In Her Cousins Footsteps Pt 09

IN HER COUSIN'S FOOTSTEPS- Part Nine

(italicized paragraph is from Pt 8) The cousins made out, lost in each other until Kristi's phone buzzed, bringing them back to reality.

She glanced over and saw Jake's name appear on the screen.

Before Lacey could react, her own phone chimed next to her with a text.

They both looked down to see Maddy's name in the lower corner.

Looking at each other, they ignored their phones and held each other before their lips met yet again for a lingering, passionate kiss.

"I could get SO used to this, to you," Kristi said. Are you sure you never...?" She didn't finish.

Lacey smiled proudly in her arms and shook her head 'no,' before saying, "I guess I had a good teacher."

Kristi smiled. "Remember, repetition is the key."

Lacey relaxed in her cousin's arms as Kristi stroked her hair lovingly. Neither wanted to free themselves from the comfort of the oversized chair and each other's arms, but Lacey finally pried herself away and rose. It took everything in her being

not

to tell her cousin that she was falling in love with her. Instead she smiled and murmured, "Shower time for me."

Kristi watched Lacey as she walked down the hallway and into Angie's room to gather her overnight bag, then moments later slipped out of the bedroom and into the bathroom directly across the hall, totally naked. Kristi reached down and slid her panties back on, still shocked but obviously pleasantly surprised by her supposedly naïve cousin's actions.

She reluctantly reached for her phone and read Jake's text before responding:

J: <Hi-What time tonite & where?>

K: <idk>

J: <House Party- Phillips St ok? Meet there -6:00>

K: <Ok>

Kristi slid her phone into her pocket and glanced over at Lacey's phone. The text message from Madison was within reach, and she knew she needed to resist the temptation to read it. After all, she reasoned - she was meeting Jake tonight so it would be hypocritical to expect Lacey to stay home and wait for her to return. Still she couldn't deny feeling a pang of jealousy and knew that she would just have to suppress it.

The bathroom door opened, and she watched her suddenly uninhibited cousin passing back across the hall and into Angie's room, again totally naked. She licked her lips at the thought of pleasing Lacey and for an instant she considered texting Jake to cancel, but she held her ground. A promise is a promise after all, and if she cancelled tonight, she would eventually have to meet him somewhere. She decided to just get it over with.

Kristi finally rose from the comfort of the soft chair and walked down the hallway, glancing into Angie's room to see her lover. "Sleep in my room tonight? Please?"

Lacey looked up and smiled. "Are you sure?" Kristi nodded yes.

"Okay. Oh, and Kristi? I'm sorry I was weird about your 'Jake' thing. This is all so new to me. These feelings. You, me..."

"No, I get it." She paused, almost saying that she felt the same way about Lacey's new 'friendship' with Madison, but she caught herself.

She continued without trying to pry, "So, you'll be okay tonight for a while?"

"Yep. I think so. I may just search around campus for some good pizza or maybe find a batting cage to practice a little. I'm anxious to try some of the stuff Connie showed us."

Kristi laughed. "Yeah, I have to admit that she really does know hitting -- and hitting on 'you.' "

"No, she has her eye on you. Especially when you told her that you were only there for her. Jesus, she was so excited. You don't think she really believed it, do you?"

"No, she knows I'm straight. Well, at least I

thought

I was at the time," Kristi said with a glint in her eye.

"She knows a guy that I dated a year or so ago. We used to go to the cage together, so I think I'm safe from her. You on the other hand -- are totally fair game in her mind!"

"Hmm, maybe I'll apply for a job there," Lacey said kiddingly.

"You wouldn't! Don't tell me

she's

your 'type?' "

"This is way too new for me to even think about what my type is, but...no, she's not my type. YOU are."

"Keep it up and I'm not going to let you out of this room," Kristi teased as she smiled at Lacey.

"Promises promises. You better get ready for your date though. It's getting late."

"It's not a...," Kristi stopped, realizing that it really was technically a date. "You're right. Someone got me all hot and sweaty. Not saying who...I need to take another shower, but oh my God, was it SO worth it!"

