Chapter 9 -- Christmas Recess and New Year 1975

There's a feeling I get
When I look to the west,
And my spirit is crying for leaving.
In my thoughts I have seen
Rings of smoke through the trees,
And the voices of those who stand looking.
Woh oh oh oh oh oh...
And she's buying a stairway to heaven!

--Stairway to Heaven (Led Zeppelin)

Late Tuesday afternoon, Merry came up to my room and asked me what I wanted for dinner. It was New Year's Eve, and I already declined an invitation to a party at Wendy's with Patty and Camille, mostly because my mother asked me not to go out that night. It wasn't a difficult decision to make, since I preferred that the first girl that I kissed in 1975 would be the Goddess that would be arriving from her vacation the next day.

My parents were at a party in Chicago with Kristen's parents. Kristen made reservations for them for a room at the same hotel that hosted the party. My parents, in return, offered to pick Kristen up the next day at O'Hare to take her home from Europe.

So, it wasn't surprising that I found myself home alone with Merry on New Year's Eve. Merry was a pretty good cook and made a light supper consisting of snacks, including broiled shrimp wrapped in bacon (Merry's favorite appetizer), chicken teriyaki on skewers, and chips with sour cream dip. For dessert, we ate some chocolate ice cream and added some syrup to make sundaes. There were also a couple of six packs of Coke in the refrigerator.

Merry and I were watching television and listening to Guy Lombardo and His Royal Canadians surgically remove any semblance of jazz from the song April in Paris live from the Waldorf-Astoria in New York. I was thinking to myself how funny it would be if Count Basie actually showed up with a few guys to put Guy's conductor's stick into a more appropriate place. I didn't know it at the time, but this would be one of his last New Year's Eve performances before his death a couple of years later.

Merry looked bored.

"What's up, Shortcake?" I asked.

"This music sucks."

I laughed. "You have a wonderful taste in music, kid. You can look at the other channels. I think Wolf Man Jack may have a Midnight Special on NBC, if you like his kind of rock and roll."

Instead of laughing, Merry turned on me. "I'm not a kid!"

"Whoa, Merry! I'm sorry. I didn't mean to imply..."

"You treat me as if I were a kid," Merry said. "Like that guy Fonzie on 'Happy Days.' He even calls Joanie 'Shortcake.'"

I corrected my step-sister. "I heard him say that, and it surprised me when I first heard it. You should know that he calls her 'Short Cakes.' I know--I listened. He always uses it plural, and I have no fucking idea what he means by it."

That last part was a bit of a lie. At the time, I suspected that the plural term might be a reference to Joanie's prepubescent breasts and considered it to be a cruel insult. My suspicion changed over time as the series continued, though.

"So, what do you mean by it?" Merry asked, not entirely convinced.

I looked at my step-sister. I wondered what was bothering her. "It's just a pet name. Like when I call Kristen 'Kris' or Camille 'Cammy.' It's nothing different. I can't call you 'Mer, ' can I? I'd sound like that guy on the Mary Tyler Moore show. You know, 'Hi, Mar... '" I tried to do an acceptable Ted Baxter impression, although my voice was nowhere near as deep as his.

Merry didn't seem amused at my attempt at humor, and she finally said, sulking, "I guess not."

Neither one of us spoke for a few more minutes, until Merry suddenly blurted out, "It's not fair."

"What's not fair?"

"You and I could be at Wendy's house. We were both invited."

"Who told you that?" I asked.

"I heard you on the phone."

"Shit! Have you been listening on the phone again?"

"No, you jerk," Merry answered, haughtily. "I heard you talking when I walked into the den yesterday. I wasn't on the fucking phone!"

"Sorry, Merry," I said. "I didn't mean to accuse you. By the way, your dad would kill you if he heard you use the F-word."

"You use it all the time, and you're changing the subject," Merry pointed out. "We were invited and you said, 'No.'"

