Chapter 12

As the guys walked in the door Monday morning, Cord wrapped Ginny in a big hug. She pressed her body against him, wriggled sexily, and laid a lover's kiss on him. When the kiss ended, she laid her cheek against Cord's chest, looked toward Nick and gave him a shy grin. "I just love all my hunky guys so much!" She was probably aware that the short robe that was her only garment pulled open to all but expose a nipple. The bottom of the robe had also pulled up so Nick could not help but wonder why he did not see any panties.

When she released Cord to greet Nick, she grabbed the open sides of Nick's jacket and pulled him down to her so she could kiss his cheek. "Welcome Nick. I've been looking forward to having one more hunk around the house. I, uh, hope that Cord warned you."

"W ... warned me?" Nick's stammer was excusable, considering the way her impressive cleavage was overexposed by the gaping robe as he bent toward her.

" ... about how we're pretty affectionate and expressive around here. And how modesty tends to disappear when you live in this town for a while." Not waiting for an answer from Nick, she took his hand and led him toward the kitchen, with Cord following.

"Oh, silly me!" she exclaimed. "You guys might want to wash up before breakfast. I hope you didn't eat a big breakfast already. I figured it was too early for lunch."

The guys were gone just a few minutes. When they returned, Ginny came up to Nick with a crestfallen look and said "Nick, I apologize. I never even thought about what I was wearing when you arrived. I need to go over to the school after we eat, and I don't usually get dressed until then." She reflexively pulled her robe tighter as she spoke.

After Nick's next comment, Ginny wanted him for Chase so badly that she could taste it. "Mrs. Forrester, please don't spoil my morning by putting any more clothes on." She did not fake the little shiver that ran through her.

Cord took Ginny's hand, sat in a chair and pulled her onto his lap. Wrapping her in his arms, he told Nick "She needs to hear things like that. She's still kind of recovering."

"Recovering?" Nick queried.

"My dad beat her down so badly because of her weight that her self-image was about destroyed. Rad and all of her new friends have done a great job, but verification from a new source never hurts.

Taking Cord's face in both hands, Ginny gave him a short but hot kiss, then said "I'd better get breakfast on."

While they ate, there were the usual getting acquainted questions. It did not take long for Ginny to pick up on the kind of banter that the guys always engaged in, and she entered right in.

As they sat back drinking coffee, Ginny caught Nick openly staring at her and gave him a questioning look.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Ginny." She had insisted on her first name earlier. "I was just sitting here wondering how you could have a self-image problem."

"Nick, when someone keeps beating you up with the same nasty comments over and over, it wears you down," she replied.

"Well, I'm very glad to see that you are recovered," Nick said gently.

"Hey, let me show you one of the first things that got her turned around," Cord said as he stood up.

"Cord, what are you talking about?" Ginny begged, knowing full well where he was headed. Cord just grinned at her and led the way toward the master suite.

"Cord, wait! No! That's not for ... that's too personal! It's..." By that time, they were walking into the bedroom. "Damn! I don't have any embarrassing pictures of you, you brat."

Nick stopped dead in his tracks and just gaped from one picture to the other. "Embarrassing? What are you talking about?" he said reverently. "These are awesome. You look ... you look ... God!"

"See what I mean about modesty," she quipped.

Nick probably did not hear her. He had walked up to one where the expression on her face was pure passion, and he stood transfixed, hardly breathing.

Finally, Nick turned to Ginny and said "Your ex-husband made fun of you? With a body like that?"

"He'd get upset if I showed too much skin."

"I'd want you naked all the time," Nick blurted out. Then, he blushed brightly and said, "God, Ginny! I'm so sorry! I just..."

She quickly had him in a hug. "Nick, I'm not insulted - not at all. You said it so ... reverently. How could I be offended?"

"Reverently? I guess that's right. A body like yours should be worshipped."

"You sound just like Rad ... and Cord ... and Garrett. They're the men whose opinions matter to me, now. All of that shit from my ex can't hurt me any more. It's just that the wounds were pretty deep. I still need the reinforcement. Thank you."

