Incestuous Surprises

"Hi, Gail, how're things going? Are you ready for a hard night of cracking the books? The mock trials are late next week. Aren't you looking forward to them," I chirped, knowing that my cheerful tone would invoke a sharp retort from my surly law study group member?

"Ah, fuck you, Stan," was Gail's grumbling response. "You know I'd rather be down at the watering hole with a beer in my hand, drinking myself silly, and flirting with all of the available guys. Who knows? Maybe I might find some lucky fellah who appreciates well-rounded women and what we can do to men between our blubbery folds. God, Lori, our third amigo, would say that sounds so disgusting if she were here."

The three Asian students of the class had been a team since we started law school last year, complementing each other strengths while covering any apparent weakness. Gail was the "Mouth" or the team member who could argue quite effectively our position. I was the "Eyes" or guy who researched and shifted out the pertinent points of law and legal precedents. Lori was clearly the "Brains" who not only took what I found but formulated our team's case strategy and Gail's arguments.

Lori was also the "mom" who settled arguments, kept us on track, and held us together. This may have been because Lori was older and seemed more mature than Gail and me. An attractive Japanese-American woman, she was from a well-known and wealthy family, a product of the high-class prep schools and an elite college, and married to some high-priced architect. Her entrance to law school wasn't to gain a career but more a matter of pursuing some personal dream.

Gail was single and at twenty-two, was sharp, quick-witted, brash - the epitome of an extrovert. From a middle-class Japanese-American family, she breezed through college without even blinking an eye, aced the entrance exam, and was easily accepted into law school. However, she still had that college-mentality of partying hard and casual sex. This made her the kid of the group and at times, Gail acted like one.

As for me, I am a single, twenty-nine guy who was the son of the proverbial Chinese cook. Much to the angst of my mother, my dad calmly let me kick around in life, learning things from the school of hard knocks. Then, when I was ready, he put me through college and law school so that I could become a lawyer and constructively put my hard-earned street experience to use.

Although Lori was eight years older than me and wasn't the prettiest classmate around, I found myself inexplicably drawn to her from the moment we met. Standing at five-seven, Lori had a spoon-shaped body with long nicely formed legs, generous but not too wide hips, and rounded buns. With a trim waist, she would have been a perfect full-figured woman except that her breasts were modest mounds that were enough to be noticed but not enough to be eye-catching. Still, the more time I spent with Lori, the more attracted to her I became. If she hadn't been married and seemingly settled, I would have undoubtedly made a fool out of myself by asking Lori out.

"So, where's Lori? It's not like her to be late," I uttered as I emerged from my self-induced fantasy.

"Hello, dufus! You've got to get your head out of the books," Gail jabbed at me jokingly. "When Lori came back from Winter Break, she returned with Jimmy. No, Jimmy's not her husband, but some kind of 'calabash' cousin. He's a really cute tall eighteen-year-old but has some challenges due to some early childhood accident. It's convoluted and Lori doesn't help by being extremely vague and evasive. She feels somehow responsible for Jimmy, and it makes me wonder.

"Anyway - Lori somehow used her family's name and powers of persuasion to arrange for Jimmy to be a 'volunteer' janitor with a place in the dorm basement next that creepy dorm manager, Arty. While the college let Jimmy stay, it wouldn't provide for his food or assist living services. I think Lori's trying to work out some sort of arrangement with Arty - paying him or something to look out for Jimmy. She said that she might be a tad late because she had to meet with Arty."

I was about to ask more of Gail when in rushed Lori. I immediately noticed that Lori who was usually the epitome of calm, cool, and collect, seemed flustered and out of breath. "Sorry to be late, people, but that bastard of a dorm manager gave me a hard time."

It was then I noticed her face had a light sheen of perspiration to which her ebony hair clung. While at first dismissing it to her hurrying to meet us, Lori who was normally impeccably dressed, looked somehow disheveled by her standards. Her blouse was wrinkle as if she had slept in it (as I often do my shirts), her belt was askew, and the knees of her dark loose capris were dusty. Simply put, Lori looked like she had a 'workout' before joining us.

