"I still can't get over how much you've...changed,
grown
," Elizabeth said with a tiny curl of her lips, still marveling over her younger cousin, Dave, just turned 20; she still remembered him as a shy, small-statured boy of 14, face infected with a bad case of acne and long, thin hair falling over his shoulders.
"Well," Dave shrugged, "adolescence tends to do that, cuz. "
You
, on the other hand, have not changed a bit!"
"Now, you're exaggerating," she chuckled, brushing her hair off her face.
"Well, you have lost weight since last time, but...that was, what? Six years ago?"
"Yeah," she said gloomily. "Back in college, I indulged in some binge eating...anxiety eating, they called it; something like that."
"It doesn't show," he offered her a wide smile.
"So, what's up with you?" She asked, eager to shift the subject; his tall, muscled body, his shaved head, his goatee, his mesmerizing eyes—that belonged to a vastly different person than the boy she remembered—had a bizarre effect on her and talking about her body woke an uncomfortable feeling within her.
"I think, mom's told you all about it already, hasn't she?" He smirked.
"She did mention you're doing great in college, yes. And that you are in the basketball team, as well."
"Who would have thought, huh? In junior high, I was always the last pick in gym class...and now, I'm a starter!"
"It is wonderful," she nodded, desperately trying to keep her gaze focused on his eyes, preventing her glance from descending down to his wide arms and bulked up torso.
"Rumor has it you're engaged?" He broke the ensued silence.
"Yes," she mumbled back, taken aback; she smoothed her dress, which had lifted way over her thigh, and cleared her throat. "His name's Stephan; he's a software engineer, working for a video-games company."
"Exciting," Dave nodded, scratching his chin. "Handsome?"
"He's...sweet," she said, furious at herself for not being able to come up with a better word to describe her soon-to-be husband.
"Sweet, huh?" Dave chuckled dryly. "I see...so, are you working?"
"Yes, I...well, it's more of like helping some friends with their start-up company, doing some proofreading for them, web-design, all that...I do get paid, though."
"That's nice," Dave leaped up. "By the way, do you want anything to drink?"
"Sure, I'll...whatever you're having," she yet again straightened her dress.
"All right," he winked and prepared two highballs of scotch and water. "Here," he offered her one and they clinked glasses.
Elizabeth, after a long, invigorating sip, had a look around at the small independent basement underneath Dave's parents' house; Dave had lived down there since he turned 16, thus enjoying an autonomy not many teenagers get to experience.
Confidently, he took a seat next to her and her gaze fell, momentarily, on the bulge extending on one side of his shorts, running along his thigh. She leaned back and looked at him with an inconspicuous smile, while struggling to control the urge to look again, to verify the reality of what she'd seen.
"What's wrong?" He raised his eyebrow inquiringly. "Oh, shit," he exasperated and sat rigidly up, trying to conceal his member. "Sorry, I..."
"It's alright, Dave," she patted him on the shoulder. "Not much you can do about it, right? I mean...some things cannot be concealed."
"Right," he tried to laugh at her failed joke, faintly blushing. "I probably should get dressed, though...in about an hour, the rest of the family will arrive..."
She watched him rush agitated into the small bedroom; a wide smile decorated her face, her eyes fixed on the half-closed door.
What made her get up and slowly, and cautiously, tiptoe her way to the door? She couldn't tell; was it curiosity, fascination, something sinisterly deeper and primeval? Maybe, I don't need a real reason, a...she thought solemnly, as she peeked through the opening. Perhaps, a justification for my actions is needless.
Dave had taken off his shirt and Elizabeth marveled over his chiseled body; his muscles alone must weigh more than Stephan, she chuckled silently. Then, he pulled his shorts down; an involuntary gasp escaped her, when she noticed his member hanging soft between his legs, dangling only a few inches over his knees.
"What's wrong, cuz?" Dave asked, worrisomely. "Everything..." he moved towards the door and abruptly froze, when he caught her watching him. "Cuz, what are you..." he stopped, unable to come up with anything to add.
"Sorry, I was just..." she sighed, running her fingers through her hair; her heart palpitated and her face turned crimson.