Chapter 24

When I got done with talking to my Dad, about borrowing the plane, I went right up to my room and called Emily. This was the second, and the most difficult part of the plan I'd been hatching in my mind. I doubted I'd be able to pull this off, but I wanted to try it, because it might help with something else that I wanted to have happen. What I was really hoping for was that Emily would realize that my calling her with this had constituted that much improved offer that she'd warned me I needed to make if I ever called her again.

"Hi, it's me. Would you like to fly out to California with me, next Thursday? We'd be back in time for school on the following Monday."

"Well, this is a different tactic. Of course, you know they'd never let me go away with you. Why are you going to California?" I could tell from her first response, that she wanted to talk to me too. No matter what happened with my other idea, my plan was already a success. I was surprised at my physical reaction, and the relief I felt at learning this.

"There are three reasons I'm going. The least important reason is because I need a break from everything. I'm tired, and I've been feeling a lot of stress lately. The next reason is that I need to take someone out there to meet some people. The most important reason, is the one I'm on the phone trying to make happen now. I'm trying to get back with my girlfriend, and I was hoping this would be enough to show her that I've changed."

"Who are you taking to California?"

"Anne Coulter, she's the woman who was my birth mother."

"Your real mom?"

"No. My real mom is the one I have now. She's only the woman who brought me into this world, she later abandoned me."

"So, why are you the one taking her to California?"

"First, because I've assumed responsibility for her. Second, because she needs to let some people meet her, to see if they'll let her live with them. Third, it's nice and warm in California right now, at least compared to here, The newspaper said the high temperature in San Diego, California, yesterday, was seventy four degrees."

"Is that where you're going, San Diego?"

"That's where I hope we're going, but that's only our first stop. I wanted to fly to San Diego on Thursday, then spend Thursday and Friday, visiting with the Webb's. That's the name of the family we're taking Anne to. I thought we'd leave San Diego early Saturday morning to drive up to Los Angeles, so we could go to Disneyland. We could spend the night in Los Angeles, then drive back to San Diego on Sunday morning. If we leave San Diego by noon, we should be back here in plenty of time to get some sleep, and be back in school on Monday."

"Did you ask anybody else before me?"

"I didn't even think of asking anybody else before you."

"You didn't? Really?"

"Why would I? You're the only girlfriend I have that I want to get back with."

"What about Shirley?"

"Shirley is in South Carolina. She's a memory to me. If she came out here right now, and I had to choose between you and her, I'd choose you, Em."

"Do you love me?"

"I don't know. I miss you. I think about you a lot. When I've got my hand on my dick, it's you that I'm thinking about while I'm doing it."

"I can't go to California with you. I wish I could, but they'd never let me. You know, you could have really swept me off my feet, and gotten anything you wanted, if you'd told me that you loved me." She sounded disappointed, and I could see that we were preparing to go down another dark road that would lead to yet another disappointment for us.

"When I do tell you that, you'll know that I mean it. I'd never say that to you unless it was true and I was sure. Before you ask your parents, put your father on the phone for a minute. I need to ask him a few questions."

"Kenny, you aren't going to ask him if he's your father are you?"

"No. He's already been asked that. He doesn't know if he is or he isn't, only that he could be. Go get him, and put him on the phone."

"Hello?"

"Hello, Mr. Carstairs. This is Kenny Parsons, Emily's boyfriend."

"You two made up again?"

"Yes sir, well at least we're trying to make up, but, I need a big favor from you."

"Well, I'll help if I can."

"Good. I'm taking Anne Coulter to California on Thursday, to put her in a "special needs" home in San Diego. I don't know if you remember Anne, she was my birth mother?" He didn't try to interrupt, me or to say anything when I mentioned her name. "Anyway, the favor I need is because I've asked Emily to fly out there with me. I wanted to speak with you before Emily asks if she can go with me. I really need you to give Emily permission to go with us. I'd appreciate it if you'd allow her to go. It will only be for four days."

"That is completely out of the question. I won't let her go, and I won't allow you to blackmail me, if that was your intent."

