Jonathan woke up as the car pulled off the highway. They had been driving for just under two hours, and he enjoyed getting some extra sleep. He pulled a piece of gum out of the package in his pocket to freshen his breath after his nap.
He loved it when they'd visit his aunt, uncle and cousin. They lived close enough to see them many times throughout the year, but far enough away that they'd spend a long weekend staying at their house when they visited.
Jennifer was his only first cousin, and she and he were always close. She was six months older than he was but was a year ahead in school because of when their birthdays fell. She had just completed her first year in college; he would be leaving next month for his first year. The last time he visited his aunt and uncle, Jennifer was at school, so he was really looking forward to seeing her today.
Only ten minutes after getting off the highway, the car pulled into his aunt and uncle's driveway. As soon as he opened his door, Jennifer came running out, threw her arms around Jonathan, and gave him a big hug.
"Jonny! Great to see you! I'm so excited you guys are here."
Jonathan pulled her close to return the tight hug and gave her a little kiss on her lips.
"Hey, Jennifer. Great to see you, too. I missed you last time we came."
"I know. College! I HATE when it gets in the way of my having a good time!"
Jennifer turned away from Jonathan to greet her aunt and uncle, giving each a kiss on the cheek. Her parents walked out of the house, and the whole greeting process was repeated. Everyone gave each other a hug, and everyone kissed the air as they placed their faces cheek to cheek.
Jonathan thought Jennifer looked fantastic in her white tank top and jean shorts. She was clearly in good shape, and her tank top hugged her torso and her perfect, small breasts. Her stomach was flat, and it didn't look like she had an ounce of fat on her.
"Geez, cuz, I thought you're supposed to put on the freshman 15 your first year at school. You look great!"
Jennifer laughed. "If you had seen me after my first two months at school, you woulda thought I was gonna be adding way more than just 15 pounds. I was eating tons of crap, didn't exercise at all, and looked like shit." Suddenly, she covered her mouth with her hand. "Sorry, Aunt Linda, I didn't mean to swear."
Jonathan's mom gave her a stern look for three seconds, and then started laughing. "God damnit, girl, you think I'm a prude? You're in college. If I didn't hear you say bullshit every few sentences, I'd get nervous you weren't normal."
Jonathan's eyes went wide open and his mouth opened in shock; he never heard his mom swear. His mother turned toward him.
"Close your mouth, Jonathan, and don't be so shocked. I know all the words. And you're not always so quiet on the phone when you're talking to your friends. Jesus, Bob, I'd better start swearing around the house a little more."
Now everyone was laughing as they grabbed the bags and started walking up to the house. Jennifer continued with her explanation.
"One morning I went to put on some pants, and they were tight. I looked in the mirror and realized how horrible I looked. I decided right then and there that I had to take better care of myself. There's a great fitness center on campus, and I started going 4 or 5 times a week. I feel so much better now. I almost have withdrawal on days I can't go."
"Well, whatever you did worked," Jonathan said. "You look fantastic!"
"Thanks, Jonny."
Jonathan always thought his cousin was pretty, but about three years ago, as her body started to mature, he realized she was beautiful. He never thought about her sexually, but he knew she had a body and a face that would attract any guy. But to him, she was just Jennifer -- his buddy, his playmate, his confidante.
He was also always amazed at how much Jennifer looked like her mom. Though she was in her 40s, she looked fantastic, with the same pitch-black hair, slender body, small, firm breasts, and hazel eyes. Her face was an older version of Jennifer's. Of course, Jennifer didn't look anything like Jonathan's Uncle, since he wasn't her biological father. Jennifer's dad was killed in a car accident when she was less than a year old. Two years later, her mom married Jonathan's uncle.
When he was younger, when they visited, he'd sleep in the second bed in Jennifer's room. Somewhere along the way -- maybe when she got to high school -- he started sleeping on the couch in the living room. He would have been fine sleeping in her room, but he figured she'd feel uncomfortable. So, one year he just suggested he should sleep on the couch, and it continued that way every year.
Jennifer's parents had set up lunch outside on the deck. It was a perfect day for eating outside: warm, but not hot, with a gentle breeze. There wasn't a cloud in the sky, and the patio umbrella kept the sun off of them. As usual at the beginning of every visit, there was never a quiet moment. Everyone was constantly talking, often with multiple conversations at the same time. And there was lots of loud laughter. The adults all got along fantastically, as did Jonathan and Jennifer. When they weren't listening to their parents' conversations or answering their questions, they were talking to each.
Jonathan wanted to know everything about Jennifer's first year at college, and she wanted to know all about his upcoming year. He was going into engineering, being really good in math and science in high school. Jennifer couldn't answer any questions about what engineering was like, but she talked a lot about campus life in general.
Jonathan couldn't ask her about the one thing he
really
wanted to know about college life: how much sex did people have? Not only was he a virgin, he had never even touched a girl's breasts. He never dated and was very shy around women. Of course, he wasn't shy around Jennifer, but she wasn't a
girl
, she was his cousin and his friend.
They spent the entire day outside just catching up, telling stories about Jonathan and Jennifer's grandparents, and telling funny stories about how Jennifer's dad used to tease Jonathan's mom when they were kids. At one point, Jonathan just sat back and smiled. His mom and uncle were incredibly close, and he loved watching them when they got together. All of the people sitting at the table were the most important people in his life, and he always felt loved when they were all together.
As the sun started to hide below the trees off in the distance, Jonathan's dad started laughing.
"It happens every goddamn time we visit." Looking toward his wife and brother-in-law, he continued, "once you two start talking and telling stories from the old days, you never stop. If I didn't stop you, we'd probably miss dinner. And goddamn it, I'm hungry!"
Everyone started laughing -- especially Jennifer. She had an infectious laugh, and the more she laughed, the more everyone else laughed louder and louder. Once she finally stopped laughing, she asked, "how about pizza for dinner? You didn't plan anything, right, Mom? Let's order from Tony's."
Her mother looked at her father, and he shrugged. "Okay with me."
"Is it okay with you, Aunt Linda? Uncle Bob?"
"Whatever you'd like, sweetheart," Linda responded. "If you want it, I want it!"
After a few minutes of negotiating what would be on the pizzas, who wanted thick and who wanted thin, and what sizes they needed, Jennifer called in the order. After 10 minutes, she turned to Jonathan.
"C'mon, cuz, let's go get the pizzas."
