22 comments/  24417 views/  45 favorites

Basic Shadow Ch. 01

By: GrandTeton



It was a hot summer day in the small town where George Foster lived. He pulled up to the garage of the small three bedroom bungalow he owned with his sister. His Civic left plenty of room for his sister's sportscar. She hadn't much use for a car in the city where she was finishing up her certification as a professional accountant.

He was tired after a day at the store. In a bigger organization he would have been on the management track. In the small operation the Culdersons ran, he was just the heir apparent. The Culdersons had run to girls, none of whom had any interest in the store, or in George.

George was doing stockroom this summer. Since the store wasn't big enough to justify an errand person (m/f), George did the errands, moved stock, kept the shelves filled and carted goods out to cars for customers. Old Bart Culderson was running the store his grandfather had established. He would have preferred that one of his girls, or even a son, had shown interest in keeping the business going, but that hadn't happened. He'd given them enough time but now he had to groom a successor from outside the family. He'd chosen George, who had gone to work in the store part-time at sixteen. Over the eight years since he started, George had shown a strong work ethic, real interest in the store, and genuine competency in the retail field. Just one example, but perhaps the most spectacular, had been George pushing Culderson's into retail electronics. That one section had driven profits up ten per cent the first year, and hadn't levelled out yet.

Bart was training George, now twenty-four, the way he'd been trained, from the ground up. George had been working for Bart full-time since he graduated from the community college business course Bart had made him take. 

He'd spent time buying. Not everything he bought had sold. There'd had to be a couple of great sales to offload clunkers. George had actually been pretty good, though, and almost everything else he'd stocked up on had moved quickly. He avoided trendy stuff, so the store didn't suffer when the trends died.

George had been on the sales desk for a while. The customers loved him. He'd been on the cash, too. It was too easy to lose money at the cash if you didn't learn how it worked and the tricks a cashier could play.

It was George who'd brought in the new electronic point of sale devices. Staff loved George for it.

The old timers on the staff appreciated his attention to detail and willingness to learn. The younger staff appreciated his new ideas within the Culderson tradition. Bart told George that he was working out a buyout package so Bart could retire and his family still benefit from the asset the Culderson family had created. Bart was pretty sure the chain in the city had tried to headhunt George, so he didn't want to delay the turnover any longer than necessary.

The Foster family had included George's parents, both of whom were now deceased. His father had died in a car crash when he was six and his sister Deirdre (never known as anything but Dee Dee) was four. He had been well-insured and his mother had had a good job, so they were financially secure, if not well off.

Then just last year had come the crushing blow of his mother's death from breast cancer. The cure rate was way up from the days when it had been an automatic death sentence, but that still hadn't favoured their mother. It had been a pretty awful nine months for George.

He probably could have called on Dee Dee for help. He wouldn't do that. Partly it was because he was normally self-reliant and seldom if ever asked for help. Mostly, though, it was because he did not want to interrupt his sister's studies. George had found formal education a bit of a slog. When he put his mind to it, he did all right. Dee Dee was the bright one. She'd had honours all through high school and her university career had been nearly as brilliant. He'd enjoyed watching her head the list of prize winners at her graduation. He really felt proud of her.

Dee Dee had been a moderately good-looking girl. Her glasses obscured really pretty big blue eyes. Her skin was good. She had black hair she usually wore in a pony tail. George was of the view that that hairdo usually looked really good, on a pony. She tended to wear pretty shapeless clothes, and had lousy fashion sense. He'd seen her in her bathing suit a few times, and she had seemed to look better. It was a one-piece type with ruffles, so he couldn't be sure.

Whatever Dee Dee looked like, though, she was a sweetheart. She had been his best friend forever, even though she was two years younger. Unlike many brother-sister pairs, he had never rejected her in his early teens when he was starting to figure out that there were some quite delicious differences between boys and girls. He never considered that she was a girl. She continued to be his shadow whenever they were in the same school. When they weren't, they still spent a lot of time together.

Neither of them had been big on dating. George was usually working too hard to take much interest. Dee Dee was so smart she scared most of the boys, and she had no time for the ones too stupid to be scared. Each of them dated occasionally, but nothing much developed. A couple of years ago Dee Dee had begun a relationship with a guy in her accounting classes, which looked like it would turn into marriage and a house in the suburbs and the rest of it. George hadn't found anyone interesting yet, although he was still looking occasionally.

George pushed open the kitchen door and headed for the fridge for a cold beer. He wasn't a drinker, but a beer or two after work was a real pleasure.

He grabbed the beer, noticing that there seemed to be a few more things in the fridge than he'd remembered, and wandered into the semi-darkness of the living room. He planned to sprawl in the armchair, see what was on TV, chill out for a bit before he made supper.

Once he was settled in he reached for his beer and was startled nearly out of his wits when a small pair of hands covered his eyes from behind and a familiar voice whispered, "Guess who?"

"Shadow! What are you doing here? I thought you were finishing your apprenticeship and taking the qualification exams."

"All done, big brother." She flourished a certificate in front of him. "As of this morning I am the newest professional accountant in this part of the world."

"Wonderful! I'm really glad you could come home. Where's Al?"

"Al is wherever cheaters go to die, I hope." George hoped he would never deserve a voice like that.

"What?" Al was Dee Dee's boyfriend, and George had expected him to propose as soon as Dee Dee had finished qualifying. "Dee Dee, that's awful. What happened?"

"I was working really hard to get through my qualifying year and pass the exam on the first try. You know only one in five do that these days. Al thought he was being neglected, I guess. He never said. Anyway, about three weeks ago I came home and found him with Marilyn, a curvy blonde, naked in our bed together. It wasn't even as if I was unexpected. Just like they didn't care if I found them, or not. Al was pretty good about helping me move my stuff out, as long as it was right away. He made no effort to apologize or explain, or anything. Two years up in smoke. I went to my girlfriend's and camped on her couch for three weeks. Now I'm home." Dee Dee was crying pretty hard by then.

George folded her up in his big-brotherly arms, just as he used to do when they were small and she'd scraped her knee or twisted an ankle. "I wish a kiss could make this all better, sweetheart. Want me to go knock his block off for you?"

"Not worth the effort. My girlfriend said he had been cheating on me for all the two years we were together. I was going to be his meal ticket, and occasional fuck, when his girlfriends weren't available, I guess. I wouldn't want you to get slime on your hands."

"Oh Shadow, how hurt you must be." Dee Dee was wailing, her explanations forced out between huge sobs and gasps for air. "You haven't cried before, have you?"

"N-no, I had t-too much t-to do. Wasn't going t-to let that b-bastard know I c-cared, or k-keep me from m-my d-dream."

George picked her up and wrapped her in himself in the big chair. He rubbed her back, caressed her, touched her, patted her. He'd been surprised, even shocked, at how little she weighed. She'd never been very heavy, so any weight loss was serious.

After a long time, Dee Dee's sobbing began to slow down. Her sniffles were cured with his handkerchief. Her great moans and sobs turned into wheezes and then hiccups that succumbed to a few pats on the back. She turned her tear-streaked face into George's and kissed him solidly on the mouth. It felt pretty good for therapy, George thought. Especially for the therapist.

The kiss woke up George's other senses. He found himself hugging what felt like an extremely attractive woman. Taking stock, he had a medium-height girl in tight blue shorts and a short tight white blouse that left a considerable piece of her flat midriff bare to the world. The shorts showed she had beautifully formed taut legs. George was itching to touch them to see if they felt as good as they looked. They looked awfully good. His hand, he discovered, had already found that she had a solid, shapely, wonderful-feeling bum. She might be a little light in the breast department, he thought dispassionately, but conceded that they looked perfectly fine on her.

Continuing his inventory he found even her bare arms to be quite intoxicating. The teary face looked up. Where were the heavy-framed glasses? Dee Dee's deep blue eyes grabbed and held him. Her long black lashes, which matched his, drew his eyes to hers. He couldn't remember seeing her eyes before except through the thick lenses of her spectacles. Those eyes were going to start wars, he thought. Even bleary-eyed she was a stunner.

The tears had streaked her makeup into an unrecognizable mess. She'd probably look pretty good cleaned up. It was all topped by an awesome fall of blue black hair that hadn't been anywhere near a pony.

My God, he thought, little Shadow is absolutely gorgeous. Where did my mousey little sister go?

"George," Dee Dee finally got out. "Thank you. I needed that release so badly. I've been holding the pain inside for weeks. I couldn't let go. I needed to be home with my big brother to take care of me."

"I'll do that for you, Dee Dee." George took a moment for thought. His curiosity overwhelmed him even though he knew he shouldn't ask.

"Dee Dee, where did the mousey little girl I remember go?"

She actually giggled. "Do you like?"

"Bloody right. You're incredibly gorgeous, tear stains and all."

"Thank you, sir. George, you always know what to say to make a woman feel good. Why haven't you found someone smart enough to appreciate you?"

"I truly don't know, sweetheart. Someday, maybe. Don't try to sidetrack me, though. I'm on to your tricks, like lavish compliments. I am not to be deterred. I have known you for a very long time and your efforts to deflect me only work sometimes. No more than nine times out of ten, anyway. Tell me about the change."

"My girlfriend decided that the best revenge would be to make Al sick over what he'd thrown away. So we went and had the full beauty treatment, hair, nails and the rest. I had my hair washed and trimmed. The hairdresser refused to cut or style it. She said it was perfect as it was. All she did was take off a few split ends and show me how to wear it to best advantage."

"Oh how right she was, dearest. How right she was."

"Next, my girlfriend took me shopping. I was appalled at what she was trying to pour me into. You know that I used to wear pretty sloppy stuff. Nothing too revealing, usually pretty baggy. Maybe a few years too young for me, not in the sense of revealing but more like juvenile. What she was getting me to try on scared me. I felt like I was being put up on the slave block to be auctioned off.

"Then I really looked at the mirror. Damn, I thought. I can look quite something. If I wore this, heads would turn. I think I'd like that. From there it was all downhill for the Shirley Temple look. I have a whole new wardrobe that represents the real me. Or what I think I'm trying for as the real me.

"Finally, my girlfriend took my glasses away. I almost panicked. You know I can't see far without them. She insisted I get contacts. I didn't have time to check out laser surgery. I don't know if it works for my problems or not. I did get the contacts, and have them now. I like me without glasses. What do you think, George?"

"Shadow, you have the most marvellous eyes. I never really noticed them behind those ugly glasses. They are your best feature, and here you've been hiding them all these years. Your eyes are just so beautiful."

"Aw, George, that's so sweet." Dee Dee fell back into George's arms and kissed him heartily, then sexily, then tongues, then . . . .

George realized he had to stop or there would be no stopping. This was his sister, after all. This was the most attractive woman he'd ever held in his arms. This was also a very vulnerable lady, and as James Stewart says in The Philadelphia Story, "There are rules about that."

"C'mon, Shadow, let's get something to eat. We can go out, or we can find something decent to put together here. What's your pleasure?"

"George, can we stay in tonight? I need too much work to be presentable. Oops, I didn't mean that I don't need to be presentable for you. It's just that you've seen the worst and I don't have to pretend with you. George, I'm so glad to be home. It's so comfortable to be around you again."

After they ate, they just sat and cuddled on the sofa in the front room. Neither of them wanted to watch television or a movie. They hugged and traded "Do you remember when" stories, growing closer again, renewing the friendship that had been on hold the past few years, once again becoming each other's best friend.

When it was time to go up to bed, George dug towels and other necessaries out for Dee Dee to use in the en suite bathroom in what used to be their parents' room. He used the family bathroom off the hall. Dee Dee settled into her old room, which had remained unchanged since she left for university. He still used the room he had had as a boy. Their mother had sprung for bigger beds as they got older and, at least in his case, bigger.

Dee Dee had cleaned up most of the mess on her face before they ate, but she still wanted a shower before bed. George would probably have showered earlier if Dee Dee had not made her appearance, so he, too, needed cleaning up. He was careful, though, to make sure Dee Dee had finished before he started. There was plenty of hot water, but he wasn't sure the system would provide hot water for two showers at once.

He struggled into pyjama bottoms (he usually slept nude, but that wasn't a good choice with his sister back again) and into his bedroom. He was putting away what needed it and throwing the rest into the laundry basket. It looked like he should put a load through in a day or two.

The door opened behind him. He turned, and froze. Dee Dee was standing in the doorway in a frilly, sheer peignoir over what looked to be the smallest nightgown he'd ever seen, including internet pictures and lingerie catalogues. He looked again. The nightgown was sheer, too.

"Do you like it? I like to think ole Al will be spitting in his grave when he's gone for missing this."

"I think he will, too, Dee Dee. This afternoon I suddenly discovered I had a beautiful sister. This evening I discover there's an utterly fantastically beautiful woman living in my house. Shadow, I didn't think you could get any more beautiful, and you have. My heart won't stand you doing it again."

"Thank you, dearest George. Everything you do reminds me of why I love you so much."

Dee Dee twisted her hands together. She seemed shy or embarrassed.

"George, I have a favour to ask. May I sleep with you tonight? I know we haven't done that since you were twelve, but I would truly like the comfort of having you near me. I haven't slept all that well since the Al thing, and I know if there is anywhere I will feel safe and loved, it is with you."

"Sure, sweetheart. We can be kids again, at least for one night."

*+*+*

Kids don't get erections, George thought on waking. Here he had his hardest waking erection in weeks and his gorgeous sister was curled up next to him. He'd worried about whether either of them would sleep, but they had both dropped off a few minutes after they curled up together. George had slept better than he had for weeks. From what he could tell, so had Dee Dee.

So how was he going to get out of bed without waking his sister? If he did wake her up, how was he going to hide his erection?

"Nice woody, bro," a sleepy voice said at his shoulder. "Give me a morning kiss, morning breath and all, and we'll start the day."

George leaned in to kiss his sister's sweet lips and she twined her arms about his neck and hugged him tight. Her nearly naked breasts felt warm and comfortable and pretty damned sexy as she crushed them to his chest.

"I could get used to this way to wake up, Shadow."

"Me too, George."

At the breakfast table, the two of them chatted about their plans for the day.

"I'm going in to the store, of course. I have a holiday Thursday. Maybe we can do something together. What are you going to do?"

"I'll go looking for a job. It shouldn't be too hard. I have a degree from a really good university, and I ranked really high on the qualifying exam. There are at least three accounting offices in town and they aren't going to get a candidate as qualified as I am this year, if ever."

George was really happy to hear his sister speak proudly of herself, her abilities and her achievements. She had frequently been too self-effacing. People weren't going to understand you were the best unless you rubbed their faces in it. Dee Dee was for sure the best.

He turned to leave for the store, when Dee Dee stepped up to him.

"Aren't you going to kiss me goodbye?"

"Sure."

He leaned into her and she kissed him fiercely, almost possessively.

"I don't know what that's about, Shadow, but keep it up."

"See you."

*+*+*

When George got home, Dee Dee's sportscar was back in its usual place, so she must be home. He thought he'd better be prepared for what should be her good news. Perhaps he should have brought flowers. He could always get some tomorrow if the news was as good as he expected.