I nodded, and then said, quietly, "I'm not sure about your dad, but I know for a fact that Mom wouldn't have allowed it. Think about it, Short-... Merry... We'd be at a party. People will be drinking. I don't drive, and neither do you. We'd need somebody to take us home..."

"But..."

"Please hear me out, Merry," I said, not wanting to let her interrupt me. "The girls can sleep over if they want to do so. They don't have to go out on the road. In addition, it's not just them. There will be plenty of other people drinking and driving tonight. Everybody will be having champagne at midnight. That's why Mom and your dad are staying overnight in Chicago."

"You make it sound..."

"Merry, my own fucking father was a fucking drunk!" I said, my voice raised with those words that were fueled by my emotions. "I know what it's like. He nearly killed Mom and me and God knows how many other people on more than one occasion when he insisted on driving. He did get into accidents, you know! He'd always say it was somebody else's fault, but we knew. I don't ever want to be in that situation again, and I don't want to hear about anything like that happening to you. I love you too much!"

Merry was silent for a long moment.

"I'm... I'm sorry," Merry said, softly.

"I'm sorry, too, kid," I said, lowering my voice. "I mean, Merry. I didn't mean to yell at you that way. It's just a sore subject."

"I... I knew about your father and that your mom left him because he drank. I didn't know much more, though."

This was getting into an emotional scene. "Don't worry about it."

"Shortcake," Merry said.

"Huh?"

"You can call me Shortcake."

I moved closer to my step-sister and pulled her into a long hug. "I love you, Shortcake."

"You don't talk about your father much," Merry observed.

"I don't like the man. He drank and he did other bad things. His name was James, and that's why I hate it when people call me that."

Merry nodded. "I heard he hit you and your mother."

"Yeah," I answered. "He wasn't a nice person. I mean... sometimes, he could be this wonderful person, and it was easy to see why Mom married him. At other times, he was drunk and ugly and a big fucking bully. He sort of turned me off fathers."

"He's your father," Merry said. "You might feel different if he were gone. Like my mom."

I hugged Merry harder. "I know about your mom, and it must be hard. I cannot think of how difficult it would be for Mom to pass away like that. I'm glad your dad and Mom found each other. They both seem very happy."

Merry hugged me back, but didn't answer.

We went back to watching Guy Lombardo in silence.

We watched the ball descend on Times Square in relative silence. It was still an hour to midnight where we were in the Midwest, so it didn't mean much to us, except to watch people make fools of themselves on the streets of New York.

"What is the significance of the ball?" Merry asked.

I shrugged. "Beats the fuck out of me!"

Merry laughed. "You used the F-word!"

"Fuckin-A right!"

Merry giggled.

During a commercial about a half hour before midnight, Merry said, "Jim?"

"Yes?"

"You said you love me."

"I do."

"Will you kiss me at midnight?"

I didn't need really to think to answer this one. "Of course." I loved that little girl--who was quickly becoming a woman--something fierce. Unlike most brothers and sisters that I knew, we hardly ever fought. Even, like tonight, when we disagreed, we easily saw each other's side of things and were willing to cut the each other slack. I think it may have been because we didn't grow up all our lives with one another, and we each secretly hoped for a little sister or bigger brother and finally got our wishes.

Merry turned back to watch television. About five minutes later, she started up again. "Jim?"

"Yes?"

"I love you, too. I'm glad your mom married Dad. He wasn't really happy after my Mom's illness. I mean, he tried to put on a happy face when he was with me, but I could still tell. He was lonely, and... and..." Her voice died off.

This was getting very emotional for me. "Not only is Mom and your dad happy, but I finally have a kid sister that I can pick on." I playfully gave Merry a punch on her arm without putting a single ounce of energy behind it.

Merry didn't answer me, and I knew better than to push the conversation much further.

I looked at my step-sister. Her eyes looked as though they were ready to break out in tears. I finally couldn't stand it. "What's wrong, Merry?"

"I'm really sorry about before," Merry said slowly. "I just thought going to a party would be fun. I didn't think..."

