Judy sat across from her mother at the table, eating her breakfast. Her mom sipped her coffee while watching her daughter. It was easy to see something was bothering her.

“What’s up? You look upset about something,” Betty said.

Judy shrugged her shoulders as she stared into her bowl of cereal. Betty waited a moment and said, “Well, you’re clearly upset.”

“My life sucks!” Judy said.

“What happened now?”

Betty had listened to her daughter complaining about things for the past few years. She knew Judy suffered from low self-esteem and was unhappy with her appearance. Since she started high school, Judy whined about the fact none of the boys she knew ever asked her out.

Judy wasn’t homely, but she wasn’t pretty either. Her round face, pudgy nose, and thick dark wavy hair made her look unattractive, at least in her eyes. She also carried a few extra pounds. In school, the other kids teased her and made fun of the way she looked.

“I went to a party with Kim last Saturday night. Everyone was making out and having fun. As usual, no one paid any attention to me. I sat in the corner, watching like a bump on a log.”

Betty nodded and said, “As I’ve said before, you have to be more outgoing. Boys aren’t going to ask you out if you sulk all the time.”

Mark sat in the living room, putting on his work boots. He shook his head as he listened to his sister’s harping about her lack of a social life. Like their mother, he’d heard it before, and it was becoming exhausting.

“I don’t sulk, Mom. Do you know I’ve never been on a date? Do you know I’ve never made out with a boy or had one feel me up? I’m going to be nineteen,” Judy said. Her anger was apparent.

Betty nodded and tried to be empathetic, but she was tired of hearing about her daughter’s woes. “I don’t know what to tell you, Judy. Do you really feel the fact you haven’t made out with a boy is a problem?”

“Yes, I think it’s a big problem.”

Shaking his head, Mark got up from the couch and walked into the kitchen. He moved to his sister, tilted her head back, and pressed his mouth to hers. When Judy gasped, her brother shoved his tongue into her mouth. He put his hand on one of her breasts and gently kneaded her full mound.

Standing up, Mark chuckled and said, “There, problem solved! I’m going to work,”

Betty laughed as she looked at her daughter sitting with her eyes and mouth wide open.

“MOM! Don’t laugh at me. Did you see what Mark did? He kissed me and grabbed my boob!”

It took a moment for Betty to regain her composure. She continued chuckling and shook her head.

“Yes, I saw what your brother did.”

“You’re going to say something to him, aren’t you? You should ground him!” Judy said.

“Judy, your brother’s almost twenty-one. No, I’m not going to ground him or say anything to him. You two have to work this out between you.” Betty smiled. “It isn’t the end of the world, you know.”

“He grabbed my boob!” Judy repeated.

“Well, you were complaining about the fact no one ever felt you up before. Besides, what did Mark feel? You’re wearing a shirt and a bra.”

“He’s my brother and brothers aren’t supposed to do things like he did to their sisters. How would you feel if Uncle Bob did it to you?”

“Honey, your Uncle used to do things like your brother did when we were younger. Do you remember when you got your first bra?” Judy nodded. “Do remember your brother snapping your bra strap?”

“Yes, but I was only eleven and didn’t really have breasts.”

“True, but you sure took great pride in prancing around the house in your training bra. You wanted everyone to know you wore one,” Betty said.

Grinning, Judy nodded. She remembered how she would walk around in her bra whenever she could after she received it. Mark took great joy in snapping her bra strap and making comments about her ‘bee stings.’

Judy calmed down and drank some of her coffee. “What did Uncle Bob do to you?”

“He snapped my bra strap and grabbed me when he could. When we used to wrestle, he grabbed my breasts every chance he got,” Betty said. She chuckled again. “Frankly, I’m surprised your brother never tried anything with you when you two were younger.”

Shaking her head, Judy said, “I guess he’s like every other boy and thinks I’m disgusting.”

Betty saw tears forming in her daughter’s eyes. “Maybe your brother cares about you and wouldn’t do anything to hurt or upset you.”

Judy shrugged her shoulders. She took her dishes to the sink, rinsed them, and put them in the dishwasher.

“We better get going, so we’re not late for work,” Judy said.

Betty got up and followed her daughter to the car. She drove to the office where the two of them worked. Betty’s brother Bob owned a construction company. She and Judy worked in the office. Mark worked as a carpenter for the company.

As she drove, Betty thought about her teen years and her brother. She and Bob grew up on the family farm. Their parents made a decent living, but farm life was hard and not something she or her brother wanted to do for a living.

After graduating from high school, Bob joined the service. When he got out, he went to work in construction. Judy met Frank in high school and married him as soon as they could after graduation. Six months after the small wedding, Mark was born. Like her family, Frank’s family farmed. They lived with Frank’s parents for a few years but left after Judy was born.

Frank found a factory job in the city, and they rented a small house. Things went well for the next five years, but then Frank started an affair with a woman he met at the factory. The marriage lasted about another year before Betty packed up her kids and moved. Bob helped her find a house and gave her a job at his new company.

