Stepsister

                                                    Stepsister

"You're so lucky.  I can't believe how lucky you are."  Sarah rolled her eyes and took an aggressive drag off her slim cigarette, supposedly less tar for a health conscious woman.  "You've got a great job, a great guy.  I just don't get why you're so unhappy all the time.  It almost makes me sick."
Aubrey sighed, inhaling her Camel Wide.  "Not everything is as perfect as you think," she said, staring like a fresh widow at the sticky bar floor, "First of all, being caged in a cubicle all day is not a great job.  Secondly, I think Jeff has been messing around on me."
"No!"  Sarah raised her overly-tweezered eyebrows, glossed mouth falling open.  She was silent for a moment.  A slight smile twisted the corners of her lips, so slight that Aubrey didn't notice.  "With who?"
"Does it matter?" Aubrey leaned forward, holding her cigarette away from her face above her shoulder, almost singeing her hair.
         "You don't you know who it is?  I mean, how do you know for sure he's cheating on you if you don't even know who it's with."          
"I think her name is Jen.  At least that's the name that's been coming up on his phone."  Aubrey smirked.  "Jen."
         "You've been checking his cell?  Does he know?  Isn't that a little sneaky?"
         "What do you mean?  What's sneakier?  Me checking his cell while he's in the shower, or him cheating on me?" 
         "Yeah, I guess you're right.  Are you okay?  Have you talked to him about it?  Maybe she's just a friend."
         "Sarah, why would he make friends with some girl named Jen who I don't know when we're practically engaged?  I mean, it'd be one thing if he'd been friends with her for a long time, but I've never even heard him mention this girl before." Aubrey found herself yelling over the deafening digital jukebox that had just kicked on.  "God, I hate Nickleback."  She chugged her cape cod, tipping her head back, ice cubes slamming into her mouth, and thumped her short glass on the table.  "Let's play a game of pool."
         
Aubrey stumbled into her apartment at 2:30 A.M., Zeus, her black cat, tripping her as he swirled around her legs.  She grabbed a beer from the fridge and plopped on the couch to watch television.  Jeff was staying at his place, going to bed early since he had to fly to San Francisco the next morning, more schmoozing with a client.  She decided to call him anyways, just to wish him good luck, her fuzzy judgment unaware that he might actually want to sleep.  She heard his ring tone, Nickleback's "Rockstar," and then a woman's voice said, "Hello?" all coy, like she was trying to be cute.
         "Who the hell is this?"  Aubrey said coolly into the phone.
         The woman giggled like a stupid goat.  "Who is this?"
         "This is Jeff's girlfriend.  I'll ask you one more time.  Who the hell is this?"
         Aubrey heard Jeff's sleepy voice in the background.  "What's going on, Jen?"
         "Put Jeff on, or I'll come over there right now and beat both your asses."  Aubrey heard shuffling in the background.
         "Babe, is that you?"  Jeff said calmly, "Are you alright?"
         "Who the hell is that?  What do you think you're doing?"  Aubrey yelled, livid now.
         "Calm down, Babe.  That's my sister, Jen."  He sounded unfazed.  "She's in town for the weekend."
         "What?  You never told me you had a sister named Jen."  She racked her brain, trying to remember if he'd ever actually mentioned anything of the sort.  Maybe he'd said something while they were watching TV and she, absorbed in whatever interior decorating show had been on at the time, might have nodded and said that's nice.  "We've been going out for half a year, Jeff.  Why wouldn't you have told me something like that?"  She slurred her words, her lips and tongue uncooperative.
         "Are you drunk, Aubrey?"
         "No.  No, I'm not drunk, Jeff," she said, trying to sharpen her undulating tone, "Answer my question."
         "I'm sure I've mentioned her before.  She's my stepsister."
         "That's sure funny, Baaabe."  She bitterly strung out the word.  "Cuz I sure don't remember you ever mentioning her."
         "Aubrey, I don't have time for one of your drunken rages right now.  I have to get some sleep so I can catch my flight in less than three hours.  I'd love to fight for the rest of the night, but, unfortunately, I have a huge presentation tomorrow."
