by J. P. Comeau
Ginger stopped speaking with me almost immediately after my night with Margo. That part I expected, though. Margo and I knew she didn’t want us seeing each other, and I knew it would only be a matter of time before she told Ginger that we’d had sex. Naturally, my sister threw a temper tantrum, which is probably why she wouldn’t even look at me during any of our weekly family luncheons.
Ginger usually sat right next to me at whatever local restaurant our parents had picked since we’d always been pretty close, but she sat at the opposite end of the table at our last two lunches. Even our parents commented about how uncomfortable and tense the atmosphere had been, but neither one of us said a word about it. We merely shrugged while changing the direction of the conversation.
I couldn’t exactly blurt out that I had taken her best friend’s virginity, especially in front of our parents.
But I was done with her antics.
I tapped my feet against the table while waiting for Ginger to show up, and when she finally did, I straightened in my chair. She was a grown woman who needed to get it together. I would confront her about the past two weeks and demand to know what her problem was. So what if I’d had sex with her best friend, anyway? How was that any of her business?
Ginger yanked the chair out from the table and sat down, pouting the entire time. Her bottom lip even protruded a little bit. She refused to make eye contact with me as she looked over the beverage section of the menu, even though she always got the same drink.
The waiter came over, and she ordered water without even looking at him, let alone saying “please” or “thank you.”
“That’s not how our parents raised us, Ginger.”
She glared at me from across the table, refusing to say a word. She could have been an ice princess with the way her eyes pierced into my soul.
“What is your deal, anyway? Tell me. Be an adult and just spit it out already, Ginger. It’s time for you to grow up, and I mean it this time.”
Ginger folded her hands in her lap and leaned across the table. “I can look the other way when you hook up with women, knowing damn well you don’t want anything serious, even though you tell them otherwise, but not when you do it to my best friend.”
“Now wait a minute—”
“No, Chase. You wait a minute. Maybe women are trophies to guys like you, especially when they’re a virgin. I know it’s just another notch in your belt and being a virgin must have been like winning an Academy Award. But you went too far this time, Chase. You slept with the wrong woman.”
“What are you even talking about, Ginger?”
She rolled her eyes at me before continuing her rant. “You know exactly what I’m talking about, Chase. You put Margo in that position. You wined and dined her, and then when she was good and drunk, you just took her virginity. Because that’s what guys like you love to do! You did this to Margo, Chase. Not me!”
I was done listening to her lies. “I don’t know what kind of twisted world you live in, little sister, but Margo gave me full consent for everything that night. Do you really think that I’m such a shitty person that I would just take her virginity and never contact her again?”
Ginger nodded but didn’t say a word.
“She and I are two grown-ass adults who consented to everything that happened on that beach. Nothing was done without feelings and meaning, either. And for the record, I do want to keep dating Margo. It wasn’t a one-night stand for me. Of course, since you’re her best friend, I do want you to be on board with our relationship, but she won’t answer or return my calls.”
Ginger just shrugged as the waiter returned, where both of us placed our order. After he walked away, I leaned across the table and glared at her.
“Ginger, I want to keep seeing Margo, but only if it’s okay with you. You’re my little sister, and blood is thicker than water. Please believe me when I say that I genuinely care about her. Was I a jerk and a playboy back in college? Yes, and I regret it…kind of. But people grow up, although you should have grown up a hell of a long time ago. The point is, that Margo is different, Ginger. I want to see her, get to know her, spend time with her. She’s not just another woman in a list of names. But I need your blessing.”
“You really want to keep seeing Margo, Chase?”
All I could do was nod as I had laid all of my cards out on the table.
“Well, good luck with that.”
“What does that even mean, Ginger? ‘Good luck with that’?”
All she did was shrug, and we sat in silence for the rest of our meal. The two of us quietly ate our soup and sandwich, although I couldn’t bring myself even to pick up my spoon, let alone take a bite of my lunch. My stomach might have been growling, but I was far too upset to eat.
I had finally found happiness after being alone for so long, and my little sister had to get in the way. I couldn’t believe she thought so poorly of me. I wasn’t the only guy in college who had screwed around, and I knew some women who had acted that way too. It’s what you do when you’re a young adult. You meet people, fool around, and figure out what you’re into sexually.
By the time Ginger had finished with her food, I had taken all but three sips of my cold soup and a lick of my tomato and basil sandwich. After taking a final sip of her water, she stood up and walked over to me, placing her hand on my shoulder.
“I stand corrected on something, Chase. You are a good man. You do a lot of good things in this world, including donating to charities and showing Margo a good time, but you’re not the kind of good man that she needs. And there’s nothing wrong with that because not everyone is meant to be together in life. I just know both of you too well to know that it won’t work, and let me be brutally honest Chase. I refuse to be the one who picks up the pieces.”
I glared at her. “What the hell, Ginger?”
