Chapter 5

Getting ready the next morning was slow going because Stacy kept hogging the bathroom to vomit. I threw on my dress again because it was easy. I promised Stacy I’d be back soon, and then drove Lucas to Angie’s house again.

Lucas didn’t want to share any details about his long-awaited first date with Angie, which was fine. He was very obviously happy, though, and he seemed unusually confident. He was in love, and I was glad for that.

“Hey, do you think I could meet her?” I asked. “I won’t stay long, I promise. I’d just like to thank the girl who put a smile like that on my brother’s face.”

Lucas said it would be fine, so we both went up to the door together. I was wearing my mask, of course, but I was sure Angie wouldn’t make me feel uncomfortable about it.

“This is my sister, Katie,” Lucas said after kissing Angie hello when she opened the door.

“So nice to meet you, Katie!” Angie said, full of sunshine. Not fake sunshine, but the real thing.

“It’s Kaitlyn,” I said, like a dork. “Lucas calls me Katie. You can call me Katie too, I guess. Ah, nice to meet you too!”

We went in and talked for a little while. I really liked Angie - I knew that I would want her to be my friend, even if she weren’t dating my brother. Pretty soon, Angie asked if we could take a picture of the three of us.

“Oh, I don’t really take good pictures,” I said, touching my mask self-consciously.

“It’s probably safe to take it off,” Lucas said to me. To Angie, he added, “You don’t have anything vanilla scented around here, do you? Candles or air fresheners? She’s super allergic.”

“I don’t think so,” Angie said. She looked at me with hopeful eyes, and it really didn’t seem risky at all.

“Okay,” I said cheerfully. “But just one or two, and then I need to get back to take care of Stacy.”

We were on our second picture when Angie’s mom came home and shouted her greeting from the kitchen. “Mom! Come meet Kaitlyn!” Angie yelled back.

Angie’s mom came in holding a box. “I found these pastries at the market,” Angie’s mom said as she flipped open the lid. “They looked so interesting, I had to buy some. Hi! I’m Gabrielle.

Lucas and I both glanced panickedly at my mask on the coffee table as the smell of the pastries hit us. Sure enough, they smelled like vanilla. Lucas yanked me out of my seat and dragged me into the bathroom, yelling, “Allergies,” as he locked the door behind us.

“Oh god, Lucas, I’m so sorry. I can’t control it!” I said, knowing that in less than a minute I would be begging him for sex.

“Katie, it’s all right, I’m going to help you ride this out,” Lucas said confidently. “Call Stacy - maybe that will help,” he said, but we had both left our phones in the livingroom.

I was already affected. My eyes couldn’t stop snapping to Lucas’ crotch. “Lucas, you know how this ends,” I said, rubbing my hand against my own crotch. “Is there anyone else in the house? A father or brother or handy man? Oh god, Lucas, I need it! Fuck, I need it!”

I reached to unbutton Lucas’ pants, but I guess he was expecting that, because he twisted me around and pushed me face-down onto the sink counter, and held me there. “Just concentrate on your breathing,” he told me.

“Fuck your breathing, I need cock!” I replied. I guess I was pretty loud. My heart was racing and my body felt awful. I was scared, anxious, furious - pretty much every motivating feeling there is. My body had given me a mandate.

“Do you need help in there?” Angie’s mom asked. “Should I call an ambulance?”

“An ambulance won’t help,” Lucas shouted back. “Just give us a minute, please.”

“Come on, Lucas,” I said. I was still bent over the counter with my butt sticking out. I imagined Lucas moving behind me, pulling my dress up and my panties down. I yearned for it. “You know what the quickest solution is. The one that doesn’t involve paramedics and police and unbearable agony. Please!”

Lucas didn’t say anything. He just held me there, immobile, and stroked my hair.

“Please, Lucas, you have to fuck me!” I shouted. I went on in a calmer tone: “It won’t be weird. I promise. We love each other so it won’t be weird. I know you’ve thought about me. You’ve always secretly wanted me. I’ve thought about you, too. It’s natural. Think about all of those fantasies you never really let yourself enjoy. They can be real.”