Her Bodyguard

This is my entry in Literotica's 2018 Valentine's Day Contest. I hope you like it.

1. Starting Over

Colin moved a box into the corner of his pickup's bed so it wouldn't shift around and stopped to look at his load. It was pitiful: pots and pans, towels and sheets, clothes, a dresser, a chair. That and a few odds-and-ends still to come were all that Camile was going to salvage from her marriage.

"Your sister doesn't have much to show for two years," Joyce said. She tucked her hair under her collar and pulled her hood up. Light snow swirled around her and started to drift in the gutter. It was a gray day.

"I think she's leaving with what she brought and not much more," Colin said. "She was a 21 year-old student when they got married, so she didn't bring a lot." He wanted to finish before dark. That meant moving Camile, the dresser and the clothes into her old room at their parents' house and stowing the rest in the storage locker at his condo. There was going to be plenty of room in the locker.

Joyce pushed her mittened hands into her pockets and started back to the house. Colin wanted to get her home and to bed. He was only in town for Thanksgiving weekend, and whenever he could arrange an evening with his girlfriend he needed to take advantage of it.

An aging Dodge pulled up across the street and Joyce stopped to watch. It was Camile's ex-husband, Eric. He muttered "I'll fuck that bitch up," and stormed up the driveway without making eye contact with Colin or Joyce. Colin was three inches taller than Eric and his hand on Eric's arm turned him around.

"She's going to rob me blind," Eric said and brushed Colin's hand away. He reeked of booze.

"It doesn't look like it," Colin said and gestured to his truck. "You agreed to what she could take and you agreed to stay away until she was done. Getting drunk doesn't change that." Colin squared up and closed his fists; his posture threatened violence, and he was willing to carry through.

Eric wasn't drunk enough to challenge his former brother-in-law. He stepped back. "This is between her and me," he said.

Colin hawked and spit. "She put up with you fucking around, and I don't know why," he said. "That was between you and Camile. It stopped being just between you and her when you broke her rib."

"I want her out of here now," Eric said and gestured to the house. "If you knew the shit she did to me you wouldn't be helping her."

Colin stepped close to back Eric up. "Opinions differ," he said. "Camile was your wife. All you had to do was sign the papers, and now she's out of your life. She's my little sister, and she'll always be my little sister. I'll be here for her when she needs me. Get back in your car and get out of here."

Eric stumbled backwards off the curb but managed to keep from falling. He climbed back into his car and pulled around the corner. Colin saw Joyce put her phone away and raised his eyebrows to ask what she'd done. "I gave his license plate and description to the cops," she said. "They'll be looking for a drunk driver."

"That couldn't happen to a more deserving guy," Colin said and walked Joyce to the house. "Don't tell Camile that Eric was here. She already has enough to worry about."

Camile met them at the door with a box and a lamp. She shoved the lamp at Colin and asked, "Can you handle that?" then swept her dark hair back behind her ear and waved her hand at the room behind her. "These and a couple things I'll just stick in my car are all that's left. Then I'll lock up." There wasn't a hint of happiness in her words or her inflection. The bruise on her cheek was still too dark to cover with makeup and the broken rib made her wince when she lifted her arm, or even laughed.

Colin thought she should at least be happy to leave. But without really knowing where she was going that was too much to ask.

They passed the corner where Eric was being interviewed by police and unloaded most of Camile's things into Colin's locker. They moved the rest into Camile's old room just as the sun was setting.

"You're leaving again on Monday?" his mom asked. Colin nodded his answer, and she said, "Come to dinner Sunday night. It'll be like old times."

It wasn't, really. Dad barely had a word to say at dinner and Mom seemed stressed. They both hid in front of the television after dinner and left the fireplace to Colin and Camile. Big snowflakes swirled in the wind outside, but Colin didn't feel like leaving yet. He needed to talk to his sister.

"Well that was just weird," Camile said, then focused on Colin. "Why are you still here?"

"I'm staying for the hot cocoa that you're about to make for me," Colin said.

Camile laughed at her brother, but she led him to the kitchen and a few minutes later she handed him a mug of hot cocoa with marshmallows on top. They curled up on the sofa facing each other, both with warm mugs in hand, and the fire lit them in flickering light and dark shadows.

"They still have you traveling a lot, don't they?" Camile asked.

