Rose, By Any Other Name

All the characters in this story can vote in Federal elections

I'd not been home in over four years.

*

As my folks had divorced while I was in my senior year of college, I'd gone straight to work at a hedge fund in Connecticut. I guess I chose the job to put as much distance between all the family pain and myself as I could. I of course sent the obligatory greeting cards on holidays and birthdays, both to my parents and my sister, but other than a few phone calls from my mother, I'd stayed as far away from home and my emotions as I could manage.

I could have stayed and worked for one of the Sand Hill Road VCs after college, however the bitter divorce of my parents and the attendant vitriol was too much for me and I beat it to the east coast. But, no matter how much money I earned and how I enjoyed the singles scene in Manhattan, my heart would always belong to San Francisco.

I'd recently been promoted to senior analyst for tech stocks and was assigned a two month stint in the Bay Area. My task was to ferret out undervalued stocks. Because my degree was in computer science and my minor was in finance, my firm thought I would be perfectly suited to be their "eyes on the ground", an approach they employed to ensure finding those undiscovered gems that made clients money.

HR had told me I'd be put up at long term corporate lodging on the Peninsula, but I argued for staying in the city. I won the argument when I agreed to pay the difference in lodging expenses from my own pocket. When they acquiesced, I chose the Mark Hopkins on Nob Hill, as it has the single best view of the bay from their bar; The Top of the Mark. I intended to use the view to my advantage when wining and dining the principals of companies I was there to evaluate. The ambiance tended to disarm people once they settled in and had a glass of wine or two.

I'd been in town for a couple of weeks getting re-acquainted with the new "tech vibe" running from one end of the Bay to the other. A few companies I'd visited looked promising and I'd singled out a couple of company founders to chat up to see if I could shake loose any inside information that would give us a leg up when considering where to put our client's monies. I'd also been invited to a couple of VC meet and greets where I was the one whose brain was being picked. What a world, this world, where finance and technology seems so interlocked that at times I wondered if one could any longer function without the other.

But today was Valentine's Day, and most of my business was done by mid-afternoon. I decided to go for a walk in Golden Gate Park, get a massage, and then hit the bar at the Top of the Mark to see if I might find some unattached, sweet young thing to chat up, and maybe, if I was lucky, spend the night with her in Eros' embrace.

After my massage, I cleaned up, put on my best evening suit, and headed upstairs to the bar.

As it was still early, the room was not yet crowded. I found a spot at the bar where I could scope out the crowd without being obvious. I put a hundred dollar bill on the counter and told the bartender I was "camping out". He smiled.

I ordered a Noilly Prat, extra dry, over ice with a twist, a drink I could nurse until the place filled up and the serious drinking started. The next day was Saturday and I had no scheduled meetings during the weekend. I figured I could let loose.

Over the next two hours, many couples came in filling the place with both bodies and noise, but so far, no unattached ladies.

I was beginning to think I'd head to my room and call an escort service, when a cacophony of laughter came from the elevator area. I tried to see who it was, but a couple stepped right in front of me as the group came into the main room. I couldn't see anyone, but from the laughter, I guessed it was a group of single girls out for the evening. From the sound of things, this wasn't their first bar of the night.

By the time the couple who'd been obstructing my view got their drinks and moved away, the girls were seated as far from my seat at the bar as they could possibly be seated. I considered sending over a bottle of wine, but decided I wait a minute to see if any guys came after them as the elevators are too small to hold a really large group of people.

After a couple of minutes another group of girls came in to the room, looked around, saw the first group, and made a bee line to join them. There were a dozen or so in all. This was going to be easy.

I waited until they'd ordered their second round to walk over to their table. To find the right one, meant I'd have to spend some time with a few of them until I was certain which one was ready to be cut from the herd.

As I approached, two of them, both with their backs to me, stood up. I noticed one of them, the one wearing a dress, deep red in color, had the most beautiful calves I'd seen in a long time. I thought to myself, I had to do everything exactly right so if the face matched the calves, this was going to be the one. Then she turned around.

"BILLY! Oh my god, Billy, what are you doing here?"

It was my sister, Rose.

She leaped the three feet that separated us and wrapped her legs around my waist and started kissing me all over my face.