Ginny shooed the guys from her room so she could dress and go to the school to do some massage sessions. Pretending it to be a spontaneous idea, she called out "Say, Cord, Honey, why don't you two come with me. You could catch Tallie at lunch. Think how great it would make her feel for everyone to see her with you..."

"Can you get us in OK?"

"Shouldn't be a problem."

For the same reasons that Chase had not been told that Nick was coming, Ginny and Cord decided not to tell Tallie that Cord would be at school. Since Tallie had moved in, she and Chase had been eating lunch together most days, and Ginny and Cord hoped they would that day.

The school PDA policies were more lenient than most, but Tallie's reaction upon seeing Cord would have violated almost any school's rules. She backed off quickly after flying into his arms, but her passionate kiss and the joy on her face were seen by a few hundred students in the cafeteria.

It was Tallie who first thought to introduce Chase, who was just catching up to her. "Chase, this is the U's number two stud that I told you about."

"Number two?" Nick said in mock horror. His relationship with Tallie demanded that everything between them be teasing or challenging. He managed to turn to Chase and hold out his hand, but that was as far as he got. She had to take his hand and provide a squeeze because he froze when he looked into her face.

The guys sat with the girls while they ate a quick lunch before they had to go to their next class.

As the guys walked out of the school to Cord's car, Nick said "She must think I'm the world's biggest dork."

"Who, Tallie? She already knows that," Cord retorted.

"You didn't warn me that she was a clone of your mother," Nick complained, ignoring the barb and the obvious misinterpretation.

Getting serious, Cord said "You don't know how I wished that Chase wasn't my sister."

"But you've got Tallie!"

"Long before I met Tallie. In fact, a big reason I fell so fast for Tallie is because she is a lot like Mom and Chase."

"They're alike? How do you mean?" Nick asked.

"Well, that picture of Mom you were drooling over - haven't you seen that look on Tallie's face."

"Oh. I see. And your sister is like that, too?"

"Passionate? Horny? She sure is," Cord assured his friend.

There was a period of silence, then Nick said "I've been set up, haven't I?"

"Hey, it only took you four hours to figure it out," Cord gibed. "Not bad for a clueless jock. Gonna go home mad, now?"

"Nah. I'll see if I can stick it out. And here I thought your mom was such a cool chick. It was an act, wasn't it."

"Not an act at all. I just had to convince her to let go and be herself. Look, Nick, last fall, I got discouraged with the dating scene. I told Mom I wanted a woman with passion like hers, and hopefully, a body like hers, too. She found me Tallie, you know. I'm telling you, if she thinks you and Chase are right for each other, don't fight it."

Back at school, Chase had lit into Tallie as soon as the guys were out of sight. "You knew he was coming home with Cord, didn't you?"

"Of course. We didn't want you all distracted thinking about him coming," Tallie answered. "'Course, they held out on me, too. I didn't know they were coming to the school."

"Well, I'm pretty pissed," Chase grumped. "I would have liked to get presentable for our first meeting."

"Very funny!" Tallie shot back. "You never go out of the house without your face and hair perfect." With Chase's interest in and talent for hair dressing and makeup, that was a true statement. "Face it. You just don't like to be surprised."

"So, are you guys trying to be matchmakers or something."

"Yeah, aren't you glad?" Tallie teased. "Tell me you aren't down about your lack of decent dates. Tell me you didn't feel a little flutter when you met Nick."

Seeing Chase wind up for a swat, Tallie scooted away, giggling, and Chase pursued, drawing the attention of a passing teacher. They were not together in a class again until the last period, so they separated.

There was one complication to Cord bringing Nick home for break, but Ginny had decided not to mention it to Cord. She was so excited about the possibility of matchmaking for her daughter that she would not let anything spoil that possibility. Now, however, she had to address the problem. She would be back home about an hour before school was out, and she had asked Cord and Nick to be there because she had something she needed to talk about.

It was the second week of Kelsie's naked 'sentence', and the last week before the girl joined her parents. Ginny was not too worried about Kelsie's reaction to a strange man around the house. She had shown quite an exhibitionist streak in her first week, and she would probably delight in exposing herself to one more hunk. Ginny was more worried about Nick's reaction, and that was what she had to talk about.

