Chapter 1: The Beginning

This is something just a bit different from many of my other stories.

...

“Hey Smith, better get a move-on. Your flight’s leaving pretty soon,” the driver shouted from the hallway.

“Yeah, I’m coming,” I shouted back as I grabbed my bags and looked around to make sure I got everything. Once I had double-checked everything, I was in the hallway of the dormitory I had called “home” for the last year, double-timing to catch up to Jenkins, one of the company drivers. Together, we walked at a brisk pace to the truck outside.

I stowed my gear in the back seat and climbed in the front, where Jenkins was waiting. Fortunately, he had already turned the air conditioner on and the cab was nice and cold – an improvement over the hot air outside.

“Let’s roll,” Jenkins said as he put the truck in gear. I looked out the window as we headed for the airport. I had spent the last year here in Erbil, Iraq, working as an IT contractor for an international oil and gas company, and I was anxious to finally get back home.

When we got to the airport, Jenkins helped me get my bags out, and shook my hand.

“It’s been a pleasure working with you, Smitty,” he said as we shook hands. That’s me, by the way. Greg Smith, “Smitty” to my close friends. “Good luck back in the world. You ever get bored with life, we’d love to have you back.” I snickered as he said that. This had actually been my third trip to Iraq and my first as a civilian.

I went through all the security, had my passport stamped and finally got on the aircraft. Shortly thereafter, we took off and I closed my eyes wondering what awaited me at home. If it had been up to me, I would’ve been out of here a month ago after I learned my mother had been diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer. But she insisted that I stay and finish my contract.

“A man’s word is his bond,” my mother said. “If you can’t keep your promises, then what good are ya?” That was just like her, I thought. I remembered that fateful Skype call just about a month ago like it was yesterday.

“We have good news and we have bad news,” the doctor told us. “The bad news is your mother’s got stage 4 pancreatic cancer. The good news is she’s got 30 days to get her affairs in order.”

“Damn,” I said. “There’s nothing you can do?”

“Other than try to keep her as comfortable as possible, no,” the doctor said.

“Then maybe I should cut my contract short and come on back home,” I said. That’s when my mother piped up.

“Don’t you dare,” she said. “You’ve only got a month or less to go, so you finish what you started and then come home. I’ll still be here. And if I need help, Allie is here and she can help me.” Then she laid the line about a man’s word being his bond.

But my world collapsed yesterday when Allie emailed to say Mom had passed away.

I guess to understand my story a little better, you probably need to know something about my family. My father, Irwin Smith, and my mother, Georgina, worked together in their own business for as long as I can remember. Dad was an architect and Mom was an interior designer. Together, they designed and built or remodeled custom homes. They were quite good at it and often reminded me of those HGTV programs where a husband and wife team designed and remodeled homes for people.

They did that until my second year in the Corps, when Dad was t-boned one night by a trucker who hit a patch of black ice on the road. The big rig slammed my Dad’s pickup into a large tree. He was unconscious when they took him to the hospital and he never woke up.

Naturally, Mom was devastated, but her work ethic was such that she decided to finish the jobs they had pending, no matter what needed to be done. She hired an architect to complete the work my Dad had started and when those jobs were finished, she closed the business down. After that, she went into semi-retirement, writing blog posts about interior design.

The only remaining family member I have now is my sister, Allison, or Allie. She’s eleven months younger than me, and she worked hard to complete her nurse’s training several months early, taking summer courses while her classmates partied. When she finished her degree, she got a job at the local Memorial Hospital, working in the Emergency Room.

You’d never know we were siblings just by looking at us. I stand six foot two inches and weigh in at a muscular 200 pounds. Like my Dad, I have short dark hair and brown eyes. Allie, on the other hand, stands at five foot six inches and weighs somewhere around 125 pounds. Unlike the rest of us, she has long blonde hair and the deepest blue eyes you can imagine.

To the best of my knowledge, no one else in our family has blonde hair or blue eyes. Both our parents were only children, so there are no aunts, uncles or cousins, and our grandparents, who have been dead for a while, all had dark hair and brown eyes. I don’t know where Allie got her blonde hair or blue eyes from, but it never mattered to any of us.

