by K. Anderson
“I feel bad about that,” Brendan said. “If I had known she was going to be there, I never would have gone with the guys that night.”
“How were you supposed to know?” Shannon shrugged. “It’s not like those places advertise.”
“Well, they do, actually,” Brendan said. “They have flyers all over the place. But the pictures on them are just these black and white drawings – they don’t actually look like anyone.” He shook his head. “I haven’t gone back. I’m not going to.”
That news made Shannon smile, but she didn’t say anything. In the distance, another firework shot up into the sky, exploding in a shower of white sparkles. “I think the show’s about to start,” she said.
“They said dusk,” Brendan replied. It was pretty dark around them, and getting darker by the minute. He took Shannon’s hand. “I’m glad I’m watching them with you.” Shannon leaned toward Brendan, and they kissed again as another firework went up. “Me too,” she murmured. “Me too.”
The fireworks went on and on, a pyrotechnic show that lasted almost fifteen minutes. Shannon and Brendan spent nearly the entirely of those fifteen minutes kissing, breaking off from their affections only when the crowds’ collective “Ooh!” was loud enough to warrant looking up.
“I can’t wait until everyone goes home,” Brendan murmured. His hands were moving pretty freely over Shannon’s body, stroking and teasing her to ever-greater levels of excitement. “We’ll get out of these clothes and make love right here on the boat.”
“That sounds wonderful,” Shannon moaned. “I can’t wait.”
The fireworks finale started slowly, with three projectiles fired off in rapid succession. Then the show picked up the pace, with dozens of explosions going off in the sky simultaneously. The display was so intense that for a moment, it was as bright as day; Shannon could see Brendan in amazing detail. The noise was deafening, loud booms like thunder that echoed over the river. The boat rocked, just a little, and people on every craft started shouting “Woo! Woo hoo!”
“Yes!” Brendan said. “It’s over!” He bent over to kiss Shannon, a deep, intense kiss at first, followed by a flurry of shallow, quick pecks. “And then we’ll be alone.”
They waited patiently, watching boat after boat sail back up the river. The boats that had docked alongside them took their time departing. They left one at a time, meandering into the black night.
“It won’t be long now,” Shannon said. She was surprised at how much she wanted Brendan. The idea of being with him now, on the boat, under the summer sky, was the most romantic thing she’d ever heard.
“You’ve got to be kidding me.” Brendan sounded disgusted. “I can’t believe this.”
“What’s that?” Shannon asked, surprised at the change in his tone.
He sat up and pointed straight down the river. “Look what’s coming.”
Flashing red and blue lights revealed the approach of a Coast Guard patrol.
“They shouldn’t bother us,” Shannon said. “We haven’t done anything wrong.”
“Wait,” Brendan said. He stood up and moved toward the driver’s seat. “These guys can be dicks. I don’t want to have to deal with them.”
“All right,” Shannon replied.
The Coast Guard patrol was stopping near each boat still out on the river. They didn’t stay any length of time beside any one boat, just long enough to exchange a few words with the people on board. After they moved on, the boaters started their motors, turned on their lights, and slowly maneuvered their crafts away from the river bank into open water.
“See?” Brendan said. “They’re making people go home.”
“I thought we could stay out here all night,” Shannon said.
“Yesterday we could have,” Brendan said. “Same thing tomorrow. But tonight they’re going to clear the river.”
Sure enough, when the cruiser pulled alongside the boat, the first thing the Coast Guard sailor asked was, “You folks know this river’s only legally navigable until midnight, right?”
“Yes sir,” Brendan replied. “We’re just heading home.”
“All right then,” the Coast Guard sailor replied. “We let people tie off during the fireworks, but this channel’s got to stay clear.”
“All right,” Brendan said, adding “Thank you.”
“They were great fireworks,” Shannon added.
The Coast Guard sailor smiled. “That they were, ma’am. You folks have a good evening.”
