In Her Cousin's Footsteps

IN HER COUSIN'S FOOTSTEPS- Part Seven

They began the journey home under beautiful clear skies with the top down and hair blowing in the warm breeze. The weekend began with so many questions, most of which were answered. Neither girl had ever felt so free, so liberated, so self-aware - but they both knew that there would inevitably be moral and familial complications depending on the direction that they may decide to take in their relationship. For now though, they just enjoyed the drive. When Kristi wasn't shifting, her arm rested on the console, fingers interlocked with her lover's/cousin's.

Lacey couldn't help but stare at Kristi as she drove, again in total control. She was in another world, one that she still couldn't wrap her mind around. She knew it was silly to think about actually being in love after only a week with her cousin, but her heart told her otherwise. On the left, they passed the rest stop that they had stopped in the day before, and Kristi squeezed Lacey's hand.

"That's where I knew," she said as she motioned to the rest area.

"Where you knew?"

"Yeah, Lace. That's where my heart started telling me that you could be like, someone special."

Lacey nodded her head, and commented, "I felt it too. I wanted to...to kiss you there, but I was so nervous and confused."

"Well, I wouldn't have stopped you," Kristi said, squeezing her hand tighter.

They glanced at each other and smiled.

"Come back with me next weekend? I have to be here Friday and Saturday for practice again."

"I'll ask my dad, but I'm pretty sure he'll let me," Lacey said, feeling her heart race again at the thought of spending another weekend alone with Kristi.

The remaining hours were spent talking about everything and nothing, ranging from trivial topics like the weather to deeper "meaning of life" discussions as friends or family members tend to do. As they approached Kristi's parents' home, their conversations slowed and they drove without speaking for several miles.

Kristi was first to break the silence.

"You still want to work out together, right? I mean, we have lots of work to do."

"Yeah, if it's still okay with you? I mean, I don't want to screw up your schedule Kristi."

"I'm not just saying this because I'm into you, but you are a really good athlete. I think you can make a big leap next season if we keep working hard at it. We should work on softball this week."

Lacey lost her focus after hearing Kristi say that she was "into" her. She suddenly had a case of nerves with thoughts of a future with her own cousin. How far could this 'relationship' really go, after all? And her dad wasn't exactly a progressive, open-minded parent. Quite the opposite. She couldn't imagine telling him that she was dating Kristi. Could they actually be a "thing?" She began to have doubts, and Kristi sensed it immediately.

"Okay, Lace. Hello?"

Kristi waved her free hand in front of her cousin's face to prompt a reaction as they drove closer to home.

"Oh, sorry. I was just um, like, thinking... about stuff." Lacey fumbled with her seatbelt, looking down.

"Yeah, me too. I mean, I really

want

to just take things lightly and not think too much, but after last night, and -- God -- this morning, it's hard. I get it."

She continued. "I mean, I'm trying to stay focused on driving, but to be totally honest all I can think of..." she hesitated before spitting out, "...was being down on my knees this morning. God, I can't believe I even said that. Seriously. You must think I'm some kind of deviant, some kind of slut."

As she said it, she reached from the stick shift to hold Lacey's hand again. Lacey felt the heat building between her legs as she reminisced about her older cousin's probing tongue.

Thinking back to the lacy panties, she reminded Kristi, "Well, you weren't the one who got caught doing something they shouldn't have, so... if you're a deviant, I guess I am too, and worse!"

"Two peas in a pod, right, Lace?"

"Yep, two peas."

"Okay, let's just take things a day at a time then. Who knows, we may hate each other before too long," Kristi commented.

Or we may fall in love, Lacey thought to herself. Maybe we have already? She wondered. They pulled into the driveway nearly at dusk, and Kristi eased the Miata past Lacey's clunker. They parked and got out, pulling their bags from the small trunk.

"I guess this is goodbye for now. I know you have church tomorrow and I'm helping with the youth travel team in the afternoon. Monday morning, same time for practice?"

They stood several feet apart, shuffling their feet. "Yep, I'll be there," Lacey said, looking down. She watched as Kristi's feet shuffled closer, then felt her cousin wrapping her arms around her. She dropped her bag and hugged Kristi tightly, fighting the temptation to whisper 'I love you' into her ear.

