A Taste of Innocence

Ellen was nearly always cool around Alan, accepting of him but not exactly approving. But then Ellen rarely approved of anything anyone did, even Steve. His job paid for everything in their lives but she hated what he did for a living; his hobbies never met with approval and Alan had never once heard her say a single word of thanks or approval to either her husband or her daughter. He knew that there were issues, knew that the couple had been sleeping in separate beds for several years, and even that evening Ellen kept a discreet but clear distance between herself and her husband and she had barely spoken to Alan at all. But it was still somewhat surprising that they were splitting.

"I'm sorry to hear that, man." He said in all honesty and Steve shrugged.

"She's been having an affair for two years now with someone I thought I could trust." Steve said so flatly that Alan wasn't really sure how the other man felt about it. "And she has practically said that Josie isn't my daughter."

"Jesus..." Alan said softly and Steve snorted.

"I think I've known since she was born that Josie wasn't my blood, but that has never mattered to me, she's still my daughter." He looked pensively at the pool for a long moment and Alan, unsure of what to say, remained silent. He was just about to excuse himself and leave his friend alone with his thoughts when Steve spoke again. "That's what this trip really is, we're meeting with our lawyers, sorting everything out and deciding who gets what. She's already said she wants the house, but I'll fight her on that, she just wants to sell it for the money. She hates this city and hates this province and hates the weather here. She wants to move back to fucking Edmonton for Christ sakes. She's just after as much as she can get out of spite."

A heat had slowly started to creep into Steve's voice and Alan had never seen him so angry about anything before. It was strange seeing Steve this way, but at the same time Alan could tell that his friend needed someone to talk to so he stayed quiet and let Steve vent for a while, just listening and not judging his friend at all. He listened for most of an hour before Steve said anything else that really shocked him.

"I can't really blame her for having affairs, though." He said with a sigh as he set the empty bottle aside and looked over at Alan with a serious expression. "I've been sleeping with Katie, my secretary, for a few years myself. Hell, her son Jeremy is mine and I've been quietly supporting him his whole life. Maybe now I can actually tell him he's my son. He's gone almost eight years without a father in his life and I want to remedy that." Then he glanced at his watch and groaned.

"Well, I'd better let you get back to your own life, I'm sure you have enough to worry about without my bullshit clogging up your life." He said and Alan shrugged it off.

"Nah, you're my friend, man, I'm here to listen if you need it." Alan said and Steve looked at him a little wryly.

"If you try to kiss me I'm gonna pop you one." He said with a friendly smile, the venting of the last hour or so behind them and the comfortable, familiar friendship returning.

"Hur hur." Alan said as he stood up and stretched. "You ain't my type, your tits aren't big enough."

Steve snorted at that and stood, and the two of them shook hands before parting for the evening, Steve to return to his bed and Alan to rest for a while before getting back to the mountain of drudge work awaiting him.

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The next two weeks passed fairly slowly for Alan but things seemed to be tearing past next door, with a lot of packing going on, and Steve renting a small trailer to haul everything they would need for a summer at the cottage. Josie was always out of the house finishing up the last of her high school life and the day she arrived home from her graduation in the blue gown and cap for pictures with her parents, Alan was a bit surprised by it all, still remembering the six year old girl who had come up to him when he first bought the house and who used to jump his fence in the back before the gate had been put in. He had caught her sneaking out once when she was fourteen and now she was an adult and she had no idea that her parents were finished with one another. He had the idea that her life was close to turning upside down and he, as a sort of unofficial uncle, felt bad for her. No one should have to live through a split like this one. The main thing he had learned from Steve had been that he and Ellen had remained married for the last few years because of Josie, and now they were finished, and it wasn't going to be a pleasant split.

The last day before Steve and Ellen left to go up north brought another barbecue with a dozen or so of Josie's friends and several of the men and women from Steve's company as well as a few of Ellen's friends, all women who kept to themselves and looked at the men and the teenagers with clear distaste on their overly-botoxed faces. Alan got to meet Katie and the friendly young woman, and her quiet, intelligent son Jeremy were both open and amiable. Alan could see the resemblance between Jeremy and Steve and he was sure that Ellen knew as well, for he saw her watching the pair with cold, distant eyes.

As the day turned to evening and a few of the people started to disperse, Alan excused himself a little early to let the family have a little time together before Steve and Ellen left the next day. But he was up fairly early to see them off, waving as they drove away and then he turned to Josie who was watching him with her intelligent eyes and a strange look on her face.

"What's that look for?" He asked with a half-smile and she rolled her eyes as she turned away.

"So did my dad ask you to watch over me?" She asked as she turned back to him.

"Nope, he asked me to watch over the house, he has a lot invested in it and he doesn't want you to burn it down or sell it while they're away." He said in the comfortable joking tone he had used with her since she was a little girl.

"Yeah, right." She said with a poorly hidden smile. "It's my mom who wants to sell the house without telling him." She said back to him and when she saw the look on his face she snorted and waved it away. "I've known since I was ten that my parents would get divorced someday, I'm just surprised that it took them this long to decide on it." She shared.

"So you knew huh? Did you tell your dad?" He asked.

