"When, Alex?" Lisa whispered in my ear.
"Where, Lisa?" I whispered in hers.
"When? Where?" It was an exchange we had many times over the years; our private code. Now here we were in our thirties. She had a fantastic husband and I had a wonderful wife. But we still whispered the code on our rare meetings at weddings or family reunions; a code to see if we wanted to do it again. Yes, again and again; a forbidden touch, a taboo kiss and sex like we could have with no one else; forbidden and taboo because Lisa was my cousin.
After you get over the redneck jokes, you have to understand we are both professionals and have normal families with normal relationships; nothing weird. It's just you have to understand how it got started. Lisa and I had something special.
Growing up, Lisa and I did everything together. We had a big family. She and I were the same age and seemed to pair off to play apart from our other cousins when the whole family got together. We ran through fields at our grandparents house in the country, told each other our secrets and played hide and seek on grandpa's farm.
We shared every secret, cried at each other's sorrows and laughed at dumb jokes. Friends would come and go but as cousins we were inseparable.
It was almost summer during our senior year in high school when our connection was sealed forever. We both were probably late bloomers as neither of us had steady boyfriends or girlfriends.
Even though we were 18, which I felt was too old for kid's games; Lisa suggested we play hide and seek again like when we were younger one afternoon. It was just like her. She liked to be silly when we were together. I was more interested in cars, baseball and girls; not children's games, by that time. But I never could say no to her.
I recall watching her start running toward a group of grain bins and barns. Her long blonde hair waved in the breeze as she ran. I can remember like it was yesterday, her turning as she ran to tell me not to peek. I can still see those tight blue jeans of hers and a thin white shirt with buttons down the front that showed the beginnings of cleavage from her blossoming body.
I made a quick search of the grain bins but I knew I'd find her in the upstairs of a newly built pack house. It was only logical. It was secluded away from the other barns. The bottom floor was full of junk but I knew there was nothing much on the second floor at all. It was almost empty on the second floor and she'd think I wouldn't go up there. I knew her well.
Climbing the ladder that leads to the loft, I realized why grandpa didn't store anything much up there. It was steep and only a narrow hole to climb through to reach it so lifting anything up there would be difficult.
Reaching the loft I scanned the expansive floor. A few cotton sheets grandma had tossed up there just days earlier were on the floor under a window and there were a few small boxes scattered around. No where really to hide. But those curtains sure looked awful lumpy.
I pretended to look around a bit as I watched the pile of cloth nearby. Then without warning I ran and jumped on the pile. Sure enough something giggled within and I dug through the fabric until I found Lisa laughing and breathing hard as she had tried to hold her breath hoping I wouldn't see her.
I just sat on top of her so she couldn't move.
"No Fair." She giggled.
"No way. I found you."
"You must have peeked."
"I didn't."
"Did to. How'd you find me so fast?"
I pulled the rest of the sheets off her but still sat across her hips so she couldn't get up. She was still smiling. I looked down at her as her chest still heaved up and down. "I just knew. You thought since there isn't many places to hide up here that I wouldn't even bother."
"It's quiet up here."
"Well, why can't we just come here to hang out? We're too old for hide and seek."
"You use to like it. Let me up."
"Nope. Not βtil you tell me about that new girl at school you hang out with."
"That's why you want to hang out and talk. You like her. Expect me to set you up."
"Do not. Just want to know is she going out with someone and stuff."
"Alex likes the new girl." She started singing. I leaned over and pinned her arms down.
"I saw you flirting with Joe the other day. You haven't got room to talk. What do you see in him anyway? He's a stupid jock."
"Well the new girl wears too much makeup trying to attract guys. I hear she's a little slut. Maybe she'll give you some. You might think you're too old for hide and seek but you'd like her to give you your first piece, wouldn't you?"
I could feel my face turning red. Leaning closer to her face my voice was a little louder. "At least she's got boobs."