The Cover Is Not the Story Ch. 01

"Yeah, I know. It's a girl thing." I smiled and we kissed again. Moments later I was asleep.

Saturday Morning

When I woke up she wasn't in bed. Someone had turned daylight on. Fortunately our room faced the Pacific Ocean and the sun came up in the east, behind us. Daylight arrived but not right in my face. I looked around and saw Sandy come out of the bathroom. I instantly knew it would strike me as strange every time I saw her naked, and that I liked how she looked.

When she saw I was awake she stopped and looked at me. Her eyes were searching for something. I hoped it was something good and I hoped she found it.

She looked longer than was comfortable for me and then she asked, "Last night was a lot about touch. From my side I thought it went extremely well. This part is about seeing me nude in the light of day. I can't read your reaction."

"I'll tell you what I think. I need to be brutally honest with you. You need more of a tan. If we're going to the Hawaiian islands together you'll burn to a crisp pale as you are."

She came to me and we kissed and wrestled on the king-sized bed as we laughed and touched. All that led to more sexual exploration. We cleaned up when that session was done and showered together. We got very clean and then it took both of us to get her back inside the girdle. I made a mental note to carry baby powder with us forever more.

We hadn't used the condoms and only a small amount of the lube. I carried the remainder in my pocket. We drove towards Sandy's apartment and before we got there she said, "I'd like you to stay with me for the rest of the weekend. Can you do that?"

"I want to say yes. I have neither my computer or calendar with me. If we can stop by my place I can answer Yes. If I have something scheduled, I'll call and cancel."

"Let's go!" We went. In my apartment I checked my schedule and I had only a note, "Haven't seen Lee in seven weeks." No appointment needed to see him. No need to call. Folded my laptop and we were ready to go. I looked up and Sandy wasn't in the room.

I found her in the bedroom packing clothes for me. A suit, two sets of casual clothes, my dop kit, two pair of shoes and she was looking in my closet to see if she missed anything. I looked in the suitcase and said, "Socks and underwear." I opened a drawer and got three pair of socks and three pair of underwear.

As I closed the suitcase I said, "Really that's more than enough clothes for the weekend."

"I want you around after the weekend's over. If you agree, leave some or all of this with me. If you want to bring it all home with you, I'll be disappointed but I'll understand. I know I'm a lot to understand and be with."

I picked up the suitcase, took her hand and we headed for the car. One block later she said, "We need food. Otherwise we might have to dress and go out before Monday."

The market I go to was on our way. As we shopped we talked about brands we like and dislike, foods we like and dislike, times we like to eat, etc. In the market we bumped into a friend of mine, Bonnie. I introduced Bonnie and Sandy and Bonnie gave both of us a big warm hug. When we talked she asked if I had been up to see Lee.

""I was up almost two months ago. It was so good to see him happy again."

"Was anyone there when you went up?" Bonnie asked.

"Yes. Megan was there and so was Brian. I was surprised to see Brian. I thought he lived in some other country."

"He went back to Costa Rica yesterday." Bonnie said. "Go up and visit. I know he'd love to meet Sandy."

She kissed us both and left us.

Sandy asked, "Who's Lee?"

I stopped. I looked at her and said, "That's not an easy question. Can the answer wait until we've taken these groceries to your place?"

"I guess." I paid for the food and we went to her apartment. We got things put away and didn't hurry. There were lots of kisses and touches as we played in the kitchen. When we were done I headed for the door.

"Are we going somewhere?" Sandy asked.

"As I recall you asked, "Who's Lee?" Come with me for the answer, please."

"I don't need to meet him. I'm just getting to know you."

"If you want to know and understand me, you need to meet Lee. Anytime after the first ten minutes I will bring you home if that's what you want."

"You're just going to show up? Shouldn't you call first?"

"I'll call." I could tell she was outside her comfort zone too far. The call would be a way of helping her be calm.

I dialed and someone answered. Someone female. I said, "Hi. This is Nick Peterson. Lee there?" She said, "Sure" and I heard her call out Lee's name and the word phone.

He came on the line and I said, "Lee, it's Nick. I have someone with me that I want and need for you to meet."

"Then why aren't you on your way up here?"

"She thought you might be doing something private and not want visitors."

"I understand. Is this serious?" Lee asked. I heard volumes in his question.

"As a heart attack, only better."

"Let her have the phone, would you?"

