New York to Paris

The sensations and memories were vivid, her fragrance still on the sheets where we had joined together. I looked over at the nightstand and there was a Post-It note attached to the lampshade that read "Lena" with a heart drawn over her name. Yes, Lena had been here, though it was still unbelievable.

I reached over to my phone to see if any messages had come in while I slept. One from Jill said that she and Kim were having a great time, and another from Mia, saying that she and Lena had gone over to the park for a walk. I hoped neither of them was dressed too provocatively, otherwise they'd be driving every guy there wild.

In those first waking minutes I experienced significant anxiety about my encounter with Lena. Would she tell Mia about it? If so, how would Mia react to her stepdad hooking up with her best friend? To avoid any awkwardness, I decided to go down to the marina and work on my boat for a while. That would keep me out of the way.

Or so I thought.

I hadn't been there but a couple of hours when Mia and Lena showed up unexpectedly, carrying towels and gear, asking me to take them out on the lake again. I fired up the trolling motor, eased the boat out of the slip, and steered her toward the small island in the middle of the lake. Once outside the boat yard I cut the motor and unfurled the sails. The only sounds now were the wind and the lapping of the water on the hull. Soon the canvas was filled with a favorable breeze and the boat sliced the rippling lake at a nice clip. Lena commented sweetly that I made sailing look easy.

We dropped anchor just off the island, and Lena took advantage of the stop to go for a swim. I was worried about being alone on deck with Mia. The memory of Lena's comment from earlier, that Mia wouldn't mind if we got naked together, worried me. It seemed natural to wonder if I was getting played by these two young but sophisticated women.

Despite my anxiety, Mia's demeanor toward me was the same as always. If she knew about Lena and me, she wasn't letting on.

When she was ready to come back aboard I helped Lena climb the slippery ladder, then the girls helped themselves to a couple of the beers I had in a Styrofoam cooler. Since I would be piloting back, I abstained. I went forward to tie down part of the mainsail that had flapped loose and I could hear the girls laughing. My paranoia reared its ugly head and I wondered if they were talking about me. I had to relax!

As much as I wanted to get in Lena's pants again I also didn't want to find myself in a situation fraught with the potential for public humiliation. I should have known better than to acquiesce to her advances, but she was just too irresistibly sexy. Even so, we spent the remainder of the afternoon sailing around the lake and having a great time. After tying up we went our separate ways. Lena and Mia drove off to meet up with a couple of their friends for dinner, and I headed home to an uneventful evening and early to bed.

The week ahead was filled with routine. I worked in the mornings, swam laps, had lunch, and did chores around the house. Mia was in and out, sometimes with Lena, sometimes not, but I didn't see much of either of them. When at the house Lena was bubbly and flirtatious toward me, and Mia just rolled her eyes at her friend's outrageous manner.

I dared not hope that Lena would spend the coming weekend at our house. It was a little embarrassing at my age to be drawn to this young girl. If we were just having fun it was one thing, but if it was something else it might not go well. I didn't want to be thought of as a dirty old man trying to recapture his youth by sleeping with one, even if it was her idea.

As the days marched on I began to think that my encounter with Lena was a one-off, but a couple of weeks later she was staying over with Mia and found her way into my bed again.

"This time," she said wickedly, "I want you to take control."

So I turned her over and took her from behind, which she said is one of her favorite positions. It's one of my favorites, too. I was physical with her, but it's sometimes difficult for me to be too avant-garde with a partner, especially one I don't know well. Lena was very encouraging.

"Fuck me hard!" she pleaded between her grunting and moaning. "Take me!"

Afterward, as we lay in bed enjoying the afterglow of our lovemaking, I asked Lena if Mia suspected anything about her nocturnal visits to me.

"She knows," Lena replied nonchalantly. "Who do you think encouraged me to come down here?"

That dismayed me. "Really?"

"Sure. I was going on about how hot I think you are and that you're really sweet. You're not like a lot of older guys who perv out on younger girls. You're nice and relaxed, which is very sexy. So Mia told me to come down and do you."

"Oh, did she?"

"Yes! You don't believe me?"

"It's a little hard to believe."

