“Are you ready for this, Princess?” her father asked her. Emerald chuckled excitedly, letting the sound do all the talking for her. She vibrated her head, making the tips of her golden blonde hair dance gracefully on her shoulders.
She had no reservations about leaving the small city she and her two older siblings had grown up in favour of one with much more opportunity and excitement. Her hometown was comfortable and familiar, but it had been her dream for years to move away. Besides, she was a young adult now and was anxious to have the experiences that only college could bring. Sure, post-secondary education was available back home, but most of the malls and stores closed early, even on weekends. Plus, there was hardly anything exciting for young adults to entertain themselves with. What sort of college social life could she really look forward to there?
Her application to the college her sister had attended had been accepted and the fall semester was about to begin in only a few more days. Emerald couldn’t have been more eager. It was surreal to be several hundred miles away from home now, sure, but the blow was softened knowing that she was moving in with her older sister. Pearl had graduated a year and a half previously in accounting and finances, and had landed a job at a local bank immediately due to her excellent grades.
Busy as she was, Pearl and Emerald had always been close, despite being a few years apart in age. Emerald knew nothing would change now that they were moving back under the same roof. If anything, Emerald was looking forward to strengthening the bond she had with her sister.
The elevator dinged and Emerald wheeled a handful of boxes out the door with a dolly. Her father followed her with the nightstand for her bed. Walking down a short hallway, they rounded the corner and entered the apartment. A wash of beckoning sunlight bade them welcome. Emerald’s sister and mother were busy chatting as they put the luggage and furniture in Emerald’s new bedroom.
“Well, I for one am glad you’re here, Pearl,” her mother, Jen, finished saying. “I remember how homesick you got when you first moved out. I’m just happy you’re here to keep Em company.”
“She’ll be fine, Mom,” Pearl reassured their mother. “I was only lonely for a semester or so.”
“And I think you called almost every night, telling me about how you thought you’d made a big mistake,” their mother recalled with a pointed glance at Pearl.
“I’m glad I stuck it out. I got a social life eventually.”
Their father huffed. “Yeah, and then you hardly ever called home ever again until you broke up with that douche of a boyfriend. What was his name?”
“Doesn’t matter, Dad,” deflected Pearl quickly, obviously not content to discuss past romances. “We try not to mention him.”
“Yeah...because we all know how great that ended up.”
“Phil...” their mother scolded him gently.
“Well...it’s true.” He turned to Emerald. “So don’t you follow your sister’s footsteps there. You’re allowed a lot of freedom here, young lady. Don’t abuse it. Call once in a while, even if – or when – you get a boyfriend.”
“I will, Dad,” Emerald giggled.
The pair of sisters soon bid their parents farewell. Once they left, Emerald stared into her bedroom. She was on her own, more or less, and the mountain of boxes and luggage seemed to stare back with an overwhelming sense of duty. It seemed like it would be an endless task to make sure everything was in its place.
“I’ll help you put it away, Em,” her sister offered, walking up behind her. “For now, just relax. You’ve driven a few hours and worked hard enough for one day.”
Pearl walked into the kitchen. “Yeah, I guess you’re right,” Emerald conceded and turned her back on the chore.
She sat down in the living room and looked out their tenth-floor balcony window towards the college just a few blocks in the distance. There was a feeling of indecision as she looked at the educational institution. She didn’t know exactly what she wanted to do with her life, only that she was starting with what she loved. In addition to English, Emerald had studied French and Spanish in high school and had become nearly fluent in each. Her father spoke French and her mother spoke Spanish, so she’d had plenty of opportunity to practice.
She figured she wanted to do something with languages, but she wasn’t sure what yet. She had signed onto a couple of other general study courses. Emerald didn’t worry. There was plenty of time yet to figure things out. Pearl hadn’t even begun college intending to find the career she had.
“Penny for your thoughts, Em?” Her sister’s voice broke Emerald’s concentration as she walked around the wall separating partitioning off the kitchen and dining area and entered the living room with two glasses of wine. She handed one to her younger sister.
Emerald smiled and accepted it graciously. “Just thinking about the future.” She poured the soothing beverage over her tongue.
Laughing softly, Pearl sat on the loveseat against the partition. “Gotcha,” she acknowledged, and took a sip of her own drink. “Don’t worry about it, Em. It’ll all come together in the end. I started off trying to get a bachelor’s of philosophy, you know.”
“I know,” Emerald giggled. “I was just thinking that. How do you figure out what to study, though? There are so many options.”
“Yeah, there are,” agreed Pearl. She sighed. “I dunno; it just sort of falls into place. You have to find out what you have a passion for and what you’re good at and what you can make a living off of. The career that’s best for you just falls best into all three categories.”
“That’s deep.”
Pearl smiled and shrugged. “That’s just what a counsellor told me when I was confused.” She took another sip of wine. “Maybe you could study business and take over the jewelry store from Mom and Dad.”
“No, I really don’t think so,” laughed Emerald. “I suck at sales.”
“Then you can only get better.”
“Maybe,” Emerald half-agreed dryly. “But another generation of kids with gemstone names? Probably not a good idea.”
Peal laughed heartily.
It wasn’t that Emerald and Pearl disliked their names, they just thought it overkill that their parents, who owned a jewelry store, would name their children after precious stones. Emerald had inherited her name because of the vibrant green eyes she had right from the moment she was born. Her sister was initially going to be named Sapphire, but her eyes were such a light, light shade of blue when she was born that their parents decided on Pearl instead. Even their older brother’s name, Jasper, was because of the reddish hue in both his brown eyes and light brown hair.
Presenting another option, Pearl said, “Who knows, you might end up like Jasper and not even finish school.”
Emerald scoffed. “Don’t even go there.”
“What? The oilfield doesn’t interest you?”
“Not particularly.”
The sisters’ older brother, Jasper, had begun his school career with the intention of earning a degree in chemistry. Then, a friend of his introduced him to the idea of working on an oilrig for the summer to earn tuition money. Jasper had accepted the idea graciously and soon the idea of returning to school disinterested him completely because of the cash he was raking in with his new employment. Their parents were initially disappointed, but learned to accept it.
Later, after he had earned a couple mechanics certificate, he began maintaining the vehicles instead of solely performing the lowly grunt work. Although it was vocational training, he had never returned to a formal institution to complete his education. The chemists the company employed were paid even better than the mechanics, but Jasper just wasn’t incentivised yet. The money he was already earning and the toys he was able to buy were just too exciting.
