Chapter 7

His Mom had been prophetic, Andy mused as he drove home after his shift at the store. Back in March, she had started a commercial cooking course at the U Extension. The schedule was terribly hard on her, but she had been certain the department store where she had worked for years was on its last legs. She had been right. The closure announcement came the day before Memorial Day.

There were some attractive bonuses offered to keep employees until the doors were shut, and his mother was determined to wring out every penny she could from the job. Final closure was scheduled for Labor Day, a month before her course finished. The bonuses would allow the family to keep their income up until she could find a job cooking. Of course, even with the great scholarship she had won, it was going to cost more to send Beth off to the U, so they would need every penny. Something had to change, but Andy did not know what it would be.

The current money crunch did not incapacitate Andy. It seemed that ever since he could count, money had been a struggle for their little family. It was just a fact of life, and somehow they would find a way, again. It was August, and he had been looking for a full-time job for several weeks without much luck. It looked like school was not on for the fall semester because he would have to work. He would keep the convenience store job, too, in case his mother took a while to find something.

More than money, Andy worried about his mother's health. Working full time and taking the course was brutal. Because of employees at the department store leaving for new jobs, there was constant begging for her to take more overtime hours. Always eager for money, she took way more hours than she should, in his opinion. The course itself was demanding, too. He was afraid she would totally collapse before the final Labor Day clearance.

Gretchen Berg had always loved to cook, and she knew she had a natural talent for it. Some of her happiest times were spent in the kitchen, preparing meals. Much of her talent had been directed at making inexpensive food taste good, and she modestly considered herself a master of the art. Her children certainly told her so often enough.

Her children. In a life that seemed characterized by struggles and missteps, there was always that one miraculous achievement. At times it seemed all she had to give them was love, but they thrived on it and gave it back in full measure.

A very bright woman, Gretchen's chance for an education was sacrificed to early marriage and motherhood. When the marriage ended, the struggle to provide for her children began, leaving no chance for college. Her parents did not have the money to send her, and the court-mandated payments from her ex were small, and seldom forthcoming.

The one thing Gretchen had going for her was her classy appearance. The department store HR manager took one look at her and saw sales potential. That enabled her to escape the menial labor jobs that most uneducated single mothers fall into. The pay was not that great, however, and was highly dependent on commissions. The solid health coverage was the main thing that made the job worthwhile for her family.

Because of her appearance and manner, Gretchen made it to the upscale women's apparel department, where she had been for the last eleven years. As department stores in general slid from favor, her department suffered even more. Lately, her absolute dollar compensation sometimes fell below that of ten years before.

Gretchen knew the job would end, and she knew education was essential to a new career. Despite her skill, she could not face twenty or thirty more years of selling, but the time and money required for a marketable degree was way beyond their resources. She happened to meet someone who had taken the cooking course, and was intrigued by it.

They had been living in a minimal two-bedroom apartment for several years, trying to save for a down payment on a house. Reluctant to draw from their precious house fund for tuition, she did mention the course to the kids, and they would not let up until she had enrolled.

Now in August, with the end of her sales job in sight, she fought minute by minute against the overwhelming weariness. She loved the course work, and wanted to spend more time on it. Unfortunately, sleep just happened, whether she wanted it to or not.

Andy had spent many, many hours helping her with the sections on provisioning, purchasing, and budgeting. She had even needed help getting the units of measure straight for large quantities. Even with all his help, she could not give it the time she wanted to. She knew it would be tough breaking into the job market, but at least she would be doing something she had a passion for.

While trying to juggle work and study, there had been another major trauma for Gretchen and her family. Hearing that the store was closing, her sister Carla had begged them to move in with her. Both of Carla's children had moved away permanently, and besides helping her sister, she wanted some relief from the loneliness.

Carla had benefited from the only bit of financial good fortune in their family's history, and it was far from wealth. Her ex's family had money and the divorce was due to documented adultery and violence. To keep things quiet, the parents gave her a settlement, including a cash lump sum and educational trusts for the children. She had bought the little house and entrusted the rest of her money to an advisor who turned out to be honest and skillful. By working most of the time her kids were in school, Carla was able to let the fund accumulate. Now, she could live modestly on the interest without working, if she chose.

The savings in rent being too attractive to turn down, Gretchen had accepted Carla's offer. The kids had absolutely refused to let her do anything for the move, and they had been settled in since the Fourth.