Lacey watched her cousin turn and walk out of the bedroom. She reached into her overnight bag, trying to figure out what to put on, until she remembered the unanswered text from Maddy. She waited until she heard the shower running again before heading for the living area to retrieve her phone. With the coast clear, she looked at her messages. One was from her dad just making sure that she arrived safely. The next three were from Madison:

M: <was great meeting u>

M: <so bored-up to anything?>

M: <Pizza? My treat? 6:30ish at Gianni's?>

L: <Sorry -- just saw this now -- ok for pizza-shorts ok?>

M: <Clothing optional -- just kidding -- shorts and T 4 me>

Lacey had to read the last text twice. Was Madison actually flirting? Should she respond, she wondered or just ignore it? She chose to ignore it. The last thing she wanted to do was complicate things further by giving signals to Madison that there could be more than just a friendship. She responded simply:

L: <LoL-ok-CU at 6:30>

"Shit!" Lacey thought to herself. Why did she agree to this, she wondered? Although she desperately wanted to spend the weekend with Kristi, she told herself that she DID need to eat after all, and what else did she have to do while Kristi was away?

With only an hour remaining before her rendezvous, she again reached for her book, trying to read while absorbing everything that had occurred that day. Unlike Kristi who was clearly confused about her sexuality, Lacey suddenly knew that she had no interest in boys. After years of being invisible to them, a new world had opened up to her in a matter of days, and she finally allowed herself to admit that she had much more than just a physical attraction to Kristi. It was way too early in the relationship, but the "L" word kept creeping into her head. She was tempted to text Maddy to cancel, but decided to let things play out. Besides, she told herself, it's just pizza.

A half hour later she looked up from her book to see Kristi entering the room. Her jaw dropped as Kristi extended her arms out to her sides, and said, "Ta Da!" Gone was the slightly tomboyish athlete -- which Lacey found to be extremely attractive - and now standing in front of her was a pure work of art. Her hair and makeup along with a stylish beige and brown-checkered gingham top perfectly complemented her white capris jeans and combined to force a gasp from Lacey.

"Wow. Who are you and what have you done with my cousin?" Lacey kidded admiringly, although deep down she kept hearing "booty call" running over and over in her mind.

Kristi did an exaggerated pirouette and laughed. "Too much?"

"No, it's just -- I never really saw you, you know -- made up. Kristi, you're stunning, really."

"Thanks Lace. I'm running behind as usual. I'll see you tonight, not too late I hope. Have fun, whatever you decide to do."

Lacey rose and gave her an awkward hug, careful not to disturb her makeup, then watched her leave the apartment. She couldn't resist looking out the window. As she expected, Kristi left the top of the Miata up, which mildly disappointed Lacey. To her, it meant that Kristi didn't want to mess up her hair for her 'date.' Oh well, they weren't a "thing" -- not officially anyway. Despite her feelings, Kristi was free to do what she wanted, and Lacey knew she couldn't stop her. She looked at her phone -- 5:50. She still had time to change and walk to the pizza place, roughly a half mile away.

Impulsively, she entered Angie's room and sorted through her bag for her lone thong. Although she hated how uncomfortable it felt on her, she had to admit that it made her ass look sexy. She slipped her shorts off, dropped her plain Hanes cotton panties and replaced them with the satiny violet thong before putting her white shorts back on. She checked herself in the mirror, making sure the color didn't show through, and immediately she felt sexier. She just wished that she could get used to the feeling of a permanent wedgie. She slid her light green "Life Is Good" t-shirt on and decided on sandals despite the nearly half-mile walk to the pizza shop.

She left the apartment, remembering to take the spare key with her. "It's not a date, it's not a date," she kept telling herself, although there was something about the text that felt uncomfortably "flirtatious" -- even exciting in a small way. Even though she was looking forward to seeing her new friend, something about it felt like she was cheating. She slowed down several times and considered reversing course, but her stomach told her to continue on. She chalked up her insecurity about Kristi and Jake to her own youth and inexperience. Maybe this is how college really is, she thought. Openness and freedom. Still she wasn't sure that she could get used to that.

She reached the pizzeria a few minutes late and looked around for Madison, not seeing her, finding that she was actually relieved that she may have been stood up. She looked up at the menu and her stomach growled, telling her that it couldn't wait any longer. Despite the temptation to load up with meat toppings, she opted instead for two slices of plain pizza and a small diet coke, a contradiction if there ever was one. Nothing like a 1500 calorie meal washed down with a zero-calorie drink, she thought. She paid and grabbed a few napkins, then sat down at a small bistro table around the side of the establishment and facing the front door. As she waited for the pizza, she looked down at her phone. No messages. Ten minutes later the pizza was served at nearly the exact time the door opened. Lacey looked up to see a smiling Madison strolling in and waving to her. She tried not to stare, but it was nearly impossible.

