Chapter 6: My Prerogative

On Monday, July 3rd, my Dad and I drove to a nearby hardware superstore and got a brand new outdoor grill.  The one we’d had in Charlotte had been getting old, and we left it for the people who bought the place instead of trying to figure out how to tear it down and ship it. The one Dad got was huge; we could have cooked a turkey in it, and he talked about doing just that for Thanksgiving.  Mom just nodded and told us to get it ready for the cookout the next day.

As a way of meeting all our neighbors, Dad had invited everyone around for an outdoor barbeque.  We were doing all the typical dishes: hot dogs, hamburgers and the like.  Cindy had suggested bratwurst as well, so Dad had picked up some of them and asked around about how to cook them. Brats weren’t something we cooked down there — but he was desperate to be a part of the community.

I had passed around my share of invitations as well.  The Cookes would be there, of course, and I’d finally meet Janet’s husband. The Minors and Kings were coming — Cindy was going to be my date, after all. Also a couple of the other people I did yard work for were coming.  Dad got everyone in our cul-de-sac to come, including the people we shared backyards with— well the ones that butted us and the people in our cul-de-sac. We had a nice privacy fence so we didn’t seem them often.

As we lay out the parts and began working on the construction, Dad turned to me. “Brian,” he said. “I know we pulled you out of high school halfway through, and that wasn’t really fair.”

“It’s okay Dad. Other than Zeke, I didn’t really have many people I cared about.  Plus, I like it here.”  I was getting laid and going on dates here, which had never happened in Charlotte.

“Well, I’m glad,” he said. “Your mother and I have noticed how hard you’ve worked this summer, and what good shape you’re getting into.  I just wanted you to know we can tell, and we’re proud of you.”

“Thanks, Dad,” I said. As we talked, we bolted the legs of the grill together, and lifted the base into it.  We’d bought a couple of large bags of charcoal and lighter fluid.  Dad had some wood chips he said would give it a nice ‘smoky flavor’.

“Plus we’re looking forward to chatting with your lady friend tomorrow.”

I swallowed.  For a minute I thought he meant Janet, but then I realized there was no way he’d know about her — or bring it up that way.  “Well her whole family will be here,” I said.

He nodded. “How’s the car fund coming?”

“I should have about a grand in a month, in time for my birthday. Depends on what gramma gives me this year: clothes or money.”

Dad laughed at that. “Sounds good,” he said. “If you want, I’ll go with you car shopping.”  Dad was a big guy, over six feet tall and wide. He’d been a linebacker in high school.  He’d gotten a shoulder injury in his senior year, but he always shrugs it off and says he never had hopes for college ball.   But he was a big, intimidating guy. I was sure he’d put the scare into Amy’s future boyfriends.

“I’d like that, Dad,” I said.  We spent a few more minutes getting the grill put together, and then I pulled out the lawnmower.  I was going to do our yard and Janet’s one last time, and get it all neat.

When I was done, Janet met me at her door. “I can’t today, Brian.  Nathan is home.”

“It’s okay,” I said. “I just wanted our lawns looking perfect for the barbecue tomorrow. Half the people there will be customers and the other half are potential customers.”  I wasn’t that worried about it anyway, Janet and I had long since dispensed with the idea that we’d fuck only on the days I’d do lawn work for her. She fit me in whenever I had space in my schedule and we had the time — which was most every weekday, really.

“Well, I’ll let everyone know your virtues,” she said. “The yard-work related ones, anyway.” She smiled and laughed, and I stood there, not a foot away from her, unable to touch her. It was kind of horrible, and stressed me out.

“I should go, Mrs. Cooke,” I said.

“See you tomorrow, Brian,” she said.

“Tomorrow!” I said, and headed home.

Dad got up early and started the coals so they would be ready by the time people were arriving. There were some fireworks downtown, so we planned our cookout for early-late afternoon so people could go do whatever evening thing they wanted.  Plus it was the Fourth of July, and that’s when you do that, right? After breakfast, I cleaned up my room so it was presentable, took a shower and then joined Dad outside to help get things started.

