Chapter 21

Suddenly life was very good again for this Polish boy. And, as is the case when things are going well, time seemed to fly by. Baseball and school filled my days and things with Michelle were terrific. Before I knew it was Saturday, the twelfth of February, and I was in my monkey suit at the Palmdale Country Club for the twins’ birthday party. I assumed my post between Ellen and Elaine as they dragged me around and introduced me to their huge extended family. The twins looked very good in their matching burgundy dresses and black high heels. They were wearing makeup and looked my age if not older. It was cousin this, she’s the daughter of aunt and uncle that, they are my cousins on whoever’s side. I am terrible at remembering names, so it went in one ear pinged around in the void and slipped out the other.

One thing I did notice, though, was that I picked up the connection vibes from a lot of them. I connected with more people at that party than I had my entire life to date. I finally met their Uncle Jake (actually he was their second cousin, I believe). I was trepidacious about meeting him, but he instantly put me at ease. He seemed to be a good guy. He and I talked about sports some. It was way cool talking about baseball to a guy who was in the Hall of Fame. That impressed me more than him being an ex-President.

I also met his wife, the legendary Melissa Thornton-Turner. Now that’s an experience I’ll never forget. Like everyone in America, I’d seen hundreds of pictures of her and I had seen her on television just as many times, so I knew she was gracious and beautiful. But I’m here to tell you, in person she was ten times those things and more. She had to be at least fifty years old, yet fashion models half her age seemed dowdy compared to her. When she put her hand on my arm and looked me in the eye to talk to me, I swear we were the only two people in the room.

“I heard all about what you did for Shelia. My Jake would have done something like that, too. You remind me a lot of him when we were in high school.” she said.

I met the twins’ grandparents, Sean and Mary Murphy. Sean pumped my hand vigorously and thanked me for what I did for Shelia, also. I told him I didn’t do much but it had been my pleasure. Grandmother Mary was another of those seemingly ageless Irish sprites. She had to be at least seventy but her hair was still more red than gray. There were a lot of beautiful women in that family!

It was a huge party with over a hundred guests. So meeting everyone took a while. Al Jerdin was at the party both by invitation and as Shelia’s date. Even though he was ten years older than Shelia, Mister Cavanaugh highly approved of them dating. Donna went along with him, partially mollified that, although Al was eccentric, he was also rich. Al was about as dressed up for the party as he was ever going to get. He wore dress slacks and a sports coat worn over a t-shirt printed like a tuxedo’s shirt and vest. Shelia held Al’s hand the whole party as if she were scared he’d float away if she let go of him, but at least her tristesse was absent. I admired Al for the way he treated Shelia, he teased her and made her laugh but was attentive and sweet to her, too.

After a sumptuous buffet dinner, birthday cake and singing happy birthday, we all moved into a small ballroom where a band was tuning up. The twins kept me on the dance floor all evening. If I wasn’t dancing with them, I was cutting a rug with one of their cousins or aunts. The one cousin they didn’t especially like me dancing with was the daughter of their father’s sister. Her name was Ashley, she was my age and she was a stone fox. Ashley lived in Tampa and attended a Catholic high school there. She had very pale blue eyes that stood out because her hair was a dark brown. She was flirtatious and very sexy. When she first headed towards our table Elaine pulled my head down and whispered in my ear.

“Don’t tingle with her Johnny, she’s a barracuda.”

I laughed and gave her a kiss.

“So she’s not harem material?” I asked.

“Don’t even joke about something like that,” she admonished.

I did get one slow dance with Nina. As soon as she was in my arms Kong stirred to life. When she put both of her arms around my neck and snuggled close he popped to attention. I was thankful that I had prudently worn a jockstrap for the occasion. Nina chuckled when she felt him and sent me a little jolt of sex.

“Did I do that?” she asked all innocent.

“You know you did! Ever since our discussion about chemistry, I get that way if I even think of you.”

During the band’s break Elaine asked me to go for a walk with her. I was surprised, because it was the first time one of the twins ever asked me go somewhere without the other. I agreed, though, and we walked back to the coat check. We grabbed our coats and walked outside. Elaine took my hand and led me around the corner of the building. We were standing next to the practice green for the golf course when she stopped and turned to me.

“I want my birthday kiss,” she said.

We kissed, softly at first then it turned serious. When she gave a little moan it sounded eerily like Nina’s. Elaine broke the kiss just long enough to say, “Tingle me for real, Johnny.”

I obliged her send her a small wave of arousal. She moaned again and said, “more.” I gave her more. Elaine moved one hand off my neck, grabbed my hand and put it on her breast. I took the hint and squeezed her pert little tit. It was about the size of a baseball, I estimated, and her hard nipple was prominent even through her bra and dress. Elaine started giving off vibes of her own as her passion mounted. Finally she came with a shiver rubbing her mound against my thigh. I nuzzled her neck and kissed her softly as she recovered.

