Title: Tales from an Unknown Corner
Chapters: 17-18 (of 20)
Author: Dai_wakizashi
Universe: Tfauc
Summary:  Journey of a troubled young man looking for a path and 
people around him, who, at times, give shape to his journey.
Codes: MF, FF, MFF, oral, anal, toys, petting, romance, drama
Status: in progress
Revision: 2.0

Web Sites:
  ASSTR-  http://www.asstr.org/~dai_wakizashi/
  SOL-        http://storiesonline.net/home.php
  EWP-       http://www.ewpub.org/ewpub.html

Discussion Forum:
   http://www.ewpub.org/messageboard/viewforum.php?f=76

*****************************************************************




              TALES FROM AN UNKNOWN CORNER  [Tfauc]



CHAPTER - 17: The Trip Continues



The water in the tub was warm and soothing. Apparently my hands 
were also soothing, prompting Sarah to say, "You have magical 
hands, Mitch. Do you mind if I ask you something?"

"Depends on the question, Sarah."

"You haven't been with many women, have you?"

"I think you know the answer to that question, Sarah. Why do you 
ask?"

"You're very good. How come?"

"Umm... I don't think I'm that good, Sarah. I just enjoy giving 
pleasure, because it's part of the pleasure I take from my 
partner."

"Oh, no, Mitch. You're good. I don't mean you are world's best 
lover, but you know what you're doing. I'm curious where or how 
did you learn... since you haven't been around... like that thing 
you've done a while ago, with your fingers..."

"Oh, that... Heh. Would you believe if I said I read about it?"

"Really? Where?"

"In one of those men's magazines. They don't contain only 
pictures of naked girls, but have some interesting articles. Like 
all men, I enjoy sex, and I've always been curious once I 
discovered what sex is. I think I must have read a lot. When you 
are shy and curious you do what you can to satisfy your 
curiosity. I guess it helped."

"I'd say... I never came that strong in my life. I think you 
found my G-spot."

"I guess. I don't remember all the names and such, except the 
common knowledge things. When I had read about it, I had labeled 
it as the ON switch."

"Very funny, Mitch," she retorted, indignantly.

"I'm not trying to be funny, but you have to admit, it acts like 
that."

Laughing, she said, "Yeah, I guess you have a point there."

"Oh, I don't have a point, but you have a spot," I retorted.

"Don't start again, Mitch. I'll make you regret it, even if it 
means Kathy will skin me alive," she warned, with a soft laugh.

"Not before I make you pee," I challenged.

"You probably could, but as I said. I'll make you regret it. I 
know a great deal about male anatomy. Tonight is for fun, not for 
challenges."

"OK. Let's talk about something interesting."

"Like what?"

"I think you'll like this, since you said you were a horny little 
thing and like to fantasize. Tell me fantasies you have, or the 
kinky things you like to do."

When she heard that, she twisted slightly to turn and look at me, 
her eyes glittering with... I didn't know what, but she seemed 
amused. Then, she leaned to the side of the tub, to face me 
comfortably. However, she immediately recoiled from the cold feel 
of the tub. I put my arm around her, and nudged her to lean 
against my arm to my side. She rearranged herself on my lap, and 
settled against my arm and chest, in a half sideways sitting 
position.

"You're bad, Mitch. A real bad boy," she said, with a fake 
rebuking tone. "You'll experience one or two tonight, so I'd 
rather not talk about it. We already did the big one."

"Yeah, we did, didn't we? God, I never expected that. OK, so that 
covers the fantasies. What about kinks? You don't have any?"

She laughed. "Getting impatient?"

Her eyes kept its gaze on my face, amused, teasing.

"I can wait. I'm just curious. In many ways you're a wild girl, 
Sarah. I'm pretty sure you have a wild imagination. Perhaps, I'm 
thinking you're a wild girl, because you've changed so much from 
that shy girl."

"You're not bad yourself, Mitch. You were the one who started the 
whole tampon scene, not me, although it was one of my fantasies."

"Oh, I'm plain vanilla type guy. It was just a spur of the moment 
thing."

"If that was a spur of the moment thing, then you have real 
potential. It takes one to know one," she came back, making me 
laugh.

Her eyes got distant, and she was quiet for a while making me 
wonder what she was thinking.

"A penny for your thoughts," I prompted her.

"Make it a dollar, and you've got it," she retorted, making me 
chuckle.

"Done! So, what's on your mind, Sarah?"

"I was wondering when I'll find a skilled partner like you 
again." Then she looked up, and I could see the lust in her eyes. 
With a smile, she said, "I wish I knew your girl friend."

"Why do you say that?" I was surprised with her comment and 
curious.

"I don't know. You asked about fantasies and kinks. I've done 
some things, but have never been in a relationship where I shared 
a guy with another woman. If I knew her and felt she wouldn't 
mind, I would probably gather my courage to ask to borrow you, 
now and then."

"Mmmm... That's most men's fantasy; to have several beautiful 
girls at his beck and call. I didn't think girls would be 
interested in such a thing."

"Oh, that's because women are competitive when it comes to their 
men. Unless they're very secure, and have similar fantasies. And 
if they were scared of sharing, such a relationship wouldn't 
work."

"I guess. I'm curious, Sarah. Would you do something with a woman 
or is it just sharing the guy with another woman?"

"You have a very dirty mind, Mitch," she replied with an 
admonishing tone. Her mind was busy, and after a short pause she 
added, "It's just sharing the guy, although... I have thought 
about women... but never did anything about it. I don't know. I 
never felt like experimenting with a woman."

"Well, I have to admit, there's something very erotic and 
appealing about seeing two women together."

My dick throbbed at the image of Sarah with another woman, locked 
in a hot 69. Of course she felt it and started to laugh. "You're 
kinky, Mitch. I can feel how your dick throbs at the thought of 
me with another woman. Who's the other woman?"

"I don't know. It's kinda blurry image of you and some unknown 
woman locked in a hot 69."

Her eyes got a bit glassy, as if she was trying to look at 
herself in that imaginary scene. Her eyes focused back on my 
face, and I could see she was heated up. The idea didn't turn her 
off.

"So, what was happening in your imaginary scene?" I asked, with a 
grin.

"I rather not say," she replied, with a lecherous grin.

"Wow. If you're getting bashful with a little bit of an imaginary 
scene, it must be really something. Now, I'm curious," I teased.

"Oh, the scene was hot, but I'm not getting bashful about it. 
I'll tell you, later. Then, you'll understand."

"OK. Shall we retire to the bed? We're going to turn into 
prunes."

"Yes, the bed will be more comfortable."

While I collected the glasses and the wine bottle, and returned 
them to the kitchen, Sarah went to the bedroom. Thinking about 
how thirsty she got after sex, I took two big bottles of water 
from the fridge, and put them on the tray with two glasses, 
taking the tray to her bedroom. She had the comforter neatly 
folded and placed on the chair and was picking up a large towel 
from her wardrobe. When she saw the tray, she smiled.

