My Sister's Scarf

I suppose it's nice enough to have Alexa home from college for the summer. It will probably be the last summer quite like this, because next year she'll graduate, and who knows what either of us will be doing a year from now.

And it's nice, because I like Alexa and everything. I mean, who wouldn't? She's 21, a wildly successful biology major about to start her senior year in college. Smart, friendly to virtually everyone she knows, not to mention nice to look at.

But whenever she's here, it seems like I hear more often than usual: "Gee, Lance, when Alexa was your age, wasn't she already . . .?" And the answer is almost always yes, no matter what the question is. Yes, Aunt Mary, Alexa had already decided on a major when she was 18. Yes, Uncle Bert, Alexa had already been accepted to an impressive university when she was my age. Yes, Alexa was already dating, quite a lot, actually.

I'm not sure how people can ask me these questions with a straight face and not see how substandard it makes me seem by comparison. Are they trying to make some kind of a statement? If so I wish they'd just make the damn statement and get it over with instead of trying to seem all warm and fuzzy.

I suppose I'm getting used to it, but a part of me won't mind when things get back to normal in September. And I'll be 19 in October, so by then maybe the age-18 questions will end.

"Hey Lance!" Alexa bounded down the stairs and found me on the couch reading a sci-fi novel.

"Hey Sis. Looking sharp tonight." Did I mention that she's nice to look at? She had on a black tank with lace in strategic places. I've always liked it, although when she wears it I sometimes find myself studying the holes in the lace more intently than I should. Underneath it she apparently had on a black bra, judging by the straps just visible over her shoulders. Her slim dark grey pants had pinstripes slightly paler than the fabric. But the most eyecatching part of her outfit was a bright red silk scarf loosely tied around her neck, with the ends dangling in front of her.

"Of course I'm looking sharp," she said. "It's not every day I introduce my boyfriend to my family, and I'm sure as hell not gonna do it in a sloppy T-shirt."

"Are you trying to tell me something?" I said, grabbing the hem of the T-shirt I had on.

"Nope, not a thing. Above all, be comfortable. The worse you look, the better Jason looks by comparison."

I thought it was a ludicrous statement, because nobody would be comparing me to Alexa's boyfriend. Sure, we'd all be silently judging him, mom and dad trying to figure out why he wasn't good enough for Alexa, but my wardrobe wouldn't be on anyone's mind.

"So where is this well-dressed Jason?" I asked. "I thought he was supposed to be here by 5:30."

She sighed. "He just texted that he ran into serious traffic. He probably won't be here until a quarter after 6."

"Ouch. That's not a good way to get on mom's good side, when she expects everyone sitting down to eat at 6 o'clock sharp."

"Yes, Lance, thanks for pointing out the obvious. I'm going to ask mom if she can wait until 6:30."

I said, "Good luck with that," and she huffed at me as she left for the kitchen.

* * *

The doorbell finally rang at 6:25, and Alexa bolted for the door. Jason was carrying a vase of fresh flowers, and he struggled to hold it as Alexa wrapped her arms around him before he made it through the doorway. As they untangled, she put the vase on a side table and walked him into the kitchen. "Mom, Dad, Lance, Madison: This is Jason."

Jason was much taller than Alexa, at least a couple of ticks over six feet, and he did look nice. He had on a long-sleeved white shirt under a button-up vest that had a subtle pattern of pale green and navy blue. It was the kind of thing that never even remotely occurred to me to wear. He had a neatly-trimmed beard, the same color blond as the rest of his wavy hair.

Mom chimed in immediately. "Jason, we're just about to sit down to eat. Come in and let Alexa get you something to drink." In a louder voice, she said to the rest of us, "Everyone, get yourselves set down." Jason could have no way of knowing, but Mom always said this same thing when she was stressed about dinner being late.

We all filtered into the dining room and sat in our usual places, mom and dad on the ends of the table, me and Madison on one side, and Alexa on the other side. Jason sat next to Alexa in the chair that was usually empty when it was just the five of us. Mom had Alexa and Madison on either side of her, and Dad had me and Jason. The boys at one end and the girls at the other.

There were a few pleasantries as we passed the meatloaf and potatoes around the table, and slowly but surely we began to find out more and more about Jason. He had just graduated in the spring, majored in phys ed, but was still looking for a "real" job. To pay the rent he was working as a lifeguard at a private pool.

