by Chal, Bella
She frowned and shook her head. “Why you gotta be like that, boy? Kendall sat here last night cryin’ her eyes out over you.”
“I don’t want to talk about it, Mama,” he said, stepping past her to go to his room.
“You two been together since you was kids. What could she have done to make you hate her so much now?”
“I said I don’t want to talk about it.”
Charlotte came out of their bathroom wearing a robe and drying her hair. There was a worried frown on her face as Kurt lifted his chin to her in passing. When he got into his room, he went to the closet and pulled out the larger suitcase he kept under the hanging clothes.
“Where you going?” his mother asked in a whisper from the doorway.
“Uncle Jack called me last night. He needs some help with something, so I’m going to spend Christmas in Houston with him and Aunt Julie.”
“What?” she exclaimed. “You can’t miss Christmas! Your daddy won’t be back from that Jacksonville run until tomorrow. You’re gonna break his heart!”
Charlotte was standing behind her mother with eyes wide in horror while clearly mouthing, You can’t leave me here alone!
The sight of her panic made Kurt turn away before his Mama saw him grin. “I’m sorry, but I already told him I’d go. And, uh, Aunt Julie wanted Charlotte to come help, too.”
“You both can’t miss Christmas,” Noëlle cried, twisting the towel in her grip.
He finished putting clothes in his suitcase and turned to go to the bathroom for his toiletries. “Mama, we ain’t missing Christmas. It’s still gonna come just the same.”
“You’ll have the house to yourselves for a couple of weeks, Mama,” Charlotte added, then mouthed, Thank you! over her shoulder at him.
“Wait, just wait,” Noëlle said as her face wrinkled in concentration. “I had a big holiday party planned, can you come back fo' that?”
“Is Kendall gonna be there?” Jack asked as he grabbed his shaving gear, cologne, and shampoo.
“Why won’t you just tell me what happened?” Noëlle asked with a frustrated shout that stopped him cold.
He looked up at his Mama with Charlotte behind shaking her head emphatically. “Fine, Mama, you wanna know? She was lookin' to make you a grandma so I wouldn’t break things off with her.”
“No, Kurt, she ain’t like that,” Noëlle whispered as he came to tower over her.
“Oh, yeah, she like that. First she begged me to cum in her, but never told me she stopped taking her pill. When I found out, she poked little holes in my condoms thinkin' I wouldn't notice. After I started keepin' 'em with me, I found her diggin' through the trash to get one we just used.”
“Oh my god,” she said, shaking her head as he got louder. “Oh my god!”
“That was when I’d had enough and broke things off. Is this what you wanted to know? Will you finally drop it now?” he shouted.
Her face crumpled as she raised her hands as if to ward off his words. “Sha, I’m so sorry, I had no idea.” He calmed at her words and turned back to packing his things, then after a moment he let out a long sigh.
“I need to get out of here, Mama. It ain’t you. Hell, it ain't even Kendall. I just need to get my head on straight and Uncle Jack called at the right time. Just give me a couple of weeks to figure out what the hell I’m doing. I can’t keep on this way or I’m gonna go crazy.”
She backed away as he finished packing his toiletries. When he went back in his room, he could hear a muffled conversation taking place in Charlotte’s room. Just as he finished packing, Charlotte came in wearing jeans and a t-shirt, her damp brown hair pulled back in a ponytail.
“This doesn’t have anything to do with Polly, does it?” she whispered.
Kurt winced and looked away. “I’d be lyin' if I said it don’t. Trouble is, I can’t even explain why.”
Charlotte shook her head at him, then sat next to him on the bed. “She’s got under your skin like I never seen.”
“She feels special, but Trey’s gonna mess it all up.”
“Maybe not. She’s pretty smart and I gave her a heads up about him. About both of you, actually.” That got her a quick look and a frown.
“Why you cock blockin’ me? He’s the asshole.”
“Because she’s nice and she’s my friend.” Charlotte smiled and mussed up his hair. “You know the rules about datin’ my friends!”
He rolled his eyes and said, “Shit, that was way back in high school.”
