Old Friends & New Possibilities

"Would you like one lump or two?" Said the sweet looking nine-year-old Jenny with flowing blonde hair in the pretty dress as she tried her best to look as snooty as possible. She was playing the part of hostess in her favorite game 'tea party' with her favorite playmate Uncle Tom. He wasn't really her uncle, it was just an honorary title given the longtime friend of the family. He had been around for as long as she could remember; he always had time for her and was her favorite playmate and best friend. He never treated her as a lesser person because she was young and she liked him all the more for that reason. She looked down her cute little nose at him with her sparkling blue eyes waiting for an answer to her question.

"Two sweetie." Tom replied as he did his best not to laugh at the wonderful performance of Jenny as she daintily spooned invisible sugar into the imaginary tea. He marveled at her ability to stay perfectly in character for so long. Although playing tea party with a nine-year-old on a Friday night was not what most twenty-three year olds wanted to do, he loved it. He had been a friend of the family since he went to high school with Jenny's parents. Tom always loved spending time with Jenny and loved her as if she were his own niece. He never missed a school play and was always supportive of anything she did. Ever since he first set eyes on her in that hospital room nine years ago he was hooked. However at that moment the cute nose of the girl he adored was wrinkled up in disgust.

"One does not use 'sweetie' when referring to the hostess." Jenny scolded, staying in character.

"Sorry, it won't happen again." Tom sheepishly apologized because he felt genuinely bawled out; man she was good! Normally he wouldn't let a woman get away with such an arrogant attitude. In the past when faced with similar attitude he would either put them in their place or walk out; Jenny however, was different. He had a steady supply of women in his life but none took the place of Jenny. Jenny brought most of these women to him, as you can imagine a cute girl at a park is a veritable 'chick magnet'. All of them loved the way he was with Jenny but for one reason or another they never stayed permanently.

"See that it doesn't" Jenny replied with the same snooty attitude as before.

"Alright you two that's enough. It's bedtime sweetie." Theresa said as she stood in the bedroom doorway.

"Awe Mom do I have to." Jenny whined and instantly the little girl was back and the snooty hostess was gone. She folded her arms and wore a scowl of defiant disgust and held a genuine pout as she waited for her mother to respond.

"Don't 'awe Mom' me, I let you play an extra fifteen minutes! Now get ready for bed young lady!" The twenty-five year old mother sternly insisted leaning in and talking with her finger, pressing her point home.

It had been hard raising her daughter when she was so young herself but thankfully she was not alone. Had it not been for her husband Mathew and her good friend Tom she might not have made it through. The two most important men in her life now she had befriended in high school. Her husband Mathew was her high school sweetheart and had always loved her. When she told Mathew she was pregnant he was overjoyed instead of running in the other direction. With both of their parents' permission they married before Jenny was born. Theresa finished high school but never worked more than part time here and there, raising her daughter demanded too much attention. Mathew got a good job that supported them all and never complained at all or resented her for getting pregnant.

"C'mon Jenny, do as your mother says." Tom said seriously, sneaking Jenny a wink. Jenny looked at Tom than at her mother and her face drained of the angry emotion that was there.

"Okay." Jenny reluctantly agreed and headed for the bathroom. Once Jenny was outside of earshot Theresa decided to have a few words with Tom.

"I don't need your help in getting her to cooperate you know." Theresa said ever so slightly perturbed.

However she could not be too angry with her constant peacemaker. He was always there to baby-sit, and distract Jenny when needed and generally be there just before Theresa throttled her daughter. In short he was a godsend and Theresa loved him like a brother for it. Her eyes glanced over him and found that his short brown hair and green eyes along with his beautiful face still helped sell his charm. He kept an active life and with regular visits to the gym was able to keep his track star form. His broad shoulders and tight, muscular ass drew her attention when nobody was looking. He was the type of guy that she could go for if she were not happily married to Mathew. She knew that nothing would ever happen between them but it was nice to drool now and again.

"I know, but I'm just doing my part." Tom smiled at tall woman in the doorway and looked her over momentarily.

She was still as tall and slender as she always was; her beauty was timeless. Her poise and the grace in her manner exuded elegance. She maintained the perfect 36C hourglass figure that she was proud of through regular exercise and a careful diet. Her long blonde hair had a natural wave just like her daughter's did. Her blue eyes sparkled with life when she laughed and she wore a smile most of the time. The statuesque woman in the door shook her head and motioned in direction of the kitchen.

