The Young Widow Ch. 06

(Well, this took so long to finally get it out. My laptop crashed with it three-thirds done and I just couldn't get back into the swing of writing. I hope the turn in the story works for you all)

The days could not go by fast enough for Jen. Her excitement could hardly be contained. All her school friends were jealous of her with the exception of wondering what she was going to do with an "older women" on this trip. "If only they knew," thought Jen to herself. The weekend before the trip Anne took Jen shopping. The girls bought some bikinis complete with matching wraps. They bought a couple of sundresses, sunglasses, and sandals.

When the day finally arrived, Anne picked up Jen right after school and along with the Gracie and Johnny drove to Anne's parent's house, about a five hour drive. They stopped along the way to eat dinner. The long drive gave them the opportunity to catch up on life. Jen asked questions about Anne's family and her childhood. Jen found out that Anne has another sister named Liz that lives in California. During the discussions, Anne brought up the subject of how they were going to handle the week with Lori. It was decided that they would not risk being discovered. Unless they were sure of not being discovered, they would refrain from any physical activities. Jen was ok with that. She didn't want to put Anne in an awkward situation with her sister.

They arrived at Anne's parents about 9:30 that night. Lori arrived about an hour later. The girls were soon asleep, Lori and Anne in their old rooms, and Jen in Liz's room. They got up early to meet the shuttle van that came to pick them up. They were at the gate by 8:00 AM and boarded by 9:00 AM. They arrived in Miami at 11:30 and they made their connection that boarded at 1:00 PM and they were in the air by 2:00 PM arriving in Cayman Island about 2:25 PM. They had an hour layover before taking the jumper flight to Little Cayman. They were met by a driver at the airport who loaded their bags onto a Landrover and then about an hour to the house on the northeast side of the Island.

They pulled up to house, a ranch style house with bright Caribbean colors, surrounded by lush vegetation giving it extreme privacy. The driver unloaded the luggage and carried it into the house. Once inside a short black man with a British accent greeted them.

"I'm Jameson Crawley. Mr. Morris hired me to cook and look after you girls this week." The ladies introduced themselves to Jameson. Jameson showed them to their rooms. Lori and Anne picked a large room with two queen beds. Jen got one with a large king sized bed. Each room had its own bathroom and French doors that opened up to the beach. There was a large kitchen and dining area towards the front of the house. The backside of the house had a large family area with pit coaches and a large screen TV mounted on the wall. As they walked through the family room there were two sets French doors that opened up to a covered patio. The patio had a large glass table which Jameson had filled with fresh tropical fruit, breads and cheese, and small cuts of meat. Beyond the patio there was a small pool with an in-ground Jacuzzi. About 50 feet beyond the pool the ladies could see the white sand, and about 25 yards beyond that, the crystal blue water of the Caribbean.

The ladies stood there for several minutes in stunned amazement. They felt the ocean breeze on their faces as they breathed in the salt air. It was as though the scene alone was enough to wash away all their stress and cares.

The ladies ate around the table unable to take their eyes away from the blue water in front of them. After dinner they went to their rooms and unpacked their luggage. They each changed clothes and went back out to the patio taking a seat on rocking chairs. The scene was incredible. They watched the sunset as it disappeared over the Caribbean Ocean. Jen had never seen anything so breathtaking.

Jameson came out to the patio just as the sun set, "If there is nothing else you ladies need this evening, I will take my leave. My telephone number is on the wall in the kitchen should you need anything. I will be back in the morning to fix breakfast."

"Thank you Jameson, have a good night," said Anne and echoed by the other two. The girls sat there for about half hour. Nothing much was said between the girls. Jen was the first to get up.

"I'm a tired. I think I'm going to go take a shower and hit the hay," said Jen.

"Goodnight Jen," said Anne. Lori nodded in agreement but said nothing. Anne had noticed that Lori had not said much all day long. Maybe she was tired, Anne reasoned.

Anne and Lori sat in the rocking chairs with their knees drawn up. They wrapped their arms around their legs resting their chin on the top of their knees. They sat in the dim light of the candles that Jameson had lit before leaving. The sound of the waves provided a soothing backdrop as the women sat just two feet apart.

Lori was the first to break the silence, "We haven't really talked much since the funeral. How are you doing?"

