She leaned exhaustedly against the door frame, her gym bag hanging limply over her shoulder. Tommy took her bag and ushered her into the living room. "I am. Practice was horrible; I took a couple of nasty falls--nothing serious, though--and then having been trashed by tengas right after school... my body is so sore! My back and shoulders ache something terrible," Kim complained.

"Why don't we cancel tonight's lesson," Tommy offered. "The wedding is only a few days away, and you still haven't figured out what to do with those hips of yours." After the reading she had done last night, Kim was looking for any excuse for Tommy to be near her. She was half tempted to let herself zone out just so she could touch him the way she had in her dreams.

Kim's statement made Tommy's eyebrows shoot up. He knew exactly what he wanted to do with his hips. "Tell you what; why don't we go downstairs. We'll take care of your backache then we'll work on the dancing if you're up to it. Okay?"

"Whatever," Kim agreed with a shrug and a yawn. As Tommy led her through the house, Kim noticed that it was rather quiet. "Where are your folks?"

"Grocery shopping. If you think you're a marathon shopper, you've never seen my dad at the supermarket. It's pretty scary. They left right after dinner, and I don't expect them back for at least another hour."

"What can you do in a grocery store for that long?" Kim wondered. "I mean, they're only shopping for a family of three."

"Who knows, and I really don't want to go with them to find out." They headed down to the basement; Tommy headed for the stereo and slipped in some of the music they had danced to on Friday night.

"Lay down on the mats, and I'll be back in a second," he directed. He headed for the far side of the basement and disappeared into a doorway.

"What's back there?" Kim wondered.

"Mom's hot tub," Tommy called back.

"You guys have a hot tub? Too cool."

"We had to get it for Mom a couple of years ago when she messed up her back--doctor's orders. Dad and I also had to learn how to give her proper backrubs--pressure points and all that sort of thing. I figure I can work the kinks out of your back then you can sit in the tub and soak for a while."

"I don't have a swimsuit with me."

"That's no big deal. I can find you one of Mom's or you can wear your leotard. We can throw whatever you wear in the dryer, and you'll be all set. If you'd rather, I won't bug you while you're relaxing. How does that sound?"

"Absolutely wonderful," Kim agreed. She stretched out on the floor. Tommy got down on the floor with her. "Uh, would you mind too much if I straddled your bottom? I'll have a lot better angle for working on your back than if I worked from the side," he said.

"Whatever works best for you," Kim answered around a yawn. Tommy sat astride Kimberly's behind, careful not to rest his full weight on her. He pulled her hair away from her neck and started the massage with her scalp, gently working his fingers through her hair. He moved down to the nape of her neck, and firmly worked his thumb about in circles. He felt the shiver that raced down Kim's spine, and her sigh made him swallow hard.

"That feels awesome," Kim purred as she let her body seemingly melt into the mats. She had been a little nervous about having Tommy sit on her bottom--and a little excited, but now she felt herself drifting off under his sure hands.

Tommy didn't answer. From her neck he worked his hands across her shoulders, which were taut with stress and fatigue. His fingers eased the tension with smooth, hard strokes. He rubbed his way down her spine, fanning out to relieve all the muscles of her back. Part of his mind was concentrated on remembering the massage techniques; the rest of it was alive with the delight of having Kim's body beneath him and being able to touch her. Every time Kim sighed, a shudder rippled through Tommy's body.

He continued working Kim's muscles lower and lower; he slid off her ass so that he could reach the base of her tailbone. He was hard pressed not to give into the temptation of caressing her behind. The massage was complete, but Tommy wasn't ready to surrender his position just yet. Kim's body felt so wonderful under his hands that he wanted to continue touching her for just a little while longer, even if only for an innocent backrub. He lightly slid his hands back up to her shoulders where he gently caressed her bare arms. Tommy prolonged the massage until he realized that he was sporting an extremely noticeable hard-on. Trying to regain control of himself, Tommy swung himself off his delightful perch.

"How was that?" he asked, bending low to whisper in Kimberly's ear. He was almost afraid to disturb her; she appeared to be asleep.

"Mm," she moaned, without opening her eyes. A satisfied smile crossed her lips, which did not help Tommy's efforts at calming down.

"Now for the tub," Tommy declared.

"I'm so relaxed I doubt if I can get up to walk to the tub," Kim murmured contentedly.

"I'll carry you, then," Tommy offered, only half teasing.

Kim glanced up at him, smiling warmly. "I'm almost tempted to let you." However, she rolled over and sat up. "That was wonderful; why didn't you tell me sooner that you were such a good masseur? I'd have let you give me a backrub a long time ago."

"Come on. I'll show you how to operate the controls," Tommy said, swallowing hard at her announcement. He collected Kim's gymbag and led the way.

The hot tub room was small, dominated by the tub; however, a padded bench lined the outer wall. There was also a shelf stocked with towels. Tommy had removed the cover when he popped in earlier and had started the heaters. He checked the water temperature.

"Perfect. See this panel here? This is how you control the whirlpool jets--on, off, and the force of the spray," he explained as he demonstrated. "Those jets can be pretty powerful. When my back's bugging me, I like to sit in front of one and let the water pound on the aching spot. It's a heck of a massage."

"This is really great of you to let me use this. Are you sure your folks won't mind?"

"Positive. Say, do you want me to find one of Mom's swimsuits for you?"

"That's okay; I doubt it would fit."

"Well, then, I'll leave you to soak. Help yourself to the towels, and holler if you need anything. I'll be on the mats working on a kata."

"Thanks, Tommy," Kim said, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek. Tommy gave her a sheepish smile then took his leave. He sighed longingly as he stared at the closed door. He had really gotten into giving Kim the massage; he was grateful that she hadn't noticed how aroused he had become. It felt so good to touch her again... if only he dared satisfy his need to touch her in more intimate ways, but after that kiss on Friday, Tommy wasn't sure he had enough restraint. Kim had been willing and responsive then, but a kiss was one thing. Major groping was another.

Tommy wandered over to the stereo and changed the music. He had picked up a few more things at the used CD shop, more 70s and 80s hard rock. Some of it, he felt, would be pretty dangerous in that it was potential zoning music, but he had found it wasn't too bad for practicing katas. Once the music was set, Tommy headed upstairs to get some water, change into his gi pants, and cool down his hormones.

In the hot tub room, Kim stripped off her workout clothes. She had thought about just wearing her underwear, but she would feel too funny handing them over to Tommy to be put in the dryer. Instead, she was going to use her gym clothes sans undergarments. As she slid off her shorts, Kim couldn't resist a quick rub at her pussy. It was all wet. Tommy's backrub had done more than relax her; it had her hormones in an uproar. If she hadn't been so exhausted, there was no telling how she would have reacted. She had been disappointed that he hadn't gone ahead and rubbed her behind. Kim shook herself from her brief reverie. This was no time to be playing with herself; it wasn't like she was in her own room.

With a sigh, she reached into her gymbag to find her ponytail holders and barrettes; however, as she rustled around in her bag, her fingers brushed against a book. Although she was alone, she blushed. It was the book from her mother's dresser. She hadn't had much opportunity to read more of it. Kim bit her lip and wondered if she dared bring it out here. Tommy could come in at any time. Lock the door. Kim glanced at the door and found that it had a slide bolt, but it was broken. He said he'd leave me in peace. Out in the basement, Kim heard the music change--AC/DC; she thought it an unusual selection for Tommy. Not long after that, she heard Tommy's ki-yais. Tommy would be concentrating on his kata; he'd probably forget all about her until she emerged from the little room. Feeling reassured, Kim gave in to temptation. Dressed in only her bra and panties, she sat on the bench and grabbed the book. She thumbed through the pages until she came to a likely looking passage. Not only was it circled, it was also highlighted, and the page was marked.

Mom must have really liked this one, Kim mused. It was about a woman and her masturbatory practices--in particular with water. She had tried everything from the water faucet to shower massagers, but the ultimate (she claimed) was getting off on hot tub jets. Kim almost dropped the book in shock. She glanced up anxiously at the swirling water in the tub before her. This was too weird a coincidence for her. She intently read over the rest of the author's account. It seemed simple enough. All the author had done was relax in the tub, spread her legs so that the jet stream shot right at her pussy, then let herself go. Kim felt herself getting wetter as she read on. It certainly didn't help that she was already horny. She quickly shoved the book aside; she spent several moments sitting on the bench breathing deeply. She closed her eyes and tried to concentrated on the music blaring in the basement and not on her hormones. However, the music had a driving beat to it that threatened to carry her away. If she had been out on the mats, she would be well on her way to hitting the Zone.

Kim nearly put her clothes back on, deciding to forgo the hot tub and temptation, but the sound of the bubbling water was soothing, and her body still ached, and she was so tired. It wouldn't hurt anything to just sit in the tub for a while. She didn't have to get off on the jets, and she'd leave her book in her bag. Kim removed her bra and wrapped a towel around her as she slipped off her panties. She felt too self-conscious to stand around naked in Tommy's basement, even if she was in the privacy of the hot tub room. Kim reached for her work out clothes and paused. What would be the big deal if she soaked in the tub without anything on? That way, she wouldn't have to throw anything in the dryer, and if she sat with her back to the door and had the towel within reach, she'd be able to cover herself if anyone came in. Kim approached the hot tub and sat on the rim. She slipped her feet in the warm water; it felt wonderful. Kim unfastened the towel and lowered herself into the tub with a sigh of contentment. Letting her head fall back on the rim of the tub, Kim felt herself getting drowsy

Tommy was right about those jets, she mused. There was one directed right at the base of her spine, pounding on her aching back. It felt pretty good. Kim glanced over at the jet controls; the dial was set on medium. Almost without thinking, she turned it to medium-high. The water pulsed against her with more force, and Kim sighed. It felt heavenly. Her eyelids were getting heavier as her body unwound. Kim slid lower into the water. At her feet was another jet which pounded her sore insteps. Almost unconsciously, Kim's legs parted, allowing that jet stream to thrust up against her mound. The sensation made Kim's eyes snap open, and she quickly closed her legs; however, she had to admit that it had felt pretty good. With a nervous glance at the door, Kim spread her legs again. This time she sat forward a little more so that her hips were a little closer to the nozzle. The force of the water massaging her pussy was awesome. With another posture adjustment, water met clitoris, and Kim was gone.

"Oh my God," she gasped. Her eyes fluttered shut as all her attention was focused on that tiny spot between her legs. In the back of her mind, she heard the music change--Van Halen, definitely zoning music. She wiped her moist brow, and her hand slowly stole down her face, neck and between her breasts. Between the music and the water, she was quickly transported to a fantasy where she was dancing for Tommy, then he was making love to her. "Ooh, yes! Oh, Tommy!"

"Finish What Ya Started" faded, and Tommy hit the pause button on the stereo remote. He had been going strong ever since he got back downstairs. He needed a breather. He was dripping with sweat and realized that he had forgotten to bring a towel down for himself. That wasn't a problem; he'd just get one from the hot tub room. Tommy was almost to the door before he remembered that Kim was inside. He could always knock and ask her for one, but he had promised to leave her alone.

"Rats," he grumbled. It meant another trip upstairs, since his mother had taken all the laundry up already. As he turned back towards the mats, he thought he heard Kim's voice. Thinking that she had said something, he started to knock on the door, but before his knuckles struck the wood, he heard another sound: a moan. Tommy pressed his ear to the door. He knew he shouldn't have; if Kim needed help or anything, she'd call. Still, Tommy was curious. He'd never heard Kim make a sound quite like that. Then, to Tommy's horror, the door swung open; that shouldn't have happened. He wasn't pressing against it that hard, and he was sure Kim would have locked it. Then he remembered, the bolt was broken. His father must not have gotten around to fixing it. Tommy didn't want Kim to think he was spying on her. He grabbed the door handle to pull it shut; however his eyes fell on the pile of clothes on the bench. Kim's gym clothes and underwear were heaped on the cushions. That meant... Tommy's grip tightened on the doorknob and his knees went weak... Kim wasn't wearing anything in the tub! Kim moaned again, and Tommy quickly, but quietly pulled the door closed.

"Oh man," he groaned as he leaned back against the wall and slid down to the floor. He turned the music back on; hopefully Kim hadn't noticed the extended pause. He could scarcely believe it; Kim was naked in the hot tub. Tommy was hard just thinking about it. He also couldn't believe that he had had an opportunity to sneak a quick peek but hadn't availed himself of it! He felt like kicking himself. Sometimes, he was too considerate for his own good.

Sitting against the wall of the little room, Tommy could still hear Kimberly's sighs. It sounded as if she was really getting into soaking in the hot tub. As he sat there thinking about it, Tommy reasoned that Kim must have had her back to the doorway, otherwise she would have noticed when it popped open. That would mean she was sitting with her back against a jet; that was probably it. She was enjoying the extra backrub. However, that did not account for the gasp and giggle he had just heard. What was Kimberly doing in there? It was hard to resist cracking the door open to take another peek. Tommy only had her moans to go by, but they sounded rather like the noises he made when he was really getting into jerking himself off. Could that be it? Could Kim be masturbating in the hot tub? She wouldn't do that, at least not if she wasn't home in her own tub or something; at least, he didn't think she would, but the more he listened, the more it sounded like someone who was working herself up to an orgasm. Tommy tried to envision the scene--Kim naked in the water, her hair piled up on her head, her eyes closed, and one hand between her legs. Maybe she was playing with her breasts with the other. The scene had him reaching into his gi to stroke his cock.

