Chapter 10: Auntie Rachael

The rest of the summer passed quickly, too quickly in the kids' opinions. All too soon, the new school year began. This year, Jeff was a freshman in high school, which meant he had his big sister to "take care of him." That consisted of her occasionally saying hi to him in the halls while he pretended not to know she existed. It wasn't that he didn't like her. He just felt that being her little brother somehow made him somehow inferior to her in social status, and the last thing he needed was to feel inferior to a girl.

Lissa began her new after-school job, which meant she didn't get home until dinner time on the weekends. That, unfortunately, left Jeff and Brit without a big sister to keep them in check, and although Allison stepped in when things got out of hand to keep them from murdering each other, she did so reluctantly, not wanting to be seen as the authority figure in their lives.

Then one afternoon in October Greg gathered his children into the living room to talk with them.

"Allison and I are going away for the weekend," he said. "We're going to spend a couple of days in Vegas. We'll leave Friday night and come back Sunday evening."

"But Friday I have the slumber party over at Debbie's," said Lissa. It was no wonder she brought that up; Lissa didn't socialize much. She was too busy trying to keep Jeff and Brit from murdering each other. The last time she had spent the night at a friend's house, she was only seven.

"Don't worry; we won't make you miss it," Greg told her.

"Can I take the car?" she asked with a grin.

"Absolutely not," her father responded. "Not while I'm out of town. If you were to have an accident--"

"All right," she said, disappointed. "So how am I supposed to get there?"

"I'll have the babysitter drive you over."

"Babysitter!" Jeff protested. "We don't need a babysitter!"

"Yes you do. I would trust Lissa to watch you as usual, but she's not going to be here for half the time."

"But I'm as old as she was when she started watching us."

"Lissa is very mature for her age."

"Yeah, and I'm just a big baby apparently," mumbled Jeff.

"That's enough, young man," Greg stated firmly. "This is not open for discussion. We've already called the babysitter. She'll be here when you get home from school on Friday."

"It's not Brenda, is it?" Brit whined.

"No, it's not Brenda," said Allison. "Someone new."

"Oh, great. She'll probably turn out to be some eighty-year-old woman who wants us to sit and look at pictures of her cats all day," Jeff complained.

"I'd like to speak to you alone for a minute, Jeff," Allison told him. "Come with me, please."

He reluctantly followed her up the stairs to his bedroom. She grabbed her purse on the way up. Once in his room, she opened it and pulled out a wallet. This she spread out to reveal a series of photos, which she rifled through until she found the right one.

"My sister Rachael," Allison explained, pointing to one of them. "You remember her, from the wedding."

Jeff most certainly did remember! The family resemblance to Allison was very clear. She had the same long, brown hair and penetrating blue eyes. In the photo, she sat on a bench in a park, wearing a light tee-shirt and shorts, with a baseball cap on her head. She was almost as pretty as Allison herself.

"She's nineteen, not eighty," Allison grinned. "She doesn't even own a cat, much less have pictures of one. She likes sports and physical activities of all kinds," she added with a sly wink, but the meaning was lost on Jeff, "and she likes to try new things. So you can decide what you want to do, and she'll be more than happy to oblige you. Just don't try any tricks, because if you start playing those games, she'll win every time."

"Well, I suppose she's all right," Jeff replied, trying to hide his excitement.

When Friday came around, he couldn't wait to get home from school. He daydreamed through most of his classes until the last bell rang, then he hurried out to the bus as if the sooner he got there the sooner it would leave.

The ride home seemed to take twice as long as usual, but that was mostly because of the anticipation. As soon as the bus dropped his sisters and him off, he almost ran to the front door of his house. He noticed an unfamiliar car in the driveway, probably Rachael's.

As soon as he opened the door, he spotted Rachael sitting with Greg and Allison in the front room. She looked just like he remembered her from the wedding, with long brown hair and a face similar to Allison's, but five years younger. She had her hair pulled back in a ponytail, and wore a green tee-shirt and jeans. She looked very pretty like that, though he still thought Allison was even prettier.

