Chapter 3: There are others like us

Saturday night and I was in bed early. What a way to spend a weekend, especially working early on a Sunday morning. The money would help with the bills, though, and it wasn't like we were rolling in the stuff. Besides, Tandra had said that she wanted some time to herself. After my conversation with my ex-girlfriend, she was really pissed at me. I almost thought I was going to have to go to bed by myself.

"I've got to be up by six tomorrow, Sis, so I think I'm going to hit the hay early," I let her know. The clock said it was only ten, which made me think she'd probably stay up until at least midnight. But she got up and headed to the bedroom with me, even taking the time to give me a warm, loving hug.

"Mom and Dad have a rule that they never go to bed angry with each other," she reminded me, "and I think we need to adopt the same rule. I just hope that your friend taking Cassie out doesn't come back to bite us. But if it does, I need you, Keith. I'm in this for the long run. I just hope you are, too."

I had to admit that I really wanted things between us to work. Tonight she'd made the first move toward strengthening our relationship a little more and I loved her for it. As for my part, I slowly undressed her, taking the time to kiss each piece of skin as it revealed itself. By the time we were both naked, I could feel the heat in her and the desire in myself.

"Get your ass into that bed," I was told. "If I have to give up my Saturday night, I'm going to make this worth my while."

With that, she pushed me back on the bed and took me in her delicate hands to make me erect. I could see her begin to slide down the satin sheets until her head was curled up in my lap before she slipped me between her lips. Her delicate little tongue swirled around my glans, tickling that sensitive spot on the underside before snaking down the ridge as I watched myself disappear between her lips. Such an erotic sight elicited a groan of want from my gut. I felt my head roll back as her pleasuring swept down my manhood. What her mouth didn't capture, her hand did.

As much as I enjoyed her lips on me, I wanted Tandra's warmth even more and pulled her mouth off me. She gave me a quizzical look, as though maybe she was doing something wrong.

"Get those luscious lips up here, girl, and let me taste them," I whispered to her.

She moved into my arms and pressed her lips against mine, our tongues seeking each other as they danced and tangled. As we kissed, she manoeuvred herself so that she was laying on my lower belly before slowly sliding herself down on me. She was already wet, and the saliva she'd left on me acted as a further lubricant that allowed her to slowly sink over me. The heat seemed to scorch the skin off me as I luxuriated in the velvety texture inside her. Once she had taken every inch, we laid there just enjoying the connection between our bodies for a minute or two while continuing to kiss. Tandra began to rock her hips slowly and sensuously, gently pleasuring both of us. Almost by instinct, I matched her rhythm, and soon she was almost slamming herself against me.

"Mmm, you feel good," she murmured in my ear as our lips parted. "When I'm with you like this, I can't stay mad at you, and you know it. I feel too close to you to be angry."

I kissed her once more as our pace sped up until it was almost frenetic. Tandra started to gasp with the passion, her mewls inspiring me to thrust harder. Suddenly she inhaled sharply as her body went almost rigid while she clamped onto me tightly. I made the effort to send her over the top, with waves of pleasure seemingly coursing through her body. Her juices gushed over me. I held her tightly as she soared to her peak then slowly drifted back down from her adrenaline-fuelled euphoria. She collapsed in my arms for several moments, then began to lift and hump her hips on me as she slid up and down on me once more.

I lasted for several minutes during which Tandra came for me twice more, although neither one was as intense as the first. But when she raised herself and began to rock her hips sideways at the bottom of each stroke, I felt that magical sensation before my own orgasm exploded and coated the insides of her. Every muscle in my body strained as I held myself at full depth. My sister experienced several aftershocks as she took every drop of my essence.

Slowly our breathing returned to a more normal rate. We were both coated with a sheen of sweat while the heat of our bodies kept us warm. The delight of our lovemaking seemed to grow a little stronger, with neither one of us in a hurry to break the magic of our coupling. I slowly softened and slipped out of her. She remained on my stomach, holding me tightly as she fought to regain her own breath.

"I love you, Keith," were her first words, "but you need a shower almost as badly as I do. Think you can find the strength to walk that far?"

