My Cousin Janie

My apologies to the readers that read the My Cousin Janie Ch. 01 5 years ago. I've been through some difficult times and I'm just now beginning to write again. Please let me know what you think...

*****

We never fell asleep that night. As soon as we made it to my bedroom, we were all over one another again. I was on top the second time and I enjoyed looking down at her as we made love. She looked so beautiful. After we finished, I laid beside her and held her in my arms. We talked non-stop the rest of the night.

"It's going to be really hard to leave here this morning," She said just before daybreak.

"It's just for a few more weeks, Janie."

"Yeah, it is. I mean, we've waited a lot longer, haven't we?"

"That's true, but that was before." I smiled. "I know what a sexy vixen you are now. It going to be very hard."

Her hand found its way to my cock again.

"I'm sure it will be very hard. You can always go see Roxanne."

"Baby, I don't know about that anymore."

"Why? We agreed on that."

"I know, but it will feel weird now."

"You think so," she asked.

"Yeah. She was really amazing and she really helped me face my feelings, but I'm going to wait until you get home."

"That really means a lot to me. You know that, right?"

"It's not why I'm doing it though." I admitted.

"Then, why?"

"Because I love you and want to be with you."

"God, would you stop!! I don't need any help being more infatuated with you."

"Baby, I'm not doing that. I'm just telling you how I feel."

"Okay, I understand. But still, I'm not going to hold you back if you were to meet someone."

"I know. And I'm going to be the same." I hoped I would never have to face that day.

She smiled at me. "Brad, this has been everything I hoped it would be. I want you to know that."

"Yes, it has. I can't believe I ever doubted sharing this with you."

"You wanted to be sure. I can understand that. I was just afraid I blew my chance this summer." She smiled.

"No, like I told you before, I was just shocked. You made me face my own feelings."

"Brad, it's almost 7. I'm going to have to leave." She sighed heavily.

"I know. Let me kiss you once more." Our lips met again. Once we parted, I said "I'm going to miss that."

"Mmm, me too." She got out of bed and started to dress. I watched with interest as she put her dress on with no bra or panties. I shook my head and smiled. She turned around and saw me. "What are you smiling about?"

"Because you're not wearing anything under your dress."

"Did you think I was going to wear that bustier to the airport? That was just for you."

"I know, but I'm just enjoying thinking about if I saw you on the street and I knew you weren't wearing any panties."

"I may come home in a couple weeks without any. Would you like that?"

"Yes, I would." She walked back to where I was lying in the bed and took my hand.

"Baby, I'm sorry, but I've got to go."

"I'm going to miss you, sweet girl." I got out of bed and slipped on some shorts so I could walk her to the door.

"I'll miss you, too." We held hands as we slowly walked down the stairs. When we reached the front door, I took her in my arms again.

"Bye, baby."

"Bye, I..." She was crying a little.

"Honey, it's just three weeks."

"I know, I know. I just feel terrible leaving you with everything that has happened."

"I'll be ok. You'll be back for good soon."

"Yes, I will." We shared a final kiss and her hand reached for the door handle. "I love you."

"I love you too, baby. Go, before you miss your plane." She smiled and walked out the door closing it behind her. I walked to the window and watched her walk to her car. When she got there, she looked back at the house and saw me looking at her through the window. She smiled and waved before she got in the car and drove off. I stood there until her car faded out of view. I was so tired. I decided to go back to bed. There were still many things to take care of and then I needed to get back to school myself.

Early in the afternoon, I awoke to the sound of the telephone ringing. I reached for my phone in my bedroom and answered sleepily. I thought maybe it was Janie saying she was back at school safe.

"Hello," I said groggily.

"Jesus, son, did I wake you?" It was Rick.

"Yeah, sorry I was taking a nap."

"Well, I know you have to be exhausted after this week. Would you mind coming by the office for a bit?"

"No, Rick, not at all. I'll be there in a little bit."

"All right son, no rush, I'll be here for a while."

I walked to my bathroom and took a long shower. After I finished, I was standing in front of the mirror combing my hair. I saw a tiny piece of black fabric lying on the counter. I picked it up and realized it was Janie's little black panties. I remembered how sexy she looked in them the night before. I walked back into my bedroom and placed them on my pillow before I got dressed and walked out to my truck.