"Yeah, and I've about had it," Colin said. "The promise was that with a Master's degree I would only need two years of experience before I stopped doing much on-site work. It's been almost three years now." He shrugged, "I don't think they're playing me. I think business hasn't been very good."

"You sound tired," Camile said. "I mean, you're like twentyeight right? Why don't you just die now and get it over with?"

"Well fuck you," Colin said and let that subject drop. She may have been insulting, but his sister was right. He was feeling sorry for himself. "What do you do now?" he asked. He reached one hand to lift Camile's chin. She jerked away and winced at the pain. "Remember in Little League when you stuck your face in front of that fast ball? That's what it looks like."

"That's smart. That's what I should tell people," Camile said, "But wait, it isn't baseball season anymore. No-one would believe me."

She sipped at her cocoa then went on, "I guess a job comes first. I don't know what I want, but I have some interviews set up. I probably won't interview very well until after the bruise fades. But it's the holidays. If nothing else, I should be able to get a temp job in someone's kitchen. Then try to get back to school somehow. I have three semesters left."

"Are Mom and Dad helping?" Colin asked, and Camile laughed.

"You haven't been around much," Camile said. "Mom and Dad are done helping. My old bedroom is Mom's sewing room now, and she didn't even get things off the bed when I moved in. She let me have half the closet. As long as I'm useful around here I'm tolerable—not comfortable, just tolerable. But paying for the rest of school and stuff? That's all on me."

Camile waited for Colin to suck down the marshmallows that were left in the bottom of his mug and asked, "When are you going to be home again?"

"A couple days before Christmas," Colin said. "Joyce is keeping an eye on the condo 'till then." He stood up from the sofa and added, "I used to have friends over on Christmas Eve, but I won't this year. It seems like they've all been too busy, or they moved away. Maybe I'll spend it with Mom and Dad."

"Mom and Dad aren't going to be here for Christmas," Camile said and chewed on her thumbnail. "Mom is getting the Caribbean cruise she's always wanted.

"Do you remember when I was little, and we'd go out on Christmas Eve and walk those neighborhoods that are all lit up?" Camile asked. "That might be a fun thing to do again since you don't have friends anymore."

Colin ignored his sister's jab. "I remember that it was always cold, and Dad ended up carrying you every year until you got too big," he said.

When Christmas Eve came around Dad wasn't there to carry Camile, and Colin went armed with a flask of brandy to fight off the cold. "Are you sure you really want to do this?" Joyce asked. She huddled against Colin for warmth until the shuttle bus stopped on a street where brightly-lit homes stretched on for blocks. Then she smiled and the Christmas lights reflected in her wide eyes. "I think I want some of that brandy," she said.

Camile and Joyce both wrapped their hands around Colin's arms and squeezed close. They walked from home to home down the street, oohed and aahed at the decorations, and wished a merry Christmas to everyone they saw. It was cold, but the brandy kept Joyce and Camile feeling warm, and Joyce and Camile kept Colin feeling warm.

Mechanical reindeer festooned in lights lifted their heads as they passed, and Joyce asked, "So you did this with your Mom and Dad every year?"

His sister and his girlfriend talked across Colin like he wasn't there. "Every year until I was nine," Camile said. "Then Colin got too cool to spend Christmas Eve with us, and Mom and Dad didn't want to do it unless we all did it. Somehow he still made it down the stairs to open presents. He wasn't too cool for that."

Joyce reached into Colin's back pocket to get the flask, and before she took a drink she used it to gesture to the next house. "Nice," she said. "All icy white, and nothing making noise at us." She handed the flask to Camile and told her, "I'm an only child. I think I probably missed a lot by not having a brother or sister."

"Oh, look!" Colin said. He pointed out a house with green and red lights chasing across the roof and along the leaves then he laughed. "You missed petty fights, mean tricks, and getting in trouble for things you didn't do."

"Don't forget the blackmail and extortion," Camile said. She walked quietly for a few steps then added, "We're five years apart, so we weren't as bad as a lot of brothers and sisters. Colin was always my bodyguard whether I needed one or not. I think he secretly adored me, but he compensated for that by humiliating me in front of my friends whenever he could."

"I'll never understand that theory," Colin said. "Look, Santa's stuck in the chimney."