I kissed her in response, then allowed her to leave the cocoon of our caress and lead the way into the bathroom. After a quick shower and wash, I dried her satiny skin, took a swipe at my own, and led her back to our bed.

"What time did you say you were getting up in the morning?" she asked.

"About six. Why? I thought you might want to sleep in."

"I'll get up with you and make coffee. Once you're off to work, I'll have the whole day to sleep if I want it. But I have things to do around here, and I'd like to take a walk in the afternoon if the weather's decent. Getting up to an apartment full of empty first thing in the morning is damn lonely. I remember what it was like at home when you were gone. I missed you too much. I'd rather get up early, then come back to bed later."

She curled up on my chest with her breathing soft and gentle as she fell asleep within minutes and I wasn't far behind her.

It felt like mere minutes later that the alarm clock started to scream at us, its insistent caterwauling forcing me into wakefulness. As Tandra was on that side of the bed, she tried to take a couple of swipes at the ringer button, then gave up. I pried myself out from underneath her and shut the damned thing off. Despite my inclination to roll over for just a few more minutes, I knew that I'd be in bed until at least ten if I did. But my sister looked so peaceful laying there that I didn't have the heart to disturb her.

It was only ten minutes before I was shaving, brushing my teeth, and combing my hair, but by the time I was dressed, my sister was in the kitchen making coffee, and I could smell the aroma of bread toasting.

"Not much of a breakfast, I'm afraid, but hopefully it'll keep you going until lunch. You are stopping for lunch, aren't you?"

"If I have time, I will. But if it gets busy, about the best I'll be able to do is grab one of those pre-digested sandwiches from a corner store. Yech! Those things are terrible, but it's better than nothing."

She poured two coffees, with cream in mine and both cream and sugar in hers. Once the toast was ready, she buttered it, then brought two plates, knives, and some jam that I didn't know we had. I leaned over and kissed her as a show of thanks, my reward a soft humming purr as she nuzzled against my lips.

"I missed this when you went away last year," Tandra started to reminisce. "Remember we'd sit at the table on weekends and just enjoy each other's company? Mom and Dad were usually sleeping in, especially on Sundays, and I didn't have a care in the world. That's what this reminds me of; those days back home."

"Getting homesick already, Sis?" I quipped, the tone of my voice trying to sound like a tease.

"No, not really. Just remembering the way things were when we were kids," she let me know in a faraway voice. "Shit, listen to me! When we were kids? Neither one of us is all that old yet, are we?"

"No, but it does seem like a long time ago," I commented

" ... in a galaxy far, far away?" she added, then giggled as something else popped into her mind.

"What? What's so funny?" I wanted to know.

"Remember that Sunday when you and I were sitting in the kitchen after that ski party? Both of us had way too much to drink the night before. Anyway, I remember sitting there in my bra and panties and you were wearing a pair of boxers, I think. Neither one of us was really worried about it until Mom came down. I remember shrieking and trying to cover myself up while you just sat there and blushed. God, how long had we been sitting there before she showed up? Half an hour, maybe? Poor Mom must have thought we'd lost our minds! I know Dad came down those stairs two at a time. I wonder what he expected?"

"Yeah, I remember that day. Shit, did I ever get a lecture from Dad. I think he figured I was the biggest pervert in town, too. 'Your own sister! How could you?' he screamed at me. I didn't have the faintest idea what he was talking about. Geez, if he could only see us now, huh? The poor guy would have a heart attack."

Just then, my phone rang, and as it was on the kitchen counter, Tandra reached over to grab it.

"You know someone by the name of Dale Keirnan?" she wanted to know.

"Yeah, he's my dispatcher. Wonder what he's got?"

Dale had four parcels at the university to be picked up, with one going downtown, two going to the airport, and the fourth one heading for the far side of the city. The airport ones were a rush delivery. I told him that I'd have them picked up within fifteen minutes. As I hung up, I couldn't help but see the trepidation in Tandra's eyes at the prospect of her first day all by herself, and my heart had a tough time staying at an acceptable rate.

"You going to be okay, Sis? You look a little scared."

