The Game Ch. 04 Pt. 01

“Okay I guess. We are going to talk tomorrow, but I think she is coming around. Do you mind if I ask you something, and if you want to say no, it’s fine. No pressure okay?”

“Sure kid, what is it?”, I asked curious but also apprehensive.

“If mom does come around, would it be alright if I stayed with you for awhile if I can find a job in Chicago?”, she asked while nervously biting her bottom lip (a habit we share under stressful conditions).

I took a deep breath and thought about it for a minute before answering. “Well first your mom would have to be 100% okay with the idea, and you and I would have to come to some understandings of ground rules, and you would have to have a job and not just be coming in the city to leave here, but if all of that was true, then yes it’s a possibility.”

Sara turned absolutely radiant with joy. Her smile lit up the dim room and the happiness was overflowing. She ran to me and hugged me hard saying, “Thank you so much. It’s going to be so great.” She continued to hug me and I prayed I was not overstepping my bounds.

“Hold on young lady. You don’t have a job yet, and as I recall you still had some fence mending to do with your mother.”, I began.

She separated from me still grinning, not with happiness, but with a twinkle of mischief in her eyes. “Oh shit,” I thought.

“Well actually, Aunt Sara, I sent my portfolio off to an agency last month and they offered me an internship as an assistant photographer for the summer with the possibility of a job afterwards.” She said pulling a letter that was tucked in her pocket out for my inspection.

Sure enough she had been accepted into a work study program in Chicago for photography. “Damn she is sneaky,” I thought feeling like the world’s biggest idiot for being manipulated so easily. Not that I would mind if she came, but I was worried that her mother might not quite be ready for this.

“And your mother?”, I asked.

“Well we talked tonight and she did say that if I was lucky enough to get a job in Chicago and could talk you into looking out for me that she would consider it.”, Rachel said grinning like the devil.

“And of course you failed to mention that you already had a job lined up huh.” I said sarcastically, but also impressed at her ability to pursue what she wanted.

“Well someone (me years earlier) once told me to solve a problem take it one step at a time. I didn’t figure she could swallow the whole pie at once so I figured I better feed it to her in bite sized pieces.” Rachel replied.

“Well I just hope you are as good at photography as you are at being sneaky.” I said and meant it.

She looked hurt for a minute but then resolve hardened her face and she replied, “I am better at photography.”

I sighed knowing that the discussion was over and resigned myself to her course of action. “Very well young lady, when do you join me in Chicago?”

Her face brightened again, and she replied, “Next month.”

She turned to leave the bedroom and looked back once at me still clutching the towel and smiled as she asked, “Aunt Sara, do you walk around naked at your house too?” And then she was gone in a fit of giggles.

“Not any more.” I thought.

**********

The next morning I woke up with beams of yellow sunlight flickering across my naked body. I stretched and yawned as I climbed out of a wonderful dream that I could not quite recall. I smiled as I looked down at my own nakedness and remembered the masturbation session the night before. I stretched again and felt the familiar tingle across my back and tummy. “God I’m horny.” I thought. Shit there must be something in the water down here.

I got up and put on a pair of shorts without underwear and a t-shirt that I had found in the back of my suitcase from a trip the previous year. I had no bra, but I was confident the problem could be solved on a Saturday morning with a trip to the mall. I was sure that even this far south they had malls.

I came down the stairs to the pleasant smell of coffee. Richard and my sister were sitting at the kitchen table in robes reading the paper. Rachel was still in bed. “Morning” I said greeting them as they looked up.

“Sleep well?” my sister asked.

I grinned at her remembering my night, and said, “Like a baby.”

Richard poured me a cup of coffee and left the two of us at the table for some sister time and retired with his paper to the den.

“Hey sis thanks for the help with Rach last night, and sorry for being busy when you knocked” my sister said in a whisper.

“No problem hun, but you may want to invest in some sound proofing for your bedroom.” I said needling her.

It was her turn to turn crimson. “Oh God I am so sorry. Hope it wasn’t too bad.” She said very embarrassed.

I laughed and said, “Sounded like good wholesome married fun.”

“Yeah that’s why we put Rachel’s room down the hall.”, she said still blushing.

“Well not far enough apparently. She stopped by my room on the way back to hers after your fireworks were over. She said she could not stand to hear or even think about her parents ‘doing it’”, I said giggling and really enjoying my sister’s discomfort.