"C'mon you, coffee's on." Theresa said as Tom stood to leave the bedroom. A few moments later they were sitting around the kitchen table sipping their coffee and chatting up a storm. Mathew walked in after tucking Jenny in and joined the spirited conversation that was already underway.

"Hi honey." Theresa smiled at her husband as she examined him quickly.

He was just slightly taller than Theresa but he has brown hair and blue eyes. His build is bulkier and more muscular than Tom's lean build but the two of them could pass as brothers with the same charming good looks. It was one of the many reasons Theresa counted herself lucky to have both of them in her life. Clearly though Mathew was her sweetheart and always would be, she could not imagine her life without him. She cherished every morning that she woke up seeing his handsome face and counted herself fortunate to have him for her husband.

"Hey babe." Mathew said with a smile as he kissed Theresa quickly before turning to Tom. "Hey buddy she insisted on saying goodnight to you."

Tom laughed but felt his heart melt slightly as he made his way to Jenny's room. Sure enough he found her in bed all tucked in and waiting patiently for him. Her face lit up when she saw him enter her room and sit beside her on the bed.

"Hi Uncle Tom." Jenny said as she hugged him. "Even though you're not really my uncle I want you to know that I love you anyways."

"Thanks sweetie, I love you too even though you're not really my niece." Tom added with a chuckle and was about to kiss her goodnight and leave when she interrupted his plans.

"Uncle Tom, your really nice." She said and paused to look down. It was clear that she wanted to say something big and was preparing to say it, working up her nerve as best she could.

"What is it sweetie?" Tom prodded gently. She looked up into his eyes just then with a determined look.

"I want you to know that when I get older, I'm gonna marry you." She said with a deadly serious look in her eye. Even though Tom could see that she honestly meant it now he knew her infatuation would not last long. Sooner or later another boy would catch her eye and he would be off the hook. Still it was flattering to be the 'apple of her eye' at the moment, no matter how absurd it was and he couldn't help but smile at her.

"Sure sweetie, whatever you say." Tom said as he kissed her goodnight on the forehead, and left her to dream her little dreams and drift off to sleep.

"What is it?" Theresa asked as Tom sat down at the kitchen table with a puzzled look on his face and looking a bit shaken.

"You're not going to believe this." Tom paused and chuckled. "But your daughter just proposed to me . . . I think?" Tom said still confused but chuckling somewhat.

"WHAT!" Mathew and Theresa said in a shocked chorus.

"Yep she looked me dead in the eye and quite seriously informed me that when she got older she was going to marry me. Kinda cute ain't it?" Tom chuckled shaking his head at the silliness of it all. He could read the worried look on the face of his friends and did his best to reassure them. "C'mon, once she hits the teen years she'll go boy crazy like all the other's do and forget all about me. Relax it's just a cute kid thing that's all." The three friends laughed at the cuteness of it all, finding humor in the imagination of a little girl's infatuation.

Over the next few years Tom remained a steadfast part of the family's life. Spending time with all of them and kept up his role as peacemaker, counselor, comforter and friend to all of them. Offering a kind word at just the right moment or a broad shoulder for Jenny to cry on when she needed it. The kindred friendship of Tom and Jenny did not dwindle as time rolled on as one might expect, but continued to be a large part of their lives. Even in her teen years Jenny never ditched Tom in the presence of her friends, as normally would be the case. She never was ashamed of knowing him or being seen in public as teens sometimes do. She had a number of close friends but he remained by far her best friend.

Tom never lived outside of walking distance from Theresa, Mathew and Jenny and they all had keys for both places. It just made sense because they all lived at each other's home and were back and forth constantly. It was suggested once that Tom move in but they all agreed that there were times when everybody needs their privacy. As a compromise Tom moved to the same apartment complex as his friends and that seemed to work out just fine.

* * *

"You guy's ready to go yet?" Said the thirty-two year old Tom as he walked into the apartment.

"Just about." Came a call from the kitchen table. Tom looked over and saw Mathew sitting dressed, ready for an evening on the town but waiting for the ladies.

"Hey bud, I see the ladies aren't ready yet." Tom said as he sat down next to Mathew.

