Nina was the first one awake, and she shook Christina by the shoulder.

        "Come on, we have to get ready," Nina scurried towards the door.

        Christina sat up in bed, "Get ready for what?"

        "It's Sunday," Nina shouted as she rounded the corner. "We have to get ready for church."

        "Church?" Christina repeated to herself. She couldn't think of a time she'd been in a church that wasn't for a wedding or a funeral. She jumped out of bed and chased after Nina. "What do you mean church?"

        "We go to church every Sunday."

        "Church ... Well, what should I wear?"

        "Just wear something nice. And reserved."

        "Right, okay. Nice and reserved. Mind if I use the bathroom first?"

        Nina shook her head and the girls began the morning.

        Two hours later, the family arrived at church. Christina had selected a full length, floral gown, hoping that it wouldn't look out of place. As she walked across the church parking lot, she studied all the other girls. It seemed as if she made the right choice; all the girls were wearing dresses not unlike her own. It looked as if the entire town came out on Sundays. Then it dawned on Christina; all the people, the families, the children, the old people- they were all looking at her. Christina remembered that Oak Grove loved a good rumor. Certainly, the entire town had heard about her last time she had been here, but this was the first real opportunity most of them'd had to see Christina Chase with their own eyes.

        Christina held tightly onto her uncle's arm as he escorted her and the rest of the family to their pew. But she stared at the floor, aware that all eyes were on her. It was too much attention for her to handle. She grabbed Andrei and had him sit by her side. Flanked by her uncle on her left and her older cousin on her right, she felt as though she had some protection from the curious gazes.

        The church service was very awkward for Christina. It was as though she were in a play, and she'd never seen the script. Everyone else knew when to stand, when to sit, and when to speak. She knew she was being watched, and she feared that everyone would notice just how lost she was. She could imagine them gossiping in Steph's Salon, "Did you see Christina Chase in church today? The poor girl must have been raised a heathen."

        After a while, she couldn't help but look around nervously. She expected to be confronted with a sea of disapproving faces, but that's not what she saw. By and large, no one seemed to be paying any attention to her clumsiness. What was more disturbing were the men and the boys. They were watching her, and they didn't seem at all interested in the fact that she didn't know what she was doing. Christina tried to focus on the minister, but all she could think about were the stares burning into the back of her head like dozens of snipers' lasers.

        She looked around again, and one man in particular caught her attention. Most of the men were simply looking, but the man in the back was actively laughing at her. He took notice of each missed cue. When the entire assembly spoke a prayer, Christina pretended to speak by mouthing nonsense words. She looked back at the man. Not only did he notice, he was mocking her by opening and closing his mouth with exaggerated movements. Christina shot him a burning glance and mouthed, "Stop that!"

        The man laughed and mouthed back, "Make me."

        Christina glared furiously at the man, and then she realized that she had met him before. It was Richard Masters- the man who cornered her in Arnold's Electronics store. Christina turned her back to him and ignored him for the rest of the service.

        When the service was over, Christina looked back and saw he was still there, and he was still looking at her. She grabbed Andrei's hand and whispered into his ear, "There's a strange man watching me in the back of the church. Don't leave me alone, okay?"

        Andrei whispered back, "Don't worry, I won't leave your side."

        When everyone in the church stood up and walked to the lobby. Christina clung to Andrei's thick arm as though it was a life preserver, and she was lost at sea. She was horrified when everyone stopped in the entranceway to chat. Women came up to Misha in droves, each wanting to be introduced to her niece from out of town. Christina had to stand there graciously as Misha received every woman who had a single son between the ages of eighteen and thirty-five. She dutifully played her part, though she cringed inside every time her aunt referred to her as a secretary or confirmed that she was single. Christina saw that Richard was leaning against the wall on the far end of the room, and he took great amusement in her predicament. She shot him threatening looks, but it only made the man laugh. It seemed there was nothing she could do to discourage him that the man didn't interpret as flirtation. She stood trapped, with red cheeks, as she avoided Richard, and her aunt sized up her potential suitors.

