Chapter 11B

Bambi was already in her room laying out clothes when we walked in. Most of them were still too nice and too sophisticated but we didn't say so right off.

We slathered her face with cold cream to remove all traces of makeup. We made her take a bath and wash her hair to get the perm out of it. While she was in the tub, we put away all the clothes she had out and then went looking for something suitable.

When nothing turned up, Neeka ran out the door and down the hall into one of the guest rooms. She came back with a pair of denim shorts that had been cut off and the side seams ripped. They were the perfect thing for kicking around the house and something that 'Mrs. Reynolds' would never wear.

Neeka saw my raised eyebrows and said, "She told me I could stash some of my stuff over here so I wouldn't have to be running back and forth all the time. Some of it is down in the workshop and some is down the hall."

"Sounds like she wants you to move in."

"Yeah, I got that idea."

"I want you to move in, too."

"Yeah, I know. I'd really like to, but I need some space. You're just too much of a distraction if I'm too close."

"Especially if I'm having an orgasm?"

"Especially then. I just climax right along with you. When I'm at home, it's a big smile and a warm glow. When I'm any closer, it's back-cracking, nerve-jangling, eyeball rolling..."

"I get the picture," I said. "Stop before you get me worked up. We need a top for her. Something less distracting than usual." I thought for a second, then the perfect thing occurred to me. I ran up to Jim's room and stuck my head in. Jim was lying on the bed, reading a homework assignment.

"Hey, Jim. Have you got a football jersey I can borrow?"

"Sure, Sis. Old? New? Dirty? Local? Pro?" He opened his closet and pointed to a rack that was almost full of football jerseys.

"What a collection! Uh. This is nice." I pulled out a Dolphin 'away' jersey with number 12 and the name 'Griese' on it.

"Dad got me most of those. I have an autographed one of those on the shelf if you would rather wear that. This one's been washed a few times and it's starting to fade."

"No, this is perfect. Thanks. But I thought he had a different number when he played with the Dolphins."

Jim looked at me like I had said something dumb. He smiled and explained, "This one was his father's."

"Oh! His father played football too? That's nice. But the jersey's not for me. You wait and see. It's a surprise!"

Jim looked puzzled, but he knew better than to press for details. He went back to his textbook and I went back downstairs.

Neeka loved the jersey. While I was gone, she had found a pair of slip-on deck shoes that looked just comfortable enough. They may have been the only flats in the closet. Everything else in sight had nothing less than a four-inch heel.

When Bambi came out of the bathroom, we brushed her hair back into a ponytail. Then Neeka applied just a touch of blush to her cheeks and a hint of color to her eyes. No mascara. No eyeliner. No pencil. No lipstick. It was the lipstick that she had the hardest time giving up. We gave in as far as letting her put on a little peach gloss, but that was all.

We put her in the shorts, the shoes and the jersey and sat her in front of the mirror.

"I look fat," Bambi said. "This jersey just hangs off me and makes me look fat."

"Easily fixed," Neeka said. She took the sides of the jersey and folded them around the back and pinned them in place with a safety pin.

The result was a close fitting midriff that showed about two inches of skin above her shorts and fit closely around her breasts. It made her bust look almost as large as mine. I saw that she approved of that.

"It's amazing," Neeka said, looking at Bambi in the mirror.

"It's fantastic," I said. "We could be sisters."

Bambi stared at the two of us in the mirror. She went back and forth, comparing and examining. Except for the two inches of height, hair length and my tan, we looked very much alike. We weren't twins, or even close to it, but anyone seeing the two of us together would assume that we were sisters and that we couldn't be more than two or three years apart in age.

"What do you think?" I asked Neeka. "Nineteen?"

"At most. Maybe even eighteen."

"You two are the biggest flatterers!" Bambi said. "I don't look that young. But I am surprised at how much Sam and I look alike. I've been very happy with all the comparisons, but I never saw it myself until now."

"We need another vote," I said. "Come with me."

I led both of them up one flight and knocked on Jim's door. I stuck my head in and said, "Jim, I have a friend I'd like you to meet. I let her wear your jersey. I hope you don't mind."

I opened the door and led Bambi in by the hand. Jim smiled broadly at the new girl and dropped the book and jumped off the bed to greet her. He stepped right up to her, looked her in the eye and said, "Mom? Is that you?"

"Hi, Jim," Bambi said, smiling back. "Thanks for the loan of the jersey."

"Oh My God!" Jim said. "I don't believe it. You look... you look just like the girls at school. You could walk down the hall and no one would know you weren't a student. It is really you isn't it? I mean, I know it's you, but... wow. You're cute! If Neeka wasn't here, I would have hit on you."

That last comment got him a swat on the arm from the redhead. It was obviously a sincere compliment though and it made Bambi very happy to hear it.

"Really," Jim said, obviously stunned. "You don't look any older than Neeka. I might not have caught on so quick if Sam wasn't standing behind you grinning like the cat that swallowed the canary. I knew something was up when she came in to borrow my jersey, but if I passed you in the hall at school or saw you at the mall I never would have known it was you."

