Perplexed Pt. 01

Kristy stood up and caught her breath. She slowly put her hands under the water to wash them off. Reality returned and her thoughts went back to Greg.

“What a lousy fuck,” she said to the empty bathroom.

Chapter 17

Wayne Nelson and his daughter returned from lunch at Café Iberico, finding a FedEx envelope on the doorstep. He picked it up, and unlocked the apartment door. He held the door open for Dana. Once inside, he handed her the envelope.

“Go ahead, you can open it, pumpkin.”

Sitting on the couch, Dana grabbed the perforated tab of the envelope, and gave it a tug. Placing her hands inside, she felt rigid stock paper. Grasping the paper, she pulled her hand out of the envelope. She saw three tickets in her hand. Excitedly, she read the printing aloud:

“Butch Cassidy: The Musical, May 26th 8 PM, the Ford Oriental Theater.”

“Have you heard about it?”

“Of course I have! It got rave reviews on Broadway. This is the first time it is playing outside of New York.”

“I thought you might enjoy it.”

“How did you get these tickets?”

“It isn’t polite to ask those questions about a gift.”

“Dad, this is awesome. Thank you so much. But, why three tickets?”

Wayne hesitated. He now wasn’t sure this was the best way to break the news to his daughter. It was too late now. He had to tell her.

“Dana, I’ve been seeing someone.”

“You have a girlfriend?”

“You could say that. We have been together since February.”

“Dad, why didn’t you tell me?”

“I didn’t want you to freak out. I didn’t know how you would react. So, I chickened out.”

“Just be honest with me.”

“Janet and I are engaged.”

“What?”

“We are planning to get married this August.”

“Excuse me, did you say engaged?” she asked in disbelief.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Dana’s voice was soft. “I’m your daughter. I am your family. Doesn’t that mean anything to you?”

“Dana, I’m sorry.”

“At least I know where I stand with you now. I don’t have to wonder anymore if you miss me. I don’t have to wonder if you’re proud of your daughter.”

“Don’t say things like that, pumpkin,” he said as he put his hand on her shoulder.

Dana shrugged her shoulder as soon as she felt her father’s touch.

“Don’t touch me, Dad. You make me sick.”

“That’s enough, Dana. I am still your father whether you like it or not. I don’t have to tolerate that kind of talk.”

“You may be my father, but don’t start acting like a parent now. I don’t want to hear you preach about family values. I look around your apartment, and I don’t see one picture of me. I mail pictures to you all the time. I guess you are too ashamed of me to display them.”

Dana was sobbing now. She couldn’t stop the emotion. Years of frustration were pouring out of her soul.

“Do you know what it is like to live your life, wondering if you were a mistake? I know that I wasn’t a planned pregnancy. I have had to live with the thought that I was the reason you and Mom got married. I live with it every day!” Dana was yelling now.

“Dana, please stop.”

“Don’t tell me what to do! You lost that right when you stopped treating me like a daughter and started treating me like a two-week obligation every summer.”

Tears streaming down her face, Dana got up from the couch. She placed the tickets back into the envelope, and dropped them on the couch. She went into the bathroom and started to pack her toiletries. Her father, stone-faced, followed her.

“Where do you think you going, young lady?”

“Back to Thomas Mill.”

“No, you’re not. You are not going anywhere.”

“I am eighteen. I can do what I want. You can’t make me do anything.”

Dana tried to leave the bathroom, but her father blocked the doorway.

“You are not going anywhere until you apologize to me.”

“You want me to apologize to you. What do I have to apologize for? In fact, I want you to apologize to me. Apologize for not being there for me when I grew up! Apologize for never cleaning my scraped knees! Apologize for missing the father-daughter dances at school!”

“You selfish little brat!” Wayne slapped his daughter on the cheek.

“Go ahead and beat me up! Will that make you feel better? Is that your idea of loving your only daughter?”

The words hit Wayne like a thunderbolt. She stood tall in front of him, almost daring him to slap her again. Dana’s green eyes had turned gray; her cheek was red from where her father had smacked her. There was fearlessness in those eyes. He turned and allowed Dana to walk out of the bathroom.

Dana gathered her things into a suitcase and walked out the front door of the apartment. A few blocks away stood a gas station. She walked to the station and asked if they had a pay phone.

Chapter 18

Greg was groggy when he heard the phone ring. He got out of bed, and walked to the living room. Intrusively, the phone sat on an end table ringing. He was naked. His t-shirt and shorts were on the floor in the kitchenette and the dirty breakfast dishes were in the sink. He saw that it was three in the afternoon.

“Hello,” he said as he picked up the phone.

