Sibling Rivalry

Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight

IT FELT GOOD to be driving her car again without having to balance the pedals to keep it running. Mitch came through as promised. He also asked her out again, just as he said he would. She wasn’t sure if he charged her as they agreed, but it still seemed fair enough. It took away her Decades of Rock concert money, but it was worth it to be able to drive without the guilt of Karla’s p*****t plan. When he asked her out, Aimee reluctantly agreed. She was still upset at the display she witnessed from her balcony. Yet, she wasn’t ready to surrender her fantasies of Clint just yet. It was only dinner, after all. She was sure she could keep it all platonic. Besides, she deserved to be taken out, even if only because she hadn’t been on a date in a while.

She tried to forgive her sister for her behavior at their mother’s last night, but Karla was distant and quiet. It was worse when she returned home from wherever she vanished to after dropping Aimee off. When Aimee told her about going out with Mitch, Karla only grunted and walked into her room. There were no arguments or threats about no one being permitted to date both twins. No cries of broken rules. There were also no pointers, no suggestions on how to dress slutty, no tips on how to end the date in the backseat of the car—the car that now ran smoothly. It was strange, because Karla never passed up a chance to tell her how to loosen up. Aimee just stared at her sister’s closed door wondering what in the world had gotten into her. In the end, she just shrugged and hopped into the shower.

As the hot water beat down upon her skin, she felt the knot in her stomach tighten. She really wished Karla would give her some advice, although she was too stubborn to ask for it. Going out to dinner with Clint was easy. They already had a friendship. With Mitch, it was more like going on a blind date. She had no idea what to talk about or how to behave. What was he expecting? He already went dancing with Karla and Aimee had no doubt about how that night ended regardless of what Karla claimed. If he expected Aimee to behave like her sister, he would be sorely disappointed. Most men were.

By the time Aimee was ready to leave, Karla had already left for whatever she had planned for the evening. No note. No goodbye. Just gone. Aimee wasn’t sure why it bothered her so much, but it did. Karla was known for her bouts of pouting to get what she wanted, but for the life of her, Aimee couldn’t think what of it was that Karla wanted. Other than to be a b***h, that is. Oh well, whatever has crawled up her ass will squirm its way out eventually. That was the good thing about siblings, especially twins, they never stayed upset with each other for long.

Aimee grabbed her keys and headed out. As she passed by his apartment door, she thought of Clint and wondered what he was doing that evening, if he was with that other woman. Then she remembered it was only Tuesday. Abigail and he usually had dinner at his parents. She smiled as the elevator doors dinged open. As she rode the elevator down, she thought that it was weird that she knew his normal routines. Yet, at the same time, it had a cozy feeling about it. She wasn’t sure why, but she liked knowing what Clint was doing and when. You are a silly girl, she thought, as she stepped out into the warm evening air.

She was meeting Mitch at a small Italian place out by the interstate. She had insisted on driving herself. It wasn’t like she knew anything about Mitch and wasn’t sure she wanted him to know where she lived, yet. Besides, if the date totally sucked, she wanted to be able to escape as quick as possible.

It was seven before she walked into the restaurant and Mitch was already seated at a table. He kept an eye out for her, and when she walked in, he stood to greet her, giving her a come-hither wave. He was wearing a tight pair of jeans that outlined his special talents for her imagination and a black pullover, as well as a grin that made her feel more comfortable as he helped her into her chair. A Michelob already sat in front of him and he waved to the waitress to order Aimee a drink.

“I’m glad you made it. I wasn’t sure if I should have held onto the car until we went out or not,” he said with a slight laugh.

She smiled. “I always do what I say I will. And the car works great, even better than before it decided to go all haywire. Thank you.”

He shrugged. “It was my pleasure. I’m glad it worked out well for both of us.”

Aimee’s drink arrived and they ordered their meals as the conversation continued. It started out as the normal first date stuff—how long have you lived in the area, what do you do for a living, what kind of hobbies did they each enjoy. She felt herself relaxing as the evening went along, freely sharing her stories and truly interested in what he said. The best part was that Mitch didn’t ask about her sister even once. If Aimee brought her up in a story, he would pass right over it and bring the focus back to Aimee. She felt herself enjoying being the center of someone’s attention for once without being drilled about the best way to get into her sister’s pants.

Yet, most of her stories involved Karla. She hadn’t realized how much her life was intertwined with her sister’s until just then. “You two do a lot together, don’t you?” Mitch lifted the bottle to his lips and took a long swig.

Aimee smiled. “We do. It’s funny. We’re nothing alike, but we’re almost always together. Actually, the only time we’ve ever been apart was when I moved to Gainesville to finish school.”

