by Amanda Wals
Upon boarding the plane, I discovered that while my parents were seated toward the front of the cabin, my seat was mid-cabin and Amy's was toward the rear. Resigning myself to my fate, I sunk into my seat and hoped to at least get a nap in on the flight. A few minutes later, a tall, gray haired guy in a business suit tapped me on the shoulder. I glanced up at him.
"Excuse me, but there's a pretty young lady back there who informed me that she's terrified of flying and would feel much better if her brother was next to her."
I glanced back at Amy, who was currently giving me one of her better shit eating grins.
"Yeah, she can be a real basket case on an airplane." I nodded.
"I told her I would offer to swap seats with you so she could be more comfortable." The man smiled.
"Thank you, sir. I imagine your arm would thank you if it knew the size of the bruises she'd be putting on it when we take off, as well. She's got quite a grip." I stood and let him take my seat. He chuckled at that as I made my way back to sit next to Amy.
"That was clever." I muttered to her, buckling my seat belt. She rubbed my thigh affectionately and smiled.
"I have my moments." She replied. "You aren't the only devious one in the family."
"Me? Devious?" I feigned indignation. "I most certainly am not."
"Whatever, jackass." Her fingers interlocked with mine and we settled in for the flight.
* *
Our Uncle Dennis and his son Brad were waiting for us at the airport. I greeted them both and then hung back while the rest of the family proceeded to hold a conversation with them at breakneck speed. We collected our luggage from baggage claim and loaded everything into my uncle's huge SUV. Within minutes of being in the car, I fell asleep with my head against a back window. Amy sat next to Brad on the seat in front of me, as we were purposely putting a little distance between us. It was going to be a long, long week.
It was a three hour drive to their cabin in the mountains. I slept for most of it. When I did finally wake up, not long before we arrived, I was feeling much better about the world. And in serious need of a bathroom.
Calling Aunt Linda and Uncle Dennis' place a cabin was a serious understatement. They were both very successful in the tech field and loaded. The cabin was a large, two story affair on a mountainside with a four car garage attached. They had an enclosed back deck with a fire pit, an indoor heated hot tub, and a huge living area. It was the family's favored place for gatherings and we'd come here almost every Thanksgiving for years.
As soon as we arrived, I excused myself to duck into the garage's bathroom for a much needed piss. I washed up and got back to the car just in time to grab the last of the luggage and follow everyone inside. Aunt Linda, our other cousin, Courtney, met us inside and the rapid fire conversation continued. Brad and Courtney were around the same age as Amy and I, both in college themselves. Within minutes, Courtney had Amy by the arm, dragging her off to her bedroom. Brad and I wandered down to the basement game room to shoot some pool.
"You guys got here first, so if you're smart, you'll lay claim to that sofa over there." Brad motioned to a large sofa in the corner of the room. "It's a lot more comfortable than the others and you sure as hell don't want the inflatable mattress."
"Yeah, no shit." I laughed. I'd been stuck with the inflatable mattress a couple of times over the years. The last time I had been left with it, I'd opted to sleep on the hard floor instead. At least the floor didn't squeak with my every move. I tossed my bags on the better of the sofas.
"So, while you were out cold in the car, Amy told me you had another art show last week. How did that go?" He asked, as he tossed me a pool cue.
"So far, so good. The show lasts another two weeks. I've sold four pieces so far, though."
"Damn, son. You're doing good with that, then?" He sounded impressed.
"It is what it is," I shrugged. "I'm doing okay with it, I guess."
"Amy made it sound a lot better than that. She said you had the primary placement in the show and that you have the department head as a mentor. She's proud of you, dude." Brad looked at me puzzled.
"My sister's got a big mouth." I mumbled. Less than a day into this trip and she's already talking about me more than I was comfortable with.
"How's school going for you?" I asked.
"Not bad, bro." He replied. "I'm getting nervous about next semester. Only two more to go. I have a few classes I've been putting off because I know they are gonna suck and it's now or never."