"Thank you, Mitch. Can you fold the blanket and the sheet and put 
them at the foot of the bed? The room is warm. I'll turn the heat 
down later."

I set the tray on the night stand, and gathered the blanket and 
the sheets, stacking them at the foot of the bed. She unfolded 
the big towel until it was double folded and put it in the middle 
of the bed, while explaining, "I don't want to sleep in a wet 
spot, and the way I juice up, it's almost impossible not to have 
a big wet spot."

She took out a few small towels and stacked them next to the tray 
on the night stand. The biggest surprise was, when she opened the 
drawer, and took out two plastic, cylindrical objects--vibrators. 
One was fatter than the other. Turning them on, she tested the 
batteries, then placed the fat one back into the drawer, leaving 
the slim one out. Then, she took out a tube of lubricant. I was 
wondering what she was planning, seeing the items. When she saw 
me watching her, she quipped with a teasing smile, "Want me to 
try this on you?"

"No, thank you very much! What are you planning?"

"Patience, my dear. You'll see."

Moving to the middle of the bed, she arranged herself on her 
back, knees up, legs spread, and invited me between them. As I 
moved into position she took hold of my cock, and guided me in, 
without waiting for foreplay. I guess she was ready. When I was 
seated deeply in her, supporting myself over her body on my arms, 
she said, "Try to make it last as long as possible. I'm going to 
use the vibrator on my clit. I want to come a few times, with you 
inside me. I don't know if I'll ever get you in my bed again, and 
I want to make the most of it. Do you mind that I'm being so 
greedy?"

"Sarah, you're not greedy, just hungry," I replied earnestly. "I 
told you I enjoy pleasuring my partners. I want you to take your 
pleasure anyway you want. I love watching you come. You look so 
beautiful..."

She smiled, and pulled me for a kiss. After releasing me, she 
reached for the vibrator and took it. She started by running it 
around her tits and nipples, before moving it down to the top of 
her pussy. In the meantime, I started to thrust into her at a 
slow pace using long and deliberate strokes. It didn't take her 
long to reach her first orgasm. One moment she was panting and 
gasping, the next squealing her pleasure. I enjoyed watching her 
lose control, and a few minutes later her second orgasm crashed. 
Her snug pussy was getting tighter with the involuntary muscle 
spasms, helped along by the sharpness of her orgasms, and I 
luxuriated in the sensations imparted by her slick channel and 
the milking actions of her pussy. During the next half hour she 
had several small orgasms one after another, and I was amazed at 
her stamina, and how she managed to keep up.

It was quite a turn on and I was getting there, now that her 
pussy was so active. Not only that, but because she was juicing 
up so much, her smell was all around us, making me dizzy. I 
noticed she was keeping the vibrator less and less around her 
clitoris. As she started to get closer to another orgasm, I 
realized I was very close to my own impending explosion. I slowed 
down my strokes and she opened her eyes, questioning.

"I'm getting there, Sarah."

Shutting the vibrator, she put it aside, and pulled me for a 
kiss.

"Can we change position?" she asked. "I want to try doggy."

I pulled out of her, sitting on my heels, waiting for her to get 
into position. Before she moved onto her hands and knees, she 
licked her juices from my cock, and gave a few soft sucks. 
Turning around, she reached, and took the lubricant.

"When I'm in position, use this on my backside, then lubricate 
the vibrator, and work it in there."

Sarah was full of surprises. I never had a girl who was into anal 
play, although I've read about it. Getting into position, she 
raised her ass, spreading her legs, then lowered her upper body 
and chest to the bed, resting her head on her crossed arms. The 
view was great. She had a perfectly shaped ass, with her brown 
hole and dripping pussy in wanton display of feminine beauty.

I must have been lost in the view, because, she asked, "Something 
wrong?"

"Oh, no! Enjoying the view. Very much so."

She smiled and said, "Good. You'll enjoy what's coming next much 
better. I love to be fucked, while getting my ass plugged with a 
vibrator. It's one of my kinks."

"Mmmm. Sounds good. I'm sure it will feel great as well."

I took the vibrator and lubed it, and was going to start 
lubricating her brown hole, but seeing it winking there, looking 
so clean, I decided to get adventurous. Putting the lubricant 
aside, I leaned and licked her pussy from her clitoris to the 
perineum, making her gasp. Spending few minutes enjoying her 
pussy, I moved to work on her perineum. She must have enjoyed it, 
because she was giving short sharp screams and moans. Getting 
hold of her cheeks, I spread them further, taking a good look at 
her little hole. It was crinkly with very little hair around, 
light brown in color, and looked very tight. It was pulsing in 
anticipation. I blew air over the center of it, and she gasped 
with the light, teasing stimulation.

"Oh, God! Mitch," she moaned.

I was surprised how responsive she was, so I started to lick her 
around her hole, teasing her further, while blowing gently over 
the center, eliciting more moans and gasps of pleasure. When I 
finally centered my tongue on her hole, she shrieked, pushing her 
ass back, looking for more stimulation. There wasn't really any 
taste, just the taste and smell of her pussy juices that had 
leaked and collected around her ass, when she had been on her 
back. Curious, I tried to push my tongue, and succeeded to 
penetrate her a bit, getting it nipped by her tight ring. It felt 
hot and tight inside her ring, and I wondered how it would be 
like to have my cock there, the thought making my cock throb. She 
seemed to enjoy anal play, but I didn't know if she liked a cock 
there. The vibrator she had was much slimmer than my cock, 
although I wasn't large by any means (a healthy seven inches of 
average thickness), but compared to the slim vibrator I was 
larger.

As she felt my tongue wiggling in her hole, she started to push 
back more, while giving little yelps of pleasure, her body 
trembling and shivering with the stimulation.

"Gimme... Ughh... so good...tongue fuck me... give it to me..."

As she started a litany of obscenities, and got more verbal, 
broken by her moans and shrieks, I picked up the vibrator, and 
slowly pushed it inside her pussy, making her scream. When I 
turned it on and pumped it in and out of her pussy, and kept 
tonguing her tight little hole, she went crazy. I saw her upper 
body come off the bed, her head thrown back. A second later, she 
screamed her pleasure without holding back. Her little ring 
snapped on my tongue, for a short moment, before it went through 
flutters, gripping and releasing its hold on my tongue. My hands 
and fingers got wet from the juices leaking from her pussy, as 
the vibrator churned it into a frenzy. When her scream faded into 
a long moan, I slowed down my strokes into her pussy, while my 
tongue kept wiggling in her asshole, drawing her pleasure out. 
With a long sigh, she let her upper body fall onto the bed, 
suddenly overcome with the strain of her orgasm.

I eased my attentions, and pulled the vibrator out, eliciting a 
sharp gasp, but kept caressing around her pussy, while licking 
and kissing her on her ass cheeks with occasional kisses and 
licks around her hole, to bring her down slowly. After a while, 
she stretched her legs, and rolled onto her back, asking me to 
lie down next to her. When she could manage, she smiled.