I particularly enjoyed watching Mom and Dad's reactions to these tidbits. Dad was the silent type, limiting himself to raised eyebrows and a thoughtful stroke of the chin. Mom gave some vocalization almost every time we learned something: "Oh, really?" "My goodness!" Or a concerned grunt disguised as just plain "Oh." I could imagine them thinking: My precious daughter is dating a lifeguard? A lifeguard who, even if he succeeds wildly in achieving all his dreams, which is doubtful, will be an elementary school P.E. teacher? My precious daughter, who has her whole life ahead of her right after med school?

Thank god for Madison, because she broke the tension once in a while and took the focus off Jason. This is what 10-year-olds do. At one point she volunteered that her P.E. teacher was a moron and that Jason ought to work at her school.

Alexa didn't say much, but she kept playing with the ends of her scarf like she was nervous, even though she isn't the fidgety type. I couldn't understand why she would be nervous, until our plates were just about empty and she said, "Everyone, Jason and I have an announcement."

I don't know what Mom thought the announcement would be, but she said, "No, dear god, no," which I thought was rude.

Alexa ignored her and got right to the point. "We're moving in together."

Mom dropped her fork, and her head bobbed so deeply that I thought she'd graze her hair in the ketchupy sauce on her plate. But she came up clean and far from speechless. "Alexa, really? Are you sure this is such a good idea right now? I mean, Jason seems like a very nice boy, but is this the right time?"

Alexa started to answer, but Dad beat her to it. "I think what your mother is trying to say is that we want to make sure you make your choices for the right reasons." Mom nodded as he went on. "We want you to have a good launch."

Dad used the word "launch" when he was talking about getting me and Alexa out of the house. I was tired of the word, and I could tell by Alexa's face that she wasn't thrilled either.

"We've made up our minds," she said, "and this is something we both think is right, and we think the time is right."

Mom shot a look at Dad and pursed her lips. It was kind of a good thing that we were all there, because she couldn't very well erupt with her normal magnitude in this crowd. Instead she said, "What about waiting until you graduate, dear?"

"Mom," said Alexa, "we've already decided this. We're both adults. We're here to let you know, not to debate." Alexa's face was starting to redden, and I could hear in the lilt of her voice that she was getting a little worked up.

It was Dad's turn again. "Alexa, I know this will make you happy right now, but we want to make sure you think about how this will impact your future."

"My future is with Jason," she said.

I guess Mom couldn't resist, even though Jason was sitting right there. "Don't you want to see who else is out there, though?"

Jason had been quiet through this exchange, but he finally came to Alexa's rescue. His voice was calm and he didn't sound a bit offended. "I want you to know that I love your daughter very, very much," he said, looking at Alexa. "She's on my mind every waking moment, and I need to be with her every night and every morning."

This was pressing uncomfortably close to describing what they would be doing in bed together, but no one stopped him. "Alexa makes my life complete, and I can't imagine being without her. She is the most thoughtful and intelligent person I have ever met, and you must know that you raised her to make smart decisions. I am truly honored and humbled that she chose me."

Alexa turned to face Jason while he was talking, and she got the goofiest face, her mouth crinkled up and her eyebrows raised. She said softly toward him, "Oh, Jason," and the two of them held each others' eyes for a beat. Finally she faced forward again and said, "See what I mean about him?"

Jason's speech put the issue to rest, at least for the moment, because the next thing Mom said was, "Well, everyone pass your plates this way and I'll take them back into the kitchen."

Alexa must have been feeling bold. Now that she had some momentum, she continued on offense. "By the way, thanks for letting Jason stay overnight tonight. If it's okay, we'll sleep on the fold-out couch in the basement, because my room is too small for both of us."

Mom stopped stacking plates and said, "Young lady, this is still our house, and while you're here we set the rules. I've made up the guest room for Jason."

I'd had plenty of fights with Alexa over the years, enough that I could tell by her expression she was ready to get in some more blows with Mom. But Jason silently reached over and grabbed her hand, and she turned to see him nod almost imperceptibly. She paused and said, "Okay, Mom," and with that the argument was apparently over. Alexa never let me win a fight so easily.