A short while later, I pulled into the parking lot at the office. Of course, only Rick's car was there. It was strange, since I couldn't remember very many times when my dad's vehicle wasn't parked right next to Rick's.

I heard Rick call to me as soon as I walked through the door.

"Brad, I'm in your Granddad's office, come on back."

I slowly took the steps down to the end of the hall. I saw Rick sitting with his back to me in one of my grandfather's big over stuffed leather chairs. A glass of scotch was in his right hand.

"Help yourself, son." I saw he was drinking from a bottle of Macallan's 25 year. I poured myself a glass and sat down next to him. He reached over with his glass. "To your Mama and Daddy."

I nodded and our glasses clinked together. We sat in silence for a long time as we savored the scotch and our memories. Finally, Rick looked up from where he was staring at the floor.

"Son, we've got some things we need to talk about."

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

"Well, first thing is. You're my partner now. You're gonna have a say in everything we do. I want you tell me what you think. I know you may feel a little overwhelmed by that but your Mama and Daddy put an awful lot of time in raising you. You've got a good head on your shoulders and I'm going to need it."

I nodded at him. "Yes, sir."

"Son. This Maddox deal is either going to make us or break us. You know that. We've got a shitload of our money and a lot of other people's money riding on this. Now, we've two good wells to show for it, but it could all go to shit in a hurry. If we don't make a few more, we're gonna be fucked."

"Yeah, I know. Are you worried Rick?"

"Shit son, I ain't felt this warm and cozy since the first time I heard a burst from an AK-47 buzz past my head in 'Nam. " He shook his head for emphasis. "Yeah, I'm real worried."

"What are we going to do then?" I asked.

"Son, I got an offer today from one of the big boys that wants buy us out on this deal. They've got the money to see this deal through and can damn well afford the risk a lot better than we can."

He got up and grabbed a legal pad from my grandfather's desk. He handed it to me and pointed to a large dollar amount that was underlined.

"I talked to Bill Sheridan with Anstar earlier today. You remember meeting Bill right?" He sat back down after pouring himself another scotch.

"Yeah, at granddad's funeral," I nodded.

"Well, he goes back pretty far with your Daddy and me. He's excited as hell about this deal. He wants in on it. You can see how badly." He pointed to the pad again. "It's a goddamn good offer and we could salt away some serious cash for some other deals we could be chasing. I'm not saying we should do it, but you've been around enough to know where we are on this."

"Yeah. I do." I nodded again.

"Brad, I'm asking you now as my partner. What do you think?" He looked at me intently. I met his gaze and we stared at one another for a long while. I knew there was only one way we could go.

"Rick, you and Dad and worked on that deal for years. I can't see us selling out without taking a chance at it. We're in there in a good position. You both always taught me there are risks worth taking. I think this is one of them."

He broke into a smile.

"You've got a lot of your Dad and Granddad in you. They both would have said the same thing." He laughed.

"Don't you think that's the right decision?"

"Of course I do, son. So does Roxie, but I had to ask you before we did it. It's gonna piss Bill Sheridan off something fierce. He was excited as an 18 year old on prom night about the prospect of us selling out to him! Now that we're decided, I think we can get two more rigs in January. Then we'll see if your Daddy was right about the north end of the play being the best part or not. I also think we need to hire another youngster like you to get in here and burn the candle at both ends."

"Rick, I can always take next semester off..."

"Like hell, son. You're going to get your ass back to school. You're not going to take a break or nothing. Your daddy would come back and choke me to death if I let that happen. Besides, your daddy and I had been thinking about doing this ever since you left for school. You've been carrying a pretty heavy load, even for an ox like you."

"It hasn't been that bad," I smiled. "What do you have in mind?"

"Well, I got a couple resumes a few weeks ago. I got a young fella that I think would fit the bill. He's graduating this semester from State. I was thinking about calling him on Monday and set up an interview."

"Ok, let me know what you think."

"Hell, Brad, you're going to let me know what you think. I want you to interview him. If you like him, he can come down and meet me. Son, you're the future of this outfit, not me."

"Rick, are you sure?"

"Son, you've been here with your daddy and I since you were 8 years old. You know this business. You know the kind of person we need."

"I know, but it's pretty awkward to me, Rick."