I handed her the phone. She said, "Hello?"

I heard Lee say, "Nick is one of my best friends. He never needs to call before he visits. When you get in his car look in the box between the two front seats. Somewhere near the bottom you'll find a keychain. One key, a short chain and a heart. It's the key to this house." He paused for five seconds and asked, "Do you like Chinese food?"

"Yes."

"Give the phone back to Nick, please and please come up now. Ok?"

"Ok." She handed me the phone.

"Yes?" I asked.

"Stop at Lee's Chinese. He'll have some food for you to bring to us. Don't pay him."

"Ok." The line went dead.

On the way to the car I said, "We'll stop at Lee's favorite Chinese restaurant to pick up food. He and the owner are really good friends."

"Ok. I wondered why he asked if I like Chinese food."

When I stopped in front of Lee's Chinese Food Sandy asked, "Does Lee own this restaurant?"

"The answer to that is yes and no. Long story cut short is that when Lee brought or found a way to bring his friend out of South East Asia he changed his name to Lee out of gratitude. Both men are Lee. Mr. Lee owns the restaurant. His son and daughter are also named Lee." We went inside and the younger Mr. Lee was waiting for us. He gave me one grocery sized bag of food. I handed him two twenties and he said he was not allowed to let me pay.

"It's a donation to your college fund. One for you, one for your sister." I said. He pocketed the money and thanked us.

"He's not allowed to let you pay?" Sandy said as we got into the car.

Lee and Mr. Lee were in South East Asia years ago. None of us know the whole story but they claim that they owe each other forever for what happened there. Lee helped Mr. Lee get to the US and Mr. Lee won't let any of us pay for food."

Sandy was quiet most of the way to Malibu. I almost turned off PCH towards Lee's old house when I remembered they had moved to bigger quarters up in Malibu. When we turned inland from PCH (Pacific Coast Highway) Sandy asked, "Are you and Lee related?"

"Not the way most families are related. He's not my Dad, my uncle or anything like that. I met him at the beach years ago. He was helping a couple kids learn how to surf and another kid nearby flipped off his board and landed wrong. It broke something and we all heard the bone snap. Lee and I took care of the boy while the two kids with Lee went for help. We've been close ever since."

There were two cars parked in front of the house. They were parked facing out at the street and both had the required U.S. Navy access stickers on the front bumpers. As we got out I could tell Sandy was nervous. I held her, kissed her and said, "Relax. He may not be my uncle or my Dad but I trust him completely. I love you and he will love you too."

It was as if I could hear her thinking, "But he doesn't know I have a dick!"

I said, "He wouldn't care if you had two dicks."

Sandy didn't laugh. I propelled us to the door, turned the knob and walked in. We turned to the right from the entryway into the kitchen-family room. One end of the big table was set for six people. Farther into the family room I saw Lee, Connie, Megan and Kat. The core of the family, almost. Pam was probably on duty as a nurse on the Navy base at Point Mugu.

They all stood and welcomed us with hugs and kisses all around. Lee was his gracious self and had Sandy sit at the end of the table where she could be closest to everyone. Kat served the food from the paper containers and the getting-to-know-you started as we ate.

Kat asked, "So how did you meet?" She looked at me as she asked.

Before I could answer Lee said, "I'd rather hear Sandy's version, if that's Ok. The few words she's said sounded so good I want more."

I waved to Sandy, surrendering the floor. She blushed at little and said, "We met in a bookstore. I was looking for a book that had been recommended to me and Nick was standing in the aisle holding it in his hands. It was kind of embarrassing. It was the only copy they had. I asked him if he was going to buy it and he said he was. I said I'd ask if they could order a copy for me and he said he'd give it to me as a gift."

Kat smiled and touched my hand. Sandy went on, "I said I could buy my own. I didn't want to start something with a man I didn't know with him thinking for less than ten dollars he'd have the upper hand on me."

Connie said, "That you-owe-me attitude has always bugged me, too."

"He handed me the book and said, "Ok. Here's the book. I know you'll love it. I've given copies of it away at least five times. Since you won't let me give it to you, maybe you'll buy me a beverage?" It totally blew me away! He was giving me the upper hand! I think I stammered and acted weird, but I bought the book and we got drinks at the juice bar next door to the bookstore. On the way to the juice bar I fell and skinned my knee. Nick got his first-aid kit from his car and bandaged my knee. We talked for a while and he asked me out. I said yes."