"Well Teresa has been ready for a bit, she is helping Jenny with the finishing touches to her outfit. I guess she wants to look perfect for her eighteenth birthday." Mathew groaned, rolling his eyes while shaking his head slightly.

"I just hope that she's done before her nineteenth birthday!" Tom quipped and both men shared a laugh as neither of them realized that they were not alone.

"Very funny, you both know that this is a big day for her." Theresa scolded as she stood in the hallway that led to the bedrooms.

Both men's chins dropped as their eyes fell over her, she truly was a vision of beauty. While it was true that she would make a burlap sack look good, tonight she was especially beautiful. The extra effort she had put into crafting her look was evident both in the radiance of her beauty and the reaction of the men. Her long normally flowing blonde hair was pulled up in a tight bun exposing the soft tender skin of her oh so kissable neck. Her eyes sparkled as she enjoyed the obvious admiration of the guys. The time she spent carefully sculpting her look now seemed worth it as she saw the awe in their eyes. The sleek long white dress she wore hugged her curves but did not appear to cut off circulation. The non-stop flowing of feminine curves unhindered by straps of any kind added to the enticing aura of the look. Her breasts looked larger than usual as they sat high and perky on the chest of this angelic beauty. She rested her hands on her hips and waited patiently for some kind of audible response from the men.

"Wow." Was all that Mathew could say.

"Yeah Wow." Tom agreed.

"Why thank you. Do you really think I look good? I could change you know." Theresa said with a playful glint in her eye as she teased the men. It was not as often as she liked that she garnered this much attention or had the chance to dress up.

"No babe, don't change a thing. You look AMAZING!" Mathew said with the look of awe still on his face. From down the hall the sound of someone quietly clearing their throat could be heard, Theresa looked behind her and smiled.

"Gentlemen, may I present to you the newest adult in the land. Our very own Jenny is all grown up!" Theresa beamed with pride as she moved out of the way trying to make a grand presentation. From the shadows of the hall a shadowy figure could be seen moving into the light. Tom just about swallowed his tongue as Jenny, the woman floated into view for the first time.

She had the grace, poise and beauty of her mother, yet she still possessed the playful innocence of her youth. Her blonde mane flowed and spilled over her shoulders in the illusion of disarray. Somehow that confusion of blonde hair invited you to stroke and comb it into some semblance of order and perhaps that was the teasing idea. Making you yearn to touch and caress her hair, drawing her dangerously closer to you. Her long slender black dress was the same style as her mother's, but the black color added a seductive touch of sin. The dress hugged her undeniably mature feminine curves exceptionally well, flaunting the fact that she was not a little girl anymore.

In every way she was a younger version of her mother but she possessed her own impish charm and individual style. She was not a carbon copy of her mother but clearly the acorn did not fall far from the tree; genetics had been kind. One way that she exceeded her mother was the fact that her breasts were unbelievably firm and perky for a D cup. The dress material strained to modestly contain her beautiful breasts without looking lewd or sleazy. It was hard to say what was her best feature or what was her worst. The whole package fit together so well, it all worked together seamlessly and silently to impress and amaze. Her emerald eyes sparkled with delight and trepidation as she looked over toward the men looking for some kind of reaction.

"Stunning, absolutely stunning sweetheart." Mathew said with the broad smile of a proud father.

"Words don't do you justice . . . you're quite lovely sweetie." Tom said with a slight waver in his voice that he did his best to hide.

Tom was quite shaken and was not at all comfortable with seeing Jenny as she was at that moment. Where was the little girl with whom he had played 'tea party'? Where was that tender innocent bundle of joy that he held in his arms so many years ago that seemed like only yesterday? Who was this new person that took the place of his little sweetie? He looked her over again and again, seeing her for the first time as the woman she had become.

Clearly she still possessed the familiar features he knew, but she was different today. He wondered why he never saw her incomparable beauty before? She had always just been his 'little sweetie' and he loved her as she was and only saw her inner beauty. One day flowed into the next and the subtle changes of time crept up on him unnoticed. Now the image of the sweet innocent little girl was smashed forever and he felt lost. It was as if he didn't know who she was anymore or how to relate to her. He felt like she had changed and betrayed him somehow simply by not staying the little girl he knew. Why did she have to grow up so fast? Why couldn't she stay that innocent little girl who loved to play with him for hours? What was worse was the fact that her beauty excited him in a way that he had no control over but was ashamed of. His own body betrayed him as his dick got painfully hard the instant she walked in and it continued to throb. He could not deny that she was a beautiful young woman anymore; her beauty would excite even the most ardent of gay men.