I enlisted in the Marine Corps straight out of high school. I was fortunate enough to get the MOS, or military occupational specialty, I wanted – 0651, Cyber Network Operator, what the Corps used to call a data network specialist. That fit perfectly with my plans. I wanted to get as much training and certifications as I could, then start up my own IT consulting firm after I got out.

While I was stationed stateside, I attended college in my off-duty hours and got as many certifications as I possibly could. Two tours in Iraq, however, put a kink in my college education, and when I got out, I was “this close” to getting my degree. So I went to college using my benefits and finished my degree.

After that, I was offered an overseas contract job that paid exceptionally well, so I took it. The plan at that time was to take the money I earned from that job, combine it with some of what my Dad left me and start my own firm. Mom said I could take over the loft she and Dad used for their business to get started, and she also promised to help me get my books set up.

Keep in mind that our family has always been very close-knit, so I had no problem whatsoever learning business tricks from my mother – she took care of the bookkeeping for her and Dad’s business and was very successful at it, so I figured it would be best to learn from someone who knows what they’re doing.

Right now, though, my thoughts turned to Allie. We had always been close. Oh, sure, we squabbled and argued like siblings generally do when we were younger, but we always made up afterward. A few things leaped out at me, though. In our last weekly Skype call, Mom said something to me that I thought rather odd.

“I want you to know that I’m very proud of you, son,” she said. “I know your Dad would be proud of you as well. I just want you to promise me one thing.”

“What’s that, Mom?” I asked.

“Promise me you’ll always be there for Allie,” she said. “She’s a very special girl and she’s going to need you now more than ever.” I already knew she was a special person. When Mom got sick, Allie sold her condo and moved back into the house to help take care of her. I knew it was hard for her to give up her personal space like that, but that’s the kind of person she is.

“Of course, Mom,” I said. I thought that odd, especially since I always looked out for her. I was your typical “big brother” type when it came to Allie. God help the sonofabitch who might want to hurt her, as more than one asshole found out the hard way.

“Is there something I need to know?” I asked.

“Well, yes, but it can wait until you get home,” she said. “There’s some things I need to show you.”

“Like what?” I asked. Now she had me worried. Did Allie have some kind of medical condition?

“You’ll see, dear,” she said. I knew better than to press the issue. Once Mom’s mind was made up about something, there was no changing it. But my curiosity had been piqued. Sitting back in my seat, I recalled my relationship with Allie.

I guess you could say that we were pretty much like any other siblings growing up. By the time I was in my senior year of high school, we were more like best friends than brother and sister. We shared secrets that we would never share with anyone else, and talked about practically everything. We discussed our hopes and dreams, talked about the people we dated, even shared our fears with each other.

I trusted Allie, and always felt comfortable talking to her about anything. I’m pretty sure she felt the same way about me. The day I left home for boot camp, we shared a tearful goodbye and wrote each other nearly every day.

I didn’t get a chance to see her much after that. We did see each other a few times when I came home for leave, but that was it. I finished my training and was deployed to Iraq for the first time, and by then, she had graduated from high school and was on her way to college upstate. We kept in touch as best we could under the circumstances during that first deployment, but it wasn’t easy.

I missed her when I came home for leave after that deployment, as she was still in school and couldn’t get away. Still, we kept in touch through Skype and email. I couldn’t get over how much she had changed in that one year. She had blossomed and developed into a beautiful woman and I knew it wouldn’t be long before she was breaking hearts. Whoever managed to land her would be one lucky fella, provided he passed the “big brother” test, of course.

As luck would have it, her schedule and my deployments conspired to keep us apart for the majority of my time in the service. I was shocked when I first saw her after I got out of the service.

“My God, girl, you’ve turned into a real woman,” I said, taking her in. “Alright, what’d you do with my sister? Where is she?” I joked.

“Right here, you brat,” she said, slapping my arm as she laughed. “Ooh, is that a muscle I felt?” she joked back. She squeezed my arm a few times before continuing. “I guess it is. Maybe the Marines turned you into a real man after all.”

“Oh, trying humor, are you?” I said in response. She giggled as she poked me in my side.