Lee asked, "What was the name of the book?"

"Stranger in a Strange Land, by..."

Everyone at the table said, "Robert A. Heinlein."

Sandy looked surprised and asked, "You're all familiar with the book?"

Connie answered, "I think everyone in the family is familiar with the book. Many of the ideas in RAH's books are living here with us."

"Rah?" Sandy asked.

"RAH is short for Robert A. Heinlein. They are his initials. I'm sorry. I use short-speak sometimes."

"No apology needed. "Stranger in a Strange Land" is the first of his books I've ever read. I have mostly avoided science fiction my whole life. I got the idea it was written by and for boys. RAH is changing my mind."

Sandy had relaxed. The conversation had turned away from her. Lee brought it back.

"Sandy, when you read about Michael's family what did you think of it?"

"I wondered if people could learn to live and love like that. I thought it would be great to have the love and support that a big family, a family of ... of intention could give and receive."

"That is the intention of this family." Kat said. "Except we don't intend to die like Michael did."

Sandy looked at each of us without speaking. Then she asked, "Have I just been recruited into a cult?"

"Yes!" Lee answered. "If I said no you wouldn't believe me. So by some definition of the word cult, we are one. But we're so poorly organized that as a cult meant to make someone rich or give them power we're a failure. If my memory serves me, cult means a religious group, an idolization of someone or some thing, a system of supernatural beliefs or an elite group. We aren't even an elite group. Membership is easy. No application to fill out, no dues to pay."

"So how does someone get in?"

"Say you're in." Connie said. "That's the easy part. Something gets us to the place in our lives where the idea of loving freely makes more sense to us than any of the other ways of living. We say, Ok, I'm going to love. Then the tough part shows up. Living it. In theory loving people is easy. But loving the asshole who cuts in front of you on the freeway and then slows down is the tough part. We all aim at loving him and not being him and we support each other in that effort."

"Speaking of support, would you pass me the rice please?" Kat asked.

Sandy said, "I want in and I'm afraid."

"Of?" Lee asked.

"I may be the person who cut you off on the freeway."

Connie said, "Because you have a tattoo on your back of the Grateful Dead? You've done drugs, been a hooker?"

"No. I'm not what I appear to be."

Kat looked at me and asked, "Do you love her?"

"Yes! I love her and want her next to me, with me, for the rest of my life."

Kat turned to Sandy and said, "If he can love you I can too. In fact I decided to love you when Nick called an hour ago. I didn't need to meet you, hug you know what color your eyes were. All I wanted to know was what Nick said."

Megan had been quiet for a long time. She spoke up. "There are a lot of things going on in this family that most people would be freaked out about. You know Lee is my Dad, right?" Sandy nodded.

"I love him. I started loving him as his daughter when I was a baby. As I grew and compared him to the boys and men I knew, they fell short. Five years after Mom died I stopped pretending and told Dad I loved him, as a woman can love a man. I love him now as a woman loves a man, as a daughter loves her Daddy and loving him has helped me to love Connie, Kat, Nick and every other member of the family."

"I hate to be crude, but are you saying you have sex with him?"

"Yes. Sex can be an expression of love, affection and connection. In the family we share that expression freely." Megan looked directly into Sandy's eyes as she spoke.

"I'm done." Sandy said. "I want this, more than I can explain but..."

I spoke, "But you've spent your entire life afraid that when people found out about you they would scream and run away. Afraid that you didn't belong. That may well be true in Nebraska, Florida, Japan or anywhere except in this family. I know who you are and I love you. Close your eyes and remember how close we've been in the last couple of days."

I waited a few seconds and said, "If you choose, I'll take you home and we can make plans together. Move in, share our lives and love. I'll offer you the chance to come here and be with the family often. The choice will always be yours. Marry me, live with me, I love you either way. Marry the family and you get all of us. Kat will be your sister, co-wife and aunt as will Connie, Bonnie, Rina, Pam and Megan. Lee will be your husband, uncle, brother, protector and so will Brian, Pete, Abe and a few others."

"What about you? Will you be my husband?"

"Husband, best friend, lover, brother, whatever word or label you want. My goal is to have your life be better every day with me in it than it ever was before we met."

Sandy said, "I believe you." Tears ran down her cheeks and fell to her chest. "I accept, I think. Your reaction to finding out the truth about me will decide if I can stay."