"Nick, has Cord mentioned Kelsie, the girl that is staying with us because of her messed up family?" Ginny asked. Nick indicated that Cord had told him about Kelsie.

"Well, none of the girls know that you are here, the younger girls, I mean. They will all be delighted to see you. Kelsie will probably be the most excited, and she will be naked."

"Huh?"

"I am betting quite a bit on your discretion, Nick," Ginny told him. She spent some time explaining about Kelsie's sentence. "I've told you that the attitude about nudity is different here. Technically, you should not be able to visit us while she is naked. I decided not to tell the higher ups. I have quite a bit if goodwill because of the way I have helped Kelsie's family, but I could lose it quickly if your being here caused any problem."

"How ... how am I supposed to react to her," Nick stammered.

"Well, if you can keep from fucking her, that would probably be good," Ginny joked. She and Cord laughed heartily at Nick's shock. "It turns out that she is quite the little exhibitionist. The counsellors are sure that it is a plea for approval. So, you could help her by treating her as normally as you can, but making sure to compliment her."

"Wow! I can't imagine how she can even do that," Nick exclaimed. "Is she cute?"

"She's not in the same class as Carter and Madison, but cute enough to give you a hardon, for sure," Ginny quipped. At his blush, she told him "We treat hardons the same as nudity around here, so don't get all embarrassed. It's just a natural reaction. Your jeans weren't so tight that I didn't notice it this morning, you know."

"Are the other girls..."

"No, only Kelsie," Ginny answered. Seeing the brief look of disappointment that he failed to hide, she giggled and said "Don't worry, Hon. Unless you really blow it, you should have Chase naked before long. If that doesn't happen, well, how about you and I share a hot tub some morning."

Nick just covered his face, feeling the skin almost burn his hands from his blush. He was sitting on the couch, and with a quick look at Cord, Ginny got up and sat on his lap, wrapping her arms around him and pulling his head between her breasts.

"Nick, I'm not out to embarrass you to death, honest," she said, stroking his head. "The more I see of you, the more I want you for my girl. I admit that I've been pushing you, testing you. You're doing fine. I can already tell I'd be glad to have you as a son-in-law."

"Huh? I only met her this noon, and I could hardly talk to her!"

"Good! That means she made an impression," Ginny said.

Trying to maintain some scrap of dignity, he raised his head from her breast and said "I thought I was looking at you a few years ago."

Looking like she was trying to break his neck, she yanked his head back into place, rocked him back and forth gently, and sniffled softly. She was unable to say anything for a couple of minutes. When she could finally speak, she told him "You can't imagine what it means to us oversized girls hear such honest admiration."

After another few minutes, Ginny moved from Nick's lap to sit beside him, but she took his arm and pulled it around herself. "From your reactions, I'm guessing your family life was pretty modest and not too sexually open. Do you have a good relationship with your parents?"

"Definitely. I love them, and we get along really well. I'm looking forward to working with Dad in the business. As far as sex stuff: uh, you've got to admit that here, you're, uh, not exactly average."

"Good point. How often have you seen your mother naked?"

"Mom!" Cord protested, then clammed up after a withering look.

Nick seemed to understand what Ginny was trying to do. With a wave of his hand toward Cord, he answered "Only two or three times, accidentally and very briefly."

"So your family never skinny-dips or hot tubs naked together?"

"Never."

"Describe your mom, physically," Ginny said. When Nick had complied, she said "You need to realize that since your mom is quite slim and trim, it would be a psychological problem for Chase."

"Mom! You act like they're a sure thing!" Cord cautioned.

"Well, isn't that why you brought Nick home, because you thought they should be together?" she rebutted.

"Yeah, but all this stuff that's way down the road..."

"It's not 'way down the road', Honey," Ginny warned him. "What if Nick wants to take Chase home to meet momma this weekend? He needs to know the kind of support and assurance he'll need to give her. Remember, I know from experience. I was bigger than Chase at that age, but she still feels self-conscious."

Turning toward Ginny, Nick said very seriously "Ginny, I will tell you as honestly as I know how. If you were my age and unattached, your size would not even be a factor. Cord can tell you how much I have envied him having Tallie. That was the conversation that started this visit, in fact."