“Yeah, and Trish still won’t talk to me. That’s why I never introduced you to any of my friends at college.”
“Are you packed yet?” he asked in an exasperated tone. “I wanna get to Uncle Jack’s before dark.”
She stood with a laugh and bounced out the door.
* * *
Noëlle gave them both reluctant hugs before they left, making them promise to call when they arrived. After a stop for gas before leaving town, Kurt settled into the drivers seat and let his mind wander for a while.
“So what does Uncle Jack need you for?” Charlotte asked as she played with her phone.
“Can’t say.”
She glanced over with a wrinkled forehead. “He didn’t tell you?”
“He told me,” he said with a quick grin in her direction. “I just can’t tell you.”
“Oh, very funny,” she said.
“I’m serious. It’s something he doesn’t want anyone to know about. If it comes up, tell anyone who asks we’re just in for a holiday visit.”
“Okay, James Bond,” she said with a roll of her eyes. “Whatever...”
As Kurt drove, the music from the radio was punctuated with beeps from Charlotte’s phone and her sounds of amusement as she texted. He tried to ignore it, but when she actually laughed out loud, he had enough. “Spill.”
“I’m just catching up my roommates at school. I had planned to do things with them over the holiday break, but family comes first.”
He gave her genuine smile. “Thanks, sis. I appreciate you coming with me.”
“No problem, little brother.”
“I was born first.”
“Do you have proof?” she asked with an innocent expression, awaiting his reply. “I thought so.”
“Speaking of school, are you still seeing that short guy?”
“He wasn’t that short. And no.” Her demeanor changed the moment he brought it up.
“Sorry, I didn’t know it was a sore subject.”
“It’s not that,” she said as she stuck her phone in the door handle and rested her forehead against the glass. “Can I tell you something personal? You can’t laugh.”
“I won’t laugh,” he promised with a worried frown.
She was quiet for a long moment. “He dumped me because I wouldn’t sleep with him.”
Kurt shrugged and said, “Okay. So what? I expect you know when the time is right for you.”
“You don’t understand. I’ve never done it.”
Kurt shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “Uh... Charlotte.”
“I know it’s weird just bringing it up like this, but I’m graduating in a few months. I’m literally the only person I know who still hasn’t had sex. At first I told myself I was being picky, waiting for the right guy. But Brian broke up with me last week because he didn’t want to be my first. He said it makes things too complicated.” She wiped her eyes, but kept looking out the window.
“Shit. I always assumed Pete was your first.” Pete Landry had been her high school sweetheart and had taken her to prom.
She sighed heavily and shook her head. “When we got to the hotel room after prom he tried to, but it turns out he’s gay.” Her sad chuckle broke Kurt’s heart, but the news made him gasp.
“Wait, Pete’s gay?” Kurt asked with a frown of confusion. “Shit, that explains a few things. No wonder you wanted to come to Houston with me,” Kurt said as he patted his sister’s leg. “I don’t know how much I can help, but you can always talk to
me about things if you need to.” No matter how weird it was, she was his sister and he loved her.
“Thanks,” she said and blew out a long breath. “The crazy thing is after all the classes on anatomy and sexuality, I can probably answer all my own questions.”
“So what’s the problem, then. Find a nice clean guy, roll a condom on, assume the position, and enjoy the ride. It doesn’t have to be more complicated than that.”
She gave him a cool look. “It ain’t the mechanics I have a problem with.”
“So what is the problem?”
“I panic. I tense up. It’s the opposite of exciting to me. I feel like I’m gonna throw up.” Charlotte rubbed her face with her hands.
Kurt could sympathize with irrational fears. He said, “Look, I’m scared of heights. I can climb a ladder, but when I had to climb up the mast to secure an antenna in the middle of the gulf, I thought I was gonna die. But there is only one way to get over being afraid of something.”
“Sitting in this car, I completely agree with you. Curled up on the couch with someone I’m really into, not so much.”
“What do your friends say?” he asked.
“They say they understand, but then they spend the weekend locked in their bedrooms making the most interesting noises with their boyfriends. I’m afraid they secretly think I’m weird.” Charlotte pulled her long hair over her shoulder and picked at the ends.
