The Family Room

The air-conditioner thermostat was set low, too low. A chill had settled over the house. The air in my room may have been cold but my bed was nice and warm. I had been awake for several minutes but had yet to move. I was more than content to watch Julie breathe peacefully beside me.

How could I be so blessed and cursed at the same time. Blessed because sharing my bed was the most spirited, beautiful, compassionate and loving girl I had ever known. Cursed because she happened to be my little sister. Our type of relationship was supposed to be limited to places like the Appalachians or Ozarks, not the suburb of Saratoga Spring.

She stirred, shading her green eyes from the sunlight peeking through the gaps in the mini-blinds. "Morning beautiful," I said. She rubbed her face. "Rough night?"

"Yeah," she answered. "My boyfriend can be rather insatiable in the sack." She buried her face in my chest then looked up at me. "But I love him anyway." We came together for a kiss.

"How perfect is this girl?! She doesn't even have morning breath."

"I wish I could say the same about you, Mr. Sleeps With His Mouth Open. I thought you'd never stop snoring." I must have looked a bit sheepish. "But don't worry, I still love every inch of you," she said, reaching to place her palm on the top of my head.

"I think I'm going to have to do something about this stick your poking into my leg." She reached under the covers and grasped my erection, stroking it up and down. Only her second time touching one of these things and my little sister masturbated me like an old pro. Her slim fingers slid over the loose skin of my shaft bringing me to the edge.

My left hand snaked under the sheets, settling in the softness between her legs. Her curls rubbed my palm as I cupped her pussy mound. I probed her sex with a finger. She was damp and warm, I made her more so.

My thumb swirled over her clit. "Oh Rick," she whispered. I parted her labia with my index finger, slipping it into her slick tunnel. She begged me to explore her, whispering my name over and over. I was so focused on touching her that I nearly forgot about her hand sliding on my dick. A familiar tingle within my body reminded me and foreshadowed an impending orgasm.

She drained me last night, every drop of semen my body could produce was either in her or on her but today was a different story. After sleeping peacefully in her arms I felt like I could shoot a bucketful.

Julie placed her free hand over mine to hold me close to her pussy. She released my dick, hunching her hips against my probing finger as she rode out an orgasm. She bit her lip, I think she was trying to resist the urges to call out.

She regained her senses and took my penis back in her small hand. I was determined to cover that hand with my sperm. Tingles took over, every muscle in my body relaxed as I shot. Semen squirted out of the little slit, jet after jet landed on my pelvis and Julie's stroking hand.

She grabbed some Kleenex from my desk and dabbed the cum from my body. She daintily wiped her own hand clean then discarded the tissues in my wastebasket. "Did I do okay?"

"You were terrific; a four-star hand job," I assured.

She threw herself against me, wrapping her arms in a firm hug. "I love you," she whispered. I leaned down to kiss her. Our lips had just met when the doorbell started to ring rapidly downstairs. She released me. "Oh shit! What time is it?" Julie glanced at my VCR clock. "Damn it, nine! That's Erin." Julie bounded out of bed and ran from my room, her boobs bouncing deliciously as she did, leaving me doubly frustrated.

Just what I needed right now, Erin. The girl who had practically tried to rape me, of course that incident had lead to Julie and I being together, so maybe Erin wasn't all bad.

***

Julie dug through her dresser, she was just as bad as Rick when it came to laundry. She found a clean nightgown, an ancient white cotton shirt with teddy bears, she threw it over her naked body. She frowned at the reflection in her mirror. The nightgown was a throwback to her junior high days, it no longer left much to the imagination.

She sprinted down the steps. The doorbell had ceased ringing, she didn't want Erin to leave. Julie threw open the door. "Hi." She struggled to catch her breath.

"Hi yourself," Erin said. "Did I wake you."

"Yeah, but don't worry about it, I overslept. Come on."

The way Erin gawked at her body made Julie wish she'd had time to get properly dressed. "You look 'interesting' this morning," Erin said. She tugged on the far too short hem of Julie's nightgown. "Dressed to impress?"

"No!" her denial was swift. "It's laundry day. You know how it is."

They passed through the family room where Erin noticed the dirty plates and the pile of clothes by the sofa. "More laundry?" she asked.