"Do you really think she will pass for nineteen?" I asked.

"Oh, yeah," Jim said, enthusiastically. "Wait a minute. Pass? Pass where? What are you up to?"

"She's coming to the party. Janice, Jolene, Connie, Neeka, and Bambi are going to be hanging out this afternoon. We're going to be upstairs on the deck some, while there's still good sun, but you and Bud can join us down in the family room later if you think you can keep a straight face."

"It won't take that long," Bambi said. "Surely they will catch on in a few minutes."

"We'll see. I think you'll be surprised."

Connie was the first to arrive, promptly at 3 o'clock. She left her small blue Fiat parked next to the curb in front of the house and walked up the driveway to the front door carrying an overnight bag. I saw her craning her neck and looking up at the house on the way. I remembered my first walk up to the door and how impressed I was with the four-story façade. Even though the front was intended to impress, I thought the view from the tree line in the back was much more impressive, where the slope and the landscaping combined to give the impression that the house sat on a high hill.

I opened the door before Connie could ring the bell. I wanted her to feel that she was welcome and that I was excited to see her. Neeka was downstairs giving Bambi some last-minute tips on the current music, celebrity, and local gossip topics; so I greeted Connie by myself.

"Hi, Connie. Thanks for coming," I said as I showed her in. "You didn't have any trouble find the place?" I wanted to satisfy my curiosity while we were alone.

"No, not at all. I've known where this house was for years. My uncle used to take us out for Sunday drives and we would go past the houses of all the important people in town. He enjoyed telling us how often each of them would come to his restaurant and what they usually ordered. I know where Sheriff Foster lives, too."

"Oh? OK, I appreciate the diplomacy, Connie, but I like to be up-front with my friends, as much as possible. You obviously know something about what happened at the restaurant, so let's clear the air about that, OK?"

"OK. I wondered if it was a subject I should avoid, or how much I could talk to you about it. I tried to ask Uncle Sergio about it, but he said that the personal business of his customers is something we never talk about. You know, he feels very protective of all his customers, especially the important ones.

"Anyway, I haven't said a word to anyone about this. Even though my head was spinning, I remember seeing you and Mrs. Reynolds run to the restroom right before all the excitement. You must have gone out the back, because the next thing I know, you came in the front and you were all businesslike, so I knew we wouldn't be having any more fun." She smiled at me warmly as she said that. I returned the smile reassuringly.

"I saw you and the Sheriff talking. You were both very serious and all. I was surprised to see you talking to him. I didn't remember until later that you became serious before the Sheriff came in. That meant that whatever your business was started about the same tine that the Sheriff was attacked by that man in the parking lot. Then you came back in and told me to get two more chairs. Then all the cops in town converged on our parking lot. Then the Sheriff came in and sat down and you and he talked.

"When I seated him and his wife at their own table, he looked over at you and turned pale, like he'd seen a ghost. I didn't want to look like I was snooping, so I didn't turn around, but he asked for another drink right away. I heard him tell his wife that this was all confidential just before I went back to the bar.

"I decided that whatever was going on, you were someone I wanted to get to know. I put my name and number in the folder with the check and hoped that you would call. I'm sorry I couldn't talk on the phone. My mother was standing behind me, listening like it was any of her business. You figured that out, though and I was even more impressed."

"Thank you for keeping all this to yourself," I said. "I really appreciate your discretion and your uncle's attitude toward his customers. You understand, I can't tell you any more about that night, other than what you have already figured out. Something happened in the parking lot and I had to take care of it. The Sheriff was thanking me for helping him.

"Is there anything else you'd like to ask me before we go downstairs and meet my other guests?"

"Only lots! First, that night in the restaurant, you did a pretty convincing 'little girl' act. Only you're obviously older than nine or ten. How old are you, really?"

"Thanks. How old do you think I look?"

"I'd say... 20?"

"You're going by my figure, now. These do make me look older. The truth is — I'm only 18."

"Well, you startled me at first. I thought you were just precocious. Then I thought you would quit when you found out I wasn't wearing panties, but you just got bolder. Before I could figure out what to do about the situation, you had me so turned on that I would have stripped naked and let you fuck me with a bread stick right there on the table."

"Oh, wow! I can see I underestimated you, Connie. You've got a much better imagination than I do. The bread sticks never occurred to me. That's it. You're not leaving now, no matter what. I may tie you up and have a contest to see who can do the kinkiest thing to you."

"I knew I was going to enjoy this. Is there some place I can change clothes?"

"I was going to ask about the sundress and the white shoes with the matching purse. I did tell you to dress very casual?"

"Yes. But I had to tell Mama where I was going and when she found out, she wouldn't let me out the door in shorts and sneakers. My other stuff is in the suitcase."

"Well, one of you has very good taste. Come on downstairs and meet some of the others first so you can show off that nice dress. Bring your bag. There's a place you can change and freshen up."

