Elizabeth stared out at the East River, twinkling in the moonlight, as her cab moved across the bridge back toward the island of Manhattan. 'How could Julie to this to me, to us? There's got to be some boundaries… can't she see that?' she thought. 'He's my brother and she let him have sex with me! I didn't want him even knowing that Julie and I were lovers and here Julie goes bringing him to my club, letting him watch me dance, then concocting that session earlier at the Whipping Post… she's changed my relationship with Jim forever, can't she see that?'
Elizabeth sighed and crossed her arms over her chest, remembering her brother as he had been getting off the plane. So innocent back then. Then she remembered the way he'd been at the restaurant. How he'd changed.
She thought more about what he'd said. He'd found out it had been her and still he'd described the afternoon as a GREAT TIME. How could he call it that? He knew it was her and he called it great.
Apparently her brother didn't have the same trouble with this as she did. And that was the surprising thing…here was her brother, fresh off the farm, seemingly wanting more loving from his sexually open sister and she was the one that had the problem.
But was it a problem? The initial shock was wearing off….she'd never have imagined fucking her brother but now the lid was off of that thanks to Julie. She had to admit that she'd gotten off on the session with her brother; he'd really been quite good. Elizabeth remembered how his mouth had felt on her crotch, how his dick had filled her mouth and…Oh God, can you actually think about doing that again? Without be blindfolded, looking into his eyes! Would it be a disaster…or would it be better?
She hated herself for even thinking about it.
She had a choice — she could tiptoe around Jim the next three days and send him back to Nebraska knowing that their relationship was irrevocably strained or
….
"All right. When we get up there, let me talk with her." Julie said as they stepped into the elevator of her building. She and Jim had ridden back from the restaurant in relative silence.
'What are you going to say to Lizzie?' Julie asked herself as the elevator rose. 'I have no idea!' She'd been putting on a brave face since the restaurant but she was really worried that she'd blown it with Elizabeth. She'd pushed her and Jim into something that was better left alone. And now she had to hope that she could clean up the mess she had made. They exited the elevator and walked to the door of their apartment. She opened the door with her key and walked in ahead of Jim. Elizabeth was just coming out of their bedroom, now wearing a pair of gray flannel sweatpants and a T-shirt. Lizzie gave her a look that broke her heart — it more than conveyed the hurt she had caused. Lizzie walked away from them and went into the kitchen.
"She's pissed off. Maybe you ought to talk to her tomorrow morning?" Jim whispered.
"It's OK. Just keep out of our way." Julie said and started toward the kitchen.
Elizabeth came out of the kitchen carrying a bottle of vodka and a glass and went out onto the patio without looking back. Julie followed her. Stepping through the sliding glass door which Elizabeth had left open, Julie saw her sitting at the patio table pouring an inch of vodka into her glass.
"Liz, we got to talk."
"I'm in no mood to talk. I'd appreciate it if you'd stay somewhere else tonight…until I decide what I'm going to do."
"Sure, I'll clear out…Elizabeth, you know I wouldn't have done this to hurt you."
"Whatever your reasons, it was a shitting trick to pull…and I may not be able to forgive you. Ever. I may move out when Jim leaves."
"Please, don't say that!..I love you, Elizabeth…I really do. I can't believe that you're willing to throw what we have away….no one's really been harmed by this…Jim's cool with it…I think it could make you guys much closer…"
"Julie! Can't you hear yourself?…he's my brother…did you think I'd just open my legs for any man you wanted and then laugh about it."
"Elizabeth, you've always enjoyed whatever I got you into…you didn't always like it at the beginning but you always come around. You're a sexual junkie…you can't get enough. This could be so good if you'd just go with it."
"It's incest, Julie, incest!"
"Do you know why incest is wrong, Elizabeth. I'll tell you why…because it leads to inbreeding among families. You're on the Pill, so there's not much danger there. Why else is it wrong? Because way back in the past, women were losing their husbands to their daughters when they came of age. So the church…Biblewriters..whoever, decided to make it a sin and keep all the religious nuts in line. Are you religious, Liz? Do you think you're going to take Jim from all other women? The answer is no to both questions. Liz, it's all about pleasure…we're here and then we're gone, so don't look at it like it's the end of the world…it's only a couple of days….you can sit there and deny your feelings but I know you. You're mad at me right now so I'm gonna pack some things and get out of here…just sleep on it."
Julie went back inside, closing the door so Elizabeth could be alone. She headed for their room to grab some things for a few days in case she'd read her wrong. Jim was sitting on the couch, looking back at her.
"Well?" he said.
"She's asked that I stay somewhere else tonight…when you guys talk, don't say you're sorry about what happened…if it comes up, you feel sort of privileged, not ashamed. If you project a good attitude…you never know…I'll talk to her some more tomorrow."
She went into her room and pulled out a travel bag and small tote. She packed some clothes and some stuff from the bathroom in the tote. Then she wrote a short note to Elizabeth saying she'd be staying at the Waldorf that night and to call her if she wanted to talk. She left the apartment, hoping that Elizabeth would come around.
Jim sat on the couch, not knowing whether he should wait for Elizabeth or just go to bed. It was only around 10 PM but he decided to head for bed to avoid having to talk with his sister. He was no eloquent speaker and he thought he'd just put his foot in his mouth. He went into his bedroom, undressed and got into bed where he lay awake for several hours.
Elizabeth came in from the patio to find that Jim had either left or was already in bed. The door to his room was closed so she was fairly certain that he'd turned in….he was probably feeling as mixed up as she was about the whole thing. Or maybe he was mad that she wasn't able to return his feelings. Whichever was the case, she felt bad that he was feeling bad.
She turned off the lights and went into her room. Pulling off her sweatpants, she sat on the side of the bed she usually slept on. There was a note on the table and she picked it up and read it.
"I love you, Elizabeth. Being open to new things has always been our motto. Please look beyond what you think is wrong and I think you will see that no one can be hurt by what happened. I'm staying at the Waldorf tonight. Please call me at any time if you want to talk. Julie."
Elizabeth stretched out on the bed, feeling a panicked. She knew she was at a crossroads in her relationship with Julie….and with Jim. She closed her eyes to think and slipped into sleep some time later.