"I know, but she likes you a lot and thought I'd have a good time with you, which I do."

"I sure do!" I replied with sincere enthusiasm.

Since Mia was in the know, Lena was in no hurry to get back down the hall. As we drifted off to sleep, I confronted the reality that my stepdaughter knew I was sleeping with her best friend - had in fact encouraged it - and acted perfectly natural with me, without revealing a hint of her knowledge about what was going on. It was a situation I couldn't have imagined at the start of the summer.

At some point in the early morning hours, I was just conscious enough to feel Lena's soft lips on my forehead as she whispered how wonderful it was to be with me and she would see me in the morning. I had a great night's sleep.

On those rare occasions we talked about it, Lena and I emphasized the casual and fun nature of our encounters, a bit of summertime fun while it was convenient. We both knew that things would cool off once Jill returned home and resumed her place in the household. Likewise, if Jill happened to hit the sheets with a handsome young Frenchman while abroad, I'm not able to summon the requisite outrage that some people feel in those situations. It's unconventional, but it's just the arrangement we have and we're happy with it.

***

I was in the kitchen one Sunday morning making myself some tea when Mia came in.

"Hey there!" she said with her cheerful voice and bright smile.

"Hey," I responded. We have a very relaxed relationship and it didn't seem to be affected by the fact that Mia knew I was banging her best friend.

"Mom and Kim getting back on Thursday?"

"Yep, I'm doing the airport run in the afternoon if you want to go with me."

"I might," she responded brightly. "I'll let you know."

"Okey dokey," I said casually. "I know your mom would be thrilled to see you."

Then I walked to the part of the house where I keep my small study. I make it a rule not to write on the weekends, but sometimes I go in for a short spell on a Saturday or Sunday morning just to tidy up or see to some mail.

I had been there a few minutes when Mia appeared at the door. I generally leave the door open, not wanting to close myself off from the rest of the household, and my wife and stepdaughter know that whatever I'm working on they can interrupt me. I'm not some tortured genius who has to have things just so in order to produce towering art. I'm just a working writer with a job to do, and what job doesn't include interruptions? I'd rather be interrupted by family than some power-hungry putz in an office somewhere.

"Den, can I talk to you?"

"Sure, fire away," I said, turning to give her my attention.

"Don't tell mom, but I know about her and Uncle Luke."

I froze for a long moment. I thought that particular family secret was securely in the vault. Just talking about it made my face turn red.

"Okay, I won't mention anything to her, but how did you know?"

Mia shrugged. "I sort of figured it out but I didn't know for sure until I saw your face." She smiled a wickedly, knowing I had fallen into her trap.

"Oh, yeah. My facial coloring makes me a lousy poker player. But this is just between us, right?"

"Definitely!"

"How did you suspect it?"

She shrugged again. "The way they talk to each other. It wouldn't be obvious to most people, but it just seemed like there was something leftover from their younger days."

Mia then pressed me for some details and I told her in general terms what I knew about her mom and uncle's relationship. She seemed no more ruffled than if she'd found out her grandparents had had to hastily marry when grandma turned up pregnant.

"Well," she finally said, sighing with acceptance. "Don't worry, I won't tell a soul."

"Good, thanks."

"You going for a sail this afternoon?"

"Probably. Wanna go?"

"I'll let you know," she replied as she turned to leave. "I'll see if Lena's available." Before disappearing down the hall she lasciviously licked her lips and laughed.

"Very funny," I joked back.

Without being explicit, we had just acknowledged what had been going on between Lena and me, and we both signaled that everything was cool.

That afternoon we enjoyed the cooling breezes of the lake and Lena seemed more forthcoming with her small affections toward me. Evidently now that Mia had confessed her knowledge about my dalliance with her friend, things were more or less out in the open. We all seemed to know that a dalliance it was and a dalliance it would remain, and Lena enjoyed knowing that. We were nothing more than summer lovers, and when the sport had run its course we would continue as friends, just like before.

I should have chastised myself for getting involved with a much younger woman, but with Jill out of the country I had some license. That night, after we had made passionate love, we both conceded that Jill's return signaled a return to normalcy. But oh what fun it was!

