Masquerade

Jacqueline came home from another day at work. It was the second Friday since she'd broken up with Tom, and she didn't look forward to another Friday watching TV with her parents. She was 23 and pretty; she ought to be able to find someone, damn it. She went online and clicked on the first banner ad she saw for a dating service. This one happened to be called HereAndNow.com. She entered her data ... User Name: Jackie V. State: Washington. City: McHenry, followed by the ZIP code. Occupation: pre-school teacher. Interests: fitness, circuses, art. Then she put in all the physical characteristics. She clicked, and it asked for a credit card number. Hesitant, she opened a new tab and did a quick Google search on the company name. Everything seemed to be on the up and up, so she closed the tab, got her Visa out and entered the number and expiration date. Now she could set her parameters. Looking for male, obviously. She left race blank. Height? She didn't figure she'd be attracted to anyone shorter than herself, so she set five-foot-six as the minimum and six-six as the max. Ages, between 21 and, oh, 25 would be about right. Maximum distance? She decided on five miles. McHenry was twenty miles from Seattle, so five meant that she wouldn't have to go downtown and pay for parking on a first date. Her mom called her to dinner just as she saved her preferences. She came back after dinner and uploaded a picture of herself that was out of focus. It wasn't that she thought she was unattractive, far from it; she just didn't want to identify herself too clearly to strangers.

Wednesday she checked her e-mail, and she hadn't gotten any responses. Was she supposed to get them that way? She went to the site to be sure. Nope, they didn't offer that option, because then she wouldn't see all their [censored] ads. It didn't matter anyway, since the only message she had there was the welcome message. She changed the maximum age to 30, figuring anything above would be too big an age difference, but for someone 29 or 30, she'd look at everything else to see if they clicked.

She was busy for the next few days, but on Monday she logged on and had two responses. The first one was 24 and lived a few miles south. He looked kind of geeky, though. She saved his profile in case she didn't find anything better soon. The second guy, Stephen, was 28. Nice looking, too. Had she seen him somewhere before? Nah. He lived in Maskatoon, the easternmost part of the county. (McHenry was just to the west of the county government offices.) He was in construction, so she figured he probably made fairly good money. He said he had worked as a roustabout for one season, and while he didn't know a lot about art, he had a few seascapes by local starving artists in his home. She looked at the picture again and realized why he looked familiar. He looked kind of like her dad, except he wore glasses and had a thin moustache. Maybe there was something Freudian going on here, but she decided to answer. "Hi! I read your message, and I think we might hit it off. I've got most of this weekend open."

She had an answer the next night. Would she like to have dinner at O'Neill's in Gerard? Now, there weren't any four-star restaurants in their county, but O'Neill's had a reputation as a pretty strong three-star. Yes, she'd love it. They decided to meet at seven, and they exchanged phone numbers in case one of them ran late. Jacqueline gave him her cell phone number, because she didn't want him to be able to trace her home phone.

She told her parents she had a date, so they were already eating dinner when she came home from school on Friday afternoon. She took care of a little bit of paperwork and paid a couple bills. Then she put on a satin blouse and black skirt. She had a nice pair of pumps that hadn't been put to good use since the school's open house, so she put them on too. She parked on the street and walked into the lobby. She was barely through the door when she recognized the man in the picture. No wonder he looked familiar. It was her brother James. He was using his middle name on the dating site.

Jacqueline turned around quickly, hoping he didn't see her. Crap! Yes, James was a bookkeeper, but she forgot he was with a construction company. He was using that to make himself sound more masculine, she supposed. Thank God she'd only given him her cell phone number. Now she remembered a few years ago, when they were supposed to get together for lunch, and he no-showed. She was going to get her dinner somehow. She opened her purse to call him, and that's when she saw it. She had an antibacterial mask that she kept there for dealing with sick kids. Luckily, she hadn't needed it that week. She put it on and hoped he wouldn't figure it out.

She walked back into the lobby and found James/Stephen. "Hi!" she said. "I'm Jackie." He stood up. She extended her hand, and he shook it.

"What's with the mask?" he asked.

"Oh, I'm just getting over a case of mono," she lied. "I probably should've waited till I was over it, but I didn't know how soon I'd be free again, and I didn't want to miss a chance to meet you."