        By the time the family left the church, Christina was sure she had met everyone in town. Thankfully, Richard had disappeared. It was the only lucky break Christina had all morning. Still, she clutched Andrei's hand and scanned the parking lot nervously as they walked to the truck.

        When the family returned home, Andrei retired to the barn and Alek went to the master bedroom to change out of his church clothes. Misha and her girls went to the kitchen. Misha had been giving Christina recipes during their weekly phone calls, and she decided that now was as good a time as any to give Christina a proper lesson.

        "Today we are going to make cherry pie for the holidays. Do you know how to bake a pie?" Misha asked her niece.

        Christina shrugged, "I only know how to make pancakes and spaghetti."

        "Today you are going to learn, and tomorrow you can help me with dinner."

        Christina nodded and watched as Misha laid the ingredients on the table.

        Misha added, "Cooking is a very important skill; someday it will help you keep your husband happy."

        Christina's face flushed, but she played along, saying, "Yes Aunt Misha."

        Misha had Nina demonstrate how to measure and mix the primary ingredients in a large bowl. Without looking up from her daughter's work, Misha said, "You know, there were a lot of young men in town who would be interested in getting to know you better."

        "Oh ... they all seemed very nice," Christina chuckled uncomfortably, "But I'm really focusing on my career right now. I don't think I'm ready to settle down."

        "You say that now dear, but your outlook will change when you meet a man who interests you. You will want to settle down and start a family."

        Nina spoke up, "I'm all done, Mom."

        "Good Nina, just let it sit for a while. You know Christina," Misha said as she turned her direction back to her niece, "With a man to take care of you, you would not have to work so much."

        "I know, Aunt Misha." Christina resigned herself to the real lesson, which was about finding a man and getting married. "I do want to get married, but I want to do a lot of things before I find the right person."

        "You can't plan your life according to a calendar, child. You need to seize your opportunities when they present themselves." Misha looked to her daughter and said, "Nina, show your cousin how to turn out the crust."

        Nina demonstrated for Christina, who then took over the job.

        "Mom, Christina already has a special somebody she likes."

        That piqued Misha's curiosity. "That's right, you mentioned that there was a man in town you had your eye on?"

        Christina loved Nina dearly, but the girl had a knack for sharing the wrong information at the wrong times. "Yeah ... it's just a crush really," Christina acknowledged uncomfortably.

        Misha corrected the girls as they finished their crusts. "Was this crush of yours at church today? I might know his mother. I could arrange a date."

        Christina wasn't sure how much of this talk she could take. "There certainly wasn't any man I was interested in at church today."

        Misha next instructed the girls to fill the pies with the cherry filling.

        Nina added, "He's coming to the fireworks tonight."

        "Oh," Misha said as she smiled coyly at her niece, "I see you have the situation well in hand."

        "I suppose I do," Christina laughed nervously before trying to change the subject. "Nina has a boy she likes, too. I think maybe she's getting old enough to go on a date?"

        Nina looked at her mother hopefully.

        "No," Misha answered, "Nina is still a baby."

        The girls were only separated by five years. Christina was unsure why Nina was too young to date, while Misha was desperately trying to marry Christina off to any man she could get her hands on. "You know," Christina attempted, "I was about Nina's age when I started dating."

        Misha gave Christina a look that indicated she wasn't convinced.

        "Of course, my mother had to approve of him first, and we went out with a whole group of people."

        "Maybe ..." Misha said, beginning to crack, "I still say you are too young Nina, but I will think about it."

        Nina, whose back was to her mother, grinned at her cousin as she and Christina finished preparing their pies. Misha lifted the pie sheet and placed it in the oven. She set a timer and said, "And now we wait for an hour."

 

        The girls grew increasingly excited as the sun edged across the sky. Christina couldn't wait to see Steph tonight, and Nina was hopeful that David would finally notice her. With the freshly baked pies cooling in the kitchen, and Nina's chores completed, it was time to get ready for their big night. The girls scurried into Nina's room and went through her closet.