Kristi kissed Lacey's neck in the near darkness, then bit her earlobe before finding her lips. Lacey melted into her arms as they kissed deeply before Kristi finally broke free. Neither noticed the movement of a curtain in the dining room window.

"You better leave before I make you stay," she smiled, watching Lacey slowly move to her car. As she backed out of the driveway, they waved goodbye. By the time Lacey drove down the street, she already missed her cousin and she couldn't wait until their next 'training' session.

Lacey returned home in a daze. She was exhausted, both physically and emotionally, so she was relieved that her dad was already in bed. She barely had the energy to drag herself up the steps and into her room. She hit the bed and quickly fell asleep, dead to the world.

The next morning she awoke to the smell of bacon, a Sunday tradition in their home. She knelt beside the bed to say her morning prayer before reaching for her overnight bag to grab her hairbrush and deodorant. Sorting through her dirty clothing, she pulled out a small plastic bag that she didn't recognize from the weekend trip. Opening it with curiosity, she nearly melted as she pulled out Kristi's pair of navy hipster panties. Also in the bag was a loose note in cursive:

"

In case you miss me on Sunday

-- K.

"

The amazing memories again flooded her mind and although she knew she had to prepare for church, another side of her longed to worship the panties yet again in private. She stared at them, trying desperately to control her libido, vacillating between depravity and virtue before reluctantly dropping the unexpected gift back into the plastic bag and heading for the shower. As she rinsed her hair, she tried in vain to push thoughts of Kristi from her mind without success. She finished, dried her hair, applied her makeup and dressed. Falling back into the role of the demure naïve daughter, she selected her most conservative church attire - a navy blouse and beige knee-length skirt along with matching flats, then greeted her dad in the kitchen.

"How was NC State? Did you get to play at all," he asked as he loaded Lacey's plate with eggs, potatoes and bacon.

"No, I didn't get to play but it was...a good trip dad. Kristi was really nice. She invited me to come back to her practices next weekend too if that's okay."

"Wow, really? Yeah Lace. I'm glad you're enjoying your time with her. How's the training going? Is she teaching you anything you didn't already know?"

Lacey was relieved that her dad's back was to her; otherwise he would have noticed a deep blush overtaking her. She fanned herself with her napkin before responding.

"Yeah, she's a natural. She's really patient and kind. She's totally different than I thought she'd be, dad. I really like her."

"That's good to hear, kiddo. Just remember not to smother her, okay? Give her some space."

"Smother her," Lacey thought to herself, again blushing as one of her more obscene thoughts crept into her head. Quite the opposite. Thank God he couldn't read her mind.

"Okay dad. I will. Besides, she has a boyfriend at school so she'll probably spend more time with him next weekend if I go."

She immediately wondered why she felt the need to share that with him, but realized that she was deflecting any potential suspicion about their relationship. Silly, she knew. Why would he possibly suspect anything? She tried not to ramble.

"Oh, he's there? Even during the summer?"

"Yeah, I think he lives near her apartment. I don't really know."

She tried to change the subject. "This breakfast is great, dad. You should have been a chef!"

"Yeah, right. Thanks - but this is the extent of my cooking, unfortunately. Hey, we better get moving. We don't want to keep 'the Big Guy' waiting," he said as he looked up to the ceiling.

Jesus, she thought. Just what she needed. She hoped and prayed that 'He' really didn't see

all

. As much as she cherished the exploration with her cousin over the past week, the thought of being watched by some omnipotent voyeur was just a little too much for her to comprehend. She felt guilty enough without

that

thought in her head.

After the seemingly never-ending service, she obediently walked to the car with her dad, lost in thought. During the drive home, she couldn't resist discreetly texting Kristi:

<Missing u but feeling really guilty -- I hate this!>

Kristi: <Same -- this sux! Plus parents came home early. Hoping they didn't see our 'goodbye'>

Lacey: <Oh no - They were home already last night?>

Kristi: <Yep but not acting differently so hoping its ok>

Lacey: <btw ty 4 my surprise;) >

Kristi: <OMG -- u r welcome! Sorry I didn't have time to wash them. C U tomorrow. Bring softball stuff>

Across town, Kristi stared at Lacey's texts before reluctantly deleting them. She pushed thoughts of Lacey's amazing taste from her mind as she tried to flip the switch into "hetero" mode. As much as she loved being between her cousin's thighs, she convinced herself that it was only a diversion. Truth be told - as she had feared - the recent intimacy triggered more hazy memories of her sorority nightmare. She felt as if the answers were within reach and even closer than ever, almost as if she was looking through a heavy translucent veil at the actions that unfolded that night. She could make out forms and shadows in her mind, but not the actual acts themselves. Was it her mind's way of suppressing a painful and traumatic experience, was it simply drug and alcohol-induced, or both? It was pure torture, but was it enough to break off a beautiful relationship with her cousin? She wasn't sure.

