"You two are disgusting!" Mark's father said to him as they sat at the kitchen table. Cindy was there too, trying to look contrite, while their mother made coffee. It was after three a.m., and none of them wanted to be there, but Cindy's and Mark's actions had caused quite a stir. Joel, Mark's father, was not one to let something wait until morning, he had to deal with things when they happened. There was no "putting off 'til tomorrow what can be done today." To say that he hated procrastination would be an understatement.
"Dad, come on, it's not like we're really related. We just kinda got a thing for each other, and got a little carried away, that's all. Besides, we've been known to hear you and mom whooping it up more than a time or two..."
"That's different!" Joel snarled. "What your mother and I do in private is none of your goddam business, and besides that, we're married!" He said this while making a mental note to himself to try to keep it down from now on, when he and the missus were getting frisky.
"Oh, I'm sorry, I forgot we were still living back in the days of the Puritans," Mark said sarcastically.
"You watch your mouth with me, buddy," Joel yelled. "You're living in MY house and you live by MY rules, and whether or not Cindy is really your sister, it is an abomination what you two are doing, and you better not EVER do it again, you hear?!"
"How could I not hear?" Mark said sarcastically.
"Well you better take it to heart, or you're gonna be outta here on your ass."
Mark couldn't afford to leave home yet, so he wisely bit his tongue and held his peace. He didn't have a full-time job, was still in school, and at nineteen wasn't qualified to do much. But he DID know when to keep his mouth shut.
Cindy finally piped up. "Dad, really, we're sorry, but you know, we've both had other people that we've been with, and it isn't really all that big a deal, except that we made too much noise and woke you up..." she trailed off, seeing the anger in Joel's eyes.
"I don't want to hear about who all you have been with. YOU are NOT going to be with MARK because it is not right. I don't care if you are adopted, you still are his sister and that will not be going on under my roof in my own house, you got that, Missy?"
Cindy winced at being called that. That was the name Joel had used for her all the time she had been growing up, when he was really put out with her, and she didn't appreciate it being used now. But, she also knew when it was time to keep her own counsel, so she said nothing provocative, and instead just said, "OK dad, we're sorry. We didn't mean to put you and Mom through all this. It won't happen again, we promise."
"It better goddam not!" Joel snorted. "This isn't over, but it's almost three-thirty in the morning, and I want to try to get a little more sleep before I have to get up for work. Some of us really work for a living, you know."
Mark said, "We know, Dad, and we work too, we just don't get paid as much--at least not yet."
"Smartass," Joel grumbled, getting up from the table and heading for bed. "I raised a freaking horndog smartass for a son. Judas H. Priest," he mumbled as he climbed the stairs toward his bedroom.
Cindy got up and said, "I'm going back to bed too." She looked over at her mom, who was just sitting down with a fresh pot of coffee. "Don't worry, I'll be alone this time."
Julie, her mom, said nothing. She poured herself a cup and offered some to Mark.
"No thanks, I have to try to get a little more shuteye myself, mom. Goodnight. Sorry about all this."
"Mark?" she said as he left the room.
"Yeah, mom?" Mark said, returning, looking at her questioningly.
"Don't push your father. He can be ruthless when he wants to be."
"Don't worry, I won't," he said, then headed up to his own room.
The next afternoon, as Mark was leaving for work, he saw Cindy parking her car at the curb in front of the house, and she was waving at him frantically. He stopped and waited for her to approach his pickup. She was dressed in one of his favorite summer outfits--a low-rise, pleated denim micro-mini-skirt, white midriff-baring tank top and white sandals. Her long, dark brown hair was loose and unfettered, flowing freely in the afternoon breeze.
"What's up, horny little sis," he asked playfully.
"Mark, don't go yet. I need to talk to you."
"I can't be late for work--you can ride in my truck with me if you want, them take your chances on getting a ride back, but I have to go now."
"OK," she said, opening the passenger door and climbing into the seat beside him. "Go, then."
"What's so important, Cin?" Mark asked as he drove out of their neighborhood toward town.
"We can't let Dad keep us apart like this, he doesn't have the right," she said.