"Yeah, I'll be fine. It's just that I'm so used to you being here all the time. But you'd better get your ass off to work and see if you can make us a buck or two. I'll try to have something ready for supper when you get home. What time you figure, about three thirty?"

"Something like that. If I'm going to be late, I'll call you. Just remember to take your phone with you, and turn it on this time. Cell phones don't work worth a shit when they're off. If anything comes up or you need to talk, you know where I am. Call me?"

"Mmm, may call you just for the hell of it. Think you can stand your little sister keeping tabs on you?" she teased, then kissed me as I headed on my way out. I had to stop and run my hands down her soft young body in appreciation. She crushed herself against me in a show of love and warmth.

"Drive safe," I heard her call to me as I aimed myself for the elevator.

The drive across the city proved profitable. I dropped the two airport packages off first, then went over to the east side. Dale had a bunch of pick-ups over there that brought me back downtown. Sunday mornings were usually busy because most of the regular drivers took the day off to be with their families. I enjoyed working Sundays for that reason, and the money was very good if you managed to get into a groove. It was about one in the afternoon when I finally had a chance to grab a burger and fries for lunch. Just as I was getting back in the van, my phone rang.

"Hi, Sis," I answered, knowing who it was from the call display. "What's up?"

"Keith, do you know a guy by the name of Blair Morrison?" she wanted to know.

"Sure, he's in some of my classes. We call him Twinkie, because he's always munching on some kind of junk food. Why? Did you run into him?"

"Yeah. He stopped me down on the Plaza strip and asked if my last name was Hayes. When I told him yes, he asked if I was related to a Keith Hayes. Anyway, he bought me a coffee, and we got yapping. Seems like a nice guy, too. He's got a line on a forty-inch LCD TV, if we want one. He says that for a hundred bucks, it's ours. You interested?"

"That's all, a hundred bucks? Is it hot?"

"Don't think so. Blair says that the people that own it found it too small for their livingroom, bought a bigger one, and just want to get rid of this one. I was going to go over with him and have a look at it first. If it's as good as he says, I've got the hundred bucks in my bank account, but I'll need you to pick it up. What do you think?"

"I'd say we should go for it. Just make sure they've still got the original sales receipt so we don't get fried if it's stolen. I should be finished about four, so I can come over and pick it up after work."

"Awesome! I'll go over now, then call you back with an address. Oh, by the way, Blair says hi. He wanted to know if you're registering tomorrow. I told him I thought so, but to call you if he needed to talk to you first. That okay?"

"Yeah, that'll work out great. Bill and I would kind of like to team up with Twinkie for Physics. I just hope we all get into the same class. Is he still there?"

"No, he said he had an errand to run off, but he's supposed to meet me at Timmy's in fifteen or twenty minutes. Want me to have him call you?"

"Nah, I'll find him tomorrow. Tell him that I'm meeting Hudson at Bird Hall around eight. If he's in the neighbourhood, maybe we can all get together."

With that, I hung up, and was immediately bombarded by calls from my dispatcher with enough work to keep me going until the end of the shift. By the time the day was over and the expenses paid, we were up almost three hundred dollars, more than enough to pay for the TV. I knew that Tandra wouldn't let me pay for all of it, but fifty bucks each was cheap if the TV was any good. It turned out that not only was it a top of the line set, but the warranty could be transferred for a small price.

We got the set home and upstairs, and while Tandra puttered in the kitchen I set the TV up in the livingroom. It fit into our entertainment cabinet, but just. Once I got the cable connected, even Tandra was impressed by the picture quality. Adding the stereo's sound capacity to it gave us a decent home theatre. Now in addition to those CDs I had at home, we'd have to grab our collection of DVDs as well. With what my sister had saved us, we could easily afford a new disk player to complete the system.

Supper was a culinary masterpiece in my opinion. Tandra had done roast beef, complete with browned potatoes, Yorkshire pudding, mixed vegetables, gravy, and a homemade blackberry pie for dessert. I have no idea where she found blackberries, but she knew they were my favourite, especially when served with both ice cream and whipped cream. I'd be spending days at the gym to burn off the extra calories, but it was more than worth it.

