Lourdes Wilson got off the plane and she almost had to pinch herself. She was really going to be living in Hawaii. No more cold winter days, no more shoveling snow. Once she disembarked, she saw Linn, her older sister and she ran over to give her new roommate a hug. It was such a strong hug that it nearly knocked the breath out of the 26-year old painter / sculptor. "Welcome to Hawaii," Linn said placing a garland of flowers around her sister's neck. "Aloha."
"The natives really do say that?"
"Yes, we really do. Let's get your bags and we'll get back to the apartment. I've got dinner made unless you want to take a nap first. Then you can bitch to me all about Bryce and what a dud he turned out to be," Linn laughed as she helped her sister with her luggage. A ruined relationship with her fiancΓ© had been the reason Lourdes had run to her sister in the first place. She was sick and tired of hearing her parents suggest that she patch things up. The destruction of their relationship had been solely Bryce's fault. She hadn't been the cheater, he had and he'd made no overtures towards apologizing for his actions. Money didn't change any of that, so she packed up her belongings the minute Linn invited her and moved to Honolulu with her sister, who had lived there for the past 3 years. Linn had never told her younger sister the reason she had up and moved but her periodic letters were always cheery and full of happiness. Life on the islands seemed to suit Linn and she had no intention of moving back. She invited her sister for a short stay and was a bit stunned when Lourdes asked if she could make her stay a tiny bit longer.
"Like, how long are we talking about?" Linn asked when Lourdes posed the question.
"As long as you're willing to put up with me until I find a place of my own," Lourdes answered her. "I can't stand to hear our parents nagging me about another failed relationship. I think I can get work out there, I'm a photographer. If I can't find things to take pictures of in Hawaii, I don't know my craft."
Linn laughed and agreed. The sisters were together again and soon settled in very nicely. Linn had progressed as an artist and her paintings were selling well enough to afford her a nice 3 bedroom apartment in Honolulu. She had friends and she told her younger sister that she was the happiest she had been in her life. When Lourdes asked her sister if she was seeing anyone special, Linn tactfully avoided the question.
She took her sister sightseeing as many times as she could, to Maui and Molokai and to the volcanoes and many of the beaches that were filled with sun-bronzed goddesses and tourists enjoying their vacation. Over the weeks of her stay, Lourdes wondered about her sister's social life. She seemed to be giving it up to show her sister around the islands and Lourdes didn't want her to do that. As long as they were going to be living together, she wanted Linn to have as normal a life as she had enjoyed before Lourdes' arrival.
"You haven't been on one date since I've been here," Lourdes said to her older sister. "I love how much attention you've been paying to me, but don't let me cramp your style."
"What are you talking about?" Linn responded. "I've been on dates. I went out with Victoria just last night."
"Yes, but those don't count and ... oh, I see," Lourdes said as the blinders were removed from her eyes. "You and Victoria are ..."
"Lovers, yes," Linn said. "I've been a lesbian for about 3 years now. Well, I meant I've known I was lesbian. That's why I moved out to the islands -- to be far away from mom and all of her questions. Victoria and I aren't exclusive though, I've had a few other dates since you've been here, you just didn't notice."
"Were you ever going to tell me?" Lourdes asked her sister.
"I'm not sure. Maybe, eventually," Linn replied. "I just go about my life and I share a bed with whoever I find sexy. I probably would have eventually brought someone home and you'd have figured it out for yourself."
Lourdes laughed. "So, my sister likes women. I think mom would have dealt with it but eventually, she'd drive you nuts by trying to fix you up with this cute girl or that one or asking you all sorts of questions," she giggled and then broke into a fit of laughter. "She'd drive you insane with all her intruding, at least you only have to deal with an occasional phone call this way."
"Now that we're on the subject," Linn commented as she got cold drinks for her sister and herself, "I haven't seen you dating anyone in the weeks you've been here. You can't tell me with a face and body like yours that there haven't been offers."
"A few," Lourdes sighed, accepting the glass her sister held out. "I guess I'm playing it safe for now. I have rotten taste in men. You got anyone you can set me up with?"
"Most of my friends here are women or gay artists, sorry," Linn commented and sipped her drink.
Lourdes shot up from the couch as if she'd been stung by a bee. "Hey, why
not
set me up with a woman? We could go on a double date, it'd be a kick. I do think that women are sexy, maybe if I have a nice time with a cute girl, I can at least make a new friend," Lourdes suggested.
Linn looked at her sister and sighed. "You won't give up on this, will you?"
Lourdes shook her head. "You've known me for how long now?"
"Christ. Well, Victoria has an identical twin who is also a lesbian. Her sister's name is Sheena. I know she'd be into you but I would want to be honest with them and let them know we'd all just be going dancing and out for dinner and drinks, nothing more," Linn told her sister. "Well, nothing more in YOUR case, Vicki knows what I'm like after I've had a few drinks," she giggled.
"I get a little affectionate myself," Lourdes chuckled.
"We'll do the Pub Club and we might as well go to dinner around 8 or 9 because most of the club scene here doesn't get going until around midnight," Linn told her sister. "Wear something indecently short and a pair of stilettos or stripper heels. It's going to be a bit pricy but we're hot girls hanging out, we might only have to buy 1 or 2 drinks, if we're lucky," she said. "Most of the good clubs are in Waikiki so that's where we'll go."