A vivid image I have forever burned into my memory, is one that lucidly flashes back to me at distinctive moments. It has specific triggers: the brilliant, deep-orange sky of a summer sunset, a hint of coconut oil wafting through salty sea air, and a sailboat on the water, and oddly as it may sound - the sight of a deck of cards.
The image is of a sultry, casually-cool enchantress, strolling down a dirt road in sandals. Her sunglasses resting atop her short brown hair, holding her flipped back quiff in place. The resonant sunset blaze highlights the bronze of her buff shoulders. Her athletic body is toned, yet still features soft curves and feminine flair. I smile, gazing upon the blackstrap of her pink bikini top, as earlier in the day she had directed me to untie it and coat her sunbaked skin with the lotion; a task I was more than happy to take on.
At this point in time, she and I were midway into our maiden voyage of intimacy, our very own, special "Summer Of Love". Her bold request, that came across more like a demand, out in the open - right in front of our mother - was quite audacious. We had mostly been rendezvousing in secrecy up to that point. While our joint showering had been approved by our mother (which had been becoming longer and more playful), our sexual activity was still primarily confined to our shared bed behind a closed door, or a spontaneous quickie on the couch in the TV room during a rare occasion we found ourselves alone.
However, the open sea seems to have a tranquilizing, almost hypnotic effect...whether it's the rocking of the boat on the tide, the intensity of the bright sun in a cloudless sky, or the soft buzz of rum infused tropical drinks over the course of a day...one's discretion seems to dissolve or just not matter so much when the desire for another's touch arises.
It seems silly to think we had been fooling anyone. Our mom had already seen us cuddling on the couch several times, my head resting on Emma's shoulder, her stroking my long hair, our feet and legs entangled beneath a shared blanket. Was it even possible she didn't know? Then again, what if she did? She hadn't said anything. Perhaps her silence was a form of implied approval?
Recalling how my hands has sinuously slithered down her back while applying lotion, my eyes traced their way to those cut-off denim shorts that barely clung to her hips. They sashayed and shimmied in rhythm with her step, rising and falling with her undulating buttocks; a goddess in beachwear. Just enough of a hint of the fabric from her hot-pink French cut bikini bottom, held my attention as it played peek-a-boo in cadence with her strut. I was bewitched - an article of discarded boys clothing has never been so hauntingly enchanting on a female form. Venus herself would have bowed down to her in deference.
That was my younger sister. When I Zoomed with her just a few days ago, I still saw her as that casually elegant 18-year-old. Today, she still has a hold on her "big sister". I chuckle when I hear her call me that, with that teasing lilt in her voice and half-crooked smile. She may be my younger sister, but in no way is she my little sister.
That point was emphatically underscored later on this particular evening, at out portentous destination just ahead of us beyond the intersection of the dirt road.
We ended up here, on this fabulous July weekend, during a visit our uncle who lived on the south shore of Long Island. He'd just purchased a new sailboat that he was proud to show off. We went out Saturday morning and spent most of the day out in the ocean. I wasn't that crazy about sailing, the boat dipped and rolled too much for my liking, I felt unstable and was worried all day about capsizing. I much preferred the steadier ride of his old motorboat, it felt much safer to me. But what the sailboat had in its favor was a gorgeous, if not grandly spacious, cabin. Around midday when we were anchored offshore for lunch, I laid inside to take a respite from the hot sun and was lulled to sleep by the gentle rocking of the waves. It was very soothing.
As we traveled up the inlet to the marina in the late afternoon, Em asked our uncle if she and I could spend the night on the boat, as the marina was just a few minutes' walk from his house. She buttered him up by telling him how beautiful the new boat was and how we wanted to spend as much time on it as possible. Beaming with pride after being showered by my sister's loquacious flattery, he emphatically said yes. Our mother, somewhat reluctant at first, ultimately acquiesced. What fun! Spending the night on the water, almost like a little camping expedition, only with better accommodations! After a quick backyard barbecue dinner, Em and I set out on our stroll along the dirt road, out to the marina. I, of course, was allured by the view of her the entire way, warmly immersed in her silent spell.
Once aboard, we went inside and did some exploring. We figured out that the outermost cabin could be semi-open - once the doors were completely opened the hatches above also opened up, allowing the orange-red sunset to illuminate the interior in the most pleasant way as it complimented the dark wood wonderfully. I imagined the view of the stars in the night sky would be amazing as we were sheltered from any bright lights at the closed down marina in this quiet part of the edge of town. There was a small table between two futon-like benches that could be used as bunks. The low ceiling made it feel a little bit cramped, neither of us were very tall but walking around completely upright was an impossibility. Still, it was cozy and there was an air of excitement as this was a new and fun experience for us both.
