Chapter 7

Things went downhill from there.

The problem was that no two could agree whether any particular answer was good or bad. They argued more among themselves than they grilled me. I was wrong about Samantha, the female Brother, not having an interrogation peer though. When these old men focused, I felt the fire. It would have been very effective if they were not so amusing to begin with. For the most part, they dug and I laughed answering each question as honestly as possible.

I sat facing four crotchety old men, and all I could think was how much I would have given for any of them to be my grandfather.

They finally decided that the questions were not cutting it so settled for chewing up one side of me and down the other.

I enjoyed every second of that too.

Eventually, they gave up since arguing amongst them was significantly more fun than trying to goad me. They got some beers and we watched the sports channel for highlights of yesterday's baseball games. They were avid fans of the classic teams: Yankees, Dodgers, etc. I did not follow baseball, which was treated as sacrilege and a good enough reason to start another round of chewing me out.

We spent the rest of the day like that; arguments between them interrupted by concentrated gnawing at my psyche.

We ordered lunch, drank a bit (it was early for real drinking according to one of them), and I received a lot of tips on how to treat Siblings. We ended with a conversation about sexual technique that would have made the occupants of a female restroom blush while listening avidly. I thought maybe Siblings had secret techniques to keep men virile considering the advice seemed to have been tested not long ago.

At about 5 pm, they stood up in unison. One of them went into the bedroom and came out holding a small velvet box.

They smiled at me kindly. I thought I could get used to being treated like the prodigal grandchild. They handed the box to me, and filed out the door without another word.

Melisa walked in.

I looked at the box in my hand.

"No secret ceremony?" I asked her.

She shook her head before replying.

"Brothers believe a candidate was always one of them. Giving you the ring is not a symbol of acceptance, but one of acknowledgement."

I opened the box.

What looked like a Brother's ring rested inside, the craftsmanship was extraordinary. Unlike Dr. Ryan's though, the ring had no crest on it. It also had etchings on both sides; a fist holding a pair of manacles. I asked Melisa about the difference.

"It's a Training ring. It says you have not fully accepted your status yet. Siblings will understand you cannot be expected to take responsibility in every way they might need you to."

"Who decides when I'm ready to take on those responsibilities?" I asked.

"You do."

I nodded.

The Brotherhood made sense like very little in my life ever had.

I put the ring on my left hand.

I turned to stare out the window. The weight of the ring felt right.

"Do you want to go out and celebrate?" she asked. "It's not everyday an orphan finds his family."

She was smiling gently when I turned to look at her. Someday, I would like to read the full profile the Brothers have on me; then again, maybe I should not.

"Where to?" I asked.

"Something Italian," she smiled wider.

Again, she knew what I was thinking; Italian was my favorite food.

I smiled, and walked with her to the elevator. I sat quietly on the way to the restaurant. It was not like the pensive quiet of the morning. I got the feeling Melisa was absorbing the achievement of her ten year old wish. I was trying to adjust to being with her in a relationship that followed no rules I was used to.

I thought I knew what Melisa wanted eventually but years of socialization fought the idea that her more immediate goal was to prepare me for other Siblings. She had not asked about Janet; I almost believed she did not care. It would take time to make that leap; a part of me thought she had to care.

Amazingly, I had made the reciprocal leap with Doris Alex. I wanted her but was not bothered that she had been and probably would be again with Professor Ryan or other Brothers. I watched the streetlights as they passed. I doubted I would ever get to the point of not caring if someone else, even a Brother, touched Melisa.

At the restaurant, Melisa gave the matre-d' my last name.

I looked at her.

She shrugged.

"You said you wouldn't fail me."

I nodded.

At the table, we looked through the menus making quick decisions. The waiter was a good one. He read us for what we were and remained scarce while keeping an eye on us in case we needed anything.

Melisa pulled an expensive black planner out of her purse and handed it to me. I raised an eyebrow looking down at it.

She sat quietly staring at me.

I opened it to find a set of credit cards with my name engraved on them, a checkbook with a receipt of deposit in it, and a ring of keys. The credit cards were the best in their particular family: American Express, Visa and MasterCard. The figure on the receipt of deposit made me do a double take and look up at Melisa questioningly. One set of keys were housekeys, the other set were BMW keys.

I closed the planner and put it down on the table. I sat back and stared at Melisa.

"How?" I asked her.

She smiled her smug, secretive smile.