"Oh, I believe you, Nick. Remember, I saw how I gave you hardons. But it's how Chase will feel that you have to be aware of. You always have to be aware of that. Don't ever underestimate the psychological impact that her size has on her."

"Well, I just don't see her as oversized, but I appreciate the warning. Uh, Ginny, should we go and pick out the ring, now?" Nick asked with a perfectly straight face that lasted for almost five seconds. The good laugh that followed was overdue.

"Cord, you'd better leave if you want to catch Tallie and Chase leaving the school. Nick why don't you go prepare yourself to meet three teenyboppers in heat, one of them naked and two of them wishing they were."

Nick groaned and Ginny and Cord had another laughing fit.

It was a very good thing that Chase had nothing that affected her grades in her last three periods of the day. By the time she and Tallie were together in their final class, she was no longer upset with Tallie for her role in the setup. She was not at all sure how she should react to Nick, though.

It was certainly true that seeing her mom and Rad together had made her long for a man of her own. And Tallie's infectious joy over Cord had just increased her yearning. Garrett was wonderful about taking the edge off, but it was difficult for them to connect without upsetting Carter, and they both knew that the other was not 'the one' for the long term.

She had to decide whether she would be petulant and show her justifiable anger at being set up, or whether she should just go along and see what kind of guy Nick was. After all, if Nick was Cord's best friend, he couldn't be a total jerk, could he?

To Chase's surprise, Cord was waiting for them outside the school, alone. As Tallie wrapped herself around her man, Chase stood with her hands on her hips, looking stern.

"Look, Chase, you know how much success I had with women before Tallie, right? Cord asked her. "Zero, really. You know what my biggest problem was? I wanted you, but I couldn't have you."

Chase gasped at that, and it was impossible for her to maintain the stern look. She knew in her heart that Garrett was her 'consolation prize' for the one she really wanted, Cord. He went on.

"Do you know how I found Tallie? I told Mom to find the right woman for me, a woman who had passion like hers, and like yours," Cord explained. "Well, you didn't ask for it, but I found a man whose wants the same things in a woman that I want, and Mom agrees. Don't let your anger at the set up ruin what could be a wonderful thing.

"Nick was set up just as much as you were, and he is more than willing to let it play out. In fact, if you want him, he is ready for wedding bells before he has even kissed you. I made him fall head over heels for Mom, and when he saw you, he just knew you were the same kind of woman."

"Head over heels for Mom? How'd you do that? They never met before," Chase asked.

He went on to describe the meeting between Nick and Ginny, with Chase's disbelief growing by the minute. "You let him see the pictures? Mom let him? She ... she practically seduced him?"

"Didn't you realize how much she wanted for you what she found? Didn't you know how much I want you to be happy?" He demanded.

That wiped out her remaining irritation, and suddenly there was a three-way hug in the school parking lot. "You can use my room whenever you need it," Tallie said, only half teasing.

Of course, Chase really wanted to get to know Nick. He resembled Cord in so many ways that she could not help but be drawn to him. Her independent streak was all that had kept her from giving in. When she heard what her mother had done, that did the trick.

The girls usually rode together in Chase's car, so Cord took Tallie with him. As they were walking to his car, he squeezed her bottom gently and asked "How much more of you have I lost in the two weeks since I saw you?"

"Four more," Tallie answered. He had used the same supposed regret at her weight loss enough that she no longer reacted to it. Even so, she could not stop the internal flutter at his reaffirmation that her weight just did not matter.

He wanted to ask about any progress with her parents, but they talked frequently enough on the phone that he would have known. He was the one who had decided that they would never discuss weight except in person.

Carter and Madison sat on Madison's bed and watched as Kelsie undressed. Kelsie was blushing, but was grinning from ear to ear. "I mean, I'd really rather be naked for Cord, too, but Mom says we can't," Madison grumped. "I don't know if I could do it with his friend here, though."

"This will be so cool!" Kelsie giggled. "I wonder if he'll get hard?"

"You're so hung up on hardons," Carter accused.

