Ch. 02 Song Titles

Buy Me a Boat (Chris Janson)

The Devil Went Down to Georgia (The Charlie Daniels Band)

When I Fall in Love (Chris Botti)

An Unforgettable Melody: Ch. 02

Mike awoke on the sofa, Melody still wrapped in his arms. Stroking her deep red hair lightly, he recalled the events of the last twenty-four hours. The art sale, that mysterious locket, the puzzle opening it, all of it had led to this girl currently lying on his chest. She was apparently a genie, bound to be a sexual servant to whoever released her from her vessel. Mike, being uncomfortable with her subservient nature and the idea of owning her as a slave, wished for her to gain as much free will as possible, and for her to be an equal partner to him. Her gratitude for him making such a wish had led them both here, lying on the sofa with him half naked.

Melody looked up at him, kissing him softly on the lips. “Hey there, sleepy. Did someone tire you out?”

Mike stuck his tongue out at her. “You know damn well what tired me out.”

She giggled her trademark laugh. God, Mike loved to hear her laugh. “I hope that was ok, taking what I wanted like that,” she said. “I’m still figuring out this whole free will thing.”

Mike kissed her forehead. “You were amazing. Knocked me out cold. How long was I out for, by the way?”

“Not long, maybe twenty minutes,” she said, sitting up. “We’ve still got the whole day ahead of us. Whatcha wanna do now?”

Mike eyed her knowingly. “I see that look in your eye, Miss ‘I’m up to no good.’” Melody tried her best to put on an innocent look on her face.

“Honestly,” Mike said, sitting up, “I’ve got lots of questions, mainly about your powers. You mentioned that tingling I feel in my head when I make a wish. Did you say you were reading my mind?”

She shook her head. “No. Reading your mind without your permission is explicitly forbidden to all genies, from servants up to the most powerful King Jinn. It would be an invasion of your privacy, and a major ethical breach. The tingle is my attempts to hear the thoughts behind your wish, ensuring I interpret it properly and give you what you intended to ask for. However, if that bothers you, I will gladly refrain from doing so.”

“No, that’s fine, as long as it only happens when I wish for something. I didn’t realize that was something genies were capable of doing. That’s why I was trying to phrase those first few wishes very carefully. The last thing I want is a poorly worded wish backfiring on me.”

Melody nodded. “That’s understandable. Many of the legends you may have read about jinn and genies are rooted in actual events.”

“Like Aladdin and the genie of the lamp?”

“Yes, although that specific account is merely legend. Jinn and genies such as myself are fulfilling our primary purpose for existence. There are sexual servants, household servants, and political advisors, just to name a few. Some genies, however, are bound to an object, such as a lamp or bottle, as punishment for failing to follow our code of conduct. Genies facing such situations would commonly twist their masters’ words in an attempt to gain their freedom through a poorly conceived wish.”

Mike nodded in understanding. “Ok, so basically, it’s only with my permission that you delve into my thoughts, and even then, you only draw information pertinent to the wish. Is that correct?”

Melody smiled. “Exactly.”

“Alright then… oh, you mentioned both jinn and genies. What’s the difference?”

“That is merely a gender distinction. Males are jinn, while females are genies.”

“Are there still many in existence?”

Melody closed her eyes for a moment in thought. “I cannot say for sure. It’s certainly possible, but we genies are unable to detect each other’s presence. This is another failsafe for the protection of our masters. In the past, some masters desired to gain power over multiple genies, seeking out other masters and pitting their genies against each other, necessitating this rule. If we were to encounter one, I wouldn’t be able to know if it was another genie or not, though I would certainly detect a magical presence in the area, as would they.”

“Cool. Ok next question. While you were performing the, um, most awesome, mind blowing blowjob in the history of the world…”

“Oh, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet,” Melody shot back.

Mike laughed as he tried to stay on topic. “…There was a moment when I heard you speaking in my mind. Are you able to communicate telepathically?”

On cue, he heard her voice in his head again. Yes, but only with you.

Openmouthed, Mike could only reply, “Wow. That’s cool.”

“Why don’t you try it?”

Mike cocked his eyebrow. “How?”

She giggled. “It’s easy, silly. Just think what you want to say, and direct it to me.”

Mike concentrated. Like this?

Perfect! You’re a quick study. Since you are my master, even with the free will you wished for me, I am never more than a thought away from you.

Really? Even if we’re nowhere near each other?

Of course, Melody replied. We could be universes apart, and I would still be with you in a moment’s notice. That’s how strong my connection to you is.

“Very nice. Although, I have to admit, I love hearing your voice in reality,” Mike replied. “Your laugh has got to be one of the sweetest sounds I’ve ever heard.”

She giggled. “Yep, that’s the one,” Mike said.

Melody kissed him on the cheek. “You really are the best. A better master than I could have ever dreamed of.” She moved closer and laid her head on his shoulder. “What other questions did you have?”

Mike thought for a moment. “Honestly, I want to learn more about Melody the person. Likes, dislikes, interests and such.”

“Well…” she said, seductively raising her eyebrow.

“Besides sexual interests!” Mike laughed at himself for not anticipating her response.

Melody chuckled. “Fine, fine. I haven’t actually developed any likes or dislikes. I mean, I was only born about twelve hours ago, and I’ve only had free will for a little over an hour. If I’m going to find out about my interests, as I can tell you would want me to, why don’t I start by finding out more about what makes Mike tick?”

Nodding, he responded, “Fair enough. Let’s see, I’m 26 years old, born and raised here in Atlanta. Went to school at Auburn University and Florida State University, became a professional musician after that. Currently play second trumpet for the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra.”

“Ooh, a musician! How delightfully sexy,” Melody interjected, twirling her hair between her fingers.

Mike laughed. Being a band nerd never did him any favors with the ladies in high school. Man, how times do change.

