Family Issues Ch. 05

"Helen..."

"It's Nadine."

"What?"

"You said Helen."

"Did I?"

"I said I wanted to wake up with you in my arms and you called me Helen. Freudian slip much?"

Even though he was on the phone, Kevin blushed. "I'm a... I really want that too. Believe me, I fantasised about us more than once, Nadine."

"Iman asks about you every day. She wants me to take her to see you. You left an impression, Kevin."

"Give her a kiss for me."

"Why don't you come over and give it to her yourself?"

"But you're a... What you do for a living, that's not how I was brought up to be."

"Come on."

"You're trafficking in humans."

"Nobody is forcing these boys to work for us. We pay well."

"Yeah, I bet those young Chinese boys grew up dreaming about being prostitutes."

"Need and supply, Kevin. Grow up. That's how the world works."

"Not my world. I... Hey, wait a minute. Last time we went to your place Diana's mobile was broken. I remember specifically, because she threw it at me in one of her tantrums, and it hit the wall. She made me take it to the lab. She didn't have her mobile then, she had a backup mobile that had no contacts in it."

"So?"

"So, you didn't copy my number back then."

"Does it matter? Look-"

"She's with you right now, isn't she?"

"What do you want me to say, Kevin?"

Kevin blushed again, this time due to anger. "The truth? She said she had to work late unexpectedly, the little liar. But she went to your place?"

"And imagine my disappointment when she didn't bring you along."

"She's not with you, she's with those two Chinese boys, right?"

"Forget about Diana."

"Stop pretending this has nothing to do with you, Nadine." Kevin raised his voice. "You know what I hate the most about Diana? Aside for her being a selfish lying cheat? That she treats me like I'm an idiot, which is exactly what you are doing right now."

"I don't think you're an idiot. Quite the contrary."

"Just naïve as fuck. Little Kevin will rush into your arms and you will spend the night together. How romantic. All this time his girlfriend, who you fucking hate, will bang the boys from your escort service. What's going on, Nadine?"

"What do you mean?"

"Why is she really there? What do you need her for? She doesn't have any money," He tried to control his voice.

"Kevin... It's not what you think."

"Says the woman who works in extortion. You know, I drove all the way to your place two days ago, Nadine."

"What?"

"Yeah. I Argued with myself for like sixty minutes outside. I really wanted to knock on your gate, like you wouldn't believe. I had to bang my head against a wall to stop myself from running to you. I'm so glad right now that I didn't break."

"Kevin, I'm sorry that-"

"No, don't be. And you're talking to a different Kevin right now. You said I shouldn't change? Well, it happened. Kevin's been growing up lately. The old naïve Kevin is dead. When you feel like you can treat me like I'm an adult and tell me the truth, please call me, Nadine. Until then, have a nice life."

Kevin hung up.

He almost called her right back to apologize, then he saw her number flash on the screen and almost answered. The night they spent together changed him in more ways than he was willing to admit. The memory of her warm body was engraved on his deepest desires and several of his wet dreams. Even hearing her voice was enough to ignite his passion. He was confident that had she been here right now, they would be in bed already. But pretending she wasn't a criminal who worked at exploiting people? And what the hell was her plan for Diana?

"Hey, you're boiling the milk," Helen's smiling face appeared at the kitchen's door.

He poured the milk into a glass and blew on it. "There. All good."

"And the base should be drip brewed not espresso."

"Says who?"

"Mr. Google, Kevin. It knows everything."

He toyed with the option of coming clean and asking for her help. Then he thought it wasn't the fair option. Despite the fact that on paper Helen had every leverage on Diana, she was helpless when it came to her little sister. He'll gain nothing other than causing her needless heartache.

"Eh, google, shmoogle." Kevin imitated Mrs. Lewinski's voice and body language. "This whole Internet gig is just a passing fad. I've seen thousands of them come and go in my time."

Helen bit her lip to stop herself from laughing.

"Not the laugh," Kevin said. "Just not the laugh, okay?"

She looked up, looked down, pinched herself, but then it burst like a tsunami. Her rolling laughter was super funny. A quiet wave of soft gasps followed by a sudden fog horn. Kevin started laughing as well. When Helen began one of those avalanches, you just had to join.

She smiled nowadays, a lot more than she used to, and he didn't feel like changing that. He'll need to solve his problems with Diana on his own.

----

Diana's lithe silhouette shuffled into the room at four thirty in the morning. Kevin was a light sleeper, and when she kicked off her high boots and turned on the light, he woke up.

"Clients were shopping for clothes this late?" Kevin yawned. "Wow."

"Go to sleep, Baby Butt, I didn't mean to wake you."

