Between Your Sister and Yourself

They waited in the boarding lounge for Jennifer to show up. Kristen spotted her first, jumping and waving.

As Jennifer made her way over to them, pulling her wheeled suitcase behind her, Brad saw she was more beautiful than ever. Jennifer was the same height as Kristen, but curvier in the hips and breasts. Her hair, the same shade of black as Kristen's, grew long, halfway down her back, held behind her ears by a black band.

The same blue eyes. The same plush red lips and pale skin. It was summer, and she wore a white tank top and jeans. She had a sweater draped over one arm, no doubt to combat the plane's air conditioning. Kristen was always cold, too.

"Hi, sweetie," Jennifer said, and stretched out her arms for a hug. Kristen bounced into her embrace and squeezed her tightly, then pulled back and looked her sister over.

"You're looking terrible, honey," she said with gravitas. "Did they feed you on the plane? Have you slept? Like, this week?"

Jennifer smirked. "I love you too, dear. Hi, Brad."

"Hey," Brad said, and they hugged. Maybe he was just self-conscious because of the conversation he'd had with Kristen, but he felt like Jennifer hugged him a little close and a quite a bit longer than normal. At the end, she planted a quick kiss on his cheek.

"You're looking well," she said with a smile that seemed a bit more than polite. Or was he imagining things? "Kristen keeping you on your toes?"

"Oh, you have no idea," Brad said.

"So! Hungry?" Kristen asked. "We have reservations at McKinley's."

Jennifer looked confused. "McKinley's takes reservations now?"

"No, but I was trying to make it look like we did something special for your arrival."

"Oh," Jennifer said. "Sorry to wreck the illusion."

"You're the worst," Kristen said with a grin.

# # #

When they got to their waiting cab, Brad figured out why they'd taken one in the first place. Kristen pulled ahead and gleefully took the front seat, forcing Brad and Jennifer to sit together in the back. One look at her smirking face as they pulled away from the curb told him that had been her plan all along. What was she up to?

"So, Jennifer, have you found yourself a boyfriend yet?" she asked, twisting around in the front seat as they wound their way through traffic.

"I don't know that I'm looking right now," Jennifer said, flicking her hair back over her shoulders. "I'm kind of enjoying the freedom of being single."

"What about that one guy? The musician?"

"Yes, well, he turned out to be a little flaky, to say the least. I'm having fun just being on my own right now. No obligations." She flashed a smile to Brad.

"Which hotel are you booked at?" he asked.

"The Mariott."

"Oh, you should stay with us!" Kristen said. "Brad's got plenty of room at the apartment. He has like an entire bedroom that he doesn't even use."

Brad tensed. "I don't—"

Kristen ignored him. "Seriously, it will be fun. You'll save on cab fare and we won't have to spend a half-hour in traffic every time we want to hang out. What do you say?"

"Um..." Jennifer gave Brad a hopeful look. "Would that be okay with you? I don't want to impose."

"You wouldn't be imposing," Brad said, although he wasn't quite so sure.

"Well, thank you," Jennifer said, and leaned against his arm affectionately. Her hair felt silky and soft.

Brad pushed improper thoughts out of his head. He looked up to see Kristen staring at him, that tiny conspiratorial smile on her face.

# # #

Dinner, thankfully, was mostly devoid of innuendo or apparent scheming. Jennifer talked about her work with the non-profit, her newfound passion for marathon running, and the latest literary novels that neither he nor Kristen had read.

Kristen talked about her work at the marketing company, the promotions they were running, and what little celebrity gossip she was directly privy to. Brad mostly watched and listened, and was happier for it. Jennifer occasionally queried him about his work or his home life, making lots of eye contact each time, her open gaze seeming to linger on him until he wanted to squirm in discomfort. He told himself to quit being an idiot.

Jennifer canceled her hotel booking, and after a couple bottles of wine with dinner, they took a cab back to Brad's apartment.

"Oh, you weren't kidding," Jennifer said when they walked inside, her face breaking into a radiant smile. "This is really nice. You have so much space."

"Comes with the job," Brad said. "Let me show you your room."

While Kristen went to the bathroom, Brad led Jennifer to the spare bedroom, which he'd left sealed up for weeks. "Sorry if it smells a little musty. It'll clear right out."

"No problem," Jennifer said, putting her suitcase down on the bed. She went to the window. "This is really nice. I love the view."

"The main bedroom has a little balcony," Brad said. "Enough room to hang out and have drinks."