The bungalow-style house had just two actual bedrooms, but the minimally-finished full-length attic expansion had served as Carla's son's bedroom. That still left no bedroom for Beth, and four people to compete for one bathroom. Beth would be going off to college soon, but Gretchen and Andy both wanted her to have something she could call home.

Andy was able to plumb a bathroom in the upstairs area which served as a partial divider. He was ready to put up a wall to give Beth a private area in the large open room, but she refused to let him, given the short time until her departure. He promised to make a room for himself in the cellar-like basement before she returned for her first visit. In the interim, they put another bed in the expansion.

Actually, Andy's first plan had been to move to his own place. Both his mother and aunt, however, begged him not to. Having a man around the house was worth the crowding, and they didn't want him spending the money. He agreed mostly because of the money. They would need every penny to keep Beth in school and to meet normal expenses until Gretchen found a job.

Life for Gretchen, Andy, and Beth had always been scratch and claw, but that's what they expected it to be. They had no examples within their family to make them think it could be otherwise. Their goal had always been to get by, and one way or another, they always did. They were among the vast numbers of honest, hard-working folk who never really expected a higher economic level or an easier life. Well, they may have dreamed of it, but never dared take any significant risk to rise above their current state.

Gretchen had stayed with her department store sales job because she lacked the confidence that she could find anything else as good or better. She got to dress up for work, after all, something unique in her family. Acutely conscious of her lack of education, she had always felt her position was more than she 'deserved.' In fact, she had suffered considerable anxiety at first because the pay was so dependent on commissions, and thus quite variable. Her background told her to make sure she had something certain, even if it was not much.

Academic success was the one thing that stimulated the Bergs to think about a better lifestyle. Gretchen had been a very good student in High School, making her loss of college opportunity that much harder to accept. When her children, Beth in particular, showed the same aptitude for school, it became her mission to see that they did not lose their chance. What they called their house fund, she secretly saw as for a house only if there was something left after college was paid for.

When Beth focused on Med school, it caused quite a stir in the larger family. Nursing was understandable, but even that seemed aggressive, given the family history. Gretchen never wavered in her support, though, and Andy adopted it as his mission, as well. Somehow, they would see that she got her chance.

Andy was also a good student, and did very well in his Accounting studies. Although intelligent, hard-working, and the nicest guy you could ever meet, he had his weaknesses. Foremost among them was a lack of aggressiveness due to an expectations gap. Never really able to picture himself in a high-paid professional or managerial position, it was easy for him to sacrifice his studies for extra cash for the family.

Because of his combined love for his sister and his lack of personal ambition, Beth's M.D. became the dominant goal in Andy's life. Oh, he wanted to finish his own degree and get a nice job, but the M.D. had become larger than life. Never had anyone attempted anything so lofty. Only because he loved her so deeply could he even get his mind around it.

What the Bergs had not inherited in wealth or ambition, they made up for in solid, traditional values. The idea of cheating or stealing to get ahead never crossed their minds. Gretchen had often been the victim of hijacked commissions, but the offender was usually made to stop by Gretchen's coworkers. They knew she was absolutely straight with them and took offense when she was abused.

Andy's manager at the convenience store could not believe his luck in hiring Andy, given the poor pay. As an example of his honesty, he had personally paid for the fountain drink he gave Lindsey the night she took refuge at the store.

Moving into Carla's house was a financial windfall, and a chance for the sisters to renew their relationship. Actually, since they were four years apart, they were closer now as single mothers of adult children than they had been as teens.

Carla understood and sympathized with what Gretchen was going through. She had a job at Wal-Mart herself, but bent over backward to make things as easy as possible for her sister. Gretchen at first insisted on doing her share, but the other three ganged up on her and she relented. By the time they moved in, she really did not have the energy to object, anyway.

After years of the three Bergs living together in the small apartment, they had developed their own standard of modesty. The single rule was that genitals and the women's nipples were covered. Period. In practice, covered did not always mean not visible. Semi-opaque panties caused no negative comment, especially from Andy. Nightgowns and stylish robes were almost never used, shorts or panties and Tees being the norm for sleeping and often for just relaxing.

Having to share a single bathroom in the apartment had required accommodation as well. Using the toilet while someone else was in the shower was quite common. In emergencies, they might even pee with someone at the vanity. In early puberty, it was difficult for the kids to accept that degree of openness, but necessity soon won out.

