" ... and so that's why I can't join you on the cruise, Craig. Sorry, but it's just too big an opportunity to pass up."
Craig could not summon the necessary energy to reply to his girlfriend's email, and instead hit the delete key. The chance for Michelle to assist her firm's senior partner in a difficult trial was far more alluring than a week's cruise in the Caribbean, even though the trip had been planned months in advance. But now it was all ruined. Craig flipped open his cell. His sister's partner answered.
"Bad news, Nicole. Michelle can't come." A shocked gasp, and then Craig gave the details.
"She can't come? Sounds to me more like she won't come," Nickie said. "She knows how much that trip meant to you. To all of us. Your sister will be disappointed, too."
"Only because she knows I won't be all that happy. Amanda doesn't care for Michelle all that much."
"And do you blame her? This isn't the first time Michelle has let you down."
"I understand why Michelle, couldn't come," said Craig. "It's true that I don't have to work for a living, but Michelle does, and she can't afford to give up a real career opportunity."
"She wouldn't have to work either, if you'd just ask her to marry you."
"You're happily married, so you wish it on everyone," said Craig. "And maybe one day I'll be as happy as you and Amanda are. But I've only known Michelle six months."
"So what are you going to do?"
"Well, I'm not going to ask her to marry me just to get her to go on the cruise."
"Silly. You know that's not what I meant. I hope you're still going."
"Yeah, I suppose so. After all, Michelle's going to be out of town. I could go with her, I suppose, but she'll be really busy on the trial she's doing, and won't have time for me. So I might as well go on the cruise. But who should I give Michelle's ticket to? It would be a shame for it to go to waste."
"Do you really want suggestions?"
Craig did need suggestions. Not yet thirty, he was already absurdly rich from his career as an investment banker. For five years he'd worked as hard as a man could work, and the hours he'd put in, along with the tens of millions he'd made, had separated him from all his old friends. Sick of the Wall Street routine, he'd quit, leaving New York for good and returning to Canada. At first he'd been exhilarated by his freedom, but of late, he'd felt lost. His characteristic verve had been dormant for some time.
"Who do you have in mind?"
"How about my sister? Louisa's great company, and I know we'll all have a good time."
"Suits me fine. Ask her, and let me know. It's really short notice, and if she can't come, I have no idea who we can ask." It was Friday, and they were to fly out of Toronto the next day for Florida, where they'd meet the cruise ship.
Craig got along just fine with his sister-in-law. Unlike so many woman, Louisa was underwhelmed by Craig's money. He'd learned to detest the glint he saw in women's eyes when he met them, the naked avarice that could render the most beautiful woman's face unattractive. But Louisa, like Nicole, was financially stable, a handsome inheritance rendering them both if not independent, at least free from having to save for retirement.
Craig met Louisa for the first time a few weeks before Nickie and Amanda got hitched the previous year. He'd dropped by near the tail end of a wedding shower at his sister's place.
"Like what you see?" asked Amanda, who'd followed him into the kitchen when he went for a beer.
"Am I that obvious?"
"Your eyes were practically eating her alive. When you come out with your beer, try not to drool over her. You should know, by the way, that Louisa used to be known as 'Louis'. But her name's Louisa now."
"Bullshit."
Amanda laughed.
"Suit yourself. Just thought you should know." Amanda gave him a peck on the cheek, opened a bottle of wine and headed back to her living room while Craig looked for a bottle opener. He opened several kitchen drawers, his mind unable to focus on the search. 'Louis?' No way. Not a chance. Amanda, his senior by two years, had always enjoyed messing with his head when they were growing up, and took particular delight on raining on his parade. She'd seen his reaction to the beautiful Louisa, and had obviously decided to toy with him. But maybe not, thought Craig. What did he know about such things, anyway? For all he knew, he'd met shemales before without ever realizing it. He started going through the drawers again, trying to focus on finding a bottle opener instead of the image of Louisa's tall, shapely form, flowing black hair, and the gorgeous green eyes, the sexy alto voice he'd heard when they'd been introduced, the way the girl moved when she'd risen to shake his hand, the touch of her skin, the perfume she was wearing -
"Looking for something?"
Craig turned and stared. There was a long pause.
"You were exhibiting the classic signs of searching behaviour, I'm sure," said Louisa, her eyes laughing. "You were rooting through a drawer, turning things over."
Craig began to speak, but stammered, his face reddening.
"Let me guess. You're holding a beer in your hand, and maybe ? just maybe ? you were looking for something to open it with." She stepped closer, and took the beer from his hand. In her heels, she was his height, a woman that belonged on a runway instead of the kitchen of a downtown Toronto condo.
"Maybe I can help," she said, opening the bottle with an easy turn of her hand. "It's a twist-off. Most beers are now, you know." She took a swig, and passed the bottle back to him.
"Thanks," she said, smiling. Craig noted the perfection of her teeth.
"For what?"
"For liking me. I like to be looked at."
"You must get looked at a lot."
"I never get tired of it. By the way, it's true, what your sister told you."
"Should she have told me?"
"I asked her to. You're going to be my brother-in-law in a month."
"You're the most beautiful sister-in-law a guy could have."
Louisa leaned forward, and her lips brushed on his. And then she was gone, leaving a confused Craig in the kitchen.
Since then, Craig had met Louisa a number of times, and they always got along fine. There had been no repeats of the raw sexuality Louisa had exhibited in their first meeting. But maybe that was because Louisa often had a date with her; she never lacked for companionship. Craig knew that if Louisa came on the cruise with them, she'd be good company. But they probably wouldn't see much of her: without a doubt, she'd be surrounded by eager men within seconds of boarding the ship.