“Greg?”

The voice was distraught and troubled.

“Dana?”

“Greg, I need help.”

“Dana, what’s going on?”

“I had a fight with my Dad. It was ugly. I want to come home, but I don’t know how I am going to get there. Mom is at work until eleven. Please help me.”

“Can’t you apologize to your father? I don’t know how you are going to get home.”
“I am never going back.”

“Sometimes fights seem worse than they are. Maybe you will both feel better in the morning.”

“He hit me.”

Greg felt anger rise inside of him. He wanted to go and kill the bastard that would hurt Dana. He also knew that he had to put his feelings aside for now. He had to work on making Dana feel safe.

“Where are you?”

“I am in Chicago.”

“What part of Chicago?”

“Greg, I don’t know. I am near my Dad’s place,” Dana sobbed.

“Calm down, Dana. I’ll get you home. I need you to be strong right now, and get me some information. First, let’s take a deep breath.”

Greg inhaled deeply, coaxing Dana into taking a breath. They both exhaled.

“Okay, sweetie. Are you on a corner?”

“Yes.”

“What do the street signs say?”

“It says Chicago in big letters. Below that it says 800 N.”

“Good. Now, can you tell me what the other sign says?”

“On the top it says Orleans, and on the bottom it says 350 W. What do those numbers mean?”

“They’re block numbers. You are eight blocks north and three and a half blocks west of where the numbering starts.”

“Where does the numbering start?”

“I don’t know for sure. I visited Chicago a couple of years ago. I think I still have some maps. Can you hold on a second while I grab them?”

“Greg, please hurry!”

Greg ran to his room. He looked in the closet and found a shirt box. Inside the box he found maps of various cities. One was marked “Chicago and Vicinity”. He snatched it, and ran back to the phone.

“Dana, I have a map.”

“Please deposit thirty-five cents to continue this call,” the recorded voice rang out.

“Greg, I don’t have any money!”

The recorded voice answered, “This call will be disconnected in ten seconds.”

“Dana, is there a number on the pay phone?”

“No, it was torn out.”

“What?”

The line went dead. Greg stood in the living room, holding the receiver next to his ear, hoping he would hear Dana’s voice. Suddenly, he heard a familiar voice.

“If you’d like to make a call, please hang up and try again,” the recording said. Greg hung up the phone. A second later, the door flew open. Kristy walked through the door. Returning from the salon, her hair was blonder and more feathered. She stopped and stared at Greg.

“Why are you walking around naked? Are you ready for round two?”

Greg grabbed a cushion off the couch and covered up his crotch.

“I, uh, I was about to, uh, take a shower, and the phone rang,” Greg stammered.

“Well, as sexy as you look, you should put some clothes on. What if Mom came home early? Would you want her to see you naked?”

Greg retreated to the bathroom, and put on his robe. He was tying the belt, when the phone rang again. Kristy answered it.

“Hello.”

After a second, Kristy hung up. Greg heard her muttering.

“Why would we accept charges for a collect call?”

Greg raced out of the bathroom.

“Kristy!”

“What is it, Greg?”

“Did someone just call collect?”

“Yes.”

“Who was it?”

“I don’t know.”

“What do you mean you don’t know?”

“I hung up on them. I heard that prisoners make collect calls from jail, asking people for money.”

“You didn’t hear who it was from?”

“No, Greg. What is so hard to understand about that?”

“You just hung up on Dana. She’s in Chicago, she is lost, and she has no money. Now you just hung up on her.”

“Is that why you were naked? Were you going to have phone sex with her?”

“Kristy, try to focus.”

“Greg, I am sure she’ll call back. Don’t worry.”

“Let me answer the phone for the rest of the night, okay?”

“Okay, Greg. Relax. I don’t want to fight with you. Especially, since we had such a nice morning together.” Kristy kissed him on the cheek, as she walked past him on her way to the bedroom.

Greg started to take action. He called Western Union to find all their locations near the intersection of Chicago and Orleans. He called Amtrak to find out the next train from Chicago to Thomas Mill. He was just waiting to get the information to Dana.

Chapter 19

Biting his fingernails, Greg sat on the couch by the phone. He heard the ticking of the clock. His heart raced with each tick. Kristy walked out of the bedroom to the refrigerator. Before opening the door, she stopped and picked up a white plastic box on the counter. She studied the box for a few seconds.

“Greg, did Wendy want me to call her back?”

“What?”

“My friend, Wendy Chalmers called.”

Greg was stupefied.

“Who?”

“You know, Wendy? Do you remember the short girl with red hair and big boobs? You used to stare at her all the time when I’d have her over. Did she leave a message with you?”