The men behind the counter all stopped what they were doing and gazed. Maddy was nearly the polar opposite of Kristi, tall and slim, blonde and surprisingly busty. Amazing what a sports bra can hide, Lacey thought as she smiled and waved at her new friend. Despite her best efforts not to admire Madison, she had to admit that her friend's sense of style was well beyond what she was accustomed to in her small rural North Carolina town. Her hair bounced as she walked and flowed well below her shoulders, barely covering the spaghetti strings of her white camisole top. Her tan shorts were just slightly shorter than Lacey would have considered to be acceptable, making Maddy's long legs appear even longer. Like Lacey, Maddy opted for sandals, but unlike her, Maddy's Bohemian-style sandals accentuated a perfect pedicure with turquoise color that nearly matched her eyes. Lacey guessed that the pedicure itself likely cost more than her entire wardrobe. Lacey hated that her pulse rate jumped, and she took a few deep breaths, again saying to herself that Maddy was just a friend, nothing more.

Madison reached Lacey's table and made no excuse for being late. She looked down at the plate.

"I'll order something fast. Don't wait for me - your pizza will get cold." She turned and sashayed to the cash register where three older men nearly stumbled over each other in their hurry to take her order. It took all of Lacey's willpower to

not

focus on Maddy's hips as she walked to the counter, but she managed. She tried not to be offended that

she

didn't get any special service from the men behind the counter, but she really couldn't blame them. She had to admit that Maddy lit up the room. In minutes, her friend returned to the table with a small white veggie pizza slice and a bottle of water. Unlike Lacey, Maddy used her knife and fork to separate her meal into small pieces, while Maddy just shoveled her first slice into her mouth, partly out of hunger but mostly out of habit.

"I like your top, Maddy. It's cute on you."

"I know, right? Daddy's credit card didn't like it, but I couldn't resist."

Lacey resisted the strong temptation to roll her eyes, thinking that Maddy and Stacy really were more alike than she had originally thought. As they made small talk, Lacey thought she smelled a trace of alcohol and asked if everything was okay.

Maddy shrugged. "I called Carmen tonight. She almost acted like she didn't know me. People suck," she said before sipping from a different water bottle than the one she had earlier. Lacey was naïve, but she had been around family members who drank, and she suddenly suspected why Maddy was late.

"I'm sorry Maddy. Maybe she was just having a bad day, or was stressed out or something."

"Well, fuck her. She was only good for one thing anyway," Maddy said just a bit too loudly. "How about you, Lace? What are

you

good for?" As she asked, she flicked the tip of her tongue just slightly, then giggled.

Lacey slunk down in her seat, totally embarrassed. She couldn't finish her pizza quickly enough. If only she had considered an "escape" before getting herself into this nightmarish situation, she thought.

"Well, um... maybe give it some time with Carmen," Lacey said, ignoring the lewd comment and realizing how ridiculous her advice sounded even as she was saying it.

"She had her chance," she said, taking another sip. "She doesn't get another one. So," she smiled through glazed eyes at Lacey while licking her lips. "I guess I'm totally available."

Lacey ignored the comment, now more concerned about Maddy's safety. "Um, did you drive here, Maddy?"

"No, daddy filled my Uber card up. Once you go 'Uber black' you never go back!" She snorted as she laughed at her own joke, then dropped a piece of pizza onto her shorts.

"Oh shit!" She dabbed at it with a napkin while Lacey looked at her phone, dying to be rescued somehow from the awkward situation.

Thankfully Maddy's phone buzzed with a text and she quickly picked it up. As she read it a smile came across her face. She fingered the phone, typing a response before sliding it into her back pocket.

"Well, we have a party to go to if you're up for it," she said, beaming. Before Lacey could respond, Maddy explained. "It's one of the better house parties off campus, over on Phillips Street. They have all kinds of drinks and there's usually a DJ there. You just HAVE to go! We're already late," she said, pulling her phone out and bringing up her Uber app.

"Um, I'm not really feeling very well, Maddy. It's okay. I'm not even a student here anyway."

Maddy looked up from her phone. "Seriously? It's like a tiki theme. It's great. Stacy said she can get me in. I mean, get 'us' in."