        "I don't know what I should wear," Nina balked.

        "Nina," Christina admonished, "David will like you no matter what you wear, I'm sure of it."

        "But I want to look my best," the girl complained.

        "Don't worry, I'll take care of everything."

        Christina had learned a great deal about girls' fashion from her studies. She had an even better grasp of what attracted high school boys, having been one. As Christina flicked through Nina's closet, it became obvious that her cousin didn't own a single pair of jeans. Giving up on that prospect, she settled on a long white skirt and a green halter top.

        "Come on," Christina smiled as she took Nina by the hand and led her to her own bedroom where she had her change into the clothes. Then she sat Nina down at the vanity and went to work on her face. Christina knew she was breaking the rules by using some of her cosmetics on Nina, but she was willing to risk it. Nina sat patiently as her older cousin gave her a new, ever so slightly seductive look.

        "Just a few more fine touches," Christina said, producing a small vial and spraying a smidgen of perfume onto her cousin's chest. Reaching around the back of her neck, she removed her necklace. She draped it around Nina's and secured it. "This is the most important thing in the world to me," Christina said, "Except for you." Christina smiled into the mirror at her cousin.

        "You're going to let me wear it?" Nina asked.

        "Yes. You can borrow it for tonight. It has special powers that make boys fall madly in love."

        "You should wear it so your boy falls in love with you."

        Christina sighed. She wasn't sure what she expected from this evening. Steph was clearly not interested in girls, and Christina was not quite a boy. She said, "I don't know if it can help me, Nina."

        Nina and Christina went to work selecting an outfit for Christina. Christina was in uncharted territory. She knew how to get ready for a date with a girl, but only when she was expected to show up as a boy. Unsure of what else to do, she resigned herself to making herself look the best she could.

        The girls settled on a flared light blue miniskirt with a floral print. Christina slid it up over her panties and positioned it so the yellow bow trim hung off the side of her hip. She put on a wide necked top that showcased her slender neck and thin shoulders. Its capped sleeves left nearly all of her arms exposed. Slipping into a pair of sandals, she sat at her vanity, where she labored for over forty minutes while Nina watched with great curiosity. When she was finished, she'd produced a finely orchestrated "natural" look. Her outfit was completed with a different perfume than she used on Nina.

        The girls stood in front of the full length mirror and admired their work. Satisfied, the girls rushed downstairs. When they got outside, they saw that Andrei was loading folding chairs into the back of the truck. He too seemed oddly excited.

        Christina walked up behind Andrei and asked, "Andrei, could you please add two more chairs?"

        A frown spread across his face. "Why? Did you invite someone?"

        "Just Steph, and maybe a friend of Nina's."

        Andrei sighed in relief. "No problem," he said, as he lifted two more chairs into the back. The girls sat in the truck and waited for Andrei to finish. When everything was ready, the three of them drove off to the high school.

 

        Andrei insisted on carrying all five folding chairs across the field. Nina decided that she wanted to sit up front, so it was going to be a long walk to the far side. Christina offered to carry something, but Andrei refused, not wanting to appear weak to his cousin.

        "Looks like the gang's all here," chirped a familiar voice, as Steph walked up beside them. She was wearing jeans shorts and an orange plaid shirt that was tied in a knot below her breasts. It served the dual purpose of displaying her chest and exposing her midriff. It was an obvious play for Andrei's attention, but it worked only on Christina. Christina tried not to stare at Steph's delicious body. Just the sight of Steph caused Christina's penis to swell painfully, but the confinement of her artificial sex refused to let it progress.

        "Andrei," Steph purred seductively, "You sure don't have any problems carrying all that stuff."

        Andrei took the opportunity to flex his muscles in front of his cousin. "This is nothing," he announced proudly.