After cleaning up the kitchen and doing all the dishes, we sank into the sofa and flipped on our new TV. Tandra curled up under my arm, her head pressed into my shoulder as she tucked her legs under her so that her heels touched the top of her thigh. We watched for about an hour, and I could feel my eyelids starting to sag as the long day began to catch up with me.

"Why don't you go to bed, you goof?" my sister admonished. "You're exhausted, and it's been a long day for both of us. Besides, we have to be at Bird Hall first thing in the morning. I'm going to take a quick shower, then hit the hay. Want to join me?"

I love it when Tandra makes me one of those unrefusable offers. This was another one.

I helped her up from the sofa and almost had to carry her into the bedroom. While the shower was refreshing, it wasn't invigorating enough to wake me fully. I did manage to give her one strong orgasm with my fingers, and she tried to reciprocate. But I was too tired to give her what she wanted and felt guilty for denying her the pleasure of my own climax. I apologized, even though she tried to tell me that it was all right and that there'd be lots of other nights. I was asleep almost as soon as my head hit the pillow.

Monday morning arrived with the shrill ringing of the alarm clock, and the warmth of Tandra's body on my chest in her usual place. Like most mornings, she had an arm over my midriff and a leg draped over my thigh, all of which tried to induce me to sleep for a few extra minutes. As she lifted her head and searched for my lips, I knew that more sleep wasn't going to happen. I returned her kiss, sensing her tongue trying to get past my lips as she welcomed me into the day.

Tandra was a delight that was too good to pass up and our usual morning kiss became more intense until I couldn't stand to be without her any more. I was kissing her perky breasts as her nipples hardened to my touch. I wanted to taste her, but Tandra wanted me inside her more than she wanted to have me lick and pleasure her.

As I slowly expanded her entrance, I found myself lost in the luxurious softness of her femininity, her heat, and her moisture. Our pace quickly went from a slow rhythm to one of wanton and lustful need, and it wasn't very long before I heard her begin to gasp for air as her walls fluttered, then clenched me deep inside as she spasmed and trembled from the ecstasy of her orgasm. That was all it took to take me to the edge, then send me soaring as I erupted like a bottle of champagne being uncorked. We bathed ourselves in the closeness of our afterglow, drifting back down slowly as our bubble of intimacy cradled and caressed us.

Breakfast broke all the rules. While my sister cooked, I set the table. We had bacon and eggs, hash browns, and a couple of pieces of toast. Unfortunately we were running late and had to leave the dishes in the sink. Tandra hated coming home to dirty dishes and I promised myself that I'd have to get back before her and clean up.

Registration was a madhouse, but I did manage to find both Bill Hudson and Blair Morrison. We all got the same physics, math, and history classes, but Bill couldn't get his schedule to work with my psychology class, and Blair's electronics class was full by the time we got there. Three out of five classes together would make things interesting for this term though. I was pleasantly surprised when I found out Tandra had an English class that she'd wanted. How she managed to get into a second-year course was beyond me, although she did look rather pleased with herself. Her big brother might have been even more proud.

The afternoon was a lot more relaxed with most of the time spent searching out the various extracurricular clubs we were interested in. Bill and I signed up for the wrestling team, while Blair joined us for flag football. Even Tandra got into the swing of things, joining the volleyball team and auditioning for the cheerleading squad. Bill offered to buy me that beer he'd promised and we all made our way over to The Fox, our campus pub.

They say that time flies when you're having fun. That day proved it, because by the time we left The Fox, it was almost eight o'clock. Blair headed off to his dorm, while Bill tagged along with Tandra and me. His apartment was just down the street from us and we both enjoyed his company. I did get a few funny looks from him that took me a while to figure out. Out of habit, Tandra and I were holding hands, our fingers interlaced, and that fact wasn't lost on Bill, although he didn't say anything at the time.