"God, Mitch. You drove me crazy. That last one was too strong. I 
need to catch my breath before we do anything more."

I kissed her and gathered her in my arms, and she moved over my 
chest, cuddling with me, breathing still hard, as she rested. I 
could feel her heart beat strong and fast, hinting how strong her 
orgasm must have been. After a while, she was feeling better, so 
I sat up, and pulled her to my lap. She reached for a glass and a 
bottle of water, but she was feeling pretty weak, so I helped her 
with a glass of water. Once she satiated her thirst, she was 
perky.

"I loved what you did, Mitch, but you messed up my plans. I'm not 
complaining, mind you. You took me by surprise and I really loved 
it. Not many men would do that. I want to pleasure you but I need 
a break."

"Oh, I enjoyed myself, Sarah. It was a real turn on to see you go 
crazy. I almost came just because it was so exciting. We still 
have the rest of the night and the better part of the morning. I 
can wait."

"Oh, no. We will not wait. Not too long, unless you're tired."

"I'm fine, but I'm worried about you. You need a break."

"Yeah, I do, but not before you fuck me to pieces. Then we can 
sleep and rest. I wanted to have another one of my kinks done, 
but that has to wait. I don't think I'll be able to handle it 
now."

"What were you planning?" I asked, curious.

"I wanted to get my ass ready for a leisurely ass fuck. I wanted 
you to fuck me and come in my pussy, while working the vibrator 
in my ass. I enjoy an occasional ass fuck. It's something I 
rarely get to do, and even then usually with my vibrator, so I'm 
pretty tight back there. I wanted you to come, so that you could 
last longer there. I don't know why, but I come more intensely 
during anal play, however, I don't think I'll be able to handle 
it now."

"I think we should postpone that till later. I don't think I'll 
last too long, even though I came a few times."

"But I still want you to fuck me. Let me take the edge off, and 
we'll do that."

So, she pressed on the root of my dick, while giving a slight but 
not painful squeeze to my balls. Getting on all fours, she shook 
her ass in invitation.

"Lubricate me and use the vibrator, then fuck me. Don't worry 
about holding back, because I'm still hot."

It took me a few minutes to get her little hole lubricated and 
then plugged with the vibrator. Once it was in place, I slid my 
cock into her pussy, which was tighter than before, due to the 
vibrator in the next channel. As I bottomed in her pussy, I 
turned on the vibrator. Even with the lowest setting, I could 
feel the vibrations on my cock, and they were strong enough to 
get Sarah moaning in pleasure again.

The next twenty minutes were exquisite pleasure, as I stroked 
into her pussy, which was very tight and already starting its 
erratic palpitations. What's more, the vibrations worked into her 
pussy and added to the sensations my cock was being subjected to. 
As I got closer to releasing the pressure that was building up, I 
rotated and stroked the vibrator into her ass. Sarah responded 
with shakes and trembles at the extra stimulation, and she was 
getting more and more vocal, yelping, and shouting, urging me to 
fuck her faster.

When my balls contracted, getting ready to pump their contents, I 
pulled back--almost out of her pussy--and gave a brutal thrust, 
making her scream, as I repeated the same with the vibrator. That 
pushed her over the brink, and she came with a loud scream. As 
she kept crying out her pleasure, and wailing, her body was going 
through contortions, and it looked like the trembles and shakes 
would almost tear her to pieces. Her orgasm was that strong. Of 
course, her pussy was also very active, going through its muscle 
spasms, gripping me strongly and then releasing me, urging my 
balls to give up the boiling cum with their insistent milking 
action. The sensation quickly overwhelmed me. With a groan I 
came, with hard and strong spurts. Even though I had come a few 
times, and thought I didn't have much to give, I must have had 
some more left in me, and I pumped out what little was left in my 
balls very quickly. Although I didn't have much, my cock kept 
throbbing, trying to pump non-existent fluids, while my balls 
went through their muscle spasms, helped along by the vibrations 
spilling over from her other channel. It was a short but a very 
strong orgasm, making me grit my teeth with pleasure.

Long after my throbs ceased, Sarah was still going on strong. She 
seemed to have difficulty catching her breath, and it took me a 
while to realize that the vibrator in her ass was still on, and 
prolonging her pleasure. Lost in my own pleasure, I had forgotten 
about it. I was almost tempted to keep it running, and pump it in 
and out of her hole, to keep pleasuring her; it was such a turn 
on to see her completely lost in her pleasure. However, I took 
pity and turned off the vibrator. Then slowly, with short in and 
out strokes, I started to pull it out, watching her little hole 
work at the plastic shaft, grabbing and releasing its hold on it. 
She seemed to enjoy what I was doing, and despite her trembling, 
she responded by pushing her ass back to get more of the 
stimulation. Without the vibrations, she wasn't getting 
overwhelmed, so I kept working the vibrator in and out, until her 
orgasm ran its full course, and tapered down. When she grew 
quiet, I noticed her little ring wasn't as active as it had been. 
Gently, I pulled the vibrator out. It came out with a suction 
sound, making my cock throb with the anticipation of how it would 
feel inside that little hole. But, I was beat up, and in need of 
a long break and rest. My balls needed to recuperate, as well. 
They were feeling a bit tight, almost sore from the workout.

Wrapping an arm around her belly, I nudged Sarah, so that she 
could stretch her legs, but she was still feeling the after 
effects of her orgasm, so I had to wait a while until she 
collected herself.

"Sarah, honey. Stretch your legs, so we can cuddle and rest."

She moaned her agreement, and with my help stretched her legs, 
letting me lower her to the bed, without breaking our connection. 
Even though I had come very hard, I was semi-erect, and I wanted 
to stay inside her. Once I was on top of her, I rolled us to our 
sides, and spooned behind her, caressing her body, getting 
appreciative sighs for my efforts. When my hand was caressing her 
tits, she took hold of it, and bringing it to her lips, she 
kissed it softly, before letting me continue caressing her. She 
was still lethargic, unable to speak. While I kept on running my 
hand over her body, she fell asleep. The lethargy of fulfilling 
sex had me in its grip, too, so cupping her tit, I closed my 
eyes.



* * * * *



I came awake, a bit groggy, having dozed off for a short while. 
My internal clock was telling me it hadn't been more than half an 
hour. When my senses came fully awake, I realized I woke up to 
the damp coldness of the towel on the bed, even though the room 
was still warm. I remembered neither of us had put the heat down. 
Sarah was still asleep and we were uncoupled, my cock resting 
against my thigh. I didn't want to wake up Sarah, but I decided 
to clean us.