“Well, I’ll give you the same advice Meemee gave me. Let your heart rest for a while. Then when you figure out what you really want, grab hold and don’t let go.”
She smiled at the words. “She’s a smart woman.”
“Yes she is,” he said as he stared down to road toward Houston. “Yes she is.”
* * *
Jack answered the door with a grin of surprise when he saw Charlotte standing next to Kurt. “Welcome, you two! You’re just in time for dinner.”
Kurt and Charlotte sat their bags down just inside the front door to hug their Uncle Jack. “When I said I was coming, Charlotte decided to tag along.”
“I bet Noëlle is gonna kill me for taking both her kids at Christmas,” Jack said with a worried shake of his head.
“It’s cool, Uncle Jack,” Charlotte said. “We worked it out with her before we left.”
“Well, come on in. The kids have been going crazy all day waiting for you.”
The two girls exploded out of their chairs the second Kurt and Charlotte entered the kitchen. “Yay! Uncle Kurt! Aunt Charlotte!” Although technically cousins, the age difference made using honorary titles easier than explaining the exact relations to the youngsters.
“Holy moly, you’ve grown two inches since Thanksgiving,” Kurt said as he picked Jen up and swung her around.
“Aunt Charlotte?” Lisa asked as she hugged Charlotte tight. “Will you stay in my room with me?”
“No, she’s gonna stay in my room,” Jen yelled, jumping out of Kurt’s arms to push her sister.
“No, you two are both staying in Lisa’s room and Aunt Charlotte is sleeping in Jen’s bed all by herself,” Julie said as she separated the two wild kids. Hugging Charlotte, then Kurt, she said, “It’s gonna be so great hanging out with you both for the holidays.”
“I’m looking forward to it, too,” Charlotte said with a big smile. “I loved getting to know you and Polly at Thanksgiving. Plus while I’m here and I can figure out where I want to work after I graduate in the spring.”
“Oh, yeah, I need to call Polly and tell her you’re here,” Julie exclaimed. “She hasn’t shut up about how much fun she had since we got back.”
“Are you guys hungry?” Jack asked as he gestured to the table.
“Starved,” Kurt said. “We drove straight through.”
After making room at the table and getting them some food, Kurt ate in the happy chaos as the little girls chatted happily about their lives. Jackson smeared fist-fulls of food around his mouth and pounded his highchair with occasional shouts of glee. Just being in his Uncle’s home gave Kurt a sense of peace he hadn’t felt in ages.
While Kurt helped clear the dinner plates, Aunt Julie pulled out some fresh fruit for dessert. Jackson apparently loved grapes the most because he bounced in his seat as Julie cut them into small bites for him to eat safely. Jack cut apples and bananas for the girls, nibbling on bits and pieces as he went.
Just when Kurt had finished cutting and eating his own apple, the doorbell rang. Julie grinned and got up from the table after giving Jackson one more bite of apple. A few moments later Lisa shrieked, “Aunt Polly! Uncle Trey!”
Kurt felt chills as the skin on his scalp and arms prickled. Turning with a broad, fake smile plastered on his face, he saw Charlotte hugging Polly. Trey nodded around the room at everyone from behind them.
Polly was gorgeous, dressed in a clingy black dress and high heels. Her hair was up in a tight bun that accentuated her long neck. Flashes of gold dangled down from her ears in thin chains with stars glittering among them. But it was her smile that took his breath away. The bright red shade she wore on her lips perfectly accented her cinnamon complexion. Resisting the impulse to grab her and kiss those lips made beads of sweat break along his forehead.
“Kurt,” she exclaimed when his turn came at last. “It’s so great to see you again.”
The embrace was quick, but he couldn’t resist breathing deeply while his face was next to hers. The reaction in his pants was swift and painful as his shaft swelled, pulling hairs as it rose. Feeling the warm flush in his face, he tried not to draw undue attention to his aching erection. Polly had a flush on her face as well as she drew back.