"That sounds lovely," Jennifer said. She crossed the room and put her arms around his neck for a hug. Her tank top hiked up as she stood on her tiptoes to reach him, and when he returned the hug, his hand touched the bare flesh of her back. She seemed to press herself even harder against him in response.

"Thanks for putting me up, Brad," she said. "I really appreciate it."

"You're welcome here anytime," Brad said. "Do you want a drink?"

As she pulled away from the hug, her hands slid down his arms. Their hands met and clasped. She held him in place with that open, blue-eyed gaze.

"I'd like that," she said with a smile.

# # #

They retired to the living room, and Brad poured a Scotch for himself and a gin and tonic for the girls. Kristen had returned from the bathroom and now lounged on the couch next to Jennifer, asking after various family members.

"So, how do you like your accommodations?" Kristen asked, curling up on the couch.

"They're great. Your place is so nice, Brad." She smiled over her drink.

"Thank you, I'm glad you like it."

"It ought to be nice, for what he pays for it," Kristen said. "If he told you what the lease cost, you would freak out."

"Yeah, but the balcony," Brad said in the apartment's defense.

"Oh, yes, you'd make sweet love to that balcony if y—" Kristen was interrupted by her smartphone ringing. She glanced at it and stood up.

"Sorry, I have to take this." She went into the kitchen to answer it.

"So how much is that lease?" Jennifer asked.

"It's been built up too much now," Brad said.

"Well, maybe you can show me that amazing balcony in your bedroom," she said, swirling the ice in her glass.

"Maybe," he said, and silently told himself to stop thinking what he was thinking. She's your girlfriend's sister, asshole.

"Hey, guys," Kristen said as she returned from the kitchen. "I hate to do this, but I have to run out for a bit. There's a bit of a client emergency I have to go take care of."

"What's wrong?" Jennifer asked.

"Confidential," Kristen said with an apologetic grimace.

"Seriously?" Brad asked through the cacophony of alarm bells going off in his head. "At this hour?"

"Sorry." Kristen grabbed her jacked from the hook by the door and pulled it on. "Can you two entertain yourselves for awhile? It's probably going to be a few hours at the very least."

Brad lifted his eyebrows. "Is it that bad?"

"Worse. See you later." The front door slammed shut.

Brad looked at the closed door with a lump rising in his throat. He turned to see Jennifer facing him with that open gaze.

"So," she said, finishing off her drink. "What about that balcony view?"

# # #

"You were right," Jennifer said, leaning out over the railing to absorb the sprawling view of the city streets, laid out below them like looping strings of glowing pearls. "It is gorgeous."

Watching the wind blow her hair back from her face, her skin made luminous by moonlight, Brad couldn't help but think she was the gorgeous one. Part of him longed to say so — but he didn't dare. She was still his girlfriend's sister. He might not be perfect, or even particularly moral, but there were some levels even he wouldn't stoop to.

"Thank you again for putting me up," Jennifer said, propping herself up on the rail and drawing her feet up gracefully as she balanced on her arms. It was many stories to the ground, and Brad almost reached for her out of reflex. "This is much nicer than the Marriott."

"My pleasure," Brad said. "Even if Kristen did pretty much decide for me."

She giggled. "You don't mind having me here, do you?"

"No, quite the opposite," he blurted, and regretted it the moment it came out of his mouth. She looked at him with that searching gaze, her eyes seeming to reach out and hold him like gentle hands.

"I'd like another drink," she said in a soft voice, still holding his gaze.

"Sure."

They went back inside, and Brad poured another for her, then for himself. Silently, she tilted her glass toward him, and Brad clinked it with his own.

"What are we drinking to?" he asked.

"I don't know," Jennifer said, biting her lip. "Maybe finally having some time to get to know each other?"

Brad smiled nervously and drank. "Why not?" He killed most of the glass to hide the warmth he felt in his face.

Jennifer seemed to notice, and laughed brightly as she set down her glass. "Brad, I have something I have to confess to you. I know I was supposed to keep it to myself, but I just can't."

Oh shit, he thought.

Nervously, she straightened her hair, curling a few strands of it between her fingers. She looked up at him. "Kristen told me about your list."

"What list?"

She smiled, one part carnal, one part shy. "The fuck list."

Brad was happy he hadn't just taken a drink. He would have done a classic spit-take, like he was in some sitcom. "Fuck list?"

"You know? Where you and her talked about who you'd like to have sex with?"

"I know what you mean, I just can't... holy shit, I can't believe she told you about that."

Brad plopped to the couch. Jennifer sat down next to him, well inside his personal space.