"I hear ya."
"I think I'm gonna ask Brenda to marry me." Brenda had been Brad's girlfriend for most of college. I couldn't say that I was surprised to hear this.
"That's awesome man. I'm sure she'll go for it."
"Man, I hope so. I really think she will, but there's always that nagging doubt, ya know?"
"Well, I've never proposed to anyone, but I know all about nagging doubt." I replied.
"Nagging doubt?" A female voice piped up behind us. We both turned to see Courtney and Amy walking up to us. Courtney continued. "About what?"
"I was just telling Adam that I'm thinking of proposing to Brenda." Brad piped up.
"Ah. That again?" Courtney replied. Then to Amy and I, she said "He's been going on about this for about six months now. I think he's too chickenshit to go through with it and he's trying to grow a pair."
"My ass. I'm just trying to find the right time, is all." Brad sounded defensive enough for me to suspect Courtney may be on to something and had to suppress a grin.
We all chatted and shot pool for about an hour or so as more relatives arrived. Eventually we headed upstairs for to join the rest of the family for dinner. The remainder of the night was pretty uneventful. Amy would be staying in Courtney's room tonight as Courtney had a queen sized bed and it was something of a tradition for them.
When it came time for everyone to go to bed, I went down to the game room and sacked out on the good couch. I couldn't get comfortable, of course, as it always took me a night or two to get used to sleeping away from home. I had just hit play on the latest Radiohead album when I got a text message from Amy.
"I don't get to say goodnight in person tonight. This sucks. Miss your arms around me. Love you, baby."
I smiled at the message. This was the first night since Rome that we hadn't at least kissed each other. Emphasis on the 'at least'. I responded back in kind and settled in for a long uncomfortable night. At least I would be able to give some of the albums I'd picked up lately a proper listen, I thought. Three albums later, I finally fell asleep.
The next morning, the family gathering chaos began in earnest as the remainder of the extended family that would be attending arrived. By the early afternoon, I was ready to dive out the window into the snow and walk to the airport on foot. After spending the appropriate amounts of time greeting everyone and doing the small talk thing, I retreated to the game room and sketched for a while at the couch that had become my refuge.
A short while later, Amy and our cousins turned up and we all shot pool for a while. I had a difficult time behaving as Amy would bend over the pool table to take a shot, and I was reasonably certain that she knew it as she tended to take shots from angles that pointed her ass toward me when she bent. I had to remind myself that despite the majesty of the ass in front of me, it would be unwise to give it the smacking it so desperately needed in front of our current company. When there was an opportune moment to check my phone, I fired off a text calling her a dirty tease. She looked pleased with herself when she next looked at her phone.
That night when everyone went to bed, she sent me another goodnight message. It was a mild solace to know I wasn't the only one feeling the effects of our current lack of privacy. Of course, then she made it worse by sending a follow up text expressing a desire to have my cock in her mouth. The even more explicit text that followed nearly gave me an erection hard enough be concerned about unintentionally pole vaulting off of the sofa should I roll over. Considering I was sleeping in a ro
om with four other people, there was no way I was going to risk rubbing one out. I spent a good twenty minutes trying to talk my dick into settling down. She could be such a goddamned tease.
The following evening, the parents set up shop in the huge living room, while the kids played in the game room. The rest of us moved out to the back deck around the fire pit. A few of Brad and Courtney's friends came over and soon we had about a dozen people gathered around the fire pit, perched on various furniture. We were all chatting, drinking beer, and enjoying the fire. Well, the majority of them were chatting. I did a lot of listening, being my typical introverted self. A lot of listening and a whole lot of trying not to focus in on the way Amy's face was lit up by the light of the fire. Amy was seated next to Courtney across from me. Brad was seated next to me, but his attention was mostly on Brenda, who was sitting on his other side. Courtney's best friend, Kayla, wandered over and sat next to Courtney on the other side.
