Practice Maes Perfect

The gray metal numbers were barely visible against the off-white cement siding of the three-story walk-ups. And the dim threatening skies didn't make things any easier. Jack zeroed in on what looked like 1574 Baker Street and carefully backed the large white pickup into a vacant space near the staircase. He hated driving this thing. But the furniture didn't fit in his car so he was stuck with this for the day.

He rang the bell at Unit 208 and leaned against the adjacent wall to wait. Before his shoulder settled on the paint the door squeaked open and a voice snapped from inside, "It's about fuckin' time." He chuckled, shaking his head.

"You know, I didn't have to do this."

His little sister Jess propped open the door and stepped out into the breezeway. She was slim and fit, about 5'-6", with loosely curled auburn hair and vibrant green eyes. Distressed denim shorts hugged flared hips and a firm ass, and the logo on the chest of her tee shirt stretched and bulged over a pair of buoyant bra-less C-cups. She scuffed her sneakers to a stop on the concrete and flashed a smile at her older brother.

"Sorry," she quipped, reversing her tone. "Thanks for bringing my stuff. It's about fucking time you showed up. Is that better?"

"For you?" Jack laughed, "yes." He nodded toward the truck. "Hope you've been working out."

For the next 15 minutes they lugged and heaved and wrangled the bed full of furniture up two flights of stairs to Jess' apartment, staging each piece in the living room until the truck was empty. As the door closed behind them, final bookshelf in hand, the sky opened up and lashed the windows with a cold, vicious rain. She pursed her lips and pointed. "I swear to god if you had been five minutes later...."

Jack rolled his eyes. "Just tell me where stuff goes."

Jess began directing traffic, and it wasn't long before her barren bedroom morphed into that of a college sophomore with a fetish for baseball caps and too much of her parents' money. Jack surveyed the space with a pang of envy. Much nicer than the place he had to share with three others his senior year. He shrugged. She always had been the favorite.

"Mom and dad got you this whole thing, huh," he mumbled, loud enough to be certain she heard.

"Oh fuck no," she huffed. "Mom got a six-figure bonus last year and was still bitching about the cost of in-state tuition. I pay for this."

Jack's eyebrows jumped. "

You

have a

job

?" Jess rolled her eyes.

"I have a roommate too."

"Okay, now you're just making shit up." Jack braced himself for a quick-witted barb. Instead, his sister's face softened, a curious curl forming in a corner of her mouth.

"You remember Holly Cameron, from middle school and high school?"

Jack frowned, his memory of ten years ago foggy. "Umm...not really? Wait. Cameron? Uhh...blonde, quiet...kinda mousey? The pastor's kid?"

"Yeah! We didn't hang out much then, but, turns out she's pretty cool. We hung out a lot last year and when I told her I was looking for a place off campus this semester she asked if she could room with me. She has the one down the hall."

"And she's still here? After a week of living with you?"

Again, Jack expected a smart-ass remark or reflexive middle finger. But Jess now seemed distracted, something else occupying her thoughts.

"You wanna get something to eat?" she asked out of nowhere. "I'm starving. All this moving shit made me hungry."

"Actually," Jack sighed, "I should probably get going. Dad wants the truck back before -"

"Yeah yeah whatever." Jess breezed past, snatching a Mariners cap from her hat shelf and her keys from the dresser. "Let's go, we'll hit that burger joint you like."

"Dude, it's pouring out there!"

She was already at the door, stomping into her sneakers. "Come on, my treat. You know you can't resist free food."

Jack frowned his disapproval. But hunger pinched him in the gut. If he didn't eat now he'd just have to stop on the way home. "There's always something extra with you," he mumbled, checking his pockets for the truck key.

Jess paused, hand on the lever. Her head tipped to the side and an impish smirk curled her lips. "I promise, I'll make it worth your while."

....

"Just spit it out for fuck's sake!"

Jack bit down on a cluster of French fries and reached for his dwindling beer. "We've been here half-an-hour and you still haven't told me anything. I'm obviously not picking up on the clues, so cut all the cryptic mystery bullshit and say what you want to say. Are you in trouble or something? Do I need to smuggle you out of the country? What's going on?"

"Okay okay, damn!" Jess countered, "I'm getting to it, just relax for a minute."