Anne stared at the ground in front of her for a few seconds before answering, "Honestly, I have some good days and some bad days. But the good days are outnumbering the bad. I miss Jim so much some days. Almost daily I'm reminded of something Jim did to take care of us. He was such a good husband, father, and provider." Tears began to weld up in her eyes. Lori looked over and noticed tears slowing rolling down Anne's cheek.

Anne continued, "I know that you can't really prepare yourself for something like that, but Jim's death really threw me for an emotional loop."

"I can't even begin to imagine what that feels like," said Jen. "I was always a little jealous of you and Jim."

"Why do you say that?" asked Anne.

"Don't get me wrong, I love Doug, but Jim was one of those one-in-a-million kind of guys. I always admired the way he treated you, like if you were a queen," Lori continued.

Anne smiled as she wiped away the tears from eyes. "Now you know why it's so hard to go on dates. The half dozen I have been on have been such a great disappointment. Maybe Jim set the bar so high for me that no man can possibly hold a candle to him. It's like you said, one-in-a-million." Anne said this while still staring at the ground. The memory of Jim at the moment overwhelmed her. The tears began to flow more freely now.

"He was that Anne. Doug is good to me and the kids and I love him, but he doesn't hold a candle to Jim. Very few will," said Lori reaching out rubbing Anne's shoulder.

Both women were silent for few minutes. It was Lori that broke the silence again, "Can I ask you question?"

"Sure," answered Anne.

"Why did you invite me to come this week?" asked Lori looking down at the tip of her toes on the edge of the rocking chair.

"What do mean why? You are my baby sister. Do I need a reason to invite you to spend a week with me?" Anne asked a little confused by the question.

"I guess not," replied Lori, "It's just that we have never done much together in the past."

"Better reason to spend time together now," replied Anne. "If Jim's death has taught me anything is that life is too short to waste and we need to make the most of it while we can."

"I guess you're right about that," replied Lori. "But why did you invite Jen to come with us? If you really wanted to spend time with me why include her?"

"Lori, I told you why when I invited her and you told me that you didn't have a problem with it. Had you said something to me before we left I would have uninvited her. Although, it would have been very rude and hurtful to all of the sudden tell her she could not come. But I thought you were ok with this? What has changed your mind?" Anne was now a little disturbed with her sister. It was really so unlike her to be this petty and childish.

Lori didn't say anything. She kept staring at her feet rocking slowly back and forth.

"Come on Lori, You're killing me here. What's going on?" Anne pleaded.

Lori's eyes began to tear up. Anne noticed it. She reached out and touched Lori's arms. "Come on Lori. What's wrong?" she pleaded again a little softer with genuine compassion in her voice.

The tears now flowed down Lori's cheeks. After a few minutes of silence to utter three words that she knew would change her relationship with her sister forever.

"I saw you." It came out almost as a whisper.

"You saw me what?" asked Anne with genuinely perplexed by the statement.

"The night I stayed over your house. I saw you and Jen." Lori was still talking in hush tone.

Anne's mind raced back to that weekend trying to figure out what Lori could be referring too. And then it hit her, like a punch in gut taking the wind out of her. She started to cry putting her hand over mouth as she weep deep sobs.

Through the tears Anne managed a few words, "Oh god, oh god!"

"Why didn't you say something before this?" Anne asked after a few minutes elapsed and the shock wore off a bit. "Oh god and then I invite you to come here with me and Jen." Anne threw her head back in the rocking chair as the tears flowed freely now.

"You must think I have lost my mind," said Anne. Tears rolled down Lori's face but she said nothing.

Anne couldn't take it anymore, "Lori, please say something, anything!"

"I don't know what to say," came Lori's reply still in a soft voice barely above a whisper.

"Well at least tell me why you didn't say anything? That was more than a month ago. And why in God's name did you come this week?" Anne was now pleading to get some response from her younger sister.

"I wanted to say something. I wanted to barge right in there that night and yell at you two. I haven't thought of anything else for the past three weeks," said Lori with a little more confidence in her voice.

"Why didn't you?" asked Anne.

"I don't know. I guess I was confused. I mean you are my sister and that is something that I never imagined that you would do. So I guess I was in shock." Lori still had the cracking in her voice attempting to speak while holding back the tears.