"I get it," Joyce said. She looked at Colin then at Camile. "He still is your bodyguard you know, and I think he still adores you."

Colin watched Joyce and wondered what she was up to. By the time he figured it out, it was too late to stop her. Joyce asked, "Can I have that flask back?" then went on, "Did you know that Eric showed up while you were moving out of his house?"

"Eric? No! I had an injunction!" Camile said. "And he even

agreed

to stay away until I was out. That was the deal."

"He was drunk," Joyce said. "Colin stopped him before he got inside, or things could have gone from bad to worse. He wouldn't let me tell you because you had too many other things to worry about."

"That man sure fucked up my life," Camile said, "Or

I

fucked up my life because of him. Quiting school for him had to be the second stupidest thing I did." She pointed to a house across the street. "They have Santa's workshop, and elves in the windows."

"That wasn't even the best part," Joyce said. "He told Eric, 'All you had to do was sign the papers, and now she's out of your life. She's my little sister, and she'll always be my little sister. I'll be here for her when she needs me.'"

Camile looked up at her brother and said, "You said that? That so sweet!" She pulled herself close, reached under Colin's jacket and, just so no good deed would go unpunished, she pinched the tender skin over his ribs and twisted.

Colin winced and complained, "Dammit Cammy!" He pushed her away, then wrapped one big arm around her from behind.

"My rib!" Camile squealed, "Let me go!" Colin dropped his sister and stepped back. She bent over with her hands around her sides, then sat down on the curb.

"Oh God, Cammy! I forgot. I'm sorry," Colin said.

Camile waved him away. "It'll be okay," she said, "Give me a second so I can catch my breath."

Colin sat down on one side of his sister, Joyce sat on the other side, and they waited until Camile could breathe. "Let's go back," she said. "We're almost at the end anyway. Can I have that flask?"

Camile was drunk by the time they got back to her brother's condo where she'd left her car. Joyce wasn't sober either, but she tugged on Colin and said so Camile could hear, "You can't let her drive home like this. Make her stay with us."

Colin was surprised when he took Camile's keys, and she didn't complain. He was even more surprised when he got up late on Christmas morning and found her already awake. She sat at the kitchen table in panties and the dress shirt that Joyce pulled from his closet for her to sleep in, and she turned a coffee cup in her hands.

"You look like a mess," Colin said. Camile raised her middle finger without saying a word, and Colin laughed. He poured himself a cup of coffee and sat down at the table. "Not feeling great?" he asked.

"I don't drink that much very often," Camile said. "I have a headache and I need to eat. What do you have for breakfast in this place?"

"Toast, cereal and milk, bacon and eggs, maybe some sausage," Colin said. "I'm going to make bacon and eggs. If you think you can hold it down, then I'll make some for you." He took his coffee cup to the stove while he talked and leaned on the counter to watch Camile's response.

"That sounds good," she said. "Eggs scrambled dry, bacon crispy, toast medium—I mean, if you can handle that." She looked across the condo to Colin's room and asked, "Where's Joyce?"

"Still sleeping," Colin said, "And she usually showers before she comes out. We don't need to plan breakfast for her."

Colin set a frying pan on the stove, lit the fire under it, and found Camile standing close beside him. Her voice was low, and she talked like a conspirator when she asked, "Are you going to marry Joyce?"

"Not any time soon," Colin said. He pried strips of bacon out of the package and laid them into the pan before he looked up. "We talked about it yesterday. She doesn't want to spend her married life alone, and right now that's all I can offer. I don't think she'll put up with me much longer."

Camile stepped back from the pan when it started to spit hot fat. "So, what?" she asked, "A place to live and bad sex once a month isn't enough for Joyce? Who would ever imagine that?" She found a glass in the cupboard and got a drink of water. "I want Joyce to be my sister-in-law. She would be the best sister-in-law."

She dropped two slices of bread in the toaster then trailed her hand across Colin's hips on her way to the refrigerator. "Do you have juice in here?"

Camile was half done with her breakfast before Colin joined her at the table. He asked, "You have the old house to yourself for a while?"

"Yeah, at least for now I'm not in Mom's way. I don't know what I'll do with the rest of the day. Maybe I'll get a newspaper and look for an apartment."

Colin knew Camile started waiting tables after her bruise faded enough to cover with makeup, and the pain in her rib was controlled. He didn't know how well that was going. "You're making enough now?" he asked.