“You and I both know that will happen if you pursue Margo, Chase. Something will happen where it just won’t work out. The spark will die, you’ll find another woman to be with, and then she’ll come running to me saying that my brother broke her heart. And then I’ll have to hear your side of the story while trying to be empathetic because we’re siblings. It’ll just be too much for me to handle, Chase. I’m trying hard to pass my exams and graduate. So, as bad as it sounds, I don’t have time for any distractions from either you or Margo over this.”
The two of us stared at each other for a few moments. On some level, I wondered if Ginger was right. Maybe the spark would die out. But then again, I had never felt this kind of attraction to someone before. It was unlike anything I’d ever experienced.
I went to say something, but Ginger promptly walked away, leaving me alone to stare at my cold soup.
The waiter came by and gave me a concerned look.
“Is there something wrong with your lunch, sir?”
I took a look around the room at all of the happy couples. Men with their arms around their women, laughing and joking while enjoying their meal. That’s what I wanted between Margo and me.
“No,” I said while giving him my credit card.
Even after I paid the bill, I sat there for a while, wondering if I had screwed everything up. Maybe I should have never pursued Margo after the wedding reception. I could have given her clutch to Ginger, who would have inevitably given it to Margo, and none of this would have happened. I wouldn’t be sitting here, staring at cold soup, devastated that both my younger sister and the first woman I had been interested in since Amber were both ignoring me.
But the worst part was that I didn’t have a choice in the matter. My attraction to Margo was beyond my control.
13
Margo
Chase banging on my door woke me up from my afternoon nap. I was dreaming about us on the beach again, making love under the full moon as the waves caressed the shore. This time I was on top as we both climaxed, and as he filled me up, he was lavishing my breasts with attention.
Even as I heard him banging, I tried convincing myself th
at it was part of my dream.
Keep sleeping, Margo. That’s not Chase at your door.
Except that his banging became so hard that my walls began to shake, which made me think about how much our bed would shake as we made passionate love every night. Getting over Nick had been trying, and we had never even had sex, and after one date with Chase, I found it impossible to detach myself from him emotionally.
I jumped up off of the couch, running my hands through my hair while trying to figure out what to do. If I let Chase in, we would inevitably end up having sex again, and I would fall head over heels for the guy. But if I didn’t acknowledge him, then how much longer would this go on? My heart couldn’t keep taking this pain.
“Margo, open up! Please, I need to talk to you!” The desperation in his voice pulled on my heartstrings.
I wanted so badly to tell him that it wasn’t me who wanted to keep him away, that it was Ginger. Seeing her walk out on me at the bar was a huge wake-up call. She was my best friend, and the thought of losing her ate me alive. And who was Chase but a guy I had just met who I just happened to give what I had been keeping for that one special guy?
“Please, Margo! Please open up!”
But he wasn’t just any guy and not just because I had given him my virginity. I had been on dozens of dates before, and eventually, I stopped thinking about the man. But not Chase. I hadn’t been able to stop thinking about him ever since I had woken up the next morning.
“Margo, I’m begging you to please open the door!”
I hugged myself as I thought about how good it had felt, making love to Chase. In fact, I wouldn’t have changed anything about that night. The setting, the restaurant, and the beach made it all seem too perfect. I had found myself wanting to tell him that I was in love with him, but thankfully I hadn’t. Luckily I had kept that thought inside of me. We had only just met, and you didn’t have to be in love with someone to have sex.
In a perfect world, Chase and I could be together without any repercussions. But we didn’t live in a perfect world, and not only was she my best friend, but I worked with her. Every day I saw her, and every day she refused to make eye contact with me before she rushed out the door to study or finish an assignment. Ginger had no time for me. It killed me inside. I’d even tried telling her that our attraction was beyond our control, but all she did was wave me goodbye.
She didn’t want to hear anything that I had to say.
For someone who desperately needed the attention of a man, Ginger sure was judgmental about my dating her brother. But she didn’t see it that way, of course. She was always telling me that I could have any guy I wanted, but that was just it. I didn’t want just any man. I found most men revolting and only after one thing, but not Chase. That must have been what I picked up on the first night we had met.
In addition to our intense sexual chemistry, he was a guy who wanted more than a one-night stand. The exact type of man I had been waiting to give my virginity to for far too long.
Every time Chase had come knocking on my door, all I could do was fight the tears as they poured down my face, wanting nothing more than to tell him why we couldn’t see each other anymore. I could tell him precisely what Ginger had done that night at the cabana, and of course, he would fully understand. Even as a guy, he was sure to understand just how meaningful female relationships were to women.
By that point, I knew that my neighbors had heard him screaming for me, which ate me up inside even more so. I couldn’t be that mad at Ginger, either. Maybe she knew something about Chase that I didn’t, or perhaps it really did come down to jealousy. What did I know about having brothers, anyway?
I had been an only child.
I buried my face in my hands as he continued to bang on the door, desperately pleading with me to open it. And God, how I wanted to. Just to see his face staring back at me, the way he had done so on the beach that night underneath the stars. And I could never forget the moment that he accepted my virginity. Everyone had said that it was painful, but not with Chase. He had been gentle and patient. He hadn’t rushed anything or treated my body and the gift I gave him with anything but respect, and I had loved every minute of our time together. In fact, it was the most pleasurable experience of my life.
