It was eight thirty when my doorbell rang. As I opened the door and looked at the faces of my neighbors, it was obvious that they came for a change of scenery and maybe, some moral support.

"Hi, sorry to barge in on you so late," apologized Isabel, "but we just had to see you for a few minutes and talk to someone like you to refresh ourselves. We are worn to a frazzle."

"You definitely need a refresher, and I have one. I just opened a bottle of a nice Pinot Noir that you cannot refuse."

They had no choice. While they selected their armchairs I collected two more glasses and the bottle from the kitchen and returned to the living room.

"You even look frazzled. Here, this will help," I said, handing them their glasses. "Maybe too much prep for tomorrow?"

"No, it's not that. They changed the shifts around and we didn't get a lot done in the morning, so it was catch up all evening."

"Well, I am glad you find me such a good friend that you turned to me," I thanked them. It was true, my neighbors were also my best friends.

"You know we want to make it a very special day. You turn sixteen only once in a lifetime. And this is very special, especially for a girl," explained Isabel.

"Let me tell you how the day started," said Tom. ' Isabel was told that she was going to have the afternoon shift since they are so shorthanded right now. There was no way out. Fortunately I kept my late shift, so we are both free in the morning."

"So you are telling me that the party will be in the morning?" I felt sorry for the birthday child.

"We told Tammy already, she took it gracefully. Well, you know Tammy, she can take bad news and laugh. Naturally, many of her friends will not be able to make it," explained Tom.

To lighten the conversation I cracked a joke. "If no one else shows up, you know I will be there with a knife to cut the cake and a fork to eat it."

"Yes, you better be there. When I told Tammy that she would miss many of her friends, she said it was OK as long as her real important ones came. There was a quick glance in your direction when she said that." Isabel knew that I had a very special liking for Tammy, not a crush, naturally, but a special fondness.

The conversation shifted to other topics for the next half hour. Then the tired couple left to get some much needed rest.

The party was a success, everyone had fun, yesterday's tribulations were forgotten.

Tammy was not what most people call beautiful, but she was attractive, she was likeable, she was loveable. She also was a great tease without knowing it herself; it was just her bubbly personality, combined with her outgoing nature and that pixyish smile decorating her face. I don't believe I have ever seen her without that glitter behind her pupils.

She was a flower ready to open and spread her sex pheromones. Actually, the flower had started to open for me already and I got the first whiff of her female fragrance the afternoon after her birthday party, when she came over for a visit.

After some standard pleasantries she finally started with what I assumed was the main purpose of her visit.

"Look at me," she almost commanded me.

She rose from her easy chair and struck an unconscious seductive pose that did wonders to her petite, slim body. She accompanied that pose with one of her special 'come and get me, I am yours' look. I am absolutely certain that this was unconscious and that she had no idea she was doing that.

"Alright, so I am looking at you. "

"What do you see," she wanted to know.

"Let me see what you want me to comment on. Maybe the old blouse? It's getting too small."

It definitely was too small, but it showed off her perky little tits and her nipples rather well. Were her nipples really that size or was she somehow turned on, I wondered.

She sounded frustrated when she replied, "that's not what I wanted. I want you to tell me what kind of person do you see standing here."

"Gee, there are so many compliments I could make, but we don't have all afternoon," I told her.

"Again you missed the point. Do you see a sixteen year-old kid or a female on the way to become a woman?"

"There is no question here. I don't look at you as a kid; I already stopped that a little bit ago. Yes you are not a kid in my eyes."

I had hardly finished my sentence when she rushed at me, pressed her young body tight against mine, brought both hands behind my head, and proceeded to give me a mind-blowing, wet, tongue lashing kiss. I was dumbfounded, I was paralyzed.

Both of us were out of breath when I finally lifted her off me and stood her on the carpet in front of me. I remember that I was unable to utter a word. Tammy just laughed, gave me one of her pixyish 'come-and-get-me' smiles. I swear she enjoyed my discomfort tremendously.