"Really?" Jenny beamed. "Cool." She said shooting the guys a raised eyebrow hardly trying to contain her excitement. She positively vibrated with energy and the excitement of the big day, proud of the fact that she was now at last an adult. She was exuberant that finally she had completed the right of passage from youth to adulthood and she felt like she was finally her own person. Finally nobody could tell her what to do, finally people had to take her seriously for she was all grown up. She could make her own decisions and live her own life as she wanted to and nobody was going to stop her!

Due to the lack of a bra, her hard nipples that strained against the dress could be seen by the roving eye. Tom shook and looked away from the nipples that for a brief half moment forced him to wonder what they would look like out of that dress. He blushed his shame and embarrassment as he pretended to straiten out a wrinkle in his dress shirt, hoping for a moment alone. Clearly he was not accustomed to seeing his 'sweetie' as a 'hottie'. Tom tried to get a grip of himself and the odd mix of emotions that flooded through him at that moment.

"Is everything alright Uncle Tom?" Jenny said as she put her hand on his shoulder.

"Fine dear, just wondering if I should go home and change." He looked up at the new face of his old friend and smiled trying to cover the storm of emotions that raged under the skin.

"Why?" Jenny inquired with a baffled tone.

"Because next to you I look like something the cat dragged in yesterday." Tom nervously chuckled.

"I got news for you buddy, a change of clothes wouldn't help." Mathew chimed in cheekily as if on cue.

"That's true." Agreed Theresa in the same playful tone.

"I think you're right!" Groaned Tom as he shook his head with a slightly dejected look on his face.

"Stop it! I think my date looks quite handsome tonight!" Jenny scowled at her parents in Tom's defense.

"Your date?" The three other adults asked in perplexed chorus.

"Yes, my date." Jenny said proudly. "Everyone else is paired up, you two and both grandparents. Tom and I are the only single people going tonight so I figured that makes him my date." She said calmly to everyone but looked back at Tom and said, "Unless you're not comfortable with it?"

Not comfortable with it! Now there's the understatement of the century but what could he do? Tell everyone the truth? Tell them all that just being near her excited him in a way that he wished she didn't? He was too ashamed and confused by all the revelations of the last few minutes to think clearly.

"Of course sweetie, I would be honored." Tom said as he stood and offered Jenny his arm as gentlemanly as possible. She took his arm and he felt a slight charge of electricity when she pressed her body beside his as she took his arm. "Okay, lets go before we lose those reservations." Tom said over Jenny's shoulder to Mathew and Theresa. They looked about as comfortable about the new development as Tom was. He managed to shrug his shoulders at them and they shrugged theirs back and not a further word was said.

All through dinner Jenny was the lady of the hour and she kept behaving that she was really on a date with Tom. Tom however thought it was all an act, another game of pretend but nothing serious. In that light he slowly grew accustomed to the new version of Jenny. As the evening wore on he was able to get over the initial shock of her emergence from the cocoon. Once they had finished diner and were in the lounge having some drinks Tom was able to relax around her. Finally he could see her as simply Jenny and they were in old form as the two good friends they were. In a way, she still was his sweetie but just a different form of her. Tom felt slightly jealous of the young man that would surely take his little sweetie away from him. For he knew that life would move on and she would find someone special to spend her life with. That development would cause yet more of an adjustment for both of them but he knew he would handle it. Tom knew that somehow she would be in his life until the day he died. For the moment he allowed himself to enjoy the present situation that she was sitting beside him hanging off his arm as his date. As the evening progressed further, the older generation left the younger ones to dance the night away. The four of them enjoyed the good music, good drinks and good times of the joyous occasion. As the evening wound down and the last dance of the night started, Tom found himself with Jenny in his arms. It was a position he had been in a few times before that evening in previous slow dances. Before when they danced it was innocently, like a father/daughter would with some space between them, but this time was different. Now she held him in an intimate embrace, she held him tight and rested her head on his shoulder as they swayed to the music.