If Lacey had any remote thoughts of going to the party, hearing Stacy's name made up her mind completely.

"Uh, no. I think I'll just go back to Kristi's place and relax, but thanks. Have a good time with Stacy, okay? And Maddy?"

"What?" She asked, not looking up as she played with her phone.

"Don't take any shit from her, okay? You're better than her." With that, Lacey stood and walked out of the pizzeria. Maddy took another sip, shrugging her shoulders and saying to herself," Her loss."

Lacey was relieved to have escaped, and she made a mental note to do whatever she could to avoid drinking. Seeing its effect on Maddy and hearing the sorority horror story from Kristi made her wonder why anyone would ever indulge in it. Although she felt a bit sorry for Maddy, she didn't feel like it was her place to play 'therapist' tonight, and she could only imagine what the party across town would be like. A nice quiet time at home sounded so much better, although thinking about being in the apartment and waiting up for her lover tugged at her heart. She spotted a park bench and sat down to take her sandal off, massaging her sore heel. Looking up, she read a sign on the storefront of the building across the street -- "TAMMY'S PET STORE -- GOING OUT OF BUSINESS. EVERYTHING 75% OFF!" She slipped her sandal back on and crossed the street, as much out of boredom as curiosity.

A few miles away, Jake and Kristi were catching up, sipping colorful 'hurricanes' at the house party's makeshift outdoor Tiki Bar and slowly moving to reggae music. Kristi hated dancing, but she found herself swaying awkwardly to the beat and trying her best to enjoy herself. Although she rarely drank, seeing Stacy and Andrea at the party fueled her thirst for alcohol, and as much as she wanted to leave, she forced herself to remain there. She was determined not to let the two girls deny her yet again. Easier to just pretend they weren't there at all. They were nearly a perfect match with both in white designer blouses and jeans, although they had huge differences in their sizes. One cup of the beverage was normally Kristi's limit, and she now found herself reaching for her second. Despite her determination not to let them ruin her night, she felt their eyes on her. She asked herself why she was even there in the first place, but she knew the answer -- she was literally terrified at the suddenly intense feelings that she had developed for her cousin, even before the earth-shaking orgasm that Lacey's inexperienced tongue provided earlier that day.

As the song changed to yet another Bob Marley tune, Jake shifted behind her and pressed his bulge directly against Kristi's ass through her white capris, holding on to her hips as they moved in rhythm. The rough push against her butt normally would have excited her; however, tonight it had the opposite effect, perhaps because his cock was very close to the sacred virginal place that Lacey's tongue surprisingly and lovingly worshipped earlier. She moved away from Jake and set her drink down, no longer wanting or needing it or him. Confused, Jake asked what was wrong, but the music was too loud to carry on a conversation. She took his hand and navigated through the crowd, bee-lining to the entrance and coming just a few feet from the judgmental pair. Their revulsion was apparent on their faces, and Kristi couldn't help but slow down long enough to glare at Cyndi. Although she envisioned dumping what was left of her drink on both of them, she took the high road instead -- well 'almost' took the high road.

When Kristi got close enough to the two girls, she couldn't resist asking Andrea, "How is that cell phone working? Did you glue all those little plastic pieces together yet?"

The girls both turned beet red, and she laughed as she dragged Jake through the house and out to the street.

"What was that all about?"

"LONG story Jake. You really don't want to know. Listen, I... I'm sorry but I probably shouldn't have come to the party. I'm kind of, well, seeing someone."

"Jesus Kristi. Why didn't you tell me? I mean, I missed you." He looked around before taking her hand and placing it on his bulge. "WE missed you."

She didn't stop him, and she gently squeezed him through his shorts. It was a totally different type of desire that she felt, and the alcohol didn't help with her temptation. God, why had she made that promise, she wondered? He was totally hard in her hand, and she felt his rough stubble against her cheek as he kissed her neck. He made out with her on the quiet street, backing her against the driver's side of his car. She knew that she should resist, no - needed to resist, but wasn't sure that she could. He began dry-humping her against the car, and she wrapped a leg around him, thankful that it was just past dusk -- dark enough to be somewhat discreet. She allowed him to lewdly rub against her as a black car pulled up. They briefly looked up in time to see Madison glancing over at them before staggering into the home. The vision snapped Kristi back to reality, and she gently pushed against Jake.