         "Yeah, I know about your stupid real estate trip.  I hope your plane goes down."  She pressed the end call button hard three times.  Who did he think he was, trying to pull one over on her?  She knew the girls he'd dated before her were little fake blondes with empty heads, but she thought he'd grown up a bit when he met her.
         She was so drunk, she couldn't even cry.  He was screwing her over, and she knew it, but she felt numb, like a mannequin.  Tomorrow, she would scour her apartment for all his things- his toothbrush, his CD's, his pretentious imported olive oil that he made her use whenever they cooked at her place- put them in a box, and burn them.  She curled up on the couch and passed out, television screen flashing as orange-skinned people in bright spandex bended and twisted in an exercise machine infomercial.

         Aubrey awoke bleary eyed and hammer headed to Zeus' piercing meows, grey morning light filtering through the small windows on the one outside wall of her apartment.  She looked to the kitchen and saw him plaintively standing over his water dish.  "Zeus, go back to sleep."  She passed back out on the couch.
         When she finally arose around noon, she felt much better.  After sitting up for a few minutes, staring at some flickering college football game, she remembered the events of the past night.  Jeff's supposed stepsister was staying at his apartment this weekend while he was out of town.  So many things didn't match up.  If she was a visiting family member, why was she coming to stay with him when he was going out of town?  Why had her name been coming up so much on his caller I.D.?  Why hadn't he told her about her?  Aubrey felt like something was not right.  She decided she would go over to his apartment later and see if there was a Jen staying there. 
After a shower, some coffee, and a cigarette, she drove herself across town to Jeff's, knowing full well he wouldn't be there.  Riding the spacious elevator to the fifth floor, she contemplated what she might say if Jeff actually had a stepsister and she really was there.  ‘Hey, You.  Jeff told me you were visiting and I just wanted to say Hi.  Love your shoes,' nervous laugh.  That's what she'd say.  That was pretty safe.  Unless she was some girl who wasn't his sister.  Then she'd go crazy on her ass, pull out her hair, punch her in the face
         She knocked on Jeff's door, heart racing.  Nothing happened.  She waited.  Still nothing.  Just as she raised her fist to knock again, the handle jostled and the door swung open.  A short, thin blonde woman stood tying a white terrycloth bathrobe, a towel wrapped around her head.
         "Can I help you?" she asked, a blank look on her young, tanned face.
         Aubrey forgot everything she had rehearsed in her head earlier and felt as empty for words as the woman in front of her appeared to be.  "Uh, hi.  Is Jeff here?"  she assumed he was not, but wanted to catch him in a lie if he was.
         "Jeff?  No.  He's out of town on business.  Is there something I can help you with?"  The blonde woman furrowed her brow.
         Aubrey didn't know what to say.  She stared at the woman for a few moments until she could tell she was making her uncomfortable, saw her fidgeting with the bathrobe ties.  Her eyes were drawn to something familiar, the embroidered "J" on the right breast of the bathrobe.  She was stunned.  That was Jeff's bathrobe the woman was wearing on her unclothed body.  Suddenly, she remembered why she had come.
         "Who the hell are you?  Why are you wearing Jeff's bathrobe?"  Aubrey insisted bluntly.
         "Oh," the blonde woman said, nodding her head, "you're the girl from last night.  The rude girl.  Jeff's girlfriend, I guess.  I recognize your voice."
         "Well," Aubrey said, "who are you?  Are you going to answer me, or will I have to torture you to find out?"
         The blonde woman laughed.  "You are insane.  Did you know that?  Insane."
         "Answer me."  Aubrey gritted her teeth.
         "Alright.  I'm Jeff's stepsister, Jen.  I'm staying here this weekend for a conference.  Are you satisfied?"
         "How come I've never heard of you before?  Jeff said he had one sister, a real sister named Melissa.  Where the hell did you come from?  Why didn't he tell me about you?"  Aubrey was not going to leave the doorway until she obtained answers.