"Thank you," she whispered, "and don't go anywhere I will be right back." With that she turned and walked out the door.

I stared at the closed door and tried to make sense of the jumble of my conflicting emotions, two voices inside me talking.

I was angry with myself for not having stopped that attack in its beginning.
but how could I have, I didn't know it was coming.

Then why did you continue kissing in this fashion,
Because I was so surprised that I could not move.

Or did you not want to move because, well, because your male body simply responded to feeling a female? Why do you try to deny the pleasure you felt?
Because it was wrong, she is too young.

Oh, she is too young, is she, really?

I finally decided that morally I was guilty, she is the daughter of my best friends. But then the pleasure zones in my brain vetoed the guilt feeling and told me to just retain the great feeling and what went with it.

I had barely finished my self assessment of the situation when Tammy reappeared, walking in as if she had never left. She carried a tripod, with her camera already mounted. She did not answer my question as to what was going on, just gave me a vixen smile while she set up the contraption. I was intrigued by the mystery and remained seated in my chair while I watched her preparations.

When she was done she at last explained. "It is time I have a picture with you. I am getting older. Right now I am sort of almost a woman, but still young enough to have a photo with you without a viewer drawing the wrong conclusions."

This at first sounded like a good reason to take a picture of her and me together, but then I wondered how 'getting older' and 'having a picture with me' fit together. I decided I would think about that later.

For the first picture she stood behind my chair with her hands on my shoulder, the next one showed her standing next to me seated in my armchair. A few more simple shots followed.

"The next one will be a favorite of mine," she announced. "I want one sitting in your lap like when I was little." This one I vetoed.

"OK," she pouted. Then at least let me stand in front of you while you hold me around my waist."

I should have seen it coming, but I am such a trusting soul

"How many more are you gonna take," I inquired.

"That depends," was her short answer.

"Depends on what," I wanted to know.

She answered with one of her disarming pixy smiles. "It depends on how well you behave." Then she laughed as if she had just heard the joke of her life.

I should have known that something was going to happen like me holding the wrong end of the ice cream stick. I should have, but I didn't, I guess I was too engrossed watching her antics with the camera.

I simply said, "OK, go ahead."

She showed me how she wanted me to sit, holding my right arm around her waist. Then she went to start the timer. She must have practiced her scheme many, many times to carry it out with split second precision.

While she was positioning herself in front of me she surreptitiously had popped her blouse buttons, exposing her tits. I innocently assumed that she was placing my right hand around her waist but she stopped at the right moment and placed my hand on her left boob a split second before the flash went off.

I was still half blinded by the flash when she was already half way out the door. Before I knew what had happened she was gone.

Two seconds later my brain started functioning again and two voices started to ask questions.

Do you realize the fix you can be in if that photo sees daylight? Certainly I know, but what could I have done.

Well, you didn't push her away when she had first kissed you. I was too surprised and almost in shock.

Bullshit, you enjoyed the warm body and the kissing. I am only a man, how else could I react to a sexy kiss.

You didn't have to respond that eagerly and willingly. I guess I got carried away a little.

There were more accusations and excuses. I had to put a stop to it and quit worrying for a while and get me a glass of wine instead. Tammy returned just after I finished my second glass of wine. She normally takes great care in how she dresses, but this time she looked absolutely sluttish the way she had dressed herself. Was this a signal of some sort? And what about that Cheshire cat grin she wore?

"Sorry about that accident," she lied to me, "but now that it happened we have to decide what to do with this picture."

She handed me a copy fresh from her printer. There was no doubt that this thirty two year-old man held the innocent young child captive and was fondling her most inappropriately.

Tammy seemed to enjoy my discomfort, but then she turned conciliatory.

"You know that a picture like this should never see the daylight," she informed me. She did not sit down in her favorite arm chair but continued to stand in front of me.

"You are absolutely right," I agreed. "I could lose my job and the friendship of your parents if this photo fell into wrong hands."