Our house didn’t have a pool or anything fancy in the backyard,  Amy wanted to play badminton, so she and I set it up, and got out the shuttlecocks and rackets, and set them up for people to play.  Around noon, people started showing up.  The Cookes, being our neighbors, showed up first.  Janet was wearing a t-shirt blouse and a short tennis skirt. I had to look away when all I could think of was to push it up around her waist, and pull her panties down.

She saw me, though, and called out to me. “Brian, hey, I wanted you to meet my husband.” I walked over and offered my hand.  “Nathan, this is Brian, he’s been doing the lawn for the past month or so.”

He took my hand in a firm grip and shook it.  “Seems to me you’ve done a good job of taking care of things for my wife,” he said.

I swallowed and my eye darted over to Janet who was obviously stifling a giggle. “Thanks, Mr. Cooke,” I said. “I’m saving up to buy a car for my birthday, so it’s important to do good work.”

“And when is that?” he asked.

“August 7th,” I said.

“So pretty soon, then,” he said. “Good luck!”

“Thanks!” I said.  He went over to talk to my Dad at the grill and I let out deep sigh.

Janet winked at me as she went by, and I turned to watch her as she went, her ass swishing side to side and making the tennis skirt do interesting things. I looked away and shook my head, and thankfully, that’s when the Kings showed up.  Cindy bounced out of the car and ran up to me giving me a kiss. Her mom popped open her door, “Cindy!” she said.

“It’s just a kiss, Mom, and this is a date!”

I looked over her shoulder at her Mom as she got out.  Her mom’s expression belied her tone, when she said, “The kiss is for the end of the date not the start.”

Cindy sighed, “Yes, Mom. I’ll be good.”  She winked at me, and lowered her voice. “We’ll both be good, won’t we CB?”

“Good at it, at least,” I said so only she could hear; then louder, “Well, I can’t vouch for you, but I’ll be good.”

She punched me in the arm, and then took my hand, “Show me around,” she said.

So I took her around the back yard.  We talked with Dad for a bit, and Amy talked us into playing badminton with one of the Minors who had showed up.  His name was Rich, and he was about Amy’s age. By the time we were done, pretty much everyone who had been invited was there.

Janet and Nathan were watching us as we finished up the game, and I said hello to them.  “Do you know Cindy King?” I asked.

“I do,” Janet said. “How is Howard doing?”

“Okay. He’s in Germany now,” she said. “I’m not sure what a tank battalion is doing there, but there’s one there.  At least no war is going to break out there.”

“There’s that,” Janet said. “Howard trimmed my lawn when we first got here,” she said to me. “He did a good job, but not quite as good as you.”  I blushed at that, and directed Cindy away. I really didn’t want the girl I was dating to talk to my lover.  It seemed tacky at best, and ill-advised at least.

We talked with people, and ate a couple of hot dogs.  While we ate, Cindy said to me, “I have a theory, CB.”

“And what is that?”

“I think that the person you use condoms with is here right now.”

“I told you I’m not going to say anything about that.”

“Well, you have to give me a chance to learn your secret,” she said. “Or we can just end this now.”

“I don’t think a gentleman tells.”

“Even if I make it worth your while?”

“Even then,” I said.

She stood up. “I want to see the inside of your house,” she said.

“Now?”

“Now, Condom Boy now.”  I quickly looked around to see if anyone had heard her, but it seemed like everyone was busy socializing, even my sister. So I figured, why not?  We hadn’t done anything since our fake movie date.  Maybe things would be quiet enough inside.

We walked up to the deck, and through the glass doors into the kitchen. I turned and glanced back at the yard, and no one was paying us any attention.  Almost no one - Janet caught my eye as I swept my gaze over the crowd.  She arched her brow and gave me a half smile before turning back to her husband.

“This is the kitchen, ” I said. “And the dining room is in there, and the living room is that way.”

“I saw all this when I picked you up,” she said. “I want to see the upstairs, Condom Boy. I want to see your room.”  I guess it was a good thing I’d cleaned it up.

