A Fateful Pool Party

The sun hung low in the sky, casting a warm, golden light over Lara's backyard. Her son Ben's pool party was in full swing. The sound of laughter, splashing, and loud music filled the air as Ben and his friends partied in the pool.

Lara had taken on the role of hostess. She stood by the grill serving hamburgers and hot dogs and ensuring everyone's drinks were nonalcoholic. She didn't mind the rowdy teenagers having fun, but she wanted to ensure their fun didn't cross any lines.

Unlike the girls mixing in with her son's usual group of guy friends, Lara wore a modest, navy blue one-piece swimsuit. It was the kind of suit that screamed mom chaperoning a group of teenagers. As she knew Greg would be there, Lara had tied a sarong around her waist to conceal her athletic butt.

When she picked out the swimsuit, she noticed how it hugged her curves. She was proud of her physique and didn't mind showing it off. What she worried about was Greg. Since she kissed him, few nights passed without that boy invading her dreams. She grew self-conscious that he may try something if she tempted him more. And she wondered if she would be able to resist.

After a while, though, she put that thought away. Greg was here with his girlfriend, Trista. Lara found it hard to be pleasant toward the girl. She seemed very unlikable. There was no doubting her appeal to Greg. The short girl was gorgeous. A petite thing with breasts on the large side and a firm athletic body. A cheerleader, no doubt. But still, Lara couldn't help but be disappointed that Greg was dating a girl that was so obviously a mega bitch.

I guess all men are the same deep down. Lara thought with a bit of sadness.

She had put on a pair of sunglasses, which, she realized, were helpful for more than just shielding her eyes from the sun. She couldn't help but be distracted by Greg. He was the best-built guy there. And the way the water dripped off his body when he got out of the pool and how the sun showed in his blonde hair. Lara found it hard to pay attention to the grill when he moved into her frame of vision.

Of course, Trista hung on his arm whenever another girl came near. Not that she needed to be jealous. Lara could tell that the boy was only being polite and making small talk. None of the young ladies ever really piqued his attention. However, sometimes, while he laughed and joked with his friends, every so often, his gaze would wander—not to Trista or any young lady but instead to her, his best friend's mom.

Lara felt a strange thrill every time she caught him looking, a mix of excitement and anxiety that sent her pulse racing. Calm down, woman. Quit imagining things. That boy is twenty years your junior. There is no way that he is interested in you when he has all these young women brazenly throwing themselves at him.

But deep down, she hoped that those gazes meant something. That there was more to it than Greg checking to see if the burgers were ready. His lingered on her. A couple of times, long enough for Trista to protest that he wasn't paying her enough attention. "Bitch."

And none of the other boys, who were too busy flirting with the girls their age, interacted with her other than to get food and drink. Also, Greg's gaze seemed intense, almost possessive. It made Lara's stomach flop and feel like one of those giddy teen girls.

Lara felt a pang of jealousy when she noticed Trista pulling Greg away to a more secluded spot in the backyard. Lara debated with herself if she should break them apart. Come off it. They are both over eighteen. I don't have any moral duty to keep them from doing whatever they plan on doing.

Lara didn't want to think about what the plan entailed. She had been eighteen once. And she and her future husband had snuck off from many parties together. And the next day, it ended with Lara walking gingerly from Chris fucking her brains out.

That bitch doesn't deserve to feel his lips. Lara thought as she closed her eyes to keep the tears from falling. She turned back to the grill, determined to put it out of her mind.

"If the hamburgers are done, I'd like one," Came a voice from behind her.

"I'm sorry, what..." Lara asked as she pulled from her melancholy daze. "Greg, I thought... You and Trista..."

Greg smiled. "Jason got word there was a party at the lake. If you look, everyone else is gone."

Lara turned and scanned. She had been so preoccupied that she hadn't noticed everyone had left. "Why are you still here?"

Greg smiled a knowing smile. "Trista and I just fought."

"What but you two... I thought you were sneaking off..."

"I told Trista I didn't feel like acting like we were in high school anymore. It's one thing to go at it under the bleachers when you don't have options, but now I prefer a more mature setting," Greg answered. "Trista thought I would give in, and she'd get her way. She was wrong, and if Trista hates one thing, it's being wrong."

"So, it's just you and me here then?"

"Yes," Greg answered, his gaze now so smoldering hot that Lara thought it might melt the lenses in her sunglasses. The boy reached down and removed the aviators from Lara's face. His expression softened when he noticed tears at the edges of each eye.