“Watch it,” she said. “You may be a big bad-ass Marine now, but I know where you’re ticklish.” I laughed, remembering the tickle-fights we used to have when we were younger.

“Speaking of men,” I said. “Have you managed to find Mr. Right yet?” She shook her head.

“Nope,” she said. “I haven’t even found Mr. Right Now.”

“Really?” I asked. “I figured you’d be married to some rich doctor by now.”

“Nah,” she said. “I’m looking for a real man, and so far, no one I’ve met has made the grade yet. How about you?”

“I’ve dated some, but I haven’t met anyone I’d like to settle down with,” I said. “Besides, I’ve seen too many guys get divorced. Marriage and the Corps don’t seem to mix very well.”

“That’s too bad,” she said. “I think you’d make a great husband for some lucky woman.”

“Thanks,” I said. “Maybe one day.” I fondly remembered that first day back home. Our home was a testament to my parents’ hard work. It sat in the middle of a five-acre plot and had three levels. The bottom level was actually a full-size day basement that opened into the back yard, which contained a swimming pool and a large area where we used to hold barbecues.

That’s where we spent most of our time. Dad built a game room and a home theater in that part of the house, and brought in a pool table, a Foosball table and some pinball machines. I had a lot of fond memories of us all gathering there to play games or watch movies.

The ground floor contained a large formal living room where my parents entertained guests. It also included a spacious kitchen, a formal dining room and a breakfast nook. The bedrooms were all on the top floor.

Originally, the place had four bedrooms with a bathroom in the hallway. When Allie and I turned 13, Mom and Dad decided to remodel the entire top floor. By the time they were finished, there were three large bedrooms complete with their own bathrooms. My parents decided that would give each of us our own space and preclude lines at the bathroom. My room, or suite, overlooked the back yard and Allie’s faced the front yard. The master suite took up most of one end of the top floor.

That first night back home, Allie, Mom and I celebrated with a large meaty lasagna dripping with cheese and laden with mushrooms. That was my favorite and I loved eating Mom’s lasagna. I was surprised when Mom said Allie had made this lasagna.

“My compliments to the chef,” I said, prompting her to smile.

“Thank you, kind sir,” Allie said. “You know what they say. The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.” I thought that to be a rather odd thing to tell one’s brother, but said nothing.

“So,” Mom said. “What are your plans now that you’re back home?”

“Well, I’m planning on going back to college,” I said. “I have my veterans benefits and I have about a year to go before I finish my degree. I’ve been thinking about starting my own IT firm after college.” Mom nodded her head in approval.

“That sounds like a very good idea,” she said. “Believe me, there’s nothing like being your own boss. Granted, the risks are higher, but I think the rewards can be much greater in the long run. If you’d like, I can help you put together a business plan and when you’re ready, I’d be more than happy to help you get things set up.”

“Yeah, I’d like that,” I told her.

“Meanwhile, you can set up in the loft if you want,” she said. “It’s empty now so you can set it up any way you want. The only thing you can’t do is use it as a retail space. We’re not zoned for that and the city wouldn’t like it.”

“That’s not a problem,” I said. “These days a lot of IT work is done remotely. But it would be nice to have a place to work on equipment.”

“And of course, you’re welcome to stay here if you want, for as long as you need,” Mom said. “I promise to respect your privacy. You can even entertain some of your friends here if you want.”

“Thanks again, Mom,” I said. “That’ll help me save some money, but you don’t need to worry about parties. I’ll probably be too busy with my studies for that. Besides, I’ve never been much of a party animal anyway.”

A couple days later, Allie invited me to her condo for dinner. I was surprised when I arrived. The complex she lived in was gated and looked to be quite luxurious. Her condo was a one bedroom unit on the top floor and was very spacious.

“Wow, you can afford this on a nurse’s salary?” I asked as I looked around. “I’m in the wrong business.” Allie had prepared a meat loaf with mashed potatoes, gravy and green beans, another of my favorites. She topped that off with ice cream and a homemade apple pie. I was stuffed by the time I pulled back from the table.

