A huge thank you goes to Mused, for all his help with this. ~Chargergirl
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"I don't think I like her very well," Alicia confessed.
Elizabeth turned her head towards her best friend and laughed. "What? You don't like who very well?" Elizabeth, momentarily distracted by Samantha, had missed most of Alicia's comment.
"Stephanie! Duh, Elizabeth."
The girls were sitting on the front porch at Brett and Elizabeth's place talking about Alicia's brother, Dave, and his latest girlfriend. It was a beautiful, warm late October day and the girls were outside enjoying the afternoon sunshine. Baby Sammi was lying in the Moses basket at Elizabeth feet. She was fat and happy and in love with her toes, for the moment. She gurgled and drooled with glee, as she stuffed half her foot in her mouth.
"Why don't you like her, Alli? She seemed kind of nice to me." Elizabeth had met Stephanie two weeks ago, at the eightieth birthday party for Alicia's Grandma Ruth.
"Yeah, she seemed nice because my parents were there, and Grandma. She's an ass-kisser if there ever was one. Stephanie, not Grandma."
Elizabeth laughed again. "I knew who you meant, you dope. How long have they been together, anyway?"
"Like years, at least." Alicia snorted with a wave of her hand.
"Alli, seriously. It can't be more than a couple of months." Elizabeth had learned to count on Alicia's exaggerations.
"Well, it seems like years," she grumbled, and then added quietly, "to me, anyway." Dave's home had once been a refuge for Alicia when she needed to get away from their parents, when she needed her space. Until recently, he'd been happy to have her.
While she loved Mom and Dad with all her heart, sometimes they were just too much. "Alicia Anne, when will you be home?", "Alicia Anne, don't forget to study", "Alicia Anne, you need to get your sleep, lights out". For Christ sake, she was nineteen years old! She would have moved out and gotten her own place, but going to college full-time made that impossible.
"I never go over to David's anymore, Elizabeth. He never lets me because she's almost always there." In that respect, Alicia was not exaggerating. Stephanie had pretty much taken up residence at Dave's house. Little sister wasn't very welcome when big brother had a woman around.
"You know you're always welcome here, Alli, anytime, and you don't even have to call."
"I know Elizabeth, and thanks. But I don't want to get in the way. Brett will get sick of me if I'm here too much."
Elizabeth could only roll her eyes at that. "If he hasn't gotten sick of you by now, I doubt he ever will." It was true, and Alicia knew it. She and Elizabeth had been best friends, inseparable their entire lives, just like Brett and Dave. "Besides, Sammi loves her Aunt Alli; you're such a huge help with her, and Brett understands that. Alli, what--hey, are you crying? Alicia, look at me."
Alicia wiped at her eyes, feeling silly for crying in front of Elizabeth. She felt the way she felt for a reason yet was reluctant to tell her friend, for the moment, anyway.
From behind came a deep male voice, "Want me to talk to him?"
Elizabeth and Alicia whipped around to see Brett. He'd managed to come up behind the girls without them realizing it.
Alicia groaned. She wondered how much of the conversation Elizabeth's brother had heard. She definitely didn't want David to know she was complaining about Stephanie, by bemoaning the fact that David no longer had time for his little sister; she'd rather stick needles in her eyes. "You better not say anything to him, Brett. I'll never hear the end of it. If I hear how wonderful Stephanie is, just one more time, I swear I'll vomit." Alicia buried her face in her hands, releasing another snort.
Brett and Elizabeth exchanged a glance and a frown.
"I don't get it," Elizabeth said, as she joined Brett for dinner later that evening. Samantha was in her little bouncy seat at the end of the table, busy making faces at herself in the hanging mirror.
"Don't get what? Damn, Elizabeth, what did you do to this?" Brett asked, chewing a piece of meat.
"Is it that horrible?" Elizabeth thought the pot roast looked and smelled fine to her.
"Oh my God, no, it's great!" Brett said, through a mouthful of mashed potatoes and gravy. He turned his attention to the glazed carrots.
"Thanks. Mrs. Parker told me what to do." Brett and Elizabeth had grown very close to the Parkers, Dave and Alicia's parents, after their own parents had literally disowned them. The siblings weren't sure if the true nature of their relationship was known to the Parkers. Brett thought the Parkers suspected something. Elizabeth wasn't as sure.
"So what don't you get?" Brett repeated. He took a sip of water from the green Coke glass perched next to his plate.