"Being a Sibling or a Brother gives some very stable and ambitious people the wherewithal to succeed on their terms. I WILL be successful in my life and a majority of my charitable contributions will serve the Society."

"Charitable contributions?" I asked.

"A Brother, like you, has their finances handled directly. To anyone investigating, David Feather has just inherited a significant amount of money from a relative he never knew about and has a majority of his money managed by a very successful full-service investment company. There are a several of those companies worldwide and they even carry regular people on their client rosters to muddy the waters. The most common method for Brothers and Siblings to contribute to the Society's coffers is to become clients of those investment companies."

I nodded.

"The Society is also very supportive of certain organizations. Michael, Doris, Sheryl, Janet and I are on full scholarships from our greek organizations. It's the preferred method of funding a Sibling's education especially since we are much better off in the insulated social environment of college greeks. Brothers are also very generous to the Siblings around them."

I raised an eyebrow.

"You'll see, baby. Brothers absolutely LOVE the way Siblings express gratitude."

I cleared my throat to stop the thoughts that tried to invade my mind. I did not need to think about a grateful Janet and Doris Alex in the same bed yet.

"The Society is very old, David, and they plan ahead to an unheard of scale. There are private charity organizations that don't even know they're completely funded by the Society and serve the Brothers' interests."

"Why do it though?" I asked.

She laughed.

"If you had a little brother and the money, what would you for him? Pay for college, make sure he has choices; maybe the question is really what wouldn't you do for him? How about for a lover? A daughter? A grandson?"

I nodded.

"A lot of Siblings base their stability on Brothers, David. Successful people spend thousands on therapy, entertainment, and vacations. You name it and they'll give their money away if there's a chance it will make them happy. Siblings do the same."

She snickered and shook her head.

"Doris gets off on giving a Brother head, EVERY time. Do you know how many women have sex with men and don't experience an orgasm? Like I said in Dr. Ryan's office, Siblings are very grateful that Brothers have such rigorous selection standards. We have a harder time picking out comfortable shoes than good lovers."

A corner of my lip turned up. I always thought the orgasm thing was a bit of stupidity on men's part. Why would anyone expect a woman to do something again that was not fun the first time?

"It's still an amazing sum," I said looking at the planner.

She shrugged.

"My mother was still young when she met her Brother. The Society paid for her to go to medical school; one of those private scholarships nobody's ever heard off. The core of her life is my dad; a lot of people wouldn't understand that. They would say she's strong; she's successful; she doesn't need anybody. Yes, she is strong and successful but she needs my dad. Every time she's lost someone on the operating table, he's held her together. She was glad I became a Sibling. She knew that I would have a host of Brothers and Sisters that wouldn't fail me when I needed them."

She shrugged again.

"Every penny she gave the Society was an investment in someone else's future."

I shook my head slowly.

She sighed and smiled gently.

"For Siblings, there's always somewhere safe. There's always a place they can call home. You are never going to understand that, David. You don't need a home. I don't know, maybe you carry it inside you. A lot of our classmates make the transition to thinking of college as their home very quickly. I didn't do it until Dr. Ryan told me you were going to be shown the rings."

I thought she was right; I might never understand a Sibling.

"I could just sit on this," I said pointing at the planner.

"Why didn't you ask for a crest immediately?"

I stared at her.

"No one will deny it to you. A lot of female Siblings would be at your disposal if you wear a crest. All you have to do is ask for it."

I sat quietly.

"I won't deny you."

I nodded.

"The Brothers don't make mistakes like that, David. They know you'll use it to get what you want and you'll make sure that another Brother or Sibling has the same resources when they need it."

I did not think it was that Brothers did not make those mistakes. I believed it was more like; those mistakes were corrected immediately upon discovery. Only one pair of eyes still watched me, but the intensity had increased.

The waiter came by with our food, interrupting the conversation.

We ate in silence as I absorbed how completely my situation had changed. Behind the door of the Brotherhood were a dozen other doors they held open. As I ate, I looked through each one carefully. At the end of the investigation, my life plan was unaltered. The only change was that now I could afford to do it my way.

I left Siblings out of my thinking. I had a feeling they would sort themselves out around me.

Melisa filled the air with talk of her sorority. She wanted me to attend the semi-formal with her the last weekend before finals. I nodded acceptance absentmindedly. I could feel the mental ground beneath my feet solidifying. Decisions on what do and what not to do were being made as rapidly as the questions presented themselves.