“It’s great seeing you again, too,” Kurt said and cursed himself for being lame.
“Julie said you’ll be in town for a couple of weeks,” Polly said, looking unsure what to say next.
“Yeah, I needed to get away from Morgan City for a while and when Uncle Jack offered to put us up for a visit I figured what the hell,” he said with a shrug. “Maybe I’ll see you around.”
“I’d like that,” she said, but Kurt couldn’t decide if she was just being polite or not.
Trey leaned forward to her ear and whispered, “We’re gonna be late.”
“Sorry, we just stopped by on the way to dinner,” she said with a grin, then looked at Charlotte. “I’ll give you a call tomorrow. I need to go Christmas shopping and could use some company if you want to tag along.”
“I’d love to! Talk to you then,” Charlotte said with an equally happy grin.
* * *
After they’d gone, Kurt took their suitcases back to Jen’s room. He was going to be sleeping on the couch but he still needed a room to change in and store his clothes. Julie made room in Jen’s closet for them to hang her nicer clothes while Kurt sorted through his suitcase for some sweats to sleep in.
“Hey, Kurt, you wanna beer?” Jack asked from the hallway.
“Yeah, I really do,” Kurt said as he grabbed his sweats and toiletries before heading to the bathroom.
“I’ll meet you on the back porch. It’s cool out there, but I need a cigar.”
“I’ll take one of those, too, if you have an extra one,” he said with a grin before shutting the bathroom door.
Looking at himself in the mirror, Kurt told himself in a breathy whisper, “She’ll never fall for his bullshit. Have a little faith in the girl.” Then he put her out of his mind to brush his teeth and change clothes. By the time he made it to the patio he could smell the fragrant smoke of a good cigar.
“There you go,” Jack said as he gestured to an open beer and unlit cigar sitting on the glass top table. The patio furniture was comfortable and Kurt could see the stars in the sky despite the bright lights of the city.
After taking a sip of the beer, he lit the cigar with a jet of flame from Jack’s lighter. “Oh, Uncle Jack, you have no idea how bad I needed this.”
Jack chuckled and said, “I bet I do. That look that passed between you and Polly nearly scorched
the carpet, but the chill between you and Trey put out the fire right back out.”
“Maybe you do have some idea, then,” Kurt whispered. “That obvious?”
“Yeah, you wanna talk about it?”
“Naw.” He shook his head. “I got a beer, a cigar, and a secret mission. I’m goddamn James Bond, dude.”
“Did you tell your sister anything?” Jack asked before he took another sip of beer.
“Nope, but I did tell her if anyone asks to say this is just a family visit.”
“Good,” Jack said. “On Monday I want you to take your resume down to the ship channel area and stop by four different transport companies. If we’re lucky you’ll get an interview at one or two of them. Just make sure you don’t mention my name. I’ve already spoken to Uncle Charlie and he’s gonna be your referral, so sell them on calling him to check you out.”
“I still don’t understand what all this is about.” Kurt had been mulling over their brief conversation all day but still couldn’t see the big picture.
“Kurt, my company is under attack.” Drawing a big mouthful of smoke, Jack let it out in four big smoke rings. “Our transport costs have gone through the roof. Even though I’ve doubled the sales over last year, and we’re all working harder than ever now, our total profits are flat.”
“So bring in Uncle Charlie,” Kurt suggested. “He’ll give you a fair price.”
“He’s too busy with his regular customers and doesn’t have the time to open a second office here. No, what I need to do is find out who managed to get a bunch of unrelated companies to raise our transport costs and no one else’s.”
“So I’m going to try and get a job at one of these companies to figure it out.”
“Yup, that’s the plan,” Jack sighed. “My only fear is that I’m sending you into something that could be dangerous.”
“I can take care of myself,” Kurt said, thinking Jack was being melodramatic.
“Do you understand how much money we’re talking about?” Jack asked him with squinted eyes. “So far this year my company’s sold a quarter billion dollars of inventory. The transport costs are in the tens of millions. Someone has gone to a lot of trouble to fuck me over. They won’t care about bustin’ up a nosy coon-ass like you.”
