My big brother was wonderful at showing me new things -- sexually, of course, since I had only had one previous sexual encounter before falling in love with him, but also in other interests. For example, Eric loved auto racing, especially F1 racing, and we had specifically subscribed to the Sports cable package just so he could get the one channel licensed to show F1 races in the States. He and I would get up early on Sunday mornings, make coffee, and watch the races together live from Europe.
He was also teaching me about racing through his video games. Soon I was semi-adept at conversing with him about gear ratios, tire pressures, downforce, aerodynamics, drafting, straightlining chicanes, drifting, double-apex corners, and the like. It was strange in a way: To me, it was simply a matter of picking a game, picking a car and a track, and driving. To him, it was an actual experience, essentially the next best thing to being in a race itself. What truly amazed me was how conversant he was about the changes made to the tracks -- in reality and in the games -- over time. His knowledge was seemingly endless, which was especially impressive because almost all of it had been acquired by playing racing games for so long.
It only made me admire him even more.
He was working in his bedroom one evening while I tried my hand at one of his racing games again, the sound purposely low so that he wouldn't be too distracted. When he emerged, he smiled at me, then looked at the TV screen just as I cornered a bit too quickly in an SUV, the weight transfer to the left side unmistakable as the right-side tires came up off the track and seemed to hover over the rumble strips at the apex of the corner.
"Nice body roll," my big brother commented.
I had slowed as soon as the right-side tires had come off the track, and had to regroup mentally and then speed up to catch the rival SUV which had just passed me. "That's one of the worst things you can say to a girl," I noted, "even if she is your little sister."
"Sorry." He came and sat beside me on the sofa, watching in silence as I finished the race, being beaten by nearly a full second. "You're doing better, sis," he commented. "You're holding your own. If not for that two-wheeler corner, you'd probably have won."