Her face lit up with a smile when she spied the three children. "Hi, Lissa, Jeff and Brit," she said. "Remember me?"

Boy, do I ever! Jeff thought, but said instead, "Of course."

"We're going to have so much fun this weekend," she told them. "I've got some games we can play, but if you have things you want to do instead, I'm happy to go along."

"All right, Rachael," said Greg. "Allison and I are going to head out now. We just wanted to wait to make sure the kids got home safely. There's a hundred dollars on the dining room table for emergencies, and you're welcome to use some of it if you want to take the kids out to eat or to see a movie. I told them you would be happy to join them in whatever activities they want to do, but they're to remember that you're in charge here. Lissa needs to be at her friend's house by seven tonight, so you might want to go grab something to eat on your way over. Lissa will call you Saturday afternoon when she has to come home, so make sure you're here and available. I want the kids in bed by nine." Then he glanced over at Jeff. "Actually, I think Jeff's old enough that he can start making those decisions for himself. He's allowed to stay up as late as he chooses, but make sure he's up by eight in the morning. He needs to learn his own limitations, so don't push him too hard to get to bed early, unless he abuses it. You got that, Jeff?"

"I can stay up as long as I want. Got it," Jeff replied.

"Not as long as you want. Just as long as you can handle and still wake up at a decent time in the morning. I'm leaving it up to you to figure out how long that is, whether that's ten, midnight, or five a.m. Just remember that Rachael has to sleep too, so if she wants to go to bed before you do, you need to stay out of her way and be quiet, all right?"

"I think he's got it," Rachael said. "And if not, I brought my whip along to make sure he doesn't get out of line."

"What about your guillotine?" joked Allison.

"I was considering it, but I usually don't like to behead anyone until at least the second babysitting job."

Greg chuckled. "I'm sure they won't be any problem, but if they are, give me a full report when I get back, and I'll take appropriate measures."

"You got it."

"All right, we're going to head out now, so we'll see you on Sunday."

Allison gave Rachael another quick hug, then Greg and Allison disappeared through the door.

"Can I ask you something?" said Jeff.

"Sure," Rachael smiled.

"You don't live anywhere near here, but you drove all the way here to babysit us. I'm sure Dad and Allison could have found someone closer."

"And you want to know why they had me come over instead?"

"Exactly."

"I volunteered."

"Why?"

"To get to know you three, of course."

"Really?"

"Yes, really. This is my first time being an aunt, so I wanted to spend some time with my new nieces and nephew. Although, I don't feel old enough to be an aunt, especially to a couple of teenagers. So why don't you just think of me as a friend instead?"

"Fine with me," Jeff grinned.

"As long as you're on my side," Brit said.

"What do you mean?"

"When Jeff and I get into fights, of course," she giggled.

"Hey!" Jeff exclaimed.

"Please, Auntie Rachael?" Brit asked, flashing her "I'm so cute that you can't refuse me anything" smile. She had it down to an art; it worked on Greg, it worked on Allison, and sometimes it even worked on Jeff.

"Allison was right," Rachael laughed. "You're really an adorable girl. I can see we're going to get along great."

"So you'll be on my side?"

"Tell you what. Why don't you and Jeff promise not to fight? Then there won't be any sides at all."

"Might as well have them promise to stop the sun from shining," Lissa commented. "It would probably be easier."

Actually, there was surprisingly little fighting between Jeff and Brit. Although it was too cold for outdoor activities, there were plenty of things they could do inside. Since there were four of them, they decided to go doubles at ping-pong. Lissa suggested that they keep Jeff and Brit off of the same side, so Rachael volunteered to be on Jeff's team, to his delight. He hoped that she wasn't very good at it, so that he would have to show her how to hold the paddle, and maybe even give her a little hands-on training on her posture and how to swing.

Unfortunately, she was even better than any of them. She explained that not only did her family have a ping-pong table, but also there was one in the rec room in her dorm at her college, and every Tuesday a lot of the girls would get together and hold a tournament. Since Rachael was very competitive, she frequently won.