"I wouldn't even think of blackmailing you, Mr. Carstairs. I think I'd much rather just sue you in an open court instead. Imagine what a story that would make? A famous author, one who used to be a teacher, and a fifteen year old student he took advantage of? Now, eighteen years later, she's still suffering from the mental and emotional anguish of that assault. Maybe they'll ask you to write the script for the TV movie I'm sure they'll want to make. Who do you see playing my part?" I wasn't sure why I had suddenly gotten so angry with him. By Anne's account, he had only been one of many. Maybe it was him saying I was trying to blackmail him.

"You wouldn't do that? Even if you would, I'm not sacrificing her innocence just to save myself from some embarrassment."

"Some embarrassment? I don't think so. I'm sure the jury would come back with a big award for both Anne and me. Probably the cost for keeping her in an institution for the rest of her life would take more money than you now have. I don't know why you're so worried about Emily anyway, or about her supposed innocence. She's older than Anne was when you ravished her innocence. It isn't like Emily and I haven't already had sex together anyway. What else was there you were trying to protect her from? We'll need to leave next Thursday, early. Maybe it would be better if she came over to my house, on Wednesday night, and we could all leave together, from here?"

"Would there be a responsible adult going along to chaperon?" He had given in a lot easier than I thought he would. I'm sure he had worrisome thoughts for years, knowing something like this might come up, to spoil his reputation. He hadn't put up that much of a struggle. The question about the chaperon was just so he could save face.

"Yes, my Uncle Hans will be flying with us when we leave to go pick Anne up. You're welcome to come with us as well. I'm sure she'd be interested in seeing you again."

"I have other, pressing, commitments I'm afraid. As long as an adult will be present with you, I see no reason why Emily can't accompany you. She'll be back in time for school though, right? I wouldn't sanction this trip if it meant she'd fall behind in her studies. Have your mother call me to confirm an adult will accompany you on this trip."

"I'll have my father call, it's his plane, and he's the one who approved this trip."

"You have a plane? I thought you meant a commercial flight. I don't know about a private plane, aren't they risky?"

"No, in fact, they're safer than commercial airlines in some respects. At least we don't have to worry about being hijacked and taken to Cuba. We have professional pilots who have up to date certificates of proficiency and competence. She'll be safe with me. I wouldn't let anything bad to happen to her."

I went back downstairs after Mr. Carstairs said goodbye. He hung up before I could ask him to put Emily back on with me. I had my Dad call him and confirm that Hans would be on the flight to pick up Anne, and that a responsible adult would be with us for both legs of the flight. Dad meant the pilot when he said that. When Dad told me that Emily wanted to speak with me, I told him to tell her to hang up and I'd call her from my room in a minute. After he got off the phone, Dad warned me about playing with the truth.

"He's only using the chaperon thing as a face saving thing to tell his wife. The only reason he agreed to let her go with me was because I threatened to sue him in open court for back child support, and on Anne's behalf."

"Did you? Would you have gone through with that threat if he hadn't given you your way?"

"I wouldn't have been bothered a bit by doing that to him. I might not have done it though, if it would have bothered Emily too much. What he did to Anne wasn't right, and he has some nerve trying to pretend like he's such a righteous parent, and I'm scum for wanting to have sex with his daughter."

"Since you raised that subject yourself, Kenny, I have a question I'd like to put to you. Have you considered the very real possibility that Emily might be your half sister,?"

"I don't think its very likely. She was adopted, and so was her brother, Gary. She told me that before we did much of anything together. She and Gary aren't even brother and sister, not by blood."

"Well, that's a large worry you've taken off my mind. I wish you'd informed your mother and I of this earlier. It caused both of us many hours of concern."

As soon as I left him, I ran up the stairs and dialed Emily's number again. My one remaining concern was that she would decide to be really mad at me for what I'd said to her father. I justified my actions in obtaining her father's permission by telling myself it didn't really matter. Her father was worried about something happening, but that had already happened. Perhaps my telling him had been wrong, but I wasn't ashamed or sorry about having done so. I wasn't sure how Emily would feel about it.

