AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is a work of fiction. All characters are over the age of 18.
As always comments and questions are encouraged. I hope you like it and I hope that I'll have time for more stories in the future.
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"Ari, I think it's time to admit they lost your luggage." It had been long enough that the belt on the baggage carousel had finally stopped and sure enough her suitcase was nowhere to be found. I'd tried to warn her that booking the cheapest airline was a bad idea, but she insisted that saving money on flights meant she could spend more on fun stuff for Christmas. I'd packed lightly enough that all I needed was a single carry-on, but Ari had jammed too much in her bag and had to check it at the gate. So here she was, about to spend two weeks in a cabin in the woods with nothing more than the clothes on her back. I wrapped my arm around my stepsister's shoulders to try and comfort her and noticed that she was shaking with barely contained rage. I shrugged "Do I get to say I told you so yet?" Ari shot me a look of pure venom and stormed off to the service desk to see what they could do. Turns out the best they could do was to take the address of our cabin and promise to send it to us if it showed up. Since I'd arrived earlier that day on a different flight, I'd already gotten the rental car and taken a quick drive out for a supply run for firewood and groceries. The weather report said we'd be getting some snow overnight, so I didn't want to be caught without at least the essentials.
Ari sighed as we made our way to the door closest to the parking garage where I had left our rented SUV. My stepsister was a tiny half Japanese woman, barely 5'1 and only about 110 lbs. Since she was only wearing gym shorts and a thin tank top, even the run to the car would freeze her to the bone. Even standing in the airport lobby she was shivering lightly. I passed her my bag and took off my oversized hoodie before draping it over her shoulders. "Hold my bag and wait here. I'll be right back with the car. Stay warm Funsize." Before she could object, I bolted out the door and ran to the garage. The cold air hit me like a punch to the face but even though I could see the first few snowflakes of the night drifting through the light of sunset, I knew that once I hit the stairs to get to my parking level, I'd be working up enough of a sweat that I'd barely notice the temperature. Five flights of stairs later and my shirt was already clinging to my back, and I could almost see the steam coming off me. Jumping in the rental I cranked the heat to max and sat for a moment rubbing my hands as I caught my breath. A few minutes later I pulled up to the arrivals gate and hopped out to help my stepsister into the car.
I threw my bag in the back between the groceries and firewood as Ari jumped in the passenger seat and shivered violently. Another minute and we were on the road heading to the cabin. Ari was silent for several minutes aside from the chattering of her teeth as she tried to adjust the vents to warm up faster. She finally took a deep breath and broke the silence. "What's with all the stuff in the back? Doesn't Dad usually take care of that?"
"Mom didn't tell you? Dad surprised Mom with a trip to the Caribbean for their anniversary. She didn't find out until they were at the airport that their tickets weren't coming here. Dad told me a week ago but made me promise not to tell you since he knew you'd spoil it."
"Are you serious? We haven't all been together for three years and the first Christmas we get to spend together since you went off to college Dad takes off to let us freeze to death in Ohio."
"C'mon Ari, it's their 20th anniversary. He had to do something special for her, and you know how much he loves his surprises."
Ari sighed and rolled her eyes. "Yeah, he's good at that. Speaking of surprises, you put on some serious muscle at college. Did you hit a late growth spurt or something?"
I chuckled. "I'm the same 5'11" as when I left home, I just joined an athletic club and started lifting some weights. I probably look a little taller since I don't slouch as much as I used to... Also the shoulders."
"Yeah! Your shoulders are freakin' huge! I bet you get a lot of sorority bitches looking like that."
"You'd lose that bet sis. I haven't had the greatest luck in that department."
"Seriously? You look like a boulder. I can't believe you don't have a line around the block waiting to climb you."
I groaned. "Eh... I'm not good at making the first move. I thought putting on some muscle would make me more attractive, and women would be more willing to make the first move, or at least throw out some signals I could actually read y'know, but aside from a couple flings at parties I haven't gotten any better at dating than I was in High School."
"Ah... There's your problem big boy. A guy your size attracts a certain kind of woman. Specifically, the kind who wants you to use all those muscles to throw her around like a ragdoll. Not gonna lie, I get it. I definitely inherited my mom's taste in men. But generally, those women also want you to be the one to take charge."
I grimaced. "Not this Alpha Male bullshit again. I hear too much of that from frat douches."
Ari grinned. "There's a difference between being a so-called 'Alpha Male' and having confidence. Trust me, you get a little more experience with women and learn how to make that first move and you'll never have to worry about an empty bed again. Assuming that you don't turn into a douche of course."
"Of course."
"Naturally."
"It's only logical."
"Perfectly logical."
We both giggled as we relaxed into our old rhythms. My own mom had run off when I was barely a month old, she apparently started cheating before I was even born and left in the middle of the night with nothing more than a note on the nightstand. My dad Greg met Ari's mom Aki a few years later when she was already two months pregnant with my sister after she'd had an affair with her boss who then fired her. They got married before Ari was born. We'd been inseparable growing up and didn't even realize that we weren't biological relatives until about 10 years later and we finally did the math. It didn't change anything of course; she was still my sister. That said, no one who saw us together would ever think we were related.