I picked up Jill and Kim from the airport a few days later and I was delighted to see them both, though I had no inkling of what they had been doing on their trip. Kim looked rested and energized, assuming as I did that getting away for a while was just the thing she needed to get back on her feet.

I first gave Kim a quick hug, but she seemed a little awkward about it and I didn't know why. When I hugged my wife she pressed her lips to my ear and murmured, "We need to talk."

Every guy in America knows that seldom anything good follows those four words when spoken by a woman to her boyfriend or husband. I couldn't imagine what had transpired to prompt such a remark, but I thought for a moment that news of my dalliance with Lena had reached Jill and she did not approve. Even so, the knowing smile on her face belied some of my fears.

I helped them with their luggage and as we drove away from the airport the car was full of exciting tales about their trip. If Jill was angry with me she put up a good show, placing her hand on my thigh and saying more than once how much she missed me. We dropped Kim at her house and after we helped get her luggage inside she gave Jill a warm hug (and me another awkward one), before we headed for home, where I expected to get a thorough dressing down in private.

I made us a couple of drinks and we sat out on the patio as the sun set behind the thick stand of trees at the rear of our property. There Jill poured out the most amazing story about the trip to Paris.

Jill has always gone out of her way to make Kim feel welcome and over time they've grown to be close friends. But it was on this trip that they began to discuss things they hadn't before. One night after dinner they were watching TV in their hotel room in Paris when Jill began to inquire about Kim's marriage to Stan and how it ran off the rails after so many years.

"Well," said Kim, after talking about the standard compatibility and communication issues, "there was one other important item." She then raised her pinky finger and gave it a quick wiggle.

"Oh, I see," Jill replied sympathetically.

"I suppose I could have dealt with that had we been happier in other ways, but he just seemed so intent on making money that we never had any fun." Kim then smiled at Jill slyly and said, "I'm sure you don't have any complaints in the size department." Jill was taken aback. How did Kim know about my endowment? "Promise not to tell?" Kim asked.

"Cross my heart," Jill replied, actually going through the gesture.

Kim then recounted a story about when I was home from college one summer and Kim was still in high school. Our parents were in Hawaii for a month and I was taking advantage of the situation to have my then-girlfriend over a lot.

"So one night," Kim went on, "I happened upon them in my parents' shower, going at it like mad. She was going down on him so I got a pretty good impression of his manhood."

Jill was shocked but intrigued. "What did you do?"

"I'm a little ashamed to admit it. I watched them for about five minutes, but left before they were finished." Kim was blushing from the retelling of this naughty tale.

"It's okay, sweetie," Jill said calmly. "You were just a teenager. There's no harm in being curious."

"I know, but..."

Jill looked at Kim intently with her cool blue eyes, signaling her complete attention to what Kim was saying without being judgmental. The rapport that had grown between the two women led to this moment when Kim felt free to share her thoughts and feelings. They were more than just sisters-in-law; they were very close friends.

"Remember, I promised not to tell," Jill said, hoping fervently that Kim would satisfy Jill's intense curiosity and spill the beans. In the long moments between talking, Jill's mind raced ahead, speculating what deep dark secret Kim was about to share.

"Well..." Kim started, biting her lower lip. "I went back to my room and masturbated."

"Why not? After all, anyone would be aroused by the sight of two people making love in the shower."

"Yeah, but it was my brother and his girlfriend. Don't you think it's weird that I got turned on by it?"

Jill gave a shrug and a matter-of-fact facial expression. "Not really."

Kim couldn't believe Jill was taking this so calmly. She was, after all, talking about Jill's husband.

"To make it worse," Kim continued, "I fantasized about Den and his girlfriend."

"Again, not surprising."

"Really?" Kim's embarrassment was supplanted by the relief she felt at having confided in someone all these years later. "You seem very open-minded about this, Jill."

"Well, hell," Jill said matter-of-factly in her soft smoky voice that makes my voice-mail melt. "I did it with my brother."

"What!" Kim sat bolt upright on her bed, her full attention now riveted on Jill after this thunderclap revelation, delivered as if she had been talking about making it with her tennis instructor. Jill had a wicked smirk on her face. She enjoyed a little too much laying that dark family secret on Kim, but she couldn't resist.