"Well, I don't get to play with them at these mix days like you do," Kelsie pouted.

"You'll get your turn as soon as you move back with your mom and dad," Carter reminded her. "Are you anxious to see them?"

"I really am," Kelsie said. "I can't believe I'm saying that, but just seeing you guys with Ginny - that's so cool that I wish I had it."

"I'm sure you can have it, Kelsie," Carter said. "I'll bet your mom has always wanted it."

"Yeah, I guess I was a real bitch, wasn't I?"

"At least," Carter agreed, and the three giggled together.

"Come on. I'm ready," Kelsie said as she went out the door. The sisters followed, shaking their heads.

When they got to the family room, Madison sprinted past Kelsie and leapt at Cord, fully confident that he would catch her. He did, and swung her around as she wrapped her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist. This had become somewhat of a tradition.

Chase and Tallie had already arrived and they were chatting with Cord and Nick. Chase grinned at Madison's antics, having seen it a few times before. Then, she caught a flash of bare flesh and mouthed "Shit!" as she turned and saw Kelsie. She had completely forgotten about the girl's nudity, and she was not at all happy for that intrusion on what she now hoped would be the beginning of a nice relationship.

The surprise and concern showing on her face, Chase looked toward Nick and saw him looking right back at her. He winked! Then, he got down on one knee to greet Kelsie. It was such a small gesture, but suddenly, Chase was way beyond thinking about a nice relationship and was wondering if Tallie was serious about loaning her room.

It wasn't until after dinner that Chase and Nick found themselves alone enough for any conversation. "Whew!" Chase exclaimed. "I was afraid I would have to fight my way through the girls to talk to you. You sure have some new fans."

Nick gave a dramatic shrug and said "I've always had good luck with the little girls. Acually, a lot of girls at school act about like those little girls."

"Except that they spread their legs," Chase probed.

"You think Kelsie wouldn't?" he challenged, not responding directly to her insinuation.

"Good point," Chase giggled. "But the groupies aren't enough for you?"

"Not too long after we became friends, Cord found Tallie," Nick said. "They showed me what I was missing. Like I told Cord, it's what my parents have, and it's what I always expected that I would find."

"So what's your hurry," Chase challenged. "You're a sophomore, right?"

Nick answered "I'm quitting football to concentrate on my courses. I won't have any more groupies, and I won't miss them. I feel like I am starting my future right now. My view of my future has a loving partner in it."

"You've thought about this a lot, haven't you?" Chase answered with just a little quaver in her voice.

They talked for another half hour, and ended up going for a drive, where the conversation continued. They went to the mall, where they walked and talked until it closed, then they sat at a diner and talked some more. At first, he was the one who talked freely about his feelings and his expectations. It was not until the diner that he finally drew Chase out. She became more and more open about her love for Cord, her frustration from lack of satisfactory dates, and her fears about her appearance.

When she had talked for a while, he just shook his head and said "I just don't get why you and your mom worry so much about your bodies. Cord took me in the bedroom this morning. I couldn't believe it! Not just because they were naked pictures of her, but how awesome her body was. Yet, she still has concerns."

"So, you think Mom is beautiful? Sexy?"

"Without a doubt!"

Chase was silent for a moment, so Nick said "Please don't be offended, but have you ever been angry at your mom for having you? Have you ever wished that you hadn't been born?"

"I suppose every teen wishes that on some occasion," she mused. "Angry at Mom? No, I've never felt that way."

"Have you ever decided that you didn't want kids in case the girls looked like you?" he asked.

Chase became visibly angry and answered. "No! I want kids. I want girls. I'm not afraid they'd look like me! I like my body!"

She was going to keep venting on him for the nasty question, but she saw the wide grin on his face and demanded "What's so funny?"

"Not funny. Pleased. You said you liked your body. I thought so, but I wanted to hear it," was his response. "Your only problem is that you don't think anyone else likes it."

"Well, I know Cord and Garrett do, and Rad," she said in mild rebuttal.

"Count me in there, too," he said, dropping the smile and giving her his most sincere look.

She returned his look for a long time, then said "Let's go back to the house."