"Son, I know it is. There's going to be a lot more awkward situations down the road son. You better get used to them. This is gonna be all yours someday. You need to have a say in who we bring in here."

I nodded. He walked over to grandfather's desk and handed me the resume.

"Call him Monday. Take him to lunch and get a feel for what he knows and what he doesn't. You know what we need."

"Ok, Rick. I will."

Rick poured us each another small drink.

"Shelley's going to have dinner ready later, you want to come by?"

"Rick I'd love too, but I was going to try to get my stuff gathered up and get back to campus this evening. I've got a lot to do."

"No problem son, I understand. You're going to try and find a different place to live?"

"Yeah. I will. I guess Janie talked to you about it then?"

He just nodded.

"You don't mind?"

"Shit, son. I'm happy she's going to be back here. You should have seen Shelley's face when Janie told us."

"But what about her living with me?"

"Son, I ain't worried about that. You just keep it between you and her. It's no one else's business. Besides, anyone that knows you two, wouldn't think twice about you two sharing a place. Just keep the rest of it to yourselves."

"Rick, we will."

"I know, son." He stuck his hand out and we shook. "Brad, I ain't ever seen that girl as happy as she was this morning."

"Really? She was pretty upset when she left me."

"Well, she was happy when she got home. She had the biggest smile you've ever seen."

I grinned. "Good."

"Well, I better get home. Call me when you get back to school tonight. I started the rigs back up the day before yesterday. Your dad and granddad would be rolling over in their graves if they knew we had rigs under contract that weren't drilling."

"Rick, I didn't know."

"Son, I didn't want you to know. You had more important things to worry about. A buddy of mine has been watching them. You can take back over on Monday."

"All right. I will."

"Oh, Roxie wanted to talk to you before you went back to school."

"She at home," I asked.

"Yeah, far as I know."

"Okay, I'll go see her before I leave," I said.

"All right son. Talk to you tomorrow." We shook hands again and he walked out. I grabbed some things from the office and then I left as well.

I started my truck up again and I headed the few blocks to Roxanne's house. Her SUV was in the driveway. I parked and walked up to knock on her front door.

She answered with her customary smile.

"Hi, Bradley. How are you doing, baby?"

"I'm doing okay, how are you?" We hugged before I walked on in the door.

"Oh, baby, I'm still having my moments. I laugh for a few minutes and cry for a few."

"I know what you mean," I agreed. "Rick said you wanted to see me."

"Yes, I did, sweetie. Can I get you a drink?"

"Just a Coke or something would be fine. I'm going back to school tonight."

"Ok, honey. Have a seat, I'll be right back."

I sat on the couch and waited for her to return. Roxanne's house was really nice. The times I had been in there I was too busy paying attention to us ripping one another's clothes off to really appreciate it. Her work for my family allowed her the money to travel and collect art beyond our little corner of the world.

She soon returned with my Coke and what looked like a gin and tonic for her.

She put them on the table, and she sat down next to me. She reached her hand up to my cheek and gave me a long, lingering kiss.

"I wanted to do that one last time, sweet baby," she said. "Honey, I'm going to tell you what I told Janie this morning. I've really enjoyed my time with you, but I don't want to be in the way anymore."

I sat up on the couch, "Roxanne, you've never been in the way."

"I know, but she's coming back, baby. You need to spend all of the time with her that you can. I'm not going to get in the way of that."

"Roxanne, did Janie say anything?"

"Honey, she said she doesn't mind. She told me what you said about waiting for her, and I completely understand that. That tells me that you really feel for her like I knew you did."

"I never would have really it faced it if you hadn't been there, Roxanne." I wrapped my arms around her and held her close to me.

"I know, baby. I knew for a long time the way you two felt. I could see it, especially with my own experience in life."

"Roxanne, what we shared was really special to me."

"Thank you, baby. It made this old woman feel pretty special too."

I squeezed her hard against me. "You are not an old woman, you are a sexy temptress, that taught me in months what I would have needed years to learn."

"I like your way of words, Bradley. Granted, you had a few things figured out before we crossed the line."

"You brought out the best in me."

"Ha, whatever. You need to spend your time with Janie now though. This time is precious."

I looked at her with alarm. "What do you mean?"