"So considerate. People always ask me to name three things that you love most about Diana. And I say, consideration, consideration, and consideration. She's always so considerate."

"I'm tired, Baby Butt." Diana yawned. "Do you mind waiting with the stupid till tomorrow?"

"Sure."

"Hmmm... So sweet." She leaned to kiss him, but he pushed her away.

"Don't. You reek of alcohol and sex."

"Sex?"

"The sex you had with those Chinese boys at Nadine's place."

"What?"

"What?" Kevin imitated her.

"Don't be stupid."

"I know you fucked them the last time we were there. I saw you. And I know you didn't work late tonight; you went to Nadine's."

Diana stood above him, blinking, and placed her hands on her hips. "Bullshit! I worked late, then went for a drink with the girls."

"So it's okay now?"

"What?"

"To sleep with other people and then lie about it. We're at that stage in our relationship?"

"Who do you want to sleep with, Kevin?"

"Do you even care?"

"Ginger?" She said in a quiet voice. "You want to sleep with that whore?"

"I don't want to be your boyfriend no more, Diana."

The slap she gave him rang around the room and made his head spin. He tasted blood in his mouth and touched his cheek that was beginning to swell. Her nails plowed two trails of blood.

She stared at him with horror. "I'm... I'm so sorry."

Kevin shot out of bed. She tried to grab him but was too drunk and confused, and he rolled under her hands quickly.

"Kevin, stop! I'm sorry. I didn't mean to."

Wearing shorts and a white T-shirt, he ran outside the room and outside the apartment. Her shouts followed him all the way into the street.

----

A WEEK LATER; MIKE'S ROOM, IN THE UNIVERSITY DORMS

You could set a Rolex according to Samantha's dick. Mike's girlfriend woke up every morning at six-thirty sharp with a boner. No exceptions. From his mattress on the floor, Kevin saw her nudging Mike's shoulder.

"What?" Kevin heard Mike's sleepy voice.

"Turn over," Samantha whispered.

"Why?"

"Three guesses."

"Oh." Kevin saw Mike turn on his side and snuggle his back to her. Samantha, a plump brunette, frantically messed with Mike's body under the blanket, then threw something behind her back. Mike's blue underwear dropped on the floor near Kevin's head. Samantha, who realized her mistake, turned, and Kevin just managed to close his eyes, pretending to be asleep.

Next came the frantic movements under the blanket, and Mike's sharp intake as she speared him. Then the blanket started rising with a slow wave-like ripple accompanied by Samantha's heavy breathing. Her rounded ass set a slow rhythm, and the bed started making creaking sounds. Morning exercise. Kevin felt himself stiffen.

The blanket was pulled when Samantha overdid one thrust. She pulled it back on but didn't do a thorough job and now half of her plump ass was left on display, jiggling and rippling as she moved in and out of Mike's body.

Samantha leaned and kissed Mike's neck.

Kevin felt it was enough intrusion on his friend's sex life for one morning and he slowly turned his back to them. It meant he was facing the other bed.

On the opposite bed, he could also see rhythmic movements under the blanket. Thomas, Mike's roommate, was probably watching the free porn show and masturbating.

Just great!

Kevin turned on his back and closed his eyes, trying to mute Samantha's heavy breathing and the bed's creaking sounds.

A minute went by, and he suddenly heard the tiny fast footsteps of Thomas' dachshund. The little dog sniffed near Kevin's ear, and he felt the wet nose touching his cheek.

The dog then clip-clopped to the other side of the mattress and started humping Kevin's leg.

Oh, for fuck's sake!

There ain't no rest for the wicked, and it ain't a garden of roses for nice guys either.

He jumped out of bed and silently exited the room, grabbing his mobile on the way. He sat in the Dorms' corridor on the third floor's rail and surfed the web, passing time. Samantha was just as predictable with her lovemaking as she was with her morning boners. In fifteen minutes she'll finish, and then he can sneak in again and maybe steal another thirty minutes of sleep.

Fuck!

He overstayed his welcome. He knew Mike would never say a word, but a good friend doesn't need to be told. The dorm room was so tiny it felt crowded when two people were inside. Four people, plus a dog...

But where could he go?

Financially, his situation hadn't improved. Most of his salary went to his dad, who said it was just a temporary arrangement until his store started making money again. That was seven months ago. Temporary turned out to be a permanent routine. He still couldn't afford to pay rent.

He could quit his studies, put them on hold, and work two jobs. That would be the same as raising a white flag. He was studying hard so that one day he'd earn enough to not be on the verge of financial disaster all the time.

There was also the considerable debt he still owed Helen.

He felt trapped.