After Rachael decisively beat the girls (with only a little help from Jeff), they decided there wasn't enough time for another game before dinner. Since Rachael had to drop Lissa off at her friend's house for the slumber party anyway, she offered to take them all out to to eat on the way over. The children of course agreed, and they decided on a buffet and salad bar that was one of Jeff's and Brit's favorites, one of the few things they actually agreed on.

Jeff didn't eat as much as he usually did here; he was trying to impress Rachael and didn't want to make a pig out of himself. He limited himself to only two and a half plates, plus dessert.

After dinner, they headed over to Debbie's house to drop off Lissa, then returned home. This time Rachael brought out a deck of cards and taught Jeff and Brit a couple of card games. They played until it was time for Brit to go to bed.

"I'll go tuck her in," Rachael said. "Come on, Brit." The two girls ascended the stairs, leaving Jeff alone in the front room.

He couldn't help smiling. In a few minutes he would have the chance to be alone with Rachael. Not that anything would happen, of course. For one thing, she was five years older than him, and older women intimidated him. Since he was naturally shy anyway, he wouldn't dare to try anything. Plus, she probably thought of him as a little kid. She was his babysitter, after all. Still, she was fun to be around, and he looked forward to spending some time alone with her.

When Rachael returned from Brit's room, she sat down on the couch next to Jeff. "Your sister's really a doll," she said.

"No, I'm pretty sure she's human," he replied with a grin.

Rachael laughed. "No, I mean, she's one of the cutest little girls I've ever met. Give her a few more years, and she's going to be breaking the hearts of all the boys at school."

"Sure she is," he snorted.

"Really, your whole family is good-looking. Take you for instance."

"Me? I'm just a nerd."

"No you're not. You're really quite handsome. If you just had a little self-confidence, all the girls at school would be falling all over themselves trying to get to you."

"Flattery alert!" Jeff exclaimed sarcastically.

"Well, if you don't want to believe me, I guess that's up to you. You almost make me wish I was five years younger."

"Why, so you wouldn't be old enough to babysit us, then you wouldn't have to be here right now?"

"Okay, why is it that any time I try to give you a compliment, you throw it in my face?"

That made Jeff feel a little guilty. "Sorry," he said. "I'm just not comfortable with compliments."

"Then I guess we'll just have to work on that."

Jeff shrugged, not knowing how to take that. It was true that he didn't like to be complimented, but at the same time, he might not mind if they came from Rachael.

"So do you have a girlfriend?" she asked.

He snorted again. "A guy like me? Could you see me--"

"The first thing you have to stop is all that negative self-talk," she interrupted. "And for the record, I could definitely see a guy like you with a girlfriend. It might be just the thing you need. I take it you've never kissed a girl."

"Aren't we getting a little personal?" he asked, growing red.

"Oh, come on, Jeff. I promise I won't tell anyone. This is just between you and me."

"Oh, all right. I've never kissed a girl. Are you satisfied?" That wasn't exactly true, since he had kissed his big sister, and that last time during Christmas break had been a little more than just teasing, but he figured it still didn't count because she was family.

Rachael wasn't through with the embarrassing questions yet, though. "Ever had sex?" she asked.

"What!? That's none of your business!"

"There's no need to be embarrassed. There's a first time for everyone. At fourteen, there's no shame in being a virgin."

"I think I'll go now," he said, starting to get up.

Rachael put an arm around him and pulled him back down. "I'm sorry, Jeff. If it makes you uncomfortable, I'll change the subject."

Grudgingly, he nodded.

"Ever had an orgasm?" she asked.

"That's not changing the subject!" he nearly shouted, but Rachael just laughed.

"Okay, I couldn't resist that. Your reaction is way too satisfying. Look, if it will make you feel better, you can ask me the same questions."

"I don't want to."

"Okay, then I'll answer them anyway. I don't currently have a boyfriend, I've kissed lots of them though, and a few girls as well, in case you're wondering. I've had sex plenty of times before, and I bring myself to orgasm at least two or three times a week. Sometimes more. There. Now wasn't that easy?"

Jeff was stunned, and his embarrassment instantly gave way to arousal. Did Rachael just say what he thought she did?