"Does Den know about this?"

"Of course. I told my ex, too. Neither of them cared. I think it turned them on. Most men are absolute perverts, remember."

Kim's face was crimson. She'd never met anyone who had engaged in consensual incest, at least she didn't think she had. She remembered meeting Jill's brother when he hosted a garden party for the newlyweds at his home.

A few years older than Jill, Luke is movie star handsome, with a beautiful wife. He certainly doesn't look like the type who would hit the sheets with his own sister. This was cognitive overload for Kim so she went over to the table and poured herself another glass of wine. Jill lay sprawled across her own bed, idly flipping through a magazine. An awkward silence descended on the room until Jill changed the subject.

"By the way, I booked us a full day at a spa tomorrow. We can get facials, mud baths, massages, you name it."

"That sounds great, Jill. Thanks so much! I really appreciate all this." Kim was trying hard to get things back on a normal footing, but how to get back to normal? Is there normal after finding out something like this?

"Think nothing of it," Jill replied. "I figured a little time away would do wonders for the both of us."

After watching some French television, the two sisters-in-law turned out the lights and climbed between the soft cool sheets of their respective beds. Within a surprisingly short time, Kim could hear soft, measured breathing from Jill's bed. She sure fell asleep fast after dropping that little bombshell earlier.

Kim lay awake a while longer, her mind racing with visions of Jill and Luke in bed together. She wanted to ask Jill so much more about the relationship but it would have to wait. Then Kim silently chastised herself for becoming aroused by the image of Jill and Luke, but she couldn't help it. It was so hard to believe! Before she could calm down enough to get some sleep she had to do something. Slowly her hand made its way between her legs and as quietly as possible...

The next day the two women arrived at the spa in a Paris suburb around 10:00. First they were each assigned a young woman who would serve as their guide and therapist for their visit. They were shown private rooms where they showered and put on the plush white robes that would be their garb for the day. After getting good and clean, Jill and Kim met up again for the facial and mud bath. Climbing into the mud bath naked, they leaned back while their therapists placed a cucumber slice on each eye and gently rubbed the soft mud on their on their faces.

At first Kim was somewhat abashed about being naked in front of Jill and the therapists, but everyone treated it with such indifference, and acted so businesslike, that she soon reached the point where she thought nothing of it.

"Oh, I could get used to this!" Kim sighed with delight.

"It is great, isn't it?" Jill said as she felt the soothing warmth of the mud penetrate her muscles.

The therapists left them alone for the balance of the half hour they would stay in the mud bath so Kim took the opportunity to press Jill a little further on her stunning revelation of the previous night.

"Jill, were you pulling my leg last night about you and Luke?"

"Why would I lie about something like that?" Jill responded.

"It just seems so...so...out there," Kim said.

Jill lightly shrugged again, though Kim couldn't see it, as if such encounters were a routine part of life.

"People make too much of a little sex. It's just sex."

"I know," said Kim, whose voice had lowered to a whisper. "But he's your brother!"

"True, but a tornado between the sheets." Jill smirked wickedly as she said it, rather enjoying Kim's reactions.

Kim couldn't help but laugh at that comment so she decided to be little nonchalant herself. "Better than Den?"

"It's hard to compare. Let's just say both are great, but there was something about doing it with Luke that was so taboo, so forbidden, that it made our lovemaking unbelievably intense and passionate."

"Do you still think about him that way?"

"Sure," Jill responded, not at all concerned to be discussing this with her sister-in-law and close friend. "How could I not? At family gatherings we'll give each other knowing winks from across the room. Den knows what that's about, but no one else does."

"Wow!" Kim whispered. "It's just so hard to believe."

"I know. But we've never regretted it. It was fun. We could be completely comfortable with each other. It was so relaxing to be with him."

"How did it start?"

"My parents were in Europe one summer and Luke had just graduated from college. We were both at home and almost living like a couple so we talked it over for a few days and one night we just decided to get naked and see what happened. It was fantastic!"

"And this went on for several years?"

"Uh huh. Until I got married, and then Luke got married the next year. I did some research on it and I was surprised to learn it's not as rare as people think."