“Besides,” added Emerald, “I’m so not strong enough for something like that. I mean, look at these arms.”
She flexed her bicep, such as it was. Emerald was a rather slender girl, weighing in at about 110lbs and standing at 5’7”. She was into fitness, but not athletics specifically, so although her body was tightly toned and strong, she didn’t have much of a ‘team’ attitude. Despite being fast and light on her feet, Emerald certainly didn’t have any sort of muscular strength to speak of, either.
Pearl laughed. “Well, you’re probably strong enough to do the paperwork in the office.”
“Yeah, no. Not so much.”
“I’m sure Jasper knows plenty of guys who would be anxious to meet you, too,” Pearl teased on.
“I’m sure he does,” agreed Emerald unenthusiastically.
Pearl fixed her eyes on her younger sister. “You need to get a boyfriend eventually, Em.”
“Maybe, Pearl, but not now,” Emerald declined with another glance at the college in the distance. “Right now I have bigger things to worry about.” Changing the subject slightly, she asked, “He still crashes here on his days off sometimes, right?”
“Jasper?” Pearl clarified. “Oh, yeah. Quite often, actually, when he hasn’t found some bimbo at a club to sleep with for a few nights or something.”
“And your landlord has never caught on?”
“As long as it’s only for a few nights at a time, the landlord doesn’t care. It’s usually only two or three nights in a row every month or so.” Pearl raised an eyebrow at her sister. “You’ve got a lot to learn about rental agreements, don’t you, Em?”
“Apparently,” she joked, knowing full well she had a lot to learn about this thing called life. She’d always balked with her friends over ‘reading the fine print.’ Now, it seemed it was a good idea to do. Rent, school, sleep, friends...boys... How was she ever going to balance everything? “I guess it’s a good thing you don’t have a boyfriend, Pearl. People might accuse you of cheating or having threesomes all the time or something.”
Emerald’s older sister nearly did a spit-take into her glass of wine as she finished it.
Pearl always surprised Emerald with her social life. Her older sister had many friends, but seldom had a solid relationship with a specific guy. Despite this, Emerald knew Pearl was no stranger to the excitement that night life could bring. Pearl had often bragged to her about the most recent guy she slept with. She had lost her virginity when she was still in middle school and had had a ravenous appetite for sex ever since. She’d had a couple pregnancy scares in high school, but they had always turned out to be false alarms.
Emerald had no idea how her older sister had evaded pregnancy during her college years. Pearl had continued her life of sexual conquest and often told Emerald about it in minute detail – including details about the relationships she had cleaved because of her looser morals. It wasn’t uncommon for Pearl to seduce some guy who already had a girlfriend. She saw it as a challenge and she either blackmailed them for a bit to call in some favours or simply trumpeted her success with pride just to watch the inevitable fireworks that followed.
Now 24, Pearl had matured very gracefully. She was the woman every guy wanted, even knowing the burn they would most certainly risk. Pearl kept herself in great shape, balancing around 125lbs. Since she stood at 5’9”, the result was a very appealing and curvy hourglass figure. Her 34C bust gave a man everything he could want to hold in his hands without being either inadequate or overwhelming. Compliment that with long, golden blonde hair the same hue as her own, and Pearl was nearly irresistible for the common man.
Even Emerald had to admit that her sister was very attractive. If she were a guy, she knew her sister would be hard to resist.
Pearl coughed a couple times to clear her throat before regaining her composure. “Oh, people already talk. They’ve seen him come in here. There’s girls all over who want him.”
“Are.”
“What?”
“There are girls who want him,” Emerald corrected her sister.
Pearl rolled her eyes. “Oh, you and your perfect English. You got that from Mom, didn’t you?”
“You bet!” smirked Emerald, accepting the accusation as a compliment.
“Whatever,” her sister scoffed and emphasized, “There are girls who want our brother. Satisfied?” Emerald nodded. Pearl added, “There’s even one on this floor who I know has her eye on him.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah,” confirmed Pearl. “She came up to me one of the first times he crashed here and asked me who the hot guy was that I was sleeping with. When I told her Jasper is my brother her face changed from apology, then quickly to a thoughtful look, like she was wondering how to capitalize on his periodic visits.”
Emerald laughed at the story. “It’s a good thing you’re not sleeping with him, then!” she exclaimed. “That would have been hella awkward to explain!”
Pearl joined in laughing with her sister, though the slight delay and hint of gracelessness in her mirth went unnoticed by Emerald.
- - - - -
The next few weeks passed more smoothly than Emerald had anticipated. During the first couple days, Pearl had helped her unpack and arrange her room. Once she was settled in, Emerald took care of the nitty-gritty details about school: textbooks, finding her classes and even locating a good place to study in the library (she always hated studying at home). During the first week, she went so far as to sign up for a couple clubs that interested her: namely French and Spanish. She was surprised how quickly she managed to make friends once she emerged from her comfortable little bubble even slightly.
Her classes went well; they weren’t even as difficult as she had envisioned. Sure, the homework piled up – and quickly – but it was manageable if she stuck to her schedule. Her parents had ingrained into her a strong work ethic along with a healthy skill set of time management and goal setting. Emerald was thankful. Without it, she wasn’t sure how she could have balanced the workload.
Fortunately, a part-time job wasn’t even in the picture. She admired those who could keep such a steady life, but often found they lacked a consistent social life. Emerald wasn’t a social butterfly by any means, and often spent nights on her own (usually studying) or with her sister, but she liked to keep the option open.
It wasn’t until she consistently attended club meetings that any tangible friendships began to develop. The couple students she initially opened up to introduced her to a variety of others, including one young man in the circle of friends named Dennis that she began to have an eye for. He was 20, so a couple years ahead of her in school, aiming for a French major, with which he hoped to become an international translator working for a government or business. The ambition he had was very appealing to her.
The amorous feeling appeared to be mutual as they often flirted the meetings away as they practiced their French together. Every time, the cordial interaction left Emerald wanting more, and she often wondered if they would get a chance to explore something more than just a couple hours each week allowed them.