“Outside of that,” Mike continued, “I’m pretty introverted in my personal life. I try to avoid dealing with people unless necessary. Of course, the ones I actually choose to keep around as friends, you included, aren’t people,” he said with a wink. “But typically, a relaxing day for me is being a homebody, watching superhero movies, and playing video games.”

Melody’s eyes perked up. “Video games you say? That sounds like fun.”

Mike looked hopefully at her. “You like video games?”

She smiled. “Well I’ve never played them, obviously, but based on knowing the concept of what they are, I think they’d be something I’d enjoy quite a bit.”

That was all Mike needed. “How bout we fire one up? I’ll show you the ropes.”

He stood up and moved over to his entertainment center. Checking through his game collection, he ran through several titles looking for the perfect first gaming experience for Melody. Call of Duty? Nah, too violent for her first game. NCAA Football maybe? Eh, probably not, the controls are pretty complex. Oh, perfect!

He pulled out one of his favorite games ever, Mario Kart Wii. “How about a race?”

“I’m game,” Melody replied excitedly.

Mike powered up the system and handed her a controller, giving her a basic rundown of the button configuration. She picked up quickly, and they were off on their first race.

“Ok, I’ll make sure I go easy on ya. I want you to have fun, after all.”

She shrugged. “Your funeral.”

Damn! Little trash talker!

Mike won the first race; mainly due to Melody being so entranced by the game’s graphics that she forgot it was actually a race. The three walls she ran into didn’t help either.

“Crap… this is harder than it looks,” Melody sulked.

Mike laughed. “Well it doesn’t help when you constantly say, ‘Ooh, what’s that? Hey that’s pretty! What’s over there?!’”

She stuck her her tongue out at him. “One more go! I got you this time!”

Mike chuckled. “You got it. Just no crying.”

Their second race was much more evenly matched. Mike was still going very easy on her, but he noticed she was quickly getting very good. Just as he thought he was going to win, she snuck up behind him with the dreaded Blue Shell weapon, beating him at the last second.

“YES!” Melody squealed with excitement.

“Dammit!” Mike couldn’t believe how fast she had caught on. If she hadn’t just been born today, he’d have sworn she was hustling him. “Ok, from here on, no more going easy on you!”

“Bring it,” she whispered seductively.

Mike eyed her warily. “I don’t think I need to remind you of how unsportsmanlike it would be to use any kind of sex appeal to your advantage.”

“Fine…” she said rolling her eyes.

Starting up their third race, Melody got off to a quick start, but a couple of well thrown banana peels from Mike put him back in the lead by the start of the third lap. Rounding the halfway point of the track, he got hit again with the Blue Shell, Melody zooming past him. It took every ounce of skill he had, but he was finally able to trip her up rounding the final curve and pass her at the last second for the win.

Mike pumped his fist in victory. “That’s what I’m talkin about!”

Melody flexed her sore fingers. “Wow, you’re good when you go all out.”

“So are you,” Mike replied. “How’d you get so good at that?”

“Not sure,” she said, shaking her head. “After the first race, it just seemed to come so naturally to me.”

“Hmm…” Mike thought for a moment. “I wonder if has anything to do with that ‘ideal woman’ thing you mentioned? I’ve always been really impressed by, and attracted to, girls that aren’t afraid to hold their own in video games.”

“That could be it,” she mused. “Let’s play another one! What else ya got?”

Mike hesitated for a moment, before suggesting, “Well, Call of Duty is a lot of fun, and as fast as your reaction time was in Mario Kart, I think you’d do really well at it. Only thing is, it’s a pretty violent, shoot-‘em-up game. That ok with you?”

With zero hesitation, she replied, “As long as it’s all make believe, that’s totally cool with me.”

Well alrighty then, he thought to himself. Mike switched over to his PS3 and grabbed a couple of controllers. After firing up the game, he went over the controls before they played a practice round. Mike hid his character somewhere on the map, and Melody had one minute to find and shoot him.

Upon killing him for the first time, she jumped in shock, adrenaline pumping. “Wow, this is intense!”

“Yep,” Mike agreed. “The developers worked hard to try to make it as realistic as possible. Ok, I’m hiding. Let’s go again.”

She found him much faster this time around, quickly getting a feel for using the radar and how the maps were structured. After two more rounds of hide and seek, he had Melody hole up in a central location to practice being attacked from various directions. At first, he easily bested her each time, but she eventually got better at her aiming and reaction time. By the end of the ten-minute round, Melody was surviving around two of every three encounters. Seeing her rapid improvement, Mike felt she was ready for the next level.

“Well, this should be fun. You ready to go online?” Mike knew the online players would be in for a shock when they went up against her.

“Sure,” she said with a smile. “You wanna use those?” She pointed to his two gaming headsets charging in the TV stand.

Mike got a wicked smile on his face. “Definitely, but lets keep the fact that you’re a girl a secret until we start thrashing these losers.”

He activated the Bluetooth connections on the headsets as they entered the pre-match lobby. Muting his microphone momentarily, he turned to Melody. “Just remember, some of these guys have a huge bias against girls who play video games, particularly if they’re better than the guys. If they start acting like assholes, be strong, and don’t take any crap. You have full permission to put them in their place.”

She smirked. “Random dudes acting like jackasses who AREN’T my master? So not a problem.”

Atta girl.

They spawned into their first match, taking place on a pretty large map. “Ok, stay out of the open on this one, there’s lots of sniping spots,” Mike cautioned.

As the match progressed, Mike got taken out more than typical, but was always in good position to callout sniper locations to his teammates. Melody, using a stealthy setup with a silenced weapon, was able to constantly sneak around the map, taking out said snipers from behind. One particular player kept returning to the same sniping spot, allowing her to constantly ambush him with little effort.

“SON OF A BITCH!!!” He had now died five times in a row. “Who’s the little pussy who keeps doin’ that?” Hearing his complaining through the headset, it was all Mike could do not to laugh in his face.