"Are you gonna be alright?"

"I'll be fine. The mask is for everyone else's protection, not mine."

A voice on the loudspeaker said, "Vincent, party of two."

"That's us," James said. Holy crap, she thought, he used our real name! They went to the front desk, and the maitre d' took them to their table. James pulled a chair out for Jacqueline, and they both sat down. The maitre d' left them each a menu and excused himself.

"I'm glad to see you're not some 50-year-old pervert," Jacqueline said through her mask.

"I was thinking the same thing about you," James replied. They both laughed.

A waiter appeared. "Would you like something to drink, or may I take your order now?" he asked.

"I've heard good things about your house wine," Jacqueline answered. She knew this was a nice place, but her menu didn't have the prices on it. She needed to buy some time so she could guess the most expensive thing on the menu so she could stick it to her brother.

"Bring us the bottle," James told the waiter.

"Yes, sir," he replied.

"So, is your name really Stephen?" she asked.

"Sort of. My full name is James Stephen Vincent. I just used my middle name for security. Now that you know that, you can go ahead and call me James. You?"

Good, he didn't recognize her. "I used my first name and middle initial. My last name's"--she remembered her ex's last name--"Rollins. So, tell me about yourself. You said you're in construction."

"I'm a bookkeeper, but I work for the local construction workers' union. I say construction on dating sites because it makes me sound more interesting. Plus, I like the outdoors, and I figure women who like the outdoors are more likely to be interested in me if they think I work outside."

Jacqueline said, "Well, I'm not big on being outdoors just to be outdoors, but I do like a lot of outdoor things. I walk a lot for exercise, and eventually I want a house where I can have a garden."

The waiter returned and they placed their orders. James had the veal, and Jacqueline ordered lobster thermidore.

Now it was James' turn. "You said you're a teacher. I take it you like kids, then?"

"It'd be a tough job if I didn't! It's a new challenge every day."

"So, do you want kids of your own eventually?"

"I haven't thought that far ahead," she said frankly. "It hasn't gotten me to the point where I don't want 'em, but I'm still in my first year." Wow, she thought. The guy brings up kids on the first date. That might explain why he's still single. "What about you?"

"I'd be happy just to find someone special. If she wants kids, I'll prob'ly decide I want 'em too. If not, it wouldn't bother me."

Jacqueline decided to change the subject. "Tell me more about your life. You said you worked in the circus. Were you a bookkeeper there too?"

"I've had a lot of jobs. I didn't get along with my parents, so I left home when I was eighteen. I took a lot of odd jobs, and that was one of the odder ones. I gave blood, and a couple times I even volunteered for medical research just to make ends meet. I worked at a small store for a while. I had to close every night, and the owner was impressed enough with my accuracy that he had me start doing his books. One day I saw a want ad from the Local 353 looking for a bookkeeper, and there ya go."

"Are you still in touch with your family?" she asked.

"Now I am. When things were bad, I didn't talk to any of 'em because I didn't want 'em to say I told you so. After I got the job with the union, I called my mom, and things are improving now. I've got two younger sisters, and I'm trying to get to know them again." After a brief pause, he said, "Now tell me about you."

Jacqueline gave him the basics of her life: After working in a day-care center one summer, she decided she wanted to teach small children. She got her degree and landed a pre-school job not far from her parents' house, so she was still living with them while she saved for a new car. That looked like it would take another year. She mentioned Olivia, her younger sister, but she made it sound like they were the only two kids. The food got there around the time she finished talking about her student teaching assignment. James listened with rapt attention from beginning to end. She had to prompt him to talk more about the circus, which sounded really interesting to her. He paid with American Express, and asked, "Would you like to see a movie next weekend?"

Jacqueline wanted to learn more of what he'd done since he left, so she said, "Sure! What's showing?"

"I'll call you Thursday when the listings come out. Okay?"

"Sounds good."

What had she gotten herself into? Oh, well, she had a date with another guy on Wednesday to worry about. He was a young lawyer, new to the county prosecutor's office, and he didn't seem to want to talk about anything but himself. She was intentionally non-committal when he asked about getting together again.