Several weeks into the semester, she received her answer. The Tuesday meeting had gone like most any other, clusters of friends breaking off to have some fun, Emerald and Dennis ending up in the same one, as per the norm. As things began to wind down, Emerald lost track of time until she looked at her watch and noticed with horror that she would be late to her next class if she didn’t leave immediately. She excused herself and began to dash out of the room.
“Hey, Emerald,” Dennis called after her as she rushed through the doorway.
Emerald knew she was risking missing some of her class, but Dennis’ melodious voice froze her in her tracks. She turned around to see the handsome face approaching her. The elated feeling the surged through her veins made her knees threatened to buckle.
“Hey...” stammered Dennis again. “I was wondering...what are you doing this Saturday?”
The day’s schedule flashed through her mind, but Emerald couldn’t think of anything off hand. “Nothing, I don’t think,” she answered, anxious for his reply.
“Sweet!” he remarked, looking thoughtfully into her eyes. “Hey...I was wondering... There are a few of us going to the nightclub downtown that evening.” Emerald saw a quick look of concentration cross Dennis’ face, and she knew he was formulating a request in French. “Veux-tu sortir avec nous?” he invited, gesturing debonairly with his hand.
The request couldn’t have been sweeter to her. “Absolument! I’d love to!” she answered affirmatively with a giddy smile. They exchanged contact information and Emerald left, running to her class but feeling lighter than air.
The next four days couldn’t have gone any slower. The hours seemed like days and the days like weeks, each longer than the next. Finally, Saturday rolled around. After catching up on a few reading assignments in the morning and afternoon, Emerald raced back to her apartment to get ready.
There, she met disappointment after disappointment as she struggled to find something suitable and flattering to wear. Emerald stood there in front of the full-length mirror in her room wearing only a black bra and panties, looking at the several outfits that she deemed unworthy of the night’s importance. She looked herself over, up and down, too, being overly critical of the figure she saw before her.
She was well-toned and very slender. The muscles on her legs, arms and tummy were defined, though not seriously chiseled. She wasn’t a body-builder. She’d heard the horror stories about the dreaded ‘freshman 15’ and was determined not to fall prey to it. The gym was something she regularly made time for, usually three, if not four times a week if she could. Her skin wasn’t pale, but didn’t have much in the way of a tanned colour. People often remarked about how lovely a young woman she was.
But tonight, she was having trouble seeing it.
She stood there, holding one arm with her other hand, scanning up and down. Even though she was slender, was she still too fat to really attract a guy? Was she too bubbly? Was she too shy? Why didn’t she have curves like her sister? A sizzling hot figure like that would be sure to grab and keep Dennis’ attention. Was she too short? She had an average height, she supposed, but was it not enough?
She narrowed in on her chest. Was Dennis a ‘boob guy’? Was that was enticed him to a woman most? Were her breasts enough at only a 30B? Would he be impressed or repulsed if he saw them? Her eyes travelled down further. Her legs weren’t a problem, she supposed, having the envied little gap between them, but she wondered about the other side. She’s always thought she’d had a nice, round little bum, but now she wasn’t so sure if it was adequate. What if it wasn’t large enough, or what if it jiggled a little too much? Would that be enough to make him reject her?
While in the midst of all these troubling thoughts, a soft but determined knock on the door brought her back out of her own mind. “Em?” Pearl called from the other side. “You still in there? I thought you said you were going to the club tonight.”
“I am...” she called back. In a low voice, she said, more to herself than anyone else, “I don’t...I don’t know if I...”
“Don’t know if you what?”
That took her by surprise. How had her sister even heard that!?
“Can I come in?” asked the voice beyond the door.
“Sure...”
Pearl entered the room and looked at her sister. “Em, what’s wrong?”
“I don’t know...” avoided Emerald passively, with another rueful glance towards the mirror. “I...I just...”
“You’re just not sure about your figure,” Pearl guessed correctly. “You’re wondering if you’re sexy enough.”
With a half-smile, Emerald answered shyly, “Yeah...how’d you know?”
A gentle chuckle escaped her sister’s throat. “Because it’s the same look I used to give myself when I would get ready for parties.”
That got Emerald thinking. “Used to?”
“You get confident,” shrugged Pearl. “At least, I did. Not every girl does, though, I know. I just got to the point that I liked the way I looked and if a guy thought I was hot, he thought I was hot. If a guy didn’t, he didn’t.” Pearl scoffed, like she was having trouble imagining any guy who wouldn’t be physically attracted to her. “I just realized that I have better things to do than to chase after someone who isn’t attracted to me for whatever reason. There’s plenty enough guys who are.”
Emerald smiled, both at her sister’s self-assessment and at the thought of correcting her grammar again. The second idea she let die quickly. “That’s what I need to keep reminding myself, I guess. Thanks, Pearl.”
“Don’t worry, it’ll come if you look at yourself differently,” encouraged Pearl. “Besides, most guys are so horny that they don’t care about a few flaws, and they find lots of different ranges attractive anyway.”
“Really?”
“Yeah! You know what, look at the mirror,” ordered Pearl, walking right up behind Emerald. “Look at you!” she insisted, encouraging her younger sister to raise her arms out to the side and spread her legs slightly. “Look at how cute you are!”
Emerald scoffed inwardly at her sister’s description. At this moment, she’d rather be called almost anything than cute. The glum expression on her face caught Pearl’s attention.
“I’m serious, Em!” Pearl insisted. “You’re really a smoking hot girl!”
“How do you figure?” asked Emerald, trying to mask the dejection she was feeling.
“Well, first off, look at these hips,” Pearl identified, putting her hands on the sides of Emerald’s body. “Yeah, you’re very slender. You’re not petite, but that gene really doesn’t run in the family. So don’t worry about it.”
Pearl mapped out Emerald’s body size with her hands. She had to admit that her older sister looked very comfortable with this whole situation. It came as a bit of a shock to her.
“Slender is good, though. It shows you take great pride in your body,” explained Pearl further. “Your hips are still pronounced, though, and have some shape to them. You can even see a trace of your hipbones, depending on how you’re standing. Do you know how many guys really go for that?”
“Yeah, I suppose,” Emerald accepted passively with a shrug.
“And what about this bum?” Pearl unexpectedly moved her hands right over Emerald’s butt, one hand on each cheek. That took her by surprise and she clenched he muscles in shock. “Oooh, it’s so perfect and round and tight,” her older sister complimented. “Look at the muscle you got in there. It’s got just the right balance of firmness and bounce when you walk. And when you walk, I’ve noticed you’ve got that shimmy thing going on that drives a guy wild.”