“You’re getting to be quite the cook,” I said. “That was delicious. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” she said. “It’s the least I can do for one of our veterans.” We settled in the living room, where we watched television and talked about various things over a bottle of wine. I realized I was just a bit too buzzed to drive back home, so Allie insisted I stay the night.

“The couch pulls out into a nice bed, so you can stay here,” she said. “I don’t want you to get hurt driving drunk.”

“That’s probably a good idea,” I said as she pulled out the bed. It turned out to be more comfortable that I thought and I was asleep in no time. After tucking me in, she planted a kiss on my cheek.

“Good night,” she said. “Welcome home.”

“Good night,” I said before falling asleep. The next morning, she made breakfast and I headed back to the house as she went to work. That became something of a weekly ritual and I found myself looking forward to it.

I went back to school, burying myself in my studies. On the days I had no classes, I worked in the loft to set it up for my business. I repainted the walls, ran network cables, and built a bench so I could have a place to work on equipment. I purchased a couple of racks and began setting up a small server farm.

True to her word, Mom helped me formulate a business plan and put me in touch with the accountant she and Dad used when they had their business. With Mom’s help, I set up a limited liability corporation, or LLC, and got a crash course in business accounting and bookkeeping. She suggested I take a couple of courses in business law and accounting, so I signed up for them during my next semester.

I was pretty busy with all this and didn’t really have a whole lot of time for dating. I did, however, meet a girl in one of my classes and asked her out. I told Allie during our weekly dinner, and her response surprised me.

“I met someone at school the other day,” I said over dinner.

“Oh?” she asked quietly. “Have you asked her out?”

“Yeah,” I said. “We’re planning to go have dinner, then grab some drinks at that night club over on Main Street, maybe do some dancing.” For a moment, I thought Allie was about to start crying. “Are you okay?” I asked.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” she said, brushing a tear from her eye. “I’m ... glad ... to hear you’ve met someone. Do you think it’ll develop into something serious?” I shrugged my shoulders.

“I don’t know,” I said. “I just met her. I don’t even know that much about her.”

“Oh,” she said quietly. “That club you’re going to, is that the Flatliner?”

“Yeah, I think that’s what it’s called,” I said. “I’ve never been there, but Sue – that’s her name – said she’s been there a lot and really likes it.”

“I’ve heard things about that place,” Allie said. “Be careful, okay?”

“Yeah, sure,” I said. “What kind of things?”

“Well, from what I’ve heard, it’s a real meat market, if you know what I mean,” she said. “I’d hate to see you get hurt.”

“I can handle myself,” I said. “I spent four years in the Marines, you know.”

“I know,” she said. “I’m just concerned for you.”

“I appreciate that,” I said. “So, what about you? Aren’t you dating anyone?” She shook her head.

“No, not right now,” she said.

“Have you met anyone?” I asked.

“Yeah, but I haven’t said anything to him yet,” she said.

“Why not?” I asked.

“It’s ... complicated,” she answered. “I don’t want to get into it right now. I just don’t think he’d understand how I feel about him.”

“You’ll never know if you don’t say anything,” I said. “Don’t you think you owe it to him to let him know? Maybe he feels the same way about you.”

“Maybe you’re right,” she said. “I’ll think about it.”

“How well do you know this guy?” I asked. “Is he someone who works at the hospital?”

“I’ve known him for years,” she said. “And no, he doesn’t work at the hospital, so I don’t get to see him as often as I’d like.”

“Do you love this guy?” I asked. She smiled and nodded her head.

“Yeah, I do,” she said. “More than anything.”

“Why don’t you say something to him?” I asked.

“I’m afraid he’ll think bad of me and reject me,” she said.

“Well, if he does, you let me know and I’ll go set him straight,” I said. “No one rejects my little sister like that.”

“Always the big brother, huh?” she asked with a smile.

“That’s what I’m here for,” I said.

My date with Sue didn’t go very well – at all. I picked her up at her apartment and complimented her on her dress, which was fairly short and accentuated all of her curves. We went out for dinner and enjoyed a nice steak, then headed for the Flatliner. That’s when things went to shit.

We were there for about an hour when it happened. I excused myself to visit the men’s room and when I came back, she was gone. I looked around and saw her on the dance floor with a guy who looked to be somewhat younger than me. I watched them dance for a while, then I saw them head out the back door.

