The latter resulted in leaving me at home, alone, with my step-father. My dad skipped out ten years prior, when I was seven. Gil came on the scene five years later. I was seventeen, counting down the days to my 18th birthday and graduation, avoiding my big mean step-dad like the plague.

The only bright spot in all of this was when Ted came to stay at the house that fall. He showed up on a wet, chilly October evening and stayed on until the following summer.

Uncle Ted served as a buffer between Gil and I, playing the older brother card when Gil got too rough with me. Ted was as big and strong as Gil-bigger-with ginger hair, side burns and a barrel chest, cleft chin. Uncle Ted had been there a matter of hours when I made a discovery. I woke up the morning after he arrived to get ready for school. He and Gil had been up all night drinking. Gil went to work hung over. Ted snored on the sofa under a blanket. His enormous feet were propped up on the arm of the sofa, exposed and bare. I trailed a fingertip along the soles of his feet. Ted's manly feet twitched, rubbed together. I tickled again. He giggled in his sleep, rubbed his feet together. The large pale feet begged for another tickle.I wiggled my fingers up and down the bottoms of his feet, "Hah hah hah-hah hah-hee hee hee.."Ted giggled. I pulled back, certain he was awake. He sighed, rubbed his feet together and continued to sleep. I played with Ted's incredible feet until I had to leave for school.

Ted's big, soft masculine feet were on my mind all day. I played the tickling over in my mind. His feet were large-long and wide, with  long thick toes.The soles were rosy pink, the feet pale and moderately hairy.

I went home, excited. Gil worked the 6am to 6pm shift and was rarely home by nine, preferring to grab a few drinks with colleagues after work than hang out at home."What's up there, slick?" Ted greeted me with a wave from the armchair. He had his feet up, and to my delight, his shoes and socks were off, "What did you learn today?"

"Nothing I'm ever gonna use in the real world." I replied.

"Ain't that the truth." Uncle Ted agreed, "Hey, I picked up a twelve pack of Pabst" he said, "How's about your grab me a couple, take a seat here and rub my feet for me?" he had a playful glint in his eye. I'd been busted,"There's ten bucks in it for ya." he said.

I grabbed the two bottles of beer, put them in an ice bucket. I took a seat at his feet. Heart hammering, I rubbed his smooth, soft feet. He let out an appreciative sigh, I sat quietly. Uncle Ted slowly waved his large feet, wiggled his toes,"Ever see a pair of feet this big?" he asked me.

"Gil's" I said.

"Yeah-all the guys in our family have big feet. My dad's a 15, but mine are bigger than his or Gil's or my other brother, Dean's" he said proudly.

"Oh?" I asked, mesmerized by his massive feet.

"Yeah." Ted replied, "I wear a size 16 ." he said, "And they're as ticklish as they are big." he chuckled, adding,"but you already knew that."

I didn't have anything to say. What was the use in denying it? Gil,prone to passing out on the sofa, had been an unwitting target of my stealth tickling in the past-until the time he woke up and cussed me out for tickling his feet. His reaction insured I'd never tickle his feet again. Ted's reaction was different."You guys drank a lot last night." I said, kneading his arches, "I wanted to be sure you weren't in a coma."

"Is that it?" he laughed that hearty laugh of his. Ted's laughter and the proximity of his feet encouraged me. I tickled a fingertip to the centers of his feet, "Hah hah hah-hee hee-you think that's funny, huh?" he giggled, feet twitching, "Hee hee-I'm very ticklish on the feet" he panted, giggled. "Hah hah hah-hee hee-" Ted had the best giggle; a masculine, infectious laugh. His laughter was that of a man who enjoyed laughing.

I traced the creases on the soles of his feet,stroked his ticklish toes. Ted giggled and squirmed in the armchair. He let me tease and tickle his feet. I took a break from tickling and rubbed his feet. Ted took swigs of his beer, "You're pretty good at this." he sighed." How's about you rub my feet on a daily basis, eh Jimmy?" Ted grinned.

"At ten bucks a pop? Sure!" I replied.

"What? No discount?" Ted asked."Even if I let you tickle my feet?" he waved his feet temptingly.

"In that case.." my fingers spider-crawled up and down the warm, soft soles playfully.

"Hee hee hee-hah hah-hee hee-you're killin' me-hah hah hah!" Ted laughed helplessly, gripped the arms of the chair, squirmed.

"I'm gonna call you Ticklish Teddy from now on." I said.

"Hee hee-you wouldn't be the first." he panted, rubbed his feet together.We sat a minute in a comfortable silence, then I heard Gil's car pull into the drive way.

"Dammit!" I said annoyed, "He would pick tonight to come home early." I grumbled.

"I ain't going anywhere anytime soon. Jimmy." he grinned, "Same time tomorrow?' he asked.

"You bet."I replied,gave his feet one last tickle.

"Hah hah-boy if you don't quit-" he jerked, giggling.

While Gil and Ted drank and caught up, I did my homework and daydreamed about tickling Uncle Ted's massive size 16 feet. Something good had finally come out of my mom marrying Gil and it was Ticklish Uncle Ted.