Once the early-teen shyness was conquered, Andy and Beth had to work out the nature of their relationship. Despite the three year age difference, they became close friends, so protective rules were never needed. The whole family, while slim to the point of being thin, was quite attractive, and there was obvious physical attraction between the siblings. Because of their intelligence and upbringing, they remained affectionate but chaste. Cuddling, massages, hugs, and caresses without the intention of arousing were enjoyed between all the family members.

Addition of another person into the mix, especially in her home, threatened to disrupt the established dynamic. Whether Carla was just perceptive, or she and Gretchen had discussed it, she quickly established that she wanted nothing to change.

The night the move was finished, Andy had to work late. When he got home, Carla met him in the kitchen, clad in fairly sexy panties and a Tee that was short enough to expose most of the panties. After fixing him a snack and a soft drink, she sprawled in a chair in the living room and motioned him to another. He had trouble keeping his eyes off of her and she noticed.

"Modesty is a good thing, Andy," she told him, "but too much modesty is just too much work for as close as we're going to live here. This is how I am most comfortable, and this is how you will see me a lot, I'm afraid."

"That's supposed to disturb me?" he asked with a laugh. When she grinned, he told her "That's pretty much how I'm used to seeing Mom and Beth. My only problem will the same one I've always had with them. You're all just too damned sexy!" They shared several more minutes of friendly conversation, then retired. In the morning, Andy made it a point to appear in just the boxers he slept in.

The next time Andy was home when his mother returned from work, he did the pampering routine, and it was the first time Carla had witnessed it. As soon as Gretchen got home, he rubbed her feet, and when she had eaten and showered, he gave her a massage. As he was massaging her on her bed, Carla came and stood in the doorway, watching.

At first, Andy was a little nervous rubbing his minimally clad mother with her sister taking it all in. Remembering their chat about attire, though, he decided to act as he normally would, and he massaged her in earnest. He knew how much she appreciated it, and he believed it helped keep her going on her incredible schedule. He did pause slightly when he came to her ass, but went ahead and worked it strongly, as had become his custom. She had remarked many times how much it relieved tense muscles there from the long hours on her feet. As always, he massaged through her panties.

Through good genetics and attention to her diet, Gretchen maintained a figure that runway models too soon grow out of. Though not blessed with the overall beauty to put her in the model or actress class, she retained a tautness that many teens would kill for. She had always felt that the only reason she had her job was because she looked very good in the fashions she sold. There was no way she would risk losing that job because she let herself go.

The most difficult problem for Andy, knowing Carla was watching, was the erection he always got during the massages. His mother probably knew, but had never given any indication. She likely treasured the relief too much to risk losing his attentions, besides not wanting to embarrass him. Often, when he finished, she had no energy to do anything, and sometimes, she was already asleep. The times when she fell asleep, he would stop the serious massage and just caress softly before reluctantly covering her and leaving.

He was thankful right then that he had on fairly snug shorts, and that he had been pointing downward when he started to swell. It was pretty uncomfortable, especially since Carla's presence seemed to enhance his arousal. Despite the discomfort, it was better than being on full display for his aunt.

Andy had been giving these pampering massages for years, now, and he knew every inch of his mother's backside intimately. Early on, he had felt very guilty for his arousal. His guilt did not deter him, though, and the more he realized just how much pleasure and benefit he was giving, the less guilty he felt. Even when the guilt decreased, the arousal did not, and he learned to just live with it. As she became less and less concerned about being covered, the stimulation increased, and his control was put to the test. Because she also became freer with little hums, moans, and wiggles, a trip to the bathroom for him very often followed a massage.

Because he took his time working on her, Andy did a lot of pondering. He knew the intimacy he shared with his mother was considered wrong, according to the standards under which they had all been raised. Knowing how much it helped her, he could not understand why it was wrong. Maybe it was wrong because it gave him the undeniable desire to have sex with her. But if there was no chance of that happening, was it still wrong?

Most of the time, such moral conundrums were just too deep to bother with when her lovely body was under his touch. He had never tried to classify himself as a tit man, ass man, or leg man because he found every part of her, and of Beth, appealing. But there was no denying how exceptional her legs were, allowing her to turn heads in skirts usually reserved for women twenty years her junior.