Beyond that was an interior cabin, way up in the front. It was completely closed, with a single small porthole on either side. You had to climb up into it, and there was open space completely covered by those futon-like mats. We both looked at each other, with a smile that articulated our shared thought, "Yep, this is where we're sleeping tonight." Not a word needed to be said.
After watching the sun set out on the deck, we retreated to the open portion of the outer cabin. Em found a deck of cards, shuffled them, placed them face down on the little table and flipped the top card over and placed it alongside the stack face up. She said we were going to play Hi-Low with Truth-or-Dare stakes. I experienced a slight shudder of fear, knowing my sister was capable of asking me to say or do anything on a whim.
She continued, noticing the puzzled look on my face, "It's simple. You bet on the face-up card that the next one will be higher or lower. If you guess correctly, you get to ask me any question you want, and I will answer truthfully. If you guess wrong, I get to ask you any question. If the next card comes the same, then you have to do a dare." I nodded affirmatively, if reluctantly. I got to go first.
Fortunately, my first guess was easy. A 4 card was showing and I said "higher", which it was. My first question to Em was, "You know that you were my first. Who was your first and how did it happen? What was it like?" [Personal aside - I often preface a question with a statement relating to myself or something familiar to me. I dislike randomness. I like to think things happen for a reason or have a relationship somehow to something.]
She replied, "One afternoon walking home with a friend after softball practice had been rained out. We stopped at a corner about a block away from the girl's home. Knowing we had time on their hands and neither of us felt like going home just yet, we fell into a conversation. She continued, "It was still drizzling, but we were soaked from the downpour earlier. Our uniforms clung to our bodies and Maria's Latina booty was killing me. We looked at each other and when she licked her lips I leaned in and kissed her with an open mouth. We grabbed each other and rolled onto the grass off the sidewalk. She pushed my top up and sucked on my tits and I nearly came right there. We did a bump-and-grind next to these bushes then laughed our asses off because we both knew we were crazy! It was a miracle nobody drove by and saw us!"
Typical Em. I wasn't all that shocked.
On her turn, Em guessed correctly and asked, "Who's your biggest crush?"
I quickly shot out, "Nelly Furtado!"
Em laughed, but being unsatisfied she followed up, "No, really, who do you like? C'mon, you can tell me. Did you like anyone at school? Who is it?"
I honestly didn't have one though. Sure, there were some girls who I was attracted to, but I was too shy to approach them. I spent a lot of time either at the library or in my dorm room. I only went to a couple of parties but, was really uncomfortable in those big, social situations. I'm much better in a quiet space one-on-one. So, I just stared at my feet and mumbled, "I don't know, I don't really have anyone."
Em was disappointed. I think she was hoping for an answer that would lead to some juicy dishing, but she probably wasn't surprised either. So far, we both had been true to our character. Now, I probably could have confessed to Em that she was my crush, but I was too abashed to say it out loud. I thought that she might interpret that obvious flattery as too much of a blatant brownnose (not that I wasn't secretly hoping to be doing that in the literal sense very soon!)
On my next turn I drew a 10 card, guessed lower, but was betrayed by a queen. Seizing the momentum, Em quickly asked, "When was the last time you were busted playing with yourself?" Even though we only had the dim lighting of a lantern, I felt like she could see my red of my face burning like the sunset that had just passed. I hesitated, trying to find the right words, but Em wouldn't tolerate any stalling, "C'mon, spill it you naughty slut! I want every detail!"
I groaned an exasperated sigh, "OK, fine. It was Mom back when I was home during winter break."
Em howled with laughter, "Oh my god, she caught you!? How did I not find out?"
She pressed me for the details...I fessed up: "I was upstairs in the bedroom late one afternoon. You were at practice or something and I was bored. I was playing on my phone, surfed some vids. I found a good one that made me hot, and I took off my sweats and panties. I had the phone on my pillow and was in a straddle. I was going at it pretty good when she came in, she totally busted me in the act. I had my finger in my butt and everything. I was so embarrassed I couldn't even look at her the rest of the night, and she never said anything to me either." Em was delighted by my humiliating account and teased me over the next few rounds, which were mostly uneventful, to my relief.