Carefully, I got off the bed, and took one of the small towels 
and went to the bathroom. After washing and cleaning myself in 
the shower quickly, I dried myself. I didn't have my toothbrush 
with me, so I had to improvise using my finger and toothpaste, 
performing my dental hygiene. She had some mouth wash, which I 
used to complete my ablutions. With the hot water running, I 
prepared a hot towel for Sarah, using the small hand towel I 
brought in.

Back in the bedroom, I gently rolled Sarah on her back. Although 
I took care not to wake her up, she came awake when she came in 
contact with the wet and cold spot on the big towel. She was 
still half asleep and groggy, so I helped her move to a dry spot, 
and using the hot towel, I cleaned the insides of her thighs and 
her pussy, before drying her with another small towel. Lifting 
her ass by hooking my arm under her knees, I pulled the big towel 
from under her. I collected the dirty towels and dropped them in 
the laundry basket in the bathroom. In the living room, I located 
the controls for the thermostat, and set them down to a 
comfortable but cooler 18 C. When I got back to her bedroom, I 
found her sitting up, and awake, drinking water from a glass. Her 
eyes were still sleepy, though.

When she saw me, she perked up visibly, and with a grateful but 
amused smile she asked, "Do you always pamper your lovers?"

"Sarah, love, this is not pampering. I woke up to the wet spot on 
the towel and thought I should make us both comfortable. Waking 
you up wasn't in the plan though," I replied, as I got in the 
bed, and sat next to her.

She moved in to cuddle, entwining her legs with mine, and putting 
her head on my shoulder. Kissing me on my neck, she said, "You're 
a dear, Mitch. I was so tired... I barely managed to sit up."

"How are you feeling?"

"Great, but I'm worn out. I'm still hungry for more, but I need 
to get some rest."

"God, Sarah. Are you really horny?"

"Just wanted to see your reaction. I'm not horny anymore," she 
replied, with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes.

"You're wicked."

"No, I'm not. Greedy maybe, but that has to wait. Ready to 
sleep?"

"Yeah. I set the thermostat to 18 C, is that all right?"

She nodded, before adding, "But we'll need the blanket. It will 
get cold."

She reached over and put her glass on the tray, then slid down 
the bed to pick up the sheets and the blanket. Turning to me, she 
asked, "There's a night lamp in the drawer. Can you put it into 
the wall socket?"

Putting the night light on, I got into the bed. My feet came into 
contact with the vibrator we had forgotten about, so I picked it 
up, and put it on the towels on the night stand, and turned off 
the light. After we shared a kiss, she asked me to lay on my 
back. Then, she molded herself to the side of my body; one arm 
over my chest, and a leg thrown over mine, between my legs, 
resting her head on my shoulder, letting me cuddle her in a 
comfortable half embrace. As she caressed my chest with her hand 
in a lazy manner, I stroked her body. We both fell asleep.



* * * * *







CHAPTER - 18: Two Sisters



When I woke up the next morning, I felt rested. It was sometime 
around early to mid morning, and I was on my side, with Sarah 
spooning behind me, her soft breath warming my back. She was 
sound asleep. As usual, after all the drinks last night, I needed 
a pit stop. That was going to be a problem, because I was 
sporting a morning woody, which surprised me after all the 
activity of last night. I had had a good night's sleep and was 
fully awake, feeling very much relaxed, and wanted to start the 
day. Because of the early hours I woke up on the rig-site, it 
took me a few days before my body adapted to the vacation mode. I 
must have been tired from all the activity and the alcohol I had 
consumed to sleep this late. I decided to get up, put on some 
coffee, and prepare something light to eat. I was in a domestic 
mood, wanting to pamper Sarah. I took the tray with the glasses 
and the bottles of water, and headed to the kitchen.

Passing the living room, I turned up the thermostat to warm the 
flat. In the kitchen I put the bottles of water in the fridge and 
set the coffee maker on. While the coffee was perking, I did my 
morning ablutions, with a quick shower in the bathroom. A half 
hour later I was back in the kitchen with a towel wrapped around 
me. The flat was still a bit cold, but warming up fast. Rummaging 
in the fridge, I checked what Sarah had that I could use to 
prepare something light. She had some fruit, which I could use to 
prepare a fruit salad, but I was looking for something salty, 
like cheese. Finally, tucked in a corner I located feta cheese, 
and... surprise, surprise... a box of olives; not the green 
cocktail olives, but black olives.

_Black olives. A girl after my heart. She's a true child of the 
Mediterranean._

Taking stock of my finds I decided to prepare a fruit salad using 
apples, mandarins, oranges, and of all things, bergamot (another 
surprising find, which confirmed my suspicions that she was 
really a child of the Mediterranean). Because bergamot was a 
bitter fruit (almost like grapefruit, with a great aroma), I 
decided to use a few slices of it to give flavor and aroma to the 
whole concoction. I cut off a small chunk and peeled it. I also 
cleaned a few apples, oranges and mandarins, chopped everything 
into small pieces and mixed the whole lot in a big bowl. It was 
quite bitter so, to sweeten the mix, I sliced two bananas, put a 
dollop of honey on them, and mixed them in. I liked the taste, 
sweet and sour with a bitter bite that lingered, and juicy at the 
same time. I wondered whether Sarah's taste buds would agree with 
mine, because it was a unique and unorthodox mixture.

_Well, she can put the bergamot pieces aside. The rest still 
tastes great._

Getting myself a cup of coffee, I started on the toast. When it 
was ready, I buttered the slices, distributed them between two 
plates, and added cheese and olives on the side. Getting two 
small bowls from the cupboard, I filled them with the fruit 
salad. The last item was cups of coffee. Putting everything on a 
tray, I took it to her bedroom.

When I placed the tray on the nightstand, she was awakening. 
Leaning over, I kissed her to wake her up. She stretched, then 
ran her hand through her hair and grimaced. Her hair was tousled, 
well, more than tousled, but she looked beautiful. I never 
understood the female obsession with how they looked in the 
morning. Maybe some of them had cause for concern, but Sarah 
definitely didn't belong in that group. Sure, she looked sleepy, 
her hair was messed up, but she also had a rested, relaxed look, 
with a beautiful glow to her skin.

When she sat up, I said, "Good morning, beautiful. Breakfast is 
served."

"Beautiful? I must look like a scarecrow, Mitch. Get your eyes 
checked."

"Ahh! Already fishing for compliments, I see."

That quip got a smile, and woke her up completely.

"Coffee?"

"Mmm hmm."

After a few sips of her coffee she said, "A good morning to you 
too. What a way to wake up."

"Part of the service, Ma'am," I retorted, with a grin.

"I'm not going to ask what service that is," she replied, 
flashing me an amused smile. "What's on the menu?"

"A fruit salad, and toast with cheese and olives."

"Sounds good."

After she finished her cup, she took her fruit salad. Giving it a 
sniff, she gave me a look, questioning.

"You'll not be poisoned. I can guarantee that," I said, digging 
into my own bowl of fruit salad.

She took a spoonful, doing a taste test, and finding it 
satisfactory, she started to eat. When she was finished, she 
asked, "Did you use the bergamot?"