“School, huh. What did you go for?”

“Computer criminology. I wanted to get into cybercrime, but it hasn’t worked out so far. I’m just a secretary for Benson & Taylor Law Firm for now.” She shrugged a little, suddenly feeling sorry for herself. “Maybe one day I’ll be able to do something with a degree I’m still in debt for.”

“Needed to be close to your family?”

She swallowed as she thought of the reason she moved back home. It was not a happy time. “Something like that.”

They were halfway through their meal when the evening took a downward turn.

“Hey guys. Fancy meeting the two of you here.”

Aimee glanced up and saw Karla standing beside their table, her arm wrapped around Brad’s as he stood there looking suddenly awkward. “Brad.” Mitch set his fork and knife down and sat back in his chair. Aimee noticed that he avoided mentioning Karla’s name.

“You knew we were coming here,” Aimee said. “I told you this afternoon.”

“Did you?” Karla c****d her head to the side, pretending an attempt at remembering the conversation. Finally, she shrugged acting all innocent. “I honestly don’t remember.”

There’s not an honest bone in your body. Aimee gritted her teeth. “So, why are you here?”

Brad reached out and shook Mitch’s hand. “She called and asked to take me out for dinner. Never refuse a pretty lady and a free meal.”

Mitch laughed, ignoring the glares Aimee and Karla were giving each other. “I don’t blame you.”

“So, what’s good to eat here?” Karla sat down and picked up one of the menus wedged between the fat red candle and the salt and pepper shakers.

Brad just stared at her, confused. It was obvious he had no clue that he had been dragged into the middle of one of her sister’s dramatic scenes. “Karla, they’re almost finished eating. We should get our own table and let them finish their date.”

Karla never took her eyes off the menu. “Don’t be silly. We do things together all the time.”

He glanced at Mitch who stared at Karla, his brows pinched in annoyance. Good. At least I’m not the only one who thinks she’s being rude. Finally, when it was quite apparent that Karla was not budging, Mitch gestured for Brad to join them. The other man shrugged helplessly before taking his seat. “The chicken primavera is great,” Mitch said as he gave Aimee a soft smile.

The waitress came back over, surprised that others had joined the table, but recovering quickly. She took Karla and Brad’s order, teasing them about showing up as the party was ending, and then went to put a rush on their food. Aimee felt her anger boiling again. Every time she was ready to forgive her sister, Karla did something stupid. Why she was even there, Aimee had no idea.

“So, how has the date been going? Has my sister regaled you with lots of law firm stories about drug addicts and murderers?”

“She’s told me a little about her job. Sounds like a mixture of boring and exciting at the same time, whereas mine is just boring except for the strange people that come in to get their cars fixed.”

“Mechanics is boring? Please. I’m sure you’ve had many adventures in that garage. Tell me. Have you ever f****d around while at work?” Karla batted her eyes as she sipped her rum and Coke.

Brad shifted in his seat. He looked like he was ready to bolt. Mitch, however, appeared ready to kill, and the way Karla baited him, it was obvious that more was going on between them than Karla admitted. The fact that she had brought Brad into her game meant Karla had been pushed past the point of caring about burning bridges. She had a goal she was determined to reach, no matter who was hurt along the way.

Mitch leaned back in his chair, and Aimee was surprised he took it so calmly. If she was him, Aimee would have already smacked her sister. As it was, she wanted to smack her now. “No,” he said. “Nothing worthwhile has crossed the bay doors. Just people wanting to get their cars repaired. Why? Have you had s*x in a lot of garages?”

Brad squirmed a little more. “So, were you able to get Aimee’s car fixed? I told them you were the best mechanic in town.”

Aimee and Mitch both stared at Karla, who still wore a mask of innocence. Finally, Mitch turned away, his smile back on his face. “I did. Aimee is up and moving around town again.”

“It seems she is,” Karla said with a snort.

“Excuse me?” Aimee spun and faced her sister.

Karla turned and squared off with her. “You heard me.”

“What the hell is your problem?”

“You are and you know it. You broke the rule.”

Aimee’s brows furrowed in confusion. She couldn’t believe her sister was going to make a scene right then and there and, even worse, that she dragged poor Brad along for the ride. “What rule?”

“No guy goes out with both of us. That rule.”

“You ran into him at Sand Dune. That’s not going out.”

“And when he f****d me in his garage last night?”

“Wait. He did what?” Brad leaned almost halfway over the table, staring at Karla. Mitch just fell back into his chair, letting out the deep breath he was holding when the sisters started bickering.

Aimee stared at Karla a minute, anger pulsing through her. She turned and, through narrowed eyes, stared at Mitch. “You f****d my sister?”

