The family bed

"I…"

"We can talk about it tomorrow. I've got to go now. Kevin's due any second. See you tomorrow. Bye."

The line clicked dead with finality, but Donna Howell held the phone to her ear for several seconds longer. Finally, the unspoken questions still choking in her throat, she replaced the receiver in its cradle.

She stood quite still for a long minute, then finally with a shrug, she headed for her bedroom and the unfinished packing. Tomorrow, she thought. Tomorrow I've got to talk to her.

Kevin Howell gave the address to the taxi driver, then sank gratefully into the security of the cab's seat cushions. He looked upon the busy, late afternoon streets of San Diego with apprehension, his thoughts of that day more than a little bewildering; first the bus ride from Riverside that had seemed unending, then the arrival in this strange city, and now the cab ride itself.

At sixteen Kevin was nearing physical maturity, but having lived a rather cloistered life, he was not fully prepared to cope with adult decisions and adult anxieties in a suddenly adult world. His six-foot frame, still youthfully slender, was the only feature that did not bear a startling resemblance to his mother and seventeen year old sister; a resemblance that bore very little likeness to the man in the old and wrinkled photograph in his wallet. In the past there had been many times when Kevin removed that photograph and studied it intently, but of late this practice had all but disappeared. It was the only picture he possessed of a father he had never known, and along with the fragments of the past passed on by his mother, it had ceased to hold much sentimental value for him. Yet, he did not discard it. Nor did he fail to inquire on the rare occasions his mother mentioned his father. The fact that these occasions were rare was not a deliberate attempt on Donna Howell's part to suppress any knowledge about her long-dead husband, but stemmed more realistically from the absence of Kevin and his sister Sheri from their Pasadena home.

Kevin sat forward in the cab, his attention drawn suddenly to row after row of carefully sculptured lawns lining the residential street. At the last intersection the cab had swung onto a wide palm-lined avenue, and Kevin deduced that his sister's apartment building was only eight blocks away. The apprehension that had been dogging him all day abated somewhat with the realization that he would soon be there, and he began to take note of his surroundings.

The neat houses, row upon row, and identical except for color, appeared staid and lifeless, cold and unreal, colder even than the towering palms rustling in the winter breeze. This appearance reflected Kevin's own feelings. It seemed that of late even his free time away from school was becoming routine, dull, painfully boring. The activities that had once dominated his thoughts, had somehow lost their importance. Sports, movies, card games – all failed to fill the vacant hours with meaningful pleasure. Life had suddenly seemed to have become useless child's play.

He hadn't put it into conscious thought yet, but his boyhood was steadily and surely slipping away; he was becoming a man.

Six blocks to go; his sister would be waiting. He knew, she had told him so last night on the phone. But the apprehension would not end there – that he also knew. Irrefutably. At the apartment he would learn whether it was on or off. Sheri had tricked him into it, and now there was no escape. Deep down, though, he hoped it was on.

It had all started with his sister's kidding, had built up from there until there was no backing out, and he knew that he would soon be faced with it. It – was to be his first real date outside of the supervised dances at school, and he had pressed her for details, but all she would tell him on the phone was that the girl was "something else".

Four blocks to go. He wanted to lose his virginity, but such a happening had seemed to be such an impossible task in the restrictive private school environment that he found it hard to believe it was really going to happen now. He was certain he'd have been far more experienced with the opposite sex had he gone to public schools, but then, that just hadn't been possible. His mother had to devote too much time to supporting them, and he understood that. It wasn't her fault that co-educational boarding schools didn't exist.

Two blocks to go. As far as he was concerned, Sheri had it made. She could just about have her pick from thousands of boys at San Diego State and get laid anytime she wanted to. Hell, all girls could probably get screwed if they went out with the right guy, but his older sister was popular and sexy enough to have an even larger choice. He didn't know how much experience she had, maybe none, but he couldn't help feeling a bit envious of her position at times. She seemed so wise and experienced, like a free spirit able to get what she wanted, when she wanted, and he wished he could feel that way too. Yet, it was because of this feeling about her that he worried. He was constantly thinking she might get into a situation she didn't want, and then not be able to back away from it.

No blocks to go. He was paying the cab driver when the clicking of high heels reached his ears, and he turned to watch his sister coming quickly down the walk toward him. Even from a distance she looked sharp, her long blonde hair flowing in the breeze like a golden halo around her pretty face. She had become a young woman in such a seemingly short time that every time he saw her he was amazed. She was wearing a dress that accented her figure, and he couldn't help wondering how she would look naked. It was as if she was too sexy to believe; her breasts firm and full, her narrow waist accenting softly flared hips and long tapering legs, and her trim young buttocks – sexier than any young girl's had a right to be, rounding out like two firm ripe melons waiting for someone to come along and squeeze them. He'd be happy if his date looked half as good as his sister!

With a smile on her lips, Sheri watched her younger brother approach. He was handsome, and even more than that, physically appealing. Kevin had been the athletic type for some time, the kind interested in sports and nothing more, but she noticed with satisfaction that he was changing, and she liked what she saw. His character and motion had mellowed into a smooth appearance, and he exuded an intense physical sexuality that seemed to boil from within.

"Hi, good looking!" she said fondly.

"Hi, Sis!" he responded casually. The tone would have hidden his anxiety to anyone but her.