         "I haven't a clue, my dear," Jen said sardonically. "Now that you know I'm his stepsister, is there anything else I can possibly help you with?  As you can see, I'm kind of busy at the moment."  She pointed to the towel on her head.
         Aubrey pointed her finger and narrowed her eyes.  "You know what, Miss Attitude..."  She paused, silent for a moment, then sighed and dropped her hand. "I could tell you to go to hell, but I won't.  If you are part of Jeff's family, I don't want to mess things up.  So, sorry if I was a little abrasive."  She took a deep breath and held her hand out stiffly.  "I'm Aubrey, by the way."
         "I know your name.  Jeff told me.  Apology accepted," Jen said, refusing to extend her own hand.  She stepped back inside and shut the apartment door.
         Aubrey mulled over her visit with the stepsister on her drive home, disliking her more with every passing moment.  She never did get a reason from her why she was wearing her own stepbrother's bathrobe.  She was such a snotty little thing, acting like she had every right to be sprawled out in his apartment, while Aubrey stood outside like a stranger.  Jen was the stranger, as far as she was concerned.  Aubrey knew nothing about her because Jeff had told her nothing.  At least Jen had corroborated with what Jeff had said about them being related; she wasn't just some clueless girl who still hadn't left his apartment from the night before.  She was family- Jeff's family anyways.  Aubrey could deal with that.  She'd just have to make sure that from now on Jeff didn't withhold important information from her, like how many siblings he actually had, which seemed like a strange thing to keep hidden in the first place.
         When Aubrey told Sarah about her little altercation with the stepsister over drinks that night, Sarah assuaged her fears.  She told her she was crazy for thinking Jeff would lie about having a stepsister and the fact that she'd been at his apartment when he left on a business trip proved that she was actually staying there.
         "If she lived in the city, she'd have gone home when he left, not stayed and hung around his apartment.  She's using him for his apartment so she doesn't have to stay in a hotel while she's here.  Sounds like she's his sister to me.  That's what I'd do if my brother wasn't a loser and didn't still live with my parents in our hometown."
         "Gee, thanks for the pep talk, Sarah."  Aubrey inhaled deeply from her cigarette, unsmiling.  "But I guess you're right.  I do believe she's his stepsister.  I don't like her, but I'll try to deal with her civilly from now on."
         "Thatta girl, Aubrey.  Be a team player."  Sarah mockingly punched Aubrey in the arm.

         When Jeff got home from his trip, he called and left a timid message on Aubrey's voicemail letting her know he was back in town and Jen was gone, and that he wanted to see her, but only if she wasn't, you know, still upset.  She heard his call, but decided not to answer; she wanted to make him wait a little longer, but she listened to the message and called him back within minutes.
         They went to a Thai restaurant that was hidden in a seedy strip mall on the outskirts of the city, but, as Jeff had told her the first time he brought her there, the quality of the food made up for it's less than luxurious surroundings.  In between bites of chicken curry, Aubrey apologized to Jeff for the drunken late night phone call and for doubting that he had a stepsister.  She also told him about her near brawl in the doorway of his apartment.
         "Yeah," he chuckled, "Jen told me about that.  Sounds like you need to work on your temper.  She said you threatened to torture her."  He reached over the table and playfully chucked her under the chin.
         "What?"  She was not amused.  "She was the one who gave me a hard time.  I just wanted to know who she was and why she was there.  I practically had to yank the information out of her."
         "Ok.  Ok.  Calm down.  Jen is a bit feisty for such a small girl.  I can see where that would rub you the wrong way."
         "Feisty?  Feisty?  Oh, how cute.  I wouldn't call her feisty.  I'd call her bitchy."  She'd had enough of him siding with his stepsister.
         "I said Ok."  Jeff's tone was edgy.  "You don't need to call people names."
         Aubrey sighed.  "Whatever, Jeff.  All I know is that she's your stepsister and that you didn't tell me about her.  I just want you to be honest with me about your family.  I didn't know your parents had ever been married to anyone else."
         "I'm sorry.  I didn't see the relevance.  But I'll be more forthcoming with information in the future, regardless of how trivial I think it is."
