2
Brady
* * *
The bright Remford sun hits my back, searing it with bright rays. Damn, it’s hot, and I mop at my sweaty brow with a rag. Rivulets of sweat are trailing down my form, highlighting my bronzed muscles. I wish I could take off my shorts, and not just my shirt because it’s so freaking hot.
But that wouldn’t be right because one, who does that? Second, I’ve only lived in this house for about a month and my neighbors would be shocked. But finally, things are coming together. All of my boxes are unpacked, and my furniture is mostly in place. My house and my life are starting to come together and feel normal. When I’m not at work, I’m doing normal chores like gardening and working on my Jeep. I feel calm when I’m doing these things because since I was eighteen, my life has been anything but normal. That’s when I enlisted, and war is hard on a man.
I take a break from pruning flowers and just sit back on my heels for a second. In the middle of my garden, I start thinking about my last tour. A grimace comes over my face, and I look down, breathing hard. It was difficult because I lost my best friend, Tony. Tony graduated from the same military high school I did, but we didn’t know each other until we were both sent to the same location on our very first deployment. Since then, we’ve managed to be together for most of our deployments.
When we were back in the States, we normally found a small flat or apartment in a busy city and just lived life. Neither one of us dated anyone seriously and someone always had a sock on the door. We drank a lot, cried together, and shared some of our most profound memories. Civvies will never get it; only a buddy who’s been there can.
Our bond was strong, and when my parents died, Tony was the person by my side at both of their funerals. I couldn’t imagine doing life without him, yet here I am. Damn him.
After he died and I returned to the States, I wanted to live a different life. It’s partly Tony’s fault. We used to talk about how we’d settle down one day with a luscious woman and pump out a couple rug rats. We always laughed at the idea, but over the years, our tones grew serious. We wanted a family, and a woman to greet us at the end of every deployment. We want children, although now, Tony will never have his.
Fuck. I have to slow down at some point. I have to put my friend out of my mind. As a result, after packing my shit, I randomly chose a city on a map and moved. There happen to be an affordable house on the market in Remford, so I bought it.
Suddenly, a loud voice interrupts my train of thought.
“Hi neighbor, how are you adjusting to everything?” I stand and turn around, looking at the gate that separates the back from the front of the house. A large-bellied man is standing there, waving happily at me. His face is red and he’s sweating profusely.
I wave back. “I’m doing well, thanks. The neighborhood is really nice.”
He beams, looking a bit like Santa Claus.
“I’m Joe Matthias, I live around the corner. What’s your name?” he asks.
I wipe my hands on my shirt and stick it back into the waistline of my pants before walking to greet him.
“Brady Firestone. Nice to meet you.”
He shakes my hand firmly and continues beaming at me.
“Everyone been treating you good? This here is a real friendly neighborhood.”
I nod.
“Oh absolutely. Everyone is great, and I like that the neighborhood is quiet. It’s all very…normal.”
He chortles happily.
“New to normal, eh? Military man, right? I recognize a couple of the tattoos you got there. Got a couple of those myself,” he says, pulling back his sleeve to show me a tattoo of a dog tag on his inner arm.
I have the same one on the left side of my chest. I glance down at mine and read the small inscription. Antonio Garcia, written in cursive, followed by the dates of his birth and death. I nod and give Joe an unexpressive smile.
“Something like that. So have you lived here long?” I ask, changing the subject.
He tilts his head back and forth. “About twenty years. My wife and I bought that house over there when we first got married. She passed about four years ago, so it’s just me now.”
I look down at the ground and knit my eyebrows together sympathetically. “I’m sorry to hear that, Joe.”
He smiles, although it’s a bit sad now.
“My wife was a fighter and she fought all the way until the end. But she told me her dying wish was for me to be happy and lose weight so I could live a long life for our kids. I’m working on keeping both those promises to her.”
I smile at his words. How I yearn to have that kind of connection or love with someone. Sometimes when I’m on tours, I think: who will care if I die? I don’t have any close family to speak of, and the only person I considered true family was Tony. Now that he is gone, I have jack shit.
Caught up in my own emotions, I suddenly just want to be alone.
“Well, nice to meet you, Joe. I really should get back to what I was doing.”
He smiles brightly.
“Oh right, right, I was just checking on you. If you need anything, I’m down the street. Also, if you haven’t met these folks right here, they’re good people,” he says nodding towards the white house next door. It’s a cute cottage with yellow shutters and colorful begonias planted in the yard.
“I have met them actually. Jackie and Jim Monroe, right?” I ask.