        When they arrived at the front of the field, Andrei laid out a large blanket and arranged the chairs in a row. Christina sat on the left end of the row and hoped that Steph would sit next to her. Her hopes were dashed when Andrei took that seat. Steph slid in next to Andrei and Nina took the other end.

        Christina needed to do something to shake up the seating arrangements. She touched Andrei on the wrist and said, "Andrei, could you be a sweetheart and get me a hot dog and a bottled water?" Christina motioned to the concession stand, which was all the way back at the other side of the field.

        "Sure," Andrei said enthusiastically as he rose to his feet. "Does anyone else want anything?"

        Nina said, "Maybe just something to drink."

        Steph jumped up and said, "You know, I have to think that one over. Let's figure it out on the way."

        Christina frowned as Steph accompanied Andrei across the field. Steph shot a happy look back at Christina and gave her a thumbs up. Christina smiled back, but she was dying inside. She was in the most beautiful place in the entire world, with the girl of her dreams, and her job was apparently to fix her up with someone else.

        "I'm going to look around and see if David's here," Nina said as she got up. Christina nodded, and Nina shuffled off nervously about the field.

        Christina sat alone in her reclining chair and fumed. "That's right," she muttered to herself, "Don't stay here ... go off with Andrei." hearing the annoying buzz of mosquitoes in the air, she took out a tube of Avon Skin So Soft from a bag, squirted the lotion into her hands and spread it on her arms. "Go off with Andrei ... who doesn't even LIKE you," she complained. Christina arched her left leg and began working the lotion into it.

        "Hello," said a suave, male voice. "It's Christina, isn't it?"

        Christina looked up and saw a tall and handsome man wearing a suit and dark sun glasses, his jacket draped casually over his shoulder. It was Richard Masters, the attorney that had cornered- no accosted her in the electronics store during her fist visit to Oak Grove.

        "Hello," Christina replied curtly as she continued on her legs. It would be clear to anyone that the meaning of the word, as Christina said it, meant, "Go away."

        Richard continued undaunted. "My name is Richard. I saw you sitting here alone, and I thought you might want some company."

        Christina ignored the man and continued rubbing lotion on her legs.

        Richard added, "I always come for the fireworks." The man glanced down at Christina's long legs and remarked, "Some years the show is better than others."

        Christina turned flush and immediately stopped massaging her legs.

        "You may not recall, but we met in Arnold's a few months ago," he pressed.

        "Yes I remember. I also remember that you made fun of me all morning." Christina shot him a fiery glance which only caused the man to laugh.

        "I'm sorry," he said, "It was just funny that the most beautiful girl in the building didn't know any of the rules."

        "Well, I'm not from around here," Christina retorted angrily.

        "I know. You're Christina Chase, the Levchenkos' long lost cousin. You're a very successful secretary in the big city, and you're single."

        "How did you-"

        "it's a small town, and in my profession, it pays to know as much as you can."

        "Well you got it wrong. I have a boyfriend."

        "Really, what's the lucky man's name?"

        Christina was taken aback by the interrogation. "His name is ... Scott."

        "What does he do for a living?"

        "Um ... advertising."

        "And you've been seeing him for ..."

        "Over two years!"

         "Sounds pretty serious," Richard grinned.

        "It is!" Christina protested.

        "I'm sure it is," Richard joked, "Only a fool wouldn't be serious about you. Tell me, what color are his eyes?"

         "His eyes are ..." Christina froze.

        Richard bent down until his head was level with Christina's. He took off his sunglasses and locked Christina in his piercing gaze. "The next time you invent a boyfriend," Richard said confidently, "Remember that his eyes are brown."

        Christina stared, horrified, into Richard's deep brown eyes. "Thanks for the tip," she said nervously. "Well, it was nice of you to stop by, but my cousin ... my very large cousin ... will be back soon." Christina looked around for Andrei, but he was nowhere to be seen.

        "I don't mind keeping you company until your cousin comes back."