"It might have been fun," I agreed. "But you know that I did make Mom a promise that I wouldn't be out on the road tonight. I promised her I'd stay home with you."

"Do you miss Kristen?"

Merry had a silly way of changing the subject quickly. "Yes. I miss her very much."

"The two of you make a nice couple."

"Thank you, Merry. What brings that up?"

Merry shrugged. "I was wondering what it would be like to have a boyfriend."

This was getting interesting. I looked at my step-sister and asked, "Do you have anybody special in mind?"

Merry shook her head no, but the blush on her face told me otherwise.

"Any boy would be lucky to have a wonderful girl like you," I assured her.

Merry didn't answer, and pretended to watch the television. Again, I figured that it was wisest not to pursue this conversation any further.

The local station was showing New Year's celebrations that were happening closer to home than New York City. There were a few parties shown live in Chicago when I noticed the ballroom of the hotel where our parents were. Merry and I both moved closer to the television and squinted and looked around to see if we could find our parents, but we were unsuccessful. The scene was crowded, there was a reporter superimposed over the scene, and there were also subtitles indicating the name of the hotel. It was a frustrating minute and a half for Merry and me, but it got our minds off our recent conversations. I think I noticed Kristen's parents, but I couldn't be sure.

A countdown to midnight started about a minute before midnight, and Merry and I waited for the start of the new year together. Merry would steal a glance at me, and I pretended not to notice.

At midnight, Merry and I kissed.

The kiss wasn't the chaste kiss that I expected. I was surprised to feel Merry's tongue squirm at my lips, which parted automatically before I realized that I was kissing my own step-sister. I opened my eyes in surprise, and saw Merry's eyes still closed. I decided to allow her this special kiss... our first one for 1975. I moved my tongue into Merry's mouth in response, and our kiss lasted almost a minute.

When our lips parted, I saw that Merry was breathing quite heavy. "Thank you, Jim," Merry said, and then she sprinted upstairs.

I realized that the kiss left me with a small erection. I briefly considered taking care of it, but I remembered that I made a bit of a promise to myself to save my sperm for the lovely blonde Goddess that was due to arrive in just half a day. I knew that when I went a day or so without Kristen, my production of semen seemed to increase. I was hoping that a week without any sexual activity would give Kristen a special "bonus."

Smiling at the thought that I would be seeing the lovely Kristen soon, I turned off the television and was about to go upstairs when the telephone rang.

I figured that it was my parents, making sure that Merry and I were both safe and secure in our home and I cheerfully answered, "Happy New Year!"

"Hi, Lover!"

It was Kristen! I smiled, even though Kristen couldn't see me. "Hey, Kris! Where are you?"

"At the lobby of a hotel here in New York. Times Square was a riot!"

"You were at Times Square? There were pictures on TV. I didn't notice you in the crowds."

"About fifty million other tourists were here also!" Kristen exaggerated.

I laughed. "Happy New Year, Kristen!"

"Is Patty with you?"

That was a strange question. "No. Just Merry and me. I was Merry's first kiss of the new year."

"Way to go, stud!"

I figured that I would tell Kristen the entire story later. "Want to speak to Shortcake?"

"No," Kristen replied. "I can talk with her later. I just wanted to hear your voice again. I miss you something fierce."

"I miss you, too," I assured Kristen.

"Happy new year, Jim! Give my love to Merry!"

"All right."

As I hung up the phone, I smiled. One thing that I loved about 1974 was that it was the year that Kristen and I started going together. It was a year that was now forever stamped indelibly in my memory. I felt a bit of sadness that the year was over, but 1975 was starting off very nicely for me.

In retrospect, one of the things that didn't occur to me at that moment was that 1974 was also the year that I found the Lucky Tickets.

I turned out the light in the hallway, and noticed that the lights were already out in Merry's room. I walked quietly past her door when I heard noises inside Merry's room. I froze, not knowing why I was being so quiet, when I realized that I recognized those noises. They were the same sounds that Kristen sometimes makes when we play around together.