"You did it! He said I can go. He's in the kitchen being yelled at by my mother. She'll yell and scream at him, but she always gives in to him in the end anyway. He told me that I'm supposed to spend the night at your house on Wednesday. Where will I sleep?"

"I'm not sure. I know, you can sleep downstairs in Bea's old bedroom, or you and Joyce could have one of those sleepover things, where you both stay up all night and talk about all the cute boys you knew in school. Don't worry though, we'll find someplace to put you."

"I was thinking about sleeping in your bed. Daddy told me what you said about my innocence. He wasn't happy about it. You shouldn't have said anything to him. That was private."

"Private? I had to tell him that so he'd know he wasn't keeping us from fucking just because he said you couldn't go on this trip with me. You want to sleep with me, huh? Aren't you afraid we'll be so tired we'll miss the plane? That would really spoil the trip."

"Tell me again what we're going to be doing. Start right from the very beginning."

"We're going to be flying over to pick up Anne."

"No, before that. Tell me again about the part where you first got this idea, and what you were thinking about."

"You mean the part where I was trying to think of a way to get back with my girlfriend, and about realizing how much I was missing her?"

"Yes, that part. Am I really your girlfriend now?"

"I hope so, but you have a say in it too. I'd like it if you were."

"What did you miss the most about me?"

"That's a tough one, because there were a lot of things I missed. I missed being able to call you and talk to you. Even though we couldn't get things worked out, I still wanted to hear your voice. When you told me not to call you anymore, it really bothered me. It made me think about a lot of things, and it forced me to think about what you really meant to me, and about how I'd treated you when we were together. I've been grouchy to everybody since you told me not to call you. They think it was because I hadn't been having sex, but I knew that wasn't the main reason. I've been mad at myself ever since I figured out how things must have seemed to you. I wanted to call you a hundred times and tell you that things weren't really the way I made them seem. I didn't know what I could say to make you believe I really was sorry, and that I wished I'd been nicer to you, and had treated you better."

"You didn't miss the sex?"

"I never said that. What I said was it wasn't the sex that I missed the most, it was not having any access to you, not being able to see you, talk with you, or touch you. The sex is just a part of all of that."

"Maybe it is for you, but I really missed that the most. I almost called you a bunch of times too. I've been so worried that you'd decide to forget about me and never call again. I knew how easy it would be for you to go out and find someone else, someone you could like better than me."

"Do you really think so? Do you have some names you'd like to share with me?"

"Don't you dare spoil this for me. I've waited too long, and worried too much, that this moment wouldn't ever come. Let me enjoy it, all right?"

"What I meant to say was I didn't want anyone else, and that I never even thought of going out to find someone to replace you. That's strange too, because I always have done it that way before. This time, I knew right away that I needed to be alone. I had to try to figure out what I could do, to make sure I wouldn't get in another situation like the one we were in. I knew it was important that I make some changes in the way I was thinking, and in the way I presented myself to you. It made me spend time thinking about my hopes for us."

"Can you stop right there? I'm so nervous that one of us is going to say something else, something that will make this end up like all those other phone calls. I'd like to go to bed tonight, still feeling very good about talking to you again."

"All right. I'll say goodnight then. We just need to spend some time together, when we aren't fighting about things. I know what you mean though. I'm afraid I'll say something that will upset you. I don't want to, but we need to find some better way of dealing with it when it happens."

"Goodnight, Kenny. You can call me anytime. In case you were still wondering about it, I never let anybody else but you touch me, not since that time with Don Featherstone, at the dance. I was so upset when you didn't call me, I asked my mother to say I had spent the night at a friend's house, when you called, because I knew if she said that, you'd think I was with Brenda."

I got up off my bed, after we got off the phone, and went into the bathroom, to wash my face before going to sleep. When I looked in the mirror, I saw the reflection of a very relieved and happy young man. It hadn't been easy for me to say what I had to Emily, or to her father. I knew it had been the right thing to do with Emily, but I was somewhat afraid that what I'd said to her father would cause me future difficulties.