It was already eleven o'clock and it was a school night. Skipping school was, of course, not an option, but Chase did not think that she could sleep anyway. Leading Nick up to her room, she got him on the bed, leaning against the headboard, turned on the light, and rummaged in her closet. When she came back with a manila envelope in her hand, she got on the bed right beside him.

"No one else knows that these exist," she said, handing him the envelope. "Please don't ask about how and where I got them. We have restrictions about what we can talk about here."

Nick opened the envelope and pulled out a stack of 8x10 enlargements. The top picture was of Chase, naked. It looked very much like the pictures of Ginny in the master bedroom. Seeing his questioning look, she just said "I needed them, too."

Careful not to soil the prints, he worked slowly through the whole stack. Without telling anyone, she had had Mac enlarge some of the best of her while he did Ginny's. At first, she had gone through them every night after everyone else was asleep. Lately, she only had to look at them every few weeks - until Nick showed up.

Trying to lighten things up, she quipped "I was afraid if all you saw was Kelsie naked, you might change your mind about what you thought was beautiful."

Hearing the fear even in her attempted joke, he put an arm around her and kissed the top of her head. "I will never really understand your fear, because I don't see you that way. I understand, though, that it is very real to you. Thank you for the privilege of seeing these. They are absolutely amazing!"

Two more times he worked slowly through the stack before putting them back in the envelope for her.

In the morning, Nick was up early and insisted on taking Chase to school. Cord liked that idea and did the same for Tallie. Both guys made a show of parking and walking right to the school door with the girls.

Both girls tried to act either embarrassed or nonchalant when various friends or classmates quizzed them about the guys, but the confidence boost for both of them was huge. Actually, Tallie's confidence problems had shrunk faster than her weight as she became more and more convinced that Cord was for real and that the two of them were forever. Still, it was wonderful to share it with Chase.

Somehow, Tess managed to join the two at lunch, even though it was not her normal period. "Wow!" she said after hugging both friends, "it's all over school about two hunks escorting you two this morning. You've been holding out on my, Chase."

"I just met him yesterday at lunch when Cord brought him here."

"And you're already going with him?"

"We're not going together, we just..."

"Yes, they are," Tallie insisted. "Sunday, he's taking her to meet momma."

"What!" Chase almost shouted, then flinched as she saw the reaction from those around her. In a softer voice, she demanded "Where did you get that idea. There's no way!"

"Bet!" Tallie challenged. "Loser has to be Kelsie for a day."

"Kelsie? What do ... oh, you're crazy," Chase scoffed.

"Well, if you're so sure, put your bare ass where your mouth is," Tallie said.

"Hell, you spent most of your life naked. You're not betting anything," Chase complained.

"And who in your family hasn't seen you naked, huh?" Tallie retorted.

"Girls, girls!" Tess laughed, "I just wanted to know if he was Chase's boyfriend. No need for a cat fight."

"She'll be borrowing my bedroom by Friday night at the latest. It's more private than her room," Tallie said. Chase chose not to respond.

The guys picked up their girls after school, this time with just one car. After dinner, Nick said "I'll bet there's a place where we could swim. Let's go." The girls agreed and went to their rooms.

In a few minutes, Tallie came up with a strange look on her face. "I, uh, can't go swimming unless I take a trip to the mall, first." They ended up doing that, replacing the suit that she had under-grown.

After a nice evening of exercise, lots of conversation, and a snack, Nick started to follow Chase up to her room. "Where are you going?" she asked.

"Let's look at those pictures again."

"Pervert!"

"Nope. Connoisseur."

Wednesday night, Chase absolutely had to study, so Nick stayed around the house. The already overcrowded dining table had had company that night as part of Kelsie's punishment. Afterwards, she saw her chance to flirt with Nick, and stuck to him like glue. When Chase finally liberated him, she pulled him to the lower level, and right to Tallie's room.

"Can we skip the pictures if I give you the real thing?" she asked nervously.

"Only if you leave them with me while you're at school," he retorted. Then, he dropped the humor and wrapped her up for their first kiss. It lasted a long time. When they finally pulled apart, she started to undo her jeans. "Huh, uh," he said quickly. That's my job.