Nikki Kim: A Secret Between Sisters

I tried to remind myself how ridiculous this whole situation actually was: I was a married woman in my 30s, and he was the teenage friend of my oldest son. He wasn't standing me up because we weren't dating. Hell, we weren't even supposed to have a relationship outside of Danny.

What had happened between was absolutely wrong, and it was as simple as that. If Johan had grown tired of me or gotten bored, well, that was a good thing. I'm a housewife and a mother, I reminded myself. I'm supposed to be boring. That's part of the job.

If Johan was finally ready to leave me alone, then let him. Maybe I could finally close this sordid chapter and move on with my life intact. And if, on occasion, I thought of Johan while I was in the bath, then what was the harm? Steve would never know, and that was all that mattered. I could still be a good wife even if I had a secret.

As I was getting ready to pick up the kids from school, my phone buzzed. It was a text message from my sister.

"Is Riley's LL game still on at 4? Field 16?"

A flush of guilt reddened my cheeks. I'd totally forgotten that Riley's little league baseball team had a game this afternoon. I walked over to the fridge to check the schedule.

"yup. can you make it?"

"I'm coming straight from work but ill be a little late," she wrote back.

"That's fine. He'll love to see you"

"great. can I bring snacks?"

"you really don't have to," I texted, stepping out the door.

"But I'm the cool aunt ;)"

"LOL that's true," I wrote back, climbing into the car.

Friday afternoon little league games had become a minor tradition in our household a couple of years earlier when Riley started playing baseball. Because Danny has autism, he was never able to participate in team sports growing up, and we always felt like that made it even harder for him to make friends. So when his younger brother got into baseball, it felt like something that the whole family could do together. Even if Danny wasn't on the team, he could still go to the games and interact with the other kids on Riley's team. The fact that they were all a few years younger didn't seem to bother anyone, and in some ways, it actually made it easier for Danny to join in.

So during the baseball season, I would pick Danny and Riley up from school, bring them home for a snack, and then drive them over to the fields. Steve would meet us there after he got done with work, and after the game, we would usually pick up a pizza for dinner on the way home. Both of the boys really looked forward to little league nights, and usually, so did I. The fact that I'd forgotten about it entirely just underscored how distracted I'd been.

At the beginning of the season, we always sent my sister a copy of the little league schedule, but she was only able to come to games once in awhile. Nina lives near Santa Monica, all the way on the other side of LA, and she often had work functions to attend in the evenings. She's a VP at a boutique executive search firm, and her job involves a lot of high-touch networking with clients and potential candidates. That translates into a lot of happy hours and not very many little league games, so whenever she's able to come, it's a real treat for the boys.

It is also, I have to say, a real treat for their fathers. Because when Nina shows up to a little league baseball field in suburban LA, she turns heads.

If you've read my previous stories, then you know that physically, my sister and I are blessed with a lot in common: long, silky black hair; full lips; a pert, upturned nose; delicate, unlined Korean skin. Ever since I got after becoming pregnant with Danny, I've had bigger boobs than my sister, but we both work hard to maintain our bodies. She was always the athlete of the two of us, and after years of competitive volleyball that lasted through high school and college, her lithe, graceful figure looks much younger than her 36 years.

But for as much as we have in common physically, Nina was always far more comfortable in her own skin, more confident in her looks and bolder in the way she flaunts them. Nowhere is that more apparent than at a little league baseball game, where the contrast between us couldn't be more striking.

Like most little league moms, I generally wear comfortable, loose-fitting clothing to games, and today's was no exception: a high-necked sweater--to hide the redness that had yet to fade from my neck--along with a pair of jeans, a baseball cap, and some old Nike running shoes. Most of the dads wear something like the male equivalent: jeans or sweatpants, an old ballcap, and a bulky sweatshirt to hide the beer gut they're hoping nobody else can see.

So when Nina shows up, she tends to make an entrance.

The first thing that gets people's attention is her car. Like many people in LA, Nina drives a lot, so when she was promoted to VP, the first thing she bought was a white BMW M4 with a manual transmission. I still don't understand why she bothered to learn to drive a stick-shift, but she says an automatic doesn't even feel like driving. Whatever the reason, you can bet that when she pulls her Beemer up beside the fleet of Honda Odysseys and other sensible cars in the parking lot behind the dugout, the men in the stands take notice.

But that's nothing compared to what happens when a hot Asian girl steps out of it.