“Of fuck me. She heard?”, she asked.

“Well she heard someone fucking you sis.”, I said still grinning.

My sister was mortified and I decided it was time to let her off the hook. “Don’t worry about it sis. I am sure she knows she was not conceived immaculately.”

“Yeah but ewwwww. Remember when we sometime heard our parents.”

“Yeah, icky but part of life.”, I said.

My sister chuckled and said, “Yeah I guess so. Maybe she should move out so we can be as loud as we want.” Mary said jokingly.

“Well speaking of which, I hear you told her she could come to Chicago if I agreed to put her up and she found a job in photography.”

“Well I don’t know if ‘agreed to’ is the right way to say it, but we did discuss the possibility. She said she would go to college next year if she had up until July 1 to find a paying job in Chicago. I figured what the hell, what are the chances of that anyway? So I agreed.”, she said still not grasping her error.

“Well what if she does it?” I asked tentatively.

“Well I guess then its really up to you, but I don’t see it happening.”, Mary still naively replied.

I stared at her not saying a word. She stared back and then looked at me with confused eyes.

“What?” she asked just as realization dawned on her.

“YOUR KIDDING?”, she said now understanding. “She already has a job lined up doesn’t she?”

I nodded and said, “Oh it gets better. It’s a paid internship in photography at a fairly well respected agency. And just to add to that your little scheming daughter got me to agree that if you agreed and she got a job that she could live with me for awhile.”.

Mary looked as if I had punched her in the stomach.

“Cheer up sis; at least she has really thought this through.”, I said trying to take as much sting out of it as possible.

“So now either she goes or I renege on a promise and am the mother of all bitches for life. Those are my choices right?” she said still stunned.

“Appears so.” I replied sipping my coffee.

Mary sat brooding for a minute and neither of us spoke. She got up and went to a drawer in the kitchen and extracted two cigarettes and lit them both passing one to me. I took it even though we had both quit the habit supposedly for good.

As she blew smoke out over the table and nervously flicked ashes into a saucer that was now a makeshift ash tray, she said, “Well I pray you make sure nothing happens to her.”

I took a drag on my cigarette and said, “I wouldn’t wish that on anyone sis. Something should happen to everyone.”

************* *

I spent the rest of the morning and early afternoon lying out on the back deck reading a book and drinking ice tea with Mary and Rachel. I explained my mishap of not having undies to Mary and she said she would run into town and get some for me. In the mean time we were not going anywhere and it was just us so we were in no real hurry.

Rachel was nice enough to loan me a bikini top so I could catch rays, but it was a little tight on me and gave me a little too much cleavage. Richard came out with Margaritas around 2pm and served us with more than a casual interest in my chest.

“Where’s mine?” Rachel asked when Richard handed Mary and I our drinks.

“Well young lady, you’re only 18.” Richard replied.

“Hell Rich, let her have one, I am sure she will have one in Chicago so she might as well learn how much is too much here rather than there.”, Mary said.

Silence blanketed the deck as Richard and Rachel and I all stared at Mary.

“You mean it mom?”, Rachel asked incredulously.

“Sure it’s just a Margarita.”, she replied.

“No about Chicago?”, Rachel said.

Mary turned to her daughter and said, “Yes, but if I hear one word of you getting out of line with Aunt Sara, I will personally come up there and drag your ass back here. Are we clear on that?”

Rachel nodded enthusiastically and said, “Thank you mom. I won’t disappoint you.”

“You best not young lady. Now Richard why don’t you go make a pitcher of Margaritas and join us out her. Our daughter is going to leave home next month and I think we should celebrate her new career.”

Richard did just that and we all got a little giddy and drunk and had a hell of a good time. More than once I caught Richard staring at my tits, and at first I was very uncomfortable, but after the warmth of a few drinks I found it amusing. I wondered if Mary would find it so amusing.

Richard went inside to refill the pitcher around 3pm and I was enjoying the hottest rays of the day on a lounge chair between my sister and neice. As soon as the door closed, Mary leaned toward me and said, “So do you think Richard likes your tits or is admiring your expert bikini wearing skills.”

“MOM!”, Rachel said stunned.

Mary was giddy from the alcohol and giggling. “Well he sure is staring.”

