Copyright Oggbashan February 2018
The author asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.
This is a work of fiction. The events described here are imaginary; the settings and characters are fictitious and are not intended to represent specific places or living persons.
*************************************************
I like my sister in law Lucy. I could go further and say "I Love Lucy" but I love my wife Amy too much to love her sister the same way. When I met Amy, Lucy was already engaged to Brian and Brian was my friend. Now he's not because of the way he treated Lucy.
If Lucy had not been engaged I might have asked her out instead of Amy and our lives would have been very different. But why think about what might have happened? If Lucy had not been with Brian I might never have met Amy and that meeting I have never regretted. Anyway, you get the picture. I wouldn't toss Lucy out of my bed but she would never take Amy's place in it.
At the time we were in a mess. Our house purchase had stalled at the wrong moment. We had sold our old house but the new one being built was three months late. We put most of our things in storage and we were living in a cheap rented apartment until the new house was finished.
Then Lucy needed us. She and Brian were going through a divorce. Their house had to be sold as part of the settlement. He had a home with his lover, she had nowhere, until she could buy with her share of the settlement. She could have rented but the settlement would only just be enough for her to buy a small house. If she paid rent for a few months she might not have enough for the house.
She had intended to go to my mother in law but her car was hit from behind at a traffic light a few miles from us on Friday evening. It wasn't badly damaged but Lucy couldn't continue. Lucy rang Amy. Amy covered the mouthpiece of the phone.
"Roy, can Lucy come to stay with us? She hasn't got anywhere."
"Of course. When?"
"Now."
"Now! The spare room isn't ready for anyone. The bed ..."
"We can sort that out when she arrives. OK?"
"Yes. I'd love to see her."
"I know you would. I'll talk to you about that later." Amy said in a tone of voice that I knew meant trouble for me. She uncovered the phone's mouthpiece.
"Lucy? No problem. We need to sort the spare room out but we can do that when you're here. See you soon."
It was soon. The car recovery people deposited her car outside our house twenty minutes later. I brought her overnight bag in. Lucy had been crying. Amy hugged her. I hugged her.
"Keep hold of her, Roy," Amy said. "I'll make some coffee."
I pulled Lucy over to the settee and sat down with her beside me, her head on my shoulder, an arm wrapped around her, and hers around me. She sobbed silently against my shirt. I stroked her hair and kissed the top of her head. We were still like that when Amy returned.
Lucy drank the coffee and calmed down. I was still holding her. Amy was hugging her from the other side.
"Amy, what did you mean when you said you'll talk to Roy later?" Lucy asked.
"You weren't meant to hear that." Amy replied.
"I know. Covering the mouthpiece doesn't work on modern phones. You have to use the secrecy button."
"Oh."
"So what did you mean? He said he'd love to see me. Is that wrong?"
"Not normally, no. But when my husband sees my sister as an attractive woman that he'd like to have an affair with ..."
I started to protest but Amy's hand crossed Lucy and covered my mouth.
"...what he said might be misinterpreted."
Lucy snuggled closer to me. The sisters used to like teasing each other.
"So it might," Lucy said. "Is it likely?"
Amy's hand was still over my mouth.
"Not if I have anything to do with it. I think what he really wants is the two of us in one bed with him. The reality might be too much but I sure that's what he thinks he'd like."
Lucy looked up at me as I shook my head.
"Would he now? I wonder."
She gently pulled Amy's hand away from my face and kissed me lightly on the lips.
"Thank you Roy for reminding me that I'm attractive. But Amy and I never fight over our men. We are sisters first. Apart from a sisterly peck," she kissed me again. "anything else has to have Amy's agreement."
The danger for me passed for a while. Lucy told us that her car should be collected tomorrow and take a few days to repair. She had sent most of her things into storage and except for her overnight bag all her clothes were at mother-in-law's.
While Amy and Lucy prepared the evening meal I went into the spare room and looked at the mess. The bed was covered in boxes. I moved them out and put them against the living room wall. I cleaned everywhere, getting covered in dust and fluff.
Once the bed was clear I was still not sure that it was suitable for Lucy to use. The mattress was clean but one of the bed's legs was tilted. I peered underneath. All four legs looked weak. I sat down hard. The bed creaked but took the strain.
I went to the kitchen and asked whether I had time for a shower. I hadn't. After the meal we sat over a glass or two of wine. Lucy told us more about Brian than I wanted to know. Next time I see him I'll ... but I won't. I don't hit people. Brian did, particularly Lucy. The effect on her was apparent. Despite the badinage she had lost a lot of her self-esteem and self-confidence. She was a pale shadow of what she had been.
Even in the few hours that Lucy had been with us she had become slightly more animated. It was very slight, almost imperceptible, but it had happened. Amy and I had noticed. I knew that Amy was seething inside. We made polite animated conversation, trying to keep off the subject of Brian.
Then Amy and I had a mild disagreement. It was about nothing. She contradicted a statement I made and I objected. We agreed to differ and continued the conversation. Lucy burst into tears.
"What's up, Lucy?" Amy asked.
"Brian would never let me disagree with him about anything. If I did ..."
The tears started again.
"Forget Brian," snorted Amy. "He is (I've omitted a lot of unladylike words). Roy is nothing like Brian. He has never hit me and never would."
"But he is much stronger than Brian." Lucy objected.
It's true. I'm taller and heavier and I work out.
"He's a pussycat," said Amy. "He never uses his strength on me."
"Even pussycats have claws." Lucy said.