"Billy, Billy, Billy, I'm so glad to see you,: When did you get in town?"

The rest of the girls were silent, all heads turned in my direction, with various looks indicating there was a huge question that needed an immediate answer.

"Rose, I think you better introduce me to your friends."

"Oh my god, Billy, I'm so glad you showed up tonight. I really need a man right now."

She was drunk.

"Hi everyone," I said, easing Rose back on to her feet. "I'm Rose's brother, Bill."

"Billy," Rose corrected. "This is my big brother Billy. Hey," she said turning to face me with a stern look on her face, "Why didn't you call me to tell me you were home? Are you still mad at me?"

"No silly. I've never been mad..."

"Hold that thought, I've really got to pee," Rose said, turning around and heading straight for the bathrooms. The rest of the group was completely silent.

"Uh, I'm sorry to barge in like this, but, well, I really don't know what to say."

"How 'bout you find another chair and join us," the other girl standing offered. "I'll go check on Rose."

"Okay. Sure. Thanks," I said spotting an empty chair at a table with only three people.

I walked over and asked them if they were expecting anyone else. When they said no, I grabbed the chair and moved it back to the perimeter of the group Rose had come in with.

"So Billy..." one of the girls started to say.

"Bill please. Billy sounds so, I don't know..."

"Okay, Bill. Well then Bill," she continued. "How come your little sister Rose, didn't know you were home. And just where is it you've come from?"

"Well I don't live here. I live in Connecticut. I'm only here on business."

"That only answers part of the question," another girl spoke up. "Why didn't Rose know you were here?"

"I..."

"Leave him alone, you meanie," Rose said, stumbling back into the circle and choosing my lap instead of her own chair.

"He's here now, and I'm sure he has his reasons for not telling me he was in town." And then, in a complete about face, "Yeah, why didn't I know you were in town. Where you stayin' anyway?"

And before I could answer...

Rose put her arms around my neck and fell asleep.

"How much has she had to drink," I asked.

"A lot," the girl, who'd gone to the bathroom after Rose, said. "I'm Marie, Rose's friend from work."

"Hi, Marie," I said. "What's the occasion?"

"We all just got unemployed," Marie answered.

"You were all fired at the same time?"

"No. Our company got bought out and we all elected to take severance rather than go to Seattle."

"Oh. Okay. But how come none of you have dates for tonight? It's Valentine's Day for goodness sake."

"We're gay."

"My sister's not gay."

"I see it's been awhile since you talked to her," another girl spoke up. "Hi. I'm Valerie."

"Hi. Is she really gay?"

"No, you dufus, we're just fuckin' with ya."

"Oh," I said as the group burst out laughing. "Well, I have to admit, you had me going for a minute. So if she's not, I mean, if ya'll aren't gay, then how come you don't have dates for tonight? Are there no straight men left in the city?"

For a few minutes, a few of the girls explained they were meeting their dates later. But, because the company they'd work for was no longer in existence, they'd decided to have one last "ladies night out", as they called it.

Rose stirred, rubbed her hand on the side of my face and made a purring sound.

"Looks like Rose found her date for tonight." Everyone laughed.

"What, Rose doesn't have a date?"

"No, not for awhile now," Marie answered. "She broke up with her boyfriend about three months ago, and hasn't been out with anyone yet."

"I wanna sleep," Rose whispered, while shifting in my lap, purring again, and then falling right back to sleep.

"I told you to not let her drink so much," Valerie said to Marie. "She can't hold her liquor."

"I know. But, it is the last time we'll all be together. I'll get her home."

"No need," I said. "I've a room downstairs. She can stay here tonight."

"Okay," Marie said, "but be gentle with her. She's really had a lot to drink."

"Why?"

"Well, let's see," Marie went on. "First her parents divorce, then you move away, and from what she's told us, you're pretty much her hero, or I should say, were her hero. Then, she breaks up with her boyfriend and the company she worked for moves a few hundred miles north. In short, she's alone and she's scared."

"Damn. I had no idea."

"That's right," Valerie added. "You've been too busy with your own life."

"That's not fair. I've been building my career for the past four years."

"Rose said you ran away."

"What? Just how good a friend are you guys?"

"Valerie and I were roommates at school. Rose was our next-door neighbor. We know everything about each other."

