Book one: Chapter 4

Juliette got home at five o’clock. She’d gone to the farmer’s market, picked up the meat, and dropped everything off at Louis’ apartment. She’d walked into the kitchen and gotten dizzy remembering his half-naked body this morning, knowing what she did now. She wondered how she was going to see him again. Just being in his apartment made her think about the way he had touched her. She found herself closing her eyes and holding her breath as she thought about his hands holding her breasts.

They felt full and heavy. She touched herself briefly to calm the desire, but it only inflamed her more. If he were in front of her, she was confident that she would be utterly unable to speak coherently. He looked at her with such tenderness. She knew he must be like that with everyone, but his hazel eyes had unlocked a part of her. If he wanted her, there was nothing she wouldn’t do.

He made her desire as she had no known it was possible. If he looked at her and whispered her name as he had this morning, she’d rip her clothes off and rub her naked body against his skin. She’d beg him to play with her, to finger the feathery folds in that way that made her melt. Standing in the kitchen, feeling how wet she was with the mere thought of him, she was sure that she would do anything with him. It had taken her longer than usual to organize the food and prep for the next day, because she kept closing her eyes and imagining him coming up behind her and nibbling her ear, sliding his hand down her pants, until finally he would plunge into her. She wanted him to ride her from behind until he exploded all over her.

She’d never had such thoughts before. She didn’t know what to do.

The thoughts wouldn’t die down. She’d driven home in a daze. She turned on the shower, and went into her bedroom to undress. Lying on her bed, she reached down to touch herself. She was slick and her fingers slid along her slit. She moaned. It wasn’t enough. She wanted his hardness inside her. She wanted, no, she needed him to give her the feeling from lunch. He brought such intense awareness to her tightness and then had brought her to an amazing release, as if her entire self had been unleashed. She kept circling her clit. She lifted her knees and her hips pressed up against her finger wanting to grasp what wasn’t there. Her skin was burning. Her nipples were so hard it hurt. With a cry, she gave up. It wasn’t working. She needed him, his cock. She lay there panting, then got up and took a very cold shower.

She decided to wear a mid-calf length skirt with a striped, wrap-around blouse. The pastel pink skirt and matching shirt had been a gift from her mother. She put on a pair of heels and glancing at herself in the mirror before she left, she had to admit that she looked nice. She had good legs, and the outfit accentuated her curvy shape. She grabbed a scarf hanging by the door and got into the car, feeling calmer with the thought that she was seeing her mother who always made her feel good no matter what was going on.

Good luck had her favorite songs on the radio as she drove. She arrived at the restaurant a few minutes late, but feeling good and ready to meet this new man in her mother’s life. The hostess recognized her, and ushered her to the table where her mother and Martin were already seated.

“Honey! You look wonderful!” Her mother was radiant.

“Gloria, she looks just like you!” Martin was staring at the mother and daughter with a warm smile.

“She’s my girl!” Her mother was beaming at Martin. His face shone with love at her.

Juliette was a little stunned. She’d never seen her mother so happy. And, the feeling was clearly mutual. Until that moment, Juliette hadn’t realized what had been missing from their lives all these years. When her father died, she’d never thought about what her mother lost. She’d never seen love like this, had never thought it a possibility. For herself, or for her mother. Seeing Martin care so much about her mother showed Juliette a passion that she now understood was what she also wanted. Life could be so magnificent if you were in love. Love could change everything.

They sat down and ordered drinks from the server.

“My son will be here in a few minutes. He’s running a little late at work,” Martin explained.

“Oh! I didn’t know,” Juliette said, turning to her mother.

“Gloria, probably forgot to mention it. We are so excited,” Martin replied.

“So, what does he do?” Juliette asked.

“He’s a sports agent,” Martin replied.

“That’s funny, I work for a sports agent,” Juliette said, taking a sip of the wine that had arrived.

“Here he is!” Martin stood to greet his son. Juliette turned and there was Louis. Louis in the same suit he’d worn that morning, the same suit that she had pulled from his body at lunch. Louis.