Tommy experienced a powerful sense of deja vu. He knew he had never been in a situation like this before, so where... then he remembered. He had picked up the latest issue of _Penthouse Letters_ earlier in the afternoon. He had examined his collection last night and realized that the last issue he had was three months old. He had skimmed through some of the letters before Kim had arrived, and there had been one from a guy who had written about watching an unknown woman getting off on the jets in a hot tub. Was that what Kim was doing? Tommy tried to think... there were four large jets and four smaller jets in the tub. One of the large jets was on the wall which faced the door, where Kim was sitting. That meant that there was another large nozzle directly opposite from her. If she was sitting with her legs spread apart, the water would be hitting her right between the legs, smack on the....

Tommy groaned. It was just too much for him. He sat there listening as Kim's moans increased in intensity. He timed his strokes to match her groans. He closed his eyes, imagining her expression from the zoning episode and trying to picture her naked body. He focused all his attention on the noises she was making, envisioning what she was doing to pleasure herself. Suddenly, he heard a sharp gasp from within, a cut off shout, signalling Kim's orgasm. Moments later, he was biting back his own.

Tommy sat on the floor panting, grateful for the loud music. He was fairly certain that Kim couldn't hear him over the noise. He listened intently and thought he heard movement from within. He scrambled to his feet and raced for the stairs. He couldn't let Kim catch him with wet pants.

By the time Tommy returned to the basement, Kim was out of the alcove, dressed and stretching out. As Tommy watched her, he observed that her face was slightly flushed, and she had a sort of glow about her. She seemed more relaxed, and she was moving with an ease Tommy had never noticed in her before. There was the tiniest trace of a sexy sway in her hips, but that could have been a product of the music. After all, Van Halen playing was still playing. Kim finally turned and noticed him on the stairs; a radiant smile filled her face.

"So, how do you feel, Beautiful?" Tommy queried, trying to fight the knowing grin he felt tugging at his lips.

"Like a new woman. The hot tub did the trick," she answered.

And it was some trick, Tommy reflected. He felt a blush creeping into his cheeks, and he suddenly felt a little flustered. His momentary distress must have been noticeable to Kim because she frowned suddenly, her brow puckered.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Tommy rasped. He had to clear his throat. "Just swallowed wrong. So, do you feel like dancing?"

"Right now, I could dance all night," Kim replied. In his eagerness to join Kim on the mats, Tommy tripped down the stairs.

It was Wednesday evening. The wedding reception was three days away, and Tommy was a wreck. He was more excited, confused, and anxious than he had been since he and Kim had begun the dance lessons. After listening to Kim jerk off in the hot tub, Tommy had been unable to concentrate on dancing. Kim had wound up leaving in a frustrated huff, for which Tommy felt guilty. It seemed that every time he touched her, he'd get as nervous as he had before they had shared the kiss. They had been unable to get together on Tuesday due to a paper Kim had to write, so Tommy spent the evening reading through the manual he had uncovered. He wound up putting it aside because for every answer it gave him, it raised more questions and concerns.

There was definitely nothing simple about sex. He had forgotten that Kim would experience some discomfort when they broke her maidenhead. He didn't want to hurt her. Kim was so tiny, what if he was too big to fit? Touching he could handle, and he wanted to suck on her breasts, but he wasn't sure about oral sex. Female genitalia seemed more complicated than his own. Would he do it right? Would he like it? Would Kim? He was also a little nervous about Kim seeing him naked; would she like what she saw? She was so into his hair, what if she didn't like his chest? And would he last long enough to make it good for Kimberly? Lately, it didn't take much effort to get himself off. What if he was too nervous to perform at all? What about protection? He had no idea if Kim was on the pill or not or if he should use a condom. Tommy wished he wouldn't get so worked up, but the book was telling him one thing, the magazines were another, and he was no better off than before.

He had gone to bed with his concerns buzzing in his head; to get rid of them, he lay in bed thinking about the more delicious moments of the last week: Kim zoning, the kiss, rubbing her ass, listening to her through the wall of the tub room.... In a way, it had been safer to relive those moments than worry about the future, even though those moments were what made the future so frightening. Tommy had fallen asleep feeling extraordinarily horny and had the wildest, wettest dream to date. In his dream, Kim had come to him dressed in her Power Ranger uniform and started performing a wicked striptease. Oh-so-slowly she peeled off the pink Spandex to reveal the black lingerie they had admired in the window of the shop in the mall. Then she began dancing; she fixed him with a filthy-cute smile as she worked her way into the hottest zoning Tommy had ever seen. While she danced, she played with him. She played with herself. She was begging Tommy to make love to her, only he hesitated at the last moment, and the scene changed. One minute he had Kim's tits in his hands, the next he was carrying a football. He was playing for Angel Grove once again in the big game against Stone Canyon. On the sidelines was Kimberly, a cheerleader once again. Even though her hair was in pig tails and she was wearing saddle shoes, she had the sexiest look on her face. She was wearing the warm-weather uniform, but it was sexier than anything the squad would normally wear. Every time she moved, her top would creep up until he could almost see the bottoms of her breasts. Then Kim bent over, and peeking out from under her sassy short skirt was her bare bottom. She hadn't worn her tights or her underwear.

Just about the time Tommy caught sight of her ass, he was sacked hard. His world went dark for a moment, then he opened his eyes to the sound of mocking laughter. The dream had become a nightmare. Once again he found himself flat on his back on the makeshift stage in Aunt Eleanor's backyard with Kyle and Mark cavorting around him. He struggled to break free, but they already had the strings tied to his arms and legs. He was helpless to do anything other than be their marionette. Around him, the laughter of his relatives was deafening. Why wouldn't somebody stop them? Couldn't they see that Mark and Kyle were hurting him, humiliating him? They kept jumping and whirling around him, faster and faster; the moment Tommy dreaded was approaching....

"Ouch! Tommy, what is the matter with you?" Kim yelped, jumping back favoring the foot he had just stepped on.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled weakly. The images in his mind were too conflicting and too vivid for him to ignore. He felt so helpless in the face of Kimberly's anger, and he couldn't bring himself to meet her expectant gaze.

"That's it. Kill the music. Let's just stop," Kim snapped suddenly. She left Tommy standing in the middle of the floor staring after her perplexedly as she marched over to the stereo and switched it off. "No more dancing until you tell me what's wrong."

"Nothing's wrong; I just can't seem to concentrate, that's all," Tommy replied.

"Baloney! Something's bugging you big time. You were doing so well, and now all of a sudden you're back to where you were when we started. You can't concentrate. You can't dance... you're even afraid to touch me again. I thought we had gotten that worked out. What's wrong?"

"Everything," Tommy snapped back, letting his frustration get the better of him. "Face it, Kim. This isn't working; we're just wasting our time. I'm hopeless. There's no way I'm going to learn to dance by this Saturday, so let's call the whole thing off."

"You're not hopeless; the reason this isn't working is because you're doing it for the wrong reasons," Kim insisted, her temper flaring as much as Tommy's.

"What do you mean?"

"Why did you want me to teach you to dance? You've never wanted me to before, and we've been to plenty of dances where it didn't matter how badly you dance. You're not doing this because you want to know how to dance. You're not doing this for the fun of it. You're doing it to one up your cousins for some stupid reason! That's not like you. What's the big deal? What happened between you and your cousins? Why are you still running away from them?"

"I'm not running away, I just don't... I can't tell you about it, Kim. Please, try to understand...." Tommy implored.

"I want to understand, Tommy. I want to help, if I can, but I can't do either if you won't tell me what's wrong."

Why was Kim making such a big deal out of everything? He couldn't tell her about what Mark and Kyle had done to him; he didn't want her to know. Couldn't she respect that?

"Listen, Tommy; whatever happened between you and your cousins happened a long time ago, but nothing's going to be right for you until you resolve it. If you want to prove anything to your cousins, prove that you're the better man by letting things go and getting on with--whatever."

"Why do you keep insisting on bringing my cousins into this? It has nothing to do with my cousins," Tommy fumed.

"Then what does it have to do with? Why won't you talk to me!" Tommy stubbornly refused to answer. He wouldn't even look at Kim. "Fine," Kim declared at last. She stomped over to where she had deposited her bag. "Maybe you're right. Maybe we are wasting our time--with everything. If you don't want to go to the wedding, fine. I can always use the practice time."

"Kim, what are you doing?" Tommy asked, suddenly concerned.

"I'm leaving, since we're not getting anything accomplished.

"Kim, don't do that...."

"Call me when you're ready to grow up, stop running away, and talk to me," she said with finality. A small sob caught in her throat as she raced up the stairs.

"Kim, wait! Don't go... come back," Tommy shouted as he chased after her. Kim dashed out the back door, slamming it in her wake. By the time Tommy reached the back door, she was already in her car and pulling out of the drive way. "Kim... don't...." Tommy slammed his fist against the door frame and turned to find his mother sitting at the table eyeing him expectantly.

"She's right, you know," Jan said.

"Right about what?" Tommy asked morosely.

"Everything. Tommy, you have to get over what Kyle and Mark did to you. Even I don't understand why you've held onto this as long as you have; it isn't like you to carry a grudge."

"Mom, it isn't just about what they did...." Tommy started to say.

"I know every man has his pride--even at seven, but this is ridiculous," Jan continued.

"Mom, I can't tell Kim about what happened."

"Why? Are you afraid she might laugh?" Jan could see that her words stung. "Don't you see, Tommy; what happened at Aunt Eleanor's birthday wasn't just a one time thing. By letting Kyle and Mark's actions eat at you, you've let them continue to torment you. They've managed to drive a wedge between you and the rest of the family; don't let them ruin your relationship with Kimberly. Kyle and Mark aren't worth it. Your pride isn't worth losing someone you love."

"I won't lose Kim over this," Tommy insisted with more confidence than he felt.

"So sure, are you? By not confiding in her, by not sharing with her you're basically telling her that you don't trust her."

"I trust Kim."

"Right now, Kim doesn't feel like you do."

"How would you know?" Tommy groused.

"Because I'd feel the same way if your father wouldn't talk to me about something that was obviously important to him."

Tommy had no answer for that; he was getting the uncomfortable feeling that his mother was right--again.

"And one more thing, if you don't tell Kim what happened, someone else probably will."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Aunt Eleanor's birthday is still one of the hot topics of nostalgia at family parties. I'd suggest telling Kim your side of the story if you don't want her to misunderstand."

Tommy grimaced. He hadn't realized that the fiasco was still talked about so much. "So what," he mumbled, still in denial. "The business with Mark and Kyle isn't the problem."

"Oh?" Jan queried, her question delivered in her best who-do-you-think-you're-fooling tone.

"All right, maybe it's part of the problem," Tommy grudgingly admitted.

"And if the rest of it has anything to do with what's going on between you and Kimberly, then you had most definitely better work up the courage to talk to her, or you won't have a relationship to worry about," his mother advised.

Jan watched Tommy as he disappeared into the dining room, his head hung low. She sighed. There was so much more she felt like she should say to him. While she might have wanted him and Kim to step back and take things a little more slowly, she didn't want to see them lose what they had.

"Trouble at Arthur Murray's?" Thomas queried, popping his head into the kitchen.

"You heard?"

"I'd be surprised if the neighbors didn't hear it, too."

"Tommy just has to stop being so pigheaded. He's got to get over this business with Mark and Kyle."

"Good advice. Maybe you should try it yourself."

"What do you mean?" Jan asked sharply.

"Quit trying to compete with Jean. It isn't worth being miserable over," Thomas said.

"I'm not competing with Jean. Her life hasn't been worth envying."

"Then why should her opinion about our son bother you so much? If it was your parents, I could understand that, but not Jean."

Jan had no answer for Thomas. As he returned to his study, Jan sat at the kitchen table, staring at the dregs in the bottom of her coffee cup and thinking about what Thomas had said.

The next day at school was perfectly miserable for Tommy. He tried all morning to find Kimberly, but he had the feeling that she was purposely avoiding him. If being unable to track her down wasn't bad enough, the rest of the gang seemed to be aware of the fact that they had had a fight. No one knew what to say; lunch had been very awkward. Tommy forced himself to be patient; he and Kimberly had social studies together, so she wouldn't be able to avoid seeing him. When he got to Mr. Carson's class, Kim was already in her seat. She looked up briefly when Tommy entered the room. To Tommy's astonishment, she didn't look angry. Her eyes were sort of red, like she hadn't slept or had been crying. When their gazes touched, Kim looked so disappointed that it left Tommy shaken. Why would she be disappointed?

Tommy wrestled with that question for the rest of the class period. "...you're basically telling her that you don't trust her," his mother's words echoed in his mind. Was that it? Trust was an important thing in relationships; Tommy understood that, especially since becoming a Ranger. He and all his friends had to trust each other with their lives every time they morphed. But Tommy trusted Kim; it was himself he didn't trust. However, Kim couldn't know that--not if he didn't tell her. Tommy suddenly had the sinking feeling that he had let Kim down somehow. He couldn't bear the thought; after all, she had been there for him so many times before... and she was trying to be there for him again, if he'd let her. It wasn't going to be easy; he didn't want to look foolish in Kim's eyes. Her opinion mattered as much to him as his grandfather's had, and he didn't want to tell her about the other things for fear that he might scare her away. However, if he didn't, he was going to push her away anyhow.

When the bell finally rang, Tommy was relieved. Kim collected her books and headed out the classroom without waiting for him as usual. He hurried to catch up with her.

"Hey, Kim, wait up," he called after her, and he was happy to note that she did stop.

"Hey, Tommy," she responded, but guardedly.

"Listen, about last night... I didn't mean to get so bent out of shape."