On Monday, James called her cell phone. A romantic comedy--translation, chick flick that guys could still enjoy--had just opened, so they decided to take in the 7:10 show at the theatre near his house Thursday night. Okay, how would she keep him from figuring it out? She was pondering this Thursday morning while she cleaned up between the morning and afternoon classes. She was so distracted that she didn't look where she was going, and she hit her upper eye socket on the edge of the table. Shit! She ran to the bathroom to look at herself. It wasn't bleeding, but it was severly bruised.

One problem solved, at least in part. She picked up a pair of sunglasses on the way home. But what if that wasn't enough? She came up with a plan. At twenty till seven, she called James on his cell phone. "James? Jackie. I did something really dumb."

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Okay, two really dumb things. First I gave my self a black eye at school. Then, I showed up early to get in line. I bought our tickets, but I wanted to play one of the games in the arcade, and I absent-mindedly gave them my ticket. So now I'm inside the theatre."

"That's okay. I'll meet you at the place where they let you in."

"Sounds good," she said. She bought the tickets and faced another obstacle. They weren't seating for that showing yet. Then she figured it out. She waited until they were, and she asked the usher to give her ticket to a guy who'd be looking for her, with an instruction to meet her where their movie was showing. She got there during the previews and waited until there was a dark scene on the screen to come in and greet him. She hoped that if the glasses didn't work, the low cut of her ribbed T-shirt would distract him. He was holding a tray with food and drink. "Sorry about that," she said. "I waited for you, but then I had to use the ladies' room. Did I miss anything?" she asked.

"Just a reminder to turn off your cell phones and be sure to buy food at the concession stand. Fortunately, I did that already." He offered her a soda and a medium pop corn.

The movie was doing well. They had to go to the back row to find two seats together. Fortunately, they were aisle seats. They sat down, made small talk about the week's events and settled in to watch the movie. James laughed at all the right spots. At one point he put his hand on her knee. She was going to stop him, but she thought, "It doesn't matter. I'll find some reason to break up with him next week, and no harm done." Then came a somewhat steamy scene, and he moved his hand up to her thigh. At least he wasn't pawing her like some other guys had done. In fact, his next move was to inch the opposite direction and take her hand in his. When the climactic scene happened, Jacqueline heard the women in the theatre sniffling, or crying outright. James just said, "Aww."

As the credits began, the other patrons from the back row began scooting past James and Jacqueline. James was on the aisle, so he got up and stood in the corner. Jacqueline joined him. As more patrons walked past, James pulled her to him and kissed her on the lips. Her first thought was to resist before things went any further, but instead she opened her mouth. "It's okay," she thought. "I'll break up with him next week before things go too far." James opened his mouth as well, and she wrapped her arms around him. She was so into the kiss that she didn't notice the bulge forming in her brother's pants at first. He pulled her further into the corner and put his hands under her shirt. She could feel his hands coming up to meet the lower part of her bra, but he didn't try to undo it, or even get under it.

When the lights came up, James and Jacqueline were alone except for the cinephiles watching the production credits. "You're very pretty, you know," James said. "You have a lovely figure, and a beautiful face. Someday I hope to see it all at once."

Jacqueline blushed. She pushed James back into the corner and kissed him again. "You really think so?" she whispered. She knew it, but she always liked hearing it. She started rubbing her legs against his cock.

"Absolutely," he said. "And don't do that unless you mean it."

Jacqueline hadn't even been aware of what she was doing. She regained her composure and walked backward to the seats. James came up halfway with her. "I do mean it, but this isn't the place," she said.

"Then where is the place?" James asked. "Mine, perhaps?"

She was starting to panic, for fear of where this would lead. "It's not the time, either. Let's go."

James stepped back. "Okay. After you." He gestured forward. As she stepped toward the aisle, he offered his arm, and she took it. They walked down the steps to the exit. As they left the theatre, Jacqueline noticed that she had taken his hand. They had walked out just like a couple. What's more, she later recalled, having made this discovery, she didn't let go of it. James pointed to the left and said, "My car's that way. Where's yours?"

Jacqueline lied. She pointed to a parking garage a few blocks in the other direction and said, "It's over there." She let go of his hand now and told him. "I'd love to talk some more, but I have to get up for school tomorrow." Luckily, the pedestrian signal had changed to WALK, so she ran across the street before she could change her mind.

"I'll call you tomorrow," James shouted.