Jack rolled his eyes and set his elbow on the table and his chin on his fist. Jess took a sip of soda and slumped back in the booth. She drew several deep breaths before dropping her eyes and mumbling "I need your help."

"I'm sorry, what?"

"

I said I need your help

," she repeated, louder this time, emphasizing each word. "I need a favor."

"I'm not giving you any money."

"Fuck you," Jess frowned. "I told you, I have money."

Jack raised his hands in surrender. "Okay, I'm sorry. Go ahead, I'll be quiet."

"Thank you," Jess sighed. She rocked forward, crossing her arms over her chest. She spoke softly this time, restraining her voice to the confines of their table.

"Okay, so, you remember Holly I was telling you about earlier?" Jack nodded, maintaining his vow. "Okay, so I've been trying to help her with something, but...I don't have the right...tools? So, I need you to help me help her."

Jack waved his free hand implying she should continue. She sighed again, pursing her lips.

"Okay. Soooo...I need you, to show her...how to suck a cock."

Silence.

Jack's ears burned with his sister's words. They wormed their way through his brain, passing the temporal and parietal lobes to settle in the Wernicke's area for processing - which for some reason, didn't happen. He narrowed his eyes and tipped his head like a puppy listening for his name.

"Wut?"

"She's never given a blowjob before and she...wants to learn how to do it."

Still speechless, Jack squeezed his eyes shut and rubbed his face with his palms. He stared across the table, looking for some hint that she may be joking, or otherwise playing some weird prank on him. But her face was straight and her lips were flat, with no hint of insincerity in her eyes. He breathed several short sighs before words made their way to his mouth.

"Ooookay. Um...why don't...

you

show her how to do it? I mean, don't girls...practice this sort of thing at sleepovers on...popsicles or...bananas or something?

"Sure," Jess replied matter-of-factly, "we did that. But there's a whole lot that can't teach her."

Jack frowned. "Like...what?"

She shrugged. "A popsicle can't cum in her mouth."

"

Oh my god

." Jack twisted away, reaching immediately for his beer and downing the rest in two quick gulps. Seemingly oblivious to his obvious discomfort Jess leaned closer and continued her point.

"Listen, we're supposed to go on a double date next weekend and

I

don't want to have to do all the work at the end of the night because

she

doesn't know what she's doing!"

Jack coughed and gasped in the same breath. He threw up his hands and shook his head violently, protesting her assertion.

"Look, I am

not

comfortable talking about this with you, okay? You are my

little sister

."

"Dude, I'm 19. You think I've never sucked a dick?"

"Okay

please

stop saying that?"

A little smirk captured Jess' smile. She was not oblivious at all.

"Come on," she continued, "you've had girlfriends, you know I'm right! Popsicles are cold and they melt in your mouth. Cocks are warm and they grow instead. The banana texture is all wrong. And it doesn't give you any feedback on how much spit you need for a good glide, or how much pressure you should apply with your lips. And neither popsicle nor banana will be an asshole and shove itself down your throat."

Jack's contorted face turned green, every nerve in his body crawling with ick, every muscle twitching to make an escape. "

Oh my god

stop

." he stammered, "

Just stop!

"

Jess took a long slow drag on the straw in her soda, rounding her mouth and sucking her cheeks in before concluding with a pop of her lips. Jack shivered in his seat, shaking his head.

"I hate you so much right now," he mumbled under his breath. But Jess seemed to feel she was on to something, and she wasn't about to let go just yet.

"Do you really," she quizzed sarcastically. "Are you

really

telling me that the thought of getting blown by an eager college sophomore with absolutely no strings attached is

not

getting you hard right now? You don't even have to buy her dinner!"

Jack glared daggers across the table at his sister. But beneath the lacquered wood slab his cock was rising to attention and straining against the buttons of his fly. He consciously refrained from shifting in his seat, refusing to betray his condition.

"How do you even know she wants to do this," he countered, trying to sound stern yet dismissive. "Maybe she'd rather figure this out on her own."

"It was her idea," Jess beamed. "Yeah, for some reason she thinks you're cute. And nice. And that she can trust you to be discreet. And because I am the best wingman, I told her you'd be cool with it."

"Well thanks?" Jack replied before shaking his head. "But this is weird, Jess. You know this is weird, right? We grew up with her. We went to church with her family at Christmas and Easter. She's your friend - your roommate for fucks sake!"