"A small chunk. Why?"

"I thought I tasted it. Interesting choice. I liked what you did 
with it. I hope there's enough bergamot left."

"You were going to use it for something else?"

"No, it was for your sister. She's going to make orange jam, but 
she needs the bergamot to give it a bite. Makes it taste less 
sweet. Last year she gave me a jar of it, and it was delicious, 
so I thought I would get her the bergamot and get another jar of 
her orange jam."

"Oh, I didn't know she did that. That's Mom's recipe. She knows I 
don't eat jam, because it's too sweet for my taste, even though 
she uses very little sugar. When she discovered the bergamot, she 
came up with that recipe, and it was great. I think the only 
sweet thing I can eat at breakfast is honey."

"Me, too. I can eat honey, but not any of the jams, especially 
from the supermarkets. Too sweet and not enough fruit. Maybe I 
should take the bergamot to your mom," she replied with a smile.

"Sure, if you have a death wish."

"Your mom still teases Kathy about her cooking?"

I nodded. "They're on each other's case whenever one of them 
comes up with something new."

"Kathy is a very good cook."

"That maybe so, but she learned it all from Mom."

"You're prejudiced."

"I won't deny that. But then, I'm a better cook than Kathy."

"I remember. You used to spend hours in the kitchen with your 
mom. I always thought how strange to see you there, instead of 
Kathy. What got you interested in cooking?"

"Self preservation," I quipped, making her laugh.

"Come on, be serious," she responded, when she caught her breath.

"I liked Mom's cooking, and I didn't want to rely on a second 
hand imitation of her cooking from somebody less skilled. So, I 
decided to learn. It's a pretty relaxing activity; as long as you 
don't have to do it every day."

"Yeah. If you have to cook every day, it turns into a chore."

While we were chatting, she was finishing her toast with the 
cheese and olives. Seeing me watch her eat, she raised an 
eyebrow.

"I'm curious. You seem to like olives, for breakfast. I don't 
know any people that do that."

"I like them, but mostly in a salad. Same with the feta. I don't 
mind them for breakfast. Next time, try a bit of oregano on feta, 
it tastes much better. You know, my grandpa is from the islands. 
He uses oregano, olive oil and lemon twist on the olives. I guess 
I got used to olives and feta from him, when I was very young."

"I'll keep that in mind. So, you're a child of the 
Mediterranean."

She laughed. "Kind of. I wasn't even born along the coast. But 
it's in the blood."

"Hmmm... Talking about blood... Is that why you're so hot 
blooded?"

"Maybe," she replied, letting out another soft laughter. "No, not 
really. It depends on the person and how much they turn me on. 
With you there was pent up lust and hunger as well. I've never 
been like that before."

She ran her hand through her hair, and then her nostrils flared 
as if she got a whiff of something. She bent her head sniffing, 
trying to find if she smelled, then grimaced. "God, I look like a 
scarecrow, and I smell like a brothel. I need a shower."

"Sarah, you look beautiful, and you smell like you, as the room 
does."

She colored, even though I wasn't trying to embarrass her.

"Baby, come on. If you bottle and sell it as air freshener, I'm 
going to get a dozen."

"Uhh. Please. Don't remind me," she replied softly, still feeling 
a bit embarrassed.

"How were you with history lessons?" I asked, throwing a non 
sequitur.

As I expected, she gave me a confused look, before replying. "Not 
very good. I hated the stuff. All those battles and dates and 
stupid names."

"Heh... You missed out on the fun stuff. It's not all boring 
stuff. There were always colorful characters and colorful 
incidents, little anecdotes."

"Like what?"

"Take Napoleon for example. There's a story about him sending a 
messenger from the battle field to Josephine, about his return 
home."

"So?"

"Well, he still had to travel a week before he'd arrive at Paris. 
The message said: 'Don't wash up until I arrive'. There was a man 
who knew what he liked," I quipped, giving her a lecherous grin.

Sarah crinkled her nose. "Ugghh. I should have known something 
like that was coming. You men are beasts." Then with a smile, she 
asked, "I never read that in any of the history books. You sure 
you're not making it up?"

"That's the kind of thing they seem to forget to include in the 
history books. At least, the ones they use in the classrooms. I 
wonder when they'll wake up and realize they would get the 
students more enthusiastic about history if they included the 
juicy bits."

"God, you're such a perv, Mitch. When did that happen?"

"Well... There was this blonde girl I met. Hot and juicy and--"

"You rat! Don't put the blame on me," she retorted indignantly, 
but her eyes were smiling.

"OK. But I wasn't putting anything on you. In you... that's 
something else," I quipped.

She started to laugh. "My, my, my. You must be a morning person. 
Already getting frisky?"

"I can wait. How about you?" I replied, with a snort.

"Oh, I love a morning quickie, but I really want to take a quick 
shower."

That little exchange was already getting to her; her skin was 
flushed with excitement.

"Sarah, you don't have to on my account. I told you, you look 
beautiful and I love your smell. You are not _smelly_. It's you, 
all of you, and I love all of that when it touches my senses," I 
said, with a more serious tone.

"OK, stud. Give me a kiss and help me out of bed."

Putting my cup on the tray, I collected her plate and cup, and 
put them on the tray. Then I sat by her side, and pulled her in 
for a kiss. After the kiss, I didn't release her, but started to 
kiss her neck, inhaling her womanly smell. She felt what I was 
doing, and tried to wiggle out from my embrace, but I had her 
secured in my arms. There was no way she could break free, even 
with her strength, and her struggles started to work against her, 
as her tits rubbed on my chest, getting her nipples hard. I was 
pretty sure she would be starting to leak around her pussy in a 
while. When she realized she couldn't escape, she ceased her 
struggles, and I released her, giving her a long kiss. After the 
kiss, I nuzzled her neck, inhaling her smell again, and this 
time, she sighed softly, accepting and enjoying my attention. 
When I looked up, her eyes were soft.

"You make me feel so good and wet, Mitch," she said, before 
kissing me hungrily again.

Breaking the kiss, I trailed my tongue down her neck to her 
collarbone, and all the way between her tits, inhaling her. She 
clutched my head, cooing her appreciation. When I looked up, her 
eyes were getting that strange hue they had when she was aroused. 
I didn't know if she wanted to have a quickie now, because she 
had asked me to help her out of the bed, so I ceased my teasing 
to let her make up her mind.

When she felt me stop, she smiled. "Mitch, I want a morning 
quickie, but I really want to go to the bathroom and have another 
cup of coffee."

"OK. I'll start a fresh batch of coffee."

"It's warm here. Did you turn up the thermostat?"

"Yep. I didn't want to bother with clothes."

"Good. I'll join you in the kitchen."

