Sandy was sitting with her dorm mates at a long table over another mediocre lunch in the dining hall. She was a twenty year old college junior. Their all-girl dorm -- it was the 1960s -- ate their meals together in one large room.
Bored by the never-ending tales of boyfriends, Sandy wondered whether the food would have been better if her family could have afforded that private college. At least the dorm weight she put on here at the state university had transformed her skinny girlish figure into the more voluptuous womanly figure the guys were noticing.
Her meandering thoughts were interrupted by a minor commotion at the far end of the room. Someone called out her name. She stood and walked over to see what was going on. All the girls' eyes followed her, keen for some interesting gossip.
Standing with his back to her as she approached the door was a tall, dark, young man. His hair was long, just reaching the shoulders of his jean jacket. He wore hiking boots and a weathered backpack leaned against the wall. When one of the dining commons staff said Sandy's name as she approached, he turned toward her and smiled.
It was her favorite first cousin, Charlie.
Caught completely by surprise, Sandy was speechless. She looked Charlie up and down. He was even better looking than the last time they were together. What a gorgeous smile. He was long and lean and strikingly handsome, his blue eyes set off by his dark hair; a cross between Jesus and George Harrison. The young women in the room murmured approvingly on seeing Sandy's mystery guest.
"Sorry to surprise you like this, Sandy," he said, blushing slightly at the murmuring he knew was about of him. The staff person walked away to let them talk.
"I've been hitchhiking back to California from New York. I spent last night with Uncle Bob and he said you were here. I couldn't just pass through town without finding you." He smiled that smile again.
Finding her voice, Sandy asked, "How did you find me, Charlie? It's such a big school."
"It wasn't easy! Aunt Maggie told me you were in an all-girl dorm, so that narrowed it down to three possibilities. I didn't find you at the first two I checked, but the third time was the charm!"
For Sandy, "charm" was the word when it came to Charlie. He had always been sweet, kind, and funny. And, since he had grown up, sexy.
Sandy smiled and hugged him. The room was pleased and the murmur of oohs and ahhs got louder.
"I'm so glad you solved the mystery, Cousin Sherlock. Are you hungry?"
"Always," he said truthfully. He was twenty like her and could stay thin despite eating like a horse.
Looking around the room Sandy encountered a sea of wide eyes and grins. No boys ever dined with them. This was going to be fun.
She went to talk briefly with the woman who had first spoken with Charlie at the door, then returned.
"Come, eat here with me. They're still serving," she said. "I apologize in advance for the food."
"I didn't come for the food, Sandy." He smiled again. Her turn to blush, she felt her pulse quicken. "But that would be really nice."
"Great, then follow me." She led Charlie over to her table, hoping her blushing was fading.
"This is my cousin Charlie from California. He's hitchhiking home from New York. Can we make a space for him to join us?" Her dorm-mates instantly made room, never taking their eyes off him. Between his looks and his adventure, every young woman at the table was smitten. Sandy introduced each of them to Charlie.
"Is he a first cousin?" Mary asked with a smirk. The girls giggled.
"Yep, we're first cousins."
"Ok then. So do you have a girlfriend, Charlie?" More giggling. Mary was the queen of direct, inappropriate questioning.
A little shy with girls, Charlie was unprepared for Mary's onslaught. "Uh, not at the moment," he responded, setting off another round of tittering.
"Okay, man-eating sharks, let's give poor starving Charlie a chance to eat in peace." While Sandy wanted to shield him from them, she did enjoy the attention her friends were paying to her handsome cousin.
Charlie smiled at the group, which only intensified their adoring gazes. Sandy brought him a plate of food and he dug in, hungry from his travels. The girls marveled at his every move.
"You've never seen a guy eat?" Sandy jokingly scolded them.
Barely letting him get a fork in his mouth, the girls peppered him with questions about New York and his hitchhiking adventure. He had seen the Grateful Dead, a band from San Francisco, play in Tompkins Square Park, in the East Village and saw a new play, called "Hair."
"Isn't that the one where everybody gets naked on stage?" Mary asked, emphasizing the word "naked."
"That's the one. It was so great. The show, not just the naked part."
Between Charlie and the talk of nakedness, the girls -- including Sandy -- were enthralled.