A smile finally started to crack over Emerald’s lips. “Really? You think so?”
“I know so! And look at this tummy. It’s so smooth!” admired Pearl, moving her hands up to Emerald’s abdomen.
Her older sister took a step closer to reach around. Emerald could feel Pearl’s breath on the back of her neck and even felt the slight rub of her sister’s round breasts on her back as she kept exploring her body. For some strange reason that Emerald couldn’t identify, it seemed to excite her in that split-second. Maybe it was just the feeling of someone standing so closely, or perhaps that the light touch and hands on her were so warm and trustworthy. Whatever it was, Emerald enjoyed it, and it didn’t even matter that it was her sister who was there.
“Now there’s some tight abs,” Pearl kept praising. “Lots of girls are worried over the little pudge we get, but honestly it’s ‘supposed’ to be there. That’s why it’s so hard to get rid of. But you hardly have it at all. You’ve got a great shape to your body here, Em. You should be proud of it.”
Pearl’s hands kept wandering over her body, finding every feature they could to examine. Emerald enjoyed it, but the reality that this was her sister was beginning to sink in, and she started to try and push back against the soothing emotion that she was appreciating so much.
“Nicely toned legs with just the right amount of gap,” Pearl continued to comment, exploring Emerald’s body as she went. “Nice, smooth arms with toned muscles there, too. A beautiful face, really, with nice, wide eyes and good cheekbones. Great full lips, too, and cute little pointed nose.”
By now, a graceful smile stretched across Emerald’s face. She knew her sister was being genuine and sincere. The flattery wasn’t meant to butter her up, but to bolster her confidence. It helped, and Emerald’s confidence was indeed growing – but nothing could have prepared Emerald for what her sister did next.
“And just look at these, Em!” Pearl exclaimed as she cupped and squeezed Emerald’s breasts, examining the round orbs thoroughly. “Look at these cute little boobs you’ve got. You hardly need a bra to hold them up, they’re so perky. What are they, C cup?”
“I wish,” expressed Emerald, catching a glimpse of her sister’s obviously larger breasts in the mirror. She did envy women who had such an endowment to flaunt. “They’re only a B.”
“Well, you must be on the larger end of B, then, so I was close,” Pearl assessed flatteringly. “I’m C, but a small C, so I figured you weren’t too far off. Look at this!” she squealed with another firm squeeze. “They’re just so perky and firm!”
Emerald wasn’t sure how she felt about this. The conflict in her mind was growing. A couple guys had tried to cop a feel on her before, but she had resisted them. This was different. This was her sister – and she was only trying to help...right? There was a trust to it all, but Emerald still had a degree of discomfort about the whole situation.
Pearl wasn’t done yet, however, as she kept up her examination. “They ride good and high on your chest...” she peeled back Emerald’s bra cups, making her breasts pop out slightly and revealing her areolas underneath. “...and look at those sweet little nipples. They’re small, but not tiny dots for sure. They’re just a nice size and just dark enough to be noticeable, but not too dark—hey!”
Her embarrassment mounting, Emerald finally seized control of her bra from her sister and tucked her breasts comfortably back inside. This whole analysis of her body had made her feel both more confident and yet a little awkward.
“I wasn’t finished,” complained Pearl.
“That’s ok,” Emerald repelled her, raising her arms up about her chest. “You’ve proven your point.”
“I hope so!” concluded her older sister. “Em, you’ve so got it going on!”
“Thanks,” Emerald answered, unsure of what else to say. She couldn’t ever remember a time being so exposed to another person, at least not since she had hit puberty.
“Guys love all this stuff about a girl, you know,” taught Pearl. “They’re not usually attracted to just one part, though they might put emphasis on one characteristic more than another. It’s usually a package deal. A ‘how does the whole ensemble look together?’ sort of thing.”
There was a pause as Pearl seemed to collectivise her thoughts. Emerald, on the other hand, still didn’t know what to say. Her sister’s forwardness had sure taken her by surprise, not to mention the conflicting emotion she was feeling of appreciating someone’s touch and realizing it was her sister.
“And you know what? I think your body is perfect. You might not, but I think you’ve got a smoking hot little body, sis, the kind that’s enough to drive a guy crazy with lust.”
They both chuckled.
“My little sister, a sizzling hot, sexy little chick.”
Emerald smiled and lowered her arms, a newfound appreciation for her body blooming as she looked over her nearly naked figure in the mirror once more. She was grateful for what her sister had done for her, and yet still fighting the urge to put Pearl’s hands back on her own body, just to feel that connection again. It was a strange and foreign emotion to have.
A few seconds passed before she noticed Pearl was still looking at her. “What?” laughed Pearl, looking at her younger sister in the mirror.
Emerald just shrugged. “I dunno...” she muttered, turning around to face her. “Just kinda weird to have my sister grabbing my butt and boobs is all.”
Pearl laughed. “Meh. Get used to it,” she simply said.
Emerald scrutinized her sister in shock. “Used to what?”
“Well, you’re in college now. If you’re going to experiment at all, you’ll have to get used to people touching you all over.”
With quiet hesitation, Emerald looked at her older sister with a perplexed expression. She wasn’t quite sure what to make of her sister’s statement. “People?” she inquired, wanting to clarify her sister’s meaning. “Not just...not just guys?”
Pearl smiled slowly, her lips expanding from a wry, suppressed smirk to a wide, ear-to-ear grin. The silent expression said it all, and confirmed what Emerald would have otherwise thought to be an impossible implication before Pearl even spoke again.
“Curiosity killed the cat, Em.”
Emerald’s jaw dropped as she put the pieces together. “Are you...? Are you a...lesbian?” she stammered.
“No,” laughed Pearl. “I’m not romantically attracted to other girls, but sex with another girl can be really awesome. I was curious there for a while, wanting to know what it felt like. I liked experimenting. I still do from time to time. Some of the best orgasms I’ve had have been when I’m with another girl.”
“But you’re not a lesbian?”
Pearl shook her head. “I don’t think of myself as a lesbian at all. I don’t think I could ‘fall in love’ with another girl, but if me and another girl get into a little non-committal mischief, well, I’m all for it.”
Emerald’s jaw continued to hang there in astonishment as she listened to her sister’s most recent – and, as far as Emerald was concerned, most shocking – confession.
