***All characters are above the age of 18***
(PART 3)
The things we had just done in my room were... unbelievable. I was in shock replaying the reel in my mind from the posing, to the stripping. Then from the lap dance, to the spanking. My older brother spanking me. None of it had been anything I ever desired or even considered before today. Somehow, something possessed us. What started as a few innocent pictures spiraled into a morning and afternoon filled with teasing, desire, and forbidden attraction. And now what? We had to go pretend like everything was completely normal.
I arrived in the kitchen wearing my short jean shorts and black crop top. Brian was already at the table with Mom seated to his left and Dad to his right. My spot directly across from him was vacant as I pulled the chair out and sat down.
Dad turned to me and said, "Well there she is. You finally escaped your room!"
I laughed sarcastically and said, "ha-ha, very funny." I was having trouble looking across the table at Brian. I knew we were going to have to look at each other eventually, but I wasn't in any rush having come from a very, very different setting.
Mom exhaled and said, "Well, we were going to have pizza, but I figured we don't usually have the two of you home anymore, so we made our famous pasta! Dig in!"
Mom and Dad did crack the code on a great linguine over the years. The smell of fresh shrimp, roasted garlic, and Parmesan cheese filled the air. They even had a bottle of red wine out on the table with four wine glasses -- one at each place setting. Before even going for the pasta, I went for the wine, pouring it halfway up the glass.
Brian smiled and said, "This all looks great! It's been a while since I've had a good home-cooked meal." He began to fill his shallow bowl with the pasta.
Mom laughed at his comment and responded, "Now that surprises me. I would have thought that Maggie of yours was a great cook!"
My eyes shot open. Who was Maggie? Did Brian have a girlfriend?! I know it had been about a year since we last saw each other, we hardly texted, and Brian had zero social media presence. If he had a girlfriend, I couldn't believe Mom and Dad wouldn't have mentioned her when I called them from college last year. I took a large sip of my wine as I looked at him very curiously from across the table.
Brian looked at me somewhat awkwardly, and with a chuckle, looked at Mom and said, "Don't get me wrong. She's not terrible, but nothing like this."
I took another big sip of my wine as I reached for the pasta at the center of the table to fill up my bowl. As I started filling the bowl, I remarked, "Maggie? So big brother has a girlfriend?" I carefully kept my voice sounding more lighthearted than disturbed.
Then Dad chimed in and added, "Soon to be fiance, right son?"
My eyes widened even a little more as I quickly reached for the glass again. Mom let out a giggle and said, "My, you're a thirsty one tonight, huh?"
I looked at her and calmly answered, "It's pretty good wine."
On the inside, I was screaming. Not only did Brian have a girlfriend... but a fiance?! How could he not tell me? And then how could he do all of that with me? It was the dictionary's definition of a nightmare. Not only was I dumb enough to become physical with my brother... he was about to be married. My mind was racing.
Brian laughed and said, "Yeah, I was waiting to tell you guys until I was sure. And, well, next week is our one year anniversary, and I'm asking her." He looked nervously at me as Mom and Dad dropped their silverware to rise from the table and hug him. I, on the other hand, sat in my seat and waited for things to settle down a bit. I wasn't sure how to feel or react. I knew I should've been happy. What happened earlier in the day was wrong and couldn't persist. It, of course, needed to come to an end, but I felt extra dirty for being entangled in something like this.
Dad sat back down and said, "That is what I am talking about. When you find a good one, you put a ring on her." He looked up and over at Mom and asked, "isn't that right honey?"
Mom smiled at Dad, then over to Brian and said, "I am so proud of you. Marriage is beautiful. And you are going to be such a good husband."
With somewhat of a mischievous smile on my face, I held my glass up and I added, "To you and Maggie!"
Mom and Dad held their glasses up as well, and then Brian, as we all clinked them together in the middle of the table. I was confused, and a little bit in disbelief, but still happy for Brian regardless. In the last several years, he had some issues with women -- only things I had heard when he was on speaker phone with Mom and Dad.
Setting my glass back down, and trying my hardest to feel happy for him, I asked, "So when do I get to meet her? After the wedding?"
Mom and Dad looked at each other with a puzzled look, and then over to Brian and Dad asked, "Well, I thought you said she was coming over tomorrow, didn't you?"