He surprised himself at how much he had looked forward to getting home. Usually, it was just to find somewhere to flop until he could go back to work again. Tonight, though, he really wanted to be home. Of course it was because Dee Dee was there. He was going home to his sister, his friend. The person who had given him that amazing kiss to send him on his way this morning. That was worth coming home to!

When he got in, though, he didn't see Dee Dee. He was disappointed. He looked forward to her news. He imagined she'd have several offers and they could discuss the strengths and weaknesses of each.

After getting his regular beer from the fridge he barely heard a sad weeping coming from the big chair in the front room. It was his Shadow. By force of habit he slid in beside her and just held her. No questions. No comments. Just comfort. The same as it had always been whenever she came home in tears. It hadn't happened often, and it had virtually stopped the time George had found the little brats who were making her life hell. He snorted to himself. Yes, they had found out hell had a rougher side than they knew.

This time it was a quiet tear, not the wracking sobs of the evening before. Dee Dee just curled into him and wept. She was wearing a formal business suit, with a skirt rather than pants. She looked elegant as hell. She looked formidable, competent, like someone you really wanted to be in your corner. And gorgeous on top of it all. Yet she was weeping.


Basic Shadow Ch. 01



Their rules prevented George from asking questions. Actually, he wasn't to say anything until she was prepared to tell him what was wrong. A couple of times she'd held out until he had his temper under control. If she hadn't there would have been grievous bodily harm done to someone in a quick hurry. She didn't want that, most times at least. This time she seemed to be holding out even longer.

Finally, she drew in her breath and started to explain.

"George, I can't stay here, much as I want to. I can't get a job. I went to all the accounting firms. I even went to the one-person office. I went to the local branch of the national firm, who are always hiring, who already offered me a job in Chicago. At least two of the local firms are actively looking for someone. They said it wasn't me."

"Tell me, sweetheart."

"The first place I went the managing partner seemed really interested. He took my résumé into the other partners and I thought I'd get a job offer right then and there. Instead he came back with a frown on his face and said they weren't interested. I was over qualified. How can an accountant be over qualified? Anyway, he was nice enough to wish me good luck in my job hunt."

"Sweetheart, that's fear speaking. Over qualified means you're so well qualified they expect to bore you out of your tree in three months, and lose you. Alternatively, and what I think happened with that office, is that you are obviously so good they are afraid for their own positions. They aren't confident that they can stand up to comparison with you. How are they going to look when their clients all want to deal with you, not them? Me, I'd take all the money you'd earn me and smile bravely. They don't have that approach."

"George, I can't get a job. No one will hire me. Well, not on terms I'd take, anyway. The second place I went was almost a rerun of the first, only not as nice. The third place simply said they didn't need anyone. 

"The fourth place was the worst. There the guy responsible for hiring pretty much told me he could guarantee a six-month placement, but no longer, at about half the going rate, provided I slept with him. I got the impression that any extension of my employment there would depend on how many of the partners I would be prepared to sleep with on a regular basis. I don't have the kind of proof I'd need to file charges. He was very clever, it was all innuendo, and even if I had a tape of our conversation a judge probably wouldn't convict.

"No, I'm not going to tell you who it was. George, I rely on you. I really want you to be around for me. I don't want you to go to jail for that piece of filth.

"My faith in our community was restored when I talked to the last guy on my list. That was the guy with the one-person office. He told me he just couldn't work with other people. He'd tried and failed and wasn't prepared to try again. He was too close to retirement for that. He did tell me that if he had had even the tiniest notion of expanding, he would have latched on to me so hard I wouldn't get home to supper.

"Then he offered to take me home to dinner with his wife and family. When I turned him down, since I had to get back to you, he found out from me that you were my brother. He offered to help me professionally with anything at all if I did stay here. He would give me referrals. Just as I was leaving, and thanking him for his kindness, he said the strangest thing.

"'Talk to your brother,' he said. 'Between you, you could blow them all out of the water.'"

"What do you think he meant by that, George?"

The penny dropped for George. The last guy, the nice one, was Tony Dan, the only sole practitioner in town. A couple of years ago, before Bart Culderson had made his offer to make George his heir-apparent, Tony had suggested George consider going it alone, either in competition with Culderson's, or in another part of retail. He had told George he had excellent instincts for retail, good enough he could survive even as internet sales expanded.

"The last guy had to be Tony Dan. He's a really nice guy. What he meant was, that if I help you a little with marketing and recommendations and stuff, you will blow away the competition in this town if you set up on your own."

"I can't start up my own office with having just qualified a few days ago. Somebody asks what experience I have, I have to tell them, let me check the time. I'll starve."

"Shadow, if you want to do this, we can do it. You can start with the Culderson account. It's not small. I think Bart Culderson has been worrying about his accountants, and he should want to deal with my brilliant sister, at least as soon as I start buying in. He influences a big chunk of the retail sector around here.

"Tell you what, you think about it. If it's a go for you, we'll start setting up Thursday. If it's not a go, we'll start Friday, since I'll need a day to change your mind."

"George, I haven't got the money to start something like that. It'll take thousands."

"I would say we can get you a good office and what you need in office equipment and supplies for just over ten thousand. You'll need an assistant, someone who can hold the fort when you're out, help with the simpler bits, maybe work up to more over the years. People prefer to deal with other people, whatever the efficiency experts say about electronic messaging and the like. Julie Martinson just got laid off. She was in your high school class."

"I liked Julie, George. She was efficient and hard-working at school. Had the worst luck, though."

"I can call her when you decide."

"Oh George, I do love you. Here I was all depressed and now you've taken me up on the mountain and shown me the entire world. Let me think about this some more. Maybe I can do it. All I need is ten thousand. Where the hell am I going to get that?"

"From me, Shadow. I can lend it to you at five per cent, no penalty. Better interest than I can get from the bank. Odds are you'll pay me back in three months."

Dee Dee threw herself at him, kissing him wildly. She attacked him. He was utterly defenceless before her onslaught. Truth to tell, he started to cooperate with the attacker almost at once.

Dee Dee ended up on top of him, kissing his lips, his face, his eyes, his lips some more. Her skirt had ridden up a little. George, in order to protect himself, had a firm grip on her ass and was pulling her in tightly. He was forced to let go with one hand so he could press her breasts tight against his chest. Was this making love with the enemy?

Whoops. George suddenly came to. He had been about to start making mad passionate love to his sister. Not that he didn't want to. She was gorgeous and fun and smart and loving and his best friend in all the world. But, she was his sister.

"Let's go out to eat, my treat," he offered as he slowly pulled out of the maelstrom of arms and legs and other body parts.

"Do we have to? That was just beginning to be real fun."

"Yes, we do. You look stunning and I want to show you off."

At the restaurant, George ate Italian and Dee Dee had fish'n'chips. Dee Dee explained that the best way to tell how good a restaurant was, was to try the fish'n'chips. Besides, she liked fish'n'chips, it was comfort food, if it was any good.

George introduced Dee Dee to two or three businessmen he knew, mentioning each time that she was thinking of setting up as an accountant in town if the business was there. Each time the businessman said he'd give it some thought, as he wasn't entirely happy with the service he was getting, and offered to pass the message on to his friends. It was pretty obvious that, young as he was, George stood well with these people, and that a recommendation from him had weight.

When they got home again, Dee Dee thanked George for taking her out. It did make her feel a lot better after such a rough day. George stayed up a little reading. Dee Dee worked on her laptop, perhaps doing a business plan for her office. She went up first to have a shower and go to bed.

George followed her up maybe half an hour later. After he showered he struggled into the pyjama bottoms again and climbed into bed. He was not entirely surprised to find a warm body in the bed. He was surprised that tonight the body appeared to be unclothed.

"Dee Dee, don't you have any clothes on?"

"Stark naked is the technical term, George. Please let me stay. I had such a lovely sleep last night."

"Of course, Shadow. Where would I be without my Shadow? I enjoy having you here. I sleep better, too."

"Thank you. Now give me a good night kiss."

He leaned over to give her a peck on the cheek as they had always done as children. Dee Dee shifted just enough that he landed on her lips and they were kissing. The kiss started out friendly then became loving, then surged into passionate. She opened her mouth and slid her tongue into his mouth over top of his tongue. His tongue tried to wrap around hers, then eased into her mouth. George was suddenly aware that he was tongue kissing a most delectably squirming nude woman who was kissing him back just as vehemently.

When they broke for air, Dee Dee gasped, "That was wonderful, George, darling."

"We shouldn't do any more tonight, Dee Dee. We'd never sleep. I have work tomorrow."

"I so love you, George."

"Love you, too, Dee Dee." He cuddled closer and hoped his erection would let him sleep.

*+*+*

Tuesday morning, George woke up cuddled next to his beautiful, sexy sister who just happened to be stark naked. He had an almost painful erection. He had an urge to lift the bed clothes so he could ogle his sister's naked body. He needed to pee.

The forces of nature won out. He got up and went to the bathroom, "accidentally" pulling the bedclothes off with him. Dee Dee didn't move. He got a quick look before his bladder took over. He hurried back. Dee Dee was still asleep. Except that she'd been lying on her side and was now spreadeagled on her back.

He stood and stared. Her perfect breasts, not all that big, but just right for her. Her taut stomach. Her tremendous legs. Her lovely pussy showing pink and white under bikini trimmed blue black pubic hair.

"Like what you see, mister?" she drawled. Then she rolled over to display the backs of those marvellous legs, an ass to die for, a strong broad back. "Still like?" she asked.

George was speechless. She was perfection, and there she was, right in his bed. His cock throbbed. This wasn't just a piss hard. This was for his sister.

Dee Dee let her fingers touch George's erection as if by accident. "Oh, did I cause that? Naughty me. I guess you do like."

George barely managed to get dressed, while Dee Dee flaunted herself a little more before going to her own room to dress.

At the breakfast table, the two of them chatted about their plans for the day.

"I'm going in to the store, of course. I'll talk to the Old Man about what he might be willing to do for accounting services. I'll leave it as a possibility, the way I did it with the guys last night. I'll give some thought to where you might want to have an office. There's some available space at a reasonable price in a reasonable location, I think. I'll talk to Julie Martinson in the same way, just that there's a real possibility if she's interested. What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to finish the business plan and see whether the proposal holds water. Then I'm going to check on the availability of bank financing. I don't expect to get it, but applying will give me a feel for how the lending officers think, and what they are looking for from a business plan. That will be very useful if I do open an office here."

As he turned to leave for the store, Dee Dee stepped up to him.

"Aren't you going to kiss me goodbye?"

"No, but I'll kiss you 'see you later'."

"That'll do."

He leaned into her and they kissed fiercely, almost possessively, hard and long.

"Love you, Shadow," he added.

"George, think about having sex with your sister, OK? That'll keep you hard and off the streets."

Would it ever. He spent the rest of the day bent over. He also spent large parts of it daydreaming about having sex with his sister.

During the day, whenever his hard on wilted from sheer weariness, he managed to get his work done and still deal with his promises to Dee Dee. He located a street level office a block or so from the store in the heart of downtown that needed a good dose of tender loving care for an extremely reasonable rent. He tied it up for three days. Dee Dee would either accept or reject within that time, he was sure.

He talked to Bart Culderson about accounting. Bart agreed to think about it. He also gave George a draft buyout agreement. The price had been agreed long ago, and George was pretty sure he would have no trouble meeting its terms. However, the agreement as to who did what and how was pretty complex, apparently for tax reasons. It had been drawn up by Bart's accountant.

"Can I ask Dee Dee about this? Some of these provisions don't make too much sense to me. She's the brain."

"Yeah," Bart said. "It's been by the lawyer, but he's not going to interfere with the tax planning aspects. Some of what the accountant put in seemed a little weird to me, too. A second opinion wouldn't hurt. Just tell her to keep it under her hat."

"Dee Dee wouldn't tell me my hair was on fire if a client told her," George answered. "I'll get back to you tomorrow on this."

He called Julie Martinson, who said she'd love to work for Dee Dee if she was going to open an office. She'd pretty much given up hope of finding a job locally, but since her husband did have a job, she couldn't try elsewhere. George promised to call her back as soon as he knew for certain. He didn't deal with pay, but figured Julie would be reasonable.

On his way home George did stop for flowers for Dee Dee.

When he walked in the drapes were drawn in the living room and the house seemed gloomy.

"That you, George?" Dee Dee called from the kitchen.

"Yeah, want to join me in a beer before dinner?"

"No, I've made some martinis. I'll be right out."

Dee Dee sauntered out of the kitchen with a martini glass in each hand. She was dressed in a basic black cocktail dress that highlighted her gorgeous legs and thrust her modest breasts high. George felt a strong urge to sample one. Maybe both. Down, boy. Her hair was piled high on her head. Damn she was a glorious sight. She pecked George on the lips and handed him one of the cocktails. He passed over the flowers.

"For me? How lovely they are. Let me put them in water. That was so sweet of you, George.

"Dinner will be ready in about half an hour. Sit down and relax."

"I didn't know you cooked, Dee Dee."

"There's a lot of things you don't know about me, brother."

"I imagine so. I certainly never thought you would grow up to be such a bombshell when we were kids."

"Look at this," Dee Dee responded. She handed him a business card. "D. D. Foster, Professional Accounting Services."

"I thought your middle name was Emily?"

"It is, but they made a mistake on my certificate. Besides, everyone knows me as Dee Dee, so I can be D. D. Foster if I want."

"That's my old Shadow, isn't it? If the world doesn't fit what you want of it, change the world. Hey, does this mean you've decided to stay? Wonderful!"

"George, you've been such a brick for just these few days. I didn't want to leave you. When I ran the business plan, the numbers kept working. It can work. It probably will work. The problem is in the start up phase, of course, and the good numbers depend on the business being there and coming to me. I assumed I wouldn't get more than maybe half-time the first year or two, and the numbers still worked out."

"Anything interesting at the bank?"

"Yeah. Their reaction blew me away. The loans officer said he'd never seen such a thorough business case. They offered me a line of credit for twenty thousand at four per cent, which is great for a business loan. I'd still like to take advantage of your offer and use the line of credit as a backup, if you don't mind."

"No problem."

"The loans officer asked when I expected to open. He had three clients who could use my kind of expertise. I told him first of the week, and I'd call him. Was I too optimistic?"

"Maybe, to get phone lines in. Apart from that, no, I don't think so. I have a line on offices. We'll go look tomorrow. If you're happy with them we can do the basic work this weekend, enough to get you in. We can borrow a desk or two from the store. Julie sounded like she was ready to start work this evening. I think she's a little stir crazy with nothing to do.

"Oh, I almost forgot. Bart Culderson gave me a buyout agreement to look over. I think he wants to retire sooner rather than later. His brother's heart attack last year may have him moving in that direction. Anyway, I'd like you to look at it. Some of the provisions don't make any sense to me. I'll pay going rates."

"Nonsense, George. Family gets freebies, and you especially. Don't be foolish. Let me look at it."