I followed them outside and saw them in a dark corner. She had her arms around his neck and was kissing him vigorously as his hands crept up her short skirt. As I watched, he lifted her skirt up around her waist and put his hands on her nearly naked ass. As they kissed, he ground her into his crotch. I could hear her moan from where I stood and knew where it would finally lead. When they broke apart, I stepped back inside and waited for them by the door.

“Hello, Sue,” I said when they came inside. “I didn’t see you when I came back from the men’s room, but I see you’ve managed to occupy yourself.” She looked embarrassed for a moment.

“I’m sorry, Greg,” she said. “This is Richard, my fiance. We had a fight and broke up before you asked me out but we’ve gotten back together. If you don’t mind, I’d like to stay with him for the evening.”

“Well, I hope you have a nice life, Sue,” I said. “Good luck, both of you. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ll be leaving. Good night.” I turned and left the club, more humiliated than I had ever been in my life. I got in my car and headed out.

On the way, I realized that Allie’s condo was close by. I felt like I needed to talk to someone, and figured she was the best choice, so I went. I buzzed her condo from the gate and entered the grounds. When I got to her door, she was waiting for me, wearing a short robe.

“Are you alright?” she asked. “I thought you had a big date with Sue. What happened?”

“Well, Sue met up with her fiance and decided to finish the night with him,” I said. “I’m sorry if I’m imposing. If you’d rather, I can leave and go back home. I just needed someone to talk to.”

“It’s no imposition,” she said. “You’ve been drinking and I’d rather you stay here tonight. Let me grab your pajamas and you go get changed.” I nodded my head and went into her bathroom. She handed me a folded set of pajamas that I had left from a previous visit and I changed. When I came back out of the bathroom, she handed me a cup of chamomile tea and guided me to the bed she had pulled out in her living room.

I sat down and drank the tea, then laid back on the bed. To my surprise, she climbed on with me and put her arm around me. I told her what happened that night and what led me to come visit her.

“I’m so sorry to hear that. And I’m glad you felt like you could come to me,” she said. “You want me to go scratch her eyes out and call her a whore and a bitch?” I chuckled at that, but the truth was, I could see her actually doing it.

“She probably is a whore and a bitch,” I said. “But I’m glad I found out now instead of later. I’ve never been so humiliated in my entire life.”

“She doesn’t deserve you,” Allie said. “And yes, it’s good you found out now. Try to get some sleep and things will be better in the morning, okay?”

“Okay,” I said. “Thanks for putting up with me.”

“Any time,” she said. Allie put her head on my shoulder and before I knew it, I had fallen asleep. She was still there when I woke up the next morning. I went into the bathroom and did my usual morning routine and put my clothes back on. She was in the kitchen making coffee when I came back out.

“Good morning,” she said when she turned around.

“Good morning,” I answered. “Thanks for giving me a shoulder to cry on last night.”

“Anytime,” she said. “Here, have some breakfast. What’s on your plate today?”

“I’ll be working in the loft,” I said. “I have some servers I need to finish setting up. What about you?”

“I have to go to work today,” she said. We sat and ate our breakfast and talked about what happened the previous night.

“You know, you’re going to make some lucky man very happy one of these days,” I said when I finished.

“I hope so,” she said with a slight smile. “Listen, you know you’re welcome to bunk here any time you want, got it?” I nodded my head.

“Got it,” I said. “Thanks again.”

I buried myself in my studies from that point on, not wanting to experience another episode like that again. I continued to visit Allie and we spent time talking, eating, watching movies or playing cards. After about six months, I had completed my degree and graduated. Mom and Allie were both there and we celebrated the event with a steak and lobster dinner at an expensive restaurant.

A week later, I was offered the contract job in Iraq. I spoke with Mom after I accepted and told her about it.

“Well, it would certainly give you a lot of experience and the money would help get you started,” she said. “When do you leave?”

“In three days,” I said. “I’ve already got my passport and I just need to get a few things updated, but other than that, I’m good to go.”

“Have you talked to Allie yet?”

“Not yet,” I said. “I was planning on talking to her about it tonight.”