She decided to text Jake, hoping that he was going to be on campus next weekend. Maybe a good heterosexual romp would help to convince her of her sexuality, although she knew the truth.

<Hi J -- sorry we didn't connect. Will u b on campus next week? Hope so!>

<Yep -- Glad to hear from u. C U Friday?>

<ok~>

She put her phone down, but not before also deleting that text. Why did she feel like she was cheating? And on her own cousin? She shook her head. She was the one who begged Lacey not to freak out, yet here she was doing just that. Despite her feelings for her cousin, she knew that they would have to have a very serious and potentially hurtful conversation - and soon - before things spiraled further out of control.

That night, both girls struggled to sleep with each knowing that the upcoming days would be filled with more temptations and guilt. Lacey weighed her options. Should she just stop asking her cousin for help? Could they continue to practice together without being intimate? She wasn't sure. It had taken all of her willpower throughout the day

not

to bury her face in the tempting lacy panty gift that remained hidden in the overnight bag, so she knew it would be that much harder to be around her cousin without feeling the need for physical contact. And as much as she loved showering with Kristi, for some strange reason it was her glistening sweaty post-workout body that turned Lacey on even more.

Lacey lay awake and peeked at the clock. Nearly 3am. No longer able to resist, she fumbled in the darkness next to her bed and pulled the panties from the bag. Her mind crafted a fantasy that was not far from their truth. In her mind, Kristi was beside her in bed, but not for long. Salivating, she quietly placed the panties over her nose and mouth again in the darkness, imagining her older cousin obscenely straddling her face, pressing her moist mound against her lips and slowly rotating against her as Lacey's hands held on to her perfect, toned ass, pulling her even more tightly against her face. She finally drifted off to sleep with her hand again in her own panties.

Across town, Kristi rubbed as well at nearly the same time, but although she relied on her past experiences with Jake, she was unable to reach an orgasm until her younger cousin made a guest appearance in the fantasy.

The next morning, both girls stressed out before meeting for their planned workout. Fortunately for them, Kristi's parents were home, so that helped to reduce the temptation. Lacey arrived at Kristi's home, and nearly punched in '69-69' before realizing that she couldn't just enter anymore. She rang the bell instead, and her Aunt Sadie greeted her. Although they had never been close, her aunt seemed even more distant and jittery as she waited for Kristi. They struggled to exchange small talk and awkwardly caught up on family matters while sipping coffee. When Kristi arrived, Lacey's heart fluttered and she smiled at her friend.

"Hey Lace. I was thinking of hitting the outside batting cages today and tomorrow, then doing some fielding Wednesday and Thursday."

"Sounds good, Kristi. I'm ready when you are."

They said goodbye to Kristi's mom and again hopped into the Miata for the short drive to the batting cages. Aunt Sadie watched intently from the dining room window as they departed. Neither cousin knew what to say during the ride, although they both knew that they couldn't go another day without a "talk." No hands were held, and no glances were exchanged. They pulled up to the nearly empty parking lot and before leaving the car, Kristi hesitated before commenting.

"There are usually some, uh...'butch' girls working here on Mondays. Fair warning -- some of them like to flirt, especially when no one is around. I hate to admit it, and I feel a little guilty, but sometimes they give me free rounds."

"Um, okay. So, what do you want me to do?"

"Nothing Lace. Just be yourself. I just didn't want you to be shocked by any of them. They're pretty harmless."

They walked to the entrance with their equipment backpacks in tow and glanced in to find the complex and cages to be empty. Kristi looked at her phone and realized that they were nearly a half hour early.

"Shit, I forgot that they only open at ten on weekdays."

