Chapter 25

Later that evening, you found yourself in the cold and cluttered garage out back of the tool shop. This place was cramped enough normally, when it was mostly taken up with whatever bulky lump of equipment Skeg was currently ripping the guts out of. Tonight though, those had all been push to the side to allow a beer-stained, old cards table to be unfolded. Around this rickety, circular focus the usual suspects had gathered, plus Nancy and a face you hadn’t seen before. After your earlier encounter with the host’s daughter... and what you had learned about her and him… you found yourself unable to meet her eyes. A fact she clearly found amusing. However the newcomer turned out to be the owner of a curry house across the street, and had brought a veritable feast to share between everyone gathered. His generosity seemed matched by an easygoing attitude and free-flowing torrent of laughter and compliments. So you were quickly drawn into liking the man. Blushing as he extolled the virtues of you and your step-sister. He even swept you up onto his knee for a little while as you ate, but after the kind of treatment you had grown used to from Rod and Dave, that hardly seemed out of the ordinary. His arm remained gently upon your waist, making no attempts to explore further and put your secrets at risk.

To begin with, it seemed like you and Jenny had mainly been recruited to ferry the inordinate amount of beer the group was consuming back and forth from the fridge. Squeezing between their chairs while clutching ice-cold bottles to your chest. All you could really think about was the layer of sticky goop that must’ve still been squelching between your step-sister’s legs… that and the occasional pinch or grope your own heiny received as your shuffled past. Soon though, spirits were clearly becoming ever more merry… even for your step-sibling, who seemed to have been claiming herself a bottle every time she was sent for someone else’s. It wasn’t long before an insistence that the two of you join in was made, with one make-shift seat of boxes offered between Skeg and the newcomer, who you had learned by now was called Arjuun… or ‘Argy’ by most of them. Your attempt at escape by logic: that you didn’t have any money to bet with, was met with only laughter.

“You’re wearing enough clothes between the two of ya, ain’tcha?” Chuckled Skeg, in a slightly-slurring manner. “You c’n play as a team an’ bet with them!”

Jenny, of course, loved this idea. You had only had to deal with her drunk a few times in life up till now… but knew it only increased her stubbornness and self-confidence. Given a competitive environment, you could already tell exactly where this was going. Yet you hopped up onto her lap like a rabbit before a freight train… cause there was little else you could do.

The first few hands didn’t go too badly though. You got a hang of the rules and values of each spread of cards. Both of you mostly just losing and then winning back the matching long, striped socks you were wearing. That, however, was when your twin’s dutch courage began to really set in. She began insisting you play out each and every hand you were given, stating that folding was boring. She was flirting outrageously with anyone you ended up playing the pot against, and barely seemed to notice the night’s chill bearing in against less and less fabric. While you felt the loss of every layer like a lead balloon, aware that each one brought you closer to exposing everything you had worked so hard to hide. You weren’t even certain that Skeg knew… Only the teasing smirk of Nancy across the room told you she could recognise the danger you were in. Surely Jenny would remember not to risk you going completely naked?! Surely the beer and excitement hadn’t stolen all her sense…

Yet, it was with an elaborate flourish that your dearest step-sibling threw her bra onto the pile of chips in the centre. Purposefully jiggling the mounds of soft flesh that emerged from beneath. “Dammit! Okay, next round for Jo’s bra... Best get a good look now though boys, coz we’ll be getting these babies covered back up for sure!”

“No!” You squeaked. Able to hold the complaint in no longer. But, when that drew everyone in to turn and look at you… It just made you shrink back into yourself. “I-I can’t… W-we should stop here… Mi-Mine aren’t like Jenny’s… You’ll-”

“Oh, now… Don’t be shy Sweetie-pie.” Offered Arjuun. “They might not be quite as impressive as your step-sister’s… but we’re all friends here. No-one else is going to see them. Besides… Your twin seems to have a good feeling about this one, no? You should trust family!”

You knew he was just trying to lure you in… but the kind words did melt your fears a little. Were you really so easy to coerce these days? Would they be able to tell what you were immediately, from the flatness of your chest? You did have quite prominent nipples after all, and a lot of girls were… less blessed in that department than your step-sister, weren’t they? You honestly didn’t know. You hadn’t seen any other examples outside of the internet… and the internet seemed to mostly contain broom-handles with balloons attached.

Jenny had already scooped up the next set of cards, oblivious to anything else. You really hoped they were good ones…