“Me and some roommates got really into it sometimes. It’s just playing around, though, nothing romantic. There’s no expectation with it; we’re just there to make each other feel good, especially if one of us was having a bad day or something.”
“Really?”
“Am I romantically attracted to all the guys I have sex with?”
“No,” Emerald admitted, “I guess not.”
“Exactly! Same sort of thing. I’m not a lesbian, but some lesbian action is pretty awesome from time to time,” explained Pearl nonchalantly.
“So you just...indulge?” Emerald enquired. “You pleasure each other just to pleasure each other?”
“Yeah!” clarified Pearl excitedly. “It feels really good! Guys are brutes, or at least can be, but the sex is good. Well, usually, anyway.” Emerald was still looking incredulously at her sister. “Girls, though...oh! You wouldn’t believe how soothing it feels to have the softness of another girl’s warm skin right up against yours every so often. After you’ve had nothing but a guy’s rough and tough body against you for a while, it’s really refreshing.”
With a grimace, Emerald responded, “I don’t know if I could do it. Sex with guys, yeah. I’m all for that. But...with girls...that’s just weird to me.”
“Sex is sex, Em. It feels good no matter who you’re with.”
“Whom,” injected Emerald, correcting her sister’s grammar once again.
“Whatever!” Pearl rejected, rolling her eyes. “So, yeah, I have no reservations about grabbing another girl’s boobs or ass if the occasion calls for it.”
“Yeah...I noticed.”
Pearl laughed. “Hey, I’ve got an idea,” she announced, running down the hall to her room. A moment later, she returned carrying an elegant-looking black dress. “I’ve had this dress kicking around for a number of years now. I got it when I was back in high school, back when I was a few inches shorter and a few pounds lighter. Haven’t worn it at all recently, though.”
“Why have you kept it?”
“I was hoping it would be motivation for me to lose some weight, but then I realized that I was healthy, happy and probably getting more dick now that I’m a girl with curves than I was without them. I’ve just never gotten rid of it. You can have it if you like.”
She dropped the provocative outfit into her sister’s arms. Emerald looked it over, quickly realizing that it would show off a lot of thigh, a lot of cleavage and most of her back. In fact, the entire back of the dress was a sheer mesh material that would show off her skin very effectively.
“Pearl...” she hesitated, not knowing how to turn down such a gift, “...I don’t know.”
“What’s not to know, Em?” prodded her sister. “You’ll be the center of attention with this dress.”
“Yeah...that’s what I’m afraid of.”
“Just wear it this once and if you don’t like it, you can return it to me and we’ll never speak of it again. Caprice?”
“Yeah...I guess.”
“Alright, then. Just put it on and then come see me.”
Pearl left the room, leaving Emerald standing there with the skimpy dress and wondering if this whole night was going to be a mistake after all.
Moments later, Emerald had fit herself into the dress. It was tight, but not unbearable. She wondered how her sister had ever possibly worn this, given the fact that she was so much curvier. Then again, Pearl had said she had acquired the dress in high school. It had likely fit very comfortably on her then.
Emerald checked herself out in the mirror again. Sure enough, the dress rode high up on her legs. Although she often wore tank tops and skinny jeans, Emerald wasn’t used to showing so much skin on her thighs. She felt a little self-conscious since only a few more inches and her panties would be visible. She made the mental point not to bend over for any reason.
What’s more, the neckline sure plunged. Her bra lifted her breasts, but the dress accentuated them. The low dive of the material showed off an ample amount of her young bosom, more than she’d like. It was wide, too, showing off her collarbone from one shoulder to the other.
Still, the dress fit and it was the best option she had. It was flattering and complimented her young, slender body very, very well. Against the nagging feeling of maybe appearing a little too sexy, Emerald decided to wear it. She left her bedroom and paraded herself in front of Pearl.
“Ow! Ow!” catcalled her sister as Emerald walked into the living room. “Damn, you look good, Em! The dress never even fit me that good. Guys’ll be all over you tonight!”
Emerald laughed slightly. “Maybe. We’ll see.”
The slight insinuation in her voice didn’t escape Pearl. “Is there one in particular?” she asked.
Hesitating for a second, Emerald turned to walk back down the hall towards the bathroom, not wanting to confront her sister. “There could be,” she confessed airily.
“I’m sure he’ll be impressed,” Pearl called after her.
At the bathroom sink, Emerald set to work applying the rest of her makeup. Before long, her cell phone buzzed with a text from Dennis saying that he was on his way and to meet him out front of the apartment building. Emerald finished up, grabbed her purse and bade farewell to her sister.
“Make good choices!” instructed Pearl as she left. “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do!”
“That pretty much leaves it wide open!” Emerald shot back, and she heard her sister laugh as she closed the apartment door behind her. She reached the ground floor and walked out of the front door to the building just as Dennis drove up in his car.
“I was just about to call you,” he said, opening the car door for her. “Wow, Emerald...you look incredible!”
Emerald could feel herself blushing as she sat down. Dennis closed the door after her and hurried around to the driver’s seat. They chatted as they drove to the club, though every so often Emerald could see Dennis sneak a peek at her, vainly trying to check her out discreetly.
It felt good to have a guy’s attention. She felt attractive, felt confident.
The club’s atmosphere was terrific. She’d been here a couple months now, and never had Emerald made it downtown, not even on a weekend. Know knowing what had been missing, Emerald made it a goal of hers to come down as often as she could.
It wasn’t long before Dennis encouraged her onto the dance floor. He busted out a few moves, making her smile and it prompted her to respond in turn. She’d never been the greatest dancer, but instead let the music guide her and did what came naturally. It wasn’t too risqué, but provocative in its own right, and she loved the elated feeling it gave her of shedding her cares.
It wasn’t until she brought herself right up close to Dennis that Emerald really felt her emotions stir. As she danced, her back to his chest, she could truly feel and appreciate his warmth and strength for the first time. Their bodies moved in rhythmic time to the beat of the DJ’s drum, pushing and grinding together. Soon he brought one arm around her and held her securely against his body, his strong hand planted firmly over her stomach.