Dee Dee started reading the agreement. Her brow wrinkled. She started to speak a time or two. Before she could comment the oven alarm went off.

"Oops, dinner should be ready. I'll give you a preliminary impression while we eat but I'll want to look at it more thoroughly later."

George started to follow her into the kitchen. The way she looked he was prepared to follow her anywhere.

"No, go in the dining room. I've set up for a formal dinner for the two of us. It's a celebration of my decision to go into business on my own. You light the candles and I'll bring in the first course."

George went in and lit the candles. He didn't smoke but always carried a lighter. Dee Dee had got out the good china and the silverplate flatware his mother loved to use. Neither had been out of the cabinet since long months before his mother died. She had found the good crystal, as well. She probably remembered better than he did where it was. The flowers adorned the mirror they had used as a centre piece since before he went to high school.

There were two place settings, one at either end of the table. There were no leaves in the table just now. There was probably enough room to serve a reasonable dinner.

Dee Dee brought in the first course, a light soup. She had put it in bowls in the kitchen.

"This is really good, Dee Dee," George got out between slurps. "Brilliant, beautiful and an exquisite cook. Will you marry me?"

"Yes, George, I will." George was floored. He hadn't expected to be taken seriously. This was his sister. His incredibly competent, stunning, gorgeous, sweet, caring, cooking sister. Put that way, part of him pointed out, it was a pretty good idea. But they were siblings. Don't be an ass, George. You've been half in love with Dee Dee her whole life. Pay attention, boy, before you mess everything up.

"Oh, George, you look so funny. I know you weren't serious." In a lower tone that George could barely hear, she continued, "but I was."

She rose to take out the soup dishes and returned shortly with the meat dish, chops done up with a brown sauce, vegetables floating in the sauce, a small baked potato and new peas.

"If you keep doing this, Dee Dee, I'm not going to be able to move."

"Flatterer. Of course, you always knew that was the way to get me to do things for you."

As they ate Dee Dee turned serious. "George, I know you and Mr. Culderson agreed on the price for the business a long time ago. From the little I know, it's quite fair. But if you structure the deal the way it's set up in the agreement, it will cost you a little more than it should, and it will cost the Culdersons a great deal, maybe twenty per cent. Whoever drew this up seems not to have known that Rule 78B was removed last year. It's kind of cumbersome as well. I'll do some notes on how I think it should be done to minimize tax and other costs."




Basic Shadow Ch. 01



"Thank you, sweet Deirdre. I'd like to show Mr. Culderson tomorrow, even if it is my holiday."

"As long as you promise not to take more than an hour out of the day. We have places to go, things to see, oodles of things to do."

Dessert was something simple, elegant and delicious. One more thing Dee Dee was adept with. Her sheer competence didn't surprise him, but the range of her competencies was daunting.

Dee Dee spent a couple of hours that evening working out the details of how the buyout agreement should be structured to minimize tax consequences and peripheral costs, together with a point by point criticism of the proposed transaction. She found another five thousand in savings as she worked on it.

"George, I think this is it. Can I use your printer? I have no idea where mine is. Somewhere in the pile of luggage you've kept me too busy to unpack."

George went over her proposal as it came out of the printer. "Heavens, Shadow, this would save me more than six thousand a year, over five years. The Culdersons still get what they wanted. Is it true they save nearly a hundred thousand?"

"Yes, unless I've missed something, and I certainly don't think I have."

"The Culdersons should be pretty happy about that. If word gets around, your business is going to pick up in spades, Shadow. Way to go."

"Thank you, George. And thank you for cleaning up while I worked on this. It doesn't seem fair that you ended up doing the dishes while I put this together."

"Sweetie, it was the least I could do after such a magnificent meal in ideal surroundings with a beautiful companion."

Not very much later George went up to bed. He stopped by Dee Dee's room. She was just turning down her bed. "Oh," he said in a disappointed tone. "I was kind of looking forward to having you in my bed again."

"Ever think you could fit into this one just as well?"

"Yeah, there is that, isn't there. Do you mind?"

"Not at all. Love to have you. You're overdressed, though. House rules are no clothes in the bed."

"Bullshit."

"My bed, my rules."

"Okay," he conceded happily.

Both of them were too tired to do more than explore each other briefly. George was getting up his nerve to go a little farther when he dozed off. Dee Dee sighed. This campaign was going well, but more slowly than she wanted it to.

*+*+*

George woke up with his sister happily spooned against him. Her beautiful bum was shoved into his quiescent privates, which soon reacted. It was like a time lapse photograph of a flower blooming. His penis rose steadily until it was thrust between the cheeks of her bottom.

His arm was around her. His fingers moved on to her breast, travelling slowly over the firm yielding flesh to her erect nipple. He tweaked the nipple, feeling its slightly rough texture.

"Ooh, George, that feels so nice," Dee Dee whispered. She turned to face him, sliding her legs over his and dropping one hand to clasp his member. The other hand she ran over his chest, catching in his chest hair, tweaking his nipple.

They kissed, long and lovingly. Their tongues engaged each other briefly and went on to explore the other's mouth, teeth, and tongue. George's hands cupped Dee Dee's bum and drew her into him. She ran her hands lightly over his back, exploring and arousing him, and incidentally not letting him back away.

When they broke for air he started to object, "Shadow, we . . . "

"Shut up, George." She emphasized her point by sticking her tongue in his mouth.

One of George's hands wandered from her ass to her breasts, refreshing his memory of her soft and firm and yielding and smooth flesh. She hissed on an indrawn breath. His other hand wandered into her vaginal area, softly caressing her labia. A finger dipped into her sweetness. He took a moment to taste her juices. He was lost.

He continued to slowly arouse her. His fingers found her little clit and awoke it. He dropped his mouth to her nipples and suckled gently. He flicked her nipples with his tongue. She groaned happily. Her fingers massaged his erection. Back and forth with a kind of circular motion that was exquisite. She flicked the head of his cock, tested his slit with a fingernail, drew her nails ever so lightly over the sensitive areas just under the helmet.

George came with a mighty surge. Dee Dee caught it in her sheets. A moment later the work of his fingers on her labia and clitoris combined to drive her over the top, too. "Oh George, that was so wonderful."

George's erection quickly returned, both from the stimulation of Dee Dee's hands and from the feel of her gorgeous body against his. He massaged her breasts. They kissed more hungrily.

Slowly he lowered her on to her back. He gazed raptly at her body spread before him. More even than the fact that he was about to possess this gorgeous creature, he was affected by the love shining out of her eyes.

"George, if you only knew how long I've wanted this. I love you. I realize now that I've never loved anyone else. Make love to me George."

George eased his hard penis between her legs, into the inviting space of her wet vagina. Her walls massaged him gently as he moved in, in one slow, continuous stroke. He was all the way in and their pubic hairs mingled as their bodies met.

"It feels so good, Shadow. It's like you were made for me."

"Maybe I was, sweetheart. You feel wonderful, comforting and stimulating at the same time."

George started to thrust in and out. In and out. Dee Dee met his thrusts with a corkscrew motion, seeking for the most stimulating connection. Then she found it and hammered back. George pressed harder and harder. He could feel the tension in her vagina as she approached climax. He gritted his teeth as he held back to ensure her satisfaction. She started to call out "I'm c . . . " and was over the peak. The pulsing of her vaginal walls brought George over the top and his sperm firing into her tipped a second climax as wild as the first.

"Ohmigod, ohmigod, ohmigod, I've never done that before. I'm never going to let you go. That was the best time I've ever had in my life. Lord love me, I'm so glad there are a lot of stupid women in this world who let me have you. Boy, do I love you."

George was breathing hard. "Shadow," he finally got out. "I love you. I so love you. You are the most fantastic woman in the world. That was absolutely wonderful."

"No regrets, George?"

"How can you ask that? It's not possible to regret loving you. It's not possible to regret making love to you. We'll have problems, Shadow, but I'm not letting you go now. I just want to lie here until I recover and then make love to you again."

"Not just now, George, Foster and Foster have places to go and things to do. Up and at 'em."

*+*+*

George and Dee Dee Foster breakfasted together, the glow of their lovemaking still upon them. There were some long loving looks, and a little bit of handholding and some hanky-panky.

"Gotta get a move on, George," Dee Dee ordered.

"OK, Shadow. Look, I'll drop you off at the office so you can give it a once over and decide whether you can live with it. I'll drop the stuff into Mr. Culderson, and pick you up in about an hour. If you're through early you can find me at the store."

"Sounds good, George. If I decide to go ahead with the office, we had better get hold of Julie. If she wants the job, she can start now. We're going to need help to get things set up."

"Sure."

George let Dee Dee out where the potential office suite was located and gave her the key he'd been given. "It looked to me that it was just dirty, but if it's worse we'll have to look elsewhere. First month's rent is free."

"In the long term it makes sense financially. I'll look pretty carefully since he wants a long lease."

George drove down to the store. "Mr. Culderson in?" he inquired at the cash. The staff didn't find it all that unusual to find George in the store even on his day off.

"Up in the office."

George clambered up the stairs to the business office on the second floor. He passed Dee Dee's analysis over to Bart Culderson.

"I had my sister look at the agreement," he told him. "She's got some real problems with it. Mostly on your side."

"Tom's usually been pretty good with that sort of thing. Is she sure? After all, she hasn't got much real experience."

"Dee Dee's sure. She doesn't say so unless she is. Up to you. If it were me, I'd bank on it."

"Heavens," Bart said. "According to this the structure of our deal would cost me more than a hundred thousand. That can't be right. Tom can't be that wrong, can he?"

"Tell you what. You know Tony Dan's a sharp one. Let's run it by him and split the cost."

"Yeah, let's. If your sister's right about this, I'm getting a new accountant tomorrow. Is she going to be available?"

"A couple of days and she's opening. She'll make time to talk before that if you want."

"Did she say how to fix it?"

George handed over the second document. Bart read through it quickly.

"You know, George, this will cost less than half of what Tom wanted to do would cost. And the future accounting fees will only be a third or less. If Tony says it will work, that's how we'll go if you're agreeable."

"I'll go with anything Dee Dee recommends."

"Do you have another copy?"

"Yes, I'll run it out to Tony if you'd like."

"Please do that."

On his way to Tony Dan's office, George stopped off at the potential office site for "D. D. Foster, Professional Accountant". He knocked at the street door and let himself in.

He was assaulted as he entered. "George, it's wonderful. There's lots of room for record retention and future expansion. As far as I can see it's solid as a rock. Just filthy from such a long vacancy. I'd guess there was trouble renting it because it's so big." He was hugged and kissed thoroughly by a very mussed and not particularly clean sister whose shining eyes betrayed her pleasure and her excitement.

"You have chosen a wonderful site. When can we get the lease signed?"

"He'll probably be able to sign today. I'll call him after I get back from Tony Dan's."

"I'm so excited I forgot to ask how it went with Mr. Culderson."

"We thought we should get a second opinion, so I'm taking your analysis and proposal out to Tony Dan. He's sharp and fair. Culderson's account is too big for him to serve and still provide for his other clients, so he has no axe to grind."

"What about Culderson?"

"Sounded to me like he's going to have a new accountant tomorrow if Tony says you're right. Somebody name of Foster."

"Oh, George, that's not likely. But I love it when you build me up."

Time for another lingering kiss, and George was gone.

"Tony in?"

"He can give you about ten minutes, then he has clients scheduled."

"That might do."

George was ushered into Tony Dan's spartan office. "Hi, Tony. Thanks for seeing Dee Dee the other day. She's going to take up your suggestion. I know you've only got a few minutes. Bart Culderson and I have a buyout agreement in draft that my sister thinks stinks. Can you take a moment to tell us whether she's right?"

"Let me see. I'm sure it won't take too long to determine whether she's at sea or not. From what I saw of her when she dropped by, she's probably bang on."

Tony ran through the proposed agreement quickly, muttering from time to time "You can't do that" and "Oh no".

"There are problems in that agreement, sure enough. Let me run through her analysis."

Again, Tony reviewed the document quickly. "Bang on." "That's right." "Damn, I didn't see that."

"That is a devastatingly clear, concise and accurate analysis. I only hope that if I had such an agreement to review I would do as good a job. Did she say how to fix it?"

George passed over the proposal.

"Positively elegant." "Yes, yes." "Marvellous."

"You know, the way she's set this up saves the two of you a few thousands just by itself. It is a very deft solution. I don't have any time. Here, I'll put agreed on both of them. Get my secretary to make a copy for my files. We'll send a bill."

George was more or less chased out of the office. The copies made, he drove back in to the store.

"Bart, Tony says she's right." George pulled the analysis out and showed him Tony Dan's "Agreed" and his distinctive signature. George passed over the proposed implementation plan without looking at it.

"Did you see this?" Bart asked, passing it back. At the bottom, Tony had written, "Hire this girl while you can."

"No, I didn't see that. It will make Dee Dee happy to know he thought that much of her."

"Are you going to see her soon?"

"Yes, we're going to work on cleaning her offices."

"Ask her if she can come in at nine tomorrow. I'd like to talk to her."

"Nine will be fine. I'll bring her with me when I come to work. Her office is only a block or so away, so she can easily walk over afterwards, or she can use my car."

"Good. I'll send this proposal over to the lawyer."

Now that the buyout business had been completed, with such beneficial results for all of them, George ducked home to change into cleaning clothes. He picked up brooms, mops and other cleaning supplies. All was delivered to the D. D. Foster offices, where he found the local sign painter working on the door. He'd already done the window.

Dee Dee and Julie were in the back.

"Sorry, George, couldn't wait for you. What did Tony say?"

"Tony was impressed. He agreed completely, but wasn't sure that even he would have caught the Section 44 twist. He said that your implementation plan was incredible. Without my knowing it, after he scribbled agreed on both documents, he added advice to Bart: 'Hire this girl while you can.' Bart wants to see you tomorrow at 9:00. I thought we could go together."

"George. That's wonderful." Once again George's arms were full of a squirmy beautiful girl kissing him passionately. Son of a gun, he could never get used to this. Keep it coming.

George was the kind of guy who didn't regret. What was past was past and there was no changing it. It was always go forward time for him. So he kissed back at least as passionately. Fortunately, Julie was in the storage area. When she came back Dee Dee was flustered. Julie had a sardonic grin on her face.

"We gonna get work, boss?"

"You betcha."

"Then we better get busy."

It was late when George and Dee Dee got home. They'd stopped on the way for takeout, which they devoured voraciously as soon as they got in.

"George, it's all so wonderful. The office, the business, you."

"It is pretty wonderful, Shadow. Especially you."

"No regrets?"

"Never. You?"

"No, I've achieved one of my greatest dreams. You. No regrets."

A little later they settled into bed, in George's room. Dee Dee's bed was still a mess. They made soft, pleasant, thorough, absorbed love.

"Love you, George."

"Love you, Shadow."

The next morning they made love again. Dee Dee twined her legs about George's torso while he thrust into her. This time they were more fervent. George hammered in and Dee Dee hammered back. They came together to Dee Dee's scream.