         "Thanks, I guess," Aubrey said.

         As they drove through the dark, rain soaked streets to Jeff's apartment, Aubrey asked him about his family.  Steam rose from the warm, wet pavement, hanging under the streetlights like teargas.  He told her that his real father had died when he and his older sister were very little and his mom had married his stepfather when he was in junior high.  His stepfather had a daughter who was a year younger than him, Jen, and they had all lived together like a miniature Brady Bunch.
         Aubrey was satisfied that Jeff had opened up to her about his childhood.  They had uninhibited, passionate sex that night, and, as she was falling asleep next to his loud breathing, she imagined spending the rest of her life with him.  He was honest, treated her well, and had great taste in restaurants, plus he made quite an income as a commercial real estate developer.  As she traced her finger along the contour of his jaw, she thought about asking him about moving in together.
 
         The next few weeks were perfect.  Aubrey and Jeff hung out every night.  They watched stupidly funny movies and shared microwave popcorn from a big bowl.  They ordered take-out and ate cross-legged off the coffee table while watching Seinfeld reruns.  They went to fancy restaurants and drank very expensive wine that Aubrey knew was supposed to be exquisite, but tasted the same as the large jugs of Carlo Rossi she frequently guzzled.  Jeff was a gentleman, opening the car door for her, pulling out her chair before she sat, bringing her huge bouquets of flowers for no reason.  Aubrey felt incredibly guilty for ever doubting him. 
         "You know what?" Aubrey asked, pouring herself a fresh glass of Carlo Rossi.  They were sitting on her couch watching one of the new to DVD romantic comedies featuring Drew Barrymore and some guy.
         "What?" Jeff said, his eyes glazed and unblinking.  "How long is this movie, anyways?"
         "I've been thinking."  She draped her legs over his, her eyes never leaving his face.  "I think we should move in together.  There.  I said it.  I've been thinking about it for a long time, but I finally said it."
         Jeff was silent.  The blue light from the television flickering on his unemotional face was the only movement in the room.
         "Well, what do you think?"  Aubrey nudged his arm.
         "Are you sure you want to talk about this now?  We should finish this movie before it gets too late.  I have another early trip tomorrow."  He grabbed the remote and turned the volume up.
         "Jeff!"  Aubrey grabbed the remote from him and flung it to the floor.  "I'm serious.  I want to talk about this.  If you don't want to move in together than say so, but we should at least talk about it."
         Jeff rubbed his eyes.  "It's late, but alright.  We can talk about it."  He swallowed hard.  "I've thought about it too, but it just seems a little fast.  What would you think about me giving you a key to my apartment, so you can come over any time you want?"
         A key?  A key?  That was it?  She wanted to yell at him that he was a coward, that they should just break up now if he didn't want to be with her.  She took a deep breath, and was about to launch into all the reasons he was a jack-ass, but then remembered her tirade on the phone.  She knew she overreacted sometimes and should probably back off for now.  "A key?  I guess I was hoping for a little more, but that would be a nice first step." 
         Jeff left her with a key to his apartment, a big chunky thing that stuck out on her keychain like a plantain on a banana tree.  He slept at his place since he had to get up early for his flight.  She was glad she had shown restraint and not gotten upset when he gave her a key instead of agreeing to move in together.  This was almost like moving in, but they would still have their own spaces.  She thought about not seeing him over the weekend and felt sad
         On Sunday morning, Aubrey sat in her pajamas, flipping between cartoons and equally animated preachers, who waved their hands and shouted at huge auditoriums of followers.  She sipped from a rapidly cooling cup of coffee, munched on a granola bar, and felt sorry for herself.  She wouldn't see Jeff until the next evening since he was getting back late from his trip.  If they lived together, she thought resentfully, they would see each other that night when he came home.  She did, however, have a key to his apartment.  Suddenly she had an idea.  She would go to his apartment, make a fancy dinner, buy candles and rose petals and wine.  She would wear nothing but lingerie, and when he walked in, he would rapturously embrace her, his eyes up to heaven in a thankful nod for providing him with such a fantastic girlfriend.  Then, maybe he would rethink moving in together.
