It was a little while ago, and my buddies and I decided to go to Atlantic City for a little holiday. Johnny had just gotten a new promotion and was now an rising executive at his company, Paul got tenured at his university and was now a full professor, and Ricky's band just signed a record contract after trying for 10 years of playing parties, local bars, open mic's and smaller indoor civic centres as opening acts. And me, well my small little paving company just acquired the contract to re-pave all of the CVS's in three states: mine, and the two bordering states. We had all gone to high school together and Johnny, Paul and I went to the same college, whilst Ricky was trying to become "the next big thing". But we all stayed in contact even after college.
Since we were all lived in the same area, we decided to make arrangements about a month ago for a 2-week holiday starting next week, as none of us had had one in a long time. I was living in my step-mum and dad's basement apartment, because housing prices were so high and I couldn't afford first month, last month, and a deposit on an apartment of my own. Plus, I didn't have a 20% cash deposit on a house, even a small one to move out. Of course, I was paying my own way (1/4 of the mortgage and
1
/
3
of the utilities).
Besides my dad and step-mum, I also had a 22 year-old step-sister, Christina or Crissy, that had just graduated from college with a B.A. In English with a psychology minor. I hadn't seen her in a long time, because not only was she away at school all term long, but over x-mas and summer holidays, she spent abroad studying in England, getting "cultiure-ised". She came home after graduation and had yet to find a job in her field (whatever you do with an English degree...) and so was just hanging around watching Tik-tok shorts, on her phone, or checking for jobs on my parent's laptop. I guess she was used to not wearing much in her dorm or English flat, because all she seemed to wear around the house were lace panties and tight, bare-midrift tee shirts. If the air conditioner was turned up (as she usually did) you could see her nipples poking through her shirt.
It was distracting whenever I came upstairs to do laundry, take a shower, or go out to run errands to see her practically naked bopping around the house. We had been together for all of the years my parents had been married and I watched her grow up. Her eyes were now always sparkly and she skipped around the house to the latest music on her phone as she made breakfast or lunch, bent over to do her laundry, or sat at the table to eat with one heel pressed into the seat of the chair. I guess she felt I was "safe" but believe me, there were reactions going on whenever I saw her.
The guys and I weren't keeping our plans a secret, but all of us being adults with careers and lives of our own, it was no body's business but our own. We would text each other about when we were actually going, who would drive where and when, and what to bring with us (besides condoms, of course).
It was after work and I dressed only in a pair of comfy shorts and a tee-shirt watching some Netflix movie that didn't really keep my interest, but it was background noise as I was making my dinner in my kitchen, when I heard the upstairs door-bell ring and I heard my sister's bare feet dancing over to open the front door.
"Oh hi, Paul," I heard her say in her typical sing-song way, "you ok? Haven't seen you in such a long time. C'mon in."
"Yeah, Crissy, you?" I heard Paul say as he entered the house, "I really like your outfit. I haven't seen you in a while, you look really cute!"
"Oh thanks, Paulie," and then nothing, "I always dress like this. It's comfy. How can I help you?"
"Um, is your brother here?" he asked her.
"Yeah, he's down in his 'cave'," she said, "you can go on down. GEORGIE, PAUL IS HERE!" she called to me.
The door opened and down the stairs came Paul, black floppy hair, yellow polo shirt and jeans with sock-less canvas shoes. Crissy followed him down the first couple of stairs and I saw she was still dressed only in a lacy bra with pink lace panties.
"Here he is", she told him, then went back upstairs. Funny, I didn't hear the basement door close...
"Hey mate," Paul said and we greeted each other with a hug only brothers could do. "getting ready? I know I am. Can't wait."
"Oh, yeah," I assured him. "This holiday is gonna be epic!"
"I know, mate," Paul agreed, "say mate, your step-sister is looking so fucking hot."
"Really?" I asked, "ya think so? I hadn't noticed."
"Haven't you been upstairs in a while?" he asked. "She was practically naked and kissed me when she saw me."
"She
kissed
you?" I asked, aghast. She had known Paul for such a long time, that I didn't know she thought of him in that way.
"Yeah," he said, "and I don't think that's all she wanted either, mate. She practically grabbed my package before I came down here. What did she learn at that college of hers?"
"I don't know," I said, "for all I know she fucked every professor, dean, and male student on her campus and god knows what happened in England... maybe she hung a shingle outside her flat there for advertising." We both laughed but I at least was thinking of something other than humour in that situation, and I got the impression that Paul was thinking along the same lines.
'So, we leaving a week Saturday morning, then?" he asked, "who has the best car... let's take that one and take turns driving."
"I think Ricky does," I put in, "he has that people-carrier with two rows of seats and the whole back for cases and storage."
"You're right on that score," he said, "you best ring him up and let him know. We'll all pitch in for petrol as well as driving duties."
"OK, I'll do that," I told him. "how long does it take to get to Atlantic City?" I posed the question.
"I think about 5 hours or so." he said, "I'm not really sure. I'm sure Ricky knows with all his travels."
"Yeah, mate, you're right there," I agreed. "Do we want to bring snacks or get stuff on the way."
"I don't care," Paul said, "I'm good with whatever the others decide."
"That's me as well," I said, "Well, I'll gonna let you get going, then, yeah?" As I saw him eyeing the stairway.
"All right mate," he said and we shook hands before he bounded up the stairs and I heard Crissy say:
"Ok, then Paul, you come over any time. Bye."