"The house keys?" I asked Melisa.

"It's to the Brother house."

I looked at her with a question in my eyes.

"The only ones that live there now are Doris, Sheryl and Michael."

"Sheryl?"

"Another Sibling."

"Oh," I said.

"Be careful with her if you move in before the semester ends."

"Why?" I asked.

"She is going to be Dr. Ryan's crested Sibling, but has not gotten the new ring yet."

"Hmm..." I said.

"Cresting is a Sibling's decision, David. A Brother can deny the Sibling but that's as rare as an uncrested denying physical pleasure to a Brother."

I nodded curiously.

"Doris was born into the Society and Janet made her choice while in her early teens. Sheryl was brought in while in college. She's struggling with morality and her urges. She wants Dr. Ryan on his terms but that's a big adjustment for a good Catholic girl," Melisa said with a small smile.

"I thought you said the school did not have a Brother in residence, what about Michael?" I asked.

"Michael's a Sibling."

"Oh!" I said.

A lot more about Michael's relationship with the girls I knew were Siblings made sense. Michael was member of the school's most popular fraternity, and one of those Adonis type college males; blonde hair, blue eyes, boyish good looks, charming, and armed with a quick wit. For a long time, I thought he had the same relationship with Doris Alex, Janet, and Melisa that I did. It always struck me as if he connected with them in the same way they did each other though. Michael being a Sibling answered why he did not date any of them or anyone else in school.

"Roderigo went home right away but Robert and Samantha, your other first day interviewers, are conferring with Dr. Ryan. With both of them staying for a couple days. Michael is spending most of his time at the Ramada."

We talked a little more about the other Siblings before I grew quiet to think about moving into the house right away. I decided against it. My life was in for some turmoil but it was better to put much of it off until after finals. I would have plenty of my own time during the summer to deal with the new situations.

The rest of the meal went smoothly. We sat and talked about little things in each other's life. It was 8:30 pm before we decided to leave.

She drove to the house to show me where it was. I wanted to see the inside so I stepped out of the car and walked to the door. She followed behind me. I opened the door and stepped inside. I was in a long hallway that had steps to the second floor directly in front of me, down the hallway I could see the kitchen, on the left about 30 feet to the kitchen was a set of sliding doors I figured was the living room.

I heard steps upstairs.

I waited by the front door.

She was barefoot. She wore a soft peach pair of pajama bottoms. They were almost see-through so I could watch her well-formed thighs as they came into view. Her flat stomach was bare; her workout regimen accented the lines of her abdomen, highways for an exploring tongue. The skin there looked so soft I wanted to shower it with kisses. She was wearing a small peach top that was also see-through, but the satin bra beneath hid her treasures. Her face was made-up in light touches to highlight her beauty. Two strands of hair framed the sides of her face and the rest was in a high ponytail.

She stopped at the bottom of the steps and smiled at me.

"Welcome home, David," she said.

Undoubtedly, I was not in Kansas anymore.

I turned around. Melisa smiled widely at me.

Doris Alex had presented herself to me. There was no other way to describe the obvious care in her preparation and the walk down the steps. I turned back to the most unreachable woman in our school and smiled. She stepped up to me, wrapped her arms around my neck and gave me a kiss to stop hearts.

I wanted her lips doing more than kissing but the knowledge that it would come in time let me enjoy everything about her. She smelled like roses, which seemed appropriate for a redhead. She broke the kiss and stepped back holding my hand.

"We've been waiting for you," she said in a painfully sexy smile. Melisa took my other hand and drew my face around to kiss her too.

Doris Alex and Melisa smiled at each other.

Doris Alex let go of my hand and slid one of the doors open to my left open. She led me into the living room. The colors used to decorate the room were diffused bright ones. The furniture was chosen for comfort without sparing expense or at least someone had not been looking at the balance owed when they bought any of it. There was one of those massive systems of couches that are only seen in furniture stores. The kind that is L-shaped and comes in 5 to 10 pieces. I had to smile at the huge size of the TV. To my left, towards the front of the house, was a set of glass and wooden doors.

I looked at Doris Alex and she smiled.

Melisa was no help because she was smiling also. I let Melisa's hand go and walked to the doors. I admired the woodwork. The money spent on the house was only noticeable if you looked closely. Curtains on the other side prevented me from seeing into the room. I opened both doors at the same time and looked inside.

I looked back at the women. Doris Alex was having a hard time containing her smugness at my pleasure.