I used to have a thing for Kayla. One look at her and it was easy to understand why. She was a short, shapely, strawberry blonde with large breasts and big green eyes. She was also one of those affectionate types who always seemed to want to touch you when she talked. I had masturbated to her image a few times over the years, but never gotten the nerve up to do anything about my attraction to her because there never seemed much point. First and foremost, she'd never expressed much interest in me. We lived almost a thousand miles apart. And guys were lined up from half of Colorado to date her from what I gathered. But all of that was then. This year, I could not have been less interested in her.
Before long, the girls got going on the topic of relationships, of course. After about twenty minutes, the inevitable happened. I was half listening, mostly just watching the way the burning coals shimmered in the fire pit while sipping my beer, when Courtney looked over at me.
"So how about you, Adam?" She asked.
"What's that?" I asked, looking up at her.
"You seeing anyone back home?"
I shrugged noncommittally, resolutely not looking at Amy despite feeling her eyes on me.
"Or are you just patrolling the art department for random ass?" She clearly had a few drinks in her at this point.
"Nah. I've been keeping to myself for the most part." I replied, giving roughly the same answer I'd given the last couple of years.
"Really? I would have thought being a big shot in the art department would have art major freshmen girls throwing themselves at you." She laughed.
"Big shot? Hardly." I laughed.
"That's not what Amy told me." She replied, shrugging. "She said you had one of the most prestigious spots in the art show last week."
"He definitely did," Amy jumped in. She picked her phone up from her lap and started pulling up photos from the show. "Check out some of his paintings."
As Courtney and Kayla looked through the photos, I looked over at Amy in mild embarrassment. She just smiled sweetly at me. She always seemed so much more proud of me than I was of myself. It baffled me. But somewhere, deep inside, I loved her more for it. I wanted her to be proud of me.
"Some of these paintings are really nice." Kayla said, while Courtney and Amy nodded.
"Oh my god," Courtney suddenly exclaimed. "Look at this! Someone actually got Adam in a tie!"
"Let me see." Kayla exclaimed. Amy started giggling.
"Oh, hell." I muttered. "Gimme that." Courtney passed the phone to me as Amy tried to intercept.
"Don't you delete that!" Amy threatened, suddenly alarmed. "It's not every day my brother is something other than a t-shirt."
"I don't recall signing a photo release." I cocked an eyebrow at her and smirked as I looked at the photo. I had never seen her take it. I was leaning against a column at the art gallery, in a dress shirt and tie, looking off to the side toward one of my paintings, a beer bottle absently hanging from one hand. As photos went, it was one of the better ones of me.
"I mean it, Adam. I will kick your ass if you delete that." Amy threatened again. There was a hint of actual malice in her voice.
Amy remained clearly on edge until the phone was passed back to Courtney. She knew very well how much I despised being in photos. I didn't delete the picture, though, and I remained slightly amused by her threats.
"So you really have paintings hanging up in an art gallery, and you're telling me the sensitive artist angle isn't helping you reel in chicks left and right?" Courtney asked mischievously.
I shrugged. "I do alright, I guess."
"Don't buy his attempt at being all mysterious." Amy chimed in, clearly relieved that her phone was no longer in my possession. "He's been out plenty."
"Oh yeah?" Courtney glanced over at me. "He's holding out on us?"
"I'll say," Amy laughed. "He came down to breakfast one morning looking like he'd been mauled. Mom called him on it. It was pretty hilarious. He had this bite mark on his neck so deep you could count the teeth."
I buried my face in my hand. She enjoyed getting mileage out of that story. The little brat.
"Damn, Adam. I'm impressed." Kayla let out a low whistle. "You must have done something right to have a girl deliver that kinda damage."
There were a few laughs, while I hung my head. I glanced at Amy, who was grinning mischievously. I decided to just go with it.
"Yeah, I got a whole speech about using protection out of that one. Meanwhile, this brat sat there laughing at my ass." I pointed at Amy, while chuckling a little. Mostly I was chuckling at the memory of the relief I'd felt when our mother hadn't clued in on the true origins of the teeth marks.