As soon as we walked through the door, I remembered that the morning's dishes still needed to be taken care of, and suggested that my sister relax while I cleaned up. The look on her face told me how much she appreciated my efforts, and her kisses afterwards spoke of her thankfulness, both for a clean kitchen, and for not having to tackle a messy chore that late at night. To emphasize just how much she enjoyed the reprieve, she dragged me into the shower, where I more than made up for the night before. By the time we got out, neither of us could stand for more than a few minutes before our exhausted legs gave out. She'd climaxed at least five times that I knew of, and I'd had one big, massive cum from her fingers and another deep inside her. Sleep found us easily after our lovemaking that night.

Wednesday was another busy one, and now that we had our book lists, it was time to fight the mobs at the bookstore. Tandra's list wasn't too bad, but mine seemed to go on and on. By the time we'd finished, we'd spent a lot of money. I've never figured out how a book that only gets used for one year can be worth more than a hundred dollars, and I had six like that. Even my sister's English Composition text ran her one-fifty. Being used to high school where text books are supplied, it was a bit of a shock to her system.

It was as we left the store that Bill caught up with us, greeting us with a cheery smile and a look that I couldn't quite decipher. As we headed toward his place on our way home, he gave me a questioning look, then shifted his gaze to Tandra and my hands, once more laced together.

"Can I talk to you, Keith? Privately?" he asked, acting as though he was the student and I the professor.

"Sure, Bill. What's on your mind?"

"Umm, he said privately, Keith," my sister reminded me. "How about if I meet you two over at The Fox? I'm going to lug this library home first."

Hers was a good idea, considering the weight involved and the value of the tomes inside. But Bill looked like he couldn't wait for whatever was on his mind. I sent my sister on her way, promising her a beer when she got back. It was when she was out of earshot that Bill finally opened up.

"She's your sister, right?" he started.

"Yeah, last time I looked. Why?"

"Because you two seem awfully close. I've been watching both of you and it's almost like ... I don't know. It's those looks that go between you two, I guess. I mean, if it was anybody but your sister, I'd swear that you were head over ... holy shit! You are head over heels for her, aren't you? Did you break up with Cassie to be with your sister?"

Panic gripped me like a vise when I realized how accurately Bill had analyzed our situation. How the hell was I supposed to explain myself and Tandra to a guy that was one of my best friends? I had no idea, although there was no sense denying the truth.

"Bill, it just happened. I don't know why, or when, but one day Tandra was my little sister, and the next, she was ... well, more than that. Things just kind of clicked between us. You're not going to blab this all over campus, are you? Or tell me that you don't want to be friends any more?"

There was a long pause as we both walked slowly toward the pub, Bill deep in thought and me sweating bullets. I had no idea what to do, or how to protect what my sister and I had together and what we'd become from the rest of the world.

"No," he finally let me know, "I won't blab. Shit, Hayes, you should know me better than that. But it's weird for a guy to be going with his own sister. I still can't believe you broke up with Cassie. And now this? What other secrets are you keeping hidden?"

"That's about it, my friend," I breathed a temporary sigh of relief. For now, my incestuous relationship with Tandra was safe, at least as far as Bill Hudson went. And miracle of miracles, he was still talking to me, still my friend.

"Hayes, if you want to sleep with your ... it's okay by me. But I still think you're an asshole for breaking up with Cassie. I like her, a lot. You think she'd go out with me?"

"I dunno. You might think about asking her instead of me. I don't run her social calendar. Why not give her a call and see? What's the worst she can say? No, maybe?"

That was the end of it. When Tandra arrived at the pub, Bill was his usual charming self, even going so far as to flirt with her a bit. My sister soaked up the attention like a sponge. But as the afternoon progressed, it was clear who she was going home with, and it wasn't Bill Hudson.

It was on the elevator that Tandra sprung her understanding on me, right out of the clear blue, and I was instantly in shock as her perceptiveness.

"He knows, doesn't he?" she asked. "Bill, I mean. He knows about you and me."

"Yeah, he's figured it out, Sis. But I trust Bill. He told me he'd keep our secret, and when he says he'll keep it quiet, you can take that to the bank. I just hope not too many other people figure it out or we're going to be in shit up to our eyeballs."

"How'd he figure it out?"

"Little things. The fact that you and I are always holding hands, the way we look at each other, the way you're always right there beside me, and the fact that Cassie and I broke up. Bill might be a lot of things, but he's not stupid, and he's not a blabbermouth. I really think we can trust him, Sis."