"I probably shouldn't have been so insistent," Kim admitted reluctantly; she had been miserable ever since she left Tommy's house last night. She had returned to her room at the Campbells and cried herself to sleep. Aisha had tried to talk to her about it, but Kim couldn't. She didn't understand why Tommy wouldn't talk to her, and she didn't understand why she felt it was so important for her to know. She only wanted to help Tommy. She hated seeing him look so miserable; she just wanted to make things better for him. That he wouldn't trust her enough to tell her hurt, but it also didn't help matters any that she had pushed so hard. She felt like she had forced the issue and made it worse. Tommy would have come around in time, but Kim couldn't shake the sense of urgency that she felt. It was like there was no time to wait for things to work themselves out. "I'm sure there are some things in my past I'd rather you not know about."

"Yeah, but those things aren't causing problems in our relationship, and I'm letting this business with my cousins come between us. I don't want that to happen. I know that I'm going to lose you to Paris eventually, but I don't want to lose you over this."

"Tommy, I doubt there's anything about this business with your cousins that would split us up," Kim said.

"It's not just that. There are other things, too. Do you think you could come over after your practice? I think I'm ready to talk."

"Sure. I'll be there."

"Thanks."

Tommy was pacing the basement floor when Kim arrived. He indicated that she should sit on the stairs. Kim said nothing as she waited for him to start.

"I spent last night after you left thinking about what Kyle and Mark did and why I've let it eat at me for so long," he began hurriedly, as if he was afraid he was going to lose his nerve. "When I looked at everything they did, there wasn't anything too terrible. I mean, kids get humiliated all the time by their brothers and sisters or their friends and they're not scarred for life. I honestly can't put my finger on what it was that bothered me so much.

"Kyle and Mark have always picked on me; I think I told you that. Kyle wasn't as bad as Mark most of the time, but Mark always seemed to drag Kyle along for the ride whenever he was causing trouble. This incident happened nearly eleven years ago at Aunt Eleanor's ninetieth birthday party.

"You gotta understand that Aunt Eleanor meant a lot to everyone in the family. She was grandpa's oldest sister; she was a real sweetheart, and there was nothing that anyone wouldn't do for her. Like I've said, Mom's family was really big on dancing. In her younger days, Aunt Eleanor had been a dancer. So, for her ninetieth birthday, all us kids decided to put on a show for her. Everyone was doing something, and although I couldn't dance worth spit, I was to do a number with Becca. We were the last two to perform. It was horrible. I kept stepping on Becca's toes and tripping over my own two feet, but it wasn't too bad until Mark and Kyle got into the picture.

"At first they just started mimicking us, then Mark shoved Becca out of the way and became my partner. He was flinging me all over the stage. After a while, he started telling Kyle to show me what to do, so Kyle came up behind me and started moving my arms and stuff for me. Things just sort of snowballed from there."

Tommy had to pause and collect himself. Kim got up from the stairs and walked over to him. Gently she guided him back over to the steps and sat him down. She kissed him on the cheek as if to say everything was going to be all right. She settled down behind him and started rubbing his shoulders.

"Mark decided that the dance lessons weren't working," Tommy continued at last; he kept his gazed focused on his folded hands. He was wringing his hands so tightly together that his knuckles were white. "I have no idea where the ropes came from, but before I knew it, they had me trussed up like a marionette and were leading me around the stage like I was their puppet. There were other things, things that hurt physically, but I don't remember much about them. I just remember being hurt, embarrassed, and helpless. I knew enough karate back then, but try as I might, I couldn't do anything to break free what with Mark controlling my arms and legs. My struggles only seemed to make matters worse.

"To really make things terrible, everyone in the audience and everyone backstage--Aunt Eleanor, my folks, Becca, even my grandfather--were laughing. They didn't even try to stop Mark and Kyle, they just sat there and laughed. Finally, when they were done horsing around, Mark forced me into a bow, and while I was doubled over, he de-pantsed me.

"The family burst into applause and gave us a standing ovation. As soon as the curtain call was done, I ran back into the house, hid in one of Aunt Eleanor's rooms, and cried myself to sleep."

Tommy took a deep breath at the conclusion of his tale. He waited anxiously for Kim to say something. Finally, she wrapped her arms around him and hugged him.

"That was horrible. I'd hate my cousins too if they'd made me lose face in front someone who meant as much to me as your grandfather meant to you," Kim said at last.

Her statement left Tommy thunderstruck. Made him lose face... he had never thought of it like that. Maybe it wasn't that they had done all those terrible things to him as it was they had done it in front of his grandfather.

"But Grandpa wasn't upset or disappointed or anything like that. He was laughing just as hard as the rest of the family," Tommy blurted out; it just didn't make sense.

"Could it be that it wasn't Kyle and Mark you were so mad at so much as you were angry with your grandfather for laughing at you because of them?"

Tommy had to think about that one for several moments. "I was kind of angry with Grandpa. Couldn't he tell that I was in trouble? That they were hurting me? Why did he let those guys do that stuff to me? Why did he have to laugh along with everyone else? It was like when I needed his help the most, he turned his back on me."

"He probably didn't know it wasn't part of the act," Kim said gently.

"How could he not?"

"Didn't you tell me that Mark could charm the pants off Lord Zedd? If he could do that, he could fool your family into believing that his shenanigans were part of the script." Kim stroked Tommy's hair while he considered her words. "How long did you stay mad at your grandfather?"

"For quite a while. I tried not to be angry. Afterwards, he acted as if nothing had happened, that we were still best buddies. I thought he had forgotten about it, but he'd wind up bringing it up and laughing about it at the worst possible moments. Aunt Eleanor died about six months after the party, and family things were kind of tense for a while. Then I overheard Mom and Dad talking about Grandpa's heart. She was really afraid he was going to die soon. That made me afraid. Even though Grandpa had let me down, I didn't want to lose him, and I knew I couldn't stay mad at him. But I wasn't sure what I could do about it. Then Grandpa died...."

"...and you were mad at Kyle and Mark for making you mad at your grandfather and making you lose that precious time with him," Kim concluded. "It sounds to me like you resented your cousins not so much for stripping you of your dignity but for damaging your relationship with your grandfather. And maybe the reason you've been avoiding them for so long isn't because you're afraid they'll embarrass you again but that they'll destroy other relationships that mean a lot to you."

Kim had given Tommy a good deal to think about. Everything she said made sense. "Do you really think that my grandfather didn't know that what Mark and Kyle were doing wasn't part of the act?" Tommy wanted to believe that so badly. It was better to believe that his grandfather had been made a fool of, too, than to think that he could be so cruel as to laugh at Tommy during his moment of humiliation.

"Your folks were in the audience, too, weren't they?" Kim asked. "Weren't they laughing along with everyone else?"

"At first, yeah," Tommy confirmed. "I think Mom caught on towards the end, but Dad didn't really know until Mom asked me about it."

"If your folks didn't know, I'd say your grandfather didn't know either."

"Man, I spent all that time being hurt and angry at him, and it wasn't even his fault," Tommy said glumly. "I guess I let him down as much as he let me down."

"You know the truth now," Kim said softly. "I know you can't apologize to your grandfather for doubting him, but you can make it up to him by not letting Mark and Kyle control your life like they controlled you on the stage. Dancing well at Kyle's wedding isn't the answer; simply being there and not being afraid to be yourself is. If you want to show them something, show them that you're a man who isn't ashamed of himself and isn't ashamed to know he has limitations. And if they laugh at you while you're on the dance floor; let them laugh. If they haven't anything better to do than to make fun of you, then I think they must have pretty pathetic lives. They're probably trying to hide their limitations by making fun of yours."

"I guess you're right."

"It sounds to me like they're nothing but bullies and cowards, and if I catch them laughing at you, I'll deck 'em," Kim declared fiercely.

"While I appreciate the thought, decking them isn't the answer. It'd only make me look like a bully too." Tommy reached up to clasp the hand that Kim placed on his shoulder. "Thanks for understanding, for making me understand, and for putting up with me these last couple of weeks."

"Hey, you were there for me when the business with Mom and Paul freaked me out," Kim replied. She rested her chin on Tommy's shoulders, and he didn't let go of her hand. The two sat in silence for a long while. "So, what do you feel like doing now?"

Tommy thought about it for a while. There was still a lot of things he and Kim needed to discuss, but at the moment he wasn't up to another heavy conversation. Actually, he really wanted to do something for Kim to make up for being such a jerk last night. Seeing the way she had looked at him in school had really shaken him up. He'd do just about anything to see her smile at him, to put the sparkle back in her eyes, and he thought he knew just how to do it. "Would you believe I feel like dancing?"

"Huh?"

"Not more dance lessons. Fred Astaire couldn't help me. You know, nothing major; just sort of fooling around and having some fun. What do you say?"

"I think I'd like that."

They both hopped up from the stairs, and Tommy let Kim make the musical selections. She retrieved her workout tape from her gym bag and slipped it into the cassette deck. As the first song began, Tommy leaned against the pole in the center of the floor and watched Kim for a few minutes as she warmed up. Already she was smiling brightly as she bounced around energetically. She danced by herself through the first song, but as the second one came on, she skipped over to Tommy and grabbed his hand. She pulled his arm up and twirled herself around a couple of times before moving off. She shot him a smile that almost dared him to spoil her fun.

Tommy felt better already. Kim's smile was back, the sparkle and the glow were back, and her enthusiasm was infectious. At one point, Tommy found himself tapping his foot to the beat. When the fourth song came up, it was a slower song, and Kim returned to Tommy and invited him to dance with her. She wrapped her arms around him and guided him out onto the mats; however, he scarcely had his hands around her waist when he felt his insides getting tight. Suddenly, the playful mood was gone.

"What's wrong? Why are you so afraid to hold me?" Kim asked as Tommy released her; however, she caught his hands and wouldn't let him turn away. Tommy ducked his head, unable to meet her eyes. However, Kim observed the flush in his cheeks. She knew what was wrong; it was the same thing that was wrong with her. It was what had made her so sharp tempered the other night. She had known Tommy was feeling the same things she was feeling--he had told her so when he had kissed her: the excitement, the nervousness, and a lot of other powerful emotions. Tommy opened his mouth to say something, but Kim put her fingers to his lips.

"Let me guess. It's not because you're afraid to hold me, is it?" Kim queried. She reached up to tilt Tommy's chin up. "Is it because you want to touch me--in ways more intimate than we had the other night--and you're not sure you should?"

Tommy's eyes went wide with amazement and relief. "How'd you know?"

It was Kim's turn to look away modestly. "I'm feeling the same things, too." They managed to look at each other, and both started laughing with relief. They understood each other, but knowing what was bugging them and how to fix it was another matter. The laughter faded.

"I was so afraid to say anything," Tommy said in a rush to fill the awkward silence. "I was afraid you wouldn't feel the same way... that you wouldn't want me to... that I might scare you off or something."

"Same here. Tommy, let's not be afraid to be honest with each other anymore; we've both been so miserable these last couple of days, and there was no need for it."

"All right," he agreed. They were still holding hands. They hadn't realized it, but they were holding on to each other very tightly. "So, what do we do now--about what we're feeling, I mean."

Kim bit her lip as she studied Tommy's face. His expression was so serious. He looked as scared and excited and hopeful as she felt. The first move was up to her; she had already figured that out, but she wasn't sure she could be the one to take the first step.

"Well, you're curious about me, and I'm curious about you, so maybe we should indulge our curiosity. I mean, nothing really major--not like going all the way or anything--just...."

"Are you sure, Kim?" Tommy asked, searching her expression. As excited as he was by the thought, he didn't want Kim doing something she wasn't comfortable with.

"To be honest, I'm kind of scared." Couldn't he tell? She was shaking like a leaf, but now that she had made the offer, she wasn't about to back down. "But we have to do something. We can't keep putting this off and running away from it. It won't go away on its own. We both want to, don't we?"

"Except for kissing you the other night, I don't know how I've managed to keep my hands to myself," Tommy confessed

"You're a gentleman, that's how," Kim murmured. Tommy reached a hand up to stroke Kim's cheek. "I've dreamed of doing something like this for so long, and now that I have the chance, I'm not sure where to begin."

"Why don't we start with a kiss?"

This time, the embrace didn't swoop down out of nowhere; it came as if in slow motion: Tommy bending forward, Kim reaching up, eyes closing, heads tilting. Once their lips met, however, it was as if a rush of heat enveloped them, spurring them on. Tommy hungrily attacked Kim's sweet mouth; his tongue slid past her lips to dance with hers. Kim had her hands in Tommy's hair, pulling him forward and crushing his mouth to hers. She couldn't seem to get enough of him.

While their mouths were engaged, their hands roamed freely over each other's bodies. Tommy, revelling in the feeling of Kim's fingers in his hair, slid his hands up and down Kim's spine. He lost his fingers in her hair, tickled the nape of her neck, caressing her behind then grabbing hold as if he would never let her go. Kim's hands traced the same route until she had a purchase on his ass. They pressed each other closer until Tommy's imprisoned cock rubbed against Kim's mound. That seemed to bring them up short.

Their lips parted; both were breathing heavily. They stared deep into each other's eyes. They seemed to know that if they wanted to stop, they had better do it now, otherwise there would be no turning back. Kim brought her fingers up to touch Tommy's cheeks. His fingers brushed over her features, outlining her lips, and tickling her earlobes. Kim did the same to him, and it was such a delicious sensation that both parties shivered. Moving on some instinctive cue, the two slowly sank to their knees. Tommy kissed Kim again, more gently this time. While he lingered over her lips, he continued pulling her down until they were both laying on the floor. Tommy rolled onto his back, maneuvering Kim on top of himself.

Kim reluctantly broke the kiss. She gazed down into Tommy's eyes; they seemed to say, ladies first. She wasn't sure what part of Tommy she wanted to explore first. Almost of their own accord, her fingers sought out his hair.

"I don't now why, but your hair really turns me on," she murmured thickly as she ran her fingers through his locks.