“My first orgasm with a boy, that was my best birthday present ever,” she said dreamily.

“That’s great, then I can take this back for a refund,” I said holding out my closed hand.

“No way,” she squealed, “let me see it.”

I opened my hand and she grabbed the short silver chain with a small flat engraved section in the center. The engraving plate had a few Egyptian hieroglyphics etched on it. The glyphs were said to be an advertisement for a strip club. Supposedly the dancers wore them and gave them to big spenders. I bought five of the bracelets for a hundred bucks from the vendor at the flea market who told me the story. Elaine held it up in the dim light and examined it.

“Is this a bracelet? What does it say? I can’t read the inscription.”

“It’s an official harem girl ankle bracelet. It says ‘property of JP’ in hieroglyphics,” I teased.

“Oh, Johnny! I love it. Put it on for me.”

I knelt down and fastened the chain around her right ankle. It took some fumbling with my big fingers to get the tiny clasp hooked. She raised her foot and looked at the bracelet sparking in the moonlight. If the kiss she gave me was any indication, she liked the bracelet a lot.

Elaine scampered inside and exchanged places with her sister. I gave Ellen her bracelet first since she practically tackled me to get it. I fastened it on her ankle the slid my hands up her leg my fingertips gliding over the smooth mesh of her pantyhose. When I reached mid thigh I stopped, stood up and took her in my arms.

“You didn’t have to stop,’ she whispered before our lips met.

Ellen didn’t rub herself against me to orgasm but she sure liked to be petted. I sent her inside and spent a minute willing Kong down before returning to the ballroom.

I returned just as the band was preparing for the last set of the evening. I sat back down at the table with the twins, their parents, Shelia and Al. As soon as the music started I was up dancing again. I was shaking my booty to some hip-hop beat when I noticed Donna Cavanaugh talking to one of the members of the band. As soon as the song ended the band started a slow number. When the girls and I made it back to the table Missus Cavanaugh grabbed me to dance and Mister Cavanaugh grabbed Ellen. I waltzed Mrs. Cavanaugh around carefully and correctly. She gave me a faintly amused look.

“This is not how you danced with the other girls. What’s the matter, afraid I’ll bite you?”

“No, Ma’am, you’re a beautiful woman and I’m afraid that if I dance too close, I’ll want to bite you!”

She gave me a look I’d never seen on her before and locked those big dark blue eyes on me as she pressed herself closer to me.

“You have a way about you, Johnny, apart from being able to project your emotions. I’m so sorry things started so badly between us. If I hadn’t interfered Shelia might not have become involved with Tony like she did. I could kick myself for ever encouraging that.”

“Bygones, Mrs. Cavanaugh. Water under the bridge. How is Shelia doing for real?”

“She’s seeing a counselor and that helps, but Alan seems to be doing more for her.” She smiled as she mentioned Al. “That boy grows on you, doesn’t he? Shelia really likes him and I have to admit that the more I talk to him the better I feel about him. For all his free spirit he is a very responsible young man.”

I smiled and nodded in agreement. I was trying to distract Kong by keeping the conversation going. Donna’s heavy breasts were pressing into my chest deliciously and her hips were making enough contact with mine to be arousing. Before I could come up with something else to say Donna started talking again.

“Listen, Johnny, Thomas and I would like you to do us a favor. We want you to be Ellen and Elaine’s tutor for the social skills they’ll need in high school. We’ll pay you for your time of course.”

“I talked to them about doing something like that already. I’d be happy to and you don’t have to pay me.”

“Nonsense, you’ll need the money to cover your expenses at the very least. Those two really like you Johnny, and we trust you. They are also going to have to learn about boys, if the first one they are seriously exposed to is you, they will at least know who the good guys are.”

What a change from a few months ago, huh? We finished the dance and I walked her back to the table just as Mister Cavanaugh was returning with Ellen. The twins dashed off for the bathroom and I chatted with the Cavanaughs about taking the girls out. I had a few ideas but I wanted to make sure we were all on the same sheet of music.

Mister Cavanaugh told me that high school was just a formality for the twins, as the biggest thing they would be learning there was how to interact with their peers. He told me they were already doing college level work. It was a challenge to find tutors for them but he and Mrs. Cavanaugh weren’t going to let them loose for college until they were sixteen.

The twins came back just as a slow song was starting. Elaine took my hand and pulled me onto the dance floor. She found us a spot in an area out of sight from her parents and plastered herself against me.

“We showed Aunt Nina our anklets and she was so jealous. I think she wants one, too.”

“I think she was just teasing you,” I replied.

She grinned up at me.