"No, I want him to think he kept it hidden, so he doesn't worry about me." She said as she turned to look off in the direction they had gone. He wondered what else she already knew or suspected as she hugged herself a little. When she spoke again, he listened carefully. "That's part of the reason I am going to Vancouver, to give them some distance from me, some time to figure everything out and get the paperwork settled. I think they'll need it."

"You know your dad loves you right?" He asked and she smiled, her face going from pretty to angelic as she looked back at him.

"Yeah, I sure do. My mom does too, even if she's no good at showing it. And I love both of them, but I think they need to get away from each other and find their own happiness now, instead of worrying about me and my happiness all the time. The last few years between them must have really been hell." She said with a little shiver. "But maybe now I'll see one of them smile again."

It was such a sad, small, little girl thing to say that Alan was left speechless as she walked back to the house she would have all to herself for the next few months and he turned back to his own place, lost in thought as he went.

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Two more weeks passed in relative quiet. Josie had friends over, but that had been a regular part of her life for two or three years, after all she had a pool and a large fenced-in back yard and her friends all tended to be attached to either her track team or her swimming team, so she was popular with them for that. And really Alan couldn't complain about a bunch of teenage girls splashing and playing in the next yard where he could see them from his office window. Hell, he had made that particular room his office especially because he could see the teenage girls splashing and playing in the next yard. Then one day as he was out mowing his grass he spotted Josie peeking through the gate at him, dressed in a little string bikini that showcased her long legs and flat, firm tummy. He let the mower die and pulled the earbuds out of his ears as he walked over to her. She smiled the smile that said she wanted something as she offered him one of her father's stock of craft beers.

"So what do you need?" He asked with a smile after a long refreshing drink from the cold bottle.

"Well..." She said in her best 'I'm-just-a-girl' tone. "we were going to cook some burgers on the grill, but Jared can't get it started and we don't really want to blow up the house messing with the gas line. Could you..." She said and he smiled and nodded.

He followed her into her yard where he showed her and Jared how to turn the gas on and off safely and how to use the automatic starter for the flame. Once he had a good heat built up for them he moved to retreat to his yard only to be waylaid by Josie once more.

"Thanks so much! We've got a burger with your name on it when you're hungry." She said as she pressed another beer into his hands. He accepted it with a nod and went back to finish his lawn.

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That evening he was somehow tricked into sitting by the pool with a gaggle of various teenagers and eating a burger and drinking a few more beers. It was a strangely comfortable evening and as all of her friends were clearing out, he stayed to help Josie get everything put back where it belonged. As they were finishing up she paused next to him and turned to look at him, a strange smile on her face.

"You always take such good care of me." She said, and something about her tone told him that this was more than just a casual observation. He looked back at her and at the sweet smile she had for him as she cocked her head to one side. "And I wanted to say thank you, I really appreciate all of the times you've been there to help me."

She had turned to face him as she spoke and he smiled and shrugged.

"Well, you're welcome." He said but she laughed a little as she shook her head, her long hair loose and swaying as she reached up to rest one hand on his shoulder.

"That's not the thank you." She said as she pulled at his shoulder and when he leaned forward, she rose up on her tiptoes and kissed him.

He froze as her soft, full lips worked against his mouth. After a moment she settled back and looked at him, a bit of a puzzled expression on her face.

"I was kind of hoping for a bit more enthusiasm than that." She said and he was still speechless as she leaned in closer once more. "Please?" She said softly just before her mouth found his once more.

He couldn't deny her, not with the state his mind was in at that moment. He kissed her back this time and she moaned into the kiss as his hands came to her waist and her body pressed against him, lithe and strong and so very full of life and energy and enthusiasm. When she parted her lips to moan, his tongue slipped past to touch and tangle with hers, drawing the moan out longer as the kiss seemed to draw on and on. When it finally ended, she settled back down, the top of her head fitting neatly under his chin, and leaning against his chest for support as she caught her breath. He held her there, just as unsteady as she was at that moment. But finally he found his voice again.

"Well, that is one hell of a way to say thank you." He said and she laughed again as she got her legs under her once more and stood up straight.

"And I'm not finished yet." She said as she stepped back out of his arms and looked right into his eyes. He could only stare as she reached a hand behind her back and the strings for her top came loose, then her hand came up behind her neck and the top slid down her arms and she tossed it aside. She was unashamed as she stood before him, her small, firm breasts bared to him, but he could still see her skin flush with colour as he looked at her.

"Josie, what..." He began but she shook her head and stepped in close once more to kiss him again.

Her body melted in against his and when his hand filled with the flesh of her breast, she moaned and arched her back, pressing her flesh more firmly into his hand as she bit his lower lip very lightly and sighed in pleasure. She kissed him once again and he felt himself close to doing something they might both regret. His arousal was nearly painful as she settled back down onto her feet and looked up at him, her eyes so soft and round that he felt himself sinking into them.

"Josie, this is a bad idea." He said softly, wondering if she was any more convinced than he was by his words.

"Why not?" She mumbled against his chest and she started to unbutton his shirt.

"You're eighteen and I'm... not." He said and she laughed a little, somehow managing to sound erotic as she did so, opening his shirt and placing a little kiss on his chest.