"Right on time I see," she said trying to look forlorn. She wanted to keep him guessing for awhile.

"Yeah." He wanted to stay cool, but he was having a hard time containing his disappointment. "You look nice…"

"Thanks. So do you. How are you fixed for money?" she questioned without explanation.

"I've got ten bucks left. You need it?" He started to reach for his wallet.

"No," she answered, then dropped the subject. She looked past Kevin and up the street. He turned to see what she was looking at. "Ward's picking me up. He should be along soon," she said looking back to her brother. His expression was strained, and she couldn't go on torturing him any longer. She reached into her purse and pulled out a ten dollar bill, handing it to him.

"What's this for?" he asked, his eyes fixed on the money as if it contained some mystery.

"You'll need it tonight… for your date!" she smiled, seeing his eyes widen.

"Oh… thanks," he said, but his voice was strained, giving away his excitement. He wanted to know more; what the girl was like! "You… ah… sure you won't need this?" he asked, indicating the money in his hand.

"Her name is Susan Hatton," she replied, shaking her head negatively to answer his question. "You're taking her out to dinner, so you'll need more than ten dollars!"

"Oh, great, swell! Susan Hatton, huh?" He wanted to come right out and ask his sister if the girl was a willing type, but he didn't have the nerve. He was excited enough just knowing that the date was on, and he had a million other questions.

"It's quite simple," she said seeing that he was still confused. "Susan is going to pick you up here… She'll be driving a white Cadillac. Anyway, I told her to meet you here at five-thirty! She'll probably be late, so don't get antsy and leave." There was a burning question in his mind, and she knew it. But she was determined to leave it for him to ask.

So that was it. The girl, a big car, it was all perfect, and he hoped he was ready for it. His seventeen year old sister was far wiser and aware of such matters, and her reassurance would be a big help. It was a question of time enough to discuss it, and he looked at his watch, seeing it was five-fifteen.

"What time you expecting Ward?" he asked trying to sound relaxed.

"He's late now." She waved one arm toward the apartment building. "Sorry I don't have time to show you around. It's 8-A."

"Great. It's okay." Kevin swallowed, then cleared his throat. "I guess you've had a lot of experience these past few months…"

Sheri cut him off. "I'm still a virgin if that's what you mean!" she said, and when he started to nod his head, she continued. "But I don't intend to stay one much longer!"

He didn't know what to say then. He could only stare at his pretty sister, wondering what came next.

"When I meet the right guy… well, you don't have to look so worried," she protested on seeing her brother's expression. "Ward isn't the one! At least I don't think so… I just don't believe virginity is a prize I should cling to forever," she added defensively.

He was impressed by her decisive attitude, and actually surprised that she still was a virgin. Most important at that moment, it gave him the opportunity he was looking for. "Is that the way Susan Hatton thinks?" he said unable to disguise a sheepish expression.

Sheri laughed out loud, realizing that he had succeeded in getting to the point. "Maybe she doesn't have to worry about it anymore," she said to stimulate his imagination. "You'll like her well enough, I'm sure. Just let things happen as they will."

He wanted more details, but she spoke as if that was all she would give him. Maybe knowing too much was bad, at least that was what she seemed to be getting at. "I sure appreciate your fixing me up this way… if there…"

"Just have a good time and get what you want!" she interrupted hurriedly, and she leaned up to kiss him on the cheek. "I see Ward's car coming… come on and I'll introduce you." She walked to the curb pulling him with her.

Kevin looked up the street, and his eyes followed the expensive sports car as it pulled up along side them. He was impressed by the car alone, but the guy behind the wheel really surprised him. He was sharply dressed, "suave" was the word that came to his mind, but Kevin guessed the man had to be at least in his middle thirties. Probably old enough to be his and Sheri's father, he thought.

Sheri didn't wait for Ward to get out of the car, but opened the passenger door and slipped onto the seat. "Ward Murdock… my little brother, Kevin!" she said motioning toward each.

Since there was no top on the car, Kevin reached out over his sister's blonde head to shake the older man's hand. "Nice to meet you."

"Your sister has talked about you so much, I feel like I already know you," Ward answered the greeting, shaking the boy's hand firmly.

He had a pleasant, sincere smile on his face, and Kevin couldn't help but like the man immediately. "Well don't let me hold you up. Thanks again Sheri!" he said giving his sister a meaningful look.

"Just have a good time, little brother!"

"See you later." Ward said, and he started to pull away from the curb.

"Don't do anything I wouldn't do!" Kevin yelled after the car, but he guessed they didn't hear him. He watched as the car disappeared from view, his mind placing himself behind the wheel of an expensive sports car. With a machine like that, he thought, making out with chicks would be easy.

He moved back away from the curb after looking up and down the street, but there was no sign of a Cadillac in either direction. The idea of him being picked up by his date made him feel a little self-conscious, but he knew that the chances of sexy things happening were far greater in a car than walking. He looked at his watch, and as there was still several minutes left before Susan Hatton was due to meet him, he walked toward the apartment building, wondering what she looked like. He reached the apartment and, after quickly glancing at the furnishings, moved to the front window with its view of the street. His gaze followed the direction the sports car had taken and he wondered how much longer his sister was going to remain a virgin. Not long, he finally concluded. Not long at all, judging by the look in Ward Murdock's eyes.

And not long for himself either – he hoped.