"I hope this goes on and on," George said. "I love you, girl."

"Forever, George. I love you too."

When they got to the store and up to the office, Bart asked George to sit in on the interview.

"Well, Miss, that analysis of the buyout agreement was masterful. I want to show you the last statement. Based just on that, I'd like you to tell me what you think you can do for us. I know that's unfair, since you probably need to review the books, the accounting system and some other things to do a thorough job. Look at it this way. I'm already prejudiced in your favour. Just show me a little more to push me over the edge."

Dee Dee took the proffered statements and started to look though them.

"Mind if I mark them up?"

"Not at all, that's just a copy."

Dee Dee started marking up the statements. When she got to the statement of income and expense there was hardly a line without a note of some kind. When she got to the notes to the statements, there was forest of question marks.

"First, Mr. Culderson, these statements are in themselves poorly constructed. They hide more information than they convey. Some of the notes are meaningless.

"Second, the statement of assets and liabilities, the balance sheet, includes some very questionable assets. It overstates how well the store is doing.

"Third, the statement of expenses shows a number of expenditure items that are too high for a store like this. Simple things, some of them, like postage. You should be able to do better with more intensive use of electronic messaging, especially for reminders on past due accounts and the like.

"Staff is more a matter of style. You choose to have a good sized staff, and a lot of your customers appreciate that. You can save money elsewhere without changing the atmosphere of your store."

"Tom always said I had to cut back on staff."

"No, that would probably have a severe impact on your sales.

"There are a half a dozen other lines that do show the potential for savings, but I'd need to dig into the books a lot deeper to be sure."

"Tom said we ran a barebones operation."

"No, sir, you do not. I don't mean to be catty, but the professional services line is way too high, unless you're involved in a bunch of lawsuits, and surely you have insurance for that."

"We've never been sued. That item would be almost all Tom's firm."

Dee Dee just raised her eyebrows.

"Look, Miss Foster, I realize you are just starting out, but you've done a hell of a lot more than push me over the edge. I'm already half way down the hill. Can you give me a day a week for a while, starting Tuesday? If you can, I'll tell my people to give you everything you ask for. If you have any problems, come to me or to George, here. We'll see to it that you get what you need, if it exists. No one will give you any grief, not and be working here Friday. Will you do that for me?"

"I can do that, sir."

"Please, Bart."

"OK, Bart. We'd better talk money." Dee Dee named an hourly rate. She'd driven it up as high as she dared. "Will that be satisfactory."

"No, Miss Foster, it won't." George's heart dropped into his shoes. What was wrong now? "I believe in paying what a job is worth. Tom charged so much an hour. You've proved, in a very short time, that you are better, probably much better, than he was. You will be paid at the rate I was charged, plus fifteen per cent. You will be paid at that rate whatever rate you might bill me. Don't undervalue yourself, young lady. You have a very high level of competence and you deserve to be paid for it. I hope that you will not be charging your other clients less than you charge me. I don't mean people without money. I understand even accountants do some pro bono work and cut rate work."

"Yes, Bart. Thank you. George, looks like you get paid back even faster than we thought."

Dee Dee had to explain the reference for Mr. Culderson. He laughed. "George always had a good nose for a smart investment. Get along with you now, and we'll see you Tuesday."

Dee Dee walked over to her office on air. She had achieved her life's dreams. George was even more devoted to her than ever, and she to him. She had her professional accounting designation. She was going to be running her own business, and she had a major account already.

Time to get the show on the road. She opened the office door and called to Julia, "We got a client already."

Julia called back from where they intended to put the client waiting area, "More than one. Come on over."

"This is Ken Sampson, Ms. Foster. He thinks he's got a tax problem. I asked him to wait until Monday but he says the appeal period is over tomorrow and he hasn't been able to get in to see his regular guy for a month, now."




Basic Shadow Ch. 01



"Show me, Mr. Sampson."

Sampson passed over a sheaf of papers. Dee Dee sat on a box that contained a printer. The styrofoam packing easily held her slight weight. One of the papers, the assessment notice, had a date ringed. The notice said he owed $17,445.27.

"That can't be correct, Miss. The accountant said we might be treading on thin ice for a thousand or so, no more. I can't afford that kind of money. And there's a past years audit notice, as well."

Dee Dee worked her way through the papers. "Okay, I'll file an appeal today." She pulled out her laptop and put the appeal together as he watched. "Julie, can you find something to put Mr. Sampson's particulars on?"

"Mr. Sampson, I'll look at this in a little more depth this evening. However, the tax people have made a serious error that we can have fixed. They won't take that to a hearing. Your accountant's use of the deduction he warned you about was not accepted. However, he seems to have missed the deductions under Rule 81. It looks to me that you should be getting another couple of thousand back, even allowing for the lost deduction. Now my fees are," she named the number Bart Culderson had insisted on.

"My accountant only charges half that for a new hire," Sampson objected.

"Then I suppose you need to have him solve this for you."

"No, no. I was just caught by surprise. You've solved a big problem for me in about a tenth of the time it took him to mess it up. I suppose if you deal with the best you have to expect to pay more, and save money in the long run. I'll pay your account the day it comes in."

"Thank you for your business, sir. We'll get the account out next week."

Julie showed Mr. Sampson out. He was shaking his head over how fast she had analyzed his problem and moved to solve it.

When Julie returned she asked where Dee Dee had come up with such an outrageous hourly rate. Julie just shook her head as Dee Dee explained Bart Culderson's reasoning, and her almost promise not to charge anyone else any less.

"That's an unheard of rate around here," she said. "But I like Mr. Sampson's rationale. Charge more and they'll appreciate the quality of work they're getting. Charge too little and they'll think little of you. That was a sharp piece of work for Mr. Sampson."

"The tax office makes mistakes, too," Dee Dee replied. "You tip them off in a friendly way and they'll reciprocate."

"Oh," Julie said. "There's another thing I wanted to mention to you. Everybody in this town knows you and George are brother and sister. A lot of people respect George. It's none of my business what might be going on between you and George, though I'm pretty sure. I want your promise on two things before I settle into what I think will be a hell of a job. If you can't make those promises, I'll understand. I won't stay on, because I won't be able to give you what you should be getting from an assistant. I will keep my mouth shut about why, of course.

"One, I want you to promise me you won't hurt George. And two, I want you to promise me you won't rub whatever your relationship might be in the faces of the townspeople. People will always talk. That just happens."

"Oh, Julie, we're just so happy with each other."

"Dammit, Dee Dee, we've known each other for fifteen years. You've been hanging on after your brother all that time. If you've finally bagged him I can only be happy for you. I don't care what you do around me. Just don't scare the clients. George was happier looking this morning than he has been since before your mother was diagnosed, more likely, now I think about it, since you went off to university. But no tongue downtown. Do you hear me?"

"OK, I promise. And I promise not to hurt George if I can possibly help it. You know why. I love him as a lot more than a brother. Now that I have him, I don't intend to let go. I don't think he wants me to, but if he ever does I'll have to let him go his own way. I appreciate your directness about this, Julie. I'll also thank you for permission to tongue kiss my brother in our office. I'll make use of it, I'm sure, but not in front of our clients.

"I also wanted you to know that we have acquired the Culderson account. That'll take me out of the office Tuesdays for a while, which puts you on your own for more than I had intended at first."

"I'll cope. We're going to beat your business plan projection, you know. This is looking more and more like the best job in town."

"Let's get this appeal notice printed off. Where's the printer?"

"You're sitting on it."

George picked Dee Dee up at five. The two women had made tremendous strides in cleaning up the office. George double checked the computer connections for them, but Julie's work stood up to his inspection.

"Have fun, you two," Julie waved as she left.

"This is going to be fun," Dee Dee reported. "Julie just warned me not to hurt you - as if I would - and not to rub people's faces in our relationship. Good points, both. But I have the Culderson account and a tax problem for another client, already. Things are looking up!"

"Good. Let's get home."

Once back in the house George helped Dee Dee off with her jacket, and her blouse, and her slacks, and . . . He found it a little awkward, with her arms moving to take his clothes off at the same time.

He picked her up and laid her on the couch. He stood for a moment staring down at her.

"So beautiful," he murmured. He knelt by her side and started tracing her body with his fingers. Dee Dee lay back and enjoyed the feel of his hands as they caressed her legs, the sides of her bum, her stomach and chest, her breasts, ending with a quick tweak of her nipples.

"You are a gorgeous woman, Shadow. Such a sweet morsel."

George's hands wandered down again, followed closely by his tongue as it drew caracoles across her stomach, a quick dip into her navel, a slow march through the small forest of her pubic hair, then a long glide down one side of her labia and a slow glide back up the other side. His tongue touched on her clitoris, backed away from the nubbin, repeated the tracery of her labia and plunged as deep as he could force it into her vagina.

"That feels so good, George, so good."

He lipped around the edges of her vagina, seeking spots that pleasured her most, and found them. She was getting tenser. Her juices were flowing strongly and she was warm and wet. He returned to her clitoris, licking and then sucking.

"George, I'm gonna . . . " and her legs closed on his head and her hands pushed him in as she climaxed again and again.

"That was awesome," she reported when she finally settled down from her peaks. "If I'd known you could do that I would never have left home. Where'd you learn that? No, don't tell me. Whatever happened before us is ancient history."

"You should ask Julie," George said. "It wasn't her, but she knows who."

"Maybe I will. C'mon now and finish the job." She reached for his member to find it hard and throbbing, ready for her.

George moved over between her legs and raised himself up until he was between her labia, then pressed down slowly and gently.

"I'm not going to break, George."

"Just enjoying myself, Shadow."

He entered her slowly, the way well lubricated. He slid into her as far as he could. He eased out again, and returned as slowly as before. Gradually he picked up his pace. Dee Dee was starting to pant. He moved faster and faster. His own orgasm was approaching quickly.

"Soon, soon," she called. He went over the edge, his orgasm crashing down on him as he spurted into her. She came almost immediately, letting out a loud scream of joy and triumph.

"It's not supposed to keep getting better, is it?" she asked. "I don't know if I could take that."

"It should just keep getting better, Shadow. We'll learn more of what pleases the other most. Your endurance and ability to survive pleasure ought to get better, too, so there's no need to worry."

They didn't bother to dress as they put together bits and pieces to make a meal.

"I have more appetite tonight than for a while, George. Is that the sex?"

"You're just more active, sweetheart, and that's the sex and the cleaning."

That evening they went to bed early and made love a time or two again before fading into sleep.

"Love you, George."

"Love you, Shadow."

*+*+*

This is a re-posted story, on request, and voting is disabled. Feel free to comment.



Basic Shadow Ch. 02



The next week, Dee Dee opened her office officially. She was scarcely rushed for business. No new professional is, not in the first weeks. However, she did get two of the bank's recommendations in on the Monday. One was hopeless: too poor to afford her fees, even discounted, and unable to follow a business plan or control his own spending.

"I can't help you if you won't help yourself. Look, this is a spending budget. Keep it religiously. List every cent you spend. Come back in two weeks, and if I can see improvement I'll try to help."

The other was a much better bet. He showed her his business plan, which she criticized.

"You are too optimistic about the start-up phase. Nobody does that well. To get through that time you have to produce more slowly, and put off hiring additional staff until the orders come in. Your pricing is based on full volume. At a guess, you won't get there for six months to a year, and you'll be haemorrhaging money for your first year. It's a new product. Charge more. Ever read Adam Smith? Wealth of Nations? Try it.

"Do you mind if I ask George about it? He might have some ideas from the business side that could help."

The client was not that happy that she trashed his business plan, but he could see the merit of her concerns. He was enthusiastic that she might get some ideas from George, though.

"George is a smart cookie. If you could get him to have a look, that would be great."

Dee Dee knew her brother was well regarded, but not quite how much he was looked up to. Tony Dan's words began to have a second meaning, and she started calculating what George's hourly rate should be. She decided to call Bart Culderson.

"Bart, Dee Dee here. . . . No, I'm still coming tomorrow. I've got a couple of ideas I want to test and maybe we can start saving money a lot sooner than I first thought. . . . Thank you. This call is for a different purpose. I want to add George to my practice as an occasional business consultant. . . . Yeah, I thought it was a brilliant idea myself! . . . I'm sure he'd appreciate your confidence in him. My real question, though, is what do you think he should charge. I've got an idea, but I wanted your impression. . . . Same as me, eh? . . . Well, that's what I thought, too. Will they hold still for it? After all, he doesn't have degrees and certificates. . . . It's that or go broke? Kind of hard on me, isn't it? . . . Oh, they're the ones going to go broke. Probably so, at that. . . . Thanks, Bart. See you in the morning."

Maybe it was going to be Foster and Foster for real, she thought. George didn't use all his time on the Culderson store. This consulting work would be good for him. Having him on tap seemed as if it might be good for her, too. It had been a good morning.

George called in at noon to see if Dee Dee might like to go for lunch. To celebrate her first day, he proposed to take her to lunch at Carlton's. Carlton's was pretty much the only decent eatery in town, where most of the established businessmen ate lunch. He wanted to show everyone that she was his, something that gave him a lot of pleasure despite the forbidden nature of their relationship. What was it Julie said? As long as you don't rub their noses in it too much.

"Will you come to lunch, sweetheart? I'd love to show you off again."

"How sweet of you, George. Let's go. I'll just lock up so Julie can go home for lunch, too."

It was a short walk over. Dee Dee explained her idea for a business consultancy using George's knowledge as well as hers. George was intrigued.

"You're not going to get too much for someone with only a community college business course," he laughed.

"Same as me. Before you laugh, that's the rate Bart Culderson said I should charge. If they don't want to pay, they can go broke. His exact words."

"I'd better keep close track of my time, then."

"I've already got one you can try out. I'll show that to you this evening."

By this time they had reached Carlton's. The place was busy, but not full, just as it usually was during weekday lunch hours. You might need a reservation for the evening, or you might luck out. Lunch was usually safe. George and Dee Dee were placed at a table for two near the windows.

George seated Dee Dee with knightly courtesy, then absented himself for a few moments to attend to natural functions. Dee Dee, unfamiliar with the offerings, took the opportunity to go over the menu in detail. The lunch menu was limited but the dishes offered a range of tastes. It was a good business arrangement, she thought.

Suddenly a hand snatched the menu from her hand. It was Tom Sanderson, the accountant who had offered Dee Dee a job for sex. He was the one who'd messed up the buyout deal on the store, too. He was quite obviously far along on a five martini lunch.

"Showing up with the big boys after I offered you a job? You turned your nose up at it, didn't you? Now I hear you're slandering my reputation. We don't need your kind in here. Go home. Go away. Leave town."

Dee Dee was concerned. This was the asshole whose plan would have cost Mr. Culderson over a hundred thousand. If she couldn't calm him down, George would knock his block off. Maybe she didn't want to calm him down. She was getting pretty pissed herself.

"Maybe there wouldn't be room for me in this town if you were a competent accountant," she retorted. "Bugger off before you get hurt."

Tom pulled his arm back to take a swing at her. She was going to kill him herself if he did that.