I managed to keep my evil grin in check as I introduced Connie to Neeka and Bambi without mentioning any background or relationships. I did watch Connie carefully to see if she would recognize Bambi, but she didn't even look at her hard.

"That's a very nice dress, Connie," Bambi said. "Did you get that at Caxton's downtown?"

"Yes, I did. Thanks. My mother made me wear it. She thinks people who live in big houses sit around all day dressed-up. If there is a place I can change, I brought something else."

"You can use the bathroom under the stairs. The light switch is on the left inside the door."

When Connie had gone to change, Bambi said, "Ouch! I wasn't ready for that. I feel like a stereotype."

"Console yourself with the knowledge that she accepted you as a peer and felt comfortable enough to make the comment." I told her. It was as close to 'get over it' as I felt I could go. I hadn't thought about things like that when I set this up, but it was too late to turn back now. In "Mrs. Reynolds'" absence I wondered if there would be any other unfortunate comments.

The doorbell rang and I dashed upstairs. Jolene and Janice had arrived. I thought they had come together, but I saw Jolene's bicycle in the driveway and I knew it was just coincidence.

"Well, hey! Come on in. Everyone else is already here. We're all downstairs."

Janice wore a tube-top and shorts, which was what I had on, but Jolene wore what looked like an oversized nightshirt with moons and stars all over it. It was way too big for her and it hung off one shoulder and came to her knees. I couldn't decide if it was supposed to be stylish, if it was really a nightshirt she had decided to wear, or if this was the newest thing in clubwear. She also hadn't brought a bag, so she was going to be stuck with what she had on for the duration.

"Jolene?" I said.

"Unhunh?"

"What have you got on besides that shirt?"

She blushed and grabbed the hem. She hesitated and then pulled it up under her chin. As I suspected, it was the only item of clothing she had on and the only thing she brought.

"Jolene, you are a caution! I know I said you would be getting naked at some point, but you really came prepared, didn't you?"

"Unhunh. Do you like it?"

"It's marvelous! Just the thing to wear to a sleepover. Now take it off."

Without batting an eye, Jolene shucked off the night shirt and handed it to me. She stood there in the foyer, naked as a jaybird, and completely unselfconscious about it. I had to admire her. She was determined to be a wild-thing. Her innocent looks and child-like personality made her exceptionally appealing.

I thought seriously about letting her stay nude. It would certainly be a great ice-breaker. I decided that it would be a distraction from the Bambi-experiment, though.

"Lovely. Just lovely. Jolene, you are fantastic. Save it for the right time, though. Here, put this back on."

She seemed almost disappointed that I wasn't going to let her stay naked. To placate her, I put my hands on her breasts and rubbed her nipples until they were puffy enough to be visible under the shirt. She put her shoulders back to make her condition obvious and we went downstairs.

Connie had changed into a pair of short-shorts and a tank-top that looked like it had shrunk to her figure. The shirt said, "The Olive Grove" and had the olive-branch logo of her uncle's restaurant on it.

Again, I made the introductions and again, no one so much as raised an eyebrow in Bambi's direction. Any look she got from Jolene, Janice or Connie was matched by a look they gave me as they each tried to guess our relationship. When we had all made ourselves comfortable on the big l-shaped couch, the first question was asked.

Janice said, "Sam, you're trying to trick us, aren't you?" She looked back and forth from me to Bambi and back. I was afraid the jig was up already until she continued, "Why didn't tell us you had a sister."

"I didn't know she was going to be here." I said, trying to stay somewhere close to the truth.

"Do you go to another school?" Jolene asked. "I don't remember seeing you around. You must go to Hillmont."

"Actually, I've graduated already," Bambi admitted. The look she gave me said she wasn't going to tell an outright lie to keep the game going.

"You must have skipped a grade, then. I'd remember you as easily as I'd remember Sam." Janice said.

"Do you go to college here in town?" Connie asked. "I went there for a couple of semesters."

"No," Bambi said. "I've been thinking about college, but I hadn't made up my mind."

If she had decided to tell to the truth whenever possible then something had started her thinking about school. I knew she had married Ben right out of High School and hadn't had time for college before Jim and then Bud had come along. This was new information.

"I hope you decide to stay in town," I said. "I'd miss you terribly if you went off somewhere."

"I'd miss you too, honey. I really haven't decided, but I doubt I'll be going out of town.

"Connie, I understand you're working now. Are you still going to school?"

I thought that was a nice deflection of the topic and let Connie assume that I was the source of the information. Bambi seemed to be warming to her role.

Connie said, "My grades weren't what they needed to be. I wasn't focused enough on my classes, I guess. Uncle Sergio suggested that I help out at the restaurant until I figure out what I want to do. The whole family works there, so it's a comfortable thing to do."

"Are you living at home?" Bambi asked.

"Yes. I lived in the dorm while I was attending college. I've moved back home now. My family has been very supportive. We were close even before my father was killed in a car wreck. After that Mama and I moved in with Uncle Sergio and Aunt Rosa."