The Hughes monthly neighborhood barbeque was this evening, and as their nextdoor neighbor, I was practically forced to attend.
They were nice enough people. Martha was an excellent homemaker and Dan had spent enough time behind the grill that I almost looked forward to his cooking. Their son, Jonathan, just graduated high school and was about to go off to college, to be some big shot lawyer. And then there was their daughter, Aurora.
I had never met her, but from what I had heard, she was a spitfire. She had always been a handful, but when she hit puberty and her body developed, she became especially rebellious.
When Dan sent out the invitations for the May barbeque, he mentioned that Aurora would be back, and that they would be celebrating her graduation and her birthday.
I decided to try to be polite and get her a present, but what do I know about young girls? I had asked some of the kids at the mall and they directed me to some kind of color popping branded makeup. When did makeup get this expensive?
I waited to walk over until I saw a few other guests arrive; I was neighborly with the Hughes, but I don't know if I would call us friends. I walked through their gate straight to the backyard.
With Martha taking charge of the house, Dan made it his role to take charge of the yard. He had built a covered patio complete with gas and water lines for his grill area. With the in-ground pool in his backyard, there wasn't much grass for him to maintain, but the front yard was his pride and joy. It was always well manicured and made everyone else's lawn, including my own, look pitiful in comparison.
"Hey, Rick!" Dan called as I stepped through the gate. "Glad to see you could make it."
"I almost didn't." I said, reaching my hand out for his. "It was quite the trek."
Meeting my hand for a shake, he laughed at my joke, before leading me to the patio. Spotting the present area, I added mine to the growing pile.
"Damn." I said, inhaling deeply. "This smells fantastic as always. Can't wait for it to be ready to eat."
"You won't have to wait too long. The first round is almost done." He opened the fridge that he had installed near the grill and offered me a beer. Taking it from him, I cracked it open and tapped it against his, before walking over to the pool.
Looking around, I nodded to a few of the other neighbors that I recognized, greeting them from a distance. Then my gaze fell upon an alluring vixen.
Her hot pink hair cascaded down to the bikini that barely covered her voluptuous assets. The early evening light emphasized the curvaceous nature of her athletic frame. Each curve of her body was meticulously sculpted, from the gentle swell of her hips to the toned definition of her abs and thighs.
Strolling over, I tapped my bottle against her shoulder, "You must be Aurora." I greeted.
Without looking up from her phone, she snapped, "Figured that out all on your own, detective?"
With a smirk on my face, I scoffed. "I guess they did warn me that you were feisty."
Unfazed by my banter, she finally glanced up. A spark of interest washed over her as she looked me up and down.
"And who might you be?" She asked, energetically, as she sat up and turned to face me.
Sitting down on the adjacent pool lounge chair, I explained, "My name's Richard, but everyone calls me Rick."
Her eyes flit down between my legs as she asked, "What about Dick?" With a mischievous glint in her eyes, Aurora leaned back, spreading her legs as she maintained eye contact.
An awkward chuckle escaped my lips, and I felt my cheeks begin to flush. Sipping my beer, I tried to cool down.
"Oh, Ricky. What's the matter?" She said, a pouty look on her face. "Can't handle a woman whose not afraid of her own sexuality?"
Clearing my throat, I replied, "I'm just not used to them being so forward."
"I'm only forward when I see something I want." She teased as she leaned in towards me. Grabbing her bikini top she pulled the cups apart, exposing her perky bosom to me. "Do you see something you want?"
Before I had time to unpackage what had just happened, Dan rang the dinner bell. Yes, he had a physical bell he rang to signal when the food was ready. Today, for the first time, I was saved by that bell.
As we approached the table, seats filled quickly. Aurora insisted on sitting next to me. As usual, Dan sat at the head of the table with Martha on his right. Everyone else filled in the remaining chairs.
Before we were allowed to eat, Martha insisted everyone say grace. Eagerly, Aurora took my hand as we bowed our heads.
With everyone holding hands, Martha started, "Dear Lord, we thank you for this bountiful feast we are about to consume. Please bless this meal and the hands that prepared it. Thank you for the wonderful company that we share it with." Aurora started tracing her thumb along the back of my hand at her words. "Finally, I thank you for our beautiful, healthy daughter. I pray that, if it's your will, she gets everything she wants this year. Amen." Aurora's hand lingered in mine, and I had to pull it away.
Once again, Dan did a fantastic job of grilling the meat and Martha did a phenomenal job of preparing the sides. Conversation thrived as we ate.
Several times over the course of the meal, Aurora slid her hand between my legs. I couldn't help it as the bulge in my pants grew tight. I tried pushing her away, but she was insistent and I didn't want to cause a scene.
After everyone had finished their meal, Martha announced, "Time for cake!" Disappearing into the kitchen, she brought out a pink sheet cake with pink frosting that read 'Happy 22nd Birthday Aurora'. The cake had two big candles, in the shape of the number two, with ten smaller candles on each side; twenty-two in total.
After Dan lit the candles, he led us in a rendition of the birthday song. When we finished he told Aurora to, "Make a wish."
Giving me a quick wink, she blew out the candles in one smooth sweep. As Martha began removing the candles, Dan grabbed the knife and began cutting the cake.
Taking the first slice, Aurora swiped a glob of frosting onto her finger and began sucking on it, staring me in the eyes the whole time.
After everyone had a chance for cake, Dan lit the fire pit and it drew the guests like moths to a flame. I started to join them, but Aurora stopped me, grabbing my wrist.
Actually, I have something upstairs that I want to show you." Her voice was tinged with a giddy excitement.
Taking a sip of my drink, I raised an eyebrow, "What is it?"
"It's better if I just show you." She replied, coyly
"Okay," I agreed. "Go get it, and let me see it."
"It's not something that can be easily brought out here." She explained, her frustration evident. "Can't you just come up and see it?"
"Whatever you say." I conceded with a shrug. "This is your party after all."