Simone, my neighbor and friend, turned eighteen in the summer of 1986, right after we graduated from high school. Though she had a party planned for the following Saturday, she and her parents invited me to join them for a celebratory dinner at a nice restaurant on Wednesday, which was her actual birthday. After we got back to her house that evening, she and I headed upstairs to her bedroom, while her parents remained downstairs to watch TV in the den.

As soon as Simone closed the door behind us, she threw her arms around me with a force that made me stumble a few steps backward. I couldn't help but laugh at her giddiness. I'd turned eighteen back in the spring, so I understood her excitement well. Of course, I'd been a little bit of an asshole then, teasing her about having to wait several more months for her own big day to arrive.

"Thank you again for my beautiful present, Drew," she murmured. Her breath was warm against my neck.

"You're welcome, birthday girl." I gave Simone a few pats on the back before withdrawing from her embrace. As she took the small gift box from her purse, I noticed she was practically glowing with happiness. Again, she lifted the box's lid to see the sterling silver charm I'd bought for her charm bracelet. It was a four-leaf clover. "For luck," I'd told her when she first opened the present at dinner. "Not that you'll need it. I know our class valedictorian will achieve whatever she sets her mind to."

Now, Simone added the charm to her bracelet. "I love it!" She held out her slender forearm so we could both admire the bracelet's new addition. I wished I could have spent more on her gift, but my part-time job at the food court didn't pay much. Still, Simone carried on as if I'd given her a thousand bucks. She'd always been really sweet like that.

She tossed her long, dark hair over her shoulders before turning on the radio. Van Halen's "Why Can't This Be Love" was playing. As Simone moved, her steps were so light that she could have been walking on air. In the fall, she and I would be attending colleges in different states. Only last week, she'd said, "Never in my life has a time felt so terrifying and also so full of possibility."

In her room that evening, I sank down onto the old beanbag chair in the corner, while she sat on her bed. Since Simone