We went upstairs, and into my room. She closed the door behind her and locked it. I stood next to my bed watching her, and she pushed me a bit, forcing me to sit down.  “You, stay there,” she said.  She crossed her hands and pulled her shirt up and off over her head, then pulled her bra off as well.  “Here’s the deal.  I’m going to blow you and you’re going to answer three yes-no questions about the people here, starting with the one I already asked you.”

“Or what?”

“Or I’m putting the boobs away and you don’t get to touch them for at least a week.”

“Let me touch them now, and I’ll agree.”   She walked close to me, and I cradled her boobs in my hand, and teased her nipples, which got hard.

She moaned a bit, and brushed my hands away.  “Later,” she said. “We don’t have time for me.”  She knelt in front of me, and pulled down my shorts enough to get my cock. “There he is,” she said, “all ready for me.”

She slid her mouth over the tip, and her hand around the base.  She began bobbing her head, and stroking me off.  She was going for intensity more than anything else, and I was going there quickly.  She pulled off of me. “Come in my mouth,” she said. “Give it to me.”  Then she was back on me and jerking me off.

“You’re really good at this,” I said. “You must practice a lot yourself.”  She just nodded, and kept bouncing. It didn’t take much longer before I was coming. She swallowed it and milked my cock until she got it all.  She stood up and sat on my lap, flipping up her skirt, and settling down on my cock. I didn’t feel any panties, so I guessed she was wearing a thong.  She took my hands and wrapped them around her breasts.

“First question,” she said. “Is the person you use the condoms with here today?”

“Pretty much everyone I know in Ohio is here today,” I said. “So yes.”  I squeezed her breasts and felt my cock getting hard against her ass.

“Is she one of your customers?”

I thought about this for a moment, and that had been our agreement at first, but things had changed. As far as I was concerned, I did her lawn because I wanted to, and we fucked because we wanted to.  I knew it was a prevarication, but I wanted to throw her off the scent, so I said, “No.”

“Took you a while to answer that one,” she said.

“Maybe I just wanted to keep feeling you up,” I said.

“My mom is going out on a date with Dad on Friday night and I have to watch my sister,” she said. “Want  to come over and watch movies and whatever?”

“Yes,” I said.  “Did you mean to waste your last question?”

“A date with me is a waste?”

“No, but I’d have answered it anyway.”

“I figure if it’s this easy to get you to answer questions, I better slow down or I won’t keep having those nice orgasms you gave me,” she said. “I want to know your secret, but I’m in no hurry.”

I rubbed her breasts with my hands and her ass with my cock. I slid my hand around to the front of her skirt, finding the small triangle of her thong there, and following it down to her pussy.  I easily slid it aside and pushed my finger into her wet folds, and began teasing her.  I pulled her close to me with my hand on her breast, squeezing it as I did so.  I pushed my cock against her ass, feeling her skin against me.

As I teased her clit she rubbed her ass against me, and we were moving together.  I kissed the side of her neck and she gasped and moaned.  We moved together, back and forth to the rhythm of my thrusts against her and my finger on her clit.  She gasped and moaned, and started shuddering in orgasm on top of me. I held my finger on her clit and thrust against her with my cock.  While she kept coming, so did I, covering her ass and my thighs with come.

When she came down from her orgasm, she swore. “Fuck, Condom Boy, you weren’t supposed to get come on me today.”

“Sorry,” I said, releasing her.

“No, you’re not,” she said.

“No, I’m not.” I liked the idea that my come was on her, secretly marking her.  I picked up a dab of it off my leg, and ran it over her nipple. She sighed and shuddered as I did it. “Friday night,” I said.

“Yeah,” she said.  “Where’s your bathroom?”  She stood and picked up her bra and blouse. “First door on the left,” I said.  I grabbed some tissues and wiped myself off, and pulled up my shorts. “I’ll see you outside.”

The rest of the party was quiet.  I let my Dad and Mom know about the date, and they were cool with it.  Since Cindy had to watch the kids, I’d just ride my bike over.  Just four more weeks and that wasn’t a concern either.

The thing I remember now, that I didn’t pay attention to then, was that Janet and Nathan were right there as I told my parents about the date. In retrospect, that makes more sense of what happened next. Janet wasn’t supposed to be jealous.