Behind him his arm was suddenly arrested. A not very friendly voice instructed Tom:

"The lady said she wanted you gone, Tom. Go."

A brief scuffle and Tom left. A worried Ken Sampson stood there in his place.

"I'm awfully sorry about that, ma'am. We don't put up with that sort of thing in this town, especially about ladies, and especially about ladies who just pulled his nuts out of the fire. Pardon the language ma'am."

"Twice, I think, Mr. Sampson. Thank you for your help. Would you care to join us? George should be coming back in a moment."

"Thank you, Ms. Foster. I've just finished and have to be on my way. I am pleased that I could be of assistance. You call me if you have any more troubles with that one. He's the one who never called me back while the appeal period expired. I appreciate that you took the time to help me, especially when you weren't even open for business. Here's George, now. No one will cause you trouble while he's here."

"Oh George, I just had a bad experience with Tom Sanderson. He came over to run me out of town. Mr. Sampson, here, was good enough to calm him down."

"Thank you, Ken," George responded.

"We don't want that kind of behaviour in here, or in this town, George. Just doing my duty by a pretty woman. See you around." With that, Ken Sampson went his way.

Seeing Ken gone and Dee Dee apparently without a protector, Tom was struggling to his feet to renew the assault. He hadn't noticed George's return.

Ken wasn't the only one who wouldn't put up with that kind of behaviour. The waitress just told Tom to go home. A couple of the partners in his office made the same suggestion. Tom appeared to be prepared to defy all of them. The proprietor came out and offered Tom another drink, compliments of Mickey Finn. That ended that problem for the day.

"Tell him when he wakes up that any repetition of that sort of behaviour in my business will see him banned." The owner of Carlton's was not the sort to put up with disturbances, even from good customers.

**********

At the office, Dee Dee reported the fracas with Sanderon to Julie.

"That's not like him, Dee Dee. I wonder what's underneath all that. Tom usually just lets the changes in business go as part of the ebb and flow. Something's got to be bothering him. Maybe you better keep your eyes open for something significant at the store. Bart Culderson is a sharp cookie, but he did rely on his accountant."

"Thanks, Julie. I don't know anything about Tom. He's new in town since I went off to college five years ago. I can't believe anyone would react like that to losing an account, even a big one. Bigger than it should be, I think."

"Tom moved in about four years ago and started spending big. I guess he had the business. Maybe he has to keep all of it to fuel his lifestyle. Maybe there's something else. Keep your eyes open."

"All right, I'll be especially wary."

"Okay, the tax office called. They want you to get back to them but they say Ken Sampson's appeal is settled. They appreciate that you didn't raise hell with them for a silly mistake."

"The tax guys can be your best friends if you let them, if you know your job."

"Nothing newer than that."

"Well, we'd better get Sampson's bill out, and see if we can get started paying our own rent."

**********

George came by to pick Dee Dee up after work.

"Need a ride, Julie?"

"No, my husband is coming by in a few minutes. Have a good evening."

Dee Dee and George were arriving home when they were accosted by Tom Sanderson outside their house.

"I want you both out of town tonight," he snarled.

"Tom," George said. "You've been seeing too many bad westerns. Check with your wife about doing anything more. I don't think the accountants' group life covers suicide."

The two of them went in, leaving Tom standing. Eventually he went away.

"George, that was wonderful. This is a great town, where people will help anyone!"

"You ought to know, Shadow, this is the town where we grew up."

It was George's turn to prepare supper, but Dee Dee told him to wait while she addressed certain needs. She stripped him bare in the entryway, then tugged him into the front room while she took off her own clothes.

George was pretty hard just from her naked presence, and her dominating behaviour just made him harder. She knelt beside his body on the rug, sucked him more to lubricate than to excite, and impaled herself on him.

"George, this is so fine, so fine. I've been anxious to get you back to myself. Ooooh, just let me fuck you senseless."

He slid his hands up to assault her breasts, flicking her nipples into fine little nubs, as she pounded him steadily. He dropped a hand to massage her clitoris while she continued to pound up and down on him.

As she was moving he started to meet her, adding sensation through her breasts and her clit. She began to shiver. His excitement soared. His cock felt like it would burst. Then she peaked, and he climaxed with her:

"Ahhhh, oh, George, that was wonderful." 

"Shadow, that's the best appetizer of all."

He slid out of her, flaccid now he was spent, and laid her on the carpet.

"Time for the entrée."

He slid his tongue into her wet vagina and used his hands to maintain her arousal. His tongue moved up to her clit, fully aroused from their wild lovemaking a moment before. His hands once more caressed her breasts.

She came violently, without warning.

"Wow, that was great. What about you?"

"Not to worry. I just love seeing you get off. You are so marvellous. I am so glad you trapped me into this relationship!"

"I trapped you into nothing, George."

"True, in one sense, but you have tied me down just by being you, you know, your own marvellous self."

"Bullshitter." She was pleased, though. Who can resist heartfelt compliments?

"Not so, Shadow, all true."

She didn't contradict him again.

They prepared and ate supper nude since it seemed too much trouble to dress. For some reason they were both more tired than usual after a day at the office. They liked to look at each other, too.

After they cleaned up Dee Dee gave George the business plan to look over. 

"You know, Shadow, this is kind of fun, to look through what someone is proposing and see what you can suggest to make it even better. This plan should work, He's projecting too much income too early, of course, and his pricing is wrong. It should start out about thirty per cent higher until he has sales that will justify full capacity. He has expansion plans if the sales will support it, which is good. Better to plan ahead and not be caught if the demand is higher than expected than to disappoint people with late deliveries."

"Those first two points are what I told him this morning. In terms of sustainability they offset each other. Is there anything more you can add?"

"Well, if he changes this relationship like this, he can up his cash flow, which means less borrowed money in the system. About four months in he should start shifting this supply node, and not wait as long as he plans to. He ought to consider making his own supply of these parts, too. They seem to be critical to moving forward. He only has one supplier identified. If that supplier decides to hold him up to ransom, or has labour or supply problems of his own, he's out of business."

Dee Dee had been busy making notes. "I think that's going to justify your charges right there. Those are all excellent points. I think we can turn a pretty shaky proposition into a sound business proposal. Thank you, George."

They both prepared to go off to bed, paying more attention to the locks than had been their custom, and making sure the alarm system was armed. 

Dee Dee came into George's room to sleep. Her sheets were fresh, but George was there. Who wants clean sheets when the alternative is your lover?

"George, will you make slow passionate love to me now? Earlier was fun, and I really enjoyed it. Tonight I want to be loved, just the way you make me feel so loved."

"Of course, sweetheart, of course." And he did.

**********

The next morning, a Tuesday, Dee Dee's first day at Culderson's, the two of them arrived up in the offices to hear Bart on the phone.

"No, Tom, I'm not paying five thousand for the work you did on the transfer. I've already paid three, which is too much for what you did for me. . . . No, Tom, it's not just the word of a 'flighty scared newbie' to use your words. I've had it confirmed by two other reputable accountants. . . . Tom, they both said they are prepared to go to the board with their opinion. . . . It was not competent work, Tom. . . . I'm not paying. Sue and be damned to you. And your firm's connection with my store is over." He slammed the phone down.

"That person," he had obviously been prepared to use a different word but held back in Dee Dee's presence - he was a gentleman of the old school - "thinks he can charge another five thousand for that piece of tripe he tried to pass off as a tax-saving transition plan, a plan, miss, that you kindly saved me from. You heard my response. Good to see you in. If you want, Miss Foster, there is a spare office yonder that should have a phone and computer hook-ups. See Sue Bradley for anything at all you need. 

"Sue," he called her over. "This is Miss Foster, a newly minted professional accountant who is going to be doing our work from now on. Of course it's nepotism, she's George's sister. Actually, she's doing the work because she just saved me better than a hundred thousand. Please see that she has anything she needs. She'll be in the spare office."

"Pleased to meet you Miss Foster."

"Just call me Dee Dee; everyone else does."

"Oh, that's who you are. You'll pardon me if I say that in my recollection Dee Dee Foster was pretty smart, but nothing to look at. I still don't recognize the beautiful woman in front of me as her."

"Why, thank you. I had an incident and decided I should change. I'm glad you think I succeeded.

"Could you get me the back up for miscellaneous? I think I'll start there. If you have any problem Mr. Culderson said to call him or George."

"I'm on it. No one is going to give me trouble, Dee Dee. That's just the way I am."

Dee Dee spent a long while doing very basic audit functions on the miscellaneous account, knowing there were all kinds of opportunities to create trouble in such a mishmash of items. It had been quite a bit higher, as a percentage of total, than it had any right to be. She sat up when she found a couple of Tom Sanderson's accounts there.

"Sue, I want you to make copies of these accounts, and start a record of all the accounting services charges to the store. This was hidden on purpose. It was not well-hidden, but then I suppose he figured no one would look. Right now I'm looking for duplication."

"Okay, that doesn't make sense. He charges enough in the labelled item. Dee Dee, what's this charge for director's fees? Bart and his wife are the only directors of Culderson's, and they don't take fees as directors."

"I don't know. Let's track it down. It references a numbered company. Let's see if we can find any transfers to it. I want to ask George what he knows about it."

Dee Dee, looking a touch harried, went into George's office. He wasn't out in the stock rooms, yet.

"George, what do you know about relations between Culderson's and a numbered company?"

"Nothing, really, except that Tom recommended some kind of separation to make the balance sheet look better, or something. I didn't pay much attention to it."

"Did you know that the store was paying Tom and his wife a fair amount in directors' fees for that company?"

"No, no such arrangement was agreed to. Let's see Bart."

Bart was livid.

"The deal with the numbered company was something to do with appearances. Tom said once it was incorporated there would be almost no annual cost, maybe a couple of hundred dollars or so."

"These directors' fees are measured in thousands."

"Track down all you can. I'm going to get that back, out of his hide and his partners. The store has no business covering that cost for another company anyway. Find the cheques if you can, or the transfers."

**********

Julie and Dee Dee were alone in the office for a change, in one of their increasingly rare periods of inactivity. Of course there were things that could be done, but neither of them were too anxious to get back to work right away. They'd been pretty busy. 

"You know, Julie, I'd love to have a baby - George's baby. While the townsfolk probably wink at what we're doing, they won't sit still for me having George's baby. I suppose we could move away, but I don't want to do that."

"I don't want to see the two of you go, either, Dee Dee, and not just because of my job," Julie replied. "This town needs capable young people like you.

"There are at least two ways to go about it that I can think of. The first is to find someone you could fake a relationship with, perhaps married, and you get pregnant accidentally or on purpose and he can't marry you. I know Ken Sampson would do that, and it even fits. He already thinks you walk on water" - Dee Dee sputtered at that - "no, it's true. His wife is an invalid, and might even agree herself. The problem is that people would turn against you for trying to take Ken away from his wife.

"The second idea I have is that you should just disappear for a week every three months or so, maybe to look for a husband or boyfriend. One of those times you come back pregnant. The advantage is that people would look up to you as this paragon of virtue, who, through a mistake, became with child, as they used to say, and determined to have the child and raise the child herself. The approach might work even for a second child, but if you tried for a third people would start thinking you should have caught on to what's causing these pregnancies," Julie laughed.

"If you're going to do that, you'll have a problem arranging to meet with George, since the point of a trip away is to make it obvious the father couldn't possibly be George."

"Gee, thanks, Julie," Dee Dee laughed. "How to have George's baby without George!

"On the other hand, George goes away a few times a year, to check with suppliers, or the annual retail convention, stuff like that. We could arrange to meet once my pattern and intent is clear and people wouldn't think of us as being in the same part of the world, even."




Basic Shadow Ch. 02



"Might work. Who would have thought that we've got it all solved except the getting pregnant part!"

"Oh, I think I can manage that!"

They laughed again, but were interrupted by a new client. Dee Dee thought hard about Julie's suggestions.

That night after supper, Dee Dee raised Julie's suggestions with George.

"I agree, Shadow," he told her. "People around town sort of know that we're a little more than brother and sister. They don't want to call us on it, since that would make us leave town, and a lot of people would be upset if they did that. I've got a lot of friends here, and you have, too, as well as all your new clients who mostly quite adore you. Very strange for an accountant.

"Let me tell you something that happened this morning. Bart called me into his office and said that Tom Sanderson had approached him a couple of weeks ago 'on the subject of employing immoral professional help' as Bart put it.

"It seemed to me that Tom was setting up to blackmail either me or Bart, but so far nothing for which you could get a charge to stick. Tomorrow's Tuesday, and you'll be going in anyway. Bart asked us to come in to see him before you started," George concluded.

"Do you think he's going to fire us? It would hurt me, but I can survive without him if I have to, and I wouldn't have said that a month ago."

"I don't know. I can get another job, easily enough, but I've got a lot of emotional attachment to Culderson's, and I'd hate to think I've disappointed Bart. He's not the kind of guy to knuckle under to threats, either. You can convince him but you can't threaten him."

"I wanted to see Bart anyway. There's a big problem wandering through those books. I don't think Bart knows about it, but I need to find out if he authorized it before I go farther. There are some savings he can implement right away if he wants, and that will make the books look pretty good as soon as the next quarterlies.

"Look, George, this is enough to think of. We can table Julie's suggestions if you want."

"No, Shadow, I like the idea. If you want to start a family, I will certainly go along with it. I hadn't thought about it, but now you raise the idea, I really want to have a couple of kids. I want you and I to be parents, part of a real family again. If we can do it, I want that to be here. More reasons to love you, sweetheart."

"So how can we make this happen?"

"Well, it sounds pricey, but we're making enough just now since we don't have house payments. You go on your little vacations and book the tickets here so everyone can know where you've gone. In the few cases when I might be out of town at the same time, it will be in a different direction unless there's some sort of problem that I can't anticipate. Once out of this part of the world and away from the prying eyes, I can take a couple of days out of the middle of my trip and fly out to wherever you've gone to relax.

"Then, of course, we'll make love for thirty-six hours straight and see what happens."

"Sounds like a plan, brother."

"Uh, Shadow?"

"What, George?"

"I really think we should keep in practice, don't you? Wouldn't want to forget how, or anything."

"You're right, George, that's exactly the kind of attention to detail I've come to expect from you."

George and Dee Dee were not quite racing up to their bedroom, though they were making good time. They got each other undressed quickly. Nothing got torn. Then they fell into bed and hugged, their naked bodies entwined.

George continued to feel Dee Dee up, sliding his hands over her breasts to tweak her nipples, running his hands over her bum, his hands over her thighs, up and down her sides, over her back. He was thorough, making sure he got to feel all of her. This time, Dee Dee lay there, mostly, just absorbing the feeling of his warm hands exploring her, appreciating his strength, luxuriating in his attentions.

George returned his concentration to her breasts, sucking one in his mouth, then pulling back to suckle on her nipple, sending heat shooting through her, making her pussy drip. His hand massaged Dee Dee's other breast and rolled her nipple. Then he switched hands. His free hand he used to feel up her pussy, running his fingers over her, ducking inside, searching for the places he knew would excite her, flicking her emerging clit. George was doing a great job of getting Dee Dee up and raring to go even if it was just procreation practice.