"I'm glad. It turns me on when you play with it," he answered.

"Really? Mm!" With that purr of delight, Kim gathered up a handful of his chocolate brown hair and buried her face in it. From his hair, Kim turned her attention to his face. "You have gorgeous eyes, too." She bent forward to plant a kiss on each eyelid and tickled his feathery eyelashes. "And your mouth is so...." She traced the outline of his lips with her tongue and slowly worked her way down his jaw line, nibbling and licking as she went.

"Oh man," Tommy groaned. Kim's nuzzling was setting him on fire. She licked her way back up and started chewing on his earlobes, which had him squirming under her. It sent a charge straight to his cock. He never realized that his neck and earlobes were so sensitive, and Kim really seemed to be getting into eating his neck. Tommy could have sworn she was growling. He moaned and tilted his head back, allowing her better access. Kim tongued her way down to the collar of his t-shirt. She pulled back and ran her hands over his chest.

"May I?" she queried, nervously plucking at his shirt.

"You can do whatever you feel comfortable doing," he assured her. Tommy leaned up as Kim started tugging his white tee out of his pants. It took a little doing, but with Tommy's help she managed to get it off of him, then she slowly pressed him back down to the mat. For a moment, she sat astride his hips and simply looked at him. Tommy felt a flutter of nervousness as Kim finally reached out to touch him, drawing her finger from his sternum, down his abdomen to his belly button. Her expression was contemplative, almost somber. She then ran both hands back up his body, and her eyes lit up with delight--to Tommy's relief.

"Smooth and hard, just like I imagined," she murmured. Her fingers traced the outline of his pectorals and the ripples of his abdominals. She drizzled her fingers down his arms, stroking the lines of his biceps and triceps. Then, she began using her mouth, kissing and licking all the areas her hands had just explored. To their mutual delight, they discovered that his underarms were an erogenous zone. When she played with his hair, it tickled, and when she took and experimental lick, Tommy nearly leaped off the mats.

"You really do have a thing for hair," Tommy gasped.

"I can't help it," Kim said sheepishly.

"Don't be sorry. You're driving me absolutely nuts!"

Kim grinned at that and returned her attention to kissing her way down Tommy's chest. He could no longer keep his hands to himself. He fumbled for Kim's legs and slid his hands up her smooth, muscular thighs and around to her bottom. As Kim's lips found his nipples, Tommy found himself thrusting up against her in amazement and pleasure. He hadn't realized that having his nipples played with would feel so good.

Kim sat back in momentary surprise--at Tommy's reaction and her own. She couldn't believe how good it felt to make Tommy feel so good. She was experiencing quite a rush from watching him wriggle beneath her and knowing that she was making him wriggle. Then there was the thrust of his hips against her, his cock briefly rubbing against her pussy. That sent a tingle shooting through her body as she felt his pressure against her clit. It was a curiously powerful feeling, and as much as Kim wanted to explore it further, it was just a little too much for her at the moment. She settled for leaning forward to continue playing with Tommy's chest--it felt so good to finally run her hands all over his muscles; however, the movement pressed her up against Tommy's cock again and sent another wave of fiery tingles rippling through her, causing her to gasp. Kim shook it off as she gazed at Tommy. He looked so good. His eyes were closed, and his face was flushed and almost seemed to glow. She saw the shivers which shuddered through his body. His skin was coated with a light sheen of sweat, and his chest heaved with his breathing. Feeling extraordinarily pleased with herself, Kim leaned forward and took a playful lick at his chest. As she was bent across him, she pressed her face to his chest. To her amazement, she could hear the pounding of his heart.

"Your heart's beating like a drum," she noted with a tiny smile of wonder.

"Is yours?" Tommy asked. Kim took his right hand and placed it over her heart. He felt it pumping as furiously as his. He was also extremely aware of his hand's proximity to her breasts. He felt his swollen cock twitch in anticipation, and so did Kimberly.

The movement in Tommy's trousers touched Kim's clit again, and this time she gasped. Tommy smiled at her; he probably had no idea of the real cause of her exclamation. He probably thought that she was just surprised by the movement. Kim slipped off his hips; the proximity was just too tempting, and doing anything like grinding herself against Tommy in a dry hump was just too heavy for their first time. Instead, Kim opted to run her hands down the sides of his hips, his legs and down to his feet where she pulled off his shoes and socks. Impishly, she tickled him.

"Hey!" he yelped, his body jerking up off the mats. The sudden onslaught on his feet put a momentary damper on the building fire within him. It was as if the moment had become too intense and Kim had tickled him to relieve the tension.

"Roll over," Kim directed. Tommy complied, masking his disappointment. He had been hoping Kim might feel brave enough to touch his cock through his pants. He was almost certain that if she had touched him he'd have come. Instead, he made himself as comfortable on the mat as possible, but it wasn't easy considering the strength of his hard-on. Tommy groaned, almost in pain, as Kim sat on his ass. That quickly passed as she began massaging his back and playing with his hair again. He whimpered his disappointment when she stopped, but he sighed with delight as her mouth found the back of his neck and her tongue slowly made its way down his spine. As she moved downward, she slid off his bottom (relieving the pressure on his cock); her hands caressed the small of his back and his sides. Then, she brushed them over his denim clad behind.

"You have a great butt," she said as she stroked his bottom leisurely. She dipped her hands into his pockets and traced a finger along the back center seam, following it down between his legs. The wiggle Tommy gave his bottom made Kim giggle. Kim continued rubbing and squeezing his behind until Tommy couldn't take it any longer. Tommy rolled over, and suddenly Kim found herself running her hands across his crotch. She pulled her hands back as if she had touched a hot pot.

"Sorry," Tommy apologized, "but the pressure... it just got to be too much."

"It's all right," Kim mumbled, brushing her hair from her face and trying not to let Tommy see how embarrassed she was. Even so, her gaze kept wandering back to his groin.

"Go ahead; it's okay," Tommy encouraged, catching her furtive glances. Kim reached out tentatively then drew her hand back. Tommy caught her hand and guided it to the bulge in his jeans. His cock throbbed with joy at her touch.

"It moved," she gasped.

Tommy held her hand in place so she couldn't withdraw. He didn't release her hand until he felt certain she wasn't going to pull away. "It does that sometimes when it's hyper-stimulated," he explained, amused by her reaction. His eyes rolled back in his head as she rubbed her hand back and forth across his hardness.

"It feels really big. Does it hurt or anything?"

"No, but if my pants are too tight and I get an erection, it gets uncomfortable. Actually, the difficulty is that it doesn't take much to give me an erection. It can be embarrassing."

"I imagine so," Kim murmured, thinking about how awkward it was for her when her tits got hard. At least, she could hide them under a bulky sweater or something, but the bulge in Tommy's pants couldn't be so easily hidden. What about when he was in uniform? That must be awful because there'd be no hiding a hard-on under the skin tight power suit. In fact, she could think of several occasions when Tommy had had a rather noticeable lump in his uniform. "You must think I'm pretty naive, asking silly questions like this."

"No, I don't; I expect I'll ask a few naive question about you."

"Speaking of which, is it my turn yet?" Kim gave Tommy's cock a timid squeeze as she sat back to let him up. Was it her imagination, or were Tommy's pants slightly wet in the crotch?

Tommy noticed that Kim was trembling slightly. "Hey, are you all right?" He self-consciously rearranged his anatomy as he sat up. "Yeah, I think so. I'm just kind of cold and kind of nervous," she confessed. It was a little bit chilly in the basement, and Kim was dressed in a crop top with a denim skirt over her shorts.

"If you don't want me to do anything, I won't," he assured her. It was a difficult offer to make, but Tommy had to respect the fact that Kim might be more protective of her body than he was of his.

"That wouldn't be very fair to you."

"Fair has nothing to do with it. Don't do something you're not comfortable with; it wouldn't be right."

"It always feels right when your arms are around me," Kim whispered shyly. She gave another shudder and massaged her arms.

"Come here," Tommy instructed. Kim snuggled up next to him, and he picked her up and set her on his lap. For several moments he did nothing but hold her close, wrapping his arms around her, warming her with his body heat. "Better?"

"Mm hm," she sighed, cuddling closer. She liked feeling the warmth of his bare chest against her body.

Tommy stroked Kim's hair then placed a kiss on the top of her head. He tipped her chin upwards, and when Kim smiled up at him, her brown eyes full of warmth, trust, and longing, Tommy kissed her. His mouth sought hers in a tender exchange. His tongue traced the outline of her lips then probed their softness until her lips parted and his tongue partnered hers in an erotic dance. When he had drunk his fill from her lips, he slowly kissed his way down her throat; her neck seemed as responsive as his, and he spent several moments nibbling on the sides of her neck and swirling his tongue in the hollow of her throat.

His hands were not idle as his mouth was busy. They roamed from her arms to find a purchase on her waist. Slowly, carefully, Tommy allowed his hands to skim up Kim's torso. Her shivering increased as his fingers brushed the hem of her top. Tommy paused, but she reached for his hands, guiding them up over the fabric, letting him know it was all right to explore. Tommy's neck nibbling was interrupted as he sighed as his hands closed over the softness of her breasts for the first time. He gently squeezed her mounds through her shirt, and his fingers fumbled to find the hard little nibs he had glimpsed so often. It was difficult to maneuver with Kim on his lap, so he guided her down to the mat. He met Kim's nervous smile with a reassuring one of his own, then he resumed nibbling on her neck. His mouth continued down Kim's neck until it reached the collar of her top. With Kim on her back, both of his hands were able to caress her breasts; however, he was not satisfied with that.

"May I?" he asked. He held her gaze, but his fingers plucked at the hem of her midriff. Kim gave him a dazzling smile and raised her arms above her head, inviting him to remove her top. He eagerly accepted the invitation. Instead of a bra, he found a racer-back leotard top. Tommy was both disappointed and sort of relieved. The clingy pink fabric scooped low at the neck, showing off some fantastic cleavage but not nearly enough. Tommy lay down next to Kim, running his hand down the length of her side.

"Is there anyplace special you'd like me to explore first?" he queried, brushing the hair out of her eyes.

"I don't care where, just please touch me, Tommy," Kim entreated. She smiled as she stretched out sensuously. It was Tommy's turn to note her rapid breathing and feel the pounding of her heart. Her nipples were pressed as hard against her Lycra top as his cock was pressed against his Levi's. Tommy knew exactly where he wanted to explore, and he lazily drew his fingers down to those inviting nipples. He gave one an experimental tweak, which drew the most awesome sigh from Kim that Tommy had ever heard. Her sigh alone made him even harder than he had been--if that was possible.

As he gingerly ran his hands over her breasts, Kim's eyes closed and her head fell back; she wore a smile of perfect contentment. Tommy's hands wandered all over the softness of her bosom, but he paid special attention to her nipples. Every touch made Kim moan even deeper; he was finding her breasts as sensitive as his cock. Tommy started kissing her throat again but continued down to the scoop of her neckline. He slowly kissed his way around the swell of her breasts above that pink border and dipped his tongue into the valley of her cleavage. Kim's moans seemed to become whimpers of supplication. Tommy drew his lips across the fabric of Kim's top and boldly nipped at her hard tits. The move caused Kim's body to arch off the mat unexpectedly.

"Did I hurt you?" Tommy asked, worried about the sudden, intense reaction.

"God, that felt wonderful," she moaned, relaxing again. "Do it again."

Not one to disappoint a lovely lady, Tommy took another nibble at Kim's breast. How he wished there wasn't the pink top between them, but perhaps that was for the best. Already things had become more intense than he had anticipated. Tommy drew back and let his fingers continue their explorations. Her breasts were wonderfully soft, and they fit his hands just like he imagined they would. Tommy knew that he had better move on, but before abandoning Kim's mounds, he ran his finger along the neckline and boldly slipped it underneath. His fingertip came tantalizingly close to grazing her nipple. After a last kiss deep in her cleavage, he began kissing his way down her quivering belly.

Upon reaching the snap of her skirt, Tommy decided to roll Kim over and explore her bottom in more detail. He knew her back well from the massage the other day, and he spent a few moments kneading the kinks out of her back and shoulder muscles. Then he moved on to her bottom. For a moment or two, he rubbed her through the fabric of her skirt, but then he let his hands roam up underneath, although his fingers were still safely on the outside of her shorts. Still, he loved the feel of her rounded cheeks as he caressed them. Kim seemed to enjoy the attention he was paying her bottom; she sighed contentedly as Tommy stroked her ass. As she had on him, Tommy followed the seam of her shorts and ran his finger down the dividing line, dipping dangerously low between Kim's legs. It was her turn for her hips to buck against the mat; Tommy found that almost more than he could bear.

Tommy forced himself away from her sweet cheeks, which jiggled enticingly every time she moved them, and proceeded to make his way down her shapely legs. He worked his way down the muscles in her legs then back up again, and as he brushed the insides of her thighs, he came excitingly close to touching her mound. It took all his force of will not to invade that most private of areas, but her ass beckoned enticingly. For all his restraint, Tommy could not resist the urge to playfully nip at Kim's behind. With a squeal of surprise, Kim flipped over, and Tommy suddenly found himself with his hands on her pelvic area. He felt Kim tense as she realized where his hands were. He paused, uncertain if he should proceed; however, Kim took his hand, and mirroring Tommy's gesture, placed it on her pussy.

"Geez, Kim," Tommy gasped. He could feel her warmth even through her panties and shorts. "You're so hot--I mean, literally."