Any further thoughts, however, were soon swept away as we began our planning session. Yet, throughout the ensuing session, I felt that Lori struggled to stay in the role as our de facto leader. It was as if her mind was someplace else and she continuously had to refocus to get the job done. After a grueling three hours of arguing, cajoling and compromising, we had worked out a sound case strategy that we were confident was a winner. We agreed to think about our plan overnight and then meet again the following night to polish any rough spots.

Gail immediately said she needed a drink and asked us to join her. However, when Lori and I declined, our rotund orator promptly said, "Okay, I fly solo tonight in the dives of College Town, trolling for drinks and horny bastards. I know this guy at the Dead Goose who is always up - better than can't get it up - for a roll in the hay with a fat easy bitch. God, how I love one-night stands. They give good reason to practice my oral skills. You two be good, and Lori, say hello to that cutie, Jimmy, for me." With that Gail vanished, leaving Lori and me alone.

"Gail will be Gail," I chuckled as I put away my notes. When Lori didn't say goodbye and leave, I said, "Hey, Lori, are you okay? You were out of it tonight like you were someplace else. If you're up to it, I know this little sushi bar - a real hole in the wall, but the fish is fresh, the spirits are mellow, and most of all, it's a layback place to talk. I'd understand if you don't want to...say what? You could use a drink? Well, my lady, let's jump on my moped and I shall squire you away."

Half an hour later, Lori took a deep sip from her cold sake. We had dispensed with the usual pleasantries when I asked if her troubles were due to Jimmy. Lori sighed, "Stan, you truly are the 'Eyes' of our group, seeing things that others don't see or overlook," Lori whispered. "Yes, it's been chaotic since Jimmy returned to me. What exactly do you know about Jimmy?"

I just repeated what little I had been told and Lori let out a deep sigh before saying, "I'm sure that Gail, the big mouth, has told you that Jimmy has some issues but he's not impaired or disabled. He can do many things by himself but he's unsure of himself in unfamiliar situations and with strange people. I would feel more comfortable if he had some guidance until he gets adjusted but that's something that I can't provide right now."

Lori took a deep sip as if mulling something around in her head. and then took another drink. "Stan, have you ever," Lori finally uttered, "done something that you regretted immediately after you did it?"

I was taken aback by Lori's question and didn't know if it was hypothetical or real-life. I could, however, see that she was on the verge of disclosing something significant. "Well, I've done some pretty stupid things in my life," I said reflectively into my beer bottle, "but nothing that I've regretted that badly. But I can imagine that a spur of the moment, an error in judgment can have unforeseen consequences."

When I look up, I saw a tear rolling down Lori's cheek in the dim light of the lounge. I reached out to touch her shoulder to see if she was alright and was surprised when Lori turned into my embrace, sobbing softly. I held her gently while I rubbed her back and just letting her cry herself out.

"Stan, since we met, you've been a good friend. Can I trust you with my darkest secrets? I can? You promise not to tell anyone? Okay, hmmm, you know that I come from a family that loves being in the public limelight but hates anything that might tarnish it gleaming image. Jimmy is one such family scandal and I am the cause."

Then taking a sip of her nearly empty sake cup and then letting out a deep breath, Lori continued. "When I was eighteen, I was a willful teen who wouldn't listen to my mother. I was so clueless that I didn't realize that I was Asian like my mother while my older siblings were Eurasians. This difference became painfully apparent when one night my loving brother and my two male cousins lead a group of their friends in repeatedly gang-raping a helpless and nearly unconscious me.

When I expressed my surprise about what she had disclosed, Lori sighed and then softly whispered, "Stan, among the families of the filthy rich there are a lot of secrets and scandals. Some families are into drugs or booze, and others are into marital swapping or extramarital affairs. A few, like mine, are into...a unique perversity."

Lori took a deep sip from her sake that had just arrived before saying, "Stan, my family was and is still into incest. My white father made no bones about humping my married aunt, his own sister, since they were kids and probably sired my two cousins...yes, the same cousins who with my brother raped me. What I didn't know was that he couldn't accept that he had been cuckolded by another man when I turned out not to have Eurasian features. My father hated me because he knew my mother had cheated on him and that I wasn't his.