Courtney, Kayla, and Brad all laughed their asses off at that. Amy grinned ear to ear, and only when everyone was looking at me did she give me a very sexy smirk, for only a moment. I suspected she was remembering that night with the same fondness that I did.
"I gotta say, cuz." Courtney laughed. "I think I'd have an ego problem if I were you. Not be all humble about it."
I just shrugged in response and left it at that, taking a long swig from my beer. I noticed Kayla's eyes linger on me a bit longer than the rest of them.
Much to my relief, the conversation soon steered back to one of Courtney's disastrous dates. We all laughed about the train wreck of a guy that one of her friends had insisted would be perfect for her. At some point during the talk, Kayla excused herself to get another beer and when she returned, she sat down next to me. Kayla grabbed one of my sketchbooks that had been sitting on top of the bag in front of me.
"Can I look at this?" She asked.
"Sure. Go ahead," I shrugged. She settled in and started flipping through the sketchbook. I noticed Amy stiffen up the tiniest bit at Kayla's move to sit next to me and wondered if she had been aware of my crush on Kayla in previous years. She probably had. Women seemed to be pretty perceptive about these things.
I turned to Brad, purposely avoiding much conversation with Kayla for the moment and asked if he was interested in going snowboarding the following morning.
"Yeah, man. Sounds like fun." He replied, then added. "Probably the only chance we'll get while you're here this time around, too. You're leaving on Saturday, right?"
"Flight leaves Saturday afternoon." I nodded. Brad was right. It was Tuesday night, the following day was the day before Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving day we'd be tied up with family stuff and most of the family would be on a shopping trip on Friday. This was probably the only chance we'd get to snowboard, if we were going to.
I finished the last of my beer and stood to get another. I saw that Amy's was empty and pointed to it, raising my eyebrows questioningly at her. She nodded, indicating she'd like another. I fetched two bottles and passed one to her when I returned. I noticed Courtney looking at me with mild curiosity out of the corner of my eye.
"Here ya go. There's some neat stuff in here." Kayla said, returning my sketchbook to me when I sat back down with my beer.
"Thanks." I mumbled, as I put the book back in my art bag. She took another swig from her beer
and dried the moisture from the bottle on her pants leg.
"Is that the only one you have with you?" She asked.
"Here ya go." I pulled another sketchbook from my bag and passed it to her.
Kayla leaned against me, curling her legs up to the side and beneath her as she looked through the sketchbook. My right arm was pinned against me rather awkwardly. I glanced up to see Courtney looking at Kayla with a small grin of amusement. Amy was resolutely staring down at her phone, trying to hide her irritation. Her fingers gripped her phone so tightly, that I could see that her knuckles were white from where I was sitting.
I stood up and made an excuse about going to the restroom. It was the best I could come up with at the moment. Kayla, looking a little uncertain, shifted to a more upright position on the bench as I passed by her. I could swear I heard Courtney chuckling as I left the room, but I wasn't certain that it was about what had just transpired. Fuck it. Let them think I'm just being shy and awkward. Whatever got me out of that situation.
I made my way to the bathroom and debated my options while I washed my hands for no other reason than to buy time. I went down to the basement and grabbed my coat from on top of my luggage and went out through the garage for a walk. It was pretty damned cold out, but better than staying in there.
I went a few hundred yards listening to my headphones when my phone chirped at me with a text from Amy.
"Where are you?"
"I went for a walk."
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah. I just didn't want to make a scene in there. Figured it was better if I just removed myself."
"She was pissing me off."
"I saw that. Couldn't think of a way to tell her I wasn't interested without making it weird for everyone. Sorry."
"You used to be interested. Not anymore?" Well, that answered that question.
"Not at all. You know me better than that." I sent back, pondering how the hell I got into this situation.
"Can't blame a girl for wanting a little reassurance, right? I mean, if we were around strangers, I could have claimed my territory." I actually chuckled a little at her reply. She had a point, but her wording amused me.