I blushed in the darkness when I made that realization. Merry was really growing up. I wondered what lucky boy was the object of Merry's passionate dreams. I started to tiptoe toward my own room when I heard Merry murmur, "Jim! Jim!" and then a cry that was suddenly smothered, as if Merry pulled a pillow over her face.

My mind fantasized Merry's lovely nude body racked in orgasm as I continued into my room.

My erection, which started when Merry kissed me, was now as hard as steel. It wasn't lost on me that Merry called out my name before reaching her orgasm. Yes, my name is a common one, but somehow, I knew from our earlier conversation that it most likely wasn't anybody else.

Despite the fact that Merry was young and was also my step-sister, my mind didn't have a problem conjuring up an image of her in bed, writhing in ecstasy, with her fingers between her legs. I saw a few girls masturbate in front of me, most recently Kristen, who actually seemed to get a thrill of seeing my dick get hard as she tantalized herself in a lewd manner, and the image of Kristen's wanton behavior morphed into Merry and her still not quite completely developed body.

It wasn't easy for me to not relieve the pressure. I heard a few more faint cries from Merry's room, which only added to my torment. It took a while before I fell into a fitful sleep.

When I woke up, I found myself thinking of Merry once again. I didn't know if I should tell Kristen about what Merry did. After all, Merry was entitled to her privacy. I did know that if Merry harbored a secret desire for me, then I'd have to act carefully.

If Kristen knew about Merry's desire, how would she react? Kristen was a jealous person, and revealing Merry's apparent infatuation with me could just set her off, but that was doubtful. Kristen seemed to love my sister almost as much as I did. In addition, I knew that Kristen never seemed to complain about the sexual relationship I shared with Patty, which started before I knew Kristen and lasted well into our relationship; Kristen even joined Patty on a few occasions. Kristen had a sexual relationship with her adopted brother, so she might understand it with Merry and me.

However, there was one thing that was different. There was no fucking way that a relationship between Merry and myself would ever happen. I didn't love Merry that way, nor would I take advantage of her obvious crush on me.

I decided to watch Merry for a while and see if I could fix this up, if necessary, on my own. Like I promised myself with my mother, those damned tickets wouldn't be the way I'd deal with Merry, either.

My parents arrived with Kristen at about two o'clock. They gushed about the room, actually a suite, that Kristen provided for them at the hotel.

Kristen brought some souvenirs and gifts back with her from Innsbruck, where she stayed, and there were gifts for everybody. She gave my parents a lovely cuckoo clock, and she gave Merry a matched set of earrings, necklace and ring made from Austrian crystal. The only person that seemed to be forgotten was me. Kristen didn't have anything for me in her bag of presents.

I invited Kristen upstairs, and she immediately accepted. Once in my room, she undid my pants with a hungry look on her face. I was already hard, and she knelt down and licked my shaft. Kristen swooned and then, to my surprise, she started pulling my boxer shorts back up.

"I needed that," Kristen said. "I found a candy shop in Innsbruck that made me some peanut clusters, but they'll never taste as good to me as you do. The important thing is that I don't want to make love to you because I need to; I prefer doing it because I want to, and I would like to do it later, all right?"

This was one of the rare times that Kristen left me high and dry. After hearing her explanation, I didn't mind very much, although my dick was lodging a number of complaints.

"I have a present for you, but I would like to wait to show it to you. All right?"

I smiled. Of course Kristen didn't forget me! "Whatever you wish, my dear Goddess!"

Kristen actually swooned, and then rushed over to me and kissed me. She pushed me onto my bed and started to dry hump me. Kristen, for her part, didn't seem to be wearing any sort of lingerie. I didn't feel any bra straps underneath her dress. The thought of her traveling from Chicago with my parents without wearing panties or a bra made me a bit hornier.

Kristen and I kissed for about five minutes, during which time my observation of Kristen's lack of underwear was confirmed, and my dick's ever-rigid condition was strained to the taxing point.