Anticipating that he would change his tactics, Melody was ready, planting a land mine in the spot she had been hiding in. Sure enough, he attempted charging the position, only to be blown to smithereens. Melody couldn’t help but unleash her trademark laugh as he raged into the microphone, finally revealing that a girl was the one dominating the match.

“No fucking way,” he seethed. “The hell is a fucking GIRL doing here?!”

Melody giggled. “Last I checked, she’s kickin’ ass and takin’ names.”

“Shut up and suck my dick, bitch. That’s where you belong.”

Mike had expected this kind of reaction, but that didn’t make him any less enraged at this idiot’s treatment. Just as he was about to unleash on him, Mike felt Melody’s hand gently stroking his knee.

Melody calmly replied into the headset, “Unfortunately for you, the only blowjob you’ll be getting is the land mine you just stepped on. Oh, and this frag.” She tossed a grenade into his hiding spot, killing him once again.

“FUUUUUCK!!!” As his rage grew, now even the other players were laughing at him. As much as some guys had a stigma against girl gamers, this group was apparently able to recognize true skill when they saw it.

“Damn, girl,” one of the others chimed in. “You good. And you sound hot. Looks like you in the ATL with me. Wanna hook up?”

Mike rolled his eyes. Like this douchebag has a shot with you, he thought to Melody.

He’s so cute. He has no clue just how out of his league he is, she thought back.

As the match ended, she replied in a sultry voice, “Sorry boys, but I have eyes for only one smoldering stud of a man. Say hi baby!”

“That would be me,” Mike said with a sense of pride.

“Well that’s enough fun for us today,” Melody continued. “Now we’ve got some real work to do…” They signed off as catcalls and whistles echoed through their headsets.

“That was fun!”

“Sure was. I still can’t believe that tear you went on,” Mike replied. “You just annihilated them out there!”

As they basked in their post game glow, there was a knock at Mike’s door. Walking over to check the peephole, Mike could see it was his upstairs neighbor, Sandra.

As he opened the door, Mike heard the now familiar greeting from bubbly single mom of two kids. “Miiiiike! How ya doin’ son?” She immediately grabbed him in a hug before he could even think of protesting.

Sandra seemed in a particularly good mood today. Dressed in a white tank top and loose sky blue workout shorts, she had her straight, black hair pulled back into a ponytail. Mike had never been attracted to black women, merely out of personal preference, but he could definitely appreciate that she was quite a good-looking woman. Slim and athletic, her light black skin and warm eyes easily helped her appear younger than the late thirties she actually was.

Mike gently hugged her back. “I’m doin’ pretty good, Sandra. What’s got you so excited today?”

“It’s Tyler’s birthday next Wednesday, so I’m throwing him a pool party today.” Tyler was her twelve-year-old son, soon to be thirteen. “My brother’s cooking burgers and dogs on the grill. You’re welcome to stop by for some free food, Mr. Starving Musician,” she said with a wink.

“That sounds awesome, though I don’t have a birthday gift or anything…”

“Mike, hush,” she interrupted. “After you’ve helped look out for him these last three years, helping with homework, being that positive male role model, just being there is gift enough. That boy really looks up to you, ya know.”

Mike knew it was true. Three years ago, he had given Tyler his first trumpet lessons. Even though he only stuck with it for two years, the two had connected very well. Mike had used those lessons to teach him not only about music, but important life lessons as well. Staying on schedule, avoiding procrastination, refusing to settle for anything less than his best effort. All of these things had helped keep the boy from straying away from a difficult path to follow.

Ultimately, Tyler’s greatest respect for Mike had come just over a year ago, during the winter storm of 2014. With the entire city iced in and the interstates clogged with abandoned vehicles, Mike had been walking from his apartment to the Baptist church across the street, checking in to see if there was any assistance they required to help Atlanta’s stranded travelers. As he made his way back, he had seen Tyler with a group of three of his friends from the public school he attended at the time. Clearly a rough crowd, Mike overheard them talking about all of the cars stuck on the interstate as easy targets for “free samples,” as they called them.

As Mike approached the group, clearing his throat in the process, the group scattered, except for Tyler. Staring silently at Mike, Tyler knew he was likely in big trouble. Realizing that the kid was easily the youngest of the group, being subjected to peer pressure was a constant threat. Mike called Sandra, letting her know that he had met up with Tyler while out walking, and that Mike would make sure he got home safely before dark.

Mike explained to Tyler that there were some things he needed to see. While talking with his friends, Tyler didn’t have any reason not to go along with them. Mike planned to give him just that. As they walked along the main road leading to the interstate, Mike stopped at one car with a middle-aged man leaning against it. The man introduced himself as Carl. He worked construction around the city as an independent contractor, and explained he got paid in cash every Friday, with no option for direct deposit. It being Saturday, Mike could safely assume that he had his pay from yesterday in the car with him. Mike asked him what would happen if someone were to come along and steal that money from his car. As Carl eyed Tyler, he could tell what Mike was getting at, and confirmed that losing that money would result in him falling behind on his rent and having to make some tough choices between paying his heating bill or being guaranteed to be able to buy enough food for his family of six for the week. Mike thanked Carl for his time and insight, shaking his hand as they parted.

As the pair walked back towards the apartment complex, they stopped by the convenience store in the Shell station nearby. Approaching the counter, Mike could see that Syed was working that day, a man he had met and conversed with on several previous occasions. Mike noticed that his shelves and fridges were surprisingly well stocked as compared to the other gas stations in the area, which were well picked over. Asking Syed how it has been for him since the weather arrived, the immigrant from Pakistan described the great lengths he had gone to over the last day and half to prevent looting and shoplifting. He had been acting almost in a dual role, both as bouncer and cashier, to ensure his livelihood was not taken from him due to the extreme circumstances. Only one attempted shoplifter had been successful, with Syed showing the bruise on his shoulder from the scuffle that ensued as the thief barreled past him during his escape.