"Still, you would think that my father would be upset when he learned that I had been gang-raped. He, however, was more concerned that the sons of many rich families would be named and result in a public scandal, unwanted police investigations, and bad media coverage. So, despite my mother's protest, he asserted that the incident was my fault and that I got what I deserved. I cannot begin to tell you the damning effect that this had on an already traumatized teenager.

"When I discovered that I was pregnant, the firestorm of family condemnation was unbelievable. My siblings and cousins demanded that I should have an abortion, but my father used my misfortune to get back at my mother. To punish her, he made me have the baby. 'Let your unwanted child," I can remember him intoning to me but more so to my mother, 'be the albatross around your neck to remind you of your sins.'

"With my mother, I was shuffled to Japan to give birth to Jimmy. However, once there, her family wanted to have nothing to do with us. Seeking to minimize the family shame, they sent us to an isolated rural province. Because I was so young and there was lack of quality medical care where we lived, there was an early childhood incident that resulted in Jimmy having difficulty understand things at time. He is a simple and trusting soul, and has a hard time discerning a friend from one who is not.

"With the exception of my mother who took care of Jimmy so that I could have as normal a life as possible, my family treated Jimmy as if he was 'Quasimodo' - someone hideous and to be hidden away. While mother could protect Jimmy, I was on my own in an incestuous family, and somethings are better forgotten or at least, not talked about in a public place.

"I was forced to marry my husband, Reginald, who was selected by my father who pawned me and Jimmy off was part of a business arrangement. It's a loveless marriage and my husband was no better than my brother and cousins in how he treated me. Reginald consummated our union but made it clear that I was less than sexually satisfying. He preferred his skanky mistresses which is fine with me. My husband thinks Jimmy is an orphaned cousin whom my mother and I care for, and for the most part ignores Jimmy like he does me and our name-only marriage."

I was stunned by Lori's revelations and found my entire concept of Lori turned upside down and inside out. Yet strangely instead of being repulsive, I found Lori incredibly intriguing and wanted to know all that I could about her. "So how is it that Jimmy returned with you after the Winter Break?"

Lori was about to order some more sake when I stopped her saying that she didn't need to be drunk to tell me about her life. A smile of relief crossed her lips before she continued, "My mother passed away a two years ago and left me her sizeable estate to provide for me and Jimmy, and to get me through law school so that I could learn how to legally protect us from my very own family.

"I had made arrangements for Jimmy's care, but my shit-ass of husband at the suggestion of my evil-hearted father said that he shouldn't be saddled with taking care of Jimmy. I was told that if I wanted to finish law school, Jimmy would have to return with me. I agreed because when I graduate and pass the bar, the first thing I'm going to do is divorce my husband and cut off the rest of my family, especially my father, from the assets of my mother's estate."

When I said that I agreed wholeheartedly stated that I'd make sure she graduated and passed the bar, Lori smiled weakly before leaning over to give me a light kiss of thanks. While I was initially caught off guard by her spontaneous gesture of gratitude, I took advantage of the situation to return a kiss that left Lori stunned, speechless, and wondering about me and her feelings towards me.

Then the mood of the moment changed when Lori confessed, "Stan, that regrettable thing that I did...well, I had to scramble to get Jimmy a place to stay until I could find something more permanent. I had to beg that son-of-a-bitch Arty, our dorm manager, to let Jimmy stay in the dorm basement and help out. I offered to paid Arty two hundred dollars to take care of Jimmy.

"However, when we met tonight to finalize the agreement, he boldly wanted 'another kind of payment.' Oh, Stan, I don't think I should have, but I was shocked at Arty's audacity. It was like being caught alone by my brother, or cousins, or worse my father. I was paralyzed and couldn't resist his sexual demands." The tears started flowing as Lori explained how Arty had hinted the something bad might happen to Jimmy if she didn't cooperate, and finally coerced her into giving him a blow job.

"After he spewed his disgusting spunk into my mouth, Arty snickered, 'That wasn't bad for a deposit, you Jap bitch. But I expect a 'full month's payment' the next time. You better be ready to spread your legs if you don't want something to happen to you know who?' I practically ran out of the basement and vomited in the hedges as I tried to throw up what I was forced to swallow. Oh, Stan, what am I to do?"