She went to the bathroom, and I collected the tray and took it to 
the kitchen. Filling my cup with the remaining coffee, I prepared 
a new batch. As I was taking a seat, she came in and headed 
straight for me. She pulled my towel off, draping it at the back 
of the chair. When I sat down, she straddled me and plastered 
herself against my chest, resting her head on my shoulder. I 
realized she hadn't taken a shower or cleaned her self; just 
washed her face and brushed her teeth. I wrapped my arms around 
her, running my hands along her spine, making her shiver with my 
soft touches. I loved how responsive she was.

"The coffee will be ready in another ten minutes. You want a sip 
from my cup?" I asked.

"I'll wait. I like this more than coffee."

While we waited for the coffee, we kept teasing each other, 
kissing, touching. She was already juicing up, and I felt my cock 
getting wet. Her nipples were hard, digging into my chest. A few 
minutes later, she rose up, guided my hard cock into her pussy, 
and sat down slowly. Somehow, she felt hotter than last night. 
She started a slow rocking motion, teasing both of us, stoking 
the fires slowly. And then the percolator gurgled, announcing 
that the coffee was ready.

"Are you still hungry?" I quipped.

Getting my joke, she laughed. "You're such a clown, Mitch. The 
things you say." Then she added, "Yes, I'm hungry. Hungry for 
your cock. The coffee can wait. I want to have some fresh cream 
with it."

With that quip, she stood up. Picking up my cup from the table, 
she put it on the counter, emptying the table. Turning her back 
to me, she bent over the table, supporting herself on her elbows, 
and lowered her upper body. When her tits and stomach made 
contact with the table surface she hissed and shivered, from the 
cold surface. Looking back, she gave a smoldering look.

"Come on, Stud. I want some cream." She punctuated her words by 
shaking her ass.

I stood up and guided myself into her hot box, and taking hold of 
her hips, I started to stroke.

"That's good, Mitch. Keep the same pace but make it harder."

I increased the force, and we could hear the wet, slapping sound 
my balls made, accompanied by her small cries, each time I 
bottomed in her. I realized my balls were hitting her clitoral 
hood. Reaching down, I started to massage her clitoris, and she 
pushed her ass back, giving me more space to work, moaning her 
pleasure. Due to the force of my strokes, her tits were rubbing 
on the table, and she must have been enjoying that, because she 
allowed her body to be pushed back and forth along the surface of 
the table. I felt her tighten inside. She was almost there. I 
eased my efforts on her clitoris, not wanting to bring her too 
quickly, and slowed my pace.

"Faster... ugh... I'm almost there..."

"Easy, Sarah. I want you to enjoy this."

"I... ahh... am... more... please..."

When I pulled back I saw her little brown hole winking at me, 
which gave me an idea. Wetting the thumb of my free hand with 
spit, I placed it gently over her hole, and massaged it, getting 
a shriek. She pushed her ass back to get more stimulation. As her 
pussy got tighter, I increased the pace of my strokes. Capturing 
the folds of her clitoral hood between two fingers, I squeezed it 
lightly and started an up and down milking action. Sarah 
responded with a soft scream of pleasure. As she started to come 
and her pussy started its milking actions, I pressed my thumb 
inside her little hole, drawing another scream from her. Then, 
her back arched, her upper body coming off from the table. She 
started to tremble, and pushed her ass back, trying to fuck 
herself faster on my cock, increasing my own arousal. I kept 
working her clitoris, and increased the pace of my strokes, 
wanting to come. Feeling her come so strongly did something to me 
and I quickly found myself on the brink. A few more strokes, and 
I was ready to blow. As she was coming down, I took several 
brutal strokes, getting fresh moans and yelps with each of them. 
When my first spurt burst, I buried myself as deeply as possible. 
Feeling me come inside her, she started to roll her ass, trying 
to pleasure me.

"Oh, Mitch! It's... ahhh... hot... you're burning me..." she 
cried, as I continued to throb and spurt inside her.

Her asshole was tightening and relaxing around my thumb, but I 
couldn't do much because it was trapped between her ass and my 
belly, in an awkward position. I eased my attentions on her 
clitoris, playing around her pussy lips, getting my fingers wet 
with our combined juices that were leaking around my shaft. I 
moved my hand to her belly, tracing soft teasing patterns with my 
fingers, making her moan and shiver with the new stimulation. 
Leaning back, I managed to withdraw my thumb from her little 
hole, getting a moan, before pushing my cock back inside her. I 
felt her legs tremble, and leaned over her to slide both of my 
hands around her sides, caressing the outer swells of her 
breasts. I urged her to rise up a bit, so I could slip my hands 
under her tits. When she lifted her chest off the table, I cupped 
her tits, and teased her nipples mercilessly, and received moans 
of appreciation.

Releasing my hold on her tits, I slid my arm to her belly and 
gently urged her to stand up. Getting the hint, she stood, taking 
care not to uncouple us, and back stepped with me. Allowing me to 
support her weight, she spread her legs, and I sat down on the 
chair with her on my lap. Leaning against me, she sighed softly, 
before turning her head to kiss me. I kept running my hands 
around her arms, sides, and played with her tits for a short 
while, before moving them down to her pussy. She broke the kiss 
with a moan, and closing her eyes, gave herself to my gentle 
caresses, letting me bring her down.

After a while, she grabbed my hands and moved them to her tits, 
letting me cup them, and kept her hands on mine. She didn't say 
anything, but it seemed like she didn't want any more 
stimulation, preferring the gentle contact of my hands on her 
tits. It was a difficult proposition; I loved her tits, their 
soft yet firm feel, and her puffy nipples still hard, digging in 
my palms like small pebbles. We rested like that for several 
minutes quietly, until she finally broke the silence.

"Mmmm. I love what you do to me."

"It was my pleasure."

"I'm sure it was. I feel like a brand new woman. What a way to 
start the day."

"Yeah. A good cup of coffee does wonders."

She laughed, and retorted, "That too."

She wasn't going to let me score that one, but I wasn't going to 
concede defeat easily, so I said, "Ummm... Sarah? What else was 
there besides coffee?"

"A hot cunt that will fuck you to death if you're not careful. I 
might have to phone Kathy and get her permission first, though."

"You're a successful doctor, a talented singer, a lovely woman, a 
good friend, and a wonderful lover... with a hot pussy," I 
corrected her.

"Thank you," she replied, softly. Then teased with, "Flattery 
will get you anywhere."

Instead of answering, I kissed her neck and shoulders, squeezing 
her tits softly.

"God! I'm insatiable. You drive me crazy," she responded to my 
attentions.

"I think we should get a cup of coffee before it gets too old," I 
reminded.

"Yeah. I could do with a cup, but I want to clean up a bit," she 
replied, while squeezing my hands, urging me to squeeze her tits.