His mobile rang.

"Hey, good morning, Valkyrie."

"Hi, Kevin."

Helen sounded sad, and that made his heart squeeze. "How's it going?" He said.

"Great."

"I...crap..." Her great sounded like a heartbreaking sigh and Kevin wanted to run over just to give her a hug and see her smile.

"Yeah, just great. Diana cries all the time. Says you won't answer her calls or messages."

"I asked about you, not about Diana."

"Me?"

"You."

"I'm okay, Kevin, I miss you, that's all. It's hard going back to crappy takeaways after...after you." She tried laughing, but it wasn't an impressive effort.

"I miss you too, Helen. I miss our talks."

"Me too."

"Hey, I'm still coming for our Sunday night movie."

"I... I'm really looking forward to that. How are you holding on, Kevin?"

"Weighing my options."

"And?"

"They're not great. I'm still broke. And I still owe you rent."

She sighed. "Forget about the stupid debt. We'll figure something out."

"I can't. I'm not like that."

"Let me guess, your mother told you a man should always pay his debts?"

"Yeah, actually, she used to say that."

"Jesus, Kevin, can't you give yourself a fucking break just once?"

"Helen."

"Please come back home, Kevin."

"What?"

"I..." She went silent on the other side of the line again. Probably shocked at her outburst. Her reactions were always filtered before she met Kevin.

"I can't go back."

"Isn't there any way that you and Diana could somehow...? I'll... I'll help. Whatever you two need. If you need nights without me being the third wheel? I've been forcing myself on you two lately. Just say so. I'll give you and Diana more space. Just come back home."

"Diana hit me."

There was a stunned silence again. "Diana did what?" Helen said in a small voice.

"She struck me. The swelling lasted for three days. I lost a tooth."

"Why...?" Helen's voice shook. "Is she using again?"

"I don't know. You sound shocked."

"I am. On the other hand, it's not the first time that she's violent with someone she's dating. She promised me that she'll never... Goddamn."

"I think she was drunk."

"There are lines that can't be crossed, Kevin."

"She didn't mean to."

"Do you know what you sound like right now?"

"Me?"

"I grew up in West Englewood. Half the women on my block suffered from domestic violence. You sound just like them. Next you'll say it was your fault and that you pissed her off."

"I did piss her off."

"I feel so ashamed right now," she said

"You didn't do nothing, Helen."

"I forced you into this relationship."

"Nothing to be sorry about. It saved me financially, and I wouldn't have met you otherwise."

"What are you going to do?"

"Dunno. Maybe I'll come back."

"I really want you to, but now I think that you shouldn't. Oh shit, here she comes." Helen hung up.

There was always the option of crawling back to the Brion Penthouse. Back to Diana with his tail tucked between his legs.

"Want a cig?" Thomas came out of the room wearing shorts. He lit himself a cigarette and offered one to Kevin.

"Seriously? You're going to puff on that now?" Kevin said.

"Why not?"

Kevin shrugged. He heard of a post-sex cigarette, but never of a post-masturbation cigarette.

Thomas' tiny dachshund came wobbling out of the room, sniffed Kevin's leg and then proceeded to make love to it.

"I swear, Thomas, I'd never dream of hurting a dumb animal but Bagel is dangerously close to making me cross that line."

"Dumb? He's a pure breed. He cost my dad 1300 dollars. I'll show you." Thomas whistled, and the little dog wagged his tail harder, but didn't stop humping Kevin's leg. "Bagel, sit!"

The dachshund stopped, sat, scratched his ear, and then resumed making love to Kevin's leg.

"Wow, he's a genius, bro," Kevin removed the dog gently from his foot. The little dachshund kept humping the air. "Fucking Stephen Hawking you got there."

Animals were not allowed in the dorms, and Bagel crapped in every corner of the room. Thomas usually kept him outside, but since Kevin came to live in the place last week, he took him in, knowing Mike wouldn't be able to complain about breaching rules.

Just another reason for Kevin to evacuate the room ASAP.

His phone rang again.

"Jack?" He said.

"Try again. I've added my number to Jack's contact to avoid detection."

"Hmm... Perfect contralto. Adele? Is that you? Hello from the other side?"

Ginger laughed. "Kiss-ass."

"No, like really. You have Adele's perfect contralto. You could blow Simon Cowell's tits off if you try the X-Factor."

Ginger laughed again. "I heard from Mike that you broke up with Diana."

"Yeah."

"You didn't call me."

"It's still fresh."

"It's just that there's this party tomorrow evening at the Alpha Pi Alpha sorority building. And I would love it if you would come with me, because I'll be the envy of every girl there."

Maybe he had options he hadn't even thought about.