"Oh my god, Lori, I'm sorry that I put you in that position. I figured that you were out from the drinking and dancing," replied Anne.

"How did it happen, Anne? I mean is this something you have done before?" asked Lori.

"If you are asking if that was the first time Jen and I made love, the answer is 'No.' If you are asking if I've done this before Jen, the answer is also 'No.'"

Anne spoke but without looking at Jen. "It just happened. I wasn't looking for it and neither was Jen. I was lonely and she was, well, she is a young woman, you can remember those days." Anne related the story of the stormy night that brought her and Jen together. She left out the explicit details of the night, but she shared enough that Lori could easily fill in the blanks.

After a long pause, Anne asked Lori, "How much did you see that night if you don't mind me asking?"

"I came downstairs to get a drink," Lori replied, "I heard voices so I stopped at the top of the landing and peaked around the corner. I saw Jen kiss you. When you didn't move but returned the kiss, I couldn't believe my eyes."

"Why didn't say something or interrupt us?" asked Anne.

"I wanted to but I think I was frozen in the shock," replied Lori.

"Well then why didn't you say anything the next morning or the past few weeks?" asked Anne.

"I don't know Anne!" retorted Lori, "I guess I was trying to make sense of what I saw."

"How long did you stay and watch?" asked Anne realizing that her questions were beginning to aggravate Lori.

"Long enough to see that you know how to please another woman," replied Lori with a little scorn in her voice.

Anne broke another long pause, "Lori, I'm sorry that I have put you in such an awkward and embarrassing situation. It was never my intention to cause you harm or pain. I know that this is probably very hard for you to understand. You probably think that I have fallen down some rabbit hole or something. It is possible that this will change your opinion of me forever. I can't even begin to imagine what you must be thinking of me right now."

Another long pause before Anne continues, "But Lori I'm not sorry for what Jen and I have shared together these past few months. I wasn't looking for it and I'm not saying that I have given up on men altogether, but I'm not going to feel guilty about it either."

Again, there was no response from Lori. Her eyes were still focused on her feet and her arms wrapped tightly around her legs.

After another long pause, Anne stated, "I guess I can conclude from your silence that you disapprove and that you are disappointed in me therefore this will permanently change our relationship."

Finally, Lori broke the silence, "Anne, I'm not judging you or anything. You are my sister and no matter what you choose to do with your life nothing is going to change the fact that I love you. And you can never disappoint me."

The tears began to flow again on Anne's face, "You don't know how glad it makes me to hear you say that."

"Can I ask you a question without sounding weird or stupid?" asked Lori.

"Of course you can," replied Anne, "what do you want know?"

"What's it like? You know to be with another woman?" Lori asked sheepishly.

Anne thought for a moment, "It's hard to describe, it's different than making love to man beyond the obvious missing ingredient. It's soft and tender. It's an amazing feeling making love to another woman, someone just like you physically. I won't say that it's better than sex with a man, just different."

Both women rocked slowly in their chairs as they contemplated. "Can I ask you question, Lori? And you don't have to answer if you don't want to," asked Anne resting her cheek on her knees while looking at Lori.

"I guess," replied Lori.

"Why did you agree to come this week? I mean if I had seen what you saw I might be tempted to graciously say no or make up some excuse. But you agreed to come the very next morning after witnessing what you saw. Why is that?"

Lori thought for a moment trying to figure out how she was going to respond.

Before she could respond, Anne spoke up, "By the way, Jen and I had already decided that we would not do anything sexual this week. We were going to just hang out like friends on the beach."

Again Lori thought long and hard about how she was going to respond. Sheepishly she replied, "It's ok with me if, you know, you two want to get together."

Anne looked at Lori a little puzzled but Lori did not make eye contact. She kept her eyes focused downward.

"What do you mean its ok?" asked Anne.

Again without looking at Anne, Lori replied, "I mean if you and Jen want to have sex this week I'm ok with it."

"So when did it turn from shock and disbelief to acceptance?" asked Anne.

Lori was feeling trapped now. How could she admit to her sister that the scene she witness three weeks ago turned her on so much that she got off twice.

"Honestly, about five minutes into watching you two making love," Lori's voice quivered while she spoke.