* * *

After dessert, we split up and went our separate ways. Alexa helped Jason get his stuff out of the car and settled him in the guest room. Mom was rattling around in the kitchen, and Dad was playing cards with Madison. I grabbed my book and a soda and went down to the basement, the only quiet floor, to avoid any further evening drama. I settled on the sofa and put my feet up. This was the same sofa that had been the subject of Alexa's unsuccessful offensive drive earlier.

After a few minutes I heard footsteps on the stairs, and Alexa and Jason materialized on their way down. "And this is the basement, obviously," said Alexa.

"Nice," said Jason. "So this is where you wanted to spend the night? What's so great about the bed down here?"

"Nothing, just that it's bigger than the one in my room. Plus, any bed is great when you're in it, Jason." They giggled in unison.

"Um, hello?" I said, though I was in plain sight. "There are other people down here, and we don't really want to hear about your bed."

"Lance, wasn't Jason a perfect gentleman at dinner?" Alexa was literally gushing. "Defending my thoughtfulness and intelligence and all? Can you believe what a sweetheart he is? I know Mom would never say so, but I hope at least you noticed."

"Sure. You guys have my permission to shack up," I said.

Jason laughed, but Alexa didn't. "Not even your usual snark can bother me tonight, Lance." She turned to Jason and asked, "Hey, how about watching a movie or something?"

"OK with me," he said. She rummaged through a drawerful of DVDs and came up with something she must have liked.

"The Truth About Cats and Dogs?" she asked.

Jason said, "I don't think I've ever seen it." Alexa cooed, thrilled at the prospect of spreading "Cats and Dogs" to someone new.

"You'll love it, Jase, I promise. It's one of my favorite movies." She popped it in the DVD player and fired it up.

I groaned. A movie that was one of Alexa's favorites is a movie I've seen plenty of. "I guess I'll go back upstairs and find somewhere else to read in peace and quiet," I said, but they weren't paying attention to me. I gathered up my book and drink while the two of them snuggled up against each other on the couch, getting ready for the opening credits. As I was walking toward the staircase, Jason must have whispered something in Alexa's ear, because she started giggling and put her arm around him.

Just as I was about to put my foot on the first step up the stairs, I heard Jason's voice softly, and it sounded like he said, "Maybe we can even see how this folds out."

This was a perfectly innocent thing to say, but it caught my attention. I stopped in my tracks, one foot on the floor and one foot on the first step, and looked back over at the couch. The two of them were intertwining their limbs, paying much more attention to each other than the movie, but not a bit of attention toward me. Completely on the spur of the moment, in a move that was either one of the smartest or the dumbest of my life, I decided not to go upstairs. Instead I turned to my left, where there was a walk-in closet we used to store off-season clothes. I opened the door, went inside, and closed the door behind me as quietly as humanly possible.

The closet door had those louvered slats, and I could sort of see out if I held my head up against the door at the right height. I looked through the slats at the couch and immediately had my first pang of regret. What the hell did I think I was doing? Watching my sister and her boyfriend fool around? I immediately thought about bailing and going on upstairs, but then I thought they might catch me on the way out. It was pitch black in the closet, and I was sure they couldn't see me in there. I set my book and soda on the floor, deciding to wait and see what happened.

Jason lounged lengthwise along the couch, and Alexa leaned back against him. I could hear them talking to each other, and I could see their facial reactions, but I could only hear about every third word. Soon enough he caught her ear in his lips and sucked on it, causing her to close her eyes and smile broadly. His hand appeared on her torso, softly massaging her tummy, then disappearing under her tank top. I could see the bulge move around under the cloth, reaching higher and higher, finally stopping as it cupped one of her breasts.

I could feel the beginnings of a stirring in my pants, and immediately the feeling of regret returned. Was I imagining myself being on the couch with Alexa instead of Jason? Was I getting turned on by the thought of cupping my sister's breast in my hand? My sister, the same one I fought with my whole life, the one I snarked at whenever I wanted? Lying there on the sofa, she looked like a goddess in her black outfit. My mind vacillated back and forth between knowing I should leave and wanting to see more. I kept watching.

Alexa's eyes popped open all of a sudden. She whispered something, and he pulled his hand away. She got up from the couch and walked directly toward the closet where I was standing. My heart pounded with fear, and I instinctively started trying to think of a plausible explanation for why I was standing in a dark closet in the basement. But she wasn't worried about the closet. Instead, when she got to the foot of the stairs, she looked up a flight, then said back to Jason, in a normal voice, "Don't worry, he must have closed the door when he left."