"I'm sorry," he said lamely.

"No!" she touched his arm. "Don't be, I'm not creeped out or anything."

"Well, now I feel much better."

She laughed again. "It's not like that. The feeling's mutual. I'd totally have sex with you."

He blinked at her. "You would."

"Yeah." She ducked her head in embarrassment, smiling broadly. "In fact, Kristen and I kind of came up with this whole thing, as kind of a prank..."

"Came up with what whole thing?"

Jennifer sighed. "Please don't be mad."

"What are you talking about?"

"There really isn't a PR emergency. She's just going out for a few hours, and I was supposed to try to seduce you."

Brad felt a twist of anger join his bewilderment. "What? Why? What would that accomplish?"

She shrugged bare shoulders, brushing a bit of hair behind one perfect ear. "Just to see what you'd do, I guess. She was curious to see if you'd go for it."

"Curious to see if I'd cheat on her with her own sister?"

"Well," Jennifer said, "I think I kind of blew my cover here."

"You think?"

"Yeah, I was supposed to try a lot harder, but I just couldn't do it." She winced. "Are you mad?"

He ran his hand through his hair. "No, just... confused, more than anything. I mean... how far was she expecting it to go?"

Jennifer didn't answer, and they sat in silence for awhile, nothing but the ticking of the grandfather clock and the traffic outside to break the quiet.

"Well, that's the thing," Jennifer said. "If we started, I don't think I would have wanted to stop."

Brad felt his pulse quicken a little. "Oh, yeah?"

"It was just supposed to be a joke," she said, scooting closer. "But the thing is, I actually like you. It wouldn't be right to hurt your feelings like that. Even if I am really attracted to you."

"Yeah, well—"

"Because I really am," she breathed, leaning closer still. He could smell her perfume now, something deep and citrusy, like a fragrant night in an orange grove. "A lot."

Then she was kissing him, her hands pressed against his chest, her dark hair tickling his cheek. Brad tried to draw back, but there was nowhere to go, save over the back of the couch. Instead of pushing her away, he grabbed her bare arms and pulled her closer. She threw her leg over his lap with a happy sigh, settling into a better position as their tongues explored each others' mouths.

His adrenaline pumping, Brad reached for her breast and felt its softness, something he'd been longing to do all night. She breathed a moan into his mouth and reached for her tank top, revealing a black bra as she started to pull it over her head.

"Shit. Fuck. Wait," Brad said, squirming out from under her. She fell back against the couch with a wounded look, her arms still frozen in the middle of the act of disrobing.

"What's the matter?" she asked.

"Damn it, I can't do this," he said, breathing heavily. "I'm sorry. I might be an asshole, but I'm not a cheating asshole."

"Yeah, but don't you want me?" Jennifer asked, pulling her top the rest of the way off, leaving only her underwear. She began to undo that, too, and Kristen's voice raced through Brad's mind: she's not as proper as you think.

"I totally do. You have no idea. But I won't cheat on Kristen. The list thing was just a fantasy. I would never go behind her back like this."

"She doesn't have to know," Jennifer said, still fiddling with the clasp of her bra. The straps fell off her finely sculpted shoulders.

"I'd know. Please stop undressing."

"Are you sure?" Jennifer asked, with a coy tilt of her head.

"I am completely positive. I'm really sorry."

Jennifer's face seemed to fall, and her lower lip trembled a little in disappointment. She brought her hands out from behind her back — her bra still hooked — and grabbed her phone. As Brad watched in befuddlement, she dialed it.

"Hey, Kristen. Sorry, he's not going for it. You owe me fifty."

Brad's sputter of astonishment was interrupted by the sound of the front door opening. Kristen walked through, phone in hand.

# # #

"What the shit, Kristen?" he blurted as his girlfriend walked in, still holding her phone.

"Oh my god," Kristen said with a disbelieving giggle. "Calm down, your face is like fire engine red."

"Seriously, were you waiting outside the door this whole time?"

"Well, not the whole time. I did go down to the liquor store to get this." She wielded a bottle of Stoli in her other hand. "After I pretended to catch you in the act, we could all do some shots."

"Is this seriously your idea of a joke?" He took a step toward her, his fists balled.

She looked up at him winsomely. "You don't think it's even a little bit funny?"

"No, I really don't." But despite himself, his anger was already deflating. He'd known Kristen was nuts when he'd started dating her. She pranked him, he punished her. That was part of their relationship. But this was truly above and beyond.

"Are you really pissed at me?"

"You can't tell?"