Dee Dee hadn't done much for him, but he was hard when her hand brushed him in passing.

George flipped her over on her stomach and eased himself in the back door.

"You've got a fabulous ass, Dee Dee."

George proceeded to demonstrate how fabulous her ass was, and how much he appreciated it, by trying to pound it flat. Dee Dee pushed back, hard, and he went in deeper when she did. Being full of man, her man, George, her brother and lover, this way was just as enjoyable for her as any other way. She thought that it always felt good to have George deep inside.

He leaned over her, pulling himself up a bit, letting his chest brush her back without putting any weight on her, and slid his hands under to grasp her breasts, not doing anything, just holding on. Then he proceeded to pound the daylights out of her. Dee Dee was pounding back as hard as she could, but George had the leverage. His cock was getting harder, readying itself to spurt, and Dee Dee brought herself up to ride with him.

He gave one last incredible shove and started to come, at least four strong spurts as he shot into her, filling her with his sperm. The vibrations of his cock and her own manipulation of her clitoris had her over the edge, too, a pretty violent orgasm that made her bounce back at him even after he finished.

"God," she told George, "that was so good."

The two siblings curled up together and dozed off. Sometime in the middle of the night Dee Dee woke up and started to caress George's cock, which grew just as big as ever really quickly. Obviously he was awake, too. He lay back, picked her up and rammed her down on his cock. She rose up and slammed down on him while he was trying to stick his cock in her teeth. From inside. They were fierce with each other. Their mutual orgasms caught them both by surprise. They dropped off to sleep again.

The alarm went off about three-quarters of an hour before they had to leave, and they had to get cleaned up and eat, first. George made Dee Dee come fully awake quickly with his fingers and tongue. This time they were back to missionary, where they could kiss and fondle each other. Dee Dee was pretty wet, with her own secretions and what George had put into her the night before, so she was ready to go and he was hard again. He shoved into her in one thrust and they were making love again.

It was just as good as it had been the first time. George pushed in like there was no tomorrow and Dee Dee shoved back hard and fast. They came together, again, almost like they'd been synched.

They showered together to save time, though it probably took longer with all the extra loving touches. They grabbed a quick breakfast, and were off.

Once in Bart's office, Bart explained to Dee Dee what he'd told George the day before.

"Sounds like he's working up to some kind of blackmail. That won't do the store any good. Do you want us to quit? Neither of us wants to create problems for you, Bart," George offered.

"Oh for Pete's sake, George. Everyone knows you and Dee Dee are lovers. No one I know seems to have any hangups about it. You're a couple of good people, you're of age, and it's sweet to see how much in love the two of you are. Maybe it's illegal and immoral, but I don't think it's fattening. Nobody in this town much cares. That's why Tom can't successfully blackmail you, or me either. For blackmail to work there has to be a guilty secret. There's no secret, and nothing the two of you should feel guilty about. You're two caring, contributing members of this community, and we want to keep you. So don't let the fact that you're both incestuous perverts bother you!" He started to laugh his head off, and Dee Dee and George couldn't help but laugh with him.

"Sorry to be the one to break up the party," Dee Dee began. "We've got a few problems, and maybe more. We've found duplicate billings from Tom's firm. Not just a few hundred. There's too much to have been accidental. You remember the unauthorized directors' fees we talked about last week? Well, we're starting to find transfers of real money to that company. I wanted to know if you authorized them."

"No, that company was never supposed to hold anything but booked assets. No actual money.

"George, I want you to set up a meeting with the managing partner at Tom's firm. Just you and me. Two days." He looked a question at Dee Dee. She nodded acceptance.

"See what else you can find, and especially transfers to that company. There's going to be extra time and overtime, Dee Dee, I'm sorry, but this is important. George, I want you to get into this, too. Get whoever can help up here. Find out what you can about that numbered company.

"No wonder Tom wants your sister out of this town. He knew she'd find his embezzlement."

Dee Dee called her office.

"Paydirt, Julie. Close her up and get over here to help."

"Five minutes."

With the extra help it wasn't too long before they identified several thousands in unauthorized transfers. The store had no copy of the authorization, but a runner to the bank brought a copy back quickly. It was signed by Tom for Bart. The bank should never have accepted it, of course, and their liability was clear. George arranged a meeting with the bank manager for the afternoon of the day they were to meet the managing partner of the accounting firm. Bart called the police chief, a longstanding friend, to keep an eye on Tom in case he figured the wind was up and tried to run for it.

"There's enough to hold him, now, but he'd get bail and then run, I think. We want to get all of it, or a lot more. I think it's there and that we can find it."

As the crew worked into the evening, every one of them found something wrong. They brought the problems to Dee Dee. All of them were Tom's fault, and either meant money for him or were trying to cover up another theft by shifting money around. Dee Dee was having a hard time trying to figure out how an outside accountant could be draining funds out of the store. He didn't have signing authority.

He didn't have signing authority, it turned out, but he had an accomplice. The lights went on at the bank after George called the manager at home. They found a signing authority for Tom on the company accounts that was on company letterhead, but had never been signed. His accomplice had written on it: "confirmed by phone with Bart Culderson".

The date was three years back. Bart checked his diary. On that date three years ago, he had been on his annual fishing trip with his buddies, and could not have been reached by phone, not even a cellphone, where they had been. Bart had the chief of police set up another set of watchers. It was looking really bad. At least the sluggish performance of the store, despite all that Bart and George could do, was slowly being explained.

By midnight they had tracked down large unexplained transfers to the numbered company. The public records had Tom and his wife as the sole directors, despite the memorandum in Bart's files that the directors were to be the same as the store: Bart and his wife. Instructions to their lawyer to freeze the numbered company were made up, ready for delivery when the law office opened.

Tom had been really stupid, they found about 1:00 a.m. All records for the numbered company were at the back of the miscellaneous expense file drawer. They were able to track its banking. About thirty thousand had been drawn out of the company, payable to Tom. That was the smoking gun they'd been looking for. A second directive, to seize Tom's assets, was prepared for the lawyer.

At that point Dee Dee chased everybody home.

"We're too tired to be sure of anything more tonight. Thank you all. Let's take another shot at what's left starting at noon. Go get some sleep."

"The morning's time off with pay," Bart called. "And of course I'm paying overtime for this evening. Lunch tomorrow is on the store. Thank you, people, you've been grand."

George and Dee Dee staggered out as the last of the store employees, and Julie, left.

Bart looked at them fondly.

"Thank you, both. Stay out until noon, please. You're both too valuable to me to risk wearing you out so fast."

Once home they simply fell into bed, comfortable with each other, exhausted and happy.

**********

The next morning Dee Dee was up and raring to go reasonably early.

"Calm down, Shadow. Calm down. Nobody's going to be there until noon. Everything's been frozen. Come here and enjoy."

Dee Dee had been ready to get started again. She was a little bit wired with the thrill of the chase, not a feeling accountants often enjoyed. George laughed at the thought that she might go charging out the door. She hadn't noticed yet that she hadn't dressed. George had noticed, though, and was enjoying the sight tremendously.

He called Dee Dee over, and hugged her delicious nakedness to him.

They fell on the bed.

George pulled her to him, starting to kiss, fielding her tongue, one hand on her bum and one feeling for her breasts. She was no shrinking violet. Her hands were feeling up his muscular bum and diving for his penis. George was stroking her legs. Their mutual need was to just hold one another.

"Shadow, you have the most wonderful legs."

"Yes," she laughed. "They go straight down to the ground." Well, not quite straight, he thought, relishing another beautiful curve.

Eventually he relinquished her gorgeous limbs, wondering as he did so why she seemed so unaware of just how exquisite she was.

George pulled Dee Dee up in front of his eyes.

"You, dear, are sweet enough to eat."

He proceeded to demonstrate. First he suckled at her nipples. She let her busy hands relax and simply sagged back in his strong arms to enjoy the sensation. He moved from one nipple to the other, teasing both little pink nubs into erection. She could feel the sensations spiralling down into her loins. He licked all around her breasts, sucking them into his mouth, reverting to teasing her nipples, then suckling on them again. She sighed in happiness.

He laid her flat and started travelling down her body. His hands touched her breasts lightly, flicking and rubbing her nipples as he kissed light butterfly kisses on her body. He dipped his tongue for a moment into her navel. She moaned softly at the touch.

His mouth and tongue continued, down over her stomach, through and around her silky public hairs, black as her hair, down to her labia. He tongued, licked and teased her labia, up one side, down the other, then moving in to lick her inner lips. He thrust his tongue inside her, as far as it would reach. She gasped. He feasted on her juices. He began to tongue her, using both the flat and the tip of his tongue to excite her. Then he moved out and up to where her clitoris had appeared. He licked it, flicked it with his tongue, then gently suckled on it for a moment. It was all she needed. She came with a howl, then giggled softly as she rode through the aftershocks. Her thighs had tightened, trapping his head.

He gently forced her thighs apart to see her watching him, lust and affection mingled in her eyes, her slack mouth. He rose up and forward to ease himself into her depths, sliding in easily after all her stimulation. George was hard, stimulated to the edge of orgasm himself.

Exercising all of his self control he continued to stroke in and out until the ragged edge to her breathing told him she was again on the verge. He increased speed, pushing harder and deeper, feeling more and more of her. He lost control, he climaxed, he shot sperm deep within her. Dee Dee came again at almost the same moment. The walls of her vagina milked him.

They held their positions, both rigid, neither wanting to let go of the other, enjoying their connection, a connection of both body and spirit.

Eventually the strain of the position forced them to retreat. George lost his rigidity and eased out. Dee Dee gathered him in to kiss him soundly, to thank him and share her joy with him.

He was still half erect. He thought maybe they could get in a little more quality time. She saw his glance, smiled at his reaction, then glanced at the clock.

"Sorry, George. Business calls."

They showered together, exchanging caresses, just the sweetness of love, for now. Later, who knew?

The fraud hunt continued at the store. By the end of the day the records had proven the theft of thousands upon thousands, all due to the former audit accountant and his accomplice at the bank. The lawyers for the store had hit hard early, with temporary injunctions to protect the assets of the thieves and the artificial constructs they'd established. The overconfidence of the fraudsters made Dee Dee gasp. Sure, accountants were hard-wired to keep records, but surely not in the offices of their victim.

"Shadow, it's probably the safest place they could think of," George explained. "As long as Tom was the accountant, no one was going to check these files except him. Now we know for sure why he was so eager to see you gone. If the idiot had used any sense, he would have hired you as soon as he found out you were my sister. He knew you were competent. I can't believe he never thought I'd have you looking at the store records."

The police already had Tom and his accomplice in custody. The bank officers had broken the accomplice the previous night. Tom had promised to divorce his wife and marry her, a sordid and all-too-common tale. The thefts would have provided them with the resources to live well regardless of any spousal or child support claims.

The next morning Bart and George had their meeting with Tom's partners.

Bart listed the thefts, the methods used and the amounts. He demonstrated overbilling and double billing.

"You know, I don't really know what liability you guys have for the thefts," Bart started out. "I don't really care. You will go good for them out of your moral imperatives. The ones that say you want to continue to do business in this town and not starve to death. You harboured this viper, and chose not to look too hard. As far as the extra billings are concerned, you benefited from them, and you'll repay them, and that's a legal obligation I will enforce."

One of the four partners started to sputter, and the others shut him up.

"You're right," the senior among them conceded. "Give us a list. Include whatever it's cost you to find out, and whatever you've had to pay your lawyers. We'll pay it all. I can't promise how long it will take, but we'll pay every last cent. We may have been careless and we may have been stupid, but no one can call me dishonest."

The other three nodded sadly.

"We have isolated everything, we think. You know charges have to be laid. We moved fast enough to recover most of it. There'll be a cost, but it won't be what you're thinking it could have been."

"Thank you, Bart. You can't hush up something like this. Tell me what it is when you have a number. It will get paid, somehow. When you're recovering assets, Tom's house is worth a fair bit. We'll cover whatever that might be. I don't want to see his wife and kids without a home."

"We can compromise if it comes to that. She's a sweet soul, and neither George nor I want to see her or the kids hurt any more than this is going to hurt them already."

**********

Tom got four years. His accomplice got six.

"Goddamn it, George, that's not fair."

"No, but the judge thought she was in a position of trust and abused it."




Basic Shadow Ch. 02



"But it was all his plan!"

"Sorry, Shadow, that's the way it works."

At least the Board of Accountants came down hard. Tom was struck off the rolls and fined a quarter million. The Board never expected to get it, of course, but it had to be paid before Tom could ever apply to be reinstated. It would have effect nationally. 

**********

Dee Dee started implementing Julie's plan. She took a week in the Bahamas. Three months later, she took a week in Hawaii. By coincidence, George had to be in Idaho. Something about electronics, maybe. It took him almost a week to sort out.

"Hello, sweetheart," he called from the lobby. "Guess who's here?"

"Harold, is that you?" Dee Dee joked. "Come right up. I'm expecting my brother, but maybe we can have a quick one before he shows up."

George knocked at her door, high up in a beachfront hotel.

"Harold fell over, so you'll have to make do with me."

"Any port in a storm," Dee Dee laughed, and hauled him into the room by main force. It was a few hours later before George could stagger out of bed. There was a pair of arms reaching to bring him back, even so.

"Oh George, are you planning on deserting me so soon?"

"Back, woman, back. My life insurance doesn't cover suicide."

"I wonder if you can get a coitus-cide rider?"

"Are all accountants this horny?"

They started to laugh. George forgot to stay clear, and they ended up making love yet one more time.

"Love you, sweetheart."

"Love you, George."

**********

"Dee Dee, why are you so damned happy this morning?" Julie asked, six weeks after she got back to the office.

**********

This is a re-post by request. As with all of my reposts, voting is disabled.



Basic Shadow Ch. 03



"Dee Dee, why are you so damned happy this morning?" Julie asked.

"The test came back!"

"What . . . oh, that test! I thought you did one at home."

"Yes, but it could have been a false positive. Oh Julie, I'm so happy, I'm going to have George's baby!"

"I'd say it was yours, too, Dee Dee," Julie laughed. "I guess it was that strange man you met in Hawaii. I warned you to be careful."

Well, Julie had warned her, but mostly they had exchanged myths and folklore on how to get pregnant. Dee Dee had concluded that the best way to get pregnant was to make love a lot. Julie agreed.

"That's how my husband and I did it. We keep it up, too, just in case we decide we want another one someday."

"Aren't you worried that you might end up with one by accident?"

"No, the baby would be conceived in love, and wouldn't really be an accident. The baby would be loved like the other two."

"Well, this one is going to be loved up really special, too."

They laughed.

"Dee Dee," Julie turned serious. "You do know that there's a real risk of something going bad with the baby, don't you?"