"I think that's where the phrase came from," she murmured. She kept her eyes closed as Tommy gently cupped her mound, fitting it to his palm. He rubbed it easily, and the friction nearly had Kim humping his hand. Perhaps it was the realization of where Tommy's hand was or perhaps it was realizing that she was awfully close to losing it, but something seemed to freeze inside Kim. She opened her eyes to see Tommy looking down at her with concern; he had sensed it too. Already he had pulled his hand away from her mound.

"Are you okay?" he wondered. "How do you feel?"

"Wonderful," Kim sighed. Tommy was sitting next to her, sort of leaning over her and smiling down at her. Kim reached for him about the same time he reached for her. In no time, she was devouring his mouth. His hands pulled her close, and it seemed as if they were going to start it all over again.

Jan paused at the top of the stairs. She didn't want to interrupt Kim and Tommy if they were still having their discussion, but she really did need to get her clean uniforms. Jan could hear the music from the doorway; she took that to mean that they had wrapped things up. She hoped that they had gotten everything worked out; she truly hoped Kim had talked some sense into her stubborn son. The basement door was open, but that didn't necessarily mean anything; they always left the door open--a sort of compromise for parental sensibilities?

I'll zip down, get my uniforms and zip back up before they even realize I'm down there, Jan decided; however, she was barely three steps down when she started hearing Kim and Tommy's heavy breathing and moans. There were other noises with which she was all too familiar, and she could hear them rolling around on the mats. Jan froze. She wasn't sure what to do. The two were obviously into some seriously heavy petting; she wanted to stop them before things went too far, but she also didn't want them to feel like she had been spying on them.

Leave them alone, Jan; they're not kids anymore. If they're going to do it, better they do it someplace safe--like at home--rather than run off to a sleazy motel somewhere, she scolded herself.

"Tommy...." Kim gasped as Tommy slowly nibbled his way down her chest. She gently pushed him away. Things were starting to get a little too hot. Tommy gave way without argument. "I think we'd better...."

"Yeah, me too," he agreed breathlessly. "We were kind of getting carried away, huh?"

"Yeah. Wow."

On the stairs, Jan smiled and heaved a silent sigh of relief. She should have trusted them both to have a little restraint and use a little common sense. Granted, this confirmed her worst fears, but she felt better knowing that they could say no and could make themselves wait. Jan retreated to the upstairs. She'd give the kids a few minutes to recover themselves before venturing down to get her uniform.

The two sat arms length apart trying to catch their breath and smiling at each other with sheepish grins. Both were desperately in need of relief but not sure what to do about it.

"Thanks," they said simultaneously; that helped ease the moment a bit. Kim found herself squirming as she sat on the mat; if only she could find a way to ease her aching pussy. It was taking everything she had to keep her hands out of her pants, and if it was this bad for her, it had to be equally frustrating for Tommy. He did nothing to conceal his hard-on, and he looked just as uncomfortable as she did.

"Tommy, are you needing too...?" Kim asked delicately, giving Tommy a look that needed no explanation.

"Yeah," he admitted hesitantly, almost embarrassedly. "What about you?"

"Me, too. If you want to go upstairs to the bathroom or your room maybe, I wouldn't mind," Kim offered.

"You wouldn't?" Tommy said with relief. He wanted to jerk off so badly, but he didn't think he could do it in front of Kim.

"If you wouldn't mind me staying down here--maybe using the hot tub room?" For a split second, Tommy had visions of sneaking back down to listen to Kim through the door again, but his sense of fair play overrode that. "Sure."

"And when we're done, do you think you might still feel like dancing?"

"Absolutely," Tommy agreed. Kim suddenly wrapped her arms around Tommy and hugged him tightly. Was it his imagination, or did she give his groin a tiny thrust? Kim went to kill the stereo, and Tommy headed for the stairs. Then he spied his mom's uniforms hanging on the line near the washing machine. "Oops. I'd better take Mom's stuff up, so she won't be coming down here and interrupting," Tommy said as he collected the laundry.

Tommy sat in the backseat of his parent's car feeling unusually content with life in general. Kim was snuggled up against him, fast asleep. Tommy draped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her even closer as he gazed at her admiringly. She had worn a sassy little dress with a blouse over it which was tied at the breastbone. The blouse gapped open, and the cut of the bodice underneath gave him a teasing glimpse of the swell of her breasts. Considering the way Kim was curled up next to him, her skirt rode high on her thighs. It was very distracting, especially when he took into account the already elevated state of his hormones.

Kim had wanted to work in a short practice after school. Tommy arranged to meet her and take her by Aisha's to pick up her luggage and let her get changed. However, before they made it to Tommy's house, Kim wanted to swing by her mom's place so that she could check on the alarms and things. While they were there, the two of them had gotten a little sidetracked. Their make-out session hadn't been as intense as the one in his basement last night; it was like the pressure was off; they didn't feel the all-consuming need to go as far as they had. It wasn't imperative because now they knew they both wanted each other and could indulge any time they felt like it. The kissing had been phenomenal; Tommy had even managed to slide his hands up Kim's skirt for a quick feel of her ass under her thin panties, and Kim had even let him play with her tits again. He couldn't wait for the chance to see them unobstructed. All Kim seemed to want to do was play with his hair, which was at once disappointing and exhilarating. She appeared reluctant to touch his eager cock, even through the safety of the jeans, but she got so hot playing with his hair (and her fingers in his hair felt so good) that he didn't mind it too much. He once again glanced down appreciatively at Kim, stroking her silky hair lightly before letting his hand drop around her shoulders. If he sat just right, his fingers brushed the sides of her breasts. He knew he probably shouldn't do it, but he couldn't resist. Carefully he worked things around until his right hand was touching Kim on the outside of her blouse, and his left hand was able to reach her within her blouse without either of his parents being able to tell.

It felt so right, sitting in the backseat with Kim as he was. It was as if Tommy had a new found sense of security. Somehow, since they had indulged in the heavy petting, it was as if their uncertain future no longer mattered. It was like they had shared something permanent--something that even the move to Paris couldn't take away. Tommy felt a lot more confident about facing the months ahead. It also made Tommy stop and think; he couldn't ever remember telling Kimberly that he loved her. Neither of them had. Perhaps they had been too afraid to admit it to each other or to themselves. Tommy knew he hadn't said the words because even though he felt strongly enough about Kim, he felt that saying those words was like making a promise he might not be able to keep. However, after last night, he felt as if he could finally say them.

As Tommy stroked Kim's breast through her dress, gently playing with her nipple, Kim sort of stirred. She sighed an almost longing sigh; a tiny smile touched her lips, but she didn't open her eyes and settled back down to sleep. Tommy wondered if maybe his playing with her was contributing to her dreams. However, not too long after that he became aware of Kim's hand laying limply in his lap. Tommy wished she had placed it just slightly higher so that it might brush his cock. He was wondering how he might rearrange her when Kim shifted again, and this time her hand landed squarely on his semi-erect rod.

Several moments passed with Tommy simply luxuriating in the feel of her hand on his organ; he continued caressing Kim's breasts surreptitiously. He also kept one eye on the front seat, making sure his parents didn't catch him. He would have to be careful about how much he sighed. All of a sudden, Kim's fingers moved again, this time it felt like an intentional stroke. It felt so delicious that Tommy had a difficult time not squirming. He shot a glance at Kim; her expression was as innocent as an angel's, yet her fingers were deliberately rubbing his cock through his jeans. Tommy bit his lip to keep from groaning out loud. Kim continued to stroke him with even firmer pressure. He wished he could reach down his pants to reposition his cock; things were starting to become a little uncomfortable. Kim's fingers continue moving back and forth, maintaining a certain rhythm; it felt as if she was trying to jerk him off through his jeans. Tommy realized that Kim couldn't be asleep.

"Kim, what are you doing?" Tommy hissed, bending to whisper directly in her ear.

Kim tried to keep up the pretense of sleep, but a devilish grin spread across her face. "I'm giving you a taste of your own medicine," she hissed back. "You've been rubbing my tits for the last twenty or thirty minutes; they're just as sensitive as your...."

Tommy grinned hugely as Kim could not seem to say the word. She cracked an eye open and caught his expression. She scowled ever so slightly.

"...cock," she continued defiantly. "Fair is fair."

"Yeah, but you're not going to have to try and hide a hard-on," Tommy shot back.

"That's not my problem."

"Kim, you'd better stop. Really. I'm liable to lose it, and how will I explain that to my folks? As it is, I'm probably going to have to... take care of things at the first rest stop we make."

Tommy felt Kim's body shaking as she laughed silently; however, she did withdraw her hand from his lap. He hated being a spoil sport, and it thrilled him to know that Kim would touch him and tease him like that, but they had to be careful right now.

"Say, is anybody back there hungry?" Tommy's father called out. "There are a couple of places to eat at the next exit."

"Sounds great!" Tommy agreed enthusiastically. The sooner he could jerk off the better.

"Then you'd better start waking Kimberly up," his mother recommended.

"No problem," he assured his folks as he glanced down at Kim. Once again her face was perfectly composed in angelic sleep.

Excluding the stop for dinner, the drive to Cedar Hills took several hours. Once the Olivers arrived at the hotel, they received some rather disappointing news. Jan had called to upgrade the rooms to doubles; however, there was still nothing available, so they had to keep their single suites. Each room featured queen-sized beds, large bathrooms, living room areas with fireplaces, and balconies.

"Drop the luggage in one of the rooms and we'll divvy it up once we have it all upstairs," Thomas recommended. He and Tommy went down for another load while Jan and Kim opened up both rooms.

Tommy returned with a couple of suitcases, added them to the pile and went in search of Kimberly. He found her in the adjoining room standing on the balcony. She was leaning against the rail and looking out to the west. It was still pretty early, and there were touches of the colors of sunset in the sky.

"Kim?" he called out. When Kim turned to acknowledge him, he observed that her demeanor was rather somber. "Is something wrong?"

"Not really," she sighed, turning back to finish watching the sunset.

"Pretty view." Tommy joined her out on the balcony. "I always loved the smell of this place," he commented, inhaling deeply. The faint scent of cedar was in the air.

"You were telling me you guys had lived here for a while when you were a kid," Kim said, recalling one of their conversations in the car. "You really moved around a lot."

"Dad's job took us all over the place."

"I guess you're used to upheavals in your life."

"Yeah, at least physical upheavals. We'd be in one place for two, maybe three years if we were lucky, then move on. It made it hard making friends in school. Dad swore, however, that Angel Grove was our last stop--at least until I finished school. It must be nice to have lived in one place all your life."

"We didn't always live in Angel Grove; we moved there when I was a baby, but I can't remember ever living anywhere else."

"You've had upheavals in your life, though," Tommy continued. "I'd rather move every other year with my family intact than have to go through a divorce. That had to be really rough."

"It was like all the security went out of my life; nothing was certain anymore," Kim murmured with a sigh. "For the longest time I thought I had done something to break my folks up, and sometimes, even though I know better, I still feel that way. If they'd only have stayed together--then I wouldn't have to go to Paris."

Tommy leaned against the railing, his back to the view. He glanced sideways at Kim. "So that's why you asked me about some of the places we've lived. You're still afraid of having to leave."

"I don't want to go, now more than ever. I don't want to leave you," Kim declared fiercely. "I wish there was some way I could stay here for longer than just the school year."

"I don't want you to go anymore than you do, but just because you have to go away, it doesn't mean that it has to change our relationship," Tommy said. Kim looked up at him with an expression of hope. "You don't have to stay in Paris forever, you know. It'll take a little doing, but we can work things out so that we can stay together."

"Do you really think so?"

"If that's what we want, we can."

Thomas slipped back through the adjoining door. He had returned to find the one room empty and Tommy and Kim on the balcony in the other. His heart went out to the two. He remembered very clearly how difficult it had been to say good-bye to Jan when he shipped out. When he returned to the other room, Jan had emerged from the restroom.

"I've already sorted the luggage," she announced. "Yours and Tommy's are over there by the door. I wish we could have gotten doubles, but at least we have queen-sized beds."

"Jan, I am not spending the weekend sharing a bed with my son," Thomas insisted. "He hogs the covers and isn't nearly as much fun to snuggle up against."

"Then sleep on the couch."

"Why should I sleep on the couch when there's a perfectly good bed with plenty of room for two in here."

"Thomas, we've discussed this," Jan began, knowing what he was driving at, "we can't put Tommy and Kimberly together in a room."

"And why not?"

"All right, I accept that my son and his girlfriend are on the verge of being sexually active, but we don't have to provide them with the opportunity."

"What opportunity? Do you honestly think they'd do anything with us sleeping in the room next door? Hell, we were married two years and I still couldn't fool around with you when your folks were in the room next to ours on that trip to Dallas."

"It would be different if Kimberly was our daughter. What would Caroline say if she found out we allowed Kim to share a hotel room with Tommy?"

"How would it be different? If Tommy was with Kim and her parents, would it bother you to know that Caroline let them share a room?"

"No. I would trust that Caroline knew what she was doing with her daughter."

"So, there you have it. Caroline probably trusts that we know what we're doing with our son," Thomas countered.

"It's different with girls."

"Janice Louise, I am NOT sleeping with Tommy this weekend. If you don't want Kim to share a room with Tommy, let her sleep on the couch in here, but I guarantee you, she'll learn a lot more about the birds and the bees in here than in Tommy's room." Thomas smiled at his wife's astounded expression. "I had a few plans of my own this weekend. Something that involved soft music, candle light, some champagne...."

"Thomas, if you couldn't perform with my father next door, will you be able to knowing that Tommy and Kim can probably overhear us?" Jan asked with a sly smile.

"Tommy doesn't intimidate me the way your father did. Besides, even if we disturb them, they won't be able to do anything to stop us; I made sure the lock was on our side of the adjoining door."

Tommy and Kim finished their embrace and returned to the hotel room. Kim wandered over to the fireplace, and Tommy couldn't help but notice how sheer her dress was.