“It’s hard for people to fool us, silly man. She wants one, trust me.”

The party broke up at eleven I walked the Cavanaughs, except for Shelia, out to their car. I shook Thomas’s hand and hugged Donna and the twins. I told them what a nice evening I had and thanked them for inviting me.

Then I slipped Elaine a folded piece of paper and whispered in her ear, “Ashley gave me this. It must be for you, because I don’t need it.”

The slip of paper was Ashley’s phone number. Elaine looked at it and showed it to Ellen as her parents were getting in the car.

Elaine whispered back to me, “You are so getting a big reward for this.”

Mom was home for the weekend so we were almost a complete family as we sat through Mass with my grandparents. I sure wished Katrina had been there with us. Katrina and I had kept in touch as we said we would at Christmas. We talked on the phone at least twice a week and exchanged e-mails about as often. I called her later that afternoon and told her how much I missed her. She said she missed me at least that much. She didn’t mention any changes in her situation with the upperclassmen harassing her so I had to think Papa hadn’t been able to do anything. She gave me the dates of her spring break, though, and asked me if I could come out there and visit her. I looked at my calendar and saw that our breaks over lapped by a week. She was very happy when I read her the dates.

I hung up with Katrina about ten minutes later then went downstairs to talk to my parents and grandparents about going out there. All of them thought it was a good idea. Mom said she’d take care of travel arrangements through her office. Papa said he’d take care of finding us a place to stay and car to get around in. They would come from a guy my grandfather knew out there. I dashed back upstairs to call Katrina with the news. Katrina was blown away that our parents and grandparents were doing all that for us. She said she’d plan us out an itinerary. I loved it that she was so excited about my visit

I didn’t get another chance to spend any alone time with Michelle until after school Tuesday afternoon. We were on my bed, cuddled up after some damned good hot weasel sex. Michelle was lying on her back and I was on my side facing her. I was gently caressing her breasts as we recovered our breaths.

“What would you say if I ever wanted to sleep with someone else?” she asked out of the clear blue.

“I’d say that’s your business as long as you are careful. Why, got a candidate in mind?” I replied.

“Yes and no. This guy that just transferred into the school is in my English class. He asked me out and I accepted. He’s the first guy in a while besides you who makes me hot. He’s got these intense brown eyes that make me all weak inside.”

“Well make sure he’s not a jerk first, okay? And use a rubber until you know more about him if you do decide.”

“Don’t worry, sweetie, with my track record, I’ll be super careful. We’re going out Friday night. I’ll let you know how things go.”

I nodded and kept caressing her. I was going to give her one of the bracelets but decided to hold off on it. I didn’t even jokingly want to spoil her chance to discover something new by making her feel obligated to me. I was actually surprised she had waited this long to test the waters and I was pleased that she seemed completely over her last bad experience. Michelle and I were close, and always would be, but at our age an exclusive relationship would deprive us of a chance at a fuller life. I know I wasn’t set for monogamy so why should I expect her to be?

Wednesday afternoon Nina called me. We BS’d around for a while and talked about the party. She told me that I had worked a miracle on her sister, turning her around like I had. I couldn’t take any credit for that, I told her. It was just a by-product of Shelia’s misfortune. She disagreed but dropped the subject. Then in this teasing pouty voice she told me she was envious of the twins because of the ankle bracelets. I teased her back by telling her I didn’t think she was ready to take the love slave oath. She cracked up at that. She said she was just as game as the twins were and she would do anything they did. I asked how she’d know I wasn’t cheating.

“Because I know you and I know that’s not in your nature,” she said.

She invited me over for dinner at seven. I cleaned up, dressed up a little and slipped one of the bracelets into my jacket pocket. I had no more designs on Nina than I did her nieces. I just thought she was cool and a great person to have as a friend. Of course teasing her was as much fun as it was teasing the twins. Shelia was the only member of the family I had even thought about trying to get in the sack and we all know how that went.

I was sitting on the couch with Nina after a very nice meal that she cooked herself. I had kept her in stitches all through supper talking about some of my misadventures when I was younger. Nina loved to laugh it seemed, and I was happy to be the one amusing her. My jacket was on the back of the couch so I fished the bracelet out of it and dangled it in front of her. She made a giggling grab for it, and I snatched it out of her reach.

“Uh, uh, you have to earn it,” I said.

She pouted but when I put my arms around her she came into them unresisting. We kissed and I sent her about the same amount of lust I’d sent Elaine the other night. She cooed into my mouth then stiffened when I cupped her breast through her shirt. I again sent her a little jolt, bigger this time, again, as I had with Elaine. She relaxed and even pressed her breast harder into my palm. Nina’s breasts were maybe slightly bigger than the twins although not quite as firm. She looked up at me when I broke the kiss.