A few minutes later, she carefully disengaged, cupping her pussy 
with one hand so that she wouldn't drip on the floor, and headed 
to the bathroom. There was a little spot on the floor from our 
quickie, and some on the chair where I was sitting, so I cleaned 
them. Using a paper towel I cleaned myself, and then filled up a 
cup for her. By then, she was back, looking refreshed. Taking a 
sip from her coffee, she looked around as if she was searching 
for something, before her eyes settled on me. Kneeling in front 
of me, she licked my cock before sucking it into her hot mouth. 
Because I had cleaned up, there wasn't much she could lick.

"I was looking for some cream for my coffee," she said with a 
disappointed look in her eyes.

"Sorry, it will take a while to order a new batch."

"Let's go to the living room. It will be more comfortable."

She took the towel draped at the back of the chair, and we went 
to the living room. She put the towel on one of the couches, and 
asked me to take a seat. Then she went to the stereo, and put it 
on, before coming back to sit next to me, cuddling. When we 
finished our coffee, I went to her room, in search of my 
cigarettes. In the living room, I collected our cups and went to 
the kitchen to get a re-fill, and returned. Sitting next to her I 
lit my first cigarette of the day, getting dizzy with the first 
intake of nicotine. She took the cigarette from me and took a 
drag, but she didn't return it.

"I didn't know you smoked," I said.

"I don't. Not regularly. I smoke when I drink at a party or 
occasionally after sex."

"I wish I could limit my smoking as you do. That's one nasty 
habit I've been reluctant to give up."

"Well, you know the dangers, so I'm not going to lecture you."

"You know, we didn't talk much," I said, feeling guilty because 
about all we had done had been making love or fucking (depending 
on your point of view).

With a tingling laugh, she said, "Oh, but we did. Body language 
is the best kind of talk."

"Come on, Sarah. I'm serious."

She ran the back of her fingers along my cheek affectionately, 
before she responded with, "I know you are. I really don't have 
much to tell. Like your sister, I'm busy with school and the 
hospital. I spend my free time practicing the guitar or with your 
sister and other friends. I've gone through some relationships, 
but I don't really have the time to keep relationships and I 
enjoy my independence. I haven't met anybody that made my head 
spin, yet. I want to finish the school first, and then take it as 
it comes."

"I would have thought you'd find a guy by now. You know what I 
think of you, what I see, when I look at you. There should be 
some guy who thinks the same way."

"Perhaps. But as I said, I'm trying to catch up on what I missed 
when I was younger."

"Well, Kathy wasn't very active when she was young. At least, to 
my knowledge."

"True, but she got asked out and got hot and heavy a lot of 
times, even though she didn't go all the way. I didn't get to do 
that. I was shy when I was young, and self-conscious about my 
looks. When I got over that phase, quite late, the boys were 
scared I wouldn't be interested in them. And the ones that 
finally got interested were the wrong kind."

"Even in the med school?"

"Well, the first two years were difficult, then I repeated a 
year, because I was thinking of singing professionally. I was 
young and my head was filled with dreams of fame and big money. 
And I was hanging with the wrong crowd. You know the type, always 
partying, and drinking, and barely managing school, if at all. 
Kathy reminded me of our dreams, how we wanted to be doctors, 
that I could always become a professional singer, if I wanted, 
after finishing school. She was right, and managed to convince 
me. I owe her much. She spent months helping me catch up on the 
classes and bring up my grades."

I noticed her gray eyes were moist, and she was looking at 
someplace far away, as if remembering something, but I didn't 
understand how her story would make her so emotional. I got the 
feeling there was more to than she was telling me.

"Sarah, I know you're very close to each other, but why do you 
feel so strongly about her?"

"I told you I was young and foolish. The first year wasn't 
overwhelming, and I got by with little studying. I was partying 
and busy with music. I was hanging with the wrong crowd. Things 
were different in my second year, and that was when I got into 
trouble. My parents were going crazy with me, and Kathy pulled me 
aside a few times. Then she bailed me out of a tight spot during 
a party, catching somebody slipping something in my drink. That 
was an eye opener, and I realized Kathy was right, but then I was 
way behind in my classes, so I failed that semester. Kathy helped 
me with the studying, and I passed the repeat semester. In the 
meantime, Kathy's social life was suffering because of me. She 
was dating a guy, and they broke up because Kathy was busy with 
me and didn't have time for him. How did I pay her? By failing 
the next semester. She was very angry, rightly so. I thought she 
would turn her back on me, but instead she kept helping me with 
my studies. So I finished the second repeat semester, and after 
that I got a handle on things."

"I see... It cost Kathy her guy... Was he worth it?"

"No. But neither of us knew it at the time. The point is, the guy 
wasn't the only thing I cost Kathy. After the break-up, he 
started to date another girl; a spoiled little rich bitch. You 
know the type, daddy's little princess. Her daddy was another 
piece of work. He was a professor in the med school. Once Kathy 
realized the guy wasn't worth her trouble, she got over him 
pretty quickly. However, he was hung up on Kathy. The little 
bitch he was dating was jealous, because her guy was still hung 
up on Kathy. So what does the little bitch do? She manipulates 
her daddy and sets him against Kathy. Kathy's third year turned 
into hell. Nothing she did was good; her work was below average, 
etc. That bastard even managed to influence a few other 
instructors as well and turned them against her. Kathy's hands 
were tied. She could have fought, but even if she had won, she 
would have lost. In the medical world reputation is everything. 
They don't look favorably upon students who embarrass a 
professor."

"So, how the hell did she survive?"

"That prick of a professor got an attractive offer from a private 
practice in another city, and decided to take it. His daughter, 
the little bitch, suddenly found she was failing exams, so she 
quit school. With those two gone, the negative criticism pretty 
much stopped. There were other professors and assistant 
professors who were quite fond of Kathy and her work, and 
suddenly they found they could voice their opinions without fear 
of repercussions. Slowly the others who were putting Kathy down 
realized they had been taken for a ride by the bastard who left, 
and they were embarrassed. It was a minor scandal, although it 
rarely made the rounds of gossip, and few people were aware of 
what happened. I feared they would turn against her again, 
because of their part in the scandal and their embarrassment. To 
her credit Kathy never said a word or indicated she was aware of 
anything out of ordinary. I think that's what finally decided it 
for some of the professors, and they treated her fair and square. 
I know of three professors who apologized to her in private for 
the unfair treatment and their part in it. Do you know what your 
sister's reply was?"

When I shook my head, she smiled and said, "You must be mistaken. 
I'm not aware of any unfair treatment, but I appreciate your 
concerns."

"Jeeez."

"Yes. Now, that's class!"

"How the hell did you hear all that if it was kept under wraps? 
Especially about the three professors?"

"That was pure luck. One of the professors forgot that an 
intercom was open, and his secretary heard the conversation. She 
liked your sister very much. For good reasons. Kathy had spent 
several nights in the ICU when her eight year old son had been 
hospitalized, frequently at his bedside. I saw the kid a few 
times, visiting together with Kathy. The poor kid was beaten 
badly. Kathy is still fond of that kid. By the way, that's why 
she chose Pediatrics. Anyways. So, the secre--"

"Just hold on a second," I cut her off suddenly, a light bulb 
going off in my head.

