Chapter 2
Aunt Rose pointed at the back door. "Grills on the back porch. How many hamburgers do you want? Two or three?"
I patted my stomach as I responded. "Two. I'm trying to watch my figure." I said teasingly. I walked towards the back door. Feeling my aunt's eyes following me.
"I think your figure is just fine. You don't need to worry about anything."
I looked over my shoulder at her as I opened the door. I decided two could play at this game. I let my eyes roam up and down her body. "Yours is looking really good too." Before she could respond I stepped out onto the porch.
Ten minutes later, as I was still brushing the grill down, Aunt Rose came out with a glass of wine in one hand and a bottle of beer in the other. She handed the bottle to me. "Your mother told me this was your favorite. I bought a case of it. So you'll always have something to drink."
I took it from her and took a long drink. "Damn that's good. Thank you."
"Thank you for helping me out this summer. I know you were looking for a job. I'll pay you well for this summer."
I held up my hand. "Stop! Yeah, I was looking for a job this summer. But you're family. Pay me what you can. I'm not worried about it."
"Your uncle left me very well off. I can afford to pay you for this summer. But thank you for the kind offer. You know, your uncle was really fond of you. I think he liked you the most of all his nephews and nieces."
I smiled as I remembered some of my interactions with him. "I really liked Uncle John. He was always kind to me. And always had an encouraging word." For the next two hours we reminisced about him. Through dinner prep, and then through dinner.
After Aunt Rose's second glass of wine she began to loosen up and tell me more about their relationship. The more she talked, the more I understood how deep their relationship was. "He was my foundation. He gave me the control and direction I needed." She stared into her glass as she remembered what Uncle John had meant to her. "The more he took control, the more I realized how much I needed that." She looked up at me with tears welling up in her eyes. "What am I going to do now? I feel so lost. So empty. So alone."
The more Aunt Rose talked, the more I felt protective of her. I now understood what mom had meant when she told me that Aunt Rose was in a vulnerable place. I could sense her vulnerability as she bared her soul to me. I leaned across the table and grabbed her hand, squeezing it. "You're not alone." I paused. "I know I can't fill Uncle John's shoes. I won't even pretend to try. But I am going to take care of you as best I can."
Rose smiled as she reached across the table and caressed his face again. "Your mother told me you were wise beyond your years. She was right."
I just chuckled. "Mom's are suppose to say things like that." I hesitated asking the question that was screaming in my head as Aunt Rose told me of her relationship with Uncle John. But then I thought, 'fuck it! I'm not going to ignore this damn elephant in the room.'
"Can I ask a personal question?" I asked.
Rose composed herself. "Of course Ry."
"You and Uncle John were more than just husband and wife, weren't you? He was your Dom and you were his sub."
Aunt Rose's eyes widened like a deer mesmerized by headlights. "Yes! But how do you know about that?"
I couldn't help but laugh. "I'm not a virgin, you know. I had a girl friend a couple semesters ago who expressed all the needs you just confessed to. I began reading up on the lifestyle so I could better understand her and her needs."
"What happened?" Rose asked wondering just how much her nephew understood of her needs.
"We were good together for a few months. Then it became apparent that she had some real daddy issues. She ended up hooking up with a guy twice my age."
Aunt Rose grabbed my hand as she responded. "I'm sorry Ry. I know that had to hurt."
I just shrugged. "Thank you. But I was ok with it. I figured if I wasn't what she needed, then I'm glad she found that person that met her needs."
"So what did you learn from your short time with her?" Rose needed to know what this young man sitting in front of her understood about her needs.
I took her hands in mine knowing we were at a crossroads. "The most important lesson I learned from my time with her was that a sub needs to be able to trust their Dom completely. Trust is everything."
Rose sat back in her chair as she saw me in a new light.
"Let me help you clean up this mess before I take a shower."
Aunt Rose just smiled at me. "Nonsense. Go take your shower. I can get this."
An hour later I walked downstairs. I unpacked and showered. The hot shower had relaxed me to the degree that I decided I was going to go to bed and watch some baseball on the TV in my room. Aunt Rose was in the living room watching one of her shows. I was wearing a pair of baggy gym shorts and an oversized t-shirt. I sat down next to her on the couch. "That shower really relaxed me. I think I'm just going to head to bed and watch some baseball."
Aunt Rose gave a pouting face. "You can watch baseball down here. I was looking forward to spending time with you."
I smiled at her. "We have all summer together. I plan on spending a lot of time with you." I got up and headed toward the stairs. A wave of boldness swept over me. "I'll be watching baseball if you want to join me."
The game was in the fifth inning when I heard this soft rapping on my bedroom door. "Come on in." I smiled at Aunt Rose as she stuck her head inside the door.
"I didn't know if you'd be sleeping yet." She said as she stepped inside the room. She was wearing a lacy robe. I didn't know if there was anything under it.
My smile got bigger. "Nope. Just watching the game." I knew where this was heading. I just needed to put the ball in her court. I was sitting up in the bed with my back against the headboard.