"You..." he stammered, staring at her. "You said you ... kissed ... girls?"

"Yes. You knew there were girls out there like that, didn't you?"

"I don't ... I suppose so. I just never met one."

"You're making me feel like some kind of alien or something. Just because I occasionally like to get naughty with my girlfriends doesn't mean I'm a freak."

"Sorry. I just..." He continued to stare, not sure what to say. The image of her naked with another woman filled his mind, and he could feel a stirring inside of him, an excitement at the thought. He wondered why that idea intrigued him. He remembered Allison saying something about that the day they first looked at porn together. He hadn't given it much thought then. Now, though, he found it excited him. Perhaps he would have to look up some pictures later.

Rachael leaned back and rested her hands behind her head as she looked at him with an amused smile. The pose stretched her shirt across her chest, emphasizing her well-formed torso. Perhaps she was unconscious of the fact that it only served to heighten his excitement.

"Now tell me the truth," she said. "When I told you that, did it make you a little ... well, horny?"

He grew beet-red and immediately turned away.

"No, it's okay," she hurriedly reassured him, leaning in and putting a friendly arm around him. "You're a fourteen-year old boy. That's pretty much expected. You probably think of sex all day long."

"I do not!"

"Well if you don't, then there's something wrong with you. Look. It doesn't bother me a bit to be talking about these things. Why should it bother you?"

"It just does."

She sighed. "You know, you're going to have to learn to get over your shyness," she said.

"Well, talking about sex sure isn't going to do it."

"All right. We'll change the subject."

"You already tried that."

"For real this time. So how long are you planning on staying up?"

He glanced over at her, and realized that she still had her arm around him, which put her face about a foot away from his own. He turned away again. It wasn't that she wasn't nice to look at, or that he had any problem being that close to her. In fact, it was quite pleasant. But he couldn't get that image of her out of his head.

"I don't know," he replied. "Maybe till midnight. I've never been up that late before."

"Midnight. Good. That gives us time to watch a movie."

Jeff sighed, relieved. That wouldn't give them time to do much talking. Not that he had anything against talking with her, but he wasn't ready to handle more of the same topic of conversation just at present. He had too many conflicting feelings. On the one hand, he liked being around her, just for the sake of being around her. On the other hand, she had pretty much bored straight to the root of his embarrassment, and it bothered him. A movie seemed like a good idea to get his mind off of it.

"You know, you're very tense," Rachael said.

"I am?"

"Yes. Your shoulders especially. My fault, probably. All that talk of things that embarrass you. Here. Sit down on the floor in front of me."

"What? Why?"

"Because I want to give you a back rub, silly," she smiled.

Jeff had never had a girl rub his back before, but it sounded nice, so he obediently slid down off the couch and sat, cross-legged, in front of her.

She leaned over and began to massage his shoulders. Immediately, he started to relax. It felt every bit as good as it had sounded when she suggested it. Her hands worked his shoulder like magic, drawing out all the tension. He closed his eyes and let the sensation fill him.

She moved down to his back and rubbed all over it, almost like she was washing him. She ran her fingers down his spine with firm pressure, causing him to laugh at the ticklish sensation. But as she repeated the move several more times, it turned from ticklish to relaxing. She continued on to his shoulder blades, then moved to his lower back. Finally, she finished by scratching him all over. When she finally removed her hands, he sighed in pleasure and a little regret that it had to end so soon.

"How was that?" she asked.

"Great," he smiled.

"Okay, now it's my turn."

"Hmm?"

"I want you to do the same for me."

"Oh. Okay," he agreed, realizing that she was literally asking him to put his hands on her. "Just don't expect me to be as good at it as you are."

"That's fine. Back rubs are like sex. Sometimes it's fun to try out an inexperienced partner."

"If you say so."

They switched places, and Jeff went to work on her shoulders. He tried to remember the motions she had used on him, and found that they came naturally. It really wasn't all that difficult. He spent a few minutes on her shoulders then moved to her back. As his hands went over her, he noticed a lack of a bra strap. Unless there was some mechanism he wasn't aware of, Rachael wasn't wearing a bra.