         She spent the afternoon preparing her surprise.  She took a bubble bath, painted her nails, and spent an hour on her makeup.  She bought thick, red steaks, red wine, and red roses to sprinkle petals all over the bed. 
         When evening came, she headed over to his apartment with her bag of goodies.  She still had a couple hours before he would be home, plenty of time to start cooking.  She said hello to Stan, the doorman, who recognized her, and gave her an odd little nod.  He probably wasn't used to seeing her walking in to the building without Jeff.  Well, he would be seeing quite a bit more of her now that she had her own key.
         She reached the apartment door and set down her grocery bags to find the key.  As she slid the key into the hole, she realized this was a momentous occasion, the first time she let herself into Jeff's apartment.  She savored it a moment before turning the key.  Balancing the bags in her arms, she backed into the dark apartment, holding the door open with her backside.  Once she reached the kitchen, she slung everything down on the counter and removed her coat, glancing at the clock.  8:00 PM.  She figured she would head to the bedroom to change into her lingerie and prepare the bed with the flowers before starting to cook.  She grasped her gym bag, which was stuffed with a black lace teddy and high heels, and made her way towards the bedroom, flipping lights on as she went.
         The door to the bedroom was closed, and she swore she could make out light filtering through the crack between the door and the carpet.  The rest of the apartment had been dark and silent.  She figured Jeff must have forgotten to turn out the lights, probably in a rush before he left for the airport.  Reaching for the doorknob, she thought she heard muffled voices.  She froze, images of burglars and rapists waiting for her on the other side of the door.  She pressed her ear to the door, trying to make out what they were saying, but heard only murmurs of what sounded like a man and a woman's voices.  She gritted her teeth, terrified of what she would find. 
         It took all her will to get herself to push open the door, and she overcompensated a bit, sending the door crashing into the wall with a loud thump.  A small bedside lamp illuminated a scene on the bed that made Aubrey feel like vomiting.  Jeff and Jen were completely naked, Jen straddling Jeff, whose eyes were closed but shot open with the noise of the door.  Jen screamed and jumped off Jeff, and they both grabbed at the covers trying to cover their guilt.
         Aubrey was speechless, her mouth hanging open.  She stood in the middle of the room and stared at the scrambling couple, their frantic movements appearing in slow motion to her.  Jen was crying and Jeff was swearing at himself. 
Finally, Aubrey snapped out of her stupor and let the rage come.  "You fucking liars."  She pointed her finger at Jeff.  "You told me she was your sister and she's actually some slut you're seeing on the side.  You asshole!  How could you do this to me?  You were supposed to be out of town this weekend!"
         Aubrey realized that every time he had told her he was on a business trip, he had actually been setting aside the weekend to sleep with this other woman.  She was furious and humiliated and shocked and felt like collapsing onto the floor.
         "Aubrey, wait."  Jeff jumped from the bed, wrapping a sheet around his waist.  "You don't understand."
         Aubrey thought she understood perfectly and that it was obvious what was going on from the scene she had just witnessed in the bedroom.
         "I didn't lie to you."  He averted his eyes to the floor and spoke softly.  "Jen is my stepsister.  We are related."
         Aubrey was floored.  "You're sleeping with your sister?!"
         Jen sobbed, covering her face with her hands.  "We've always been in love," she bawled, "but we can never be together."
         "Oh my god."  Aubrey removed the chunky key from her keychain and threw it in Jeff's direction.  He didn't even flinch as it whacked him in the forehead, his eyes still consumed with the floor.  "You can keep your key, and your sister, and your life, because, as if I even need to say this, we are through.  You two are truly perfect for each other."  She turned on her heel, and went to the kitchen to grab her wine, planning on heading home and consuming the whole bottle.
         As Aubrey left, she turned on one of the burners on Jeff's vintage gas stove, not bothering to light it.  She knew that he would be lighting his usual after-sex cigarette in the kitchen within the next few minutes.