“I didn’t know she called.”

“How long were you asleep?”

“I guess four hours or so.”

“She called around two. You must have been asleep.”

“How do you know she called?”

“It’s right here on the caller ID.”

“What? We have caller ID?”

“Yeah, Dad got tired of all the telemarketers calling, so he got caller ID.”

Greg jumped off the couch, and sprinted to the kitchenette. Grabbing the unit from Kristy’s hands, he feverishly looked through the call log. He found a reading for a call from Illinois.

“This has to be it,” he said. Ignoring the new cordless phone on the counter, he ran back to the living room, picked up the phone, and started dialing. He heard two rings before someone picked up the phone.

“Hello?” The voice was difficult to hear among the street traffic.

“Dana?”

“Greg? Is that you?”

“Yes, Dana. I am so glad I found you.”

“Why did you hang up on me before?”

“That wasn’t me, it was Kristy.”

“What a bitch.”

“She didn’t do it on purpose. It was a big misunderstanding. I will explain later. Right now, we are running out of time. The next train to Thomas Mill leaves at 6 PM. We have about two and a half hours to get you some money, get you to the train station, and get you home.”

“Greg, I don’t know where I am. How am I going to get to the train station?”

“I have it all figured out. Do you see the El station near you?”

Dana looked around. About a block away, she saw the platform for the elevated mass-transit train.

“Yes, I see it.”

“Good. That is the Brown Line. You are going to get on that train.”

“Okay, where do I take it?”

Greg studied the map of Chicago. He located Union Station.

“Do you have a pen and paper?”

“I think so,” Dana replied as she started to rummage through her suitcase. She located a pen and a copy of InStyle magazine. “Got it.”

“Good. You are going to take the Brown Line downtown. Get off at the Quincy stop. You are going to be right by the Sears Tower. Walk towards the Sears Tower, and Quincy Street will end. Make a right at the Sears Tower, and go one block to Adams Street. Make a left on Adams. Walk across a river, and you’ll be at Union Station.”

“Let me make sure I have this,” Dana said as she read the directions off the cover of the magazine. “Brown Line to downtown. Quincy stop. Walk towards Sears Tower. Make a right at Tower, one block to Adams. Left on Adams, cross river, Union Station. Is that correct?”

“Yes, it is. But, there is one thing we have to take care of first.”
“Money?”

“You got it. About two blocks beyond the El stop on Chicago is a Western Union. It is on the corner of LaSalle and Chicago. I am going to call there and have money waiting for you.”

“I was just over there. I remember where it is.”

“You will need a photo ID to pick up the money.”

“No problem. I have my driver’s license.”

“Just one more thing. Write down this phone number: 800-296-3149,” Greg recited from the back of his calling card. “The PIN is 5156217919. That is my calling card number. If you need to get a hold of me, use those numbers.”

“Alright. I wrote it down.”

“You had better get going. I will pick you up at the train station here.”

“Thanks, Greg. I don’t know what I would’ve done without you. I could’ve been on the street all night.” Dana was on the verge of tears. Her emotions were taking her on a bumpier journey than the Amtrak train she would ride later.

“Thank me later, Dana. Let’s worry about getting you home safely.”

“You really mean a lot to me.”
“Godspeed, Dana.”

“Bye, sweetie.”

Chapter 20

Greg felt hollow as he hung up the phone. Dana’s words left him empty. Looking up from the couch, he saw Kristy walk from the bathroom to the bedroom. She was preparing for a graduation party that evening. She was in a white bra and black thong. A feeling of lust came over Greg, followed immediately by a storm of guilt.

“Concentrate, you jerk,” he said to himself. He picked up the phone and called Western Union. He wired $200 to Dana, to be picked up in Chicago. After he hung up the phone, he let out a big sigh. He could only wait now. He picked up the remote control from the end table, and turned on the television. George Costanza was extolling the virtues of fugitive sex.

“Greg, can I get your opinion?”

Greg looked up, and saw Kristy, still in her lingerie standing next to the couch.

“Sure, what is it?”

Kristy sat down next to him before speaking. She put two small glass bottles on the end table. Turning her palms up, she presented her hands to Greg.

“Can you tell me what perfume you like better?”

Greg sniffed each wrist. He also noticed that Kristy’s breasts were pushed together as she did this. He had a nice view of her cleavage.

“They smell the same to me.”

“Are you sure that you don’t like one better?”

Greg smelled again.

“I guess the one on the left is a little stronger. Maybe you should go with that one.”

Kristy grabbed one of the bottles off the end table. She sprayed her next with the fragrance.

“Okay, now smell it.”

