THE BIRTHDAY
I stepped into the small AIRBNB and dropped my bag on one of the Queen beds. The bathroom door was open and the shower running. As I was taking my suit out of the bad, Les—my older sister by eleven months, Irish twins, they say—stepped out of the shower.
"Jack, you finally made it."
So, as they say, this isn't how it looks. Les, Leslie, and I grew up in a lower-middle-class family in a two-bedroom house with one bathroom. Our parents worked, and we struggled, but we had a great life as kids.
We weren't naturists. We didn't' eschew clothing, it was just the way. Doors were seldom shut, and Les and I shared a room. Seeing our parents nude was normal, not flaunted, just expedient—small house. Les and I bathed together as kids. Water, and hot water, cost money.
Shared bathing stopped in our teen years, but that was the only change. There was nothing sexual about it in any way. Tough to give you the feel for it, but it was.
Even though I hadn't seen Les in four years, she looked good. Still the tall lean volleyball player. Her chestnut hair long and thick.
I stopped unpacking, "Yeah, had a tough time at the rental counter and there was a wreck on the interstate."
"Take a shower, you'll feel better. There's takeout on the way and I brought bourbon."
I kicked off my shoes, shucked my polo, and dropped my pants. Les made no comment on my lack of briefs, or pubic hair.
Les stood at the mirror as I slid behind her to get in the shower, "You're taking care of yourself, baby brother." Les said.
The warm water felt good washing the road grime away, "yeah, still play pickup baseball and hit the gym."
I left the curtain open, and Les conversed looking into the mirror as she pulled stray hairs from her eyebrows, "I'm in a volleyball league. It's not as easy as it was in college."
I laughed, "Les, that was four years ago. Should I get you a spot in the home?"
Les cupped her hands under the faucet and doused me with a handful of cold water, "You butt!"
I was done and stepped out, shoving Les out the door, "Get out of the way, you had your turn."
As I dried and shaved, Les got dressed, still talking, "So, how's married life?" she asked while sliding a thong up those long legs over her natural bush.
"Not bad." I replied, the truth not being convenient at this time.
Les slipped a tank top on, not bothering with a bra. That was her way, she doesn't have a lot on top and always hated a bra, "Well, you're doin better than me."
I was out of the bathroom at the other bed, getting out a pair of athletic shorts. I paused, "Trouble?"
"Let's mix some drinks, the foods here."
Les didn't return to her comment until much later. We reminisced over dinner sharing stories of our dad, whose birthday we were celebrating, and our life in the little house on Carter Street.
It was late, the bourbon was nearly gone, an old movie on the TV that we'd both seen many times. Our conversation had lapsed, I was close to nodding out.
"He gambles and loses," Les said.
I took her hand, the same as we always have when one of us was down, "How much of a problem is it?"
"He just got fired. I exploded. He swears he's going into rehab. This will be the second time."
I squeezed my sister's hand, "I had no idea."
Les leaned into me, "Yeah, well not exactly Face Book stuff."
We sat in silence for a second or two.
"I think Janet's cheating on me."
Les leaned forward and looked at me, "Really? What the fuck?"
My wife Janet, my college sweetheart, is five feet of energy. Smart, sassy, funny, and profoundly attractive. Platinum blond, perfect round ass, and a set of D cups to die for. We have well, had, a terrific life and a more terrific sex life. Janet loves sex, all kinds of sex and she isn't shy about where.
Well, I let it out, so might as well tell all, "In the last few months, her sex drive has, well, we do it a lot less and she kinda rushes it when we do."
Les turned to face me, "You need to confront her, talk about this. You're wrong. It's gotta be a medical thing or something."
"I'd like to think that, Less, but one of my neighbors, a drinking buddy told me that there's a car that pulls into my garage on some days when I'm at work. He was really embarrassed and apologized all over the place, but he was on his second marriage, and it had happened to him. He never saw the driver and insisted that he was probably wrong, but the tone of his voice told another tale.
Les rubbed my arm, "What are you going to do?"
"I'm not sure. I'm thinking cameras."
"Oh, Jack, I don't know. You gotta be careful. If you're wrong and she finds them, it'll be bad. Or, if you're right, well, you might know the guy. I've read stories."
I got up, helped Les get up, "Yeah, but I gotta know."
We took turns brushing our teeth, and all that. Les pulled back her bed and slipped off her tank and shorts. I did the same. I laughed, "Some things never change."
Les looked at me, "I never could sleep with clothes on."
I pulled the covers over me, loving the crisp feel of clean sheets on my naked body, "Me neither. G'night, Les."
Her back to me, my sister mumbled, "Nite Jack, love ya."
The birthday was great. Les and I stayed another night. We didn't talk about our marital problems, just the old days and college.
After that, Les and I got back in touch, phone calls, texts. It was nice. Out of an unspoken agreement, we did not talk about our marriages. One of our close cousins was getting married in three months and we were invited. Two days before the wedding Les texted me.
"I left him."
I texted back, "My neighbor was right."
THE WEDDING
The ceremony was down south. Les, who has a much better job than I, got us an AIRBNB, two queens, like last time.
I got in late, Les was already asleep, I showered quickly and went to bed.
"Get up, you slug."
I opened my eyes, Les stood next to the bed, nude, a towel around her head, her untrimmed pubis at eye level, "What time is it?"
"Past nine, we have to be at the bride's breakfast in ten minutes."
"Why did you let me sleep so late?"
Les stepped back, giving me room to get out of the bed, which was nice, but better if she had turned away. As usual, my dick was hard, and I was embarrassed. Les was oblivious.
"You got in wicked late, and I was trying to be a good sister."
Still not moving. Oh well. I tossed back the covers and got up. Les' eyes went wide, but she said nothing as me and my boner went to the bathroom.
When I got out, I was 'relaxed', and Les was dressed.
Our cousin's family is much more well-off than ours, so this was going to be an event-filled weekend. I had gotten in on Friday, and the wedding was Sunday. I won't get into details, but Saturday was a busy and fun-filled day with a large group of people. Les and I stayed together, neither of us talking about our marriages. The day ended with a barbeque.
Les closed the door to the room, "Wow, great day, but I've had enough people."
I kicked off my shoes, "yeah, really. I love our family, but I'm not used to that many of them."
Les reached behind her to release the zipper on her dress, "Shower and a movie? I brought bourbon."