As the beat continued, Emerald felt Dennis’ hand slowly creep up her body. The higher it rode, the stronger the tingle grew in her from head to toe. By the time his hand softly cradled the underside of her breast, Emerald could feel her pulse pounding, her heart thundering with emotion. Although she had always been the prudent, cautious type, she knew she wanted this experience. She wanted to throw all her cares to the wind and just enjoy the touch of Dennis’ hand on her virgin body. Just as her inhibition was waning, though, the song ended, and Dennis’ hand fell away.
It ended all too quickly.
Although she was still tremoring slightly, she found the courage to look at Dennis. “How about a drink or two?” he asked her congenially. She nodded and staggered off the dance floor with him, already drunk with sexual frustration.
For the next half hour, they hung out with their other friends. Each downed a succession of drinks, each drink more potent than the last. Then it was back to the dance floor. Before long, it was time for more drinks. Another return to dancing. Another return to drinks.
By this time, Emerald was certainly feeling a little lightheaded. Although she had probably had the least amount of alcohol among everyone, what she had choked back was really beginning to affect her. She wasn’t used to such copious amounts all at once. Unfortunately, the resistances of those who had been drinking more heavily – Dennis included – were quickly becoming extinguished. Dennis’ language, along with the other guys who had joined him, was becoming increasingly vulgar and obscene.
Emerald had collected everyone’s money and had gone to purchase another round. She walked back to their table carrying a tray of what everyone ordered. Dennis didn’t notice her returning as a drunken volley of words spewed from his mouth as he talked with one of his closest friends.
“Of course I plan to screw her tonight, man!” he said loudly over the music, just as she walked up. “What, do you think I don’t want those lips wrapped around my cock? Not to mention that tight pussy?”
One of his friends just laughed. “Yeah, she’s a hot bitch, man. But I really think you’ll have a better night with a French poodle.”
“What the hell are you talking about, man?” slurred Dennis.
The other downed another shot that was available on the table. “Dude, haven’t you noticed how she dances?” Dennis shrugged at his friend’s critique. “She’s bloody virgin, man! Anyone can see that. You really want a virgin bitch sucking on your cock or riding it when she had no damn clue what to do with it?”
Dennis laughed off the criticism. “Meh, I’ll bust that pussy wide open, man. Virgin or not, I’ll make one hell of a slut out of her. She’ll totally be my whore by the end of the night.”
“Whatever, man. I’d let her learn at least a thing or two with some other guys first. At least she’ll kinda know what she’s doing with your junk,” Dennis’ friend advised and, elbowing him, added, “Then she’ll be the whore who’ll always come back for more.” They laughed drunkenly at his rhyme.
“Seriously, though,” Dennis asked. “What’s wrong with me having the honour?”
His friend shook his head. “You gotta let that pussy get popped by someone else, man! It’s not worth taking the time. I’ll bet it’s hairy as hell, too. Bitches don’t care until they’re popped. Do you really want all that hair? Like seriously! Sick!”
By now, several bystanders – all of friends of Dennis, Emerald or both – had picked up on the conversation. Eyes darted quickly between Emerald’s hurt and appalled face and Dennis’ impassive, turned back. Everyone looked as though they wanted to say something, but no one dared. Perhaps it was because no one knew quite what to say.
“Like I said, sluts don’t give a shit about their pussy until they get it popped, dude. That’s why you gotta wait,” Dennis’ friend continued on. “That’s when they start to shave down there. After they’ve lost it, I mean. Because then they realize another guy’s probably gonna wanna see that little pussy sometime. So they take care of things. You gotta set a standard, man! Virgins aren’t worth it! That’s what I keep telling ya, dude! Experience is gold!”
“Yeah, maybe you’re right,” agreed Dennis. “Virgins suck anyway.”
“Well, that’d be a good start at least!”
Both Dennis and his friend lost themselves in another bout of laughter. Meanwhile, Emerald fought hard to resist tears coming to her eyes. His friend could tell she was a virgin just by the way she danced? So what if she was? Was being a virgin really all that terrible a crime?
“They get clingy, too. Did I mention that?” his friend added. “Once you turn a virgin into a whore they just keep coming back to try and get a relationship out of you. I once screwed this one chick who was a virgin and she didn’t leave me alone for weeks! All she wanted was ‘to talk about it’ and make something out of what wasn’t there at all. It took forever to convince her it was a one-night stand. That was it! Talk about a living hell!”
“Maybe I should let your dad screw her first,” Dennis offered with a chuckle. “Then she’ll at least know a thing or two and my night won’t be completely wasted. I’ll even be able to ditch the bitch whenever I want since she’ll be clinging to him and not to me.” They laughed heartily again. Their remorseless mirth only deepened the stab Emerald was feeling. “That’ll make my life easier! I mean, he likes his young slutty little virgins, doesn’t he?”
“Don’t even get me started, dude,” the other halted him, looking around for another drink. “Em would be just perfect for him. She’s—” His smile disappeared immediately and completely as he turned slightly more and locked eyes with Emerald. “Oh, shit!”
Dennis whirled around more quickly than would have been advisable, given his intoxication. He lost his balance, stumbled over the chair behind him and crashed to the floor. “Em! Hey!” he grunted as he tried to stand.
Words failed her. Emerald threw the tray of drinks onto the table without any care whatsoever. Nearly every glass tipped over, a few of them breaking. Alcohol splashed everywhere. There were a couple mournful sighs, but the majority of people around the table backed up her protest with angry stares at the pair of boorish young men.
Emerald herself didn’t care about the mess she made. She was so livid that, in her fury and desperation, she defaulted to an insult she couldn’t hardly ever remember using.
“You asshole!” she shrieked.
Without waiting for him to defend himself, Emerald stormed out of the club, leaving everyone behind her. She didn’t look back, not even when she heard the commotion of someone wading through the crowd behind her.
“Em! Damn it!” she heard Dennis call out. “Em! Hey, Emerald!”
Once outside, Emerald hurried down the street as quickly as she could in her short dress. Her heels clicked and clacked on the concrete sidewalk as she marched down the street. Unfortunately, she knew it wasn’t fast enough. If Dennis was really in pursuit, sooner or later he would catch her – and he did.
“Em! Hey!” Dennis’ voice rang out again as he caught up to her. “Hey! Just where the hell are you going?” he asked, trying to pacify her as he took her wrist gently in his hand.
She ripped her arm out of his grip. “Anywhere you’re not!” she screamed in his face.
“Em!” Dennis tried to reason. “You can’t just walk all the way home!” He tried to take her arm again.