"These are really nice rooms. I can't remember ever staying at a place this nice," she commented.

"Aunt Jean picked the places out, so it doesn't surprise me," Tommy replied. He headed over to the bed and bounced down on it. "I'm glad the beds are so large, though. Man, I am not looking forward to sharing a bed with my dad this weekend. He's a bed hog, and he snores. I don't know how Mom stands it."

"I toss and turn an awful lot; I hope I don't knock your mother out of bed," Kim added. "I've often wondered how people get used to sleeping with each other. I mean, for how many years you have your own bed; you're used to taking up as much space as you want. Wouldn't you get in each other's way?"

"You start out sleeping in the spoon position," Thomas answered as he entered the room, depositing luggage inside the doorway. "You know, curved against each other like you stack spoons in a drawer. Once you get used to the other body being there, your subconscious adjusts so you don't squash each other."

"Thomas William...!" Jan chided from the other room.

"Well, that's how it was explained to me," Thomas shouted back in his defense. Kim blushed, and Tommy looked a bit uncomfortable at having been overheard. "Do you kids like the room?" Thomas queried as if he hadn't been interrupted.

"It's just fine, Mr. Oliver," Kim answered. She looked to Tommy who shrugged; he was as perplexed as she was.

"Good. It's yours. Jan and I will leave the two of you to get settled in and make whatever arrangements you see fit."

The two stared after Tommy's father in amazement. "Did he say what I think he just said?" Kim asked numbly.

"If you think he said we're sharing a room, you heard the same thing I heard," Tommy confirmed.

"Is he serious?"

"I'd better go check with Mom and find out." As Tommy passed the pile of suitcases, he noticed that both his and Kim's were there. Tommy slipped into the next room. His mother was unpacking, and his father was nowhere to be seen. "Mom, where's Dad?"

"He's gone down to park the car."

"Was he serious or just kidding around?"

"About... ?"

"Me and Kim sharing the other room."

"Yes, he was serious, unless of course the two of you are not comfortable with that arrangement."

"It's fine; we're just a little curious as to why, that's all."

"As your father pointed out to me, the two of you are no longer children. You're responsible adults, and he trusts whatever decisions you make. Furthermore, your father apparently has amorous intentions for our evenings this weekend and sharing a room with you would put a serious crimp in his arrangements."

Tommy left his mother to her unpacking and returned to Kim looking more uncomfortable than when he stepped out to talk to his mother.

"Well?" Kim prompted.

"Mom says he's on the level. We're roommates unless we find the situation too uncomfortable."

"I don't get it. What else did your mother say? You look kind of embarrassed."

"I sometimes forget how direct Mom can be; her honesty often catches me off guard. In not so many words she said that dad had plans to fool around this weekend and didn't want us in the way."

Kim blushed almost as red as Tommy did. "So, we're roommates, huh?" She looked around at the bed and the couch.

"Looks that way." They regarded each other in uncomfortable silence.

"This is ridiculous," Kim snorted at last. "We were good and ready to jump each other in your basement last night, so what's the big deal about sharing a room? Most couples our age would kill for the chance, and we're acting like it's the end of the world."

"You're right. It's not like anything is going to happen. I mean, what are we going to do with my parents in the room next door?"

"Besides, even if we don't do anything--you know--intimate, this can still be kind of fun," Kim continued, perking up. "It'll be kind of nice saying good night without one of us having to go home."

"Do you think we should try sharing the bed like dad suggested--spoon style." Tommy and Kim traded glances. "Right. We probably better not chance it. Tell you what; I'll take the couch."

"Be realistic, Tommy. You're what, 6'0"? 6'1"? I'm nearly a foot shorter than you; I'll take the couch."

"What ungodly hour of the morning is it?" Thomas groaned, unburying his head from his pillows. He had been trying to shut out the noise of the TV in the next room.

"2 a.m., I think," Jan answered with a yawn. "Those two can't still be up. Why do they need the thing so loud?"

"Probably to drown out all the noise we were making," Jan retorted.

"Or mask their own," Thomas pointed out.

"You didn't need to say that."

"I know, but if I hadn't you wouldn't be willing to let me knock on the door and ask them to turn the damn thing down," Thomas said, crawling out of bed and flailing about for his robe.

"We really shouldn't disturb them; we said we trusted them."

"Are we doing an about face, Jan?"

"Just tell them to turn the TV down and let me go back to sleep," she groused. Thomas stumbled over to the door and knocked. Hearing nothing but the TV, he knocked again, even louder.

"Tommy?" he called out. There was no answer, so he began fiddling with the lock. "Thomas, you're not going in there...."

"I can't sleep with that TV on. Tell you what, I'll take a tiny peek; if they're naked in bed I won't go in. I'll go down to the drug store in the lobby and buy some ear plugs."

"That isn't funny, Thomas."

Thomas waved off Jan's protests and opened the door. The lights were still on in the room; a quick look revealed that the bed wasn't being slept in. Thomas opened the door wider. "Well, I'll be," he murmured, a bemused smile on his face.

"What?"

"Oh, you wouldn't want to know."

"Thomas... !"

"Well, they are sleeping together, just not the way we were expecting." At that, Jan got out of bed and came over to take a peek. Tommy and Kim were on the sofa--Tommy sitting up and Kim snuggled next to him like they had been in the car. Kim was in her flannel nightgown, but Tommy was still dressed. They had fallen asleep while watching TV.

"Should we cover them up or something?" Jan wondered.

"Naw, they don't need to know that we were ever here," Thomas answered. He retrieved the remote control from inside his room and zapped the TV off.

After spending the night on the couch, both Tommy and Kim had sore backs in the morning. While Tommy's parents went to the wedding, the two decided to go down and try out the health club in the hotel. Tommy made a bee-line for the weight room, and Kim headed for the whirlpool. Tommy wanted to join her, but he had neglected to bring his swim trunks. However, when he finished his work out, he wandered down to the pool area. For a while he stood back and watch Kim as she lounged in the hot tub. She was wearing a deep burgundy bathing suit with high cut legs and a seriously low cut bodice; he couldn't remember seeing the suit before. As the bubbles swirled around her, Kim looked to be the picture of contentment, and Tommy couldn't help but think of the night earlier in the week when she had used the tub at his house.

"Looks like fun," Tommy commented as he drew nearer. "I wish I had remembered to bring my trunks. By the way, I like your suit; is it new?"

"It was one that Mom left behind; it was too small for her. I really like the cut," Kim answered. She stood up and modeled it for him. The wet fabric clung to her in interesting places. "As far as your suit goes, your trunks are so baggy who can tell them from your regular shorts? No one else is around; why don't you join me?"

Tommy didn't need to be asked twice; he doffed his shoes, socks, and shirt and slipped into the hot tub with Kim. The hot, churning water felt so good that he couldn't help but utter a sigh of contentment. Kim smiled and sidled up next to him.

"I was hoping you'd do that," she murmured appreciatively. "I'm sorry for falling asleep on you last night. I hadn't meant to."

"That's okay. I fell asleep, too; although I must have woken up long enough to shut the TV off," Tommy said.

"Although we hadn't intended on it, we managed to spend the night together," Kim said shyly. "It was kind of nice waking up next to you."

"Yeah, same here."

For a while they simply sat without saying much. Around them, other hotel guests came and went.

"Are you nervous about the reception?" Kim asked.

"A little. It's not Mark and Kyle I'm worried about any longer. It's just that I haven't seen most of my relatives in six years. Someone is bound to ask a lot of hard questions--like why I stopped showing up and stuff."

"If your relatives haven't seen you in six years, they probably won't even know who you are when you walk in," Kim pointed out. "So, who should I watch out for? Everyone has certain relatives that you should avoid or cozy up to. On my dad's side there's Uncle Leon, the family drunk. You never know what he's going to say, or do; most times he's harmless, but if you make him angry, watch out."

"I don't think we have a family drunk," Tommy said with amusement. "I've already told you about Kyle, Mark, and Becca. There's Aunt Jean. She can be a pain. She's the baby of Mom's family and has always struck me as being rather spoiled--really concerned about appearances and being better than her brothers and sisters. She gets on Mom's nerves when she gets on a 'holier-than-thou' kick. I overheard my folks talking; I guess they thought I was asleep in the backseat when we were coming home from some party or another. Dad was saying that he thought Aunt Jean was insecure because of what happened with Uncle Kurt."

"Do you know what happened?"

"Apparently, it was a shotgun wedding. The family really didn't like Kurt, but he got Aunt Jean pregnant. According to what I've been able to piece together, Kurt was running around on Aunt Jean a lot; it seems that she only had Mark and Becca to hang on to him, but shortly after Becca was born, he ran out on them. They haven't heard from him since."

"That's terrible. It also explains a lot about your aunt. Maybe she's afraid that the rest of the family will keep rubbing her nose in her mistake with Kurt. It could be why she's so defensive and image conscious. She wants everyone to think that it was no big deal."

"Could be. If that's the case, then she probably really hates Uncle George, her oldest brother. He has a really sharp tongue and basically says whatever he wants without a qualm. He's the only one of the kids who ever dared talk back to Grandpa."

"Your mom was one of seven--so there's George, the eldest and Jean the youngest...."

"Mom's third. There was Uncle Andrew who died in World War II...."

"Killed in battle?"

"I don't think so. No one ever talks about how he died, so I figure it was probably something stupid or embarrassing. Dying in battle would be noble and honorable, at least according to my relatives. Aunt Jessica was next, then Uncle Bill and Uncle Bob--they were twins--and Aunt Jean. George and Jean are the only ones who cause any trouble"

"Anyone else I should know about?"

"Great Aunt Elsa--at least, I think she's still around. I'm sure Mom would have told me if she had died. I liked her a lot; she was very much like Grandpa. She must be around ninety by now. She's probably assumed Aunt Eleanor's role as family matriarch. She was quite a character back when Grandpa died; she's probably even more so now. There was quite a ruckus right after Grandpa died. Apparently, he had quite an estate and all the kids were expecting sizable bequests, but that didn't happen. They all got a little bit, and Aunt Elsa inherited the rest. The lawyers said Grandpa wanted to make sure she was taken care of--she never married or anything like that and didn't have a family--and he left it to Elsa to make the bequests upon her death."

"So now everyone kisses up to Aunt Elsa," Kim concluded.

"For the most part, yeah, but she isn't a nasty person. She's very down to earth, no nonsense--actually, I think maybe that's where Mom gets it. Aunt Elsa's cool--at least the Aunt Elsa I remember was."

"Your family doesn't sound any worse than my assorted relatives--at least the ones I get to see. Dad's family is pretty much back in Seattle. I know Mom's family was sympathetic when she and Dad got divorced, but I bet they're scandalized that she married a French painter and moved to France."

"Why do relatives have to be so difficult?" Tommy wondered with exaggerated patience.

"Who knows. To make things interesting?"

"I'm not sure how much more 'interesting' I can take."

"Oh, don't be such a party pooper. I'm betting the reception will be a lot of fun."

"Speaking of which, we'd probably better head upstairs. Getting ready will take a while since we both have to get into the bathroom."

"Tommy, would you plug in my curling iron?" Kim called, knocking on the bathroom door and slipping on her robe.

Tommy had allowed her to use the shower first; to be considerate, she had made it a quick shower; she had planned on drying her hair at the mirror above the bureau, but she had left her curling iron and her make-up in the bathroom. The light was better in there for the detail work. Once her hair was dry, Kim had decided to start dressing. She waited until she heard the water running in the shower before removing her undergarments from her suitcase. She surveyed the lingerie warily. She was dying to wear them, but she wasn't sure if she should.

What's the big deal? Tommy isn't going to be seeing them; you'll be the only one to know that you have on sexy underwear. When she thought of it like that, it was rather deliciously naughty. She slipped on the thong first; she had never worn one before. It felt kind of strange, but when she caught a glimpse of her behind in the mirror she was impressed in spite of herself. Next she fastened on the bra and spent several minutes adjusting herself so she filled the cups out properly. The line of the bra came down low enough to cover the top of her thong so that it looked like she had on a single piece garment. She definitely liked the effect. Her stockings were actual black silk stockings--seam lines and all. She rolled them up her legs carefully, making sure the seams were straight, then fitted on the garter belt. Lastly, she stepped into her sandals.

Oh, I like. Most definitely. Tommy would cream himself if he could see me now, Kim told herself, satisfied with her reflection. She stood for several minutes admiring herself then shook off her daydreaming. She didn't want Tommy coming out and catching her--at least, not just yet. Her hair wasn't done. As she reached for the magazine in her bag that had the hairstyle she wanted to try, Kim realized that she hadn't plugged her curling iron in.

"Tommy, did you hear me?"

Kim heard nothing inside the bathroom: no shower, no hair dryer--nothing--but Tommy was definitely inside. "Come on, Tommy; answer me! If I don't get that thing plugged in soon, I won't be able to get my hair done. If you're going to be much longer, at least do that for me. Just tell me. Please?"

When he didn't respond, she stomped away from the door, fuming; then she marched right back. "Tommy James Oliver, if you don't answer me, I'll... I'll... come on in and plug it in myself!" she threatened. "Geez, even my brother knew how to share the bathroom better than you." Kim leaned against the door and blew a strand of hair out of her eyes. "Aw, come on, Tommy." She counted to ten silently. "Okay, bud, ready or not, here I come!"

She turned the doorknob; it wasn't locked. She all but threw the door open. Tommy was standing at the sink calmly brushing his hair. A smile tugged at his mouth. Kim opened her mouth to blast him with a stinging retort; instead, she left it hanging open. Tommy's tanned body glistened with moisture, and his damp locks were plastered to his shoulders. The only thing he had on was a thin hotel towel wrapped low about his hips. Kim grabbed onto the door frame, her knees feeling weak and her cheeks feeling hot.