"Yes, I went into this with my eyes open, or rather, we did. We'll love who we get, even if there are defects. We know that, to quote somebody's study, increased homozygosity among offspring of consanguineous parents influences the risk of birth defects. It's somewhat higher than in the general population, by thirty per cent or so according to that study. 

"Another study concluded that 'the excess level of death and severe defect in the offspring of incestuous unions (a proportion of which may have been nongenetic in origin) was 31.4%. Another method of predicting this risk is to extrapolate from the data on the predicted risk to the offspring of first-cousin unions and amplify the risk based on the closer degree of relationship, thus estimating a 6.8% to 11.2% risk above the population background for significant birth defects.' That's not all that high, you know.

"A very recent study concluded that babies born to couples who are related definitely have a greater chance of having health problems. The increased rate of problems is relatively small, and in cousins, it is not much different to those babies born to unrelated individuals, and is almost the same as for children of mothers over thirty-five. One commentator noted, 'The risk of birth defects in children whose parents are first cousins is often exaggerated in the public's mind. Most such babies will be fine. All the same, there is an increased occurrence of birth defects in such babies.' The most you can say is that for siblings the rate is twice as high, which comes from extrapolating the effect of the extra duplication of chromosomes, though what evidence there is does not support that conclusion in fact.

"There isn't much data on brother-sister marriages for some reason - surprise - so some studies extrapolate from first cousin marriages. We don't know of any problems in our family history and the measured risk is maybe one chance in five hundred - no higher, despite calculations showing much higher risks. It's a risk we're prepared to take. It's a lower risk than adoption, given the characteristics of the people who give up their children or, more commonly, have them taken from them, as if there was any real chance of adoption any more, and artificial insemination isn't an option we're prepared to go with. I want George's baby, not someone else's. If semen donations are like blood donations, there's a much higher chance of getting genes you don't want than we face naturally anyway. Besides, George's genes are a notch above anyone else's."

"Yours too. Obviously you've thought a lot about it. Good luck, then, girl. I won't bring it up again. Better you than me, but better not at all.

"On another matter, with all the work at the store, and the people who've been coming to the person who can fix tax problems, find that kind of fraud, and the business consulting, we're rolling in money but we're going to start running behind. There just aren't enough hours, and I don't want to see you try to do it all. Not that George will let you, once you tell him about the baby."

"So, what are you saying?"

"We need help or we need to start saying no. Saying no is trouble since we will start to lose some of the business we have, and won't get any new, once people decide you don't have time for them."

"Okay, makes sense, but we do need to say no, sometimes. We've done that a few times already and it doesn't seem to have hurt business. People respect the fact that you don't take on something you can't do. I do agree that we need help. I don't need to spend my time doing the grunt work. How do you think that we should arrange for this help?"

"You know, I'd say that we need at least two qualified accountants and three support staff. Then we'll probably need an office manager. Thank heaven there's enough space in this old barn you rented to put them all!"

"All right, Julie, let's get to it. Keep your ear to the ground for the right people. You're office manager, now. I know you well enough to know that you've got someone in mind for at least some of those positions."

"Well, I had thought Ada Cunningham would do as office manager, but you seem to have filled that spot yourself, thank you. I do think I'm as good as she is, so I'm not going to go all mushy and say you shouldn't have. She'd still be good, and I think that she'll work for me as easily as I would have worked for her. The support staff really work for the professionals, anyway.

"Ada would be a good bookkeeper, and so would Frank Thurston. Then as assistants, I'd say Harry Tottenham and Shirley Freer. I'm no good at accountants, but Tony Dan's daughter Francine just graduated, and while you can't accept a student yet, we can hire someone who can and you can do the mentoring. Tad Rice, out of Tom Robinson's old firm, has been looking to jump. Then there's Bill Fraser, in business consulting but not making much of a go at it, since he's bad at tracking his time. He needs the discipline of a formal workplace. He's one of those guys that can't work for himself. Finally, I'd say Patricia Helyer could contribute a lot. She's in another firm, but not too happy with the old boys' club there."

"I thought you were crazy when you said we needed five more people. Now you're giving me eight names."

"I wanted to give you some choice, boss. Besides, I can't decide which of them we should have. I really wouldn't want to turn any of them down."

"All right, office manager. I'll give Tony a call to check on his daughter's availability. You get the rest on board."

"All of them?"

"Yup. Some of them are going to bring their own clients no matter how we try to avoid poaching. They wouldn't be much good if they didn't have some clients, at least, loyal to them and not to their firm. That will just make it harder for us to get ahead of the demand, so we had better plan big or stay small. Let me talk to George tonight, for a second opinion, and we can do some chasing tomorrow. I'll talk to Tony today, though. If Francine's anything like him, I don't want to risk letting her get away."

**********

"Hi, Tony." Dee Dee wasn't letting any grass grow.

"Dee Dee. Congratulations on that fraud. I would never have thought it of Tom. People in our line of work have to be absolutely trustworthy. What can I do for you?"

"I understand your daughter Francine will be graduating shortly. I was wondering whether she had chosen a studentship, yet. If she hasn't committed, and would like to work at home, I'd be prepared to make her an offer, on the understanding that if she works out, and can stand working with me, I'd make her an offer of a permanent position once she qualifies."

"That's very kind of you. She's had an offer from one of the national firms, and another from the place you qualified from. I'm not going to be working much longer, so I can't take her on. Probably shouldn't do that for family, anyway. I'll ask her tonight, and get back to you tomorrow. Could you do the interview on the weekend?"

"Certainly. I'd like to keep the office as local as I can, Tony, and I have to expand or get frozen out."

"Speaking of that, would you be interested in taking over my practice? I'd like to see that my people get taken care of properly."

"Do you come with it? Say, for a year or so, for as much seamless transition as we can manage?"

"I hadn't thought of that, but I suppose it would help my clients, and I'd probably see more of Francine than I've been able to over the past four years. I'll give it some thought, and talk it over with my wife. She doesn't think I'm going to retire for two or three years, yet. She'll probably be happy if I make it sooner."

"If you want to work with me for longer, I'd love to have you."

"No, no, a year is about all I have left in me, thanks."

"Would you take on Francine as her principal, knowing that I'd be working with her more than you will? I'm not far enough along since qualifying to take on a student yet."

"In a jiffy. Nothing could be better for her than working with both of us. That will probably bring my wife on side better than anything else you could think of."

"Talk to her and let me know."

**********

"George, Julie and I were talking at work this afternoon. She thinks I need to expand, and I'd better do it while I still have time to do it at my pace."

"Good idea, Shadow. The business is there, and you've demonstrated you're the best there is. That should give you your choice of people as well as attract business. Have you thought of Tony Dan's daughter? She's a smart one."

"Yes, actually, I talked to Tony this afternoon."

"Anything else come out of that?"

"Yes. Tony suggested I take over his practice. I told him only if he came with it, for at least a year."

"Oh, that was smart, Shadow. Tony can be a big help. If you've got a definite cut-off date, he can put up with his problems working with other people. Who else have you been thinking about?"

George and Dee Dee discussed Julie's suggestions.

"Julie always was smart. Good job on your part to promote her. She'll do well, there, and won't resent having to work for someone who's not you. Ada will probably be a bad fit. Tell you what, hire Sue from the store. She needs a challenge, and Ada will do nicely as her replacement. I think the rest of the choices are good ones. I know Patricia and she's very competent. Tad Rice I know less well, but I've liked what I've seen. Looks like you're going to be busy tomorrow."

"Thank you, George, for all your help."

"Not to worry. That's what big brother lovers are for, after all!"

"There was something else that came up, George."

"Oh."

"The test results are back and I am officially pregnant!"

"That's the best news of all, Dee Dee, that's just wonderful."

Dee Dee and George hastened up to the bedroom to celebrate this best of news properly and thoroughly. They needed to be naked to do it correctly, and that didn't take long at all.

George fondled the delicious body of his gorgeous younger sister. He always thought that they didn't make accountants like this when he was younger, then laughed to himself. He was only two years older than Dee Dee after all. His laugh abruptly turned to a moan as Dee Dee wrapped her small hand around his cock, then slipped it adroitly into her mouth. The warmth of that caress, coming from her lips, her tongue and the insides of her cheeks, almost forced him over the edge at once.

"Shadow, you are the sexiest woman."

He repositioned his head to allow him to make love to her as she made love to him. His tongue inflamed her labia. His own pressures were building. He caressed her breasts, adding more fuel to his flames and hers as he gently teased her erect nipples, then dove onto her clit. Dee Dee started to thrash, then moaned with fulfillment in chorus with George as he shot into her mouth.

"Heavens, George, that was fine. I'll have to get pregnant more often!"

"We just need to keep up the practice, Shadow. It wouldn't do to forget how, now, would it?"

"I don't think we'll forget how, sweetheart, but I like keeping our skills honed."

They lay together for a time, caressing each other, getting their fill of the most important person in each of their lives.

"George, do you think anyone is fooled by our little deception?"

"No, no one who knows you would believe that you'd go off and get pregnant by another man, or even make love with another man, love. It's a convenient excuse for everyone who might feel that they had to be upset by anything too obvious, but it's like us being together. Everyone knows, and nobody cares too much as long as we don't rub their noses in it. All they want is for us to give them plausible deniability. We're an important part of this community, both of us, and we have some very good friends. They'll cut us some slack as long as we're not too outrageous."

"Good. I really don't like lying to people, but if I can give them something to hide behind, I don't mind that."

"Speaking of hiding, Shadow, somebody's trying to get out again."

"Oh good."

George and Dee Dee resumed their lovemaking.

"George, as I remember, it went in like this."

"You sure, Shadow? I thought it went in like that."

"Wow, maybe it does."

They sped up, getting a lot hotter and wilder as they approached their climaxes, and then each blanked out as their orgasms overtook them for the second time.

"Maybe you're right, Shadow. If we get to do it like that each time you get pregnant, I could see a very large family."

"Accountants count, George."

"And they make sexy lovers, sweetheart."

**********

Over the course of the next couple of weeks, Dee Dee worked with Julie on adding to their employees, getting ready for the expansion that seemed to be in the works. Everyone approached, except Tad Rice, agreed to Dee Dee's terms. Francine was ecstatic at the chance to qualify at home and work with her father. In the interview she impressed Dee Dee as someone who, once equipped with the knowledge base, would be an extremely valuable member of the firm. Dee Dee told Tony how much she'd been impressed, which certainly pleased the proud father.

"I've always thought of her as extremely capable, but it's hard to be unbiased about your children."

With Tony's help, they were able to gather up another qualified accountant to take Tad's intended slot.

**********

"Dee Dee," Julie called, "the mayor is on the phone. There's trouble in River City, and guess who he's elected to bail them out?"

"We don't live in River City, Julie."

"There's trouble in our town, nevertheless. Ask Robert Preston; he sings a song about it. The conference room is cleaned up if you need it."

Later that afternoon Dee Dee and Julie met with the mayor and the chair of the town's audit committee.

"You caught that theft and fraud over at Culderson's, Ms. Foster. We're afraid something equally unfortunate is going on in the town offices. Obviously it has to be dealt with on an extremely confidential basis in case we're wrong. Not knowing exactly what's happening means there's no one in the town administration we can be certain of. On the other hand, it's almost certain that a few people can't have been mixed up in whatever it is. We just don't know which ones. There's probably some degree of mismanagement to go with it, whether by accident or by design, and not necessarily by the people who are defrauding us, assuming that's what's happening, which it certainly appears to be."

"It's a godawful mess," the chair of the audit committee added explosively.

"We can't use our regular auditors. They work too closely with the people in our administration to be as . . . tactful, I guess I want to say, as is required. Also, they haven't shown themselves to be as . . . proactive, I suppose, in resolving some of our administrative deficiencies, and their report for the last fiscal year for which we expect audited statements is seventeen months late and I don't think they've started on last year yet. They have made no comments on the delay or the reasons for it to the audit committee. We haven't pushed for it the way we should have, I suppose, but I'd have expected some explanation from them."

"What are your danger signals, then?" Dee Dee asked.

"Well, the usual receipts aren't always being used. They're hand done or not done. We have huge arrears in the utility account and some of the tax accounts. We haven't been advising people of their arrears. Apparently the accounting software won't do it or they haven't caught up with the change to the new software, or something. Our cash on hand to pay bills is evaporating, and since we're at our current borrowing limits, we're likely to miss our next loan payment, and that means bankruptcy."

"Surely you've given some direction to get this issue resolved?"

"Nothing happens. We gave specific direction to get the arrears settled, but it seems that every single account has to be revisited."

"That's not so, unless the underlying records are completely unusable. If that's the case, those responsible should be let go for incompetence. I don't like to push people who are not experts, and are at least trying, but this is a situation that should have been addressed a long time ago. I can try to find some sources of leakage, but you'll have to arrange for some money for the short term. If you are at your limit, that means the state, and you'll have to accept whatever conditions they impose. This isn't the kind of thing that you can fix overnight."

"One of the state conditions is a forensic audit. They've agreed to accept your firm because it was not involved in town activities and has already demonstrated an ability to get to the bottom of things."

"It'll cost."

"We're aware, and the state is aware, that a proper forensic audit is extremely expensive."

"Incredibly expensive is probably a better description. We'll get started tomorrow. Fortunately, I have recently expanded my staff. Tell your people to give us full cooperation. The excuse is that this is a pilot project for the state, in advance of the creation of an office of municipal audits."

"The state will back you up on that. Do you need to meet with state officials?"

"Not until we have a better idea of what's involved."

**********

"Dee Dee, are we really ready for something so complex?" Julie asked.

"Probably not, but it will give us something to do as a team before we get into tax season. There hasn't been proper supervision here, and council has put up with an obvious set of problems and inadequate information for far too long. The head of the administration has to be either crooked or an incompetent idiot. Unfortunately for us, I'd put my money on stupid. Part of the problem is the state requirement for consolidated accounts. Merging the numbers for the water utility, the electric utility and general town operations together with a bunch of trust funds makes it almost impossible for a layman to get any information out of the statements, yet that's what they have to do. The state appears to be putting too much emphasis on the ability of staff to translate for the council, and while that's probably correct in most cases, it actually means that when it's not correct, there's no control and the state has created the problem."

"Sounds sort of dumb."

"Yes, it comes from trying to apply private sector standards to the public sector, where they don't actually make sense.

"Another part of the problem seems to be that the state has permitted the town to borrow too much. No real control at that level, either.

"I'm going to talk to George about hiring some of the accounting staff from the store to help with the grunge work. They've kept Culderson secrets well. I think they'll keep ours. Besides, if it works out, it will be good for us and the store in the long run."




Basic Shadow Ch. 03



**********

"George, we have a sensitive forensic audit requirement. Do you think it would be possible for the store to rent me a half dozen clerks to do some spadework? We can use them flexibly to minimize the impact on your operations."

"Sure, Shadow. It would keep them from being bored. We'll charge you cost - wages and benefits, including payroll taxes - plus five per cent for our costs, plus a ten per cent bonus I intend to pay the staff who volunteer. Suit?"

"Yes. It's the client's cost in any event, but that's a very fair charge for experienced and competent people."