Jess stuffed a French fry into her mouth and shrugged. "If one of

your

friends wanted to practice eating pussy on me I would be thrilled."

Jack dry heaved over his plate. He snatched his sister's soda and threw back the rest of it before planting the cup firmly on the table. Jess frowned. "I was drinking that."

"You shut up," Jack demanded, working to regain his composure. "Now I have to purge that image from my head too."

Jess giggled, adjusting her cap. She plucked the last fry and slouched against the back rest. "Seriously though. She's been really sheltered her whole life and she's a little embarrassed by her lack of experience. You won't judge her for that, and you won't make fun of her, and you'll be patient with her, and you won't try to make her do anything she doesn't want to do. It's the best practice she could have."

Jack sat quietly, digesting what she said. This was certainly the last conversation he expected to have when he climbed in the truck that morning. And the string of compliments spit out by his sister would have been the oddest things she'd ever said to him, if not for all the dirty talk immediately preceding. Still, the whole idea felt awkward and dumb. But his erection wasn't ready to let it go.

"I don't even know what she looks like," he countered, half-heartedly. "What if she isn't my type?"

Jess rolled her eyes. "Oh my god seriously? How fucking long has it been since you and Courtney broke up? What 'type' does she have to be blow you? Are you going to be the only guy in history to turn down head from a girl because she 'isn't your type'? Especially when you haven't had any for six months?"

Well the answer to that question was obvious. A trend-setter he was not. He eased back from the table and folded his arms across his chest. "Okay, four months, not six. And what am I supposed to do, just walk into her room and say hi, I'm here for the blowjob?"

Jess shrugged. "I mean, you don't have to be

weird

about it."

Jack frowned, shooting daggers through the space between them. Jess burst into laughter, snatching the straw from her empty glass and flicking it at her brother's chin. "I'll handle that part," she said. "Now hurry up. She'll be back soon. We can get this lesson in before Dad calls to bitch you out about the truck."

....

Jess perched on the arm of the couch and peered through the blinds at the rain-soaked parking lot below, impatiently tapping her foot on the carpet. Jack watched her from the kitchen, sipping ice water from a plastic cup. He glanced over at the neon green digits of the microwave clock. "Maybe I should go," he offered.

"Shut up," Jess replied, mildly annoyed. "She'll be here any minute."

"You said that 15 minutes ago."

"Well obviously I was lying then! Relax, she'll be here."

Jack frowned, crunching an ice cube. With a huff, Jess sprang from her seat and bounded over. She snatched her brother by the wrist and yanked him into the hallway. "Just go in there and sit down and shut up," she demanded, leading him through mild protest to the last door on the right. "When she gets here, I'll send her in. You're weirding me out with your crunching."

"Wait,

I'm

weirding

you

out? What are you -".

She cut him off with a tender shove and shut the door in his face, her footfalls retreating. Jack shook his head, cracking a smile. She was such a brat.

He took a long, slow pan of the room. It was warmer than his sister's - a light beige instead of cool white. The bed was neatly made beneath the Penn State flag pinned to the wall. A plush swivel chair was tucked under the desk next to the smaller window. Low-fi trance wafted through the space from a small speaker on the nightstand.

A door to what he assumed was the bathroom stood ajar off to his left. The books in the adjacent bookcases were organized by color, and a small set of photographs were arranged neatly on the birch veneer dresser.

He wandered over and plucked one from its cradle. It was a selfie of Jess and a blonde about her age he assumed was Holly, taken at a midsummer baseball game. She didn't look at all like he remembered. Her hair was long and curly, and her face had filled out a bit. Sunglasses covered her eyes, but her smile was as bright as the afternoon sun and there was a warmth to her face that had nothing to do with the heat of the day. His cock stirred in his jeans.

"What the hell am I doing," he muttered, setting the picture back on the dresser. He pulled his phone from his pocket and checked the time. Ten minutes to two. He decided to give this hair-brained scheme five more minutes, then he'd start making his way home. Jess would be pissed, but she'd just have to deal with it. Even if she did have to double her weekend workload.

Shivering at the thought he reached for the chair, easing himself down as he turned it to face the door. But the moment his butt touched the seat the latch clicked and the door swung open. He shot back up, shoving his hands into his pockets and trying to look cool as Holly slipped into the room and shut the door softly behind her.