She was only two feet away from me when she said this, and as she went back to the sofa I realized I'd been holding my breath. I let it out again and reminded myself to breathe.

She snuggled back up against Jason, but then he whispered something to her that made her giggle again. She nodded, smiling, and they stood up and threw the couch cushions on the floor. Jason heaved the bed up and out of the couch cavity and unfolded it. The bed had a thin mattress with a thinner pad, topped with sheets that were permanently wrinkled from being folded up in the couch.

Ironically, the sofa bed was the least comfortable bed in the house. I was forced to sleep down here when a bunch of relatives were staying with us and all the beds upstairs were spoken for. Now I was getting a whole new appreciation for it.

Alexa dexterously reached between the sofa and the wall and pulled out a pair of pillows, flattened but usable. She tossed them on the newly opened bed and followed immediately behind. She kicked off her shoes, and he took this as permission to do the same.

Jason rolled on top of Alexa, and though I couldn't see exactly what was happening, it was clear that they were engaged in a deep, passionate kiss. All I could hear was muffled dialogue from the movie, this favorite film of hers that no one was watching. I thought how funny it would be for me to ask Jason about the plot over breakfast and see what he said.

He leaned up on his elbows and loosened the scarf around Alexa's neck, pulling it all the way off and tossing it on the pillow next to them. Then, oddly, he reached over and felt the scarf between his fingers, picked it back up, and whispered something to her. I couldn't see her face, but I could hear her giggle again, and she sat up.

Jason took her scarf and wrapped it around her head, covering her eyes like a blindfold. It was long enough that it went around twice before he tied it in back, then checked to make sure her nose was clear. He waved his hand in front of her eyes, and must have been satisfied that she couldn't see through the red fabric.

The blindfold routine seemed unusual to me, but then I probably wasn't the best judge of what's normal in bed, seeing as how I was basically a virgin. I wondered if the two of them did this kind of thing often, or ever. In any case, I was totally transfixed and could not wait to see more.

Alexa lied back down on the bed and Jason pulled up the hem of her tanktop, revealing her belly button, which he proceeded to kiss and lick. Alexa's arms were over her head and she was cooing softly. I cursed my viewing angle. Sometimes Jason was blocking my view, and the two of them were too far away to see as well as I'd have liked.

He pulled the tanktop up higher, and Alexa lifted herself off the bed enough so he could take it all the way off, revealing her black bra. His fingers and tongue explored the newly exposed skin, working his way along her shoulders, upper arms, and neck. While his head was nearby, she grabbed him and pulled him to her again in another kiss.

I couldn't explain it, because nothing X-rated had happened, but my cock was stiffening at the sight of the two of them. I always knew my sister was a sexy person, but I'd never thought about what she would be like when she was with a guy. She wasn't a woman that immediately came to mind when I thought of women I'd like to have sex with. But right now, watching her squirm blindfolded, I wanted desperately to be Jason. The feeling felt wrong somehow. I mean, it was my sister. But I couldn't stop feeling it.

Jason pulled away from her just long enough to take off his own vest and shirt. His body made me feel puny by comparison. He had the upper body of a swimmer, with well-defined musculature and an even tan, probably the result of hours in a lifeguard chair. Alexa reached out and felt his chest, humming when she realized it was bare. She sat up and put her arms out forward, apparently an invitation for Jason to take off her bra. He took the invitation rapidly, unhooking it from the back and letting it fall away, giving me my first view of my sister's exquisite breasts.

While she was sitting up I had a much better view, enough to see her breasts clearly. I thought they looked perfect in every way, gorgeous pale skin topped with luscious pink nipples that I wanted so much to taste. They were exactly the right size, just big enough to fill a hand, as Jason eagerly demonstrated.

She fell flat on her back again as Jason fulfilled my fantasy, kissing her nipples and letting his tongue run wild over them, first one breast, then the other. I watched her chest rise and fall more deeply than before, and I could hear the slightest of moans coming from her lips. I was so intently focused on them that I was barely aware that I was unzipping my own jeans, pulling out my cock and finding it massively hard. I couldn't resist stroking it, trying to keep quiet as though my life depended on it.