AUTHOR'S NOTES:
I apologize that this chapter took a little longer. The first one I submitted was rejected. I had to rewrite a portion of it. Honestly though, after reviewing it, I like this version better. So, thanks Literotica.
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Monique, her sister Ci Ci, and her mom gathered around the computer in her bedroom as the line rang for their Zoom call. It was 6 pm here, so doing the calculation, they knew it was 8 am in Japan.
This 14-hour time difference was one of the things that made it hard to keep up with Charles. It was nearly impossible to coordinate a moment to steal him away from his life. He worked during the day, as did the rest of the world. When he was getting off from work at around 4 pm, it was 2 am for his family back in the U.S.
Even during the slim window of time they could speak, he still had a life to live that was separate from work, complete with new friends and activities. As time wore on, the brother and son who was once readily available to the women in his family, became a series of emails, texts, and minute long phone calls.
But today, the women combined their efforts. They coordinated amongst themselves and planned an ambush. Any other day, they'd accept his excuses. But not today. He was theirs, even if for but a half hour.
His face appeared in the camera. He looked like he was still in bed, rolled over on his side, but just waking up. His chest was bare, but he was wrapped up in his blanket at the waist.
Groggily, he said, "Hey Mo."
He was only expecting her. He wasn't expecting a unified assault. Capitalizing on the element of surprise, they let him have it.
"HAAAAAPPY BIIIIIIIITHDAAAAAAY TOOOOOO YOOOOOUUU!" they belted out in unison, having the chorus melody of a group of cats crying out in pain. But they sang with all their heart for the most important man in their lives.
Reeling from the surprise serenade, he said, "Wow. That was..."
"Beautiful?" Mo asked, presumptuously finishing his thought.
"Ehhh...yeah yeah. That's the word I was searching for."
They all laughed together. It was so good to do that. Never had they missed him more than they did at that moment. To finally see him, laugh with him, watch him smile on his birthday...all of it reminded them that he was thousands of miles away.
As they talked, Monique noticed something in the background; a movement behind him. At first, she just thought it was something with the camera, or the way he was moving underneath the blanket. But she saw that his blanket was moving independent of him.
Without realizing what she was asking, Monique blurted out, "Charles, is there someone in bed with you?"
Everything instantly stopped, and awkward silence filled the call. Charles' eyes got wide with culpability, then he told on himself by throwing a quick glance over his shoulder.
"Charles?" their mom asked questioningly.
A small woman's head peeked up over his shoulder. Not much, just enough for the top of her head and her eyes to be visible. She shyly looked at the camera, unsure of what she should do or say.
"Awww...Charles got a girlfriend!" Ci Ci said teasingly. This just sent the poor girl back into hiding.
"Come on out, baby. Let us meet you." Their mom said, her words more like an order than a request. She did try to sound inviting, but her mama-bear heckles were up.
Charles rolled his eyes. "I'm gonna go."
"NOOOOO!" all three yelled out at the same time. Monique then whined, "We never get to talk to you face to face. It's your birthday! C'mon! Don't hang up!"
He turned slightly towards his companion. A whispered exchange between them happened before he turned back to his family and said, "Guys, I'd like you to meet Akari."
With that, his lady friend's head rose once again, but this time in full view. She was also naked to her shoulders; her modesty kept preserved with the blanket she clutched over her breasts with one hand.
She was beautiful. Her soft-brown, almond shaped eyes that peered at them added to her smile. Long, jet black hair cascaded down her head and fell off her shoulders like a waterfall. Her coconut complexion accentuated her Japanese features.
Their mother was the first to speak. Speaking slowly and loudly to be understood, she said, "HELLO AKARI! I...AM...CHARLES'...MOTHER. THESE...ARE...HIS...SISTERS. MONIQUE...AND CIARA!"
Akari and Charles grinned at each other with humorous amusement before bursting out into laughter. It was cute how she bashfully covered her mouth as she did so. Then, in perfect English with only a hint of an accent, she returned their mother's presumptuous greeting with, "Nice to meet you. Charles has told me a lot about you."
Of course, the exposure of their mom's unconscious bias had them all cracking up. After a sheepish apology, the ice was broken and Akari fell into a comfortable conversation with them. Despite the precarious situation of her being naked, she was surprisingly at ease.