"Honey, you and her probably just have a small frame of time. One of you could meet someone any day. Someone that is just as special. I mean you and she are cousins. It's something you need to think about. I admit, I wanted you two to get together because I could see the way you both felt. I just want you to know that it might not have the perfect, happy ending you might be expecting."

I turned away and stared at the floor.

"Bradley, baby, what are you thinking?" She asked.

"I don't know, I just thought that after we admitted it, it would be ok."

"Honey, it may be. I just want you to be prepared for it if it's not. I've told her the same thing."

"How did she react?"

"About the same as you. It's hurt like hell to tell you both that, but I needed to tell you."

"I can imagine. You've helped us both so much."

"I'm glad that you think that." She turned to me and kissed me again. I felt my toes almost curl when she did.

"I thought you kissed me for the last time already."

"Bradley, I thought I had, but then things got all serious before I could finish saying what I what I needed to tell you. I just want you to know that it was great with you. I wish I was your age." She put her hand on my knee. "I'd make you forget all about your beautiful Janie." I turned back and smiled at her. "I know it would take a lot of convincing though." She winked.

"Thank you for everything Roxanne." I placed my hand on top of hers.

"Honey, don't mention it, and don't act like it's the end or anything. I'm still going to be here for both of you."

"I know."

"Honey, promise me though. You two spend all the time together you have. Love one another and be with one another."

"I will, Roxanne."

"Okay." She kissed me on the cheek. There were tears in her eyes. She grabbed a tissue. "See what I mean?" She dabbed her eyes.

We looked at one another and smiled.

"I got Janie's side of the story on the way to the airport. So, how was it?"

"Great."

"Just great? Bradley, she was a lot more complimentary of you!"

"Amazing then."

"That's more like it, honey. She actually thanked me." She leered.

"You did help me with a few things."

"Honey, that's what I told her, but I also told her you were pretty good before I got a hold of you."

"Thanks, Roxanne." She reached over to wrap her arm around my shoulders.

"You're welcome, baby. I wish I was a little 18 year old co-ed again. I'd be riding you every night, cowboy." She grinned.

"I bet you would."

"Hell, honey. There's not a doubt in my mind." She stood up and reached for my hand. When I was standing we hugged.

"Thanks again, Roxanne."

"No, Bradley, thank you, baby." We held one another for a long time. "If you ever need anything I'm always here for you."

"I know Roxanne. I know."

"You better get going. You don't need to be on the road half the night."

"Okay, bye."

"Bye, honey. You only have 17 days to wait this time."

"It's going to be a long 17 days though."

She smiled and nodded. I turned and walked to the door and out into the dark night.

---------

The following Monday afternoon, I got home from class. I decided that I better try to call the guy I was supposed to interview. I grabbed the resume. Steve Grimes was his name. I dialed the number and listened to the phone ring. After four rings it was answered.

"Hello?" A guy answered.

"Steve?" I asked.

"Speaking."

"Steve, I'm Brad Smith, with Smith Oil Company."

"Hello." He tried to play it cool, but I could sense a bit of excitement in his voice.

"I've got your resume and I was wondering if you'd like to meet me for an interview."

"Yes, that would be great. Do I need to come to the city?"

"No, I'm actually here in town too. We could meet for lunch."

"Oh, you're in town?"

"Yes, I'm in school here as well."

"Oh really?"

"Yeah, I'm a freshman."

"You're a freshman?"

"Yeah."

"A freshman is going to be interviewing me for a job?" It wasn't the question so much as the smart ass way he asked it that bothered me. I felt myself bristle.

"Look, if you want an interview, fine, if not, that's fine too. I've been in the oil business my whole life. I don't need to take any attitude from you about it."

"Hey Brad, look, I'm really sorry. I want to apologize. I've been out of line."

"Steve, do you want to meet for lunch, or not?"

"Yes, I do," he said in a conciliatory manner.

"What day is best for you," I asked.

"I'm free for lunch all week. How about you?"

"Tomorrow would be fine. How about 11:30 at Frank's?"

"Frank's? Sure that would be great," he said.

"Okay Steve. I'll see you then."

"Thanks again for calling me."

"Sure, I'll see you tomorrow."

I hung up the phone and shook my head. I knew I had been a bit of an ass, but still. He seemed like a cocky shit. I was wondering how our meeting tomorrow would go.