Thanking Syed, Mike could tell that Tyler was processing all of this information. As they approached their apartment complex, Mike asked Tyler what he had learned in the last hour. Tyler now realized that, in stealing what wasn’t his, he would also be taking money, food, and ability to live away from another person; a person who worked hard for what they had. Still, Tyler knew that saying that to his friends was likely to result in them turning against him, with Mike confirming he was probably right, and that it sounded like he needed new friends.

Mike decided to leave the decision of whether or not to tell his mom up to Tyler. Thinking about it the entire walk through the apartment complex, the boy decided to tell his mom the truth. While Sandra was disturbed at the behavior his friends were encouraging, she was eternally grateful to Mike for providing the positive influence her son desperately needed. Thankfully, she was able to get her kids into a successful charter school the next fall, resulting in a much more positive social environment for both of them.

Snapping back to reality, Mike finally acquiesced. “All right, I’ll make an appearance. And, is it ok if I bring a plus one?”

Sandra cocked her eyebrow. “Plus one? There a girl in your life I ain’t found out about… yet?” She peered around Mike to catch a glimpse of Melody, who smiled and waved at her.

Mike laughed and rolled his eyes. “You’ll meet her at the pool. We’ll probably be there in about an hour or so,” Mike said glancing at the clock. That would put them there around 5:30.

She shrugged, responding in her distinctive southern drawl, “Alright, alright, we’ll see y’all later!”

“Bye, Sandra.” Mike locked the door behind him. He turned to find Melody waiting in expectation. “So yeah,” Mike finally said, “That’s Sandra, my neighbor. Sweet lady.”

Melody nodded. “I can tell. So, what oh what can we do for a whole hour?” The look on her face got more seductive by the second.

Shaking his finger at her, Mike replied, “Well personally, I haven’t had a shower and a shave yet today, so I think I’ll do that real quick. Gotta look presentable and all, right?”

Putting on her best pouty face, she whimpered, “Why do you keep resisting my advances? That’s just so hurtful and mean and…”

Before she could finish, Mike grabbed her tight, planting a heavy kiss on her lips. As they parted he eyed her smugly and said, “First thing you gotta know about me: that pouty face has no effect.”

She rolled her eyes in response. “And the second?”

“If we start something like that now, I’m pretty sure we’d never stop,” Mike said with a wink.

Melody giggled. “That’s probably true. Anything I should do while you shower? Want me to clean up around the house or anything?”

Mike shook his head. “No way, you’re not my housekeeper. Why don’t you browse through my video game collection, or maybe check out what’s on TV? Develop those interests and whatnot, ya know?”

“Sounds great,” she said, kissing him on the cheek before sending him off to take his shower.

Mike stripped down in his room, then made his way to the shower and turned the water on; stepping inside once it had warmed up. As he relaxed under the flow of warm water, he suddenly had an important thought. Sandra will want to know about Melody! Where she’s from, how we met…

At first, he thought of immediately starting the conversation with Melody, but decided against it. Hey, Melody?

What’s up? Enjoying your shower?

Yep. Real quick, help me remember to ask you something when I get out, ok?

You got it.

Mike finished up washing his hair and shaving, shutting off the water flow once he was done. He toweled off and combed his hair, then slipped on a red polo shirt and khaki shorts. Putting his glasses back on, he rejoined Melody in the living room. She had found his Nintendo 3DS.

“Playing Pokémon eh?”

“Yep,” she said, smiling. “I can see why you like this game. It’s got lots of strategy to it. Like a giant game of chess.”

Mike nodded. “That’s one of the reasons I’m so good at it. I can out strategize almost any human opponent.”

She giggled. “Nice. So what did you want to talk about?”

“Yeah, I had the thought in the shower that Sandra is going to want to know about you. How we met, where you’re from, that sort of thing. What do you think we should tell her?”

“Anything you want. We can always formulate a perfectly crafted backstory for me. That sort of thing is covered under my powers of anonymity and privacy. How do you think we would have met under normal circumstances?”

Mike thought for a moment. “Honestly, probably with online dating sites. It’s a pretty mainstream way of meeting people nowadays.”

Melody flashed that perfect smile. “Sounds great. To ensure that our story can be corroborated, I can use my powers to create online dating profiles on a website where we would have met. Sound good so far?”

He nodded. “Yep. Probably should make it one of the free ones though. Anyone who knows me knows I would never sign up for a paid dating website, since I’m pretty sure they’re just a bunch of rip-offs. Let’s do it.”

Tingle. Flash. “Done. We now both have online dating profiles, set up to show an appropriate amount of correspondence before meeting.”

“Ok, cool,” he said. “Now, what about where you’re from?”

“Sure, I can create the specifics of my background. That would allow me to blend in appropriately with modern society, ensuring our anonymity. My origin would obviously need to reflect my lack of family, since I can’t just create people out of thin air. The easiest answer to that will be to make me an orphan. You’ll need to decide where I am originally from, as well as a last name. Once those are settled, I can fill in the rest of the blanks myself.”

“Alright, let me think… let’s make your last name Roberts, and you originally come from Houston, Texas. If you can, see if you can develop a sweet little southern drawl; ever so slight, nothing extravagant. Let’s say you’re twenty-five. At that age, you’ll likely need some form of degree or training for whatever we say you do for a living. Is that enough to get you started?”

Melody closed her eyes for a few moments. “That should work perfectly. Leave the rest to me. Is that an official wish?”

Doing his best impression of Patrick Stewart, Mike replied, “Make it so.”

Tingle. Flash. “All set hun,” she said with a wink.

Her new accent sent chills up his spine. “Ooh, that’s sexy…”

By this time, it was nearing 5:20, so the pair decided to start walking towards the pool at the front of the apartment complex. Stepping outside, Melody’s face became a symphony of childlike wonder. “Wow… this is incredible! I can feel the breeze, the warmth of the sun… it’s better than I ever imagined it would be.”