“Margo, please. I’ll do anything! Anything, just let me in so we can talk!”
I kept shaking my head while crying even harder. Ginger would be livid if she knew he was at my apartment at that moment, banging on my door. She would be upset if she knew that I still wanted him. After getting up and walking out on me that night, the air between us had been so tense and uncomfortable at the spa. I wanted everything to go back to normal.
I was torn between a man I couldn’t stay away from and my best friend.
Chase’s knocks started to get even louder, pulling me out of my trance.
If I didn’t put an end to this madness now, then it would only get worse. Chase would keep coming by at all hours of the day and night, pounding away at my door between calling and texting me. And every time he did it, another part of me died inside.
But I froze as my hand reached the doorknob. How could I look Chase in the face, tell him to leave, and delete my number? How could I have waited all of that time to have sex, only to say to a guy that clearly wanted to be with me that I wanted nothing to do with him?
The answer was clear—I couldn’t.
I slowly ran my fingers over the doorknob as he continued to knock, but something told me he knew I was directly on the other side. He must have heard my footsteps in the hallway and knew I was getting close to letting him in. I finally grabbed the handle, and after a few more knocks from him, I decided to get it over with.
I flipped the lock and whipped open the door, my face strewn with tears as I still wasn’t sure what I was going to say. But as I was about to speak, Chase grabbed my cheeks and kissed me. He ran his fingers through my hair as our tongues made love to each other and we made our way inside. I used my foot to slam the door shut, not wanting my nosy neighbor across the hall to see us.
Although, I was sure she had been watching through her peephole.
By the time we made it into my bedroom, I knew I could never tell him to leave me alone.
Chase and I started ripping off our clothes, but only down to our underwear. His muscles pushed against my skin as we toppled onto my bed, and I wrapped my legs around him as he kissed me passionately. As much as I wanted him inside of me, I was more concerned with just having him in my arms again, feeling his strong, masculine touch enveloping me after being away from each other for far too long.
When Chase rolled us over, I landed on top, straddling his waist. But before I could go any further, Chase leaned up on his elbows and stared into my eyes. “Margo, is this what you want? Do you really want this between us? And I don’t just mean tonight.”
Instead of responding, I slid down his legs, slid my fingers underneath his boxer shorts, and felt the tip of his hardness. I leaned back on my knees, searching his face before I could come up with an answer. Chase was asking me to be more than just someone he has great sex with. He wanted to know if we would go forward with this, date each other, and see where it leads. It would only tarnish my relationship with Ginger, but I wasn’t in control of my emotions anymore.
Not since that night on the beach.
I nodded, doing my best to reassure him that it was, without a doubt, what I wanted.
That wasn’t enough for Chase, though. “No, Margo. I need to hear you say the words.”
After clearing the lump in my throat, I replied, “Yes, Chase. This is something that I want.”
Chase sat up, grabbed me for a kiss, and then he slid his boxers off until they were on my floor, followed by my red, satin panties. Fully divested of all our clothing, I situated myself on his waist and held his eyes as I slid his shaft inside of me. The intimacy of that stare was more potent than the connection between our two bodies. It was raw but full of passion, and oh God, it felt good
.
Both of us moaned so loud that I was sure we disturbed some neighbors. I bucked back and forth as I rode him for the first time, encouraging him to push as far into me as possible. I loved the look of pure ecstasy on his face as his mouth went slack each time I squeezed his cock with my muscles or found a move that hit him just right.
Chase’s strong, masculine hands ran up and down my body, feeling my soft skin and then rubbing my clit. I loved that he could watch me enjoy the feel of him inside me and being on top gave Chase the freedom to use his hands to explore my body. He took full advantage until we’d both reached that apex together. That high was more beautiful and exquisite than anything I’d ever experienced, and I wondered if I’d feel that same sense of wonder and satisfaction every time Chase made love to me.
Once we caught our breaths and he had his arm around me again, he kissed the top of my head and caressed my arm. “I meant what I said, you know, about us seeing each other more often.”
I traced his erect nipple with my finger. “Oh, I know. And I want to see you, too. I’m sorry for…everything. It has to do with Ginger.”
“I figured,” he said with a sigh. “We’ll discuss that another time, but I’d like to take you out again.”
I briefly wondered what Ginger would say about us getting together, then remembered that at this point, it didn’t really matter. I had already committed myself to Chase.
“That sounds great. Where do you want to go?”
“I’m thinking about dinner and a movie. A perfect date.”
“That sounds lovely, Chase.”
And as the two of us fell asleep, I accepted the fact that I might lose Ginger over this relationship. And I decided that was a risk I was willing to take.
14
Chase
After a nap and a long, semi-tearful goodbye with Margo, I left her place and decided to walk down to the nearest cabana. Our passionate love-making session was just what I needed after the living hell of those past two weeks, and I wanted to celebrate. The one just down the road from her place made the best Spiced Apple Sangria I had ever tasted.