“We were going to,” Brendan said, as they drove off. “But you guys wrecked that.”
“Don’t be like that,” Shannon said. “They’re just doing their jobs.” She strolled over to Brendan, wrapped her arms around him, and kissed him deeply. “The bookstore’s closed tomorrow. Come on over. We’ll finish what we started…and there, nobody’s going to interrupt us.”
Chapter 6
Shannon opened the bookstore door and smiled. “It’s not as romantic as the river, but I can guarantee we’ll have privacy.” Chloe had left that morning to spend the day with her best friend. All the signs in the store windows read “Sorry, Closed!”
“That sounds great to me.” Brendan stepped over the threshold and took Shannon in his arms. “I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you since last night.” He kissed her passionately. “The taste of your mouth. The feel of your body next to mine.”
“Let me lock the door first,” Shannon said. “And we can go in the back. No one will be able to see us there.”
“I don’t care who sees us,” Brendan said.
“Well, I do,” Shannon replied. She looked up as she was locking the door. Tawni was standing across the street, watching the store’s entranceway with a puzzled look on her face. “Man,” Shannon sighed. “That girl is obsessed with you.”
“Too bad for her,” Brendan said. He stepped up behind Shannon, slipped his arms around her waist, and began kissing her neck. “Because you’re the only one I want.”
The bookstore’s back room didn’t have the open, romantic atmosphere of a boat on the river, but it did have a comfy sleeper sofa that Shannon’s mom had installed ages ago. Opened up, it took up nearly the entirety of the storage room. Shannon had piled it high with soft pillows and a fluffy duvet.
“Perfect,” Brendan said. He kicked off his shoes and launched himself onto the bed, pulling Shannon down with him. The sofa bed’s springs protested with a mighty squeak, causing his eyes to widen. “Is this thing going to hold us?” he asked. “Because things might get pretty wild.”
“We’ll have to take our chances,” Shannon said, pulling off her shirt. “Because I’m not willing to wait any longer.”
Brendan smiled. “You are so beautiful.” He reached up behind Shannon’s back and deftly unhooked her bra, sighing as the silky garment slid off of her chest. “So very beautiful.”
Shannon felt a little self-conscious, sitting upright in the bed, half-naked. She tugged at Brendan’s shirt. “You too. I want to see you. All of you.”
“All right,” Brendan said. He tugged his t-shirt off, and then let his hands drop to his waist. His fingers froze at his belt buckle. “You’re sure?” he asked. “I wouldn’t want to disappoint you.”
“I’m terrified of disappointing you,” Shannon confessed. “I’ve never done this before. I don’t know what I’m doing.” She shook her head. “So if you can put up with me, I’m pretty sure I’ll be able to put up with you.”
“I could never be disappointed with you,” Brendan said. He pulled Shannon down on top of him for a slow, tender kiss. Their chests were flattened against each other, a crush of passion and need. “And don’t worry about not knowing what you’re doing. It’s not like I know all that much either.” He kissed her again. “We’ll figure it out together.”
Shannon blushed. “You didn’t learn it all up at that school of yours?”
“Going to one strip club doesn’t exactly make a guy an expert,” Brendan said.
“Well, I’l
l tell you what,” Shannon said. “If I shake my ass in your face, you’d better be ready to put your money down.”
“Baby,” Brendan groaned. “If you shake that ass in my face, I’ll be ready to do anything you want me to.”
“Let’s see about that,” Shannon said. She leaned upright, a little shocked at her own boldness, but encouraged by the light shining in Brendan’s eyes. She hooked her thumbs in the waistband of her shorts and tugged them down, revealing silky blue panties.
“Pretty,” Brendan said. He reached for those. “Let me touch.”
“All right.” Shannon posed on the bed while Brendan carefully, reverently stroked the silky blue fabric with his fingers. He spent quite some time tracing patterns over her ass. Then he began to explore the area between Shannon’s thighs. She couldn’t help but moan.