After finishing her unintended reenactment of the opening scene from The Sound of Music, Melody squeezed Mike in a tight embrace. “Thank you… I really am a lucky, lucky genie.”

“Remember, all life has to offer you. Not because I allow it, but because you deserve it. Period.” A couple of tender kisses later, they were headed off towards the pool.

As they leisurely walked through the complex, Mike asked, “So, Melody Roberts, tell me all about yourself.”

She giggled, responding, “Well, I grew up in Houston, mostly in orphanages. My birth parents abandoned me at the door of a fire station when I was just a baby. I tried to get adopted several times, but the system is really messed up. I also tried to stay away from foster homes, having heard way too many horror stories about them. Thankfully, I developed an artistic streak in middle school and high school, and was able to combine that with a great essay about my childhood to attend the University of Houston on scholarship. I have a bachelor degree in photography, and just moved here at the start of the year to try to start a new life from scratch.”

“Photography? Nice,” Mike nodded approvingly. “Have you done many jobs?”

“Just a few odd jobs here and there, haven’t really hit my stride yet. I did create some web space to house a portfolio with samples of my work. Plenty to convince anyone that my background is legitimate.”

“Cool. So, I guess we were attracted to each other online based on our mutual artistic interests?”

“Definitely,” Melody responded. “I also really liked the fact that you had such a strong faith in God. Having the upbringing that I did, faith was in seriously short supply, but talking with you about the great things it had brought you in your life convinced me that I ought to check it out.”

Her face slowly turned rather serious. “That, by the way, is completely true. It’s clear to me how important your faith is in your life. Seeing the incredible person it’s made you into, I want to be a part of that too.”

Mike was floored. He had no clue where magical beings such as genies stood on religious matters, but he had learned long ago that, if anyone or anything expresses any interest in religion or God whatsoever, you find a way to nurture and encourage that feeling. Otherwise, you run the risk of pushing them completely away from the idea altogether.

He smiled. “Well you’re in luck. Tomorrow, we’ll go to my church. Oh, and one of my childhood friends is giving the sermon tomorrow, so I think you’ll enjoy that quite a bit.”

She beamed, wrapping her arm in his excitedly. “Sound’s wonderful.”

As they approached the pool area, the pair could tell that the sound system had been hooked up. Melody’s eyes widened, and a huge smile slowly appeared on her face. “What is that?”

“That, my dear girl, is country music.”

She paused momentarily, taking it all in. “I love it!”

As they entered the pool area, the party was in full swing, with both the kids and adults enjoying the sounds of Chris Janson’s Buy Me a Boat. Tyler and his friends were in the pool, fully engrossed in a game of chicken. As Mike was about to go over and say hi, a squeal came from the area by the grill.

“MR. MIKE!!!”

Sandra’s seven-year-old daughter, Sasha, ran up and tackled Mike full force before he even knew what was going on.

“Geez, Sasha! You’re gonna turn into some kinda linebacker one day!” It was all Mike could do to keep from falling completely on his back. “How you doin’, cutie? Working hard in school?”

Sasha nodded. “Yep! I got a check plus in reading this week. Oh! And we just had our big tap dancing recital yesterday!”

“That’s right, you mother told me that was coming up. I’m really sorry I couldn’t make it. I had a big performance of my own yesterday.”

“That’s ok, I bet we both did great!” As she smiled, it was clear Sasha was missing a few of her teeth.

“Mike! ‘Bout time you showed up!” Sandra walked over from the grill area.

“Hi Sandra, great party you got going here.”

“Thank you, dear. Now, forgive my being nosey, but I need to meet this pretty thing I caught a glimpse of in your apartment,” she said in a motherly tone.

Laughing, Mike made the introductions. “Melody, this is my neighbor, Sandra Johnson. Sandra, this is Melody Roberts, my… girlfriend.” Mike hesitated momentarily. Even with their bond, the two of them hadn’t formally decided on any titles for their relationship yet. However, his concerns were quickly alleviated.

Girlfriend. I love the sound of that, Melody thought in his head.

Sandra extended her hand. “Melody, a pleasure to meet you my dear.”

Shaking her hand, Melody replied, “Likewise, Mrs. Johnson.”

“Oh, honey please! It’s Sandra. Mrs. Johnson just makes me feel old.”

Melody giggled. “It shouldn’t. How old are you? Thirty-two? Thirty-three?”

Stunned in flattery, she stammered, “Oh, no… thirty-eight actually.”

“What?! No way! You’ve gotta be using some miracle product. What’s your secret? Come on, what?” Melody may have laid it on a little thick, but Sandra was responding very positively as they chatted.

After a few minutes, Sandra turned to Mike. “We’re actually just about to start the karaoke contest. Now, I happen to know for a fact that you know every last word of The Devil Went Down to Georgia. So I guess the only question is, how much blackmail is it gonna take to get you up to that microphone?”

Melody gasped in excitement. “Mike, you’ve got to do it!”

He tried his best to back out of it. Mike was never one for public shaming, which is what this would be considering his singing abilities. That was, after all, the reason he got into trumpet playing. Unfortunately, Sandra had a trump card he couldn’t beat.

“Besides, Sasha wants to show you her dance moves from yesterday’s recital. I bet the two of you would kill it up there.”

Damn, this woman doesn’t play fair!

Seeing the child’s face light up in anticipation, Mike knew he couldn’t say no. “Fine, fine, let’s do it kid!”

They made their way up to the microphone hooked into the PA system, waiting for the intro to start. As the Charlie Daniels Band cranked through the loudspeakers, Sasha’s feet turned into a blur. Sure enough, Mike hit every last one of the tongue twisting lyrics of the song, bringing cheers from the partiers as he finished the final chorus.

Once the song ended, Sasha ran excitedly back to her mother, while Melody went to grab Mike and her a couple of burgers. Cheese and ketchup on mine please, Mike thought to her.

Sure thing. I’m getting everything on mine, since it’s my first burger and all.