Judy stared out the window. She thought about what her brother did, but also what her mother said.

“What did you do when Uncle Bob felt you up?” Judy said.

Smiling, Betty said, “Nothing really. It wasn’t a big deal.”

“Did you two ever fool around?” Judy asked.

Betty took a deep breath and thought about her answer. “Uncle Bob and I were close when we were your age, but we never did any more than what I told you. After high school, he joined the service and left the farm. I got married as soon as I got out of school.”

Judy was about to press the issue, but her mom pulled into the parking lot. She quickly got out of the car and walked toward the building. Judy opened her door and got out, tugging her shorts down.

Betty went to her desk, put her purse in a drawer, and went to get coffee. With her cup in hand, she went to Bob’s office to tell her brother good morning.

Bob got up from his desk and greeted his sister. She moved closer to him and said, “You wouldn’t believe what Mark did this morning,” as she hugged her brother.

Bob laughed as Betty told him about the exchange between Judy and Mark. By the time she finished, she was laughing too.

“What did Judy do after he did it?” Bob said.

“Once she got over the shock, she told me I should ground Mark.”

Bob was well aware of Judy’s issues. Betty talked to him about her daughter often, depending on her brother to offer his opinion.

“I told Judy it wasn’t the end of the world. She asked me if we ever fooled around when we were younger.”

Smiling, Bob said, “What did you tell her?”

“I told her you used to snap my bra strap and grabbed my tits when we wrestled.” Betty laughed. “I didn’t mention I encouraged you.”

Bob put his hand on his sister’s ass, gave her a squeeze, and said, “You still do.”

“Yup, and you love it,” Betty said. She put her hand between his legs and massaged him.

Making sure no one could see them, Bob and Betty shared a tender kiss.

“We better get to work before someone sees us,” Bob said.

Betty nodded and said, “I know, but you know what I’d really like, don’t you?”

“No more than I do. Maybe we can get together tonight. I’ll take you to dinner.”

Smiling, Betty nodded. “Dinner sounds great.” She rubbed his crotch. “I’ll have you for dessert.”

Bob and Betty chuckled and then separated. He returned to his desk, adjusting himself before sitting down.

Betty left her brother’s office and went to her desk. She began going over the accounts payable, preparing them for payment. She glanced at her daughter, watching her answer the phones.

When it was time for lunch, Judy and Betty went to the break room. They sat at a table eating the salads they brought from home. Like most days, they were alone in the office. Bob left earlier to visit a couple of the job sites.

“Are you still upset with your brother?” Betty said.

Judy shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t know if I am or not. I still can’t believe the pervert grabbed my boob.”

Betty tried not to chuckle. “I think you’ll live. Don’t do anything stupid.”

“Like what?”

“Yelling at Mark won’t serve any purpose. If I were you, I’d forget it,” Betty said.

Judy nodded and picked at her salad. She thought about what happened and started smiling. When Betty asked what she found funny, Judy said, “You’re right, it isn’t the end of the world. My brother has always been a jokester.”

“Maybe he got tired of listening to you complain. You’ve been bitching about the way you look and the fact no one asks you out for years. What happened to the boy who took you to the prom?”

“Greg?”

Betty nodded. “You said you had a nice time when he took you.”

“It was okay, but it didn’t turn out the way I planned,” Judy said.

“Why? What did you have planned?”

Shrugging her shoulders, Judy said, “I kind of thought he would ask me out again. I thought he liked me. It turned out he took me because he wanted everyone to think he’s straight.”

Judy didn’t tell her mom she found out Greg was gay until after the dance. She hoped he would take her parking and they would fool around. Three months before the prom, she went to the clinic to get a prescription for birth control. Had things worked out, she wouldn’t be a virgin.

By the end of the day, Judy was over being upset with her brother. She decided she wouldn’t yell at him as she’d planned.

“I’m going to dinner with Uncle Bob tonight,” Betty as she drove home after work.

“Maybe I’ll call Kim and see if she wants to do something,” Judy replied.

“If I don’t see him, let Mark know what’s going on. I think his crew is working overtime tonight.”

Judy nodded. “I’ll text him before I go out.”

When Betty and Judy arrived home, they went into the house to get ready. Judy called her friend Kim and agreed to meet her at a local restaurant. She went to her room and started getting ready to go out.

After removing her clothes, Judy went to her bathroom to shower. As she washed her breasts, she chuckled, remembering what her brother did to her. Everything happened so fast she didn’t realize what her brother did until he was walking out the door.

Judy dressed and fixed her hair. She applied her makeup and headed to the living room. Walking to the other side of the split ranch house, she tapped on her mom’s bedroom door.

Betty opened her door, and Judy said, “I’m taking off. I texted Mark and told him we weren’t going to be home for dinner.”