In bed, I let my mind race through some scenarios where I could convince Emily to spend the next day with me, over at Uncle Bunny's house. I fell asleep, unable to make a choice between the two best possibilities I'd come up with.

At seven thirty the next morning, my phone's insistent ringing woke me up. It was Hans calling from the kitchen, to tell me that Emily was downstairs, waiting for me. I asked him to put her on the line with me.

"Hi, Em, this is a pleasent surprise. It's only seven thirty on a chilly Saturday morning. I was going to call you as soon as I woke up and had some breakfast."

"You want me to come up there and help you wake up?"

"Sure, do you want me to get dressed first?"

"No, it would be a waste of time if you did that. Is that big bolt locked on your door?"

"Yes."

"Unlock it, and then get back in the bed. When I get there, you better be naked, and have something all hard and ready for me to sit on." I heard Hans cackling in the background as she spoke. I knew she'd made his day a lot better by that last comment of hers.

"Yes ma'am. I'm already prepared for the last part of your request. You need to hurry up though, or else I'm going to start without you."

I ran to my door and unlocked it, before running back to my bed. I took my briefs down and jumped under the covers and waited. She didn't keep me waiting long. After she had come inside and re-bolted the door, she hurried over to me and stood near my bed, just looking at my face.

"I was kidding about that, Kenny. You need to get up and get dressed. My mother wants to take us both over to the club for breakfast and a talk. She's waiting outside in her car."

She stood there, smiling, and waiting for me to get up, so she could find out for sure if I'd followed all her instructions. I'd never been shy around Emily, and when I threw off my covers, she immediately dove on top of me, putting the head of my dick into her mouth.

I thought she'd only been kidding about her mother waiting downstairs, especially after she started to do that. After I came, it turned out that she hadn't been kidding. I got a very nice blow job out of it though. After she was done, she insisted that I kiss her.

"If I'm going to go downstairs with cum on my breath, Kenny so are you. Come on, get dressed, my mom doesn't like to be kept waiting."

"She really is outside waiting?"

"I told you so, didn't I? Hurry up."

I went into the closet to get some clothes before making it into the bathroom to dress, brush my teeth, comb my hair, and wash my face. When I came back out, Emily had left my room, and was downstairs, talking with Mama and Joyce. I joined them, listening as Emily was telling them about my surprise phone call from the night before. When I got down to them, she was talking about how excited she was to be going to California with me next week. From the arch forming in my mother's eyebrow as she looked at me, I knew I'd have to do some fast talking when I came back home again.

From the expression on Joyce's face, I decided I wouldn't be touching any food in the house, not until after I'd personally seen Mama and Dad eat it first. I doubted Joyce was mad enough at me to want to poison them also. To make it even worse, I discovered why Emily was using her hands so much while she was talking to them. Right there, firmly in place on her ring finger, was the little diamond ring I had given to her some months before.

We got out of the house, only after I had reminded Emily, for at least the fifth time, that her mother was outside waiting for us. I greeted Mrs. Carstairs, when I was opening the door for us, and waiting for Emily to slide over to the middle of the seat.

"Sorry it took so long, Mom, Joyce and Kenny's mom were so excited about my news. They kept asking me questions, and I didn't want to be rude."

"That's fine, dear. Breakfast is served until ten. So Ken, tell me more about this little trip you're planning. From what I've been hearing, it sounds very exciting."

"Well, it's only a short trip, and I only thought of it because we had to go out to California anyway. I thought we could combine some pleasure, along with the business, and I asked Em if she wanted to join us."

"Jerry and Emily were both a little vague as to exactly who would be going. I think I understood Jerry to say it was an uncle of yours, and another woman. Is she a friend of your uncle's?"

"She's actually a member of my family, and Uncle Hans and I needed to go pick her up for the flight out to California. She's planning to relocate, and she wanted to find out if San Diego was a quiet enough place for her to enjoy spending her time there."