"It's plugged in," Tommy said simply, gesturing to her curling iron.

"Why didn't you answer me?" she stammered.

"I didn't think you'd actually come in."

"Why you... !" Kim picked up a wadded-up towel and flung it at him.

"Hey, cut it out!" he laughed, clutching the towel he wore to keep from losing it. Kim just glared at him. Tommy returned to working on his hair as if nothing had happened, and Kim continued to watch him.

"How are you going to wear your hair?" Kim wondered, finally finding her voice.

"I don't know. I thought of just pulling it back into a ponytail."

"Like you usually do? I don't know; that's too severe," Kim murmured. She contemplated his damp locks critically. "Let me see what I can do. Sit down." Kim grabbed Tommy's brush and hairdryer and set to work.

Tommy closed his eyes in delight as Kim worked her magic on his hair with fingers and brush. He could let her brush his hair all day; however, Tommy tried not to lose himself in her touch too much. After all, he was only dressed in a towel.

"Head down," Kim directed in business like tones. When he obliged, she flipped his hair over his head.

While his head was bowed, Tommy noticed that Kim had on her stockings and shoes; he hadn't seen the black patent leather sandals before. The straps hugged her ankles nicely. As she stepped around him, her robe flashed open a bit, and he observed that her stockings only went up to her thighs, and while he couldn't be certain, he could have sworn they were held up by garters. That thought intrigued him. It made him wonder what the rest of her undergarments looked liked, and he wondered if she'd let him see them.

"Okay, head up," she said.

As Tommy lifted his head, his eyes lit onto the way the top of her robe gapped open. He caught a glimpse of black lace and a satin rosette in the cleavage. Tommy was beginning to think that the towel was not such a good idea. He had dared Kim to enter with his silence; his state of undress was meant to catch her off balance. He had succeeded in that, but now the tables were being turned. There was no way the towel was going to hide his semi-erect anatomy. He prayed Kim wouldn't ask him to stand up.

"There we go," Kim said with satisfaction.

"Wow." Tommy didn't know how she had done it, but his hair looked softer and wispier than it had ever been styled. It was loose about his face yet pulled back in a low ponytail, yet she had used no rubber band. It was almost as if she had knotted his hair.

"Yum," Kim added appreciatively, almost a purr. The look in Kim's eye and the depth of her sigh stirred Tommy's blood.

"Kim, my folks," Tommy reminded her delicately. They had purposely left the door between the rooms open to keep Tommy's folks from worrying too much.

"Tommy, Kim, we're back," Mr Oliver called out as if on cue. "Anybody home?"

"We're in the bathroom!" Kim hollered back.

Tommy rolled his eyes and buried his face in his hands. His parents' timing stunk, and the last thing he wanted was for one of them to come in.

"I'm fixing Tommy's hair," Kim said as she popped her head out of the doorway. "Did you want something?"

"Just letting you know we're back."

"Okay," Kim said brightly and ducked back inside.

"Thomas William, leave the kids alone," Mrs. Oliver chided.

"How many Thomas Williams does that make? Only one today that we know of; didn't he earn one yesterday?" Kim observed.

"I think Mom starts a new total each day," Tommy said. "At least I hope she doesn't make them cumulative. I really don't want Dad sharing the room with us."

"Oh, any particular reason?" Kim wondered as she resumed fussing with Tommy's hair.

"Not really. Dad just cramps my style."

"There, I can't think of anything else to do to your hair," Kim said with almost a sigh of regret. She casually twirled the few loose strands around one of her fingers. She was sorry to be finished styling his hair.

"I have to admit, my hair looks pretty good. Thanks."

Kim did not acknowledge his gratitude; she was dreamily playing with his ponytail. Her hands smoothed the knot down his back, and they continued smoothing their way down his back. Kim stepped around and cupped Tommy's chin in her hands; she pressed her lips to his with exquisite gentleness. Tommy's arms reached around to pull her more closely to him, and his hand immediately began exploring the curve of her behind.

"Mm," Kim purred, pressing Tommy's face to her bosom, pushing him dangerously close to soiling his towel.

As much as Tommy enjoyed the embrace, he knew they had better ease off. "Kim," he gasped breathlessly.

"I know," she murmured, releasing him. "Are you almost finished in here, or would you mind sharing the mirror so I can work on my hair?"

"Actually, I don't dare stand up until you're out of the room," Tommy admitted sheepishly.

"Oh." Kim blushed and struggled to keep her eyes front and center. "I guess I could get started on my hair out there." As she exited the tiny, very warm bathroom, Kim paused and gave Tommy's body a thorough once over. "Yum," she purred again then closed the door.

"Oh man," Tommy groaned, feeling a little weak-kneed. He had to hold onto the cold countertop to help himself up. His hands shook as he reached for his shaving kit. Well, he had asked for it--and nearly got it. If Kim had stayed one second longer... Tommy had been seriously in danger of losing his restraint. He was beginning to think that he was going to have to jump in and take a cold shower in order to settle down, but if he did that, his hair would need to be done all over again. A powerful surge of hormones shot through his already stimulated body, and he decided that he had better put on more than just a towel. Unfortunately, he had forgotten to bring his robe, and his clothes were still in his suitcase. Taking a deep breath to fortify himself, Tommy opened the door and peered out.

He couldn't see Kim immediately; the way the suite was laid out, the mirrored dresser was on the same side as the bathroom. The door between their room and Tommy's folks had been pulled shut. Tommy stepped out and caught a glimpse of Kim at the dresser. She was playing with her hair, pulling it up this way and that, gathering it into ponytails and braids, but nothing seemed to satisfy her. Tommy leaned against the wall to watch for a bit, his clothes all but forgotten. He liked being able to watch Kim when she was unaware of his presence. It was usually educational. It was difficult to see her face, but he could tell that she was frowning. She retrieved a magazine from the top of the dresser and started flipping through the pages. To Tommy, it appeared to be a lingerie catalog. Kim thumbed through the pages until she found what she was apparently looking for. Tommy wished he could see better. Judging from her actions, she was trying to copy a hairstyle from one of the models.

Soon, however, Kim stopped fussing with her hair; she studied the picture intently. Tommy almost gasped as she slipped her robe off her shoulders. Tommy was startled to see the black garment she was wearing; he remembered it--or one nearly like it--from the window of the lingerie shop in the mall. Kim studied her reflection critically. She turned sideways slightly, checking her profile; thankfully for Tommy, her eyes never left the mirror. He watched as she smoothed her hands down her sides and drew them back up her abdomen in a sort of embrace. Her hands traveled up over her bosom to her neck and face until they lifted her hair off her shoulders and playfully piled it on top of her head.

"Mm," Kim rumbled deep in her throat in almost exactly the same tone she had used in the bathroom. Closing her eyes, she smiled sensuously. Her hands left her hair to trail down her body again. Slowly she drew her hands across her breasts, cupping them, plumping them, and finally taking a playful squeeze. Tommy nearly lost it, and he would have if Kim hadn't seemed to recollect herself. Her eyes snapped open, she pulled her hands away, and shook her head as if to clear it. Before resuming her hairstyling, she took a moment to examine her stockings. There was a small stool by the dresser, and she propped up her right leg and began fixing her hosiery. Her robe must have been in her way as she tugged at the belt and let the garment drop to the floor.

Tommy inhaled and didn't let the breath go. Her stockings encased her legs to her thighs, as he had noticed in the bathroom; there was something, however, about the seam that ran up the back of her legs which Tommy found exciting. He had been right about the garters, too. She was dressed almost exactly like that picture they had seen. As if the view couldn't get any better, Kim bent over to adjust her sandal strap, flashing Tommy an incredible view of her ass, which was set off to perfection by the thin strip of black running up her crack. Tommy couldn't take it any longer as another fiery spasm rippled through his body. Completely forgetting about his clothes, he dove through the bathroom door, practically slamming it behind him in his haste to take care of certain pressing matters. It didn't take long; Tommy collapsed against the door in relief and ecstasy and slowly slid down until his bare bottom hit the cold tile. Leaning back, he closed his eyes and tired to catch his breath. Even with his eyes shut, he could still see the creamy white swell of her cheeks.

Out in the room, Kim heard the bang of the door, straightened up and whirled around, clutching at her robe.

"Tommy?" she called out uncertainly. She slipped the robe back on and approached the bathroom. She thought she heard a groan within. "Are you all right?"

"Uh huh," came the weak reply. His voice sort of cracked. Kim couldn't be sure, but she thought she heard him mutter, "oh, wow," too. She had never heard Tommy make noises like that before. "Are you sure? I can call your folks if something's wrong."

"The only thing you can do to help me, Beautiful, is hand me the underwear and pants sitting on top of my suitcase."

"All right." Kim retrieved the requested garments. "Here you go." The bathroom door opened a crack, and to Kim's amazement, Tommy reached up from the floor for his clothes.

"Thanks."

"Sure." Still puzzled, Kim retreated to continue working on her hair.

Tommy emerged from the bathroom a short while later. His face was slightly flushed, and he wore an odd sort of smile. "The bathroom is all yours," Tommy announced, offering Kim a gallant bow. "Thanks." Eyeing Tommy warily, she traded places with him.

As Tommy slipped on his t-shirt and dress shirt, he noticed that Kim had left her magazine on the dresser. As he had surmised, it was a lingerie catalog. The magazine was open to a picture of a model in an outfit similar to Kim's; her hair was loosely gathered in a Gibson Girl-style bun with wispy tendrils tickling her neck. Tommy had no difficulty substituting Kimberly for the model in the picture. Idly, he flipped through the rest of the pages.

"See something you like?" Kim asked softly. Tommy hadn't heard her come out. He blushed somewhat guiltily; however, Kimberly seemed equally sheepish.

"I don't know. Maybe. Anything in particular that you like?"

"A couple of things."

"If you ever get any of this stuff, will I get to see you in it?" Tommy boldly asked with a knowing smile.

"I don't know. Maybe," Kim replied with an enigmatic smile of her own. It made Tommy wonder if Kim knew he had been watching her. They stood there staring at each other, their thoughts their own.

"This is a discussion we'd better finish another time," Tommy suggested reluctantly, checking his watch. "It's nearly 4:30; it's almost time for the hour-before-departure check in."

"In that case, I'll need my magazine back."

"Oh?"

"For the hairstyle. What did you think?" Tommy handed it over, but he couldn't lose his lopsided grin, and Kim still didn't know what to make of it.

"How are things going along in here?" Jan queried as she tapped on the door. She heard Tommy grunt, so she pushed the door open. She found him standing in front of the mirror fiddling with his tie.

"I hate ties," Tommy grumbled, undoing his latest attempt.

"Here, let me. After twenty-some years of marriage, I still have to tie your father's," Jan remarked, deftly maneuvering the colorful silk. "There. Put on your jacket, and let me see what you look like."

With a touch of self-consciousness, Tommy obliged his mother. He hated suits. He felt confined in the tailored clothes. He tugged at his stiff shirt collar and fidgeted.

"Would you look at you," Jan murmured. "It sort of reminds me of the first time I saw your father in a suit. He looked so dashing...." She sighed at the memory. "For what it's worth, you and Kimberly were right about the hair." She stood on tiptoe and gave him a peck on the cheek.

"Thanks, Mom."

Just then, Kim emerged from the bathroom. Her head was bent as she tried to fasten the clasp at the back of her neck. "Tommy... uh... could you hook this blasted thing? It... uh... won't cooperate with me," she requested, struggling with the stubborn clasp.

"Sure."

Jan smiled as she observed the two. In a way, it made her remember how things had been when she and Thomas were first married. They had been so much in love and so grateful simply to be together. Scared, awkward--she didn't think they learned to relax around each other until their first anniversary or so. She saw a lot of that in Tommy and Kimberly now, but she could also see a bond that she and Thomas never had while they were in school. There was more between Tommy and Kimberly than a mere high school romance, and it was more than Kim having to go to Paris. Jan couldn't begin to fathom what it might be.

"You want me to zip it, too?" Tommy asked.

"You might as well."

"All set."

"Thanks. So, what do you think?" Kim spun around, modelling the dress for Tommy. "You look spectacular," he said appreciatively, drinking her all in from the sparkle in her eye to the sparkle on her hem. It was the first time he had seen her in it. He knew he liked the dress and would like Kim in it the moment he saw it on the mannequin; however, Kim filled the gown out better than he imagined. The collared halter framed her bust nicely, causing her breasts to swell over the top of the bodice and creating exciting cleavage. The body of the gown flowed over Kim's frame perfectly, setting off her hips and ass, and the flare of the skirt teased Tommy with glimpses of her black clad legs, which looked longer in her heels.

"Really? And you look... oh, wow... !"

"I clean up okay?"

"Better than okay. You are absolutely gorgeous. I'm going to be the luckiest girl at the wedding reception," Kim gushed.

"I only hope the two of you don't outshine the bride and groom," Jan remarked, but the two didn't seem to hear her. They only had eyes for each other. Silently, Jan took her leave.

"Oh, I almost forgot! I have something for you," Tommy said. "Close your eyes." Kim obeyed and Tommy retrieved the little velvet box from his suitcase. He removed the delicate bracelet and fastened it around Kim's wrist. "You can open them, now."

"Tommy, you didn't...." Kim gasped as tiny blue and diamond-like stones winked up at her in the light.

"You're right, I didn't," Tommy confessed. "The real thing was way out of my budget, but the salesclerk at the Petite Boutique made some suggestions and told me where they bought their accessories for the displays. I hope you don't mind."