She interrupted me. "Don't worry, that will not happen. I will keep it safe."

"Oh no, you must erase it from the camera and also from the computer memory," I advised her, although I knew for certain that this was not going to happen. And the question nagged at me what did she have in mind. I felt it deep in my bones that there was more to come. And it did.

"I can't do that, not before I have you convinced." She spoke down at me, standing in front of me who was seated in the cushions of my chair.

"Convinced of what?" I challenged her.

"I have to convince you to do me a favor and you might be reluctant to do so. But I think you will help me as long as I hold on to that picture." She had placed both hands on her hips, signaling her resolve to win the contest.

"So you have a task for me in mind," I half questioned.

"It's a pleasant task, and after you are finished, you will have to admit to yourself, that you even enjoyed doing it for me."

There came a long pause, which told me that whatever it was, it was mighty important to her. I waited for her to tell me more, although I had a foreboding that the task she had in mind for me was not an easy one. I did not have to wait long before she continued.

"Let me start by telling you that I am an anomaly." She paused for effect before continuing. "Practically all the girls my age are not virgins any more. But I am, or at least I am a half-virgin."

"I never heard of a half-virgin in my whole life," I interrupted her.

"That's what I call it," Tammy explained. "I don't have a hymen any more but I have never had any sex with a boy."

"You mean to tell me that your hymen just shriveled away some time ago?" I was amazed.

"Oh no, it didn't shrivel away. I was having fun with one of those thin Italian cucumbers when I had a crashing orgasm like never before. My arms just convulsed sort of and pushed the cucumber right past my hymen. And that's how I opened up myself without actual intercourse."

"That's an amazing story," I blurted out. "It must have hurt."

"I guess it did," she admitted, "but I didn't feel it, I reacted so hard that the house could have burned down and I wouldn't have noticed. And when I came to, I found out what had happened."

I noticed her breath quickening when the memory of that climax flooded over her. We were both quiet for a while before she spoke up again.

"I am long past beginning of menarche, I am turning into a woman and I have to get rid of the other half of my virginity."

I started to get the drift, although I could not yet believe completely that she would actually think I would help her with her problem, and I told her so.

"If I understand you correctly you somehow want me to get involved in your adventure. Better count me out before you get any further."

She continued anyway. "I certainly don't want to have my first experience botched up by a clumsy boy in a dark back alley. I want to experience this important, once in a lifetime, moment in nice surroundings, being treated like a lady."

She was quiet for a long while, all the time staring at me as if she was trying to hypnotize me into acceptance. When she spoke up again her voice was strong with emotion and even stronger with the will to succeed.

"I want to have memories of a wonderful and glorious moment in my life." I was amazed at how forceful her voice had become.

"You are quite right," I admitted. "In fact I appreciate and admire your intentions, but a thirty two year-old man should not be part of those memories as the one who took your virginity."

She remained unfazed." Some time ago I heard someone say that married women don't tell. I think one can follow this up with older men don't tell." Then she sort of corrected herself, "I did not really mean to say 'older men', I wanted to say 'mature men'. She paused again for effect before going on.

"Also, it must be a man I can trust, and a man I can sort of love." Again a short pause, "and you fit perfectly."

"That my dear," I answered, looking her straight in the eye, "could cause many problems,. We have talked about them already."

She smiled at me. "You are so right, that's why we are doing some horse trading. You help me with my problem, and I will help you with yours, guarding the picture with my life."

It was time to put an end to this nonsense and I resolved to tell her so.

As I stood up she stepped forward, put her arms around me and kissed me like a girl in love. After kissing me she smiled up at me and whispered, "Thank you." Then she abruptly turned and hurried to the door.

She turned again before leaving. "See you at four tomorrow," she announced, gracing me with one of her irresistible smiles. A second later the door closed behind her and I was alone with my thoughts in turmoil.