He reached out and gently wiped them away. "Not for me, I hope,"

Lara felt ashamed. Here, this boy, her son's age, acted more mature than she was. It was like she was the teen, and he was the grown adult. "When I saw you and Trista sneak off, I thought about how Chris and I used to be the same at that age."

"He was a lucky man," Greg replied.

"He knew how to make me feel special. I miss that feeling."

"A woman like you deserves someone to make her feel special," Greg said.

Lara felt a flutter in her chest at his words, a mix of emotions she wasn't sure how to handle. The boy and woman were now just inches apart. Lara could feel his warm breath on her face. If not for the extenuating circumstances, she would have kissed passionately then and there.

"We can't..." she said, trying to keep her voice steady.

Greg smiled, a slow, knowing smile that made her heart skip a beat. "We're just talking. There's nothing wrong with that."

Lara swallowed, her hands nervously fidgeting with the spatula she was holding. "Just talking is fine. What do you want to talk about?"

Greg took another step closer, his eyes locked on hers. "About you."

Lara's heart began to race. "Me? What about me?"

He shook his head, dismissing the notion with a wave of his hand. "I want to know why you kept looking my way the entire day?"

Lara's breath hitched as she felt Greg's hand take her by the arm. He was so close that she could feel the heat radiating from his body; the intensity of his gaze made her dizzy. "I looked at everyone. I had to make sure nothing crazy happened."

"We're not kids anymore. You don't have to be everyone's mom anymore."

She was stunned into silence, her mind reeling. A part of her was thrilled beyond words, elated that this young, handsome man was obviously fighting for her. But another part of her—a larger, louder part—was terrified of what this meant, of the consequences if they gave in to what they both seemed to want.

"Greg… I…” Lara stammered, trying to find the right words, the logical words, but they eluded her. She wasn't sure if she wanted to push him away or pull him closer.

Greg reached out and gently took the spatula from her hands, setting it on the grill. He cupped her face, his touch tender, and she felt herself leaning into it despite every warning bell going off in her head. "Lara, I can't stop thinking about that night," he whispered, his voice laced with raw emotion. "How I felt when our lips touched. I how I feel every time I'm around you."

Lara closed her eyes, torn between the ecstasy of being desired and the fear of what might happen if she let herself fall. "Greg, this… this isn't right," she murmured, though her resolve weakened with every passing second.

"But it feels right," Greg countered, his thumb brushing gently across her cheek. "If I weren't Ben's best friend, you and I would be in your bedroom right now. Tell me if I'm lying."

She couldn't deny it. Every fiber of her being screamed that this was wrong, but at the same time, it felt so right, so inevitable. She opened her eyes, meeting his intense gaze, and saw fear. Greg had played his hand. All Lara had to do to stop this taboo relationship before it started and send him back to Trista was lie. Just say she didn't feel the way every fiber of being felt.

"Greg," she whispered, her voice trembling, "I don't know what to do."

He leaned in, his lips hovering just above hers. "Just tell me what you want, beautiful," he whispered.

Why did he have to call her beautiful? God damn this boy. Why was the man who had brought her back to life after four years of being inert, the man who caused her heart to pound in her chest like a war drum, the same man who should be her last choice for a lover of all the men on earth?

Finally, with a trembling breath, she whispered, "I'm scared."

Greg's hand moved to her waist, pulling her gently against him. "I'm scared too," he admitted, his voice barely audible.

Lara's resolve crumbled. She closed the tiny gap between them, pressing her lips to his in a kiss that was as **** as it was tender. Greg responded immediately, wrapping his arms around her, holding her as if he feared she might slip away.

The kiss deepened, and for a moment, they were lost in each other, the world outside fading into nothingness. But as the reality of what they were doing set in, Lara pulled back, her breath ragged, her heart racing.

"Greg, I'm sorry… I'm sorry," she said, her voice shaky as she tried to regain her composure. "This is too complicated. It's… it's not fair to anyone."

Greg looked at her, his expression a mixture of longing and resignation. "I know," he said softly, releasing her and stepping back. "I just… I can't help how I feel about you."

Lara nodded, tears welling up in her eyes. "I know. But we have to be strong. For Ben, for everyone."

Greg swallowed hard, his eyes glistening with unshed tears. "I'll try," he said, though it was clear how much it pained him to say it.

Lara reached out, squeezing his hand gently. "I wish..."

He nodded, forcing a smile. "I should go."

Lara watched him leave, her heart shattered with every step he took. She knew this wasn't the end of their feelings for each other, but it had to be the end of whatever this was for everyone's sake.

As the door closed behind him, Lara leaned against the counter, tears slipping down her cheeks. She hoped she had made the right choice, but if she had, why did she feel so wrong?