“Louis, this is Gloria and Juliette. I’ve mentioned…Is everything okay?” Juliette had blanched.

Her quiet evening had just gotten turned upside down. Louis? Louis was Martin’s son? Martin who was dating her mother?

“Oh, I bet you two met at the same event where we did!” Juliette’s mother suggested.

“You were there weren’t you, Louis?” Louis was smiling.

“Yes, yes, I was. Why don’t we sit down, Father.” “Indeed, we were just having drinks, but now that we are all here,” Martin looked at Gloria and reached out for her hand, “we can share our news.” Gloria was blushing and suddenly with horror Juliette understood that they were going to get married.

She didn’t just do it with her boss. She had sex with her step-brother.

“We got married!” Martin said. “Isn’t it wonderful?” Gloria exclaimed. “You mean, you are planning on it?” Juliette added, forcing herself to breathe.

“We are ready for the Champagne now, please,” Martin ordered from the server, who came by to check on them. “No, we already did,” Gloria said with a smile.

Louis looked stunned. Juliette thought she might faint.

“When?” She squeaked.

“When we were in Hawaii,” Martin replied.

The server returned with the bottle of champagne that had been set aside for this occasion, and started to pour glasses for each of them.

“I know it seems sudden,” Gloria began, “but we’ve just known from the get-go that this was special.” They looked at each other with such love, that both Juliette and Louis turned away as if to give them privacy.

“We’re very happy,” Martin added, trying to temper the evident excitement in his voice. “I knew I wanted to marry your mother, Juliette, after our first date, but I couldn’t believe that it could be that easy. We started talking about it in Hawaii and the right decision for us just seemed to take the moment.”

“We’ve both been such planners, all our lives,” Gloria continued. “To be filled with such joy… why wait?” She looked over at her daughter whose face betrayed her shock at the situation. “I know you should have been there, honey, but, I’d hoped you would understand.” She gazed at her daughter’s face, seeing there none of the joy she had hoped to find.

“Congratulations to both of you,” Louis said, raising his glass and distracting Gloria and Martin from further scrutiny of Juliette. “This is an exciting and unexpected occasion, but you both deserve the love that is so evident. I’m very happy that you have made my father this happy, Gloria. Congratulations”

Juliette managed to raise her glass and smile. She was happy for her mother. She was.

“Juliette, do you have any words?” Louis asked.

“You’re my step-brother?!” She sputtered.

Everyone laughed.

“Well now, that’s true. You’ve got an older brother now,” Martin chuckled.

“Remember honey, how you wanted an older brother when you were younger because you loved that TV show so much? Oh what was it called….? He was such a good brother too. Always watching out for his younger sister, and making sure her dates didn’t take advantage. What was that called?” Gloria turned to Martin and the two of them started to rattle through television shows trying to come up with names.

“I’m your brother, now,” Louis said, and tipped his glass towards her as if to toast.

“Did you know about this?” She asked, lowering her voice and leaning towards him. She could just barely smell his cologne and she closed her eyes at the effect it had on her. Her heart started to beat a little faster.

“Not a clue,” he said. “Drink up. I guess we’ll have a lot to discuss later.”

“You’re kidding me,” she hissed.

“Aren’t you stopping by later? I thought we had discussed that at lunch?” He replied smoothly.

“Wait, do you two really know each other?” Gloria looked away from Martin to stare at them with astonishment.

“That would be amazing!”

“Juliette works for me.”

“Not anymore I don’t!” She spat, outraged and confused at the events of the day.

He looked hurt. “Why not?”

Her jaw dropped. “Are you kidding me?”

Martin and Gloria glanced at each other with concern. “Well, I do think you are overreacting a little bit. You can still work for him. It isn’t nepotism if you got the job before all this happened.”

“Honey,” Gloria turned to face her daughter. “You can’t be so independent that you quit a job just because now you’re related. That’s silly.