence."
"No need for thanks, Mark. If you don't mind my asking, how did
you fare with Mom? She can be a tough lady."
He smiled at that. "I like your mom. She's really sweet. It's
easy to see where Kathy got her looks and strength. I know she
was concerned about the long distance relationship, but I think
she understands I'm serious about your sister. To tell the truth,
I agree with what she said to your sister: 'first school then
marriage'. I can't fault her logic. And I love her cooking."
"Well, I love her cooking, too, but I think every son loves his
mother's cooking. More or less," I commented with a smile.
He replied, "True, I loved my mom's cooking, but it's been a long
time."
Seeing my confused look, he said, "Mom passed away four years
ago."
"I'm sorry to hear that," I replied hastily, realizing I had
touched a tender spot.
"It's all right. You didn't know," he said, trying to relieve my
embarrassment, then he added, "That's why it was great to meet
your mom. I had forgotten how good home cooking could be, and
your mom is really an excellent cook."
"Thank you. I'm sorry to hear about your loss. Please accept my
condolences."
"Thank you, Mitch."
We were quiet for a few seconds, and I was hesitant to ask about
his dad. However, he didn't miss my unease, giving me a
questioning look.
"I was wondering about your dad," I said with a nervous tone.
He gave an understanding smile, and replied, "Dad's alive. He's
retired and keeping himself busy with a part-time consulting job
out of his home office. He's an engineer, so you could say I
followed in his footsteps. Kathy and I visited him several times,
and he's very fond of her. Yep, he loves her. Every time I talk
to him, he keeps reminding me to tie the knot before I lose her
to somebody else."
I laughed at his remark. "You shouldn't be concerned about
something like that. I don't think Kathy sees anyone but you," I
replied. Then, extending my hand, I said, "I guess it's a bit
late, but let's make it official. Welcome to the family, Mark,"
and we shook hands.
We kept on chatting about various subjects, before the girls
returned from the kitchen. From the flush on Kathy's face I
didn't have trouble guessing Sarah had done what she had
promised. Mark must have recognized it as well, because he raised
an eyebrow at Kathy, and received a naughty grin.
Kathy moved in close and whispered, "I didn't know you were such
a bad boy, Mitch. And, with my best friend. You've got some
explaining to do."
Sarah, of course, knew what Kathy was doing and grinned at me
unabashedly.
_Damn girls!_
Then, Kathy moved to Mark, who was watching the developments with
curiosity. He was aware the girls were giving me a hard time
about something, but he was polite enough not to ask about it. He
may have been glad that, for once, he wasn't their target.
Unfortunately, his relief would be short lived. Kathy turned her
attention on Mark and without a preamble asked when they could
leave the party. I looked at my watch and it was almost eleven
o'clock, still early.
"Are you tired, Kathy? It's almost eleven," I teased her.
Mark picked up on it as well, and said it was indeed too early to
leave the party. Sarah joined in by asking if her party was
boring. Kathy knew all of us were conspiring against her, but she
wasn't going to give us the satisfaction of seeing her squirm, so
she replied she didn't realize it was that early. However, she
was going to try underhanded methods, and moving under Mark's
arm, she started to work on him, discreetly, with innocent little
touches here and there, and giving him smoldering looks. I
wondered how long it would take Kathy to work her charm on Mark,
and how long it would be before Sarah distracted me.
After a few minutes, Sarah reminded us we had to mingle, so I
kept her company for the next hour, until the party drew to a
close. While getting a drink for myself, I looked around for Mark
to see how he was faring with Kathy, and I was surprised to see
that he was taking it in stride. He noticed me and headed in my
direction to refresh his drink, and perhaps get a breather from
Kathy's incessant attentions.
"You must have an iron constitution, Mark," I commented.
He gave a wry grin, and replied, "Well, you know how it is. Good
things come to those that wait."
"Not only you have an iron constitution, you're very brave as
well. You're not scared of repercussions?" I retorted with a
grin.
"I'm not really brave, not when it comes to Kathy. But, she'd be
disappointed if I give up so easily."
"Yes. She loves challenges. No questions about that. I'm happy to
see that she has finally met her match."
At that, he laughed. "I don't know about that. How about you?"
"Sarah is taking it easy on me. Maybe we should keep the girls
separate," I suggested.
He raised his glass and replied, "You're a quick study, Mitch. It
took me longer to realize that, but they're inseparable."
"It's only survival instincts, Mark," I quipped.
We had a good laugh about that. Just then both girls showed up at
our side, asking what we were laughing about. Mark and I shared a
look before bursting into laughter again.
"I think it's time we tuck these two in bed, don't you think
Sarah?" asked Kathy.
"Yeah. They are getting silly," quipped Sarah.
Luckily before a back and forth started among the four of us, the
few remaining guests interrupted us to thank Sarah for a great
party and bid goodbye. After the guests had left, Mark and I
helped the girls, collecting the empty plates, glasses, and
generally tidying up the place, while they rinsed and stacked the
dirty dishes in the dishwasher. It didn't take too long with four
people working together to get the place picked up. Mark and
Kathy stayed for a nightcap--coffee and Napoleon cognac--and both
girls used the occasion to get us worked up, and get themselves
worked up at the same time. It sure was going to be a hard night.
Finally, Kathy and Mark bid us goodnight, Kathy reminding that we
were expected at her place at three o'clock sharp. Needless to
say, that started a short back and forth between the two at the
door. Sarah said, she would try her best to be on time, and Kathy
replied that wasn't good enough. Sarah came back, reminding Kathy
she needed to sleep instead of staying up too late, at which
point Mark gently pulled Kathy by her arm, saying she needed to
be tucked in, while I did the same with Sarah, before the two
girls could continue further.
* * * * *