Chapter 9

On that Sunday evening, I was a nervous wreck. I’d set the table that morning with our fine china and polished all of our silver flatware. I spent the rest of the day cleaning and ensured our entire house was spotless. A couple of hours before Kyle was scheduled to arrive, I showered and meticulously did my hair and makeup. For something different, I pinned my long blonde hair up, which gave me an elegant, classic look, just like my mother in some of her pictures. Hesitantly, I opened the packages of new clothes I’d ordered. When I saw them, my mouth dropped open; it was probably the sexiest outfit I’d ever wear.

I’d chosen a black halter-neck cocktail dress with the back completely bare all the way to my waist, and the front was cut down almost to my navel, showing a lot of my large breasts. I’d also purchased a black silk thong, but I obviously couldn’t wear a bra with that dress. Fortunately, my breasts were firm and perky enough that I didn’t need one, and, to ensure they wouldn’t slip out of the little frock, I used two-sided apparel tape to keep them in place. The dress hugged my hips but then flared a bit at my thighs; it was just long enough to cover the lacy tops of the black thigh-hi stockings I’d ordered and it swirled around my legs sexily when I walked.

I’d wanted to get a new pair of shoes to complement the dress, and I’d narrowed my choice to either Jimmy Choo or Louboutin. I was concerned that the made-to-order Choo shoes wouldn’t arrive in time and I thought the trademark red soles looked very elegant, so I opted for $795 So Kate black-leather pumps instead. I was walking around the dining-room table, touching up the place settings in my new pencil-thin 120mm stiletto heels, when I heard the doorbell ring.

When I opened the door, Kyle’s eyes widened. He looked up and down my body, drinking me in, and then he smiled appreciatively. “My, my, Kenna, you’re looking good this evening.”

I shot him my best smile. I felt hesitant, because there’d always been so much animosity between us and his lustful gawking was a bit disconcerting. However, I wasn’t going to let him see that he was making me feel a little uncomfortable. This was exactly how men looked at me when I worked in the casino, and I wasn’t going to start a fight and ruin my father’s evening no matter how my asshole brother acted.

“Please come in, Kyle.” I stepped to the side so he could enter. He walked past me in his nicely tailored suit, then turned and looked back at me with an enigmatic expression on his face. My father appeared from the kitchen and greeted him warmly, with a handshake and then a big hug.

“Hi, Dad, it’s great to see you,” Kyle said enthusiastically. “I must say, it’s been a while, but it’s nice to see Kenna also. She looks... ummm ... really nice.”

“She looks radiant this evening, doesn’t she, son?” he replied.

A little blush broke over my face. I couldn’t care less what my brother thought of my appearance, but I rejoiced in the fact that my father paid me such a nice compliment, especially in front of my brother.

He continued, “She’s turned over a new leaf, so to speak, and she’s learned to behave much more appropriately than she used to.” He motioned to me and I obediently walked over and stood beside him, and he securely wrapped his arm around me and pulled me tight against his body. “I hope you and Kenna are able to have a more congenial relationship than when you were teenagers,” he said somewhat more sternly. A little shiver coursed through my body. There was no doubt about which one of us was in control in that room.

I inwardly smiled when I noticed the bewildered look on Kyle’s face. I knew he had to be wondering how his father pulled off this miracle, and it also made me glow when I realized that my brother was no longer Daddy’s favorite; the torch had been passed, so to speak.

“I’m hungry, and dinner is served, children.” my father said commandingly. We walked into the formal dining room, my father’s arm still wrapped around me while Kyle followed behind us. When we got to the table, Daddy took the chair at its head and gestured for Kyle to sit opposite him at the foot. As I’d been instructed, I first poured wine and then served salad to each of the men, bowing my head respectfully to each of them as I did so. Then I served the salad to myself and sat down at my father’s right, the place that had always been reserved for my mother.

“I’m amazed,” Kyle exclaimed. “I’ve never seen Kenna so deferential, so polite and respectful.”

Daddy looked at me and gave me a nod. I looked into my brother’s eyes, then lowered mine and softly spoke. “Kyle, I know you and I were hostile towards one another when we were younger, but I hope we can move past our shared negative experiences and work towards building a better relationship now.”

Kyle didn’t respond for a few seconds. The look of shock on his face was quite evident. Then he replied, “I’m very happy to see these changes in you, Kenna, and I’m certainly willing to let bygones be bygones and see where we can go.”

I smiled. “Thank you, Kyle.”

As the wonderful dinner Daddy had prepared progressed, I continued to serve, having each course of my own dinner after presenting each item to the men, first to Kyle as the guest and then to my father. He and Kyle had an animated discussion while they ate, and I sat silently, just enjoying the ambiance and my place in it, while they chatted away about some client whose problem they were collectively working on. Eventually, Daddy turned the conversation to the pandemic we were all suffering through.

“So tell me, Kyle, how are you handling the isolation of being stuck at home all the time.”

“Pretty well, mostly,” Kyle replied. “Everything’s been okay, but I’m really missing Anna.”

He sounded wistful, and Daddy prodded him to be more explicit. “Missing the sex, are you?” he asked inquisitively. My father’s direct question startled him a bit.