As lunchtime ended, Sandy started to drag Charlie from his admirers at the table.
"How long will you be here, Charlie," Mary asked with very real interest.
"Unfortunately, I have to leave today. I'm meeting a friend who's offered me a ride as far as the Black Hills." Sandy wondered if she was more disappointed than the other girls.
Breaking free, Sandy led Charlie out of the dining hall, into the bright warm afternoon sun.
"Do you have time for me to show you around the campus, Charlie? It's no Berkeley, like you're used to, but it's pretty." She hoped he could stay with her for a while at least.
"I'd love to see it, Sandy. I don't have to be up at Interstate 80 until this evening to meet up with my buddy."
"The interstate's only an hour away and I have a car. I can give you a ride up there whenever you need to go." This gave them several hours together.
"That's nice of you. Thanks so much, Sandy." Charlie smiled.
"My pleasure. Let the tour begin!" They began their walk around the campus. Sandy's two afternoon classes could wait.
They had grown up together in their family's mid-western hometown when they were young. Their mothers were sisters, but not especially close. The extended family had not scattered across the country yet and they played together often. Sometimes their grandmother babysat them. They were only a couple of months apart in age.
When he was nine, Charlie's family move away to San Francisco. Sandy and her family moved around the same time too, but only to a neighboring town. Since their mothers were not close, Sandy only saw Charlie occasionally after their moves, usually when his family came back to visit.
Leading a sheltered life in her small town, Sandy was fascinated by Charlie's vastly different experience in San Francisco in the 60s. Whenever they were together, Sandy wanted to know about his world. She loved to hear him describe the wonderous sights. He told her about Beat culture and about the hippies that followed. His parents were much more liberal than hers. Sandy lived vicariously hearing him describe things her parents would never have let her do. Like hitchhiking.
The last time she had seen him was two years earlier, just after their 18th birthdays, the summer after they graduated from high school. Charlie's family had come to visit. Sandy's family drove over and they gathered at their grandmother's house. All three sisters and their families came. Charlie and Sandy's younger siblings ran off right away to play together in the backyard and the big park behind the house.
While the adults talked and laughed inside, Sandy and Charlie sat on the big screened-in porch and talked about their lives. Even though their experiences were so different, their long-standing bond was still strong.
Not having seen him for several years, Sandy noticed Charlie had grown into such a handsome young man. Between his now manly good looks, and the things he described, Sandy felt differently about him than when they were kids together. She felt strongly attracted to him. She was not supposed to have feelings like that about her own cousin and wondered if there was something wrong with her. But guilt about her feelings did not stop her from having them. Anyway, she figured nothing had ever happened between them and never would.
The big family dinner was raucous and fun. The children were excused early to continue playing in the cavernous basement. Sandy and Charlie went for a walk as their relatives continued their boisterous reunion in the living room.
The sun set as they walked through the old familiar neighborhood. They talked about their favorite bands and the books they were reading. They were both happy to be out of high school. Standing under a streetlight on the bridge that crossed the nearby river, they paused and quietly watched the dark water flow beneath them.
Standing so close their shoulders touched, Charlie said, "You've always been my favorite cousin, Sandy. I wish we didn't live so far apart."
"I agree. It's so good to see you, Charlie. I wish I could see you more."
She wondered if her cousin also had feelings they were not supposed to have. Where was this going?
They stood close, in silence. Charlie took her hand in his and just held it, saying nothing. Sandy's heart raced. She had no idea what to say or do. She looked up at him. He smiled, then lowered his face toward hers, pushed her dark brown hair aside, and kissed her gently on the lips.
Pulling away, he whispered, "I hope that's okay, Sandy."
Without hesitating, Sandy answered by lifting her mouth to his and kissing him back, with greater urgency. He wrapped his arms around her thin body and pulling her close against him. Their tongues met and explored. Sandy held him tightly as they kissed passionately, for a long time. She loved the feel of his strong body against hers. She was so happy they shared the attraction.
Charlie suggested they get back closer to the house before the festivities wound down. Sandy reluctantly agreed and they walked back, hand in hand. When they got within sight, she told him, "I'll miss you when you leave tomorrow."