“You f****d my girl?”

“I’m not your girl.”

Mitch shrugged. “She said she wasn’t your girl.” He then turned to Aimee. “And yes, I did. She showed up at the garage last night and we fucked.”

“Right against your car, actually,” Karla said, her voice a snarl.

“You f****d my friend?” Brad kept glancing back and forth between Mitch and Karla. Aimee just glared at her sister. “You f****d my girl?”

“Again, I am not your girl. We’ve only gone out a couple of times. That doesn’t make me your girl.”

“But isn’t that what you’re trying to claim with me? We went out dancing and now you feel you can dictate who I go out with and who I can’t.” Mitch folded his arms across his chest as he stared at Karla.

Karla mimicked his posture. “It’s not the same thing. She’s my sister. We have rules.”

Aimee just stared at them, her eyes going back and forth between them. She didn’t know what to say. Karla did some pretty shitty things in her life, even did them to Aimee, but to f**k someone just to keep Aimee from going out with them was just childish and mean. The whole evening was a nightmare. “I need to get out of here.”

“So do I,” Brad said as he stood. He glanced down at Karla. “Next time give me a heads up before you decide to use me in a vendetta. What you did tonight is bullshit.” He glanced at Aimee and offered a small smile. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know this is what she had planned.” Looking at Mitch, he said, “You, however, do deserve it.” Mitch simply nodded as Brad walked off.

Aimee stood and glared at both of them. “I’ll leave you two to finish off your night. I’m sure you can come up with something to do.” She rushed off before she started crying. Or threw up. She wanted to do both.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

“What the hell was that all about?” Mitch threw his napkin onto the table and stared at her, his eyes shooting flames.

Karla watched as Aimee skulked away, shoulders slumped, head bowed. Karla forced herself to swallow the dryness that took over her throat. Her heart hurt for her sister and what she just did to her. The feeling was almost as equal as the disgust she felt for what Aimee did to her.

“I asked you a question.”

Aimee passed through the main doors and out of sight before Karla turned her focus back to Mitch. “I told you. No one dates both sisters.”

“And you just thought that showing up here and telling her we f****d was the best way to end the date? She’s your sister for crying out loud. Don’t you think there was a better way to approach the subject? And you didn’t even warn Brad? How cruel can you be?”

She shrugged, as she lifted her glass to her lips. After taking a gulp, which did nothing to alleviate the tightness of her throat, she said, “Aimee knows the rules. She knew better than to go out with you tonight. No man gets to have both sisters.” She wouldn’t say anything about Brad. He was a male. He would forgive her as long as she wrapped her legs around his waist.

“For your information, I had no intention of getting your sister tonight. This was just dinner.”

“Please. I’m not stupid. If it wasn’t supposed to happen tonight, then you would have tried again if she would let you. My sister doesn’t go out on dates much. You would have asked her out and she would have said yes and then you would have made your move to get into her pants. Isn’t that right? Tell me I’m not right.”

He leaned back in his chair, his hands folded and resting in his lap. “Who knows what would have happened? After you’re little show tonight, we all know what won’t be happening.” He stood and stared down at her. “You have issues. Serious issues. The only reason you came over to the shop the other night was because you wanted to convince me not to go out with your sister. You actually thought a piece of ass would sway me, as if I were your typical male.” He shook his head in disgust. “You need a special kind of help.” Plopping a stack of twenties on the table, he walked off, right hand in his pocket.

She watched him walk away, his jeans hugging his ass as it swayed back and forth. She doubted she would see it naked again, but the one time she did was well worth it. She downed the rest of her drink, slid the empty glass across the table, and stood to leave. People just did not understand. It wasn’t a jealousy issue. It was a family issue. It was about rules that were set long ago and were being broken. Some rules just weren’t meant to be broken. It was a lesson they had learned in high school.

The night was chilly with a full moon overhead. The waves were breaking upon the shore just a few feet away, redecorating the sand as it left new shells and reclaimed others. Behind her, the bonfire roared in the pit that someone had dug, and teenage kids huddled around, drinking alcohol out of Solo cups and stuffing their faces with chips. Some roasted marshmallows, while others were intertwined, sucking face and groping each other. Karla was sitting in the sand, rum and Coke in hand as she stared at the white caps breaking upon the shore. Tears streamed down her face, the reason she didn’t want to be around the others. Some had tried to join her, drunk and acting silly. They attempted to cheer her up, but it wasn’t working. Finally, they all gave up and just left her alone with her misery.