"Not at all. It's beautiful." Kim's eyes were rather moist. "You've never given me jewelry before."

Tommy shrugged self-consciously at that. "There are earrings, too." Kim removed her gold studs and put in the glistening sapphire-like teardrops. Then she flung her arms around Tommy. "I don't know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything, except...."

"What?"

"Well, how about--maybe--I love you?" He suggested hopefully, before he lost his nerve.

"Tommy?" Kim gasped, wide-eyed with amazement.

"I do, you know. I was just a little nervous about telling you."

"Oh, Tommy!" Kim flung her arms around his neck and kissed him fiercely. Tommy hugged her as if he wouldn't let her go. She paused the kiss long enough to whisper, "I love you too." Then they resumed the embrace.

"If you two are done admiring one another, it's time to go!" Tommy's father hollered out. Tommy set Kim down, and she quickly collected her shawl and purse. Offering Kim his arm, Tommy escorted her to join his parents.

"Would you look at this place!" Tommy gasped as they arrived at the hotel where the reception was being held. His aunt had reserved the main salon for the festivities.

"This looks like something you'd see in a hotel in New York City or Los Angeles," Kim murmured, surveying the vast expanse of chandeliers, ornate decor and other fancy fixtures. "This place is grand enough to throw a party for royalty!"

"Jean was never one to settle for second best," Thomas murmured.

"I don't see the receiving line," Jan observed. "Kyle and Stephanie don't seem to be around anywhere."

"So, what's the Michaels family protocol for this situation?" Thomas asked, only half joking.

"Knowing Jean, she'll be a stickler for proprieties. Everyone else seems to be congregating at the tables and not doing much mingling. I bet everyone is supposed to take their seats and wait until the bride and groom show up in order to start the festivities. I'll look for Jean and find out for certain. Why don't you guys go locate our table."

"Tell you what, why don't we split up and start on opposite sides of the room; there's no telling where Jean stuck us," Thomas recommended and went his own way, leaving Kim and Tommy standing by themselves.

"So now what?" Tommy asked.

Kim noticed that Tommy was holding her hand a little too tightly. "Nervous?"

"A little."

"It'll be all right; you'll see. Come on; let's walk around and check out the tables, and we'll see what happens."

Arm in arm, the two wandered about the room. As they passed by other guests at the tables, Kim would nod and smile. One would have thought it was a function held by her family. She carefully noted the murmurs and muted whispers in their wake; people were trying to figure out who they were.

"I think we're causing something of a stir," Kim murmured. "Your relatives can't figure out who we are; I told you no one would recognize you."

"Well, I haven't seen anyone that I recognize yet," Tommy responded tersely.

"You need to relax. The bar's open; why don't I get us both something to drink," Kim offered.

"I think I could use a stiff drink right about now."

"I didn't think you drank."

"I don't, but if I was inclined to, this would be the perfect occasion."

"Just chill out and wait right here, okay?" Kim instructed. Shaking her head, she wandered off to the bar. Tommy was being way too uptight about the whole thing. He wasn't going to have any fun if he didn't stop being a worrywart.

"What can I get you, miss?" the bartender queried.

"Two orange juices," Kim answered.

"Actually, Bob, I think what the little lady wants are two screwdrivers," someone behind Kimberly said.

She turned to see who it was. He was a young man slightly shorter than Tommy, of stockier build, with black wavy hair and blue eyes. He wore a very classy tuxedo and smiled at her charmingly. Kim had no trouble recognizing Mark.

"The little lady knows what she wants," she retorted icily. "I happen to like plain orange juice; besides, I'm not old enough for screwdrivers."

"I'm Mark Morgan," he introduced himself, completely ignoring Kim's brush off.

"I know, and I'm not interested." The bartender handed her two glasses. Kim thanked him and wandered off.

"I take it she's not a cousin," Bob noted to Mark.

"Definitely not--at least not any cousin that I ever knew of."

"She's also the first girl I've seen in a long while who's given you the cold shoulder."

"Only for the moment," Mark replied, undeterred. His eyes followed the young woman in the shimmering blue dress as she wove her way through the maze of elaborate tables. He liked the way her ass swung as she walked. "Before the night is through, she'll be coming home with me."

"I don't know. I think she came in with the tall fella with the hair," Bob said.

"It doesn't matter who she came in with, as long as she leaves with me."

"Dad's found the table," Tommy said as Kim returned with their drinks.

"Good. I just met your cousin Mark."

"Oh?"

"You might be careful when you take the first sip; he tried to tell the bartender that I wanted screwdrivers. The nerve of that guy!" Kim fumed.

Tommy tasted his drink cautiously. "It's straight orange juice."

"Maybe letting the bartender know I was under age made him decide against spiking the drinks. I think he might be a friend of Mark's or something."

"The table's over that way," Tommy said, indicating a table towards the center of the room.

"One of the ones they'll have to move when the music starts," Kim noted. "Hey, before we go sit down, let's go up to the cake table. I want a better look; I don't think I've ever seen such a fancy wedding cake before."

As the two walked towards the head table, even Tommy was cognizant of the queries and stares this time. "This is embarrassing," Tommy muttered.

"I think it's cute. Let's hold off rejoining your folks. I want to see if any of your relatives figure out who you are on their own."

"I just don't understand what the big deal is. I haven't changed all that much."

"Remember what you told me about your aunt saying you were turning into a hoodlum? Well, maybe the family is expecting to see someone in ratty jeans and a leather vest and boots with chains around them. Windblown hair, a couple days worth of razor stubble, maybe a few tatoos...."

"All right, I get the picture, but you'd think that Mom would have set them straight."

"Maybe no one wanted to believe her. After all, you'd expect your mom to defend you, and what mother would want the family to think that her son was a street rat?"

"Hey, I think that's Becca," Tommy exclaimed suddenly.

"Where?"

"There by the center of the head table--the one with the dark auburn curls, blue eyes, and dynamite figure."

Kim couldn't argue with Tommy's assessment of his cousin's attributes; Rebecca Morgan looked stunning in the strapless, black velvet sheath that was accented with rhinestones.

"It seems kind of weird to say that my cousin has a dynamite figure," Tommy said uncomfortably.

"It's the truth. Heck, I ogled my cousins all the time at family functions; I just prefaced any comments I made with 'if only I wasn't related to him.' For the longest time I hated the fact that the cutest guys I knew were family. Who's that with her?" Kim referred to the young woman in the green taffeta tank dress. She was quite a contrast to Becca. She practically had no figure to speak of. She also had blue eyes; her skin was very, very fair, but her hair was so black that it couldn't have been natural. As they drew closer, Kim could see that her eyebrows were a reddish-blonde.

"Laurie, one of Uncle Bill's kids, I think. I remember her as having really light hair, being very skinny and freckled."

As Tommy was pointing out his cousins to Kimberly, Becca and Laurie were checking the pair of them out.

"Would you look at that," Becca gasped. "Who's the hunk with the hair? He is absolutely the most awesome looking guy here. Almost enough to make you want to go straight again, eh Laurie?"

"Sh! You know no one else in the family knows about me," Laurie hissed, "and it would take more than a gorgeous body to get me interested in guys again. Actually, I kind of like the girl he's with. Who are they?"

"I don't know."

"I bet we're related to at least one of them."

"Why is it I'm related to all the cute guys here?" Becca moaned in mock consternation.

"Quiet, they'll hear you," Laurie hissed. "Honestly, Rae; you'd think you've never seen a cute guy before. Who knows, maybe we're related to the girl; she looks more at ease than the hunk you're drooling over does."

"I couldn't get so lucky."

"Didn't your mom say that Tommy Oliver was showing up for this shindig? Maybe that's him," Laurie hypothesized.

"Couldn't be. He's too clean cut. Mom says that Tommy turned into some kind of hoodlum--you know, long hair, earrings, going around beating people up with his karate... I wonder if he has a tatoo?"

"Come on," Kim declared, tugging on Tommy's sleeve. "What?"

"I want you to introduce me to Becca."

"Sure, I guess so."

"Hey, Rae, here comes the hunk with the hair," Laurie teased her cousin. Becca scowled at her then quickly composed herself.

"I'm going to die of embarrassment if I don't figure out who he is," Becca hissed. Then she looked up at Tommy and smiled, offering him her hands in greeting. "Hello."

"Hi, Becca; it's good to see you again," Tommy said, taking her hands and kissing her on the cheek. It was a familiar ritual.

"Becca? The only person who calls me that any longer is Aunt Elsa; of course, you can't tell her any differently," Becca sniffed.

"What do you go by now?" Tommy asked.

"Rae, but you can call me whatever you'd like," Becca gushed, and Tommy looked a little flustered.

"And you're Laurie, right?" he continued, turning to his other cousin. Tommy took her hands and kissed her as he had Becca.

"That's right," she confirmed. Tommy's actions told her that he was family, but she still could not place the face.

"It's been way too long. Oh, Becca, Laurie, I'd like you to meet my girlfriend Kimberly," he introduced.

Kim stepped forward and offered Becca a handshake. She had been watching the byplay and hadn't missed that neither young woman had a clue as to Tommy's identity. She also had the sense that Becca wouldn't take kindly to being made to look foolish by not recognizing her cousin, so she decided to act as if she thought both girls knew who Tommy was all the time. "I'm glad to meet you; Tommy's told me so much about you."

"Tommy? Little Tommy Oliver?" Becca gasped, completely dumbfounded. She looked Tommy up and down more carefully. "No way."

Tommy favored her with a smile that always made Kim's knees a little wobbly, and she observed that, kin or not, it had the same effect on Becca. "The same. How have you been?"

"When'd you get so gorgeous?" Becca blurted out, causing Laurie to roll her eyes and look away. "I mean, the eyes are kind of familiar, but the Tommy I knew was this gawky, rather plain, quiet kid."

"I grew up, just like you. The Becca I remember was a skinny little thing with stringy hair and crooked teeth."

"Touch»," Laurie sniggered. Becca shot her a glance that seemed to say, "shut up."

"It's been almost six years," Tommy reminded Becca, who was still staring at him with something close to amazement.

"Damn," was all Becca could mutter.

"I love your dress," Kim interjected, feeling that the topic of Tommy's cuteness had worn thin--although she loved hearing someone else admire him, especially because he was all hers. "It's simple yet elegant; very sophisticated."

"Rae and Stephanie picked them out," Laurie supplied helpfully. "They both seem to have sophisticated tastes."

"I must admit, I've never been to a wedding reception as formal as this one."

"Mom spared no expense. I hope she feels that generous when it's my turn to get married," Becca quipped.

"By the way, where are the bride and groom?" Tommy wondered. "I was expecting a big receiving line and all."

"They'll be here," Laurie said, looking rather uncomfortable. "There was a delay at the house."

"Yeah, I think Steph had to barf or something," Becca sniggered. Laurie elbowed her.

"Nerves?" Kim asked sympathetically.

"No, she gets morning sickness in the late afternoon instead of the morning."

"Becca!" Laurie gasped. "You weren't supposed to say anything!"

"Oh, come off it, Laurie. I'm sure the rest of the family has figured it out by now that Kyle got Steph pregnant and that's why they're getting married now instead of four months from now. I mean, everybody knows that Mom called in every favor anybody ever owed her to get the church and this ballroom this early. Hell, she even had to have all the invitations reprinted. Mom wants to be able to claim that the kid was a honeymoon baby. Her darling little Kyle was fooling around with his girlfriend and got a bun in the oven...? Heaven forbid!"

Tommy and Kim exchanged uncomfortable glances, taken aback not only by the gossip but by Becca's sharpness as well.

"It looks like Kyle and Stephanie have finally arrived," Laurie announced, breaking the awkward silence. Her companions turned to find the happy couple rushing into the ballroom. Kim noticed a woman who was probably Tommy's Aunt Jean hurrying over to meet them. She did not look happy.

"Well, I'm going to have to report for greeting line duty," Becca sighed.

"We should catch up with my folks," Tommy recommended.

"Are you going to go through the receiving line?"

"Mom wouldn't let me miss it," Tommy said ruefully.

"Mothers," Becca agreed. "I'll catch the two of you in a little bit then."

As Kim started to walk off, Becca caught her arm. "You and me are going to have to get together later, and you can tell me all about that yummy cousin of mine."

"Sure," Kim replied.

"Do you dance?"

"I love dancing."

"I think you and I are going to get along quite well," Becca declared. She finished off her drink then popped a mint; it wouldn't do for the aunties to smell the liquor on her breath.

"So, who's the cutie in the blue?"

Becca glanced over her shoulder at Mark. He had been watching as his sister had talked with the unknown duo.

"Her name is Kimberly," Becca answered.

"A relation?"

"Nope, just dating one."

"Kimberly. Nice. Very, very nice," Mark murmured as he wandered off to take his place in line.

"Well, well, well," Becca remarked, watching her brother thoughtfully. Then she ribbed Laurie. "You may be competing with my brother for Tommy's girlfriend."

"Don't even think about it. You're slimy brother and his scummy friends are the reason I swore off men in the first place," Laurie shot back. "I'm surprised you didn't do as much after what they did to you."

"Yeah, well, not all guys are rotten like Mark."

"Besides, Kim is all Tommy's. Didn't you see they way they were looking at each other?"

"So? That won't stop, Mark; why should it stop you?"

"I'm not Mark, and I wouldn't do that to Tommy. As I remember he was the only decent kid out of the bunch of us, and your stupid brothers drove him away."

"Aw, I'm only teasing. You're right about the look, though. You know, this could be interesting. There's no way Tommy will let Mark get away with hitting on his girl. Maybe Mark will finally get the taking down he needs."

"Come on; you'd better get over to the receiving line. Your mom is not in one of her better moods," Laurie reminded her.