“Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you….” Brandy opened her eyes to her mother sitting on the side of her bed with a plate stacked with well over five blueberry pancakes and one candle lit in the middle of them.
She slid herself up in the bed and smiled at her mother. She took the pancakes and sat them on her nightstand. She hugged her mom and thanked her for such a sweet gesture. Her mom pulled away and touched her hand to her cheek. “Your not a my little girl anymore, baby. I don’t have any little girls anymore. I got a house full of women, and a husband that acts like a four year old.” She turned her head towards the window. Brandy didn’t have to make eye contact with her to know that her mother was on the verge of tears.
“Oh mama, I’ll always be your babygirl. You’d better not forget it either,” Brandy said, trying to lighten the spirits. She was finally eighteen. How did the years go by so fast? And the funny thing is she couldn’t have asked for more than she had received. A loving family, supportive parents, three very wonderful sisters that were always there for their pesky little sister. Hey, she even had AJ now.
After her mother left the room to let her get dressed, she let her mind wander to AJ. Why did she consider him such a necessity now adays? Every other waking moment was filled with his image. Everyday since he had taken her to see the sunset she had felt a soul connection between them. There was more to it than the frivolous fantasies she had had about him, although he was a pretty darn good subject to fantasize about. She truly hoped she wasn’t being foolish and naïve for standing on the edge of falling head over heals in love with someone she had only known for a little over two weeks.
Two weeks! Was she insane? How do you almost fall in love with someone in two weeks? Man she was being foolish and naïve. This is crazy. I can’t really mean this, she thought to herself. I’m just being a mere teenage girl. That’s all it was. That was her excuse. But hey, why keep me from what I am? Just don’t let yourself get hurt, Brandy. Remember that no matter what he does, you do not love him.
Just as she slipped her shirt over her head and looked in the mirror for a final glance, AJ walked in her door. She turned around rather startled at the fact that he just walked in without warning. For all he knew she might be standing around in the buff. A sudden thought came to her. She might like that. But he definitely didn’t know that.
“Close your eyes,” he ordered. “AJ,” she warned. She heard him come closer and closer to her and when she felt his nearness she opened her eyes just in time to see thousands of red rose petals floating over her head, feathering their way slowly to the ground around her feet.
From behind his back he pulled a single long stemmed red rose. Brandy gasped. He touched it to her forehead and trailed it down her face to her lips. He made a soft circle around the outline of her lips. He then kissed her ever so softly. It was softer than the rose and it sent tingling, electric sparks all the way to her toes and back up.
I’m in love, she thought, completely contradicting her earlier promises of not being in love.
“Happy birthday babydoll,” he whispered, nuzzling her neck.
As they walked down the stairs, Brandy fed AJ a bite of the blueberry pancakes her mom had made for her. She kissed a crumb away from the corner of his mouth. Too caught up in their giggly love making, neither of them realized Brandy’s family looking on in a mass of giggles themselves.
AJ took notice before she did and pointed, smiling sheepishly. She slowly turned her head to look; knowing the shade of red her face was about to turn. When she did turn around she realized a very familiar face amidst her family.
“Got you hands full, huh Ma,” the tall blonde teased, nudging Ella in the elbow.
“Crystal,” Brandy screeched. She practically threw the pancakes at AJ and made a half leap for her sister.
“Oh my God, I’ve missed you so much,” Brandy said, her face half buried in her sisters shoulder.
“Happy birthday sis,” Crystal said, handing her sister a small box. Brandy’s eyes opened wide. She ripped the gold wrapping off of the box and opened it up. Inside was a gold bracelet. She took it off of the little circlet that held it in place so that she could further inspect it.
“It’s so beautiful,” she exclaimed. She read the inscription on it aloud. “Shortcake,” she laughed. She flipped it over and noticed on the back it said, “Love, Crystal.”
“I love it,” she said, hugging her sister once again. Crystal helped her with the clasp after she put it on her wrist.
“I didn’t think you’d make it, what with school and all.” “You thought I’d miss my little sisters eighteenth birthday. Don’t be so retarded all the time, Shortcake,” Crystal said, pushing her playfully as they all followed Jack into the kitchen for breakfast.
********
Brandy looked in the mirror, not feeling very sure of herself in the outfit she was wearing. She and Crystal had been shopping earlier to buy something for her to wear when AJ took her out tonight. Her outfit consisted of a pair of leather pants and silver triangle top that tied skimpily in the back. She was sure AJ would approve, but her parents on the other hand, she wasn’t very sure about.