It was obvious that Charles was smitten with this woman. They didn't know the nature of the relationship between their brother and his lady friend, but there was no doubt that Akari was not just a hook up.
It was a good call. All had fun. However, it wasn't until Ci Ci opened her big, fat mouth that things turned thorny.
It started with a curious question. Charles asked, "You still with that white guy, Mo?"
Ci Ci giggled, saw her opening, and took it. "Nope. But you'll never guess who she's been hanging around lately."
Monique's eyes shot to her sister, wide with
what the fuck are you doing?
But Ci Ci looked back at her impishly, her smirk full of mischief.
"Who?" he asked.
"Shut. Up." Monique hissed through gritted teeth. This only aroused more curiosity and suspicion.
"Yeah, who? I'd like to know too." their mom parroted.
Of course, Ci Ci was only too happy to drop the bombshell on the family. "Mo's been kickin' it with
Hector's
fine ass. Literally." Their mom shot Ci Ci a look, which made her sheepishly retract and say, "I meant...
fine
butt
."
Charles was less concerned with her language and more focused on the message. "Wait...what? You've been hanging out with Hector, Mo?"
Getting exasperated with this entire situation, she rolled her eyes and sucked her teeth as she said, "Ya'll need to stop letting Ci Ci's gossiping ass...I mean butt... get you all riled up. It's not even like that."
"So, you're not hanging out with him?" Charles asked directly.
"We just kickbox. He helps me relieve some stress." The phrasing had everyone's eyebrows cocked, so she reiterated, "With KICKBOXING! God! Get your minds outta the gutter! I'm not sleeping with him or anything crazy like that."
Charles nodded reluctantly, almost satisfied with that. But Ci Ci upped the ante by asking, "Don't the two of you go out to eat afterwards? And go shopping together?"
Monique had never wanted to punch her sister in the face more than she did at that moment. She tersely shouted, "This is why I don't tell you shit! You always starting trouble!" She made no effort to soften her language, and didn't look to apologize for it.
Batting her eyes oh so innocently, Ci Ci asked, "What? If it's all harmless, why you so upset?"
"Because you get off on causing drama where there is none! That's why."
As they did so many times over the years, the two of them began bickering loudly. It took their mother several loud, stern attempts to get them to behave like adults. When the mayhem was quiet, Charles sighed and asked, "Hey ma, Ci Ci, you guys mind giving me and Mo a minute? I need to talk to her...privately."
He sounded calm but serious. It was eerily reminiscent of how their late father used to speak when he had something important to say. Even though it was posed as a question, it was more of a gentle command. The women instantly recognized it, even their mother. There were a few brow-raised glances exchanged before their mother said, "We'll be out in the living room."
Simultaneously, he turned and whispered something to Akari. The vibe was the same. She nodded, and then looked at the camera with a smile and said, "It was nice talking to you Mo. I hope to meet you in person one day."
"Me too, Akari." She said, taking note of her reference to meeting her in person. It just added to her suspicion that Charles' relationship with her was more than casual. Akari slipped from beneath the covers and out of view. It was quick, but Monique caught the barest glimpse of her completely nude body before she was out of sight.
Once they were alone, Monique jumped in first with, "Is all this necessary? I really don't need the whole protective big brother act. I'm a grown woman, and it's kind of insulting that you feel the need to do this all the way from Japan, especially seeing as how you just had
Mulan
naked in your bed."
"Oh, please miss me with that liberated woman bullshit."
"LIBERATED WOMAN BULLSHIT?!"
"YES!" he emphatically yelled back at her. "This isn't me stepping on your rights, or propping up the patriarchy, or whatever the fuck ya'll call it nowadays. This is about me, your brother, warning you, the sister that I love, about a potential situation that can end badly. If the roles were reversed, I'd hope you had the balls to do the same."
Charles allowed a few moments of silence to gauge her reaction. Monique looked away with a roll of her eyes but accepted his explanation.
"I don't have balls." She half-joked. "I have a vagina."
"Ew."
They snickered, signaling their respective white flags. She then rested her elbow on the desk, propped her chin into her hand, and looked into the camera as she said, "I know Hector's a player, Charles. I assumed as much."