I was now feeling really self conscious, but also very flattered. Rachel was stunned that her mother had used the word ‘tits’ and I was in the middle.

Now Rachel was getting into the act. “Well Aunt Sara is awful big for my bikini. Guess you can’t blame a dog for licking his chops around a steak dinner.”

“Stop it you two. He will be back any minute.”, I said hoping to put an end to the banter.

Mary was not done with me yet however, she said, “Why don’t you take it off before he comes back and really freak him out. Remember Chad Thayer?”

I was really blushing now. Chad Thayer was a high school football jock that I was madly in love with in 10th grade. When I was 15 I went to a pool party where he was and dove into the deep end to show off my diving skills only to lose my bikini top as I hit the water. I ran into the house to mortifying whistles and cheers from Chad and his friends. I was too embarrassed to ever talk to him after that, but I never forgot the feeling of running topless into the house. When I was younger I sometimes masturbated to that image that I held in my mind of what I must have looked like.

Rachel was rolling with laughter as her mother retold the story to her.

“Sorry girls my flashing days are over. If you want to thrill Richard, you are on your own, but then again I think you might have over-stimulated him last night.” I said to my sister.

Rachel burst out in a new fit of laughter as it was Mary’s turn to blush crimson.

“Yeah mom, I thought I was too old to be spanked, but I guess you are never too old.” Rachel said jabbing the knife into her mother a little deeper.

“Fuck off both of you.” Mary said in a joking tone. “We are supposed to be making fun of Richard not each other. Don’t you know that’s what we do when the guy leaves?”, she said in mock exasperation.

Richard returned with the pitcher of drinks to hear only the last sentence of our conversation. “So making fun of me are we?” he asked with mock hurt in his slightly slurred good natured voice.

We all three giggled together like we were kids and it felt wonderful. Mary was the first to speak, “No hun, just having girl talk. Besides you are way too easy of a target today. Just try to keep your tongue off the floor with us hot babes out here sunbathing.”

“I’ll try.” he said in slightly exasperated voice.

As the third pitcher of drinks appeared as the sun set and Richard lit the grill, I knew I was not getting underwear this night but I really didn’t care. The temperature began to drop as spring days do in the midwest and Mary loaned me a pair of sweats to go over my shorts and bikini top.

We ate hotdogs on the deck and talked until around 9pm when the chill turned to cold. We were all still feeling very loose and happy from the booze, but not yet drunk as we had paced ourselves and eaten a meal.

“Turn on the hot tub for later.”, Mary called to Richard as he cleaned up the grill dishes as we loaded the dishwasher.

“Sure hun.”, Richard replied with care and love in his voice. I was suddenly hit with an almost painful longing for Ron. I missed him and was hurt that he was going to miss our deadline. I was falling in love with him, and the fact that he had betrayed the trust of our game made it more difficult.

Mary must have noticed my face because she asked, “What’s wrong Sara?”

I smiled and put on my ‘happy face’ and said, “Nothing, its just I was expecting a little something from Ron this week and it hasn’t come yet. I guess I am just a little disappointed.”

Rachel overheard us and said, “Oh shit I forgot.”

We both turned to her and she said, “Aunt Sara I am sorry, the Fedex guy came today with a package for you, but you were outside. I put it on your bed and forgot to tell you.”

I was stunned. Surely Ron would not have sent his fantasy to me here. What if someone opened it? What if I was gone or it got lost? What if? I ran to the guest bedroom and picked up the fedex package that lay on my pillow. Sure enough it was from Ron. It was a letter pack that was sealed and I was both horrified at its appearance in my sister’s home and relieved that he had not forgotten about me.

I turned the package over in my hands and was about to tear it open when Rachel came through the door. “What is it?” she asked.

I looked at her and smiled and realized that this could wait. It was here. That was the important thing. Besides, I was too drunk to be thinking about whatever was written inside. I would open it in the morning.

“Nothing Rachel. Just a letter I need. It’s not important tonight.” I said as I slipped the package into my luggage and went back downstairs to enjoy the evening.

Rachel and I walked downstairs together after each taking a minute to use the bathroom. Richard and Mary were blending another pitcher of Margaritas and pouring them into tall glasses rimmed with salt.

Rachel was obviously a little drunk, but not out of control. She took her glass and asked if these glasses meant what she thought they did.

