Chapter 9: Another Couple

I went over to Marie’s desk and asked her to accompany me to the local coffee house for a morning brew. The way I asked, she knew I had something I needed to talk to her about.

After Marie and I were walking across the parking lot, I mentioned Peter’s upcoming party. Marie grinned, “Yes, we’re going, of course.”

I said, “I put the pieces of a puzzle together today that have been vexing me for about nine months. I wasn’t even sure what I needed to think about until Peter gave me the invite to his next party.”

“What do you mean?”

“When I met Penny and Ryan for the first time, Peter introduced us. He mentioned that Penny was his wife’s sister. Knowing what we know now, that would also mean that Ryan is also his wife’s brother.”

I pulled out my cellphone and showed her a picture that featured Peter, Wendy, Ryan, and Penny. I handed the phone with the picture to Marie.

I asked, “Do you see the resemblance between them?”

Marie said slowly, “Yes. That’s expected”

“Now compare Peter to the other three,” I instructed. “You can enlarge the image.”

Marie came to a stop as we were outside the coffee shop. She was staring at the screen and scrolling between Peter and Wendy Block, and Ryan and Penny Miller.

Marie gasped and swore almost silently. She looked up at me, “Oh, my God. They’re all related – all four of them. They’re all within ten years of each other.”

I suggested, “I’m guessing that Peter and Wendy are brother and sister, at least that’s my supposition based on the photographic evidence. They might be first cousins, but they’re very close genetically.”

“But their last names are different.”

“Easy to change legally with a little effort. I’m surprised more people don’t do it.”

“What now?” Marie asked.

I pointed at the door to the store. “I think we get our lattes and go back to work. Tonight, we can ask Penny and Ryan about it unless you have a better idea.”

I decided to be ‘cute’ about how I asked Penny and Ryan about Peter and Wendy. Once we were all together at cocktail time on our home patio, I got their attention.

I said my carefully crafted question; “Your brother invited Anna and me to a party next Saturday. Are you going?”

Ryan started, “Yeah, he texted me today. Sounds good.” He didn’t see the trap he’d just fallen into. The steel trap in my mind snapped shut; I thought, ‘Gotcha!’

Penny followed up, “We’ll each have to bring ... OH!” Her mouth fell open and she gaped at me. She said, “You know?” She’d suddenly realized what the trap was.

I just nodded. Marie was there with me but also silent.

I finally said, “Do you want to tell us about it?”

Ryan shook his head in disbelief. Penny said, “Yes, we’re related.”

I stated, “And Peter and Wendy are brother and sister, and they’re also your brother and sister.”

Ryan said, “Yes. Wendy is six years older than I am, and Peter is only a year older. Penny is the youngest.”

“Why the last name Block?”

Ryan chuckled, “Subterfuge. When Peter and Wendy moved here, they were already together in every way possible. We came down here about the same time to go to school. When they realized that we’d likely live here after graduation, they changed their names. It was almost on a lark, and they didn’t make a big deal of it at the time.”

“And your parents know?”

Penny said, “It gets complicated. Our mom and dad are first cousins, and yes, they know about all of us. We didn’t need to hide what was going on from them, and it was important to each of us to continue.”

Marie laughed, “Ah, so incest runs in the whole family.”

Ryan said in a more serious tone, “I guess so. Maybe it’s a recessive gene. Our parents discovered each other very early in their lives, maybe when they were around five or six. Since they lived next door to each other, they became inseparable from then on.

“While they were still kids, they’d even be allowed to sleep together, but their parents tried to stop that when they got older. The two of them nearly started World War III to keep that privilege. Both sets of parents eventually conceded.

“I don’t know when they started having sex, but they did; probably sometime in high school. Anyway, they actually were allowed to set up home in one of our grandparent’s homes. They had their own little apartment.”

Penny chimed in, “The rule by that time was that our mother couldn’t get pregnant. The concern at that point was that they remain childless because of genetic mishaps. Then genetic testing came along and blew that concern away. The two of them were told that they had to finish college. Somehow, they figured out how to go to the same college as married students – same last name and all that. They had an apartment and were both good students.”

I restated what had just been said, “So, your parents are first cousins and they just declared they were married and then started a family after college?”

“Exactly. Peter was born three months after our mom and dad graduated from college. There’d been lots of checking to be sure he wouldn’t have any dreaded diseases or maladies. That happened for each of us. We were all planned babies.”

Penny went on, “Wendy became Peter’s sidekick in all things from almost birth. They did sleep together and then lived together all through school. No one seemed to mind, and everyone in the family knew about them and thought it was cute.”

Ryan said, “By the time Penny and I came along six and seven years later, everyone thought that the incest was no big deal providing we were adults. Peter and Wendy paved the way for Penny and me. We were already under the same roof, so we just lived and loved together. We told you about our living arrangements growing up.”

Penny said, “I always felt it was in my genes to love Ryan so completely. I like having other men friends, even ones I’m intimate with, but Ryan is my home base, my rock, and my man for all of time.” She batted her eyes at him.

“Your parents didn’t react much to your situation here at the house? I didn’t think they knew about your relationship.”

Penny shrugged, “It was the way it’s always been for them; both to see us together and to see us with other people. There was nothing to even comment on in that part of our lives because it was so normal. They had recommended some kind of subterfuge until we could go someplace and not be seen as brother and sister. The way we look, I think that’s impossible without plastic surgery. That’s why we were so quick to adopt living in this house with you. It’s perfect for us because we both look like we’re shacked up with somebody else, plus we really have fallen into a loving relationship with all of you.”

Ryan nodded. “I agree. I hope this triad of couples continues on for a long time.”

Marie asked, “Do Peter and Wendy know about you and us and everything going on with all of us?” She waved her hand around at the group and the house.

Ryan said, “Yeah, I kind of told them after we’d all moved in together. They were curious about why we moved into a cohousing situation.”

I said, “Peter’s my boss – and Marie’s. All this time, he’s known that we’re in incestuous relationships, but that we pretend to have other people in our lives? He’s never said a word.”

“He wouldn’t. He’s very discreet. He might say something at the party to one of you, if you’re alone, however. He does not know that you’ve figured out his relationship with Wendy, or what we just told you about our parents.”

Anna said in a humorous tone, “I wish our parents were doing something illegal, immoral, or fattening.”

Penny giggled, “One other thing. Peter and Wendy occasionally make love with Ryan and me.”

My eyebrows shot up. “Oh, my, more incestuous behavior. How will I ever be able to face any of you again.” I put the back of my wrist to my forehead as though I was light headed. I couldn’t resist smiling.

Anna beat me to the next logical question, “Do you think Peter and Wendy want to ‘play’ with the rest of us?”

Ryan shrugged.

Penny said, “Peter may not know, but Wendy does. She liked all of you, and would love to extend their intimacy to us. Everyone has been so busy we haven’t had the time to get together the way she wants. Maybe at or after the party there’ll be some kind of opportunity.”

Ryan said to Penny, “Really? That’s be so cool to have them join in with all of us.” He turned to the rest of the group, “They’re both great people and very caring. You’ll love them, I guarantee.”