“That feels so good,” she said. “Please don’t stop.”
“Don’t worry, I won’t.” Brendan began to move his fingers faster, applying steadily more pressure as he went. “I can’t wait to see how beautiful you are when you come.”
He didn’t have long to wait. Intense waves of pressure began washing over Shannon’s body. She started shaking, cramming her fist into her mouth as Brendan stroked her faster and faster. “Oh, oh, oh,” she whimpered. “I’m going to die; you’re going to kill me…”
“No,” Brendan said. “I’m going to show you what it’s like to feel good.” He twisted his hand, letting his knuckles bump up against Shannon’s most tender flesh. She screamed her way through her first ever orgasm, collapsing afterward in a sweaty heap next to Brendan.
“Holy mackerel,” she said to him. “Is it always like that?”
Brendan was pushing his jeans off. He rolled Shannon onto her back and moved into position on top of her. “We’re just getting started,” he said. “Things are only going to get better from here.”
“I’m scared,” Shannon whispered.
“Don’t be,” he replied. “I’ll go slow. I want this to be good for you.” Moving with exquisite care, Brendan lowered himself into her, penetrating her wet folds inch by inch.
“Oh, my God,” she breathed. “I didn’t realize how big you were.”
“I’m not big, you’re tight,” he replied. He started to move a little faster. “Amazingly tight.”
“Oh.” Shannon started trembling again. “What’s happening?”
“I’m not going to be able to last for long,” Brendan groaned. “I never knew this could feel so good.”
“I’m not going to last at all,” Shannon replied. She arched her back, clenching at the bed sheets. “Brendan!”
“Holy shit,” he whispered. “Say my name again.”
“Brendan,” Shannon moaned. “I love you, Brendan.”
“God!” Brendan’s body stiffened, and Shannon could feel the warm rush of his need within her. “I love you too!”
Chapter 7
Shannon stood in the bathroom, staring in disbelief at the pregnancy test in her hand. It was the third one she’d taken that morning. They all showed the same thing: a positive result. “This can’t be right.”
She set the test on the counter, and stared at herself in the mirror. “I’m not ready to be a mother.” Shannon looked horrible – not surprising considering she’d been vomiting three times a day for the past week. Her face was pale and puffy; the bags under her eyes were large enough to carry a week’s worth of clothing on vacation. Customers had begun asking if she was all right. “Oh, yeah,” she assured them. “It’s just a little bug.”
“Little bug,” she scoffed. “That’s exactly what the problem is.” Two weeks ago, she’d had that magical afternoon in the bookstore with Brendan. At the time, she hadn’t thought about anything but her desire to make love to her best friend. Everything had been even better than she’d imagined possible; even now, she felt a shiver of pleasure when she remembered how good it felt to have him on top and then inside her.
But they hadn’t taken precautions, and that pleasure came with a price. “What am I going to do?” she asked her reflection.
“You’re going to come on out of there,” her mother said from the doorway. “You and I need to have a talk.”
Shannon’s shoulders sagged. “I’m not sure I’m ready for this, Mom.”
“You’re not going to get any more ready in the next five minutes, and I have got to pee.” Chloe bustled her daughter out of the bathroom. “Go make us some sweet tea. We’ll talk.”
Shannon had just set the glasses of tea on the kitchen table when her mother joined her. Chloe sat down heavily. She looked really tired.
“Are you all right, Mom?” Shannon asked.
“Well, I’ve been better.” Chloe said. “But my health isn’t really the issue here. You’ve got enough on your plate without worrying about me.”
“Mom,” Shannon prompted.
Chloe ignored her. “So I’ve imagined this conversation happening a million times. Never quite like this, but what can you do?” She smiled a little. “Fortune telling was never my strong suit.”
“Mom, I’m pregnant,” Shannon blurted out. “I’m so sorry.”
“I know, honey.” Chloe patted her daughter’s hand. “I probably knew before you did. Remember I raised you. You’ve puked more this week than you have in the past ten years combined. That doesn’t just happen.”