I wondered what she would do. She stood up and stepped back from the table. She said, "Six people in my life have seen me naked; My Mom, my Dad when I was really young, my doctor, two guys I dated in college and Nick. By the time I was five my Dad ran away. He couldn't stand to look at me."

She pulled the shirt up and off her slender frame. Her light blue bra gently held her breasts. Megan stood and her shirt came up and off. Her beautiful breasts were bare. Connie and Kat stood and bared their chests too. Connie said, "My right breast is bigger than the left. I always thought I was deformed."

Sandy released her bra and it fell to the floor. She started work at the button and zipper of her skirt. I stood and pulled my shirt off. Lee followed my lead. He said, "I don't have much hair. As a teen I thought you had to have lots of hair to be a real man. I wore t-shirts even when I went swimming."

Sandy dropped the skirt and Connie said, "Oh Honey, isn't that uncomfortable?"

"I'm used to it." Sandy said. "If I don't wear it someone might see that I have a penis."

"Can I help you get out of that thing?" Megan asked. Her tone showed she was not at all put off by Sandy having a penis, it was the girdle she didn't like.

"You don't understand!" Sandy said. "I've got a penis and tits! I've got a penis and a pussy! I'm a freak!" Her voice was almost a scream. She was nearly in panic mode.

I dropped my pants and briefs. All eyes went to my semi-hard penis. I said, "I'm a freak. My fiancé has a bigger dick than I do."

Sandy couldn't stop herself she started laughing. Connie and Megan went to Sandy and started working at getting her free of the girdle. Kat stepped in front of Sandy and held her face in her hands and they kissed. When the kiss ended the three cocks in the room were hard. Megan looked up at Sandy and asked, "Can I suck you, please?"

Sandy nodded a little and watched as Megan slowly and sensually took her cock into her mouth. Kat came to Lee and dropped to her knees and sucked him in. Connie asked me, "May I suck you, please?"

I looked at Sandy and she said, "It's all in the family."

Connie sucked and after a few minutes Connie released me and stood up. She stepped to Megan and moved her off Sandy's cock. "I want a turn." Connie said.

Megan moved to Lee and displaced Kat on his cock. Kat came to me. Sandy watched and felt and the look on her face said she was in awe. The sounds of three couples slurping and moaning filled the dining area.

I kept wondering how Sandy was doing, in her head. I was enjoying Kat's ministering to me but I was really worried about Sandy. I glanced at Lee and he winked at me. His hands helped Megan back off his cock and Lee walked to Sandy.

He straddled Connie and kissed Sandy's mouth. When the kiss ended he said, "Sandy, I love you. May I suck your cock?"

"Yes! Oh yes!"

Connie moved out of the way and Lee kissed his way down Sandy's body to her cock and swallowed most of it. He sucked and stroked Sandy until she cried out and shot her load into his mouth. His hands held her hips to steady her. When she was wilting Lee stood up and kissed her again. That was the moment when I realized I had cum when Sandy did. Kat swallowed everything I gave her and stood up for a kiss.

It wasn't hurried. When it ended I felt someone else touching me. It was Sandy. We embraced from toes to nose and we kissed. Our cocks touched and she said, "If we can get you hard again, would you fuck me, please?"

"We?" I asked. Her lips touched mine as another mouth swallowed my cock and began convincing my anatomy to give the lady what she wanted.

It didn't take long. Sandy was really hot and anxious for me as someone had been at each of her breasts while we kissed. Whoever sucked me alternated between sucking me and sucking Sandy.

When I was hard enough to penetrate her, Kat cleared a space on the table and Sandy put herself on the table, on her back. Kat dove in and used lots of saliva to lubricate Sandy's pussy. When I wasn't willing to wait any longer I tapped Kat on the shoulder and asked, "May I cut in?"

Kat moved and I moved in. I stroked into Sandy and we began. I watched as we mated and the sight was erotic and the emotions in the room were like we were in a pool, swimming in the love. The affection. The acceptance. I closed my eyes and heard Sandy moan.

When I looked Lee was sucking on one of Sandy's tits and Connie was at the other one.

Sandy said, "Cum in me, Nick! Cum in me!"

I felt my ass being probed and a finger pushed inside. The tide rose and all the sperm I had rushed out of me and into Sandy. I did my bellowing moose imitation and almost collapsed. Hands helped me stay standing.