After we finally broke our kiss, Kristen whispered to me, "Jim, as much as I love the taste of your cock and your sperm, I love just kissing you just as much and even more! Your wish never did that me, darling!"

Kristen's comment actually brought tears to my eyes. As much as I wanted to think that Kristen truly loved me, I always questioned how much her love was based on her need for my cock. "I truly love you, dear," I whispered back, turning my head so that she couldn't see the emotions on my face.

Kristen got up off the bed and started to straighten out her dress. I turned around and found something to wipe my eyes. I made a feeble excuse and hurried into the bathroom to clean my face a bit better.

As Kristen and I came down the hallway to rejoin the people downstairs, we met my mother coming upstairs. "Kristen, there's a limousine in the driveway, and Harry from your house is at the front door."

"That's our ride!" Kristen said. "May I bring Jim to my house? I promise to have him in bed by ten!"

Inwardly I snickered. Kristen's promise wasn't that I'd be home at any time, actually.

My mother smiled and I wondered if she got Kristen's joke. "You already asked in the car, Kris. Of course he can go. He can even stay overnight if he wants."

"Really?" I asked, a bit surprised. My mother didn't usually allow me to sleep over on a school night.

"Of course, Jim. You should bring your books, though, so you don't have to stop by tomorrow morning for them."

"Oh!" I said. "Great idea."

I hurried back to my room and retrieved my attach case.

As we got back downstairs, Merry was in the living room. Kristen went over to Merry and asked, "So, how was your new year?"

Merry smiled at Kristen and said, "Jim doesn't think much of Guy Lombardo's music, and I agree with him about that. We kissed at midnight. Some day, my New Year's kiss will be from my boyfriend!"

"Let's hope that day waits a few years, Sugar," my step-father said. As I indicated before, he was very protective of Merry.

Merry looked at her father, ran, and gave him a hug. "I'll always be your little girl, Daddy, but I am growing up."

I glanced at my mother, who looked amused at Merry's outburst. I walked over to her and kissed her as well. "I'll try not to grow up too fast, either," I whispered to her.

"I'm not worried about you growing up anymore, Jim," my mother answered quietly. That one comment meant an awful lot to me.

Kristen and I bade farewell to my family as I helped Kristen with her bags. Harry was waiting for us in the foyer, and insisted on taking the bags that Kristen was holding, not taking "no" for an answer. He led us to Kristen's father's limousine, and he opened the spacious trunk where we deposited Kristen's bags.

Harry then opened a side door for the two of us, and I followed Kristen into the limousine. Harry closed the door behind us, and after he entered the driver's door, Kristen said, conversationally, "Jim and I are going to make out back here. Signal me when we're at the gate. Take the scenic route, Harry."

"Yes, Miss Kristen," Harry said, cheerfully, raising the "privacy window" between the front seat and where we were.

I was surprised that Kristen would tell somebody so matter of factly that we were going to "make out."

Kristen giggled. "You look shocked, Jim!"

"I wasn't expecting you to tell Harry that," I admitted.

"It's not as if people don't know, Jim."

"I guess..." I answered, still a bit confused.

"Oh, come over and kiss me before I rape you!"

"Yes, Miss Kristen," I said, trying to imitate Harry's voice.

"You clown!" Kristen laughed, before I muffled her mouth with mine.

Kristen unzipped my jeans and pulled my cock out of my boxers. I expected her to start sucking me, but she instead just gave me a slow hand job. I returned the favor by stroking her wet slit while our tongues wrestled together.

I was worried that my oversensitive penis would explode. Kristen's manipulations definitely seemed to be designed to get me excited, but did so without having me go overboard.

Twenty minutes later, a chime signaled our arrival at the gate to Kristen's house. Kristen let go of my penis and pressed a button near the window. "Harry, can you take us to the main house, and drop off my bags at my apartment?"

"Of course, Miss Kristen."

I was surprised, as I thought that Kristen wanted to make love. I started to zip up my jeans, but Kristen just shook her head. "We're going to the Solarium."