"What--"

"Tell me about the kid."

"Mitch? What's wrong? Are you all right?"

I didn't realize my voice was hoarse, until I spoke again.

"I'm OK. Why?"

"You look pale."

Trying to calm myself, I tried again. "I'm all right, Sarah. 
Please, tell me about the kid. Whatever you can remember."

She gave me a curious look, while thinking back, trying to 
remember about the kid.

"He was an eight year old kid. Two kids in the playground beat 
him up. I really don't know the whole story. When I saw him he 
had many bruises. I think he was in the ICU for something else, 
and not for injuries from the beating. A blood condition or 
something."

"How did Kathy know him?"

"I think she was doing the rounds with other students in ICU as 
part of a tour of the hospital and her studies, when they brought 
in the kid. After that, every minute she could spare, she was by 
his bedside. I know that she wasn't supposed to be there, but 
somehow she managed to get in."

My mind was busy with what Kathy had told me about the time I was 
nine years old. Was her interest in that kid related to what 
happened so long ago?

_I hope not, Sis. That's too long to carry a hurt._

"Mitch, something's wrong. I can see that. Tell me what's 
bothering you."

"It's nothing, Sarah. It might be something from my past. When I 
work it out, I'll tell you, but I don't make any sense out of it 
at this moment."

"Are you sure it's not related to Kathy?"

_Shit! Bloody female intuitions!_

"To tell the truth, I'm not sure about anything, Sarah. I need to 
think about it. I don't even know if I can figure it out. Let me 
think it over, OK?"

She wasn't convinced, but she realized I wasn't going to talk 
about it.

"Uh, OK."

"Back to the story. You were saying the professor had forgotten 
the intercom was open," I prompted her.

"Yeah. So the secretary listens to the whole exchange and hears 
every word. She also knew if this got out it could cause 
problems, but she knew Kathy and I were best friends. I guess she 
must have remembered me from the time when I was with Kathy by 
her son's bed. She also knew I was worried about Kathy, so she 
spilled the beans to me, reminding me the possible consequences 
if it ever got out, as if I needed to be reminded."

"I see... So you feel responsible for all the hard times Kathy 
had. But Sarah, it seems to me that relationship was bound to 
fail. Kathy would have broken up with that guy anyway, and all 
the shit would have happened, with or without you."

"Maybe, maybe not. They might have broken up, but then it could 
have happened under different circumstances, without all the 
other things coming into play. If Kathy had broken up with him 
later, that little bitch and her asshole daddy would have been 
gone already. It's difficult to say. I know this much. It 
happened and it cost her."

"I don't think you should feel guilty about something like that, 
Sarah. Kathy is very loyal, and she was loyal to her friend. She 
would have done it whether you asked for it or not. It wasn't 
your decision. It was her decision."

"I understand that, Mitch. What I feel isn't because of what she 
had to go through. Not really. She helped me and I failed her. I 
should have stood on my own two feet after passing that semester, 
but I failed a second time, because I wasn't giving it my best. 
She had to help me again, while all that shit was going on around 
her. That's what bothers me."

"She loves you, Sarah. And you make allowances for people you 
love. What can I say, that's Kathy. You know her better than I 
do."

"Yes. That's why I love her."

While listening to her, my mind was busy with that revelation, 
trying to make some sense out of it.

"You said that was during her third year?"

"Yes."

_Shit! That was my Senior Year; when I was keeping busy with 
school and the part time job. When I was going to pieces after 
her, lost in my own little world. I was so involved with myself, 
I hadn't noticed anything. I wouldn't have. Shit. Shit. Shit._

"Sarah, did my parents know what was going on at the school? The 
trouble with the professors and such?"

"I don't think so. I know she got some flack from your mom, but 
she also knew Kathy wasn't dawdling around. She was studying, and 
all her spare time was spent helping me study. So, your mom 
couldn't fault her. I think Kathy told them the med school was 
much harder than she thought it would be."

I lit another cigarette, and took a drag, thinking over what 
Sarah said.

_Yeah. That figures. She wouldn't want Mom upset, and she was 
helping Sarah. Mom liked Sarah, and still likes her. Kathy 
probably didn't want Mom to blame Sarah for what happened. So she 
gave Mom the impression that her problems were with difficult 
schoolwork, not a result of any unfair treatment, or time spent 
helping Sarah. Seeing Kathy give her best effort at school was 
enough for Mom, whether Kathy succeeded or not. Mom's only 
expectation at such times was 'give your best'. She had always 
been fair and reasonable in her expectations for her kids._

_Jeeez! Kathy didn't have anybody to talk to. Fuck!_

_I'm sorry, Sis. I'm sorry I wasn't there for you._

_What a pair of siblings we are. Secret after secret. Juggling 
act all along. I know I did it out of love... I didn't want to 
worry, or hurt you... or Dad, or Mom, for that matter. I didn't 
want to burden anybody with my problems._

_Now it seems, you did the same._

I hadn't realized how alike Kathy and I were, until that moment. 
We had been competitive, successful, and determined. We loved and 
cared about each other and showed it. But, we also kept things 
secret, not to burden the other.

"Mitch, do you remember what I said to you, yesterday?"

"Huh?"

"When I reminded you Kathy is your blood, I also told you that 
you can talk to me, and it will stay here. I can see something's 
bothering you. Very much. I have the feeling it's about Kathy, 
and you know how I feel about her. Are you sure you can't talk to 
me?" she asked softly with an almost pleading tone, urging me to 
talk to her.

I don't know why, but I felt tired, and old; older than my young 
years. Friendship, love, trust, and secrets made for a lousy 
combination. Sarah was a good friend. When we were young, she had 
been the first girl I felt comfortable talking to. Perhaps, 
because we had known each other for a long time as kids, and 
later, as teens. She had been a constant figure around Kathy, a 
face I was used to seeing. But, I never had serious talks with 
her; only about common interests like music, books, and school 
stuff, the daily things. She was, after all, my sister's best 
friend and we had never been boyfriend and girlfriend. 
Considering how shy I had been, Sarah had been a special case.

I thought about how I should answer her question; I didn't want 
to evade her, she deserved better. With a tired sigh, I said, 
"It's not about Kathy, Sarah. It's about me. I wasn't there for 
her when she needed me."

She didn't say anything, instead, she ran her hand on my arm, 
trying to give some comfort.

"Sometimes things happen, Mitch. I told you my story."

"Yes. You're right. Sometimes things happen. You're a good 
friend, Sarah. Thank you."

"You're welcome," she replied, before sharing a long kiss.

We spent the next several minutes in quiet solitude, finding 
comfort in each other's presence, cuddling, before Sarah broke 
the silence.

"I'm going to take a shower. Do you want to join me?"

"Sure. Do you have a spare toothbrush?"

"I think I have one in one of the cabinets in the bathroom."



* * * * *