Julie felt her cheeks warm as she nodded. The two young women went up the stairs to Julie's room and soon they were laughing and giggling. One might think their fight had never occurred. They talked for over an hour, catching up on the past two weeks.

"I've noticed a certain glow to you this morning," Erin said after a while.

"What do you mean," Julie asked with a forced laugh.

"Oh come on Jules! You didn't sleep in your bed." The sheets and pillows were meticulously arranged. "You're completely naked under that nightgown." Erin leaned forward to sniff Julie's neck. "And since when did you start wearing aftershave? Play dumb all you want but I know it's aftershave." She sniffed again, putting her nose against Julie's chest. "The same brand my brother and father wear." Erin flashed an awful smile. "I think our little Julie has finally been made into a woman."

Julie faked a laugh. "I think you have sex on the brain, girl."

"There are a lot worse things than sex. Violence, crime." She thought a minute. "Violent crimes, puppy euthanasia, rape." That one stung. "And incest."

Julie stomped her foot, without a bra her breasts were free to swing. "You really should cover those things. A girl with a body like yours shouldn't walk around half dressed. She might give her older brother the wrong idea." She took Julie's hand and smelled the skin. "Or the right one."

Could she smell his semen? She hadn't washed her hand, she only wiped it with a tissue. Julie jerked her hand from the blonde's nose. "You promised you wouldn't talk about Rick. I thought we were still friends."

"Crazy girl. We are friends, best friends." Erin wrapped her long arms around Julie's petite body. "Friends who tell each other their deepest, darkest secrets." Erin leaned close, putting her pronounced nose against Julie's sweating skin. She inhaled the sent of Rick's aftershave. "Friends who share everything."

There were rattles in the kitchen. Rick was downstairs eating breakfast.

"Speaking of something I want you to share." Erin let her go and slithered into the hallway.

Julie felt the tears in her eyes, they stung. What had she done? Erin wasn't the same person anymore, her best friend had been replaced by an obsessive deviant. She wanted to help Erin, at least help the girl she remembered but not at the risk of losing Rick. Nothing was worth losing Rick.

***

I watched one of mom's plates drop after I pulled it from the cabinet. It clattered and wobbled but through some miracle it hadn't broken upon impact with the countertop. Unfortunately my clumsiness had alerted Erin to my presence. There were times that I wished I wasn't tall. What you gain in height you inexplicably lose in coordination.

"If it isn't the tall, not-so-dark and handsome Rick," Erin greeted.

"Hello Erin." She was standing in the opening that separated the family room and the kitchen. Her long legs looked even longer in a pair of ivory shorts. She was still blonde, still sexy and still infatuated. "Where's Julie?" I asked, desperate for my little sister's supervision.

"Oh, she's probably in the bathroom douching. You put an awful lot of sperm in her last night."

"Erin don't be ridiculous, Julie's my---"

"I know, I know. She's your sister. You sick fucker! Your clothes are still in front of the sofa. I could smell you on her skin. You were all over her last night, probably even this morning. Why don't you just admit it?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." Admittedly a lame denial.

"What the hell is wrong with you Rick Martin?" Erin was crying just a little. "I've been thrown myself at you for two years and you've never even looked twice. Your own sister wiggles her little butt once and you jump into bed with her, breaking every kind of natural law."

I had never considered the fact that somewhere deep down Erin might have harbored human feelings, some of them apparently for me. What could I say? I wasn't about to admit guilt so instead I offered a lame apology for hurting her feelings.

"Shut up Rick, just shut up!" Erin screeched. "You know what I think? I think you're a coward playing it safe. Big, brave Rick Martin. He's so intimidated by real women that he stays home and bangs his little sister." Her wide mouth curved in a sly grin. "You just wait until this gets out."

"Erin, you can't say anything." Actually she could, especially since I was stupid enough to admit my guilt. "I mean you wouldn't tell. Julie is your best friend. You would ruin her life."

"Ruin her life?" she retorted. "You're her brother and you're fucking her. You're in no position to lecture me about ruining her life. She would gain a lot of sympathy if I told. The poor young woman who was seduced and raped by her monster of a brother.

"Your life, on the other hand, would be over. Incest is a very serious crime Ricky, even when it's among consenting adults." She grabbed my butt through the material of my khaki work pants. "A prime piece of ass like yours wouldn't last too long in the Saratoga Spring penitentiary." Erin ran her long fingernails across my cheek. "This cat has claws Rick."