Joe nods in agreement.
“Yep, real nice and kind people. They’ve lived here since the neighborhood was first built. Susie was one of the first neighborhood kids actually.”
“Susie? Oh, that’s their daughter right? I remember them mentioning something about her.”
Joe looks off into the distance, seemingly thinking about something. His slightly bites into his bottom lip, and then he shakes his head.
“Yeah, that Susie is really something. Have you met her yet?”
I tilt my head at him, confused at what he means by that.
“Um, no I haven’t,” I say shaking my head. “I happened to catch her parents when I was coming home one day, but Susie was still at school I think? She goes to Remford High, right? I can’t remember because it was so long ago.”
He chuckles slightly and shakes his head. “Yep, it’s called Remford High. If I remember correctly, I think she’s done or ought to be close to graduation. Like a year left or something like that. Well anyways, when you meet her, you’ll be easily charmed. Very nice girl…yep…very nice indeed,” he murmurs as he stares off into space again.
I stand there awkwardly for a second, stumped. Why is Joe stammering and looking so confused? Is it something about the high school girl next door?
But then Joe snaps out of his trance and his jolly smile returns to his face. “I’ll get out of your hair. I see you’re busy. Just holler if you need anything. I’ll see you around.” He waves again and waddles back down the driveway to the sidewalk. He is wearing tight blue shorts and a white t-shirt. Bright yellow ankle weights wrap tightly around his thick ankles. I assume he stopped to talk during his late afternoon walk.
I shake off that weird conversation and return back to my bushes. I hope I didn’t come off as rude, but I hate talking about the military. It’s a stressful part of my life and my life here is the opposite of that. I hope he didn’t notice that I changed the subject quickly once he brought up the armed services.
Then again, my military buddies would never believe that Brady “Tap That” Firestone gardens and lives in a neighborhood where fat old men go on walks with ankle weights. I chuckle at the thought of telling my friends how I live now and their reaction.
I got the nickname “Tap That” because when we used to bet on who could get a girl in bed first, I always won. Looking back, I don’t feel great about it. In fact, it’s pretty disgusting and immature. But at the time, I got as much ass as possible. But it obviously came to nothing because now, I’ve never felt more alone.
The sound of a slamming door snaps me out of my trance. Still kneeling, I glance over the white picket fence at the Monroe family’s large deck out back. A girl comes walking towards the side of the deck that faces my house. She hesitates for a moment and stares idly into the distance. What is she looking at? Her large breasts bounce eagerly in her tiny tank top, threatening to overflow. Her long brown hair flows behind her in the soft wind.
Is this Susie? Suddenly, my weird conversation with Joe makes so much more sense. Her dark smoldering eyes compliment pink, bee-stung lips. I find myself staring, mouth slightly open, taking in her beauty. Never have I seen a woman so stunning in my life.
I swallow and blink, shaking my head. What am I doing? This girl is still in high school. I’ve met her parents, who aren’t too much older than me. Yet, despite the taboo aspect, I can’t stop staring at their young daughter’s beautiful face and voluptuous breasts.
Suddenly, her eyes swing my way. I feel like a creep for staring, and blush. Imagine that. “Tap That” Firestone blushing over a woman. She smiles merrily, as if reading my thoughts, and waves. I sheepishly wave back, and then, she begins heading my way. Oh shit, oh shit. She has a watering can in her hand, and I can see she’s headed towards the flowers that are on her side of the fence.
I stand quickly and compose myself. As she bounds down the stairs, her breast bouncing freely, I feel myself start to harden. Taking a few subtle, deep breaths, I start trying to release the tension I feel building up in my manhood.
As she makes her way to me, I can’t help but trace her curvy figure with my eyes. Her small, pale waist is slightly exposed by her flimsy tank top. Her curvy hips dance back and forth as she daintily trips her way through the grass over to me.
The closer she gets to me, the better I can make out all the delicate features of her face. Her brown eyes suck me in and her pale, milky skin is illuminated by the sun. On her way over, she accidently drops the watering can and turns around to pick it up.
Slowly bending over, she puts her luscious ass on display just for me. At least, I feel like it’s just for me. I can’t tear my eyes away from the plump cheeks that peek out at me from the bottom of her little shorts, the globes firm and luscious. She picks up the can and turns back around with the cutest little face. Giggling she walks up to me. Nothing separates us but our picket fence and the flower beds.
“I can be so clumsy sometimes,” she laughs. “Hi Neighbor. I’m Susie.”
My heart hammers in my chest, and suddenly, I know I’m done for.