“You know, she had a very difficult time when you were gone before,” Mom said.

“No, I didn’t know that,” I said. “This is different, though. I won’t be in a combat situation.”

“Still, that’s a very dangerous part of the world right now,” Mom said. “She’s going to be very worried about you. So am I, for that matter, but I know you can handle yourself.”

“Will you be okay with me gone?” I asked.

“I’ll be fine,” she said. “I’ve managed to get along just fine since your dad passed away. And if I need anything, Allie will help.” As promised, I told Allie about the job that night.

“And you’ll be gone for another year?” she asked. I nodded my head.

“Yeah,” I said. “But this time will be different. I won’t be in a combat situation.”

“But you could still get hurt,” she said.

“They have security people over there. I’ll be okay,” I said.

“I hope so,” she said. “I couldn’t handle it if something ever happened to you.” I put my arms around her as she began to tear up. “Promise me you’ll come back to me.”

“I promise,” I said. “I’ll be just fine. You’ll see.” We spent the rest of the night watching television as we laid on her pull-out bed. As usual, I was in my pajamas and she had donned a long t-shirt. I didn’t know if she had anything on under it, but I could see her hard nipples threatening to pop through the shirt. Allie wrapped her arm around me and nuzzled close.

“I’m going to miss this,” she said quietly.

“Yeah, me too,” I said.

“Can I ask you a personal question?” she asked.

“Sure,” I said. “Anything.”

“Do you think I’m pretty?” she asked. I thought that was an odd question, but answered anyway.

“Of course,” I said. “I’ve always thought you were pretty.”

“You’re not just saying that because you’re my brother?” she asked.

“No,” I said. “Have you ever known me to do something like that?”

“No,” she said. “Would you be attracted to me if we weren’t brother and sister?” she asked nervously. Where is this going, I asked myself.

“Yeah, I could see that happening,” I said. “I’ve told you before that I think you’d make some lucky man very happy and I mean it.”

“But what if you were that lucky man?” she asked. I looked at her confused. “Pretend you don’t know me for a minute, okay? What if you saw me out somewhere by myself. Would you be tempted to ask me out?”

“Truthfully, yes,” I told her.

“Would you be tempted to kiss me?” she asked with a smile on her face.

“If we weren’t brother and sister, yes,” I said truthfully.

“Would you take me in your arms and make mad passionate love to me?” she asked. I could sense that she was getting excited by this little game and wondered where she has heading with it. Looking down, I saw that she had placed a hand at her crotch with one finger under her t-shirt and wondered if she was actually masturbating in front of me. I found my body responding to this and quickly adjusted myself – the last thing I wanted was for her to see me excited.

“I’m not sure this is appropriate,” I said. She laughed before replying.

“I’m just playing pretend, okay?” she said. “We’ve played pretend before.”

“Yeah, but never like this,” I said. “What’s this all about, anyway?”

“I’m just curious,” she said. “You want to know the real reason I don’t go out on dates?”

“Yeah,” I said.

“Because, I always end up comparing the guys who ask me out to you,” she said. “And they just don’t cut it.”

“I’m flattered,” I said.

“I have a confession to make to you,” she said.

“What’s that?” I asked.

“I was jealous when you told me about your date with Sue,” she said. “A part of me hoped it wouldn’t go well. I’m sorry. I don’t ever want to see you hurt by anyone, but a part of me hurt when you went out with her.”

“Wow,” I said. “I didn’t see that coming.”

“I hope you’re not angry with me,” she said.

“No, I’m not,” I told her. “I just never expected anything like this.”

“That night when you were here with me, holding me in your arms, I dreamed about you making love to me,” she said. “Please don’t be angry, but I haven’t been able to get that out of my head.”

“I’m not angry,” I said. “But I’m not into incest. That’s just wrong. On so many levels.”

“I know,” she said. “And I agree. But in my dream, we weren’t related.”

“Tell me more about this dream,” I said.

“Well, it’s pretty straightforward. You and I were naked, in bed,” she said. “And we were making love to each other. You even brought me off with your tongue and I did the same to you.” We had talked about sex before, but those discussions were always about dates we’d had with other people or things we had seen or read online.