"I'll want to make sure our internal audit guy is one of those involved. It would be good for him."

"Can do."

**********

"George?"

"Yes, Shadow?"

"Let's make love."

Rather than answer, George simply drew his gorgeous sister into him. They kissed, hard, passionately, full of fire. They split apart momentarily to get naked, then closed with each other again, prepared to make delicious love to each other for most of the night. They crawled into bed with each other and rubbed their naked selves up and down on each other's bodies. Then they fell to patting and caressing and kissing. Then they kissed and licked each other's bodies. Dee Dee found a neat place around the dimples just above the swell of George's buttocks when he started to manipulate her clit.

George and Dee Dee got pretty hot from their mutual fondling, and then he was caressing her legs, especially her thighs, and the soft skin on the inside of her thighs, while he kissed and licked her pussy. He got back to her clit and flicked it a few times while stroking her, and she blew up, orgasming continually as George just kept on licking while Dee Dee worked through the aftershocks. She was very weak afterwards but she felt as if she was glowing in the dark.

George straightened her out, since Dee Dee had ended up curled around her climax, and rolled over her, thrusting to her centre as his hard warmth sought to light her on fire again. She clutched at him, pulling him in on the downward strokes as she rose to meet him, until he started to pulse, firing sperm deep into her already-pregnant vagina. Dee Dee screamed with joy a second time as that additional pressure brought her to climax again.

"Dee Dee, I love you, you are the best sex, and I'm glad we made a baby."

"You're wonderful to me George, it was so wonderful."

**********

"Shadow," George asked the next morning. "I was thinking that we might be able to set up an internet sales division for the store. We have some excess warehouse space, the community has reasonably good communications, and we have a staff dedicated to service, especially informing customers."

"It's not my expertise, George, but I imagine the set-up costs are fairly low, and with a dedicated staff in place it shouldn't be too bad. You can't undersell the store, of course, or you might as well shut down. It actually might attract some business to the store if people go in to check out something they found on line. I don't know if on-line service will pay dividends the way it does at the store, but I suppose it could work out. If it works you'll eventually have to create an expertise in cross-border shipping. Actually, you might have to do that at the start because there will be so many people turned off by your inability to ship to Canada or other destinations that they won't come back when you can."

"I hadn't thought about that, but you're right. We won't be the cheapest provider on the net, of course, and there will be those who use our expertise to help them decide what to buy from someone else. If that problem gets out of hand, we won't be able to keep internet sales going. Since we have the store as the source of competent people to work the phones and a place to sell our eventual inventory if we can't make a go of it, the downside isn't too big. I think I'll run it by Bart."

Bart turned out to be interested.

"George, I thought you were nuts when you wanted us to get into electronics, and that's been our biggest profit centre for two or three years, now. I'm not going to hold you back on this one. If it goes broke as an operation, we don't lose much. Nothing at all, really, compared to the potential payoff. It's a good idea for using some of the excess capacity built into the store's operations and facilities. I have a good feeling about this, George. I think I should have held you up for more when I sold you the store. There's this really bright guy comes with it, and I forgot to add his value to the purchase price."

Bart laughed happily at making George squirm under the lash of a heartfelt compliment.

George explained that, in case there were unexpected losses, they would set the new operation up as a separate company and arrange leases and staff costs with the main store operation. Bart agreed. It was, after all, the way they'd set up the electronics sales. After a time they could roll the two companies together if that seemed wisest.

"George, I hear Dee Dee's expecting. Congratulations!"

"Thanks, Bart. It's made her very happy, I know."

"How's her business going? She expanded awfully fast."

"There are a few headaches with the expansion, but she wanted it done all at once so she wouldn't have to keep going through the same problems."

"I, and a lot of other people in this town, really appreciate that she's done all that locally. It means a lot to have our children and grandchildren able to find employment here, and not have to go to someplace more prosperous."

"That's what she had in mind, Bart. By the way, I traded her Sue for Ada Cunningham. I think Ada's a good fit for the store, and I think Sue needs to grow some wings. I'm not saying we aren't good enough for her, but I think we aren't enough for her anymore."

"Good thinking, George. I've worried that the community would lose Sue. That's the right move for Sue, and the right move for the town, but I will miss her."

"Me too, but you can't stand in their way, or they won't stay."

"Reminds me of a certain other person working for this store, hmm. A soon-to-be father, I think."

"I'd like to keep business here, Bart, so my children don't have to leave, either. Tony Dan's daughter is going to work for Dee Dee, which has Tony incredibly happy, and Dee Dee, too, since Tony's turning over his practice and coming to work for her for a year. She figures if she can get half of what he knows out of him during that year, she'll have managed five years' worth of transition and growth, and be ready to take on the big boys at the end of it."

"I guess she's doing some work for the town. No, I don't want to know what it is, though clearly there's been a problem. I want you to get someone working on a file to cover our payments for taxes and utilities for the last, oh, six years, I'd say. Receipts, cancelled cheques, that sort of thing. I kind of think payments on account might have been lost. They've got that statutory thing about their accounts being better than anyone's, but it won't override actual proof."

"Never thought about where we might come into it, Bart, good idea."

**********

Dee Dee didn't have too much problem with the town. She introduced herself to the town manager, explained that they'd been hired by the state to do a sample audit, and since the town had problems and her offices were here, he'd been elected as her guinea pig.

"I suppose we are a good bet for a detailed audit. That may help me get to the bottom of the arrears issue."

"Shouldn't you have dealt with that months ago?"

"Nothing seems to work out."

That should have been a danger signal for anyone halfway competent, but Dee Dee rather thought she could see signs of sloth. Any real problem would probably go away, given time. At least that seemed to be the approach. Of course, even the current problems might go away, especially if the town went bankrupt the way it looked to be headed. Lots of help here, she thought disgruntledly. Of course, she hadn't really expected anything else.

She picked up the audit codes, keys, passwords and access modules so her team could get to work that weekend.

"We'll start tomorrow, then," she told the manager.

"But that's Saturday!"

"Less interference with your people and the taxpayers. This is a forensic audit, so we really don't want you or any of your people here. Just assign someone we can ask questions if we need to."

"That would be Hanna. I'll let her know to be on call all weekend."

"Don't tell her it's a forensic audit."

"Why not? Oh, because if it were a real forensic audit you wouldn't tell anyone, right? I can go along with that."

"That's correct. Even telling you is a bit of a security breach, but I know we can trust you." Yeah, we can trust you because you're too lazy and stupid to be the real problem, she thought to herself.

**********

Early Saturday morning Dee Dee and most of her staff, plus about ten clerks from the store, started in on what Dee Dee was afraid would be a textbook case: insufficient council supervision, incompetent management, overspending and employee theft, mingled with inadequate state control and incompetent advisers.

The easiest part of the job did turn out to be the employee theft. Hanna had kept fairly decent records. It had been her habit to provide a receipt for a cash payment, then apply a cheque (paid in on a different account) in payment of the account and pocket the cash. Sometimes, with a handwritten receipt or even no receipt, she'd just pocket the cash.

Some of the cheques she had taken out of the deposit were way too big to be covered by cash, so it looked like her system was about to crash anyway. She broke as soon as Dee Dee called her in.

"George, can you get down here? We've already broken the theft, and this woman needs a shoulder right now. No, I'm okay, it's the perp. I'd say somebody needs therapy big time, but her husband hasn't come to terms with it. He's still in shock. Just keep her settled. We'll get the police in this afternoon. No way to avoid that part of it. I just wish we could get jail time for the people who are really to blame, but I guess there's a premium for incompetence."

Having some idea now what had happened on the arrears issue, Dee Dee set the Culderson people to verifying payments. There were over three thousand water accounts and about that many electric accounts.

"For any account showing arrears, call them up and get them to bring their receipts in, today or next week. If they have receipts, take copies and update the accounts. The difference is part of the theft. If they don't have receipts, get them to make payment arrangements and get them to bring in ten bucks as a token of good faith, or we cut the service off Wednesday. Get the Superintendent of Works in here so I can talk to him about cutting off service: water and electric. Somebody start building a system to tie water and electric accounts for the same household together.

"Tony, can you and Francine start chasing tax payments? We don't seem to have as much fraud in the taxes, though I'm sure there's some. Mostly just slack collection practices. Don't be shy about threatening tax sales, either. Julie, make a note to get the town's lawyer to write us up a detailed tax sale procedures note. Oh, and I want to meet with the Town's lawyer and the mayor Monday at eight at our offices. Better call them both at home.

"Patricia, did you find out why the grants aren't being paid? Is it just sloppiness?"

"Mostly, Dee Dee. They've been paying the bills but haven't been claiming the progress payments, which is costing them a pile in temporary borrowing interest as well as using up their borrowing capacity. The project is running over estimate by too much, partly because no one seems to know what the cost has amounted to so far. Looks like stupidity rather than theft, so far, but I want to dig into these duplicate invoices."

"Good thinking. Probably someone has discovered the lack of control and is taking advantage of it."

"Julie, can we get the people from the state here for Monday?"

"Don't see why not, boss. I've got a couple of weekend numbers."

"Try for nine. Have the police talked to Hanna?"

"Yes. Afterwards her husband came and got her. He's still kind of stunned by it all, but he'll take care of her for now. They know where she'll be."

"Good. I'm beat. We probably all are. Kick them all out, thank them for me, see you tomorrow, same time. I'm going to get George and go home."

"Good thing, girl, I was just coming to get you."

**********

George hauled Dee Dee home. He got takeout since he'd been working as hard as any of the rest of them, except maybe Julie, who'd been tireless. She'd drafted her husband in when he came to get her. Apparently the neighbour minding the kids had almost expected it.

George and Dee Dee were too tired to make love, but they did cuddle a bit before falling asleep in each other's arms.

"Dee Dee, he's awake!" George reported in the morning.

"Tell him to get some rest. I've got a rough meeting with the mayor at eight."

"You sure? It's only seven thirty."

"I'm sure, love, much as I wish I had time."

**********

That day was as busy but not as hectic. The mayor said he'd like to bring along the deputy mayor on Monday, which was fine, but by the end of the day he'd decided to bring the full council. He was virtually certain what the meeting was about and had scheduled a briefing session with the manager for ten. He said he thought it might be a brief session and Dee Dee laughed.

"Probably."

The attack on the arrears was going well. However, it looked like the thefts were already over a hundred thousand, payments that hadn't been credited in the system though there were receipts or cancelled cheques to prove the payments had been made. Who knew how many people who had lost or thrown away their receipts were going to have to pay twice?

The threat to terminate service was already bringing in money and payment plans. The Culderson people were good at collecting accounts, of course.

"We're still going to miss payday. No money."

"We'll see. State may be able to advance a couple of grants, especially if we can get the claims done. How are we with that, Patricia?"

"I got hold of the guy who double billed. Of course it was a mistake. Hah. I traded him no interest for money in the bank tomorrow. That ought to cover payroll. We still need the debt payment, but there's enough credit in the capital claims to cover that. I'll have the grant claim done for tomorrow morning."

"Good, the people from state can pick it up when we meet with them after council. They can cover the debt payment. They're too damn proud of that reputation for never a default. Sometimes they paid the bill themselves. I wonder if they were as responsible for those problems as they are for the ones here. State should have been getting on them for the late statements, too."

"Can we get the town out of this, or are we just putting off the inevitable?"

"Well, they haven't budgeted a high enough tax rate, since they didn't know where they were, so we're going to have a big deficit this year. Some or all of the theft is covered by insurance. For that matter, the insurance is going to cover most of what we're costing the town, and the state has undertaken to cover the rest. This business is costing the Earth. It'll be rocky, but they can get through it if they're careful. I'm going to have words with their auditors, though. Makes you wonder whether an audit's worth paying for when all you get out of it is the audit firm's bill."

"Sounds like Arthur Anderson."

"Hush your mouth and wash it out with soap. You never use those words to an accountant."

**********

That evening George took Dee Dee home at a reasonable hour. She was quite prepared to stay through until midnight again, and most of the staff were willing.

"Dee Dee, you've got a meeting with the state people tomorrow. The rest of the crew have to have a chance for some family time. The problems won't go away. You don't have to oversee them. They'll still be there tomorrow, unfortunately. Let everybody have a little rest."

"All right. You're awfully good to me, George."

"Couldn't not be, Shadow."

Once they were home and George had seen to feeding Dee Dee, they adjourned to the bedroom to take care of some other needs.

"George, we're going to have a baby!"

"That's wonderful news, sweetheart. A little stale, maybe, since you told me several days ago. I suppose the father is this strange man you met in Hawaii."

"Certainly. A wonderful man. He'd have appreciated my news no matter how many times I told him."

"It is a wonder, sweetheart, it truly is. I don't blame you for wanting to tell me again and again. Tell me something about this father you found."

"He was a fantastic man. Wonderful genes. Very caring. All he wanted to do was to make love to me."

"Anything like this?"

Dee Dee's response was muffled since George was kissing her senseless.

The kiss changed as it continued, from tender, to passionate, to tender again, to fierce and demanding, and always loving. Dee Dee responded equally as the temperature changed and finally soared. She needed to feel what George felt, she needed to share with him what she felt, they needed to share their mouths, lips, tongues, bodies.

They'd been sitting on the bed in their room, talking quietly, wearing robes, but Dee Dee soon discovered the robes were gone. Not that it was a wrong thing - it could never be wrong to be naked with her brother-lover - just that she was fascinated by how he managed it without her catching him at it. She was considering the mechanics involved when she discovered she was no longer seated at the head of the bed but was somehow lying prone with George beside her.

She knew how to cure that, and took George into her arms.

"Love you, brother mine."

"Love you too, girl of my dreams."

George's breath fanned hotly across her face as his lips sought her warm luscious mouth yet again. His tongue licked at her ear. She gasped in delight. Her fingers trailed over his chest. As he dropped his head to stream kisses down from her ear to the hot pulse point below her jaw she swirled her tongue in his ear. He groaned.

It was all feeling now, the taste and scent and texture of her, the scent and taste and texture of him, shared and enjoyed. Their hands roamed freely, learning anew the body that was most precious to each of them, exploring and caressing and loving all in one.

He kissed her breasts and she lay back to enjoy his attentions, her nipples crinkling with the pleasure he brought her. He turned his attentions elsewhere and she used her tongue on him, bringing his nipples to attention, laying a track of heat across his chest.

They came together, each now part of the other, joined in flesh as they had been in spirit, striving to give pleasure, to take the gift of pleasure the other offered until they flew together into the nothingness on the other side of pleasure.

"Oh so wonderful, I love you Shadow," George almost sobbed.

"Love you, too, George. Love you too."

They lay entwined, still joined, still flourishing in the touching, the togetherness, the love they shared.

"About your question, George?"

"You mean about lovemaking?"

"Yes. It seemed awfully familiar. Don't you think we need to try again so I can compare technique?"

"You have an analytical mind, my dear. I do indeed think that further study is warranted."

**********

This was supposed to be the end of Basic Shadow, but it should be clear that it isn't. Shadow will return.