I was a bit confused until Richard flicked a finger on the bottom of his glass to make not the plinking sound that glass makes but the softer thud of a finger hitting plastic. “Hot tub glasses”, he said grinning.

We returned to the deck where steam billowed out of the hot tub into crisp night air. Rachel stripped out of her sweats to reveal her bikini underneath as did Mary and Richard. They began climbing one by one into the hot tub, and I could not help but notice Richards tight body as it was revealed to me. “Lucky girl my sister.” I thought as my mind flashed on the image that last nights sounds brought to my mind.

Rachel was as stunning as only an 18 year old in a bikini can be, and Mary looked very sexy as well as an older more mature version of Rachel.

I stripped off my sweat suit and slid into the tub between Rachel and Mary. My shorts were baggy and heavy as they got wet, but Rachel’s bottoms were too tight for me, and Mary did not have an extra swim suit.

We were all enjoying the moment drinking cold drinks and enjoying the hot steamy water. Mary and Rachel were in rare form and joking with each other like I remembered. It had obviously been a long time for both of them since humor was in their relationship and they both seemed eager to make up for lost time.

“So tell me Rachel, you really want to be a photographer and are not just using this as an excuse to chase city boys are you.” Mary bantered to her daughter.

I was afraid this might touch a nerve with Rachel, but she didn’t bat an eye before saying, “Nah, I figure I can get laid here or there just as easy, but it would be nice to have a career too.”

Richard laughed, and after a minute so did Mary. “I suppose I deserved that.” She said.

“Speaking of getting laid, how is Ron?”, Mary asked me.

I almost choked on my drink thinking of the letter waiting for me upstairs.

“He’s fine and treating me like his princess/love slave.” I replied.

“Oh ‘love slave’? Do tell.” Richard entered the conversation.

“Yeah does he spank you?” Rachel asked.

Now it was Richard’s turn to choke not being privy to our conversation earlier. “Relax hon. Apparently our walls are not thick enough.” Mary said to her husband.

Richard’s face was not burning in the moonlight and the three women in the hot tub giggled like schoolgirls that only one of us was.

“Sorry.” was all Richard could muster.

We were all laughing now except for Richard. “Don’t look so freaked out Dad”, Rachel said. “It’s not like I thought I was hatched. You’re just a guy, you can’t help it.”

We all laughed again at that comment.

“So when did you become so worldly wise young lady?” Richard asked truly astonished at the turn of events of the last few hours.

“I dunno. When I met Robert last year I guess.” Rachel said grinning at the innuendo at the loss of her virginity.

I pinched Rachel under the water as a gentle reminder that she might be sharing too much too soon. She jolted, but got the message. She excused herself to go to the bathroom and stood up in the hot water as steam billowed off her gorgeous skin in the moonlight. She stretched and climbed out of the tub and pranced across the deck and into the house.

“Damn she’s grown up.” Richard said.

“Yeah and she is so damn beautiful it’s scary.” I said.

“She gets that from my side of the family.” Mary said jokingly.

Richard laughed and said, “She does bear a striking resemblance to you and your sister too.”

“Do you mean Sara’s tits because you’ve been staring at them all day.” Mary joked at her husband.

Richard blushed right along with me as he stammered, “I er.. don’t know what you mean.”

“Please Richard. I am not an idiot, nor am I so insecure that I freak out because you notice a nice pair of boobs. Just as long as you still like mine.” she said and flashed her husband by pulling up her bikini top.

She leaned in and kissed him on the mouth as if to say, ‘It’s all good’. He kissed her back deeply, and I began to feel a little like a third wheel.

Rachel came bounding out of the house with yet another pitcher of booze and giggled as she caught her mother half out of her swimsuit making out with her dad. “Jeez you two, get a room. Is the hot tub now going clothing optional?” she asked giggling as she slid in next to me and refilled my drink.

Mary turned to her daughter and threw her top at her jokingly. “My house, my rules. And as I recall you aren’t living in it next month so we can go butt-naked if we want.”, Mary said and punctuated the statement by slipping out of her bottoms under the foaming water and flipping them across the deck.

Mary then slid under the foam and after some struggling came up with Richard’s shorts and tossed them across the deck with hers. “See we are not such lame parents as you thought. We are naked hot-tubbing just like the movie stars.” Mary said giggling in a drunken voice.