Craig could not summon the necessary energy to reply to his girlfriend's email, and instead hit the delete key. The chance for Michelle to assist her firm's senior partner in a difficult trial was far more alluring than a week's cruise in the Caribbean, even though the trip had been planned months in advance. But now it was all ruined. Craig flipped open his cell. His sister's partner answered.
"Bad news, Nicole. Michelle can't come." A shocked gasp, and then Craig gave the details.
"She can't come? Sounds to me more like she won't come," Nickie said. "She knows how much that trip meant to you. To all of us. Your sister will be disappointed, too."
"Only because she knows I won't be all that happy. Amanda doesn't care for Michelle all that much."
"And do you blame her? This isn't the first time Michelle has let you down."
"I understand why Michelle, couldn't come," said Craig. "It's true that I don't have to work for a living, but Michelle does, and she can't afford to give up a real career opportunity."
"She wouldn't have to work either, if you'd just ask her to marry you."
"You're happily married, so you wish it on everyone," said Craig. "And maybe one day I'll be as happy as you and Amanda are. But I've only known Michelle six months."
"So what are you going to do?"
"Well, I'm not going to ask her to marry me just to get her to go on the cruise."
"Silly. You know that's not what I meant. I hope you're still going."
"Yeah, I suppose so. After all, Michelle's going to be out of town. I could go with her, I suppose, but she'll be really busy on the trial she's doing, and won't have time for me. So I might as well go on the cruise. But who should I give Michelle's ticket to? It would be a shame for it to go to waste."
"Do you really want suggestions?"
Craig did need suggestions. Not yet thirty, he was already absurdly rich from his career as an investment banker. For five years he'd worked as hard as a man could work, and the hours he'd put in, along with the tens of millions he'd made, had separated him from all his old friends. Sick of the Wall Street routine, he'd quit, leaving New York for good and returning to Canada. At first he'd been exhilarated by his freedom, but of late, he'd felt lost. His characteristic verve had been dormant for some time.
"Who do you have in mind?"
"How about my sister? Louisa's great company, and I know we'll all have a good time."
"Suits me fine. Ask her, and let me know. It's really short notice, and if she can't come, I have no idea who we can ask." It was Friday, and they were to fly out of Toronto the next day for Florida, where they'd meet the cruise ship.
Craig got along just fine with his sister-in-law. Unlike so many woman, Louisa was underwhelmed by Craig's money. He'd learned to detest the glint he saw in women's eyes when he met them, the naked avarice that could render the most beautiful woman's face unattractive. But Louisa, like Nicole, was financially stable, a handsome inheritance rendering them both if not independent, at least free from having to save for retirement.
Craig met Louisa for the first time a few weeks before Nickie and Amanda got hitched the previous year. He'd dropped by near the tail end of a wedding shower at his sister's place.
"Like what you see?" asked Amanda, who'd followed him into the kitchen when he went for a beer.
"Am I that obvious?"
"Your eyes were practically eating her alive. When you come out with your beer, try not to drool over her. You should know, by the way, that Louisa used to be known as 'Louis'. But her name's Louisa now."
"Bullshit."
Amanda laughed.
"Suit yourself. Just thought you should know." Amanda gave him a peck on the cheek, opened a bottle of wine and headed back to her living room while Craig looked for a bottle opener. He opened several kitchen drawers, his mind unable to focus on the search. 'Louis?' No way. Not a chance. Amanda, his senior by two years, had always enjoyed messing with his head when they were growing up, and took particular delight on raining on his parade. She'd seen his reaction to the beautiful Louisa, and had obviously decided to toy with him. But maybe not, thought Craig. What did he know about such things, anyway? For all he knew, he'd met shemales before without ever realizing it. He started going through the drawers again, trying to focus on finding a bottle opener instead of the image of Louisa's tall, shapely form, flowing black hair, and the gorgeous green eyes, the sexy alto voice he'd heard when they'd been introduced, the way the girl moved when she'd risen to shake his hand, the touch of her skin, the perfume she was wearing -
"Looking for something?"
Craig turned and stared. There was a long pause.
"You were exhibiting the classic signs of searching behaviour, I'm sure," said Louisa, her eyes laughing. "You were rooting through a drawer, turning things over."
Craig began to speak, but stammered, his face reddening.
"Let me guess. You're holding a beer in your hand, and maybe ? just maybe ? you were looking for something to open it with." She stepped closer, and took the beer from his hand. In her heels, she was his height, a woman that belonged on a runway instead of the kitchen of a downtown Toronto condo.
"Maybe I can help," she said, opening the bottle with an easy turn of her hand. "It's a twist-off. Most beers are now, you know." She took a swig, and passed the bottle back to him.
"Thanks," she said, smiling. Craig noted the perfection of her teeth.
"For what?"
"For liking me. I like to be looked at."
"You must get looked at a lot."
"I never get tired of it. By the way, it's true, what your sister told you."
"Should she have told me?"
"I asked her to. You're going to be my brother-in-law in a month."
"You're the most beautiful sister-in-law a guy could have."
Louisa leaned forward, and her lips brushed on his. And then she was gone, leaving a confused Craig in the kitchen.
Since then, Craig had met Louisa a number of times, and they always got along fine. There had been no repeats of the raw sexuality Louisa had exhibited in their first meeting. But maybe that was because Louisa often had a date with her; she never lacked for companionship. Craig knew that if Louisa came on the cruise with them, she'd be good company. But they probably wouldn't see much of her: without a doubt, she'd be surrounded by eager men within seconds of boarding the ship.
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