Tyler was now out of the pool and made his way over to Mike, greeting him with his traditional fist bump. “What’s up, Tyler? Happy birthday man!”

“What’s wrong with you? No present? Man, that’s just rude…” Tyler said sarcastically. “Well, I guess watching you make a damn fool of yourself up there was a pretty good gift.”

Laughing, Mike shot back, “Watch your mouth, man. You know your mama would slap you silly if she caught you talkin’ like that.”

“True dat. She’s scary.” He nodded his head towards Melody. “That you’re new girlfriend?”

“Yep, that’s her,” Mike replied.

He chuckled. “Mom said she saw a girl when she stopped by your place earlier. If you ask me, this one’s a BIG improvement over the last one.”

Mike cut him off quickly. “Alright, alright, first of all, you are way to young to be talkin’ like that. Secondly, you go around comparing women to each other, none of ‘em will ever wanna go out with you. Get my drift?”

“Yeah, guess that’s true. Girls, man. They got way too many rules.”

Mike chuckled. “Some things never change.”

“Anyhow, I’m off. We’re about to start a game of Marco Polo.”

“Take it easy Tyler. Stay out of trouble!”

As he ran off, Melody came over with their food. “Having fun?”

“You know it,” Mike replied. “I’m glad Tyler and Sasha got into their charter school last year. They’re both great kids, and now they can actually show it.”

“Well Sandra’s right, they both adore you. Not hard to see why,” she said with a wink.

“So, what’d you and Sandra talk about?”

“Well, I told her how we met, where I moved from, all that stuff,” Melody said. “She loved that I have an interest in photography; said there’re tons of opportunities for good work around Atlanta.” Melody’s face turned more serious for a moment. “She really cares for you, you know.”

Mike stopped chewing for a moment. “Why do you say that?”

Melody shrugged. “She made a point of asking me what my intentions are with you. She said you’ve been hurt in the past, mainly due to the fact that, when you decide to love, you love completely. She said you deserve something real, and that I needed to be on board with that.”

Mike was dumbfounded. “She said all that? How… how did you respond?”

She smiled sweetly. “I told the truth. I told her that you’re the most incredible man I’ve ever met in my life; that in the short time I’ve known you, you’ve brought more joy and fulfillment to my life than I had ever thought possible. I promised her that I would never hurt you, and that anyone who would is either brain-dead or heartless.”

Mike didn’t know what was more touching, Sandra’s dedication to looking out for his best interests, or Melody’s harsh rebuke of anyone who would ever hurt him.

Just as he was afraid he might get emotionally overwhelmed, Sasha ran over to tackle him one last time. “Mr. Mike! I have to go to bed soon, so I wanted to come say goodnight!”

“Well goodnight then, cutie! You danced really well today.”

“Thanks,” she said with an adorable little girl giggle. “I forgot to ask earlier, who’s your new friend?” She looked shyly at Melody.

Mike got down on his knees to Sasha’s level, motioning for Melody to do the same. “Sasha, this is Melody. She’s my girlfriend. Say hi.”

“Hi,” she said timidly. Turning back to Mike, she whispered, “She’s really pretty, isn’t she?”

Mike couldn’t help but beam. “I think you’re right about that.”

“So Sasha,” Melody said, “I saw you and your mom playing a hand clap game earlier. Do you think you could teach me how to play?”

The little girl’s face lit up. “Sure!”

Over the next five minutes, Sasha taught Melody all the finer points of “Miss Mary Mack.” All too soon, Melody was handling it like a pro. As he watched them playing, Mike could tell what was happening. He had never expected it to happen this quickly, but he couldn’t ignore the facts.

I’m in love with this girl. No holds barred, head over heels, in love.

Only the sound of Sandra calling her daughter for bedtime snapped him back to reality.

“I had so much fun with you today,” Melody said. “Let’s do it again soon, ok?”

“Ok. Goodnight!” Sasha ran off to her mother.

Discarding their paper plates and cups, Mike asked, “You ready to head back?”

“Sure am,” Melody replied.

As they strolled back in the twilight of the early evening, Melody spoke rather hesitantly. “Mike, I have a question.”

“Of course. What’s up?”

“Well… it’s just that, oh god, how do I put this?”

Mike put his arm around her shoulders. “It’s ok. I just want to know what’s on your mind. Nothing more.”

She took a deep breath. “Ok. We both know about my innate nature of being a sexual genie servant. We both also know that, even if I weren’t bound to you, I’d willingly choose to be with you in a heartbeat. With all of this, plus our obvious attraction to each other, I guess my question is, why haven’t you made any moves to… take things farther with me? Please know that I’m not insulted, or worried. Just curious.”

Looking directly into her eyes, he took her hands in his and began to explain.

“Melody, in today’s modern world, I believe one of the biggest mistakes people make is to have the belief that ‘sex creates intimacy.’ I believe that giving yourself completely to someone else magnifies what’s already there. If the relationship has trust, communication, and genuine love built on commitment, rather than desire, sex can only enhance that bond. However, if the relationship is built on superficial wants and desires, sex will, at best, bring nothing to the table or, at worst, cause the entire relationship to crumble.

“I’m going to be honest with you Melody. While I’m no virgin, I’ve never slept with any girl that I didn’t truly love. If I couldn’t envision myself spending the rest of my life with her, even through the worst scenarios imaginable, then I knew it wouldn’t be worth it in the end. This whole day has been one big whirlwind, and I’ve just been trying to keep up. The truth is I didn’t know how I felt… that is, until I saw you and Sasha together a few minutes ago.

“My last girlfriend was one of the sweetest people you could meet, but in hindsight, she had one flaw that I completely missed: she was never great with kids. They always made her uncomfortable, no matter the setting. But you, after seeing you and Sasha playing, seeing you connect with her in a really special way, I can’t ignore what’s staring right at me.”

Gently cupping her face in his hands, he drew her close, and whispered the words that he had been hoping he’d be able to say, and mean.