“She rolled her eyes at her reflection. I’m eighteen now, who cares what they think,” she mumbled to herself.
Running down the stairs, she caught AJ’s gaze. He looked shocked. She slowed down, not feeling comfortable with her appearance. Maybe the top was a little too much. Her eyes looked down and she nervously brushed her hair back with her fingers.
“Wow,” AJ said, his jaw dropping open noticeably. “Brandy, you look exceptionally beautiful,” he smiled, kissing her hand.
Ella smiled at her. “Honey, you look wonderful. You know you shouldn’t let your father see you though,” she laughed. “You just might cause him to have a premature death.”
AJ nodded, taking Brandy’s hand and leading her out the door.
********
River Street. Brandy had been there before, but not after sunset. It was notorious for it’s wild parties and eccentric people hanging about. As the two of them walked along the sidewalk, Brandy had more than once jumped to AJ’s side for “protection”. She couldn’t believe that she even assumed that AJ was weird. These people were out there. Way out there.
“All these people live in your hometown,” AJ teased her.
“Not in my neighborhood,” she retorted, looking at a strange guy who looked like a reject from the ZZ Top band.
“They won’t bite you, Brandy,” he laughed. He directed her over to a long line outside of a huge building.
“I’m guessing you’ve never been to a club before either, right?”
“Oh yea, I go all the time. Katy had this fake ID made for me and everything,” she exclaimed, her sarcasm apparent.
Brandy looked up at the huge neon sign on the building. Xtrobe. In no time she and AJ were at the front of the line and a huge black man took their ID’s.
“Happy birthday, Ms. Davidson. Enjoy the ride,” he smiled heavily.
AJ had no idea that Brandy could dance. He had thought she was cut for it but what with her reserved life, he didn’t expect that she had much experience. Brandy loved to dance. She had a natural rhythm all her life. She and Katy were the only two sisters that had any sense of rhythm in the family.
Grinding his hips up against her as the DJ played a drum and bass mix, his kissed her neck lustily. Brandy didn’t quite know what the little white pills were that AJ had given her but he said they wouldn’t hurt her.
Just the mere feeling of his breath on her neck made her entire body tingle. She felt love all around her, even from the freaky people that she had jumped away from some odd hours ago. Never did she think that such a feeling existed among the human race.
His hands roamed over her body in an eager fashion, squeezing all of her weak spots. She mirrored his behavior and groped him just as eagerly. She felt weak with her yearning for him. Her fingers tingled and couldn’t seem to get enough of touching his warm skin. The funniest feeling took over her mouth. She grabbed the back of his head and hungrily kissed him. Her tongue rolled inside his mouth.
She tasted something that she had never tasted before, uninhibited, unabashed, undying passion. She had needs that couldn’t stand for waiting. An impatient lust that shocked her like electricity all over her body. He grabbed her waist and spun her around towards the door, the fast movement making her knees weak.
Pulling his car along side the beach, he helped her out, holding her hand so that she didn’t trip and fall down the sand dunes. Once by the shoreline, he spread a blanket down. He sat down and pulled her down with him, kissing up her arm to her neck.
She found it hard to breathe she was so overtaken with lust. All she wanted was his body, his warm flesh, his strong hands maneuvering her body.
She didn’t want to wait for him to finish kissing the entire surface area of her body. She wanted him. All of him.
“Please,” she pleaded, pulling his face up to meet hers. “Please don’t make me bed, AJ.”
Taking her top off, AJ kissed her neck, moving down to her collarbones, then her breasts. She was ready to die by then. Her eyes hurt from squeezing them shut so tight and her tongue must have been ready to fall off the way she was biting on it.
She opened her eyes and looked out at the voluptuous waves rolling in. That was exactly how she felt, like she was floating, just rolling over soft sand.
All of their clothes were discarded and AJ ran his hands up her arms, holding her hands above her head. Her thighs readily parted for him and he nibbled on her ear to distract her away from the sudden urge of pain she was about to experience.
“Hold on tight,” he whispered, making her forget everything but the pure ecstasy that she felt.
********
Silently slipping through the door right as the sun was peeking over the horizon, Brandy and AJ walked lifelessly up the stairs.
“Morning early birds,” Jack smiled. “I’m taking it my baby daughter had fun on her birthday.” He looked at AJ with a disapproving look. “Brandy you look like a zombie, honey.”
“Were going to bed daddy. Excuse us,” Brandy informed him before she and AJ both disappeared into the darkness of the staircase.
They both fell onto the bed, falling asleep in mere seconds, although Brandy couldn’t seem to figure out why she was so twitchy.