“Kristy, I am not really in the mood for this.”

“Just one smell, please,” Kristy whined.

Greg leaned his nose towards her neck, and sniffed the perfume. Kristy rubbed her fingers through Greg’s hair. Greg looked up at Kristy. He didn’t have time to tell Kristy his opinion on the perfume, as she started to kiss him. Greg jerked away.

“Kristy, I don’t think we should do this.”

“That isn’t how you felt this morning.”

“I am worried about Dana.”

A pouty look came over Kristy’s face.

“So, that’s it. You would rather be with her.”

“It is just that you’re my sister. Maybe we let it go too far this morning.”

“Now that Dana is coming home, you are just going to push me aside. I see. You said you loved me, but you were just using me for sex.”

“C’mon. You know I love you.”

Greg’s head was spinning. He felt concern for Dana. He saw that he hurt Kristy. Not knowing what to do, he kissed his sister. Kristy’s soft, warm tongue entered Greg’s mouth. He reached around her and grasped at the hooks of her bra.

“Not here, Greg. Let’s go into the bedroom.”

Grabbing Greg’s hand, Kristy led him into the bedroom. Greg followed a few steps behind, staring at how her butt looked in the thong. Once in the bedroom, Kristy released Greg’s hand. With her back to him, she unclasped her bra, and dropped it to the floor. Bending at the waist, she pulled her thong down her hips, past her knees, and let it rest at her feet. She stepped out of the thong, and lay down on her back on top of her bed. Greg threw off his robe; his penis already had moistness on the head. He walked to the foot of the bed, and knelt on the floor. Putting his head between Kristy’s thighs, she stopped him.

“Oh, Greg. We don’t have time for that. I have to be at a party soon. I need to feel you inside of me again. Grab the tube that is on the floor.”

Dutifully, Greg grabbed the K-Y jelly. He smeared a glob on his penis. Putting another glob onto his hand, and rubbed Kristy’s pussy. He felt her pubic hair in his hand, and then felt her lips with his middle and index fingers.

“I am ready, Greg. Please, fuck me.”

Greg crawled on top of the bed, kneeling Kristy’s legs. He put each hand on either side of Kristy’s body, placing his weight forward. With a swift thrust of his hips, his cock speared into Kristy’s vagina. Kristy looked into her brother’s eyes, and saw the intense pleasure that she was giving him. Greg started to pump his dick in and out of her pussy, feeling the edge of his head rubbing against her lips. Kristy wrapped her leg around the back of Greg, her calf resting on his butt. Upon feeling this flesh surrounding his body, Greg felt himself lose control of his body, and everything other than his dick went numb. His prick twitched involuntarily as his semen erupted inside of Kristy. After four violent spurts, Greg started to regain his senses. As fast as it had started, it ended. Greg exhaled, and lay down next to Kristy.

Without saying a word, Kristy stood up, and put on Greg’s robe.

“Where are you going?”

“I have a graduation party to attend.”

“Now?”

“Yes. I am sorry that I can’t stick around, but Wendy is picking me up. Ever since I saw you naked when I walked in, I just had to have you again.”

Kristy left the room. Greg saw the lingerie on the floor, and picked it up. He smelled the perfume from Kristy’s bra. He felt the soft cotton of her thong. He brought it to his nose, and Kristy re-entered the room.

“Can I have those back?”

“Sure. Sorry.”

“It’s okay. I find it flattering. You’re so cute!” Kristy exclaimed as she took the garments from Greg. She slipped off the robe, and pulled the thong up her slender legs. As Kristy put her bra on, Greg started to rub Kristy’s butt. Kristy turned and looked at Greg over her shoulder.

“Oh, Greg, that feels great. But, I have to go soon. Maybe we can play some more tomorrow,” Kristy said as she kissed Greg on the forehead. She walked to the closet, and took a black cocktail dress off of a hanger. She pulled it over her head, and down over her body.

“Does this look tight on me?”

“No, not at all. I think you look hot.”

“Thanks. I think I have gained a little weight.”

“Are you kidding? You look fabulous.”

“Thanks, sweetie,” Kristy said as the intercom buzzed. “That’s Wendy. I’ll see you later tonight.” Kristy took a last look in a wall mirror, and ran out of the room.

Chapter 21

Greg got out of bed, put on his robe, and went into the bathroom. He stood over the toilet, opened his robe, and began urinating. He was startled to hear the phone ring. After a jerk, Greg re-aimed his urine from the floor to the bowl. He forced the remainder of the urine out of his bladder and flushed the toilet.

Closing his robe as he burst out of the bathroom, he ran towards the phone.