“I love you, Melody.”

As tears of joy streamed down her face, he kissed her lips softly, caressing her cheeks and wiping away her tears as he did so. Breathless, it took every ounce of effort Melody had to be able to respond.

“I… I love you too.”

Their eyes locked, their breathing synchronized, the pair could feel the electricity around them. Taking her hand, Mike led Melody quickly back to his apartment. As soon as Mike secured the dead bolt, Melody attacked him in a passionate embrace. As she pressed her lips to his, their tongues wrestling with increasing intensity, Mike thought to himself, no way is she taking the lead this time.

He deftly maneuvered her around, pinning her against the door, never once breaking their kiss. She moaned in delight, loving the feeling of her master… no, her lover, and the most incredible man in the universe, telling her in every way possible that she was the most important thing in the world to him. As she began to run her fingers through his short, fine hair, she felt his hands begin to travel southward, his nimble fingers undoing the button of her jean shorts before lowering the zipper. She chuckled seductively and turned to face the door with her back to him, and shook her glorious ass in his face, beckoning him to remove her shorts. Obliging, he slowly slid them down her thighs, revealing a black pair of lacy boy short panties. He could tell that they were perfectly tight, riding up just the right amount into her crack, and accentuating her slightly exposed cheeks beautifully. Caressing them with his hands, he gave a little squeeze before spinning her back around.

She giggled in pleasure, her smile a mile wide. They resumed their heavy make out session, as Mike’s hands continued their exploration. Slipping them under her black V-neck shirt, he ran his fingers over her flat tummy before his right hand moved to gently cup her left breast. As he gently squeezed it, he moved his left hand around to the small of her back, steadying her against his body as he began to kiss her exposed neck. As she wrapped her left leg around his right, it was all Melody could do to just hang on to his neck as he continued finding all of her favorite pleasure spots.

Suddenly getting a few excellent ideas, Mike, without halting his caressing, wished to Melody telepathically.

I wish to be strong enough to carry you.

Tingle. Flash. Done.

He instantly felt a sensation in his arms and chest, similar to the tingling he felt in his head when he made a wish. Though his arms weren’t noticeably bigger, Mike could tell that he would now have no trouble lifting a person up in his arms. In one swift movement, he swept her up, his arms under her knees and back, as Melody laughed gleefully.

Without a single spoken word between them, but their eyes never leaving each other’s gaze, Mike maneuvered them down the short hallway and into his bedroom. As they passed the light switch, Melody kicked it to the on position with her foot. They shared another passionate kiss before Mike laid her down on his bed, teasing her by running his fingers up her thigh before withdrawing.

As Melody whimpered from the tease, Mike strolled around to the other side of the bed with a sly grin on his face. He plugged his iPhone into the alarm clock by his bed, which doubled as a speaker, tapped a couple of buttons, and started up his favorite Chris Botti playlist. As the sounds of When I Fall in Love echoed through the room, Melody’s whimpering face was soon replaced with one of excitement and anticipation.

As she crawled over to the side of the bed Mike stood on, Melody rose up on her knees to embrace him. This put her about an inch or two taller than him, which was a strange, but fun, sensation, with her usually being an inch shorter. She kissed his cheek lightly before whispering in his ear, “We’re not very even, now are we?”

Mike smiled, as he had been so obsessed with exploring her that he had totally forgotten that his shorts and polo were still on. “Whatcha wanna do about it?”

She smiled mischievously and began unbuttoning his polo, sweetly kissing the newly exposed skin, before pulling it out of his shorts and slipping it over his head in one swift motion. She now began to kiss his neck as he had done to her previously, quickly discovering that this was one of his best erogenous zones. As Mike moaned, she expertly brought her hands lower to undo his belt. Her lips soon joined her hands, kissing their way down his bare chest as she propped herself up on her elbows in front of his fly. Gently undoing the button and opening the zipper, she slid his shorts down to the floor.

Now nude, save for his boxer briefs, it was blatantly obvious how aroused Mike had become. Drops of precum stained his underwear, which was tented from the rock hard cock straining to get free of them. Melody ran her finger up and down the bulge a couple of times before gently sliding the boxer briefs down to Mike’s ankles. She stroked his member gently, getting ready to suck him off, but Mike, having other plans, lifted her chin up with his fingers and brought her back up to her knees.

“Look who’s uneven now,” he whispered sarcastically.

Melody giggled. “What? Want me to take my shirt off or something?”

Mike cocked his eyebrows. “Maybe.”

“Thought you’d never ask.” Melody crossed her arms in front of her, slowly and seductively peeling the black fabric off, exposing her flat belly and gorgeous pale skin. Her lacy black bra matched her boy short panties, barely containing her ample D-cup breasts. “That’s all I’m giving ya,” she said with a wink. “You gotta come get the rest yourself.”

Climbing up to his knees on the bed with her, Mike pulled Melody close, resuming his earlier kissing of her neck. Now slowly making his way to the valley in her cleavage, he reached to her back with his right hand to her bra clasp. She gasped in surprise at his skill, as he swiftly unhooked her bra with one hand, all while burying his face in her chest. Repeating his move from earlier, she placed her finger on his chin, bringing him up to her face for a quick kiss. She held her bra in place with her left arm momentarily, before slowly slipping it off, revealing her milky white breasts to him at last.

Mike was completely speechless, and sat back on the bed for at least three full minutes, doing nothing but admiring this vision sharing his bed with him. He could tell that Melody was enjoying the hell out of his inspection of her, as she occasionally caressed her breasts slightly. After a few minutes, she was clearly ready for this to be more than a spectator sport, crawling towards him with her forearms squeezing her cleavage together as she approached him. He met her with a passionate kiss, moving his hands to fondle her bare tits for the first time.