"I hope so, Keith," she let out with a sigh, "I sure hope so."

Classes started the next day, and it was the usual whirlwind of activity, with new students trying to figure out where they were supposed to be while returning students like myself spent half the day reuniting with old friends. A lot of the faces from last year were back, although there were a few that hadn't returned. A couple of them I missed, while I made note of the new people in each class. There were two girls in my English class that spent an inordinate amount of time trying to get my attention. One was a perky brunette with all the right bumps and curves in exactly the right locations. Her friend was a little on the heavy side, and yet her few extra pounds only added to her appeal instead of detracting from it. I'd have to make their acquaintance, I told myself.

On the way out of the lecture hall I managed to catch up with the brunette, who immediately acted shy and withdrawn, a complete opposite of her demeanor in class. But I introduced myself and she let me know her name was Beckie Something-or-other. Her friend was Tanya Hilliard, and proved to be a non-stop chatterbox. Despite that, I found both of them fun to be with. Beckie was an Arts major, while Tanya was pursuing a degree in graphic design and photography. We spent the time between classes getting to know each other, and I almost hated to part ways with them.

I met up with my sister in one of the cafeterias for lunch and we chattered about every mundane subject on the planet. Tandra had a two o'clock Composition class, while I had the afternoon off. As I was heading back toward the apartment, Bill came around the corner of the Bird Hall and we almost collided head-on.

"Keith!" he exclaimed, and any hint of animosity was well-hidden. "You going to the football game this weekend? I think we're playing the Saints. Should be a good game, if I ever learn to read that freaking schedule."

"Hadn't thought about it. When is it? I have to work Sunday. Need all the coin I can scrape up this year."

"Saturday. Two o'clock, I think they said was the kick-off. If you can make it, maybe I'll see you and Tandra there? If she's the love interest of my best friend, I guess I'd better get to know her, huh?"

"Umm, you're all right with Tandra and me, Bill?"

"Yeah, I am. Except for the fact that she's your sister, she's a sweetheart. It's a good thing you found her before I did or I'd chase her pretty little ass all over this campus." He blushed a bit at the forthrightness of his comment, which made me chuckle at his discomfort.

"Keith, I was thinking of inviting Cassie to the game, but if you and Tandra are... " Bill left his question unasked, although it didn't take rocket science to figure out what he wanted to know.

"They used to be good friends, Bill, but after last week? I don't know. Eventually they'll both be fine, but not yet. Tell you what. If you can get Cassie to go with you, Tandra and I will make ourselves scarce. That way you don't get caught in the middle. I'll keep an eye out for you, and if I see Cassie ... Well, you know what I mean, right?"

"Yeah, okay," he conceded, his enthusiasm lagging at the thought of having to avoid us. Maybe one day all four of us would be comfortable together again, but that day was a long way down the road.

That evening, I guess my mind was on Cassie and Bill, as well as our incestuous love affair, because it sure wasn't on the food my sister had taken the time and trouble to prepare. I could tell her focus was somewhere else too, because she spent most of the time just twirling her fork in her food, looking up at me every now and then with dark, sad eyes. She asked what was on my mind, and I told her.

"I've been thinking of her, too," Tandra let me know, "and I miss her, Keith. Cassie's been my best friend since forever. Now she won't even give me the fucking time of day! I hate this! Dammit, why does it have to be like this?"

"Because you and I stepped over a line, Sis, and Cassie got hurt when we did. There's no way to fix it, either, unless you want to call it quits and hope she'll forgive you a little sooner. Is that what you want?"

"No, and don't be an asshole. It'll be a while before she forgives you, and even longer until she'll speak to me. I guess we weren't ready for the fan to get hit, but it still doesn't make this any easier. God, you have no idea how badly I want to run over to her place and beg her to forgive me!"

With that, Tandra threw down her fork, then went over to the sofa and curled up in a fetal position. I could hear her sobs, and each one ripped another chunk out of me. I left the table and tried to console my little sister. All I could do was hold her in my arms, for there were no words that would make her angst any easier to handle.