I was forced to once again consider my escape options: pack clothes, withdraw money, write note to Julie. She took my blue vest from the kitchen table. "I could be persuaded to remain discreet. Julie is my best friend after all and I'd do anything for you Ricky. We can discuss our little problem when my working man gets home."

She pushed me to the door. "I'm not leaving Julie alone with you," I said.

"Don't be so paranoid. I wouldn't harm a hair on her little head. Or anywhere else on her body, for that matter. Besides, you don't really have a choice in the matter, Ricky. I have your dad's cell phone number. I could leave him a very juicy bit of voicemail."

I grabbed the vest and headed for the video store. I almost ran over two curb on my way.

My hands were still trembling as I punched in my time card. Poor Julie. I was worried about her but Erin held my life in the balance. I had no choice.

"Morning Ricky!" I almost collapsed when my friend and boss greeted hello. "Jesus, you're a bit jumpy this morning. What's the matter, inhale too many of them paint fumes in class?"

I didn't answer. I trudged to Lance's tiny office and collapsed in the desk chair.

"You don't look so good." I felt unbelievably nauseous. My stomach could have exploded at any moment. A cold sweat trickled down my back and I swore I was fevering. "Are you sure you feel like working both shifts?" Lance asked.

I nodded even though I wanted nothing more than to run home. How could I have left Julie alone with her crazy friend? "I could use the distraction."

"Rick, if there's anything you want to talk about let me know. I would do anything for you, buddy." Lance didn't prod any further, he knew I would come to him when I was ready. He patted my shoulder and headed to the front.

All through the day I thought of my career, my future, but especially I thought of Julie. Erin could ruin my life. I knew it would be her word against ours but somehow, someway the truth would come out. My reputation would be ruined, my family would disown me and any hopes of becoming an art teacher would be dashed.

There was one thing that made itself clear to me during that long day: I needed help. Lance and I had remained friends when his parents had divorced ten years ago. That was a tough time for him. He had started shoplifting and even began to dabble in drugs.

His mom and dad were so worried they shipped him to a psychiatric center halfway across the state. Even when his parents almost gave up hope, I stuck by him. I went with his family every weekend to visit him in that dismal place. I hoped he would stick by me after I told him about Julie.

***

"Sit your little butt down, Miss Martin!" Erin grabbed Julie's arm and pulled her back to the sofa.

"Come on Erin, I want to get dressed." She was tired of wearing nothing but the undersized nightgown. The hem left very little to the imagination, especially when she was sitting down. "At least let me put on some pants."

"Don't you want to look hot for Ricky when he comes home?"

"Why would I want that?" Julie asked. She hoped she sounded convincing.

"Please!" Erin reached down to the pile of discarded clothes and picked up a pair of pink panties. "Did Rick take these off? Did he pull them over that round little butt and then slide them down your legs?" She let the panties flutter to the floor.

Erin's long, red fingernails touched Julie's exposed thigh. She jerked at the contact. "I'll bet he dreams about your thighs. They're so smooth and perfect."

"You should go," Julie said. "Whatever you think Rick and I do is wrong. He's my---"

"He's your brother, I know. Good girls don't have sex with their brothers and our little Julie is a good girl. Still, I have my suspicions." She leaned close to Julie's ear and whispered. "I'll bet your mom and dad would like to hear about my suspicions."

"No!" Julie's jerked again, but Erin dug her fingernails into Julie's leg. Julie whimpered.

"I won't tell them if you're a good girl, Julie. A good girl who is honest to her friend." Erin caressed the length of Julie's thigh, making trails of red on the pale skin. She moved slowly toward the hem. "Do you like it when he does this?" she whispered. "Do you like it when Rick touches you?"

Julie closed her eyes and nodded. She wished it would stop. She wished Rick were home. Erin's hand reached under the hem and grasped the brown curls of her pubic hair, pulling, hurting. "Maybe we should shave you."

"No, Rick likes it this way."

"Does he now?" Erin pulled the nightgown up, exposing Julie's pussy. She scoffed. "I can't believe he chose that bushy little thing over mine." She covered Julie back up and scooted away.