Emerald wasn’t having it. With all her might, she swung her hand through the air. Still being drunk, Dennis had a staggering slow reaction time. Her hand came up, striking Dennis hard on the side of his face. He reeled away in surprise and pain. “Oh, yes, I can, you bastard!” shouted Emerald again.
Just then, Emerald noticed a taxi making its way down the street behind Dennis. She flagged it down desperately, hoping no passenger was already inside. Fortune seemed to be with her at the moment, and the vehicle stopped alongside the curb. Before Dennis could react, she had grabbed the handle and jumped into the back seat of the cab.
Dennis moved quickly once he saw what was happening and stopped her from closing the door. “Em...” he slurred in a feeble attempt to make reparation. He stood there a second as Emerald tried wresting the door from his grip. “Hey, I’m sorry.”
“Like hell you’re sorry!” she retaliated.
They stood at a stalemate for a moment before Dennis just gave up. “Well...here...” he muttered in defeat as he saw how resolute she was. He took a $50 bill out of his pocket. “At least take this. It’s the least I can do.” She took it begrudgingly at first, then willingly, knowing it was at least his money she was spending and not her own. “I’m so sorry,” he tried to apologize again, letting go of the vehicle door.
“Go to hell!” she spat scathingly, and slammed the cab door shut. The taxi accelerated and Emerald directed the driver on where to go. The ride went incredibly fast, but that wasn’t surprising considering how irate and distracted she was. Emerald was having a hard time concentrating on anything.
When they arrived at her apartment building, the fare amounted to just over $20. Emerald left the surprised driver with the entire $50, thanking him for the ride. Angrily, she rode the elevator up to her floor, devastated to be in before not only midnight, but well 11:00pm.
“Em?” Pearl called out from the living room in uncertainty as Emerald walked in the door. “Is that you?”
“Yeah,” she answered, half choking on a throat full of sorrow. She knew she had to get to her bedroom – and fast – so she didn’t embarrass herself in front of her sister. Emerald dashed straight into the apartment, stopping just short of the living room and turned, straight through the door, into her bedroom. She pushed the door shut behind her with just slightly too much force. It slammed mercilessly. She had been hoping not to attract any undue attention from her sister, but the damage was done; Pearl had heard the loud, forceful sound and had gotten up from the living room couch and was on her way.
Emerald didn’t even bother turning on the light. She threw herself onto her bed just as Pearl knocked on the door. “Em?” she appealed from the other side. “You ok, sis?” Emerald didn’t answer.
She heard the door unlatch as Pearl opened it slowly. “Hey, what’s wrong? Can I come in?”
With a sniffle to fight back the threatening overflow of tears, Emerald nodded her head, still buried in her pillow. She cracked one eye open and watched her older sister sit on the far end of her bed. Pearl must have been going to bed soon, too. She was dressed only in a light t-shirt and a pair of blue panties. She wasn’t even wearing any pants.
“Rough night?”
“Yeah...” Emerald confessed as she sat up against the wall and huddled her legs to her chest.
Pearl just looked her sister over for a moment. “What happened? I thought you kinda had a date.”
“I did but... Well...it was fun at first. We danced and a bunch of us were drinking...and then...”
Emerald’s voice trailed off as her mind relived the obscenities it had experienced earlier. The thoughts just wouldn’t leave her alone. Is that really what Dennis thought about virgins? She couldn’t believe she had been falling for someone so sinister.
“And...” her sister prodded.
The words spilled out of Emerald’s mouth in one long train of thought. “Then the guys got drunk, and they...they were saying all kinds of things about me, and making fun of me because of the way I danced, because apparently that means I don’t know anything about sex, and that means I’m not worth anything to them, and I was right behind them when they were talking about it, and they didn’t know it, and the things they said were just awful, so I just left, and took a cab home.”
“Well, I think you did the right thing then, Em,” congratulated Pearl. “But what do you mean you don’t know the first thing about sex? You know about sex, don’t you?”
Emerald hesitated just a second too long. “I... Well...I...”
Pearl quickly put the pieces together. “You’re still a virgin, aren’t you?” she surmised.
Emerald took a deep breath before answering her sister. “Yeah...” she confessed in a downtrodden voice.
That was one aspect in which Emerald knew she differed greatly from her older sister. While Pearl was the social butterfly when she was younger and attended every party she could, Emerald was far more content to spend the evening at home and read a book. The difference couldn’t have been more pronounced than in the way they had approached the opposite sex.
Emerald had had a boyfriend in high school for a while, but when he wanted to take the relationship to a deeper level, she had refused. She just hadn’t been ready. The disagreement resulted in a bitter breakup, with the young man mocking her for being such a “prude” and comparing her to what he’d heard about Pearl. Knowing how promiscuous her sister was, Emerald felt somewhat ashamed that she couldn’t (or at least hadn’t) lived up to the same ideal of sexual liberation.
A tear touched the corner of Emerald’s eye as she thought about it. She tried to turn her face away from Pearl, but it was too late.
“Em?” her sister interrogated gently. “Are you crying?”
A sharp intake of air rushed into Emerald’s lungs. It sat there like a bitter lump in her chest. She nodded rapidly and flicked the building teardrop away with a wave of her finger.
“Hey...” Pearl consoled her, moving across the bed to her sister’s side. “I didn’t know that, but you know what? It’s ok. You don’t need to worry about it. You lose it when you’re ready.”
Emerald tried to reply, but the sob lodged in her throat prevented her from doing so. She nodded again instead.
“Emerald, you don’t need to worry about still being a virgin,” repeated Pearl soothingly. “Don’t let anyone shame you. People have tried to slut shame me because of my...rather loose lifestyle, and you know what? Screw them!”
Pearl was smiling widely now, which brought some comfort to Emerald’s tussled emotions and helped her to breathe.
“There’s way too much of both slut shaming and virgin shaming that goes on in this world,” Pearl continued. “Seriously, everyone should just shut the hell up!”
A small burst of laughter escaped Emerald’s mouth. It felt good. The small bit of humour helped immensely to alleviate the pain in her chest.
“Em, if you want to be careful with your sex life, that’s just fine. Me? Let’s face it: I love cock.” The blatant, obvious confession made both sisters giggle like they were teenagers again. “And I think you would, too. But seriously, though,” Pearl advanced, gaining a hold of herself, “why does anyone have the right to criticize how I live my life or how you live yours or how anyone else lives theirs?”