My sister was always a stylish dresser, but now that she makes good money, she's taken it to the next level. On this particular day, she stepped out of her car wearing a beautiful, amber-brown leather jacket over a fitted white top tucked neatly inside a pair of tight, high-waisted black jeans. On her feet, she wore a pair of black leather ankle boots with a slim, cheeky wedge heel, probably Jimmy Choo's based on her tastes. To complete the look, she was wearing a pair of old school RayBan Wayfarer's, and her lips were painted bright red. The sunglasses obscured her eyes, but you can bet that her mascara, eyeliner, and eyeshadow were all dialed in.

Even at a little league game, surrounded by children and other parents, it wasn't a surprise to hear one of the men wolf-whistle appreciatively as Nina climbed out of the car. She didn't even a bat an eye, of course. She might not have heard him, but even if she did, Nina's used to that kind of reaction by now.

I was used to it, too. Nina had been drawing stares from boys for as long as I could remember. It used to bother me more, her being this magnet for male attention, but I mostly got over it after I met Steve. Now, all I could do was smile to myself as she walked around to the trunk of her BMW, opened it up, and pulled out what looked like an entire cargo pallet of fruit snacks.

I had to admit that it was a pretty funny scene watching the men gawk at her from the bleachers as she hoisted the box of fruit snacks over her shoulder, locked the trunk, and started walking towards the field in her Jimmy Choo boots.

Of course, she only made it about three steps before two different guys had the same idea. Single dads, maybe, or somebody's uncle. From opposite ends of the bleachers, they raced down, rushing over to help the sexy Asian chick with the Beemer carry her fruit snacks. They reached Nina at about the same time, and although only one of them could carry the box for her, they both escorted her the rest of the way, flanking her on either side like a pair of bodyguards. I couldn't help noticing that both of the men were white.

By the time she sat down next to me, I was sure that at least one of them had asked for her number. But judging from the way they were slinking back to their seats, I assumed that neither had gotten it.

"Hiiiii, Nik," Nina cooed, giving me a half-hug as she sat down beside me on the bleachers. "What'd I miss?"

"Not much," I said. "Riley walked his first time up."

"He's an on-base machine," Nina said, "Just like my boo, Max Muncy."

"I don't know who that is," I laughed.

"He's a Dodger, Nikki!" she said, giving me a shove. "Did you even grow up in LA?"

"The only baseball players I know are on Riley's team," I replied.

"Well, you should know Max Muncy, because he walks a lot," Nina giggled. "Plus, he's totally hot."

"Okay, unni," I smiled, rolling my eyes.

"Hey, so where's Danny?" Nina asked. "Is he here?"

"Yeah! He's actually down in the dugout with the other boys," I said proudly. "Riley's coach says Danny is the 'bench coach.' Isn't that so sweet?"

"Aww, Nik, that's so huge!" Nina beamed. "I love that for him. He's come such a long way!"

"I know," I smiled. "He really has."

"Is Steve here yet?" Nina asked.

"No," I said. "He should be here soon, though."

"Before he gets here," Nina said, lowering her voice. "I just have to ask... is everything okay?"

"You mean, like, what we talked about?" I whispered, blushing instantly. "On the phone, the other day?"

"Yeah, that," she replied, looking from side-to-side conspiratorially. "Are you okay?"

"I... I think so," I whispered. "It's... I think it's over."

"Okay," Nina sighed, relief evident in her voice. "Good. That's good. Right?"

"Yeah," I murmured. "It's good."

"Now then," Nina said, turning her attention back to the field. "When's my little man coming up to bat next?"

...

Shortly thereafter, Steve showed up, though his arrival attracted much less attention than my sister's. Then, the three of us chatted as we watched Riley's baseball game from the bleachers.

Like most of the other men in attendance, my husband stole glances at Nina when he thought she wasn't looking, but that didn't bother me much. My sister is undeniably nice to look at, and Steve is just a man, after all. Plus, it wasn't like I had the moral high ground in this area at the moment.

Besides, I knew Steve would never actually do anything. Partly because he was a good father and a faithful husband, but also because he'd always been a little bit intimidated by my sister, though I knew he would never admit it. Nina was a year older than Steve, successful and beautiful and confident, a cooler and more competitive version of me. Without even trying, Nina was almost always the center of attention, and Steve has never been comfortable in the spotlight.

So I didn't care if Steve gave my sister the once-over every now and then. He was always gracious and polite towards her, and that's what mattered to me.