Kristi tried the gate anyway and was surprised to find it unlocked. Entering the complex, they rounded the corner to the check-in area where they clearly startled Connie, a solidly built but cute athletic woman stuffed into a "SuperSlam" t-shirt that was at least one size too small. Despite the cooler early morning air, her forehead glistened with perspiration. She leaned against the high counter and looked around before smiling down at Kristi, taking her in from head to toe.

"Hi Connie. Sorry to scare you. I forgot that you open later on Mondays," Kristi said as she looked up with her most sheepish 'can you forgive me' face.

"Um, that's more than okay Kristi," she said as she bit her lip, eyes fluttering and clearly infatuated. "Here for a few rounds as usual?"

Kristi got into character, responding with a smile, "I was really here to see you, but I guess I could go a few rounds while I'm here. No April today?"

"Uh, no. She ... she should be in later. It's always slow on Monday mornings," Connie commented with a slight twitch.

Kristi shrugged. "This is my friend -- um, Dana. She will probably need some tokens too. Maybe ten total to start out?"

"There's a special, just for you today. Buy one, get two free. Kind of like a 'three-some," she said as she glanced over at 'Dana' and smiled.

She handed over thirty tokens, or the equivalent of 450 swings in the batting cage. Kristi passed her $20, and their hands lingered briefly as the money exchanged.

"Thanks so much Connie. Nice top by the way!" Connie gushed at the comment, and as they turned away from the counter, both girls swayed their hips just a little bit more than normal, suppressing their glee until they rounded the corner, out of sight from the counter.

"I'm 'Dana' now? Jesus, Kristi. I'm surprised there wasn't a puddle under her after that display," Lacey laughed.

"Yeah, I guess I was pretty bad, but I saw you batting your eyelashes a little bit too, so don't act like little Miss Innocent!"

"Guilty!" Lacey said, raising her hand. "You're a bad influence, but I'm not complaining," she kidded, clearly enjoying her new flirty self.

"You know how many rounds you can do with thirty tokens? It's like a week's worth. You'll be the next Willie Mays after I'm done with you."

"Um, Willy who?"

"Mays -- never mind. Let's see a few swings before we stick the tokens in."

Lacey put a helmet on and shuffled into the cage with her bat. She took a few practice swings while Kristi gave her pointers from outside the netting. "Keep your eye level totally still, get good balance, crouch. That's pretty good. Waggle your butt a little bit. Now take a few swings."

As Kristi watched her cousin move her ass, she bit her lip. God, she wanted more! She decided to move to the other side to avoid more temptation, but again she found herself staring and wanting.

"Focus!" Her internal voice screamed. "This can't go on, so stop agonizing!"

In the distance, Connie watched intently as 'Dana' took her swings. She thanked the Lord for the high counter as she looked down between her parted legs at the cute trainee staring up at her, so eager to please. She loved the early morning shift and the training regimen that she created for some of her more special 'girls.'

She whispered to the intern, "God, you should see the ass on Dana. I could just eat her alive. And Kristi. Jesus, she makes me wet just talking to her. Can you tell?"

She looked at her phone, knowing she only had another twenty minutes or so to "train" the newbie, and reached down to hold the intern's head between her legs.

"Tell me what you want, April. What makes Ms. Connie happy?"

April struggled to speak and mumbled against her boss's mound, with Connie's shorts and panties discarded on the floor at her knees.

"What did you say, April?"

"My...my tongue makes Ms. Connie happy?" she asked as she briefly looked up before hungrily returning to her boss's wet pussy.

"That's right, April. Oh God... and don't forget my ass. Come on, we're running out of time," she said as she waved to Kristi.

"Yes, Ms. Connie. I'm sorry," April said, shifting slightly and angling her face to eagerly rim her summer boss's butt.

Forty yards away, the girls took turns doing their rounds in the cage, and within thirty minutes the complex was bustling. Both April and Connie were hustling to accommodate everyone. Lacey couldn't help but notice how sweaty her cousin had become, and she felt the familiar desire again creeping in. Kristi noticed her "look" and smiled.

"Down girl! I think we created a monster," she said as she shook her ass more, timing the last couple of pitches and drilling them straight up the middle of the cage. She exited and dropped the bat onto her bag, then removed her helmet before wrapping a scrunchy around her ponytail.