By help, he meant I could do it myself. I was fine with that as it kept me busy and away from the crowd. The only downside was that it was chilly in the Closet, but I figured if I kept moving I wouldn’t need my coat.
The Closet, I discovered, was far messier than I’d remembered. Granted, it had probably been a few years since I’d been up there. Boxes were everywhere and most unlabeled. I spent the first fifteen minutes just clearing paths through the mess.
I heard footsteps coming up the stairs and assumed it was my dad coming to check on my progress.
“There you are,” Kaia said, surprising me as she looked in.
“Hey! Here to help?”
This morning, Kaia was again in leggings, but these were gray with stripes. She wore another form-fitting sweater, this a gaudy green and red Christmas one that had the word “Naughty” across her chest. And speaking of chests, I couldn’t help noticing just how conspicuous her nipples were. Damn! When she walked into the room, there was a certain bounce to her breasts that screamed braless. Seriously? That was bold, especially in the family setting.
“That depends,” she said. “On whether I have to lift anything heavy or touch anything dusty.”
I looked around at the room and sighed. “Guess not, then.”
Kaia chuckled as she wandered around looking at the old junk. Fuck, definitely braless, and fantastic handfuls. I’d be seeing this again in my imagination for years. Then she turned and I got a nice view of her thigh gap. I almost thought there was a hint of camel toe going on, but forcibly ripped my eyes away before getting caught.
“Well, I can lend moral support,” she said. “Cheer you on, run for help if you get crushed beneath something.”
“Sure,” I said with a laugh.
Kaia was actually cool, chatting like an old friend. We caught up with each other’s school experiences and swapped a few good stories of life as college freshmen. I enjoyed just talking and learning more about the woman she’d grown into.
As we talked, she did lend a hand with some of the searching. I kept stealing glances at her every chance I got, especially her chest. I knew I shouldn’t, but there were limits to one’s resolve as a guy my age.
“Fuck, it’s cold up here,” she said, pausing to rub her arms. “Gonna poke holes through my sweater at the rate.”
Had I heard that right? I looked at her eyes, using all my will to avoid looking at her nipples. She met my gaze and then burst out laughing.
“What?” I said. I could feel the heat in my face, though, having a pretty good idea what she was talking about.
She smiled. “What what? You know exactly what I’m talking about. I mean, you haven’t stopped sneaking glances since I got up here.”
I could feel my face burning, despite the fact she seemed more amused than bothered. “Sorry.”
“Why?” I could feel her challenging. I wanted to look away but couldn’t.
“Just, I don’t know, not polite I guess.” Smooth answer, dork. But what was I supposed to say to that?
Kaia shook her head, smiling the whole time. “If I was worried about anyone looking, I’d have worn a bra. Believe me, I’m used to getting checked out. If it bothered me, I’d be one miserable bitch.”