Chapter 77

The next week at the game Keith did start us all over again at first level. As he suggested I made a Ranger, and helped Gina make a thief. And at the end of the game Keith told everybody this was my last regular game with them.

“And I may be back, Keith is going to run my character as an NPC. But I’m falling a bit behind in my school work, and need to get more serious about studying.” Everybody said they understood, and all the girls gave me a big hug afterwards. And I was a bit surprised when during Jen’s hug, she rubbed her breasts against my chest as one of her hands caressed my ass and squeezed it.

At our last regular after game smoke, I admitted to Keith and Linda I would miss these. They said they would also, as they had helped the two of them remember why they had loved hanging out together all the time when they were younger. “George, you would not know this, but back then you would hardly see one of us without the others. Pete and Linda, Holly and me. We went everywhere and did everything together. I was the first to get the boot, then after Pete left Linda kinda faded away. I think this is the most time we’ve spent together since Pete and Mandy got married.”

I looked at him, and saw Linda nodding. “Most of my old friends I drove away, hard. Pete and Mandy’s wedding is the first time I saw many since I graduated High School. Some of them were my best friends since grade school. And I admit now, most of that was the fucking drugs and alcohol. But also a bit was that I was a slut and nymphomaniac that could only go so long without getting laid.”

Keith actually laughed at that. “Linda, let’s just say that I knew of your reputation even before I met you. George, Short Stuff here was already a legend before she met your brother. I was already in High School, but even I heard the rumor of a Junior High girl that would yank your crank for dinner at McDonald’s and a handful of tokens at the arcade.” He actually gave a half grin and looked at her. “I had no idea who she was, but that summer before we met I used to hang out at the Castle trying to find that legendary handjob queen some of the guys talked about. All I knew was that she was short, and had long brown hair almost to her ass. It was long after she got with your brother that I realized that the girl with the short black hair was the same one I had once looked for.”

And she actually smiled at him and nodded. “That was before Pete made a semi-honest girl out of me. And towards the end of the school year I cut my hair really short and dyed it black. George, I’ve told you some of my past. I was the walking contradiction back then, the virgin slut. Let’s just say I’d jacked off more cocks than Carter had little liver pills. But that was where I called the line. Touch my breasts through clothing, on rare occasion under them but that was it. But until your brother, I had no interest in being with just one guy or going farther.”

And she sighed, and Keith and I both saw tears start to appear. Keith took her in his arms and held her head against her chest and I rested my hand on her shoulder. “Even then, I had my demons. I think I was a borderline alcoholic even then. Other than Pete the only other relationship I really had was a college kid that lived in our apartment building. I would jack him off for a pint bottle of vodka.”

I saw Keith look at me when she said that, and he looked surprised. And when he asked when that started, she admitted it was before they all met. “And, well, it continued until after Pete left for boot camp. At about that time he moved away.”

Keith had a look I could not quite identify, and he asked if it was when she was with Pete and she nodded. “In my mind, it was not cheating. It was only handjobs, and because I could not get vodka otherwise. And looking back now, I think he got a thrill out of a fourteen year old girl doing that. He was about George’s age when it started, and a lot of guys find it hard to resist teen jailbait at that age.”

I actually froze when Linda said that, and even Keith stiffened up a bit. Linda felt that and pulled back, and looked at both of us. “Oh shit, I did not mean it that way!” she quickly added.

“Keith, look at me!” He turned to face her, and I tensed as I was seeing a bit of anger on his face. “Keith, think back. When you got with Jan, how old were you and how old was she?”

He looked at her, and softly said he was eighteen and she was sixteen. “Exactly! Now, we were all roughly the same age, you were a Senior and she was a Sophomore. I know of George here and Crystal. If they attended the same school, he would have been a Senior and her a Sophomore. But he had already graduated, and got together when she was a Junior.”

I saw him nod slowly, and she turned his face so he looked at her again. “Now, did you get with Jan because she was sixteen, or because you thought she might be somebody special?”

“Linda, Jan is somebody special. She was then, she still is today.”

I saw her smile at him and nod. “And I think George and Crystal saw in each other something special. They are only two years apart after all. Don’t look at George as if he’s scum, unless you’re willing to look back at yourself and think you were scum for the same thing. And trust me, George was with me when he finally realized your daughter’s real age.”

He looked at me when she said that, and looked surprised. “Uncle Keith, not only did I not know she was your daughter, I thought she was at least eighteen. You all shared pot and beer with her, I thought she was my age.”

Linda nodded, and smiled. “When he told me he was seeing a girl in your band named Crystal, I knew immediately who he meant. And managed to confront him about it, and he had no idea she was only sixteen. He actually panicked a bit, thinking he was a bad person.”

I saw Keith’s face soften at that, and he looked into my eyes and nodded. “Now the law says nobody younger than eighteen once you turn eighteen. But that does not mean there may not be an attraction across that age. Hell, when I first met Pete we did some things like I normally would do, and he kinda freaked out when he found out I was fourteen. George reminded me of that look when he realized your daughter was only sixteen. Now for a moment, do you think Pete stayed with me because of my age? Any more than you stayed with Jan for her age? Hell, quite literally George was your age at that time and Crystal was her mom’s age.”

Keith smiled at that and nodded, and pulled me in for a hug. “You know, I tried to ignore what you two had likely been doing. And I’m pretty sure you were not even her first. I guess I was trying so hard to be the ‘cool uncle type dad’, and neglected my duties as a real dad.”