One thing was clear; Tammy was not a child anymore. She had developed a perfect scheme and carried it out with authority. It also dawned on me, that this vixen had been in charge all the time, with me just being the fish on the hook. And that, I convinced myself, would change tomorrow.

When Tammy arrived the next day I took a deep breath. What a transformation. Here was a young debutante, meticulously dressed, her face so perfectly made up that one was not aware of any make-up. Her skirt was just the right length for a young lady on a date, her white blouse in its simplicity reinforced Tammy's natural beauty. I was stunned.

I am certain she knew the impression she made on me as she stood inside the door. She wanted me to admire her, and when she thought I had done so, she advanced to embrace and kiss me like a lover. Somehow she appeared taller today.

I put my arm around her and walked the young lady through the living room into the kitchen to pour myself another glass o wine. There it dawned on me, Tammy was wearing high heels. But she walked like a pro, not like someone just getting acquainted with heels. No wonder she appeared taller than before.

She saw my astonishment and answered my unspoken question. "These are Mom's and I have walked in them every day for two months. I wanted to make this a perfect day and not walk as clumsy as most girls my age who try to wear heels."

"Are you telling me that you have planned this day for two months?" I was in awe.

"Oh, about three months, actually," she laughed. "It was fun putting it all together."

I felt her trying to take charge again and I was not going to let that happen. Today I was running the show.

At least I tried, but looking back now at this afternoon, I realize that it was Tammy again who was leading. Not with words, but with smiles, body movements, whimpers and many other devious feline ways.

I also remember how we embraced and snuggled close to each other. How I shut out all thought and just luxuriated in the closeness of her warm, soft body. There was a feeling of tenderness, and a feeling of .....well, a feeling of just being close to my sweet, wonderful, desirable, loveable Tammy.

Much later we sat in the living room in our favorite arm chairs. We looked at each other and tried to digest the events of the afternoon. Tammy was first to speak up.

"Thank you for a wonderful, loving, memorable time. I don't have the words that could tell you how I feel. Euphoric comes to my mind, but that is only a small part of it. And I know deep in my heart that I am not the same person that entered through your front door a few hours ago."

A long pause followed before she spoke up again.

"I feel that you and I have entered into a very special relationship. I don't know what it is. I know only that I would like nothing more than you kissing me to start the day, and another kiss in the evening to finish the day.

I will try to tell you how I feel. There is affection, fondness, and there is love I don't know which of the words fit. My feeling is a mixture of trust and respect, of caring about each other, wanting to be together. And we share special memories that only you and I possess."

Another pregnant pause followed.

"You treated me special tonight, not the way you normally treat a lady. And while I think that it would be unwise to continue a physical relationship until we are absolutely sure about each other, I would like for you to stay as you are today. Will you promise me that favor?"

I had to come to grips with my own emotions and feelings, and this time the pause was much longer. So many thoughts tumbled through my mind as I looked at Tammy I tried hard to formulate an answer. She patiently waited for me, sensing the difficulties as I was grappling with them.

"Tammy," I finally answered, "about an hour ago I had come to the same conclusion about our future relationship. It was not a moral decision. I would find nothing immoral in a physical relationship between two adults, even if one of the adults is only sixteen years old.

But the reality is that we live in a culture, which does not look kindly on bonds between adults with our age difference. Most people don't see a sixteen year old as an adult as I do. And there is the matter of your parents.

However, I am willing, in fact happily willing, to grant you the favor you asked for."

I wrestled with myself for a few moments whether or not I should keep quiet or open my mouth. But I did open it and then amazed myself.

"Let me also tell you that it was not easy to say NO to the future when a person is as close to my heart as you are."

The smile in her eyes deepened. She rose from her chair without a word and walked over to where I sat. She reached out and imprisoned my head in her hands to keep me from moving, bent down and gave me a warm, light, feathery kiss.

At the font door she hesitated a moment, then turned around, wiped away some tears, and flashed me a smile of love and promise.