"Do you want me to help you? Will you trust me, Lori, no matter what I do? Do you believe in me, and that I only have your best interest at heart?" When Lori nodded hesitantly, I said, "Then come with me and let's have a talk with Arty." Although Lori obviously didn't want to, she took my offered hand and climbed on the back of my moped, hugging me tightly.

When we got to the dorm, Lori immediately got Jimmy who although taller than me, looked shyly at me as he held Lori's hand as we went to Arty's cellar apartment . When he opened his door to Lori's knock, Arty's eyes widened in greedy lust as this broad sneer spread across his mouth. "Well, lovely lady, back for more? Who would have thought that a high-and-mighty rich Jap bitch like you would..."

Arty never got a chance to complete his string of obscenity as my fist smashed into his ugly mouth, sending his hulky body reeling backward. My fists landed soundly on his face and fat belly sending him teetering only to be dropped to his knees by my foot crunching soundly between his legs.

"You fucking bastard," I growled as I grabbed his greasy dirty hair and yanked his head back so that he could see Jimmy clearly. "If you touch - molest - harm - directly or indirectly - or by device - or by neglect this young man, and we will have the police on you for criminal endangerment. Do you understand?"

I then turned his bloody face in Lori's direction. "And you, scumbag, if you ever harass, molest or coerce this woman like did tonight, I will beat the shit out of you and then have your sorry ass arrested for sexual assault. Do you understand?" When Arty blankly nodded, I hauled off and incredibly knocked him out.

As Arty laid flat on the floor, I took a confused Jimmy by the hand and pointing at Arty, said, "Jimmy, I am Stan. That bad man made Lori unhappy so I punished him. If this bad man ever hurts you, you tell Lori or me. We will take care of him so he never hurts you again. Do you have a cell phone? You do? Here let me put my number in it. There. Stan, S-T-A-N, Stan. Call me if you need me, okay?"

With that, we took Jimmy back to his room. Lori told him to lock the door and watch television until the big hand and the skinny hand pointed straight up. Then he was to go to sleep until Lori brought him his breakfast. She then kissed Jimmy on the forehead, and I shook his hand in a man-to-man manner. Jimmy smiled and closed the door, locking it.

Lori was beaming at me as we made our way out of the dorm cellar. "Thank you, Stan," she said throwing her arms around my neck as her body molded to mine. "You solved everything in a surprisingly swift and unexpected solution. I can't tell you how stimulating it was to see you punch Arty out. I always thought of you as the bookish type - I'm seeing a different Stan tonight...and I like what I see." With that Lori gave me one hell of a lingering kiss.

"Well, Lori, there's more of me to see...that is if you want to," I said hopefully before kissing her inviting lips in return.

"Stan, what would you see in someone like me? On top of being too old for you, I'm 'damaged' goods - twisted and sick in ways you couldn't imagine," Lori whispered as she laid her head on my shoulder. "I've got Jimmy - am married to an asshole - and am only good as an incestuous fuck - or as a down payment on a business agreement. I'm no good..."

I never let Lori finish her self-putdown as I kissed her sensuously until she ardently returned my kisses. "Lori, will you please shut up and go with your heart; not your head. I know you're the 'Brains' of our group and used to putting the facts in a systematic order, but sometimes life isn't logical or orderly or factual. It just is - and you just have to go with it.

"Look, Lori, I want you. And what you don't know is that I've been attracted you since I met you and am even more attracted to a most intriguing older Japanese woman. Now, I don't know about you, but I'd rather do my 'serious research' in the comfort of my apartment upstairs. I mean, after all, that's why I'm called the 'Eyes' of the group - because I'm good at ferreting out the hidden facts and circumstances of a case."

"I'm afraid, Stan. I know that that sounds silly but I've only known sexual abuse. You're my friend whom I trust and respect...ooh, Stan, I'm so afraid of losing you...so afraid of trying...no, feeling...something I never experienced before. I've never wanted someone as I want you right now. Oh, Stan, I so confused and scared. I'm thirty-seven years old and yet I feel like a clueless eighteen-year-old girl. Ooh, I don't know what to do."

"That's okay, Lori," I murmured as I nuzzled her exposed neck and let my hands snake over her breasts to caress the curve of her hip. "We don't have to go to my place. I can conduct my research right here in the cellar entrance. I'm sure that the passersby and our dorm mates will enjoy seeing us making out and all."