They gazed at each other a moment, smiling, silent and awkward. With subtle movements of his pupils Jack appraised her head to toe. Her hair was gathered in a thick, loose ponytail damp from the rain. Her bralette and layered blue tank tops restrained a pair of C-cups, round and high on her chest. Dark yoga pants showed her just a bit thicc in the thighs and hips, the firm bubble of her ass curving down through her legs and tapering to delicate ankles and feet. Jack swallowed hard. She was exactly his type.

"Hi," they said simultaneously, eliciting giggles from them both.

"I'm sorry," Holly continued, "I was at yoga and I didn't get Jess' messages until I was done. I hope I didn't...keep you from anything?"

"No, of course not," Jack countered. "We've only been here a few minutes." He paused, searching for appropriate small talk. "I uh...it's...nice to see you again. It's been what, like...six years? You look great!"

She turned away, blushing. "Thanks. You're um...not bad yourself."

Jack gave himself a quick once-over. His t-shirt hugged his pecs and his jeans fit snug in the thighs and butt. Not too shabby. He swelled his chest a little and shuffled his hands in his pockets. "You wanna...sit down?"

She nodded quickly. He retreated to the swivel chair and settled in while she set her purse on the floor and perched carefully on the corner of her bed. She let her hair out then adjusted several times, unsure of what to do with her hands before finally settling them in her lap. Her nervousness disarmed him. Jess made it sound like she'd be ready and rearing to go. But here she seemed every bit the shy quiet church girl he retained a vague impression of.

"I know you probably think this is weird," she said quietly, "but thank you...for agreeing to do it anyway. It's kind of embarrassing...to be 20 years old and not...," her voice trailed off. "Anyway, you were always nice to me back then, so, when Jess said she thought you might help...."

Jack smiled. "Well there's nothing to be embarrassed about. Everyone starts somewhere. It's...kinda cool that you wanted to start with me."

Holly's cheeks flushed pink, her fingers picking at her leggings. Her toes curled against the carpet, heel bouncing nervously on the floor. He rolled the chair a little closer and leaned forward, leveling his gaze with hers to even their stature. The scents of peaches and mint tickled his nose.

"Okay," he said softly, "so what's the goal here, what are we looking for? Do we just want to go through the basics? Or are you looking for more advanced techniques?"

She seemed bewildered by the question. He paused, recalculating. "Beginner level, or porn star level?"

Holly giggled, a bit of tension fading from her jaw. "I don't think I'm ready for porn star level," she replied. "I mean, I've seen videos and stuff - I kinda know how it's

supposed

to go. I just don't want to embarrass myself - or Jess. And maybe if it's good and he

really

likes it then...that's a bonus?"

Jack nodded. "So amateur to intermediate then, got it. And don't worry about Jess. She's incapable of being embarrassed."

More laughter. She was beginning to loosen up. Jack straightened in the chair and rolled back a little, feeling a little less awkward. "Okay, so for now there are only three things you need to remember."

Holly raised her hand. "Should I write these down," she asked, with a cute little smirk. Jack chuckled. Pretty and funny. His pulse quickened.

"No, but there will be a test later," he replied with a wink. "So, number one; lubrication. No one has ever complained their blowjob was too wet. Two; no teeth. Nothing kills the mood faster. And three; try to have fun. No one likes it when it feels like a chore. But It's so much more enjoyable if you're into it too."

Holly nodded. "Okay. I think I'm ready."

"Then let's give this a shot," Jack smiled. He rose slowly from the chair and peeled off his shirt, tossing it casually on the desk behind him. He stepped closer, noticing her eyes glued to his six-pack. "Just try to relax," he continued softly. "I'll talk you through it, and we'll...see what happens."

Wriggling her hips Jess shucked her shorts to the floor. Stepping out of them she stepped into the pair of snug fleece replacements she sometimes slept in. Brushing off her cap she set it in the empty spot on the shelf, then twisted her hair up and pinned it in place with a pencil from her dresser. She swiped at the light switch by the door, and in the dim gray light of the window she made her way across the carpet to the door to the shared bathroom.

Ever so slowly she leaned on the lever, quietly separating the leaf from the frame. A wedge of light marked the floor and wall on the opposite side, signaling Holly's door to be open just a crack. Careful not to bump anything she slipped inside and closed it silently behind her. Her socks were silent on the tile in the dark as she padded across the room.