"I see. Is she elderly?"

"She isn't elderly, but she hasn't been very active for some years now, and she thinks a change of scenery might help her to be happier. She had a little bit of a drinking problem, but she seems to be handling that fine right now."

Drinking problem? Well, I suppose most families have someone that overindulges at times. I know that's true in my own family. Jerry didn't say anything specific about the sleeping accommodations, or where you'll be staying. Are you sure there will be a room for Emily?"

"We haven't booked our rooms yet. We do it through our companies, but I'm sure they will be nice. I'm sure Emily's room will be nice, every bit the equal of mine."

"That leads me to my next question. I find it disquieting that Jerry has agreed to send her off with you like this. Can you tell me what you told him to get him to agree to allow it?" I was quickly getting the feeling that she was only toying with me. She was probably getting me to talk to her, with the idea of catching me out in a lie or something. I knew I had to do something different, to find a way to turn this all around again, if I wanted Emily to come with me on the trip.

"I'm famous around my house for my persuasive skills, Mrs. Carstairs, but, I think it was my Dad who finally convinced him when they spoke together. I wasn't privy to all their conversation, but it was probably something along the lines of 'Jerry, they're already screwing each other every chance they get. What are they going to get up to in California, that they already couldn't do right here?' I think that's probably pretty close to what he said."

"I see, and, was your father being accurate, when he said that?"

"I think that was a slight exaggeration, but, I think he just wanted to convey to Mr. Carstairs, the information that Em and I have been on intimate terms for some time now." I felt Emily's elbow in my side, but I'd been prepared for it.

"You are a remarkably frank young man, Ken. Are you not concerned, in the least, that this frankness might offend me?"

"Mrs. Carstairs, I know you are intelligent. I've spoken to you on several occasions. Being intelligent, you cannot have helped but to have noticed the many times Em has waltzed back home, after spending a few hours with me, bathed in that unmistakable glow of a woman well satisfied. I'm certain you would also recognize what must have taken place, to have created such a glow as that. I won't insult that intelligence by pretending that we haven't been intimate on many, many, previous occasions. By the way, I'm sure you'll be happy to learn that our Emily is really a very hot little number. I'm sure she must have gotten that from your side of the family." By now, I was holding both of Emily's arms, with a leg thrown over her lap, and shouting to be heard over her screams for me to shut up.

Mrs. Carstairs had slammed on the brakes halfway up the driveway to the country club. Her face was beet red, as she shouted for me to get out of her car. I remained where I was seated. First, because there was absolutely no way I was letting go of Emily, not when she was this upset, and second, because I was fairly certain that Mrs. Carstairs was only posturing for me, while trying to find a way to reassert some control over a situation that had, quite obviously, gotten away from her.

"If you're worried about Em's reputation, then you can join us on the trip. There's plenty of room on the plane, and that way, Uncle Hans could stay at home with my Aunt Gerta. He isn't that big a fan of flying anyway. Bring Gary along too, if you want to. He has to sleep in your room though, not Em's and mine."

I could see, by the reactions on both their faces, that my invitation had shocked them both. Emily looked extremely unhappy, but her mother just seemed to be more confused by my offer to her.

"Are you serious? I hope you don't think I'm going to allow Emily to travel anywhere with you, not after what you've just got finished saying to me?"

"Why wouldn't you? Did you seriously think she and I would be doing all this fighting with each other if we weren't already having sex? What else are you afraid would happen?"

"I don't allow my mind to dwell on the type of sordid thoughts you've been expressing today."

"Em must get her lusty, almost insatiable, nature from Mr. Carstairs then."

"She's adopted, you cretin! Shut up for a minute and just let me think. You're certain that Jerry has been made aware of the intimate nature of your relationship with Emily?"

"Calling me a cretin only insults you for doing it. To answer your question though, he almost has to know. I told him we were having sex myself."

"You really are overdoing this vulgar persona you seem to have adopted with me. You can stop it right now. There's no reason we can't have a calm and rational discussion about this trip."