“Thanks, have a good time. I’ll see you later,” Betty said.

Judy met her friend, Kim at the restaurant. They found a booth and sat across from one another. Kim told Judy about her job, saying how much she liked working at the department store. Judy talked about her work and the things she did for her uncle’s company.

“So, how’s your cute brother doing?” Kim said.

“Mark is fine. He’s a jerk as usual. You wouldn’t believe what the pervert did to me this morning,” Judy said.

“What did he do?” Kim asked between bites of food.

“I was sitting at the table talking to my mom. I told her about the party and how no one paid any attention to me. Mark came into the kitchen, kissed me, and grabbed my boob,” Judy said.

Kim laughed and said, “Brothers can be grabby, can’t they?”

“I don’t know. It was the first time Mark ever did anything like that to me. He snapped my bra strap when I started wearing one, but it was years ago. Mom said her brother used to grab her boobs when they goofed around. Has your brother ever felt you up?”

Shrugging her shoulders, Kim smiled and then nodded. “Dave was the first boy to touch my breasts. He thought it was funny to come up behind me and grab them.”

“Really? What did you do?”

“I’d call him a pervert and act as if I didn’t like it.”

“Did you like it when he grabbed you? Isn’t it weird to have your brother feeling you up?”

Once again, Kim shrugged her shoulders. She thought about her relationship with her brother but didn’t reply to Judy’s question. Like Judy, Kim harbored issues with her appearance. She was chubby and felt boys wouldn’t find her desirable. When her brother started fooling around and touched her breasts the first time, Kim admonished him. She yelled at Dave, but he just laughed.

Changing the subject, Judy said, “I’m so fed up with being alone. I want a boyfriend and to do things. I’m tired of feeling the way I do.”

“If you want things to change, you have to change them. You don’t look bad, Judy. If you changed the way you dress, and the way you act, you’d get asked out.”

“What do you mean, Kim? What’s wrong with the way I dress?”

Kim looked across the table and took a deep breath. “Can I be honest with you?” Judy nodded. “You dress frumpy. Your tops hide your boobs, and you never wear tight pants or flattering clothes.”

“I know, but if you looked like I do…”

“Shit, Judy, you look better than I do,” Kim said, cutting Judy off. She didn’t want to listen to her friend’s endless diatribe about the way she looked or thought she looked.

“How can you say I look better than you do? You get asked out all the time. I saw you making out with Ted at the party. I think I was the only girl who didn’t have someone hitting on her.”

Kim didn’t want to tell Judy why she didn’t have trouble finding a boy to make out with her. She knew it was because of her willingness to fool around with a boy, even if it was the first time she went out with him. Her relationships didn’t last long, but she had fun.

“What did you expect? You can’t stand around with your arms folded over your chest and expect anyone to approach you. Your body language says, ‘stay away.’

“I don’t do that! Do I?” Judy said.

Nodding, Kim said, “Yes, you do. You show up wearing a pair of jeans, a size too big. Your top covered you to your neck and hung on you like a sack. Look, if you ever want to update your wardrobe, let me know. I’ll take you shopping and help you.”

Judy thought about what Kim said. She didn’t feel the way she dressed was frumpy, as her friend said.

“You can’t go to a restaurant and expect the server to know what you want. You have to tell them. Boys are the same way, they can’t read your mind,” Kim said.

“What do you expect me to do, walk up to a boy and ask him if he wants to fool around?” Judy said.

“That’s one way to do it. There are other things you can do and not be too abrupt. The first thing you have to do is talk to them. If you want to meet a boy, talk to him, and see where it goes.”

Kim went on, telling Judy how to flirt. Judy listened but found it hard to understand what Kim said.

“So you’re telling me if I’m interested in a guy I should tell him?” Judy said.

Kim smiled and said, “If I find a boy I want to know better, I start talking to him. If he seems interested in me, I let him get a peek down my top and touch him while we talk.”

Judy laughed and said, “I’m not brave enough.”

“You know what they say, it pays to advertise. If you want boys to notice you, you have to do something about it.” Kim paused and smiled. “Do you remember the rumor about me when we were in the eleventh grade?”

Judy nodded. The buzz was Kim went out with a boy she let feel her up and gave him a blow job. When Judy asked, Kim denied it.

“Well, it was true. I figured the only way to get boys to like me was to let them have some fun. After the word got out, I started getting asked out,” Kim said.

“Wow, I never knew. Did you fool around with all the boys you went out with?” Judy asked.

Grinning, Kim said, “Not all of them, but I did give some of them what they wanted.”

“Do you like doing it, you know, giving them blow jobs?”

“I love it,” Kim replied. She chuckled and added, “I like screwing too.”

“You’ve gone all the way?” Kim smiled and nodded. “With who?”

“I’ve done it a few times. I’m not going to say who, but I will tell you it gets better all the time.”

Judy sat quietly, thinking for a moment. She sighed and said, “I’m not going to do things with a...