Anne tried to process what Lori just said. "I'm not sure I follow you sis. What exactly are you saying?"

Lori squeezed her legs hard against her chest as she rocked back and forth in her rocking chair. Tears welded up in her eyes again as she thought back on that night.

"Anne, I have never in my life even given a second thought to what you and Jen did that night," Lori said as the tears flowed. "But once I got over the initial shock of what I was seeing (now crying) I'm ashamed to say that it turned me on."

Anne smiled and reached her hand stroking Lori's hair. "It's ok Lori, I kind of know what you mean."

"It was like I was having an out of body experience and could not control myself." Lori was now crying with her face buried in knees.

Anne consoled her, "It's ok hon. you have nothing to be ashamed of."

"You don't understand Anne. I haven't been able to get that scene out of my mind since that night and every time I think of it..." Lori tailed off without finishing her sentence almost weeping now.

"What it is Lori? It can't be all that bad?" comforted Anne.

"I get off on it! There I said it! That night when I saw you and Jen I got myself off twice right there in the stairway. And every time I thought about it ever since the night I have this uncontrollable urge to whack off regardless of where I am. I must sound like a total nut job!" Lori was almost inconsolable.

"You are not a nut job Lori," replied Anne, "You saw a beautiful scene between two women and it turned you on. There is nothing wrong with that. It's not like you went into the nearest bar and picked the first woman you saw and screwed her!"

"No, it's worse than that," responded Lori, "I got off, or I should say I get off, watching my sister make love to another woman. You got to admit that is wrong on so many levels!" Lori tried to wipe the tears but they were flowing faster than she could keep up.

"I don't know Lori; I mean how could you know that if you saw two other women making love right there in front of you that it would not have the same effect on you? That it happened to be your sister is inconsequential," Anne responded trying to comfort Lori.

"Anne, I didn't say that I have never seen two women having sex before. I went to college and my roommates got together when they got bored several times with me in the next bed. Doug has also brought some porn home in the guise of spicing up our love life and some of them had girl-on-girl sex. But that never really interested me or got me off." Lori still hadn't lifted her face from her legs.

"I'm not sure I'm following Lori. What exactly was the difference between them?" asked Anne truly confused by now.

"Damn it this is so hard!" exclaimed Lori, "You must think I'm a complete idiot."

"Not all Sweetie, just tell me and I promise I will not think any less of you," replied Anne with real compassion in her voice.

"It was you! Ok I said it! You turned me on! God, I have lost my mind!" Lori sobbed uncontrollably now.

Anne got up and knelt in front of Lori and consoled her, "It's ok Lori. Actually I'm flattered beyond belief." Lori reached out and hugged Anne. Both women embraced long enough for Lori to calm down. Anne placed her hands on Lori's face and rose up so she could look into her eyes. "Do you feel better now?"

Lori nodded in the affirmative.

"So, where do we go from here?" asked Anne.

"I don't know. I didn't plan for this to happen," responded Lori, "I was hoping you would have the answers."

"So let me see if I got this right," Anne said looking into her sister's eyes, "You came this week hoping to catch a glimpse of Jen and me having sex? Does that pretty much cover it?"

"At first that was my desire," replied Lori trying desperately to break eye contact with Anne.

"And now what is your desire?" asked Anne forcing Lori to look her in the eye.

"I... I...was hoping, more wishing, that somehow you would seduce me." Lori closed her eyes to hide the obvious embarrassment.

"I see," said Anne using her finger to raise Lori's chin. "Well, you must know that I'm no expert at this no matter what you saw that night. And baby sister you better be sure that this is a road you want travel down because once you take the plunge there is no turning back."

"I know. I have tried to talk myself out of this for the past three weeks. You don't know how many times I picked up the phone to dial your number to tell you I wasn't coming but something in me would not let me do it."

Anne thought for a few seconds before speaking, "I don't know Lori. What you are suggesting crosses so many lines. I mean Jen and me kind of fell into this. It wasn't something that I planned to do, well at least not the first time anyway. This is different and potentially more dangerous than Jen and me. Besides the fact that you are my sister, there is the little detail of the fact that you are married and to what I consider to be a decent guy. I don't think I could live with the fact that I participated in something that could potentially cause harm to you and your family."