This story should be so very easy to write. After all, I am a professional. I am a free lance contributor to a number of well respected magazines and there are only two main characters to the story. So this should be a piece of cake, right?

I will start with myself. As I said, I write for a living, a precarious living at that. At my age of twenty eight I am still in excellent shape due to my four years with the US Army Special Forces. I am somewhat shy around women, especially if the ladies are beautiful. I am blond, and they tell me I have a rugged looking face, like an adventurer. But that I am definitely not. Fact is, I am overly sentimental.

The phone rang at nine in the morning. Its jingle rudely interrupted my thoughts in the middle of the story I was writing.

I am sure that my voice showed my irritation as I barked a short, "Hello?" into the receiver, putting a question mark behind the word. How could I know that this call would change my life?

"This is your lucky day," Betty announced. Betty was my librarian friend from the downtown library.

"Do I have a great story for you. I talked to a young girl just now during coffee break. Her name is Lori. She told me she lives at the end of Elm Street, so you have probably seen her. Good looking and vivacious, always dressed the same, short light blue skirt and a peasant blouse."

I stopped her. "Hold it, hold it a moment, Betty, I haven't seen any girls here because there are no houses past mine. And anyway, my study doesn't face the street."

"Well, that's what she said and she even described your place. But that's not the point. She turned sixteen today and has no family. Ought to be a story in it for you." I had to stop Betty again.

"Betty dear, I am a twenty eight-year old bachelor. I cannot just invite a sixteen year-old girl into my-home. Not proper, and anyway, she wouldn't be so naïve as to enter the lair of a not so old lecherous bachelor," I countered.

Betty, being a devious woman, had a plan. "Get a nice cake, sixteen candles, and put on your movie star smile. She won't be able to resist if you wish her a Happy Birthday. As you know, our ilk is a bit on the nosy side and she will want to find out how you knew about her having a birthday. Trust me, she is a woman. She'll come in."

What could I lose? I moved my wireless keyboard and the monitor to the front window and continued to work. In the afternoon I drove to the bakery and bought a nice Black Forest cake and sixteen candles.

At five I was ready to greet her when she returned from the city; the candles nicely spaced on the cake, matches close by. Fresh coffee in the carafe, sugar bowl filled, and cream in the fridge if she liked some.

At about six thirty she appeared, out of nowhere it seemed. I admired the peasant blouse with its intricate, colorful stitchery. Whoa, I thought to myself, Sam, you are getting old. Move your work station to this window permanently and watch the scenery.

Lori was a beautiful, attractive young lady walking on the other side of the street. I liked what I saw. I guess I just love feminine beauty. And beautiful she was. Her black hair framed a delicate face with large eyes. I could not make out much more of her features; she was still too far away.

The wind was blowing at her so that her blouse was tight against her chest and I thought I could detect two nipples making two dimples in the fabric.

As she came closer I could admire her shapely legs and the way she walked with the easy grace of a dancer. She held her head high and her posture signaled determination and confidence. I would have decided to get to know this young lady even without Betty's urging.

I was simply mesmerized by her long legs and her easy graceful stride. So mesmerized that I did not notice the two hoodlums in the doorway she was about to pass.

It was obvious that she had not seen the two hoodlums either as she walked past the doorway. The taller one was blond with a pony tail, his sidekick a pockmarked punk with a shaved head. They pounced on her and pinned her between themselves. By the time I stepped into the street she had been pulled into the alley.

I was across the street and into the alley in a flash, picking up the old brick at the corner as I ran by. I arrived as the blond punk was trying to rip the girl's blouse off. The brick and the right of his face collided and he went down without a whimper.

As the bald one turned to me I forcefully stepped into him and hooked my left foot behind his leg. He went down backwards. He hardly had hit the ground when my bent knee with all my weight behind it found his solar plexus.

The blond guy stayed down, one side of his face partially gone. The other started vomiting. He would retch and vomit for a long time, wishing he was dead. I had had a good instructor in the US Special Forces and tonight I thanked him.

It was over in no more than three or four seconds. The girl still stood where the blond punk had pinned her to the side of the building. She looked at the carnage before her, then looked at me, and simply said, "Thank you." I picked up her grocery bag and her purse, then took her hand and left.