"For your edification, I didn't run away."

Just then, Rose shifted and opened her eyes slightly.

"Let's go home Robert," she said.

"Robert. I'm not..."

But she was out before I could even finish speaking.

"Who's Robert?"

"That's her ex-boyfriend's name," Marie offered.

"I think it's time to get her downstairs," I said.

"I agree," Valerie added. "You want help?"

"No thanks. She'll be okay once I get her walking. And besides, she's not that heavy if I have to help her along."

"Okay then," Marie said. "I'm really glad I got to meet you. You're way better looking than what Rose said, and she said you were good looking."

"She did? That's funny. She used to call me ugly when we were kids."

"That's Rose's sense of humor. She always says the opposite of what's obvious."

"She's a great kid," Valerie interjected. "Take care of her. Spend some time with her. I think you'll find she's not your enemy."

"I never said..."

"Spend some time with her," Valerie repeated, cutting me off.

I helped Rose to her feet while Marie and Valerie stood to help if needed. I looked out across the faces of the other girls and said my good byes.

I felt strange as I walked away. I felt taking Rose away from the group would be the catalyst that would end their association forever. Well maybe not for Marie and Valerie, but I didn't see the group ever getting together again in the future. In some ways, it made me sad, as they all seemed to be decent people.

In the elevator ride to the floor my room was on, I got to thinking about how sad Rose must be to have to anesthetize herself with alcohol because she didn't have a date on Valentine's Day. What's worse is the fact she felt she didn't have a family or a job.

When I got us to the room, I sat rose down on the bed, and called the front desk. I asked them if they could find a dozen red roses and have them sent up so Rose would at least know someone thought enough of her to get her flowers. They said they'd try, but at this late hour, it might have to wait until morning.

As I hung up the phone, Rose stood up and started to remove her dress. As she was lifting it over her head, she threw up.

I quickly scooped her up and ran her to the bathroom. When we got inside, I helped her kneel before the toilet so if she needed to keep heaving, she'd at least be able to use it if she kept throwing up.

I pulled her dress completely off her. It was a mess. I set it aside as I needed to tend to Rose as she stank to high heaven.

She retched a couple more times and a bit more liquid went into the toilet bowl but some went down her front as she was half kneeling, half sitting, at an awkward angle. She started laughing, and then she started crying.

I used toilet paper to wipe her face, but her chest and tummy were messy too. I took a huge handful of toilet paper and wiped most of her front, but she definitely had to go into the shower.

I quickly stripped down to my boxers, turned on the shower, and tried to get Rose to stand up.

When I was finally able to, I needed to remove her bra and panties as they were in as bad a shape as her dress.

When I started to unfasten her bra she giggled and said: "You want to play with my boobies?"

It hit me like a ton of bricks. Up to that point I'd been acting on instinct. I hadn't thought one thing about Rose being undressed. But as soon as she said "my boobies" I had to fight not to leer at her. You see, Rose has a magnificent body and even if she is my sister, I'm still a man.

I got her stripped and wrestled her into the shower without hurting her and started to wash her from head to toe.

"Oh, goodie," Rose said, "warm water."

"Don't breathe in my direction please. I need to give you some mouthwash after the shower."

"Ah, you're no fun," she said, faking a pout.

As I knelt to wash her butt, I saw her spread her legs a bit and let loose with a stream of pee.

"God damn it Rose. You can't pee in the shower."

"Oh, sorry. Did I get some on you?"

"That's not the point. I'm trying to get you clean. You can at least wait a minute until I'm finished."

"Okay," she said, stopping the flow. But as I started to finish washing her backside, she let loose with another stream and started giggling.

"Rose," I yelled, smacking her on the ass. "Stop it."

"Ooh, Robert. I'm a bad girl, aren't I?"

"I'm not Robert. It's me Bill. I'm your brother."

"I know who you are. My brother's in Connecticut. You're Robert and this is Halloween."

Rose was still seriously drunk.

When I finished soaping her up, I got some shampoo and washed her hair. After I'd scrubbed her thoroughly clean, I got her out of the tub and dried her off as best I could. I took her into the room, pulled down the covers and got her into bed.

I started to go back to the bathroom when she reached out and grabbed my boxers.