“You mean...I should just tell people to screw off if they sneer at me still being a virgin?”
“Well, not even that. I tell people who try and shame me, ‘You do you and I’ll do me.’ And most people are ok with that. You get the odd religious nut telling you you’ll burn in hell, but I’ve found even most religious people are ok with that point of view.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. I’m so middle ground, I even try to stay away from the demonstrative marches on crap like this.”
Emerald studied her sister for a moment. “So...you’ve never participated in a Slut Walk or anything?” she asked, a little surprised. Pearl shook her head which made Emerald raise her eyebrows. “Wow...I would have thought you had, that you’d be at the front of the line for that sort of thing.”
“No, I think they’re stupid. You can live your life without making a prideful, ostentatious ass of yourself. And that goes for being a virgin, too. If someone wants to wait until they’re married, I think that’s commendable. I think it’s very impressive, actually. Just don’t send a band out in front of you to draw attention to it and make an ass of yourself.”
Frowning, Emerald interrupted, “I never said I wanted to be a virgin until I got married.”
“No, I know,” her sister agreed. “I never said you did, but some people do. It’s not my first choice either, because, like I said, I love cock!” The sisters laughed again. “But if that’s how someone else wants to live, then I’m alright with that. It’s their choice. You can absolutely voice your opinion, loudly if you want. You can even debate it. That’s all just fine. But just don’t ram it down someone else’s throat like it’s the only sane option. That’s not cool.”
“You’re alright with people saying they don’t believe in sex outside of marriage?”
“Yeah,” agreed Pearl. “I’m alright with that. I don’t agree, but I’m alright with it.” Pearl’s stance made Emerald smile. “I figure everyone should live life the way they find most comfortable. Sure, you can have your opinion on what ‘the best’ way is or on what works for them – and good on ya if you want to express it – but to scream so loudly that you outright try and shame someone just because they choose differently is just stupid!”
Both sisters were silent for a moment, letting the intensity of the conversation they’d just had sink in. Emerald had missed this, and she hadn’t realized just how much she had missed it ever since Pearl had moved away. Even when they were young, discussions like this were something that drew the two of them together.
“But I still love cock.”
The two sisters laughed again, filling the dark room with their sisterly bond. Emerald basked in the moment. One of them a virgin, the other very much not, but she felt like both of them were on equal ground. There was no shame and no judgment; only a quiet understanding that both of them had their own lives to live in the way that brought them the most comfort. After Pearl had moved out, her mother had taken on the role of both mom and sister. Now, here, being so far away from home and from the comforts of a life with her parents that she had grown so fond of, her sister’s direction brought her more peace than she could have asked for.
They looked at each other, a new, tranquil connection between them growing ever stronger.
Pearl reached up and caressed her sister’s bare arm with the back of her fingers, briefly looking at the small stretch of skin she was touching. “Hey...you know...” she started offering slowly and quietly, looking back up at her younger sister, “I just thought of something. If you’d like, I can help you relax, forget about your crappy evening.”
At first Emerald wasn’t quite sure what her sister’s words meant. The discussion they’d had was more than adequate to alleviate the distress she’d been feeling. Pearl had helped her be positive about her body in a way no one else could have. She had given Emerald a greater perspective on life after having been injured to the core by Dennis and his friend. What more could Pearl do for her?
Emerald glanced down for a second at her sister’s fingers as they gently stroked up and down her arm. It felt nice, and had it been some lover, Emerald would have opened herself right up to him. Then, the full meaning of what Pearl offered hit her. She looked back up at her sister. Even with only the light from the hallway, she could see her sister’s implication in her pale blue eyes.
This wasn’t at all what she was expecting.
“Pearl...” she hesitated, not knowing if she should resist or accept the proposition.
“Shhh...” her sister whispered, starting to lean closer and closer. “It’s ok, Em. Remember what I told you? About me and my roommates I’ve had?” Pearl gave the side of Emerald’s shoulder a gentle kiss and started to pull her younger sister’s dress and bra strap from her shoulder. “That when one of us had a bad day, the other would help make it end on a good note?” Pearl’s lips pressed against the top of her shoulder.
Emerald started breathing heavily as she felt her older sister’s warm mouth lay kiss after kiss on her collar bone. “Y-yes...” she stuttered, the warmth of someone who cared so much for her overwhelming her ability to speak.
Pearl followed Emerald’s collarbone down her chest with her mouth until it met the top of her breast. Pearl kept kissing her there, spreading a lustful fire that Emerald was unaccustomed to feeling from anyone, let alone a sibling. The inhibitions she had always maintained were wearing away. Whether it was solely from Pearl’s soothing love or from the alcohol she’d drunk earlier or a combination of the two, she didn’t know.
All that she knew was that it felt good.
Making her way back up her chest, Pearl planted more little kisses up her neck until she came to Emerald’s ear. “I can do that for you, Em,” whispered Pearl.
A jolt of pleasure shot through Emerald’s body, the sensation focused deep in her pelvic region. She could feel herself becoming wet with arousal, something she’d only experienced when alone and her fingers would find her soft womanhood and she would rub herself gently. Now, her sister was causing it. Emerald clenched her bed sheets with both hands. She didn’t know what to think.
“Should we?” she panted despite a trembling jaw. “We’re sisters.”
“It’s alright,” soothed Pearl, caressing the opposite side of Emerald’s neck with her other hand. “I won’t tell if you won’t. It’ll be our secret – just between us. We’re consenting adults. There’s nothing to be ashamed of with each other.” The hand slid down and removed Emerald’s dress and bra strap from her other shoulder. Now both her shoulders were laid bare.
Emerald sat there in stunned astonishment as Pearl pulled the dress down slowly over her chest, revealing her black bra. Pearl reached behind her sister and skillfully unsnapped the clip holding it together. Emerald let her sister remove the bra and dress from her arms, baring her breasts. Pearl chuckled in delight as she looked at her sister’s half-naked body and straddled herself over her younger sister’s legs. Emerald, still panting wildly, just smiled and watched her with wide eyes.
“Besides,” Pearl reasoned, laying her hands softly on Emerald’s curved bosom, “what kind of big sister would I be if I didn’t take care of my little sister when she was having trouble?”
Pearl squeezed her sister’s round breasts gently, flic