        "You don't have to do that," Christina fluttered as she reached her hand to her chest to hold her necklace. As her palm touched her bare chest, she remembered that she'd loaned her necklace to Nina.

        "How long are you in town?" The man was relentless.

        "Just a few days." Christina tried to look away from Richard's stare, but it was no good. She felt naked and vulnerable, just as she had in the electronics store.

        "Let me take you out before you leave. I can promise you an evening you won't forget."

        Christina started to shake a bit. Misha had taught her some ways of deflecting the attention of men, but defending against Richard was more than she could handle.

        "No, thank you," Christina said sheepishly. "I need to spend time with my family."

        Richard was unfazed. "I can take you out for lunch some time."

        "No, I-"

        "Then we can go out to dinner."

        "Do you know what the word 'no' means?" Christina meant that remark to be backed with definite force, but the words slipped fearfully from her mouth.

        Richard stood up and laughed heartily. "'No' is just a sound people make until they eventually give in and agree with you."

        Christina stared up into Richard's chiseled face. What the hell could she say to make this man leave her alone?

        "So how about it?" Richard asked assuredly.

        Christina was relieved when she heard an unfamiliar voice from behind say, "Hey Mr. Masters." That seemed to break Richard's stare and Christina finally exhaled. Nina had returned, and she'd brought a boy with her.

        "David," Richard said in a far less intense tone of voice, "Tell your father to stop by the office tomorrow afternoon. I have some papers for him to sign."

        Christina looked over and saw Nina standing awkwardly next to a cute teenaged boy. She was obviously taken with him, and Christina could taste how self-conscious the girl felt.

        "Nina," Christina said, "Come sit down next to me." Nina took the chair next to Christina, and David sat down next to Nina on the other side.

        Richard turned his attention back to Christina, but before he could resume his assault, Steph said, "Good evening, Mr. Bond."

        Steph and Andrei were finally back. Christina had never been so thrilled to see Andrei in her entire life as he stood menacingly behind his cousin, never taking his eyes off Richard.

        Recognizing that his attempt had failed, Richard conceded, "I suppose I'll leave you to enjoy the show." There was still a confidence in the man's voice that told Christina this would not be the last time she had to deal with him.

        Andrei continued to stare Richard down as he turned his back and walked away. Then he noticed that Nina had taken his seat next to Christina, and he grumbled. Steph was delighted as she and Andrei took their seats on the other end of the row of chairs.

        Nina asked her cousin, "Is that the man you like?"

        Andrei looked over nervously.

        "No!" Christina snarled. "Absolutely not. I HATE that guy."

        Andrei sighed in relief as he passed Christina's bottled water and hot dog down to her.

        Steph joked, "Tall, handsome, rich ... what's not to hate?" Steph looked at Andrei, desperate for some attention. "Yeah ... the kinda guys I like are big ... usually quiet ..." It was no good. Andrei didn't even notice her.

        As Christina took her food, she leaned over in her chair. "You look really amazing tonight," she called to Steph.

        "Thanks," Steph said. "Hey Andrei, what do you think?"

        Andrei turned around and asked, "About what?"

        "Nothing," Steph frowned.

        Andrei immediately turned his attention back to Christina. He called to her, "I didn't know what you wanted on your hot dog, so I had them put everything on it."

        "Yeah it's fine," Christina answered. "What did you get, Steph?"

        "Same here, Blondie. Andrei was nice enough to pay for mine." She nudged Andrei with her elbow and purred, "I'll have to find a way of paying you back later."

        He waved his hand and dismissed, "Don't worry about it."

        Christina groaned in frustration. Not only could she not keep up a conversation with Steph with everyone sitting between them, she could barely see her. Sitting back in her folding chair, she uncapped her bottled water. She took a swig and went for her hot dog.

        Andrei watched as Christina lifted the hot dog to her mouth. It seemed to him that it took minutes for her graceful arm to lift the hot dog to her lips. His mouth went dry as he saw Christina's lips part and the head of the hot dog press slowly into her mouth. The sight of it all was having a terrible effect on him.