She wiped at her face with the back of her hand, leaving a streak across her cheek. Her entire day had sucked. It started when she came out of her Biology class and headed to her locker. Aimee and she had lockers right next to each other. Like in every other area of their lives, they were inseparable, even at school. They even had most of the same classes. Except Biology. Aimee took that class the year before and so while Karla suffered under the droning of Miss Patterson, Aimee was able to enjoy Physical Ed—with Karla’s boyfriend, Jake Underhill.

Jake and Karla had been going out for over a month. He was one of the most popular boys in school, a great surfer, on the football team, and even Vice President of their senior class. Karla wasn’t even sure why he went out with her. She was only a sophomore. There were far prettier girls who would give their left kidney to be considered his girl, girls without the bad reputation.

Even though she was more a tease than the slut everyone called her, she had yet to go all the way with a boy. Jake was actually her first. She knew she needed to sleep with him to keep him. Boys like Jake Underhill had options. Girls would do anything to be able to say they were his. She was never one to care about things like that before, but this was Jake Underhill. He would go places in life. He was going places now. His family had money. Power in their city. She needed that to get off the path she traveled due to her poor family. Boys like Jake didn’t look at girls like her not to mention dating them. She would do whatever it took to keep him.

And after she did, things began to change. After leaving her Biology class, she rounded the corner, heading toward her locker, and came to an abrupt stop. Aimee was at her own locker. Jake was behind her, his arms wrapped around her waist as he leaned in trying to nuzzle against her neck. Karla could see he was smiling as he tried to force Aimee to turn around and pay him attention. She couldn’t tell how Aimee was reacting—her back to Karla—but her shoulders and head were scrunched together, as if whatever Jake did tickled her. She wasn’t pushing him away. She should have been pushing him away.

Karla turned around and left. She no longer wanted to be at school. She just wanted to be somewhere else. Anywhere else.

That night was the bonfire. Jake called to see if she was going and she told him to go to Hell. “I’ll take that as a no then,” he said with a chuckle before hanging up.

Yet, she went. She had scored her own bottle of Bacardi, grabbed a two liter of Coke and a beach towel, and met up with a couple of friends. However, she couldn’t shake her pain or stop the tears, so in order not to depress anyone else, she wandered off to be by herself and drink the betrayal of her loss away.

She heard steps behind her but didn’t turn around. She hoped that if she ignored them, they would go away. They didn’t. Instead, they sat down beside her, their knees up to their chest and their arms wrapped around their legs. Karla wiped the tears away, not wanting the person to see her hurting. It was futile. Her pain was obvious and, to the person beside her, there was nothing Karla could hide. Twins know things about each other that no one else knows, like when the other is hurting.

“You didn’t come home,” Aimee said. “I went looking for you and couldn’t find you. I took a guess that you would come here.”

Karla took a deep breath. Before she said anything, spewed some scathing remark about two-faced sisters, a loud cheer went up behind them. They both turned and there was Jake with his arm around Donna Huntzinger, the head cheerleader. Karla turned to Aimee. “Why isn’t his arm around you?”

Aimee stared at her with wide eyes. “With Jake? Are you crazy? He was your boyfriend.”

“But I saw you two at your locker. He was all into you and his hands were…” She took a deep breath to calm herself. “His hands were all over you.”

Aimee nodded. “They were, but not for long. When he wouldn’t let go of me, I turned around and, just as he thought I was going to kiss him, I drove my knee into his nuts.” Aimee stared at her sister, her smile cocky. She, obviously, was incredibly pleased with herself.

“But it’s Jake Underhill. No one turns him down.”

Aimee shrugged. “I do. I did. He may be one of the most gorgeous guys in the school, but you’re my sister. There’s no way I’m going to allow some guy to bounce between us. No arrogant bastard is going to bed us both. It won’t happen and Jake Underhill knows it now.”

Karla stared at her, a sense of pride filling her. She couldn’t believe that her sister stood up to Jake for her. She leaned over and wrapped her arms around Aimee’s neck and squeezed, her tears now of joy and not the pain of being used and hurt. “Thank you,” she whispered. “I love you.”

“I love you, too, and no one is ever going to come between us.”

“Never.”

After that Aimee was given the moniker Turtleneck Aimee, because she would not put out for Jake, and Karla’s reputation grew worse because she had. Nor was it the last time a guy tried to come between the sisters just to attempt to score with both of them. Yet, they never succeeded. The rule kept the twins from being played as pawns to increase the notches on men’s bedposts. Eventually, most gave up the chase.

Karla weaved through the evening traffic. Now, however, it seemed to be happening again. Mitch was doing his best to sleep with both of them and Karla would be damned if she would allow that to happen. This may not be high school, but the rules were still in place, and she would not allow some sexy mechanic to toss his wrench into their toolbox. Nope. Not going to happen.