"Alpha Pi Alpha? Aren't they a little...you know...snobbish?"

----

There weren't futanari only sororities on any US campus, at least on paper. There used to be, but the Civil Rights Movement put an end to that in the sixties. However, prejudice and habit proved stronger than slackly enforced integration. People being people, with the pernicious nature of xenophobia, encouraged a unified, often tribal reaction of solidarity among futa. You could try, but you couldn't get into the Alpha Pi Alpha sorority unless you had both a penis and a vagina.

A series of articles in the NY Times called 'Discrimination on Campus,' caused universities make flip flops, and bend the rules so that they won't be labeled futaphobic. As a backlash, the Alpha Pi Alpha was the newest, most modern house on campus. It rose like a middle finger, fuck you, amongst the other ancient and in some cases rundown fraternity and sorority houses. It was modeled after the White House, and both the lush gardens outside, and the interior with its chandeliers and wooden floors, spoke of class or tacky ostentation. Kevin couldn't decide which it was.

He tried to call Ginger, but his battery died the moment he dialed.

"Fuck."

There were chargers available in the Computer Science Lab; that was a three mile walk. The heat of the day had diminished, but the air was thick, sultry with honeysuckle. He'd be drenched by the time he got there. He decided to sit in the shade and wait for a passing-by sorority sister that would be kind enough to take him to Ginger's room. One sorority member was sitting cross-legged on the stairs leading to the Alpha Pi Alpha building, but he couldn't ask her anything.

Being a futanari didn't mean you automatically qualified to be an Alpha Pi Alpha, not by a long shot. You also had to be somebody. A senator's daughter, a super athlete or super-rich.

The girl sitting cross-legged on the stairs was no different. Kevin knew her by name. Everyone did. Sharon Richardson aka 'I like it natural' Sharon, which was the theme in a beer commercial that she starred in. She was a law student, but she wasn't famous for her mediocre academic accomplishments. She modeled. Nothing local. Her perfect symmetric face had been plastered on popular magazines, like Grazia and Dazed. Catlike blue eyes, flawless skin, luscious lips and long silky platinum locks were her trademark. She looked more Photoshopped than real, and was the fantasy of every boy on campus, both futa lover and one hundred percent hetero.

A mortal didn't talk with a goddess, and the Kevins of this world didn't speak with Sharon Richardson, so he couldn't ask her. He sat on the pedestal of a statue of Athena posed to welcome people into the garden and waited for another girl to stroll by.

Sharon Richardson noticed him and gave him an appraising look. It made him fidget.

"You're Kevin, right?" She suddenly said.

Kevin checked behind him. He was sure that another Kevin was standing there.

"Yeah, you are Kevin."

"You're talking to me?"

"No, to the statue."

Has the world gone mad? "I'm... I'm looking for Ginger. Can I go inside? I'm not up to date on Alpha Pi Alpha ground rules."

"Boys are allowed until twelve PM."

Kevin looked at his digital watch. "The big hand is on six, the little hand points to six. Lets' see... It's six thirty. I'm in the clear. Dope!"

She gave him an appraising scan again. Kevin tried hard not to look at her bosom, which wasn't easy. She had a famous viral video with Kate Upton, both wearing sexy lingerie, and Sharon gave Kate a fair fight when it came to boob size. It didn't help that she wore a yellow tank top and no bra, either; it looked like the strings holding the ladies were ready to snap.

"I'm looking for Ginger," he tried again.

"You're here for the party?"

"You got free beer?"

"Sure."

"Count me in."

She laughed and then stood up, glided over to him, as a Goddess would, and smelled him. Not casually, or even trying to be inconspicuous about it. She leaned over, almost touching the crevice between his neck and shoulder, and inhaled deeply. Awkward wasn't beginning to describe how it felt. Maybe goddesses didn't need to abide by human conventions?

"Too much aftershave?" he asked.

"Huh?"

He smelled his hand and gave his shoulder a sniff.

"I'll take you inside." She didn't ask, she commanded, taking his hand and dragging him after her.

"Wait? Are you taking me to Ginger?"

"She's not here yet. I'll give you a tour of the place."

She pulled him past the entrance, and he had little choice but to follow her long steps. Like most of her kind, she was much stronger than him, and regardless, Kevin was sure that if Sharon Richardson commanded, then mortals like him should obey. For a tour guide, she wasn't too keen about displaying the sites, explaining, or talking at all. They went past the foyer into the hall. Several girls were busy decorating it with red balloons, pink ribbons and signs giving didactic hints like 'You miss 100% of the shots you don't take', with a picture of a glass and a lemon slice to remove any doubt.