Wanting only for him to leave, she turned around and said, "Okay."

"I love you," he shouted.

Wouldn't he ever leave? She shouted back, "I love you, too!" She got to the next intersection. That signal had just changed to DON'T WALK, so she stood there long enough to see him turn a corner and out of sight. She turned that corner and waited through a cycle of lights just to be sure and then returned to where she had parked. It was a block closer than where James had turned. There's no way she could have avoided him seeing her car and possibly recognizing it if he ever came to the house again. She got in her car and remembered the last thing she said to him. "Oh, God," she thought, "I meant it."

Friday night, Olivia was at school for their school's girls' softball game and their dad was out playing poker with his buddies. That left Jacqueline and her mom for dinner. Jacqueline asked, "Mom, I know Jimmy's your son and you love him, but ... what do you think of him?"

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"Well, if Olivia brought someone home like him, would you approve?"

"If my 16-year-old daughter were dating a 28-year-old man, I'd call the police," Mom prefaced. "But you mean if she were an adult, right?"

"Obviously," Jacqueline said.

"Well, if I got to know as much about this man as I do about Jimmy, I'd think it was nice that he'd turned his life around. Deep down, he's a good person who just made some bad choices early on. And, of course, he's a homeowner, so that's a nice bit of security to have if things got serious. Why?"

"Oh, I just wondered," Jacqueline lied. "Sometimes when I tell people about myself, I say that I have a little sister and leave it at that because it would take too long to explain about Jimmy."

"Well, you shouldn't be ashamed. And even if he were a bad person, it'd be a reflection on him, not on you."

They finished their dinner, washed the dishes and had some more mom-daughter talk. Afterward, Jacqueline went to her room. Her cell phone was charging. "Oh, crap!" she thought. The phone was fully charged, so she unplugged it. She turned it on and, sure enough, she'd missed James' call. She went online and sent him a private message apologizing.

Saturday morning, Jacqueline was in the ethereal stage between full-on sleep and actual awakening. She was remembering how it felt when she kissed James and felt his erection pressing into her. Without thinking about it, she put her right hand between her legs and started rubbing her pussy. In her imagination, they were still in the corner of the theatre, but Jimmy's fly was undone. His cock had made its way out and the head had found its way inside her. As she imagined him getting harder, she rubbed herself harder, eventually getting her middle finger between her pussy lips. When the thumb grazed her clit, she woke up the rest of the way. Now she devoted herself fully to the fantasy, finger herself deeper each time. In her mind, James told her, "I'm coming, Jackie!" In real life she whispered, "Me, too, James," and she had an orgasm.

She returned to her dreamy state for what seemed like a minute and then her cell phone rang. She got up and answered it. She recognized the incoming number as James' cell phone. "Hi, sweetheart," she said.

"Hi, Baby," James answered. "Sorry I missed you last night."

"Don't pretend," Jacqueline said. "It was my fault, and you know it."

"I know," James said. "But anyway, I had a really good time the other night."

Jacqueline felt like a schoolgirl. "Same here," she said. "You have no idea how good," she thought.

"Next week is the county fair, and they'll have all kinds of fun things going on. Wanna go?"

By now her heart wasn't letting her head contribute anything. "I'd love to," she said.

"Great! The locations for all the events will be in the local paper on Tuesday. I'll call you that night and we can decide where to meet. Do you like roller coasters?"

Okay, she'd faked being someone else, but she couldn't fake enjoying a roller coaster. Well, she might fake enjoying it, but she'd never ridden one without throwing up, and she doubted she could fake that part. "No, not really," she said.

"That's okay, we'll find other stuff to do."

"James?"

He paused. "Yes?"

"I love you."

"I love you too, Jackie."

Tuesday night James and Jacqueline both had their copies of the local paper. They decided to meet Saturday at five at the entrance on Third Street. It was close to one of the temporary eateries, and it would give them a good hour and a half before the fair closed for the night. Jacqueline would have preferred Sunday, but James wanted to go Saturday. He always got misty seeing a fair or anything like that close down because of his time with the circus. Jacqueline figured she could just show up and tell him what had happened, or no-show and call him without telling him she was his sister. She looked at the map to find a good place where she could tell him without anyone else knowing. Then she saw something that gave her a whole new perspective.