"You moved out on your own and bought a house when you weren't much older than I am." She said dismissively.

"There were reasons behind that that I've never shared." He said, not wanting to think about them at the moment, even though that would have been enough to get his mind off of her rather easily. "And I had a sizeable inheritance."

"But you made the decision, and I can make this one." She said with another kiss pressed to his mouth, and he was finding it harder and harder to find reasons to tell her to stop. "You've always been good to me, always been kind and sweet and I want to do this with you." She said as she looked at him. She licked her lips and he thought about how soft and sweet they were and how badly he'd like to take another taste.

"This is a very big decision, Josie." He said, his voice just as soft as hers.

"I know it is." She replied with a soft smile and, as if she were reading his mind, she leaned in and kissed him again.

His hands slid around her waist and up and down her back, enjoying the soft skin and the play of the muscles underneath as she worked her mouth against his and experimented a bit with her tongue. She had clearly kissed before this, but she was still somewhat inexperienced, though she learned quickly and eagerly. He sighed contentedly as she moved her mouth down to kiss at his neck and chest and he felt her fingers tuck something into his back pocket. When he reached back and lifted it to where he could see; he was holding the bottom of her bikini. He heard her laugh as she stepped away and he focused on her, seeing her completely nude for the first time. She was lean and fit, her body kept completely hairless for swimming and he wondered for the very first time how she fit all of that hair up under her swimming cap. But it was unbound and loose now and it flowed down around her shoulders and neck, covering one breast part way and in the light of the moon and the little illumination that was coming from the house, it looked brown from one angle, blonde from another and then so pale that it was almost silver in a third. She was beautiful and a part of him was in love with her instantly. He stared and she didn't try to hide herself or turn away, letting him have his fill of her and not hiding any part of her body.

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He drank all of her in and when she held out her hand to him, he took it and let her lead him into the house and up to her bedroom. Once there she stopped him and began to undress him, kissing his body all over as she divested him of his shirt and tossed it aside. She kissed his chest all over and he stole a few more soft tastes of her mouth and tongue, loving the way she tasted and felt before he finally asked what had been on his mind all this time.

"Why me?" He asked and she shrugged.

"All of my friends have had sex by now, everyone but me. And all of them tell the same story; how bad it was for them. They talk about how much the first time hurts, and how quickly it was over. Dani said she felt humiliated afterwards. The boys mostly brag about everything and none of them really said anything about enjoying it. But I know you're supposed to. And I wanted something different, I want my first time to be something I can look back on and remember well, to still smile about for the rest of my life." She looked up at him, her youthful face mature and serious. "Then I thought about you. You always babysat me when I was growing up, took care of me when I needed someone to talk to and watched over me. You've been like a member of the family, someone I admired and when I looked at you again, the day I invited you over to dinner a few weeks ago, I saw you differently. I'd grown up and I could see you as a man instead of as my dad's best friend."

"Josie..." He said gently, his hands caressing her arms and shoulders, feeling her silky hair against his hands as he did, feeling the warmth of her under his hands and the vibrancy she had, the youthful energy that seemed to be so much a part of her, that she wore even more intimately and openly than her own skin.

"I want my first time to be something special." She said firmly. "With someone I care about and someone who cares about me. And that is you." She said with a finality he couldn't deny, so instead he just nodded and when she smiled he stole in for another kiss. She pressed against him, holding onto his arms as her body came hard against his, her small breasts crushed against his chest and a shiver of delight shooting through her body before she stepped back again.

She bit her lip in that way she had that he was suddenly aware made her already pretty face just light up with beauty and she sank down onto her knees to unbuckle his belt. He could see that she was nervous, that she was flushed with colour and her hands were shaking a little. He reached down and cupped her cheek and when she looked up at him, he smiled softly.

"You look afraid." He said and she smiled nervously and shrugged. "You don't have to, you know, you can stop any time you want." He said, and she shook her head forcefully at that.

"I do want to, but..." She started and he let her have a moment to gather her thoughts. "...I've been naked around other people a lot, the girls' locker room is a fantasy land for guys, just girls in various stages of nudity running around and giggling, playing grabass and talking. After the first year you become inured to it, comfortable in your skin. But I've never seen a guy naked except for a text book or a porn site. I mean, I know what it's going to look like, but..." She trailed off.

He decided to take matters into his own hands, pushing his pants and boxers down, bending at the waist to kiss her as he did, kicking them aside before he stood. She watched his face until she realized what he had done, and then her eyes went slowly down his body until she saw his erection standing almost before her face. Her eyes got wide; positively huge as she saw how big he looked close up. When she looked up at him again, he smiled a bit.

"Changed your mind yet?" He asked and she shook her head and looked back at his cock.

He watched as she reached out tentatively and touched him, just trailing her fingers over his rod and the smooth head at the tip as she licked her lips. When she looked up at him again he could see the determination in her eyes as her fingers curled around him and stroked gently if a little awkwardly.

"Can..." She started, building up her courage "...can I kiss it?" She asked and he nearly passed out at the sudden loss of blood to his brain as he heard her ask.