"It's a nice restaurant and the tips are great," Camile said. "I want to pay off my attorney and put some money away before I take on more bills, but Mom wants her sewing room to herself."

Colin cut into an egg and watched the yolk run onto his plate. When he looked up at his sister he said, "You could move in here. The spare bedroom is yours. Then Joyce won't have to look after the place all the time, and you won't have to start paying bills yet."

Camile didn't answer. She looked away from her brother when the shower came on and said, "I guess Joyce is up. I should probably shower too, then get home."

Colin didn't let his sister leave. He wrapped her arm with his big hand and said, "You've been through a lot. I don't want you to be alone on Christmas. Spend the day with us."

2. Getting Dirty

Camile closed on Friday night, so it was late when she unlocked the door to Colin's condo and found him sitting on the sofa. The place was dark but for the moonlight that fell through a gap in the curtains and a light bulb burning over the stove. He barely reacted when she stepped up behind him and asked, "How long will you be here this time?"

"Three days, anyway" Colin said. "We finished that job ahead of schedule and the company earned a big bonus for doing it, so they gave me a paid day on Monday. I'll be in the office on Tuesday."

"Let me clean up and change," Camile said. "I'll be back." She moved in with her brother after Christmas and then watched the way his job eroded his relationship with Joyce. He left on New Years Day because he had to be on site early on the second. They said he'd be there for a week, but then he called because it was extended to two weeks.

It was the last straw for Joyce. "I don't have a relationship," she told Camile. "I have a calendar full of dates that never happened. He'd promise to be home, and then he wasn't. He'd promise to take me out, but then he couldn't. I'd come for a weekend, but then he wasn't here. I like Colin, but he was hardly ever here."

Camile changed into flannel pajamas and brought a sandwich with her to curl on the sofa next to her brother. The glass on the table in front of him held just melting ice, and the bottle next to it was half empty. "Did you talk to Joyce again?" she asked.

"Yeah, but there's not much point to talking to her until something changes," Colin said. "She put up with me for a long time, and she doesn't want to do it anymore. I'll go into work on Tuesday and make things change. I should have quit months ago."

"Is that the liquor talking?" Camile asked. She leaned her shoulder against her brother and sniffed at the whiskey on his breath.

"Maybe now it is," Colin said, "But I made up my mind on the way home, so the liquor didn't make the decision."

"Look at us," Camile said. "Mom and Dad don't want us around. I've lost my home and my husband. You've lost your friends, you've lost Joyce, and maybe now you'll lose your job.

"I don't know what I would have done without you," she said, "but now it seems like we're both alone. Well... alone together, I guess."

Colin lifted his arm to wrap it around his sister, but hesitated. "How's your rib now?" he asked.

"It's fine," Camile said. "It's healed and I'm a little cold. Keep me warm." She squeezed close to her brother then remembered something. "Oh!" she said. "I stopped by Mom and Dad's on my way to work to get my mail. I have an acceptance letter from the University. I can start back next fall. Now I just need to figure out how to pay for it."

"Congratulations," Colin said and settled his arm around her. She let her brother's warm strength enfold her, and he inhaled his sister's feminine scent. They were quiet for a moment while Colin wondered what was on Camile's mind. He wouldn't have admitted it, but he was thinking about her. What he didn't know was that Camile was thinking about him.

Camile broke their silence when she looked up at Colin and said, "I have a late shift tomorrow, but I don't have to close. What are you doing?"

"I'm going to sleep in," Colin said, and he did. He found Camile cleaning in the kitchen when he got up. "I need coffee and I have to eat," he said. He opened the refrigerator and listed off what he didn't find there. "No eggs. No bacon. No sausage." He pulled the milk carton out and looked at the date before he sniffed it and wrinkled his nose. "This is old, but I don't like the way milk smells even when it's fresh," he said, and passed it to his sister. "What do you think?"

"It won't kill you right away," Camile said, so Colin sat down with a cup of reheated coffee and a bowl of cold cereal. Two hours later he was showered and shaved, and he pushed a shopping cart through the grocery store while Camile filled it with everything they'd need for a few days.

"Eric never helped with the shopping," Camile said, "So this is fun." Her smile made that easy to see. She held up two bottles of olives and asked, "Do you want the big bottle or the little one?"