When he let me go I gave him a smile and nodded. “Uncle Keith, want some advice?” He looked at me, then nodded. “I think Crystal wants a father. She wants you as her father. Think about it, she rarely calls you ‘dad’. But she’s more than hinted to me that she wants that kind of relationship with you. I can’t even begin to suggest how to change that, but you should at least try. In fact, I wonder if Crystal getting me to take her to the taping and not telling you was a way to get you to see that. When was the last time other than that she called you dad?”

He looked up a moment and nodded, and I saw Linda smile at me. “Keith, sounds to me like she was almost daring you to act like a dad. And for one of the rare times in her life you actually did. But at the wrong time.”

I nodded at that, and added that she’s nineteen now, and able to make her own decisions as an adult. “But as I’ve learned the last few years, we still want our parents to give us advice and guidance. When I came out here, I was thinking I was too old for that. Ready to make all my decisions on my own and take on the world. But now, I ask them for advice and help even more than I did before. You two are more aunt and uncle to me than my own family you might say. I barely know my mom’s sister. I’ve only met her a few times, and she’s a bit of a bitch. And Pete is more an uncle than brother because of our age difference. But in the last few years, Linda here has become more my Aunt than anybody else. And you are still my uncle, as you have helped me a lot also in different ways.”

“Shit Linda, when in the hell did these kids become so wise behind our backs?” We all laughed at that and shared another hug. And the talked turned more general as we had a final smoke, and after hugging each of them I headed home.

The next week Sherry called me and asked me to come by the studio. And as Mandy had called me and asked me to go to the office complex to check out the presentation room for that weekend I did them both the same day.

At the studio, I waited in the front as Sherry was paged. And a moment later she came out and handed me a DVD. “Here, this is your copy.” And I looked and it was the first episode of the show. We talked for a bit, and I confirmed to her I would be there the next week for the show, and that the month after I would be playing DJ for them. And for her to just hold them and give them to me at the next tapings.

I went to the complex next, and the receptionist was all smiles when I said I was there for Gem Shore. She showed me the presentation room, and it looked like it was all in order. Over a hundred chairs all set up, and the screen in front down with a podium on the side. I took a few photos and sent them to Pete and Mandy, and thanked her for her time.

I had just pulled onto Van Nuys Boulevard when a chime came across on my phone, so I pulled over and checked. And Mandy thanked me for sending her the photos and that she would see me in a few days. Pete just sent a thank you, but I was more than used to his terseness in text messages by now. For as computer savvy as my big brother was, he just did not get texting.

I was about to pull onto the street, and was waiting as a bunch of girls in those Catholic school uniforms were passing in front of me. I realized one seemed to be looking at me, and when I looked closer I was shocked to see it was Maria! And she recognized me too, and one of the girls with her seemed to notice that and poked her in the side and said something to her.

I had my window rolled down as I had been having a smoke when I answered the messages, and heard her say “Oh, el es me novio.”

I smiled at that, her telling them I was her boyfriend. So I gave a wolf whistle then asked if she was going to ignore me or if she wanted a ride. I saw her smile at that, then wave at her friends as she almost skipped to my truck and climbed in. And the other girls looked kind of envious at that, and when she gave me a kiss once she climbed in. Then she quickly said for me to get out of there, so I did.

Once I got back on the street I asked her who they were, and she admitted they all went to school together. And I had that sinking feeling in my gut again, and finally got the nerve to ask her how old she was. And holy fucking shit, not only was I fucking another sixteen year old, but she was a prostitute at sixteen!

I saw it was just after four, and decided that I would skip my evening class that night. I asked Maria what time she had to be home, and she shrugged saying this was her night off so she had to be home whenever.

I thought about where to go, and decided the hell with it. I went ahead and drove to my place, and Maria looked surprised when I stopped in front of a trailer. But she said it was nice when we got inside. I got us both sodas, and after about twenty minutes she finally told me her story. She was indeed from Mexico, and her parents sold her to a sex ring when she was fourteen. And after working there for a year she was smuggled up to the US to do the same thing.

And the guy she called “Papi” was indeed her pimp, and she lived with him and two other girls. I felt sick to my stomach, and she reached out and rested her hand on the back of mine. “But I really do like to think of you as my boyfriend. You are young, and handsome, and treat me nice. I have not seen you for a couple of weeks, and when I saw you I wanted to spend some time with you.” And the way she was caressing my hand, I suspected it was true. As well as how she wanted to spend that time with me.

And I was torn as hell, as I both wanted to take her into my bedroom and fuck her silly, but I just could not. And with a sigh, I told her to hold on a moment as I had to make a call. And I stepped out as my mind raced, who the fuck do I call?

And I found myself hitting the speed dial for Linda. She said “Yello George” as she always did, with a kind of chuckle in her voice. And when I asked if we could talk about something serious, I heard that all quickly leave and she asked me what was wrong.

“Aunt Linda, you have to help me. And please, don’t judge me for what I’m about to say.” She promised me she would not, and I sighed and told her about Maria. Her age, how I met her, and what I had just learned about her past. And I was actually surprised when she softly said “Bless you, George.”

“OK, let me make a few calls. Keep her with you, don’t let her go anywhere. I’ll call back shortly, but don’t sleep with her! I assume you want to help her stop?” I told her I did, and she said she would call back soon.

I went back inside, and when I sat down Maria cuddled against me and said this was a nice place. And she kissed me for a moment, and I did return it as I determined I would not do more than this. And I was relieved when five minutes later it was a call from Linda.