Gretchen always laid on her stomach for her massages, and Andy had never had a good look at her breasts. He knew them to be modest, but they fit her overall trim appearance quite nicely. At times, he had wished she would turn over in her sleep before he pulled her Tee down, but he would not let himself dwell on the possibility. The one fantasy he could not shake was to massage her without the panties. Some of those she wore were transparent enough so there was not much more for him to see. It was the feel that he wanted to experience.

One thing Andy would never do was push her for more intimacy, no matter how much he might fantasize about it. His love and respect for 'his' women just would not permit it. The massages were a way for him to demonstrate his love, and letting lust intrude would be counter to his intent.

Lost in thought, as usual, Andy jumped when Carla spoke. "Does a girl have to try to kill herself working to get some of that?"

It took a moment for her question to register. Then he chuckled and replied "Nah. She just has to ask."

"I'm asking."

"Now?"

"Why not. Your current patient just checked out." Gretchen had indeed fallen asleep.

"I'll be there in a minute."

When he got across the hall to Carla's room, she was down to panties and Tee and was pulling back the covers. As she lay down, she pulled up the shirt to expose her whole back. Having the same slender frame as her sister, Carla carried some extra padding, but it was distributed nicely and made her more - cuddly. From his first touch on her shoulders, she showed her pleasure verbally and by little motions.

"I want exactly what Sis got," she told him, then added "Please!"

A little surprised at the request, Andy nevertheless went ahead with his usual treatment. He was thoroughly enjoying the different feel of his aunt. His mother's tightness had always felt wonderful, but Carla's softer, more cushiony feel had its own appeal. Her calves and thighs, when he got to them were just a little thicker and a little softer, but still well-shaped. His erection certainly did not deem any part of her less sexy.

When it was time to massage her ass, he paused just a moment, uncertain whether she really meant him to go that far. Little did he know what she really wanted.

"Andy," she said softly, "the panties. Take 'em off."

That startled him, for sure. "But Mom doesn't..."

"Figger I need to give you an extra incentive. You'd even do sis through her robe if she asked you."

"You don't need to give me an extra incentive. I'll do this for you any time you ask."

"OK. Take 'em off anyway. I want those wonderful hands on my bare bottom." Shaking slightly, he took hold of the sides of her waistband and pulled down gently. She did some little porpoise movements to allow him to pull them down. Each time she raised her ass a little to help him, her pussy lips became more visible in their light nest of fur, promoting a rush of blood to his cock. Some of the panties his mother wore had given him good hints at the same view, but this was definitely most exciting.

There was no nervousness or hesitation he could detect from Carla, making him feel like a pubescent teenager as he tried to steady his hands. This is what he had fantasized about with his mother, but the reality frightened him almost as much as it excited him. He did settle down as he started kneading her gluteous muscles, that is until he noticed how his actions spread her open more to his view. Maybe it would be better if he did this in the dark. Not!

After giving her ass a more than adequate working over, he rested his hand lightly on one cheek, signaling an end to the massage.

"Mmmmmm! Do that! Just lightly," she begged him. After he had caressed for a little while, she asked "Does Gretchen get that, too?"

"Sometimes after she falls asleep."

"Do it while she's awake. I guarantee she'll love it."

"Um, I don't know. Seems kinda... fresh," he objected.

"It's sexy as Hell, but what's wrong with that?"

"I don't want to frighten her or upset her."

"Couldn't happen. Worst case she could rape you."

"Carla! She's my Mom!"

"And you're two sexy people who love each other to death."

He was silent for a while, just running his hand lightly over her thighs and bottom. "Would you ever, uh, with Brad (her son, his cousin)?"

Carla never even flinched. "Don't get me wrong, I love my son to death. We just never developed what you and Gretchen have. With all his sports and all his girls, he had plenty to occupy his interest."

"He must never have seen you like this," he told her.

"No, not really."

"His loss. How did I get so lucky?"

"You sweet-talker! I... I just wanted in on what Sis was getting. It's been a long time since I've felt attention like this."

"But you've had several boyfriends," he pointed out.

"Uh huh. Slept with some, too. A couple were even good in bed. But this is just... I can't really explain it. It's like you can't get enough of me, and I love it." She paused again, obviously enjoying the feelings. "Is it pretty painful?"

"What? Oh, uh... you noticed, huh?"