Melisa did not bother.

The room was about 20 feet by 20 feet, with 12 foot ceilings. The dimensions of the house were astonishing to me. Maybe it was the dark of night outside, but it had not seemed so large as I walked up to it.

The furniture in the room was to my dream taste. The bed was larger than a king-sized with a frame of oak. It had a natural dark brown wood finish to it. There was a large drawer set, and a tall wardrobe taking up the space across from the bed. Beside the window was a desk with large, black flat-screen monitor on it; I would later discover the cage bolted to the bottom of the desk that held the computer. The hardwood floor had the shine of newness to it. Different types of dried flowers and gargoyle faces decorated the walls. I walked to the foot of the bed and enjoyed the atmosphere. The woods went so well together it made the room seem spartan.

I stood in the middle of the room for a good five minutes.

I turned around to see Melisa and Doris Alex leaning on either side of the doorway. I stared from one to the other. I smiled warmly at Doris Alex before walking to stand in front of Melisa.

At 5 foot 1, she was my absolutely favorite height for a woman. The layered blonde hair was two shades from platinum. Her green eyes were striking in a blonde.

Melisa was not my type, which made the attraction strange to me. Other than her height, she was too small for my tastes. I was short for a guy at 5'6 but my build made me look so much larger I dwarfed her. I preferred more solid females, like Doris Alex or Rachel. Janet, while shorter than Melisa, probably weighed as much if not more. Melisa was not ethereal but everything about her was symmetrical to her height.

I stared into her eyes wondering where it would all take me.

Doris Alex closed the door on her side, moved through the living room, and slid the door closed. I looked at her, as the doors were about to completely separate us.

She winked at me.

I looked back at Melisa. She was smiling again; the smug little smile I was becoming used to. I knew she was planning my life out for me; normally I would be beating the walls at her presumption. I looked deep into her green eyes. I could see her trust and a few things I admitted I was not prepared to acknowledge.

Yet.

I wondered at that. She willingly admitted that she had been waiting for me; she planned for this. Would I somehow disappoint her expectations?

Not yet though, this was still the easy part.

I reached up to stroke her face. In that touch between us was the acceptance of things we kept hidden.

For now, it had to be enough.

I kissed her; a small kiss holding a promise of what was coming.

I reached down to take her ring hand. I looked at the ring; she would wear my crest on it when I was ready to face every promise in her eyes. I knew it was going to happen; I did not need her to tell me it was her deepest wish. I could not imagine it being any other way.

Melisa had to be mine on our terms.

I turned around and led her to the bed. I stopped a yard from it, and pulled her in front of me. I looked down at her, waiting.

"One promise at a time, Sibling," I whispered to her.

She nodded at me. I could see the thin sheen of tears in her eyes. I had waited two years for my first time with Melisa; I could not imagine waiting ten.

"One promise at a time," I thought.

I walked forward, until the back of her legs touched the bed. I kept moving, and she fell backwards onto the bed. I moved until I stood with her legs between mine. I looked down at her. Her body was the picture of symmetry. I got on the bed, with my knees on either side of her waist.

She reached up to run her hands down my abdomen, and scratched her nails down my slacks. I felt myself harden inside them.

Mine.

All mine.

Maybe only one night at a time but still all mine every one of those nights.

I took her hands, and pulled her up to a sitting position. Her face was below my chest. She looked up at me. I smiled at her. Two nights ago, I had taken control of the seduction.

Now, I exerted it.

I unbuttoned my shirt and removed it. She reached up and used her nails along my chest. I reached down and pulled the undershirt over my head. She kept at work with her nails, harder this time. Expectation was slowly taken over by desire and need. She moved her head forward to score my stomach with her teeth.

I unbelted my slacks, undid the button and zipper. Her hands reached inside the opening, widening it. I reached behind myself, took off my shoes and socks. I had to lean back to do it. She seized the opportunity to use her nails on my chest again. Leaning forward, she used her teeth on the muscle right beneath my bellybutton. I pushed my hips toward her in reaction.

She stopped.

She leaned back on her hands, looked at me with darkened eyes. I could see the passion flooding them. I straightened up and pushed my briefs and slacks down my thighs. Keeping eye contact, I raised first one knee and then the other, forcing my pants and briefs onto my calves. I straightened up, back on my knees. I stared at her. She studied me as she had on the morning of the first interview with Professor Ryan.