"Perhaps, but I often react this way, especially when I suspect that people I'm speaking with believe they are toying with me. It is a long time failing of mine. I'm trying to do better, really."

"Very well. I can accept that rebuke for my earlier behavior towards you, but what has Emily done to deserve being humiliated like this?"

"You'll have to ask her about that. I'm sure she isn't humiliated by this though. Angry, oh yes, she's angry all right, but she has no reason to be humiliated. I already knew she was adopted, I was joking with you about that."

Mrs. Carstairs restarted the car. She'd turned off the ignition key after she had slammed on her brakes. She put it back in gear and drove up into the lot to park. Emily had stopped struggling with me. I'd removed my leg, and my weight, from her lap, but I still had a firm hold on both her wrists. I still remembered the damage she could cause with her nails. After we had parked, it took me and her mother five minutes to convince Emily to get out of the car and to come eat with us.

"Em, if you don't come with us in the next ten seconds, I'm going to leave you home, and take Gary in your place."

"You wouldn't do that. You can't fuck him." She was really mad at me. I doubt she'd ever said fuck in front of either one of her parents before.

"Wouldn't be the first time I swallowed another guy's jizz because you were mad at me."

She looked at me, not believing I'd say something like that, not with her mother right there, able to hear us talking. At last, either what I'd just said, or my earlier threat about taking Gary and leaving her home, made her decide to get out of the car. She moved over past her mother as we walked to the club's back entrance. She wanted to keep a good separation between us.

"Why are you so mad at Emily? You never told me."

"And I'm not going to. Emily knows why I'm angry."

"Is it the ring?" Emily looked around her mother as she asked me that. She knew it was the ring, and more than just the ring. It was the way she put it on, and then deliberately waved it in front of Joyce's eyes, while she spoke to Mama and Joyce about what I told her during our phone call, and the California trip.

It was that, and it was her coming over unexpectedly with her mother, without giving me time to think and prepare first. She could have called to warn me. I still hated to be caught off guard, when people I trusted could have warned me. Mostly though, it was that damn ring, and the trouble it was going to cause for me at home.

"You know what it is. You deliberately provoked Joyce, and made her feel bad. Usually, when we get back together, we get to make love a few times at least, before we fight and split up again. You could have waited for a week at least. This time all I got was one very quick blow job."

"You can say whatever you want with my family, but I can't say anything to your mother and that ugly little dwarf?"

"Em, that was a very cruel thing to call her, and it isn't even true. You didn't need to do what you did to her. Wasn't it enough that you got what you wanted?"

"I wanted her to know that I could hurt her too. She hurt me first. Why are you taking her side. I'm your girlfriend, not her."

"That could change, and pretty damn quick too, if you don't stop using this power you seem to think this situation has suddenly given you. This attitude isn't what I was expecting when I called you again."

"You gave me the ring. You never said I couldn't wear it if I wanted to. I've been wearing it ever since I told you not to call me anymore."

"I didn't say you shouldn't wear it. I said you shouldn't use it, or anything else, to hurt people, just because they happen to care for me."

"You don't care if I wear it?"

"It's only a ring from a pawnshop, Em. I told you that before I even gave it to you. I said that before I even bought it, that you could pretend it was an engagement ring, with your friends. I never thought you'd use it to hurt Joyce, or to scare my mother though."

"Why shouldn't she be scared too, Ken? How do you think my husband and I feel, seeing our sixteen year old daughter dragging herself around the house, crying every five minutes, and looking at that stupid ring on her finger?"

"Mom! I didn't do that."

"You certainly did do that, and a lot more. How many other girls spend half of every day, praying out loud to a telephone, or begging it to make itself ring?"

"She's lying, Kenny. None of that ever happened."

By now, we were seated at a table in the dining room, looking at the day's typed breakfast menu. I ordered eggs Benedict and a side of bacon. Emily had the fruit cocktail and Mrs. Carstairs ordered black coffee, some cognac, and four aspirins.