"Oh, Alicia. She's being weird about Stephanie. I mean, I can understand that she feels shut out, sort of. But it's not like Dave's never had a girlfriend before. What's this one make, like a hundred?"
Brett rolled his eyes. "Hardly, Elizabeth, it's only ninety-five. Seriously, doesn't Alli realize he'll be done with Stephanie in a month or so?"
"I don't know. He was pretty goofy-acting around Stephanie at Grandma Ruth's party. He's not usually like that."
"Do you think she's jealous?" Brett wondered.
"Maybe. Dave sure doesn't spend any time with her anymore. I remember that when you had a girlfriend, I was always last on your list of people you wanted to be around."
"I didn't have that many, Elizabeth."
Elizabeth pretended not to hear. "Gerri McBride. You called me Sprite in front of her once, and she never called me by anything else ever again." Sprite had been Brett's little girl nickname for his sister. Fourteen-year-old Elizabeth had been supremely annoyed to hear anyone other than her big brother call her Sprite. That Halloween, Elizabeth and Alicia had covered Gerri's car in shaving cream and toilet paper. Afterward, they laughed harder than they ever had in their lives.
Elizabeth wondered if Brett had ever figured out who messed Gerri's car.
"You don't think Alli's...you know, with Dave, do you?" Brett frowned.
"You mean, like us?"
Brett nodded.
"No, but I'm getting weird vibes from her; that's for sure."
"That would be just too strange." Brett forked in the last of the pot roast and potatoes. "That was so good." He leaned over and kissed Elizabeth.
Elizabeth toyed with her napkin, twisting the corner into a point. "Do you think we're strange, Brett?"
"Nope, only you, sweet sister." He laughed at his own joke, then rose and took their plates to the sink. "I'm going to take Sam for a walk. You want to come?"
"Yeah! Let me put this stuff away, while you get her ready."
Brett put the baby in her pajamas while Elizabeth cleaned up. Elizabeth fed Sam before they left. She hoped Sam would fall asleep on their walk; because she wanted some time alone with Brett when they returned.
The late October evening was gorgeous. The brightness of the full hunter's moon lit their way down the street. Fallen leaves crunched under their feet as they walked along, with Brett pushing the stroller. It was still warm, for being so late in the day. The entire season had been unusually warm.
Elizabeth loved the fall; it was her favorite time of the year. Quite a few people had pumpkins out on their porches, she noticed. She and Brett had already bought theirs at the farmer's market. Halloween was only a week away.
Samantha was out like a light by the time they returned. She was such a good little baby. At only four months old, she was already sleeping through the night for her parents. Brett carefully picked her up and carried her down the hall to the bedroom. Samantha still slept in the pretty wicker bassinet that had been a gift from the elder Parkers. She'd have to switch to a full-size crib, before too much longer.
Brett placed her down gently and tucked the lightweight blanket around her torso.
He turned to find a partially clothed Elizabeth lying on the bed. Shirtless and braless, she had left her jeans and panties to be removed. A task thoghtfully reserved for Brett. He ambled over to her, wearing a knowing smile on his face; he knew his little sister well, and he knew what she wanted.
Elizabeth's tummy did a little flip flop as she watched him undress. That smile of his and the glint in his eyes, they both still made her quiver inside.
Ten seconds later, her jeans and panties were a faded memory, lying in a crumpled heap on the floor, and Elizabeth was spread-eagle on her back with Brett's face buried between her legs.
Brett licked at her engorged clitoris; it was swollen and hot. He nipped and stroked it with the skill of a man who knew his lover well. Elizabeth's pussy was slick with her arousal. She wanted him inside her right then and there, but Brett made her wait. He was enjoying himself far too much to give in just yet.
"Brett!" Elizabeth hissed. She pushed at his shoulders. "Brett, come on! Ohhhh yeah, oh God, Brett. I'm going to cum if you don't stop!"
"Then why would I do a silly thing like that?" He laughed and looked up the length of her body. He went back to his task. Her scent, her taste, and the way her thighs clenched and unclenched were thoroughly intoxicating.
A few more circles of his tongue were all it took for Elizabeth to grind her pussy into his face. Brett knew she was close to orgasm. His hand stole up to the juncture of her thighs. One finger eased its way in, followed by a second.
Elizabeth started to thrash her head from side to side on the pillow. Brett's fingers stroking inside her, and his tongue licking and sucking on her clit drove her right to the edge. He then shoved her over. She grabbed the other pillow and slammed it over her face. She screamed as the orgasm pulsed through her.