They were glorious, being soft and naturally big, but wonderfully perky with no sagging or drooping. Mike had always been a tit man, and this was certainly the most perfect pair he could have ever imagined. Once again kissing his way down her chest, he began to inspect her quarter-sized areolas, stimulating her small puffy nipples gently with his thumbs. As they became hard and erect, he took her left side in his mouth, swirling and flicking his tongue over the nub, eliciting an excited purr from Melody. Repeating the process twice on each side, he successfully had her convulsing and writhing before any penetration had even come close to occurring.

Melody rolled over onto her back, slipping off her panties as she did so, beckoning Mike to follow her. Her smoldering “come hither” look was enough to bring any man to his knees. As Mike arrived between her legs, he began to lightly run his finger around her moist pussy lips, completely shaven and clean. She smells divine, and probably tastes even better, he thought to himself. However, before he could dive in, Melody began to beg him. “Please, don’t tease me any more. I want all of you, I need all of you…”

Unable to deny her that request, Mike positioned his cock at her slick entrance. Before pushing in, he hesitated a moment and looked Melody in the eyes. “I think I know the answer to this, but I have to ask anyway. Melody, are you a virgin?”

Biting her lip with lust and anticipation, she nodded affirmative.

Stroking her cheek lightly, Mike wasn’t sure if he should proceed. “I don’t want to hurt you. You’re the greatest thing ever to happen to me. I’m not saying I don’t want to… you know. I just want you to be sure.”

She smiled her megawatt smile. “You really are the sweetest. But please, don’t worry. I want this. My virginity is yours. Once you take me, our bond will be complete. Once you take me, nothing in the entire universe will ever be able to separate us. I promise.”

Mike nodded in understanding. “I’ll be as gentile as I can.”

He slowly pushed his aching rod into her moist pussy. The feeling was heavenly. Good lord, I’ve never imagined a pussy this tight before! As he reached her hymen halfway in, he kissed her lips softly, gazed into her emerald eyes, and filled her up completely.

“Ahhhh!” Melody gasped in shock from the new sensation.

“Are you ok?!” Mike didn’t dare move until she told him to.

She nodded, the look of pain on her face slowly disappearing. “Yes. It hurt, but it’s quickly disappearing. This feels so right. This is where you belong…” Her face had now returned to a look of lust and desire, telling Mike everything he needed to know.

Slowly and gently, he began thrusting in and out of her tunnel, taking at least five seconds to complete each circuit at the start. As tight as she was, he knew he could cum almost any time he pleased. But this night was about both of them, and he wanted her to realize that. As he gradually quickened his pace, he leaned over to Melody and whispered into her ear.

“I wish for you to cum when I cum. I wish for you to feel everything I feel.”

Tingle. Flash.

“It’s… oh! Oh… my… GOD! HOLY SHIT!!!” Melody was suddenly in such ecstasy that she could barely keep her body from flailing around.

Mike was very pleased with himself. He genuinely wanted her to orgasm from her first time. This would create a vicious, yet wonderful cycle, as there were few things hotter to him that watching a girl lose complete control during a truly passionate lovemaking encounter.

Now having an immense amount of fun, Mike began to vary his strokes, using five quick pumps, followed by three slow and deliberate strokes. It became a game to see how much he could build up their mutual orgasm before cumming, as well as hearing the incoherent babbling from Melody as her explosion ticked closer and closer. After three of four repetitions of this pattern, she could stand no more.

“I… I can’t hold out any more Mike! Please, make me cum! I’m going insane! I need to… I have to cum on your cock! I have to have you explode inside me!”

He grabbed hold of the pillow she rested her head on and began pounding her full force, momentarily fearful he might actually jackhammer her into oblivion.

Melody moaned and panted in pleasure. “Yes… yes… cum for me. Cum for us. Make me yours… make me… yours… for… EVEEEEEEERRRR!!!”

Just as he had wished, they climaxed at the same time, his throbbing cock intensifying her orgasm, her screaming and clenched pussy prolonging his. After what seemed like eons, they finally collapsed. Mike rested on her chest, partially propped up on his right elbow so as not to crush her. She lightly brushed her hand against his arm, sighing contentedly every few seconds. “You should be very proud of me.”

He laughed. “And why is that?”

Melody giggled. “I managed to suppress my instinct to insist that you not worry about my orgasm. Make no mistake, your pleasure and happiness are my greatest desires, but I think I understand now that my pleasure and happiness are your greatest desires as well.”

Mike shook his head in amazement. “You’ve come a long way in twelve hours. From being fearful of speaking out of turn to begging me to make you cum.” He leaned close. “Not that I’m complaining,” he whispered, blowing a stream of air into her ear as he retreated.

She squealed in delight, pushing him onto his back to kiss him passionately. “Neither am I,” Melody whispered as their lips parted. Resting on his chest, she gave him an amazing view of her gorgeous boobs squished against him. “So,” she said with her typical mischievous look, “wanna go again?”

Mike chuckled. “As much fun as that would be, I think we should both sleep. Been a hell of an eventful day, after all.”

She sighed. “Yeah, you’re probably right. What time do we need to be up in the morning?”

“Well, the service starts at 9:00, so I figure we should be up by 7:30. I’ll set an alarm… unless you’ve got something else in mind.”

She nodded lustfully. “Absolutely. Wanna know what I’m thinking, or you want it to be a surprise?”

Flashing his grin, Mike replied, “Definitely a surprise. Just make sure we have… plenty of time.”

“No problem at all. And don’t worry about me oversleeping. I’m way more reliable than some shitty alarm clock.”

Mike reached over to his nightstand and switched off both the light and the music playing from his phone. As he rolled onto his back to sleep, Melody curled up under his arm, resting her head on his shoulder. She asked, “You ok if I sleep like this?”

“Definitely, I just… hmm… I wish my shoulder wouldn’t give out.”

Tingle. Flash.

“It’s done.”

Cradling her cheek in his hand, he drew her close one last time, kissing her lips tenderly.

“I love you, Melody.”

“I love you too.”

Listening contentedly to the sounds of their own breathing, the pair drifted off to sleep.

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