***

During evening break Lance and I went over to Pizza Sub, his treat. He had tried to cheer me up all day and somehow in his sick mind he thought this would help.

"Check out the bod on the blonde girl," Lance commented.

Even in the ridiculous yellow uniform the young woman drew stares. "That's just Dina. One of my sister's friends." She was a cute girl, average height, and long blond hair tied in a ponytail. She had a lean athletic body that Lance was more than happy to drool over.

"Look at that butt; she must work out." He peered over the top of his menu, trying to look as casual as possible.

"She was captain of the girls' basketball team last season." I said. "I'd be glad to introduce you sometime but right now we need to talk about something."

"Anything for my best employee, who also happens to be my best friend," he said, tearing his eyes from Dina.

My voice grew quiet. I was taking an enormous chance confiding in another person, even if that person were my best friend. "I'm involved with this girl." Lance's face brightened, he probably suspected something far worse than romance problems. I wouldn't disappoint him there. "She's probably the last girl on earth I should have ever laid a finger on, but I did. I couldn't help myself. She's beautiful and perfect. She makes me happy; when we're together I feel invincible. I think she's the one Lance; the one I want to spend my life with.

"That doesn't sound like much of a problem. It sounds like you found your soul mate." Lance set down his menu. "I just have two questions: when is the wedding and will there be an open bar?" His little joke actually depressed me more. "Apparently it's not that simple, is it?"

I shook my head no. I could anticipate his next question before he even asked. There was no turning back now. I would share this awful secret. "It's Julie. I'm in love with her."

Lance nodded, as if the whole thing made perfect sense. His smile turned south and his eyes opened big as Frisbees. The enormity of the situation hit him. "Julie! Your Julie?!" His voice was too loud. "You've been having sex with Julie Martin? Your own sis---"

My hand clamped over his mouth. Our struggle knocked the glasses off his face, they clattered to the table. I had made a huge mistake, best friend or not.

I removed my hand from Lance's mouth. He was silent now but his lips still moved, constantly mouthing the word 'Julie.'

Dina arrived to take our order. "Rick, how are you?" Dina asked. A big smile dominated her tanned face. She was a sweet girl, I had always preferred her to Erin, even more so now. "How's your sister?"

"Oh, he's keeping her happy," Lance said. I kicked his shin under the table. Dina giggled at the faces Lance made.

"Dina, this is my best friend who would do anything for me, Lance Mathers. Lance, this is Dina." The two shook hands and exchanged hellos. A look from her boss encouraged her to proceed with taking our orders.

Since it was his treat I let Lance order whatever he wanted. Unfortunately, I had no idea that pineapples and anchovies were on the toppings menu, even less that anyone would be sadistic enough to put the two together. I thought Pizza Sub was bad before but after gagging down a slice with salty fish and tropical fruit I'll never be the same.

Lance chomped his first slice of pizza. He had no qualms about talking with his mouth full. "I know you're not Mr. Smooth around the ladies, but you never had any problems finding a date. So why her? Why your sister?"

Lance had grown up an only child. I didn't know if I could make him understand, but I tried. "I always had this ideal of what my perfect woman would be like. How she would look, how she would act, how she would make me feel. I know it's stupid and I know it's cost me in the dating department but it was something I felt strongly about.

"There was an incident at home, it was sort of traumatic." Lance narrowed his eyes as I explained what happened with Sam and then with Erin. "I was sitting on the floor, looking into Julie's beautiful eyes and it hit me. My perfect woman, the girl I had waited my whole life for lived right in the next room.

"Now that we're together the thought of spending my life with someone else is just... I can't imagine it. The thought of Julie with another man turns my stomach.

"I can't go on a big rant justifying what we're doing, I know it's incest. It's just that I feel like Julie and I were always meant to be together. That's why we were born into the same family, so I could be with her from the day she was born to the day I die." My eyes were stinging, I don't know if I had tears in them or not, just in case I wiped at my eyes.

"Man, Rick," Lance said. "I had no idea. I mean I really didn't." He might not have understood the feelings I had for my sister but at least he hadn't recoiled from my confession. "Good thing I never tried to put the moves on Julie, you would have beat the shit out of me." We both nervously laughed.

Dina came to the table to clear our plates. "Not very hungry, Rick?" she asked.

"He's been having some romance issues," Lance explained. I wanted to kick him again.