"Then why didn't you—" Kristen's eyes widened, and she looked back at her sister. "You didn't tell him?"

"Tell me what?" Brad asked.

Jennifer giggled, still half undressed. "Sorry, sis."

"Oh God, you bitch!" Kristen shrilled.

"Tell me what?" Brad shouted.

Kristen turned back to him. "I gave Jennifer my permission, Brad."

"Permission to what? What are you talking about?"

"To fuck you, Brad, what else?" Kristen rolled his eyes at him, as if he were missing some obvious joke. "God, it makes a terrible prank if I just walk in on nothing."

"Stop," Brad said, starting to get very confused. "Explain. Slowly, as if I'm seeing the world through a red haze of anger."

Kristen sighed. "Okay. Sit? Have a shot?"

"Fine."

They sat. Kristen poured for the three of them, and they knocked back their shots in unison.

"Start talking," Brad said.

"Fine. See, Jennifer and I started talking, and I mentioned the whole list thing. And Jennifer told me that you were actually on her list..."

"You have a list?" Brad asked Jennifer in disbelief. She shrugged delicately.

"Bitch thinks like a man," Kristen declared. "It's revolting. Anyway, so I said, what if we pulled a prank where you and Jennifer sleep together and I come walking in and get all mad? And she pointed out that you'd never go for that, because you were way too loyal—"

"You say that like it's a bad thing."

"I'm not trying to! Anyway, so then I said, what if you tell him about the prank, and then I come in anyway, and you say 'but honey she told me that you said it was okay' and I'd say 'I did not!'... and I don't really remember the rest. I was pretty drunk. It was super funny in my head, though. "

"Okay," Brad said hesitantly. "You're grade-A shithouse nuts, you do know that, right?"

"Well, it would only have worked if Jennifer told you that I gave you the go-ahead, which she totally flunked at doing." Kristen turned to glare at her sister, who still had not put her shirt back on.

"I know," Jennifer said reluctantly, pouring herself another generous shot. "I chickened out at the last second."

"So... wait." Brad tried to assemble the pieces of the puzzle through his fog of confusion. "You were expecting that I'd actually have sex with Jennifer on her word that you'd said it was okay?"

Kristen wrinkled her nose. "Well, when you phrase it like that, it does sound crazy."

"Jesus, you think?"

"Hey," Jennifer said. "We still kissed, and you were totally into it for a few seconds."

"Yeah, well—" Brad found he had no rebuttal, and poured himself another shot instead.

"A kiss," Kristen said smugly. "Really."

"Forget it," Brad said. "You are now incapable of making me feel guilty, after the shit you just pulled on me."

"I'm really sorry, sweetie," Kristen said in that poor-baby voice he sometimes found cute, sometimes infuriating. "I can make it up to you, I promise."

"Oh yeah?" he challenged. "How?"

She grinned slyly and stood. "Will you let us show you?"

"Us?" Brad asked.

"You didn't think we put this together without a Plan B, did you?" Kristen asked. "Just sit back and watch, sweetie. I promise you'll be a lot happier in a minute."

As Brad watched, both Kristen and Jennifer moved to a standing position in front of the couch. Kristen turned her back to Jennifer and raised her arms, and Jennifer undid the zipper of Kristen's little black dress.

With her sister's help, Kristen squirmed out of it, leaving only her black bra and underwear. Then Kristen turned and helped Jennifer out of her jeans, peeling them off and tossing them to the floor. Brad realized their underwear matched exactly.

"Clever," he said.

"How's that?" Kristen said, grinning.

"Not a bad start," Brad told her. "Take another shot and keep going."

The sisters glanced at each other — did he detect a touch of nervousness? He poured two more shots, and they reached out to take them.

"Me first," Kristen said to Jennifer, turning to face her sister. Jennifer reached around Kristen's body, their torsos pressing together, as Jennifer undid Kristen's bra. When Jennifer stepped away, Kristen's bra fell to the floor. Jennifer followed up by slipping off Kristen's black panties, kneeling momentarily to unhook them from Kristen's ankles. When Jennifer stood again, her sister was naked, save for her black pumps.

"Very nice," Brad said. "Now it's your turn, Jennifer."

Jennifer let out a nervous breath, but nodded, half-smiling. Maybe it was just the game, or real nerves, but neither of them seemed so cavalier now. Jennifer turned her back and let Kristen unhook her bra, in full view of Brad. When the underwear slipped off, Jennifer's breasts fell free, full and heavy, larger than Kristen's breasts, but similar in shape and curvature.