“Morning sickness,” Shannon said. “I thought that was a myth.”
“And then I noticed we had one fewer copy of What to Expect When You’re Expecting on the store shelves. It struck me as kind of a strange choice for bedtime reading,” Chloe said, “unless one happened to be expecting.”
“I wasn’t sure,” Shannon said. “Not until just now.” Her shoulders sagged. “I don’t suppose I could have three false positive results in a row.”
“Not too likely, honey,” Chloe said gently. “So now the question is how do you feel about this turn of events?”
“Scared,” Shannon said. “I’m not ready for a baby. I haven’t even gotten my own place yet. How am I supposed to raise a child?”
Chloe laughed. “You sound like I did when I discovered you were on the way.” She sighed. “Of course, your father and I weren’t nearly as close as you and Brendan are.”
“Mother. We’re not even dating,” Shannon said. “Not officially.” The thought had been troubling Shannon since she first suspected that she was pregnant.
“You’ve known each other forever,” Chloe said, dismissing that concern with a shrug. “And who cares what’s official? You’ve pretty well sealed the deal, officially or not.” She grew serious. “Having a child means you’re connected to another human being in a way that can’t be severed. It doesn’t matter if you’re married or not, Shannon. Brendan will always be this baby’s father.”
“That didn’t seem to matter too much to my Dad,” Shannon said.
“You can’t judge all men by your father,” Chloe replied. “Brendan’s a good guy. Even if you two don’t wind up as a couple, I think he’ll do right by the child.” She cocked her head. “You may need to make sure of that, at least until he gets in the habit of paying support.”
“Jesus, Mom. I haven’t even told him I’m pregnant yet, and you’re worried about child support.”
“I don’t want you to make the mistakes I’ve made.” Chloe took a big drink of her tea. “I was hell bent that I could do everything on my own. I didn’t want to give Stanley any reason to believe he had any kind of claim to you – and he was more than happy to be just as irresponsible as he always was.” She shrugged. “Today, things are different. It’s not all right for a guy to just walk away from the babies he’s created.”
“I’ll cross that bridge when I get to it.”
Chloe stood up and paced around the kitchen, stopping only when she reached the window over the sink. She stood there for a long moment, staring out into the back yard.
“Mom, what is it?” Shannon asked. “Tell me what you’re thinking.”
“I didn’t know anything was going to happen,” Shannon said. “I really didn’t.”
“For goodness sakes, Shannon. Everyone knew this was going to happen. All you had to see was the way Brendan looks at you – the way he has always looked at you – to know this was going to happen sooner or later.” Chloe sighed. “I guess I’m glad you waited until after graduation. But still, the timing is terrible.”
The first part of her Mother’s statement filled Shannon’s heart with so much joy that it took her a minute to hear and process the second part. “What do you mean the timing is terrible?”
Chloe put her hands on the edge of the sink and bowed her head. “I’ve agreed to sell the store, Shannon.”
“What?” The bookstore had been one of the cornerstones of Shannon’s life; she couldn’t remember a time before her mother ran the place.
“It’s barely profitable. We’re just squeaking by, and that’s because I’m paying you far less than you’re worth.” Chloe shook her head, sadly. “I have absolutely nothing in terms of retirement savings, and this Amazon thing on the internet? It’s going to kill independent bookstores. I can’t afford to wait for that to happen.”
“What are we going to do?” Shannon asked.
“I’m going to go to Aunt Zoe’s,” she began.
“In Florida?” Shannon yelped. They’d never been there, although Chloe often talked about visiting her sister someday.
“Yes, in Florida,” Chloe said. “She’s said I can stay with her and help out in her shop until I find my footing. The cost of living is so much lower down there. I should be able to put something away so I’ll be able to retire. Someday. Maybe.” She laughed a little bit. There wasn’t a lot of humor in it.
“But what about me?” Shannon asked.