When the baseball game ended, Riley raced up to give Nina a hug.

"Imo!" he cried in delight. "Did you see me? I got a single!"

"I saw you!" Nina smiled, hugging him back. "That was awesome."

"Riley, what do you say to imo?" I said, prompting him.

He looked up at me, confused.

"Fruit snacks," I mouthed.

"Oh--thank you for the fruit snacks, imo!" he mumbled. "Coach Jeffries wanted to thank you, too."

"Oh, that's okay," Nina said, as Danny walked up. "I'm more interested in a hug from the bench coach!"

Danny doesn't give a lot of hugs--they're uncomfortable for him--but he let my sister give him one.

"Pretty cool being down in the dugout with your brother, isn't it?" Nina smiled at Danny. "Did you have fun?"

Danny nodded, fiddling with his Rubik's cube, which we let him bring to the games in case he got anxious or bored.

"We're about to go pick up some pizzas for dinner," Steve said. "Nina, you should join us."

"Steve, I'm sure Nina's really tired," I said quickly. "She came straight from work and hasn't even been home yet."

"C'mon, the boys would love it," Steve said, missing the look I'd given him. "Besides, the traffic back to Santa Monica must be awful right now. Why not give it a couple of hours to die down?"

"Unni, you really don't have to," I said nervously, turning to my sister. "Coming to the game, bringing snacks... you've already done enough."

"Please, imo!" Riley begged. "We'll let you choose the toppings, right Danny?"

"But no mushrooms," Danny said softly.

Nina smiled, wrapping an arm around each of my sons.

"How can I say 'no' to two handsome guys?"

"Yay!" Riley celebrated, pumping his fist. "Imo, can we ride in your car?"

...

Steve and I had arrived at the game separately, so with the boys in Nina's BMW, I drove home alone while Steve went to pick up the pizzas.

Ordinarily, I would be looking forward to spending the evening with my sister. Not only did my sons love spending time with her, but it was nice for me to have another woman around in a house full of boys. Nina and I hadn't always gotten along growing up, partly because she was constantly fighting with our parents, breaking their rules while I was a goody two-shoes. But we'd gotten much closer as adults, and she was the only person I'd been able to confide in about Johan. But that's what was making me nervous.

After I'd woken up in Johan's bed two days earlier, I had called Nina in a panic, confessing to her that I had cheated on Steve. She'd been incredibly understanding, and the conversation had calmed me down, but now I was worried about what I'd said.

I hadn't told my sister the man's name or his relationship to me, but I had told her that he lived overseas, and that he would be flying back in a few days. And Nina had correctly guessed that he was a white guy, a fact that I had reluctantly confirmed.

Despite the fact that he'd been away from the house all day, I knew Johan would have to come back sometime tonight. His stuff was still strewn about our in-law unit, and his flight back to South Africa was in the morning. If he was there when we got home--or if he came home while Nina was still there--then would she be able to put two-and-two together?

Nina had been exceptionally understanding on the phone, but what would happen if she realized the white guy I'd been sleeping with was my son's best friend? The thought alone was almost too shameful to bear. I admired my sister so much, and if she found out that Danny's 19-year-old friend had turned me into his Asian MILF fuck puppet, I'd never be able to look her in the eye again.

I raced home, trying to make sure that Nina and the boys didn't get there before me. But I was driving a Mazda CX-4, and she was in a BMW, so it wasn't a surprised to see her parked in front of the house when I arrived. As I got out of the car, I heard voices coming from the backyard, so I walked around to the back of the house.

Instantly, my blood went cold. Because there, sitting in a patio chair, was Johan, drinking a beer and chatting casually with my sister as Danny and Riley buzzed energetically around them.

Johan looked like hadn't been home long. He was wearing a gray tank top, a pair of brightly colored running shorts, and flip-flops, and his legs were coated in a thin layer of sand and dust. But the way he was sitting there, his fist wrapped around a sweaty bottle of Corona, he looked very much at home, as if this were his backyard rather than mine.

Trying to keep my face as neutral as possible, I walked over to the patio.

"Unni, I see you've met Danny's friend, Johan," I said. "They met at a Rubik's Cube tournament a few years ago."

"Danny, I didn't realize you had a friend staying with you," Nina smiled at my son. "That's really sweet."

"At this point, I feel like I'm really a friend of the family," Johan said, looking at me as he took a sip of his beer. "Wouldn't you say?"