"You're such a good boyfriend Robert. Do you want me to suck your dick?"

"Rose, go to sleep," I said.

"Did you pee your pants?"

"What?"

"Your boxers are soaked. Did you pee in your pants?"

"No Rose. They got wet in the shower."

"Oh," she said accepting my explanation, and then bam, she was out like a light.

Thank goodness.

I spent the next hour cleaning her dress and underwear as best I could. But no matter what I did, I still felt like they were dirty. Just as I finished hanging them over the shower curtain rod, the room's telephone rang.

It was room service telling me they would not be able to get me flowers until the morning.

I told them it was okay, but I also needed housekeeping to collect some dirty clothes for laundry and dry cleaning. I also ordered breakfast for two to be delivered at 9:00 AM, and asked if there was a women's clothing boutique nearby that made deliveries on a Saturday.

They told me they'd have the concierge find one and they'd let me know when they delivered breakfast and picked up the clothing for cleaning.

I was exhausted. I crawled into bed, gave Rose a kiss on her shoulder and was asleep within two minutes. And then...

It had to be a dream.

I was standing on a hilltop in Connecticut and I could see clear across the United States to California. I felt a tickling in my crotch and looked down to see my dick twitching in the wind.

I felt it start to grow and watched as it arched up and started expanding clear across the states all the way to the west coast. When it got to San Francisco, I unleashed a torrent of cum all over the city. It felt so real. It had to be real.

I came slowly out of the dream.

As my eyes adjusted to being awake I felt a weight on my lower abdomen. I reached down and felt a woman's hair, then her head, then her shoulders. I sat up with a start once I realized where I was and who had their head in my lap.

I gently picked my sister up off of me and laid her on her pillow. There was cum on the side of her mouth. Oh my god. My sister blew me while I slept. Did she even know it was me?

I spent the next two hours mulling over what I should do or say. How on earth did I let that happen? Was it my fault? I was asleep, wasn't I? And worse, did I enjoy it?

I must have enjoyed it. That's why I was dreaming the dream I finally succumbed to exhaustion and fell back to sleep.

Room service woke me at nine when they delivered the flowers, breakfast, and picked up my sister's clothes to be cleaned. They also gave me phone numbers for two boutiques that were nearby, both of which would be happy to make a delivery.

I put on some sweats and got my robe for my sister to wear. I went to the bathroom and wet a washcloth.

When I came back out I could tell my sister was still dead to the world. I wiped the dried cum from her mouth and then wiped her face with the damp cloth.

"Ummmmm," she moaned and stretched enough that the bed covers fell away from her and I saw her naked breasts again. I quickly pulled the covers back up over her and went to pour some coffee.

While I had my first cup of the day, I called both boutiques and ordered two complete changes of clothes for Rose. I'd given the sales girls her measurements, her hair and eye color, and from what I remembered, her favorite colors.

After I finished ordering clothes, I poured a second cup and went to wake Rose. I sat on the bed and held the coffee near her nose in hopes she would wake up slowly. She didn't.

She stretched, pursed her lips, ran her tongue around the outside of her mouth, then sat up slowly, holding her head. Then she opened her eyes.

"Billy," she whispered? "What are you doing here?"

"I...

"OH MY GOD, I'm naked," she yelled pulling the covers up over her chest. "What the fuck Billy. Where am I and why am I naked?"

"Settle down Rose. Here," I said, handing her the robe. "Put this on and come sit at the table. We've breakfast. I'll explain as best I can."

She looked confused, but pulled the covers off of her and started to drape the robe over her shoulders.

"JESUS H., where are my panties? What's going on? Why is my pussy naked, and why are you grinning?

"Rose I promise you, there's an innocent explanation if you'll just settle down and come have some coffee."

"Where are we?" she asked, slipping her arms through the robe and scooting to the edge of the bed.

"At the Mark Hopkins. Now come have some coffee so I can explain everything."

Rose shuffled over to the table and flopped down into one of the chairs.

"God, my head is killing me. Do you have any aspirin?"

"I do. Now sip your coffee. That will help."

I got the aspirin from the bathroom. As I was walking back to the table I saw Rose start to sip her coffee.

"What the fuck?"

"What?" I said as I sat down and opened the aspirin bottle.

"My mouth tastes like a swamp."