        When Christina bit down, bits of relish and mustard rubbed on the side of her mouth. Andrei began to sweat when Christina pulled the hot dog away from her lips. She wiped the condiments from her face with a single, slender finger and then placed that finger into her mouth. Andrei gulped when Christina sucked on her finger then pulled it back out of her pressed lips, completely cleaned.

        "Oh, you've got to be kidding me," Steph muttered. She could tell exactly what Andrei was looking at as she took her own hot dog and took a bite out of it. Her intent was to be seductive, but it came off more as desperate. It didn't matter; Andrei hadn't taken his eyes off his cousin for an instant. Steph pulled the hot dog out of the bun and slid it in and out of her mouth a few times, just to see whether she could provoke a reaction from anyone. Not even Nina or David saw it. She flicked the hot dog into the field and complained, "Come on!"

        "What's that?" Andrei asked, as he finally looked at Steph.

        "Come on ... and start the show already. It seems like every year, they make us wait a little longer."

        "Yeah I guess."

        "So, Andrei-" Steph started, but it was too late. Andrei was already looking back at his cousin.

        Having given up on Steph, Christina focused on Nina. She sized up David and wasn't quite sure what to make of him. He was cute, Nina was right about that. However, Christina was worried that perhaps the boy was too old for her cousin. Christina's stomach squirmed on Nina's behalf as she eavesdropped on their conversation. Her younger cousin was painfully shy around the boy. Things got easier for the girl as the sun crept below the horizon. Nina was beginning to relax, and once the fireworks display started, there was no further need for awkward small talk.

        Christina looked longingly at Steph as the artificial star bursts illuminated the sky in bold flashes. In retrospect, she wasn't sure why she thought this was a good idea. Obviously, she couldn't make a play for Steph while she was a girl. Still, the hope that she could have a spent one evening with her was dashed. In the brief moments of light, Christina also noticed that Nina was holding hands with David. At least someone was having a good night, she thought.

        When the fireworks ended, the town applauded, and began to clean up. The five of them got up and Andrei began folding the chairs.

        David smiled at Nina and said, "I really should get back to Pete and the others."

        Nina stood expectantly, with her arms folded behind her back and nodded.

        "Hey," David began, "You and I should catch a movie tomorrow night."

        Steph elbowed Andrei and joked, "A boy asking a girl out ... what will they think of next?" Steph arched her back in a mock yawn. It was another attempt to get Andrei to notice her assets, but it was no good.

        "Nina is not allowed to date," Andrei stated definitively.

        Christina saw the brokenhearted look on Nina's face and insisted, "Nina would love to go."

        Nina looked back at Christina and bit her lower lip.

        "I'll work it out," Christina promised.

        Nina turned back to David and said, "Okay. I'd like that a lot."

        Nina and David exchanged phone numbers, and the boy jogged off into the night.

        "Well at least one of us got lucky," Steph sighed. "Well buckaroos, I should hit the trail. Monday is a big day at the shop, and someone's got to keep the town lookin' good."

        She shot Christina a depressed glance, and Christina shrugged in response. Andrei is a fool, Christina thought. Only a fool can't tell when someone wants them. As Steph walked off into the night, alone, Christina wanted to go after her, but what was the use?

        Andrei loaded up all the gear into his powerful arms, and he, Nina, and Christina walked back to the truck. Christina was disappointed that the night hadn't gone better. She'd hardly gotten to see Steph, and who knew when she would have another opportunity to spend time with her. Christina almost felt sad that Steph didn't get Andrei, either. She didn't want to share Steph, but she would have done anything to not have seen the girl's downtrodden expression as she left for the night. Nina, however, was walking on air. She didn't know how Christina was going to convince her mother to let her see David, but at that moment, she thought her older cousin could make anything happen.

---

Edited into coherence by Holly H. Hart.
Hope you enjoyed it. If you liked it or hated it, please leave a tasty comment.
Krunch Away!