"Boys, go inside and wash up for dinner," I said, ignoring him. "Dad will be home with the pizza soon."

"So Johan, how long are you visiting for?" Nina said, sitting down in a patio chair as Danny and Riley ran into the house.

"I got in last weekend, but I'm flying home tomorrow morning," he replied.

"Oh really?" Nina said. "And where's home for you?"

"Well, I'm from Munich, but my family lives in South Africa," he said. "I go to university in Praetoria."

"Ahh, so that explains your accent," Nina said, glancing at me. "I was going to guess Australia, but that would've been way off."

"Actually, I was just in Australia for a Rubik's Cube tournament a few months ago," Johan said, sipping his beer. "Danny and Nikki were there, too. We had a lot of fun, didn't we?"

I willed myself not to react, hoping that my sister hadn't noticed the familiar tone he was using with me, or the fact that he called me Nikki instead of Mrs. Kim.

"Well, I think it's awesome that Danny can make friends all over the world like that," Nina said.

"Yeah, it's opened a lot of doors for me, too," Johan said. "I've had some pretty memorable experiences at Cube tournaments."

"Oh yeah?" Nina asked. "Like what?"

"Well, it's actually a great way to meet girls," Johan smiled.

"Oh my god, seriously?" Nina laughed. "Do you have, like, a Rubik's Cube girlfriend? That's adorable!"

I wanted to walk away from this conversation, but I was even less comfortable with it happening where I couldn't hear it. Instead, I peered inside the house, looking to see if I could use Danny or Riley as a distraction.

"Not a girlfriend, no," Johan grinned. "We just hook up when we're in the same city."

"Where does she live?" Nina asked.

"Here, actually," Johan smirked. "That's why I'm in LA. To visit her, and Danny."

"I'm gonna go inside and get some sodas," I said quickly, touching Nina's elbow. "Unni, will you come help me round up Danny and Riley?"

"I'll come with you," Johan said, standing up. "I need another beer anyway."

"I don't think we have any," I said, opening the door.

"I brought some back from Joshua Tree," he replied. "They're in the fridge."

"Are you even old enough to buy beer?" Nina said, walking into the house.

"Why?" Johan smiled, following us inside. "Are you going to tell on me?"

"If Nikki doesn't mind, then why should I?" Nina replied.

"It's my German blood," Johan said. "If I go too long without beer, I'll shrivel up and die."

"That's how Koreans are with kimchi," Nina said. "At a certain point, nothing else will do."

I opened the door to the fridge and pulled out a two-liter bottle of Coke. Before I could turn around, Johan sidled up behind me, casually placing a hand on the small of my back as he reached past me to grab a six-pack of beer.

"So Nina, I hear you've got some cool tattoos," Johan said, twisting the cap off a Corona.

"Oh really?" Nina said, raising an eyebrow. "And where did you hear that?"

Johan tapped his finger on the fridge, pointing to the photo of me and my sister, the same one he had slipped into the bottom of my "gift box" the day before. In it, Nina was wearing a revealing dress that showed a lot of skin, and you could see a partial sleeve of tattoos ringing one of her arms. I had put the photo back on the fridge yesterday to cover my tracks, but now I wished that I hadn't.

"Ahh," Nina said, the bright timbre of her voice suddenly enigmatic. "Well, I have a few."

Johan took a sip of his Corona, then pulled another one from the six-pack. He twisted the top off and held it out towards my sister, waiting for her to take it.

"I don't drink Corona without a lime," she said, wrinkling her nose. "Sorry."

"Oh, come on," Johan said, tilting it gently towards her. "It's already open. You're gonna make me drink them both?"

Nina shot a glance at me, but my eyes fell immediately to the floor. I had no idea what I was supposed to say in this situation.

"Well, at least it's cold," she shrugged, taking the bottle from him.

"Nikki, you want one?" Johan said, looking over at me. "There's enough to share."

"I'm good, thanks," I said, shaking my head.

"I'll have one of those," Steve said, opening the door and stepping inside the house with two huge boxes of pizza. "It's hot as hell today."

"Boys!" I yelled. "Pizza's here!"

...

As the evening sun began to fade towards the horizon, the six of us sat at a large wooden picnic table on the patio, eating pizza. I made it a point to sit as far away from Johan as possible, on the opposite bench and the other side of the table. That felt like the safest place for me to be, but when everyone else was seated, I saw that Johan had taken a seat right next to Nina.