In my living room she found her voice again. "My name is Lori," was all she could get out. She flung herself against me, threw her arms around my neck and kissed me. Then came the reaction, the tears arrived and she started to shake. But she had her self in control again in just a few minutes, all the while hanging on my neck. When the reaction had stopped, she gave me a quick happy smile, followed by another kiss. I actually felt empty when she let go of me.

We stood rooted to the spot, looking at each other and appraising each other. I waited for my breathing and my heartbeat to slow down to normal. It couldn't have been the kiss that caused my rapid heart beat; it probably was the walk back home across the street. Then I remembered to tell her who I was.

"My name is Sam," I told her. "I live here." That was a stupid statement I remarked to myself. Why do I always hat flustered when I meet a beautiful, attractive lady?

"Wait a minute," interrupted my mind, "did you just now say, a 'lady'?"

"I meant to say, girl," I lied to my mind, "anyway, a beautiful and attractive female."

"I am sure you would like a nice hot shower after all that excitement," I suggested.

She gladly accepted my invitation to take a hot shower. I showed her where the bathroom was when I heard a small voice somewhere in the back of my mind whisper something about candles. Then I remembered.

I went to the fridge, retrieved the cake, and set it up on the living room table. I hastily decorated the cake with the candles and laid matches beside it.

When I heard the shower door I quickly lit the candles. I positioned myself in front of the cake and really startled her with my next words.

"Lori, I want to wish you a Happy Birthday."

Lori stiffened and did not move for several seconds, just staring at me as if I had dropped out of the clouds. Then the tears started flowing and she rushed at me to embrace me and hug me, and almost squeeze herself into me. She was shaking.

Her thanks were whispered into my ear, between sobs, her voice hoarse with emotion.

"Sam, I will never forget this day, how can I possibly ever thank you enough. No one ever has wished me Happy Birthday before."

"Then you had never had a birthday cake?" I stuttered as I moved aside so she could see the cake.

Lori shook her head and when she saw the cake she started shedding happy tears again. Between her sobs I could barely hear her as she hoarsely whispered, "and the ... candles ... they are so ...so beautiful."

I had to stop myself right then or I, too, would have joined Lori with a few sympathy tears of mine.

It was necessary to bring up an important subject.

"Lori," I said, "you realize that you cannot go back to where you lived. I have an extra room that we can fix up for you and you can stay as long as you wish as my guest."

I could see her wheels spinning, but finally she agreed.

"You are right. I accept with gratitude." Then she laughed. "Right now I will shower my face; I already took a bath in salty tears."

I fixed a quick dinner from left-overs while she washed her face and combed her hair. It was not a master piece, but she ate with great gusto. After dinner I suggested a movie from my DVD library.

We never did see the movie we had wanted to watch. Instead, we sat on the couch and talked about our lives. Lori had no family, she told me.

"A woman on drugs and a monster of a man on booze is not a family."

Se spat out the words with a voice that had lost its sweetness; the sweetness had been replaced by burning anger.

We sat quietly for a few minutes until her anger had faded and Lori was Lori again. She snuggled herself against me, letting her warm body talk to me in many ways. There was bare skin making electric contact with mine, there was soft hair brushing against my neck. Her leg pressing against mine sent messages of pending ecstasies to my brain.

The fragrance of her body was a cloud of sensuousness. It enveloped me and carried me away to where there was no today, just immeasurable bliss. I was in a different universe, just a girl named Lori and I.

My musing came to a sudden halt, when two soft arms snaked around my neck. Two soft, hot lips planted themselves on mine and a small tongue demanded access. It was granted and my tongue and Lori's started to dance a tango. Reality of this world again receded far, far away to another planet. My world was close by and her name was Lori, a soft, warm, intoxicating presence.

She started to cry and I felt a warm tear hit on my hand. It was a tear of happiness. A few seconds passed and I heard her hoarse whisper.

"Sam, I am so happy, I had to cry."

"What are you so happy about that you had to cry?"

Lori was quiet for a long time. When she started to speak again I could feel her breath on my ear as she whispered while snuggling even closer to me.

"I don't know how to say this, I don't know you, we just met, but I feel I have known you forever."

It suddenly dawned on me, this was exactly how I felt about Lori. It was the wonderful, happy feeling of having her close to me.

I was jolted out of my reverie when Lori whispered again into my ear.

"Don't wait till after midnight." She closed her sentence with a small impish giggle and a quick nibble on my ear.

She took my hand and put it on her left breast where her erect nipple pressed into my palm.

"Do I have to do everything for you," she laughed. "I don't think a man with your looks could be a virgin." She let out another of her delightful giggles.

Am eternity later Lori slumped back into the cushions of the couch and I brought both hands up to her face and turned her head so I could look at her. She was lovely. Her breathing started to return to normal I noticed. Holding her face in both hands I kissed the tip of her cute nose, then her eyelids, then her chin.

She was relaxed, luxuriating in the loving attention I gave her. Again I was amazed at the lushness of the lips of this sixteen year-old beauty. I finally had a chance to study her eyes that even in the dim light of the night had a radiance that compelled me to keep looking.

She is more than just beautiful nudged that little voice in the back of my brain. She is soft, and sweet, and tender, and tough, and so loveable. Go and love her NOW, commanded the voice.

It was time to prove that I was not a virgin. We explored each other, pleasuring each other. Time ceased to exist, we lived in a world of our own, a world filled with ecstasies. But even ecstasies must come to an end.

When Lori came back to earth he looked at me as if she saw me for the first time in her life. And then she collapsed into a rag doll. She was frightened. I moved up next to her and took her into my arms.

"It's alright," I repeated several times. "This is what love will do to you." Later I recalled that I continued holding her and whispering words of love into her ear. Oh God, I was so much in love with this woman that it was almost painful.

After both of us had recovered we lay still for a while, hugging close, soaking in this moment of bliss, floating together high above the earth on a sensuous cloud.

Lori stirred first. We kissed for a long time, kisses not of passion but of love and happiness. When we broke she lifted herself on her elbow and looked at me. Something was in the air. I knew it because she wore her typical impish grin.

She knew what I was thinking about and treated me to her trademark giggles again and then to another of her funny remarks.

"We women are devious, aren't we?"

That imp had a good sense of humor, something I really appreciate, especially in a woman.

She did not sleep in her room that night. When I woke up the next morning I looked at her. Her hair was a mess; she still had some tear streaks in her face and a few red spots left by love bites. Lori was an absolute mess. But to me she was the most gorgeous creature on earth. Was I really in love?

After we were done with breakfast I got up as usual to clear the table. She beat me to the task and addressed me in a stern ton.

"As long as you allow me to stay with you, this will be my duty. This, and a few other things."

Whoa, I was just told by a pretty young lady that there were certain 'things' I would not be allowed to do any more. This was preposterous and I decided I would have to talk to her about this.

But she was not finished, there was more.

"You do your work or watch TV; I am taking over the household chores like cleaning, laundry, sweeping the floor, and so on. Those are my terms for staying." She looked at me and smiled that sunny smile of hers. But there was no doubt that she was serious.

I could not let a teenager commandeer me; I had to make a stand.

"What gives you the right to make such statements, especially in my own house?" I demanded to know.

Lori had a quick answer. "I am a guest in your house and guests have rights and obligations. There is the right to speak up, and there is the obligation not to be a burden to the household. And if it is an extended stay, the guest is expected to contribute some help. Any objections?" And again that beautiful disarming smile.

What was there left to say. I turned so she would not see my admiration for her on my face. And I wondered, why did I feel so odd, both happy and sad at the same time. Was I really in love with a young girl of sixteen?

"No way," one of the voices of my mind said, "that's absolutely ridiculous."
'Why is that ridiculous?' The other voice of my mind inquired.

"Because we two just met," the first voice answered.
'So, you never heard of love on first sight?

'That's different. Anyway, she is only sixteen.'
'Amalia married at thirteen and built an archeological museum.'

"I am almost twice as old as Lori. I can't be in love".
'So, what do you know about being in love, you never were.'

"But I read about it."
'Sure you are in love, you stubborn fool,' the tiny voice from the far corner of my mind kept whispering over and over.

I decided to ignore that silly voice and go on with my work of the day. Strangely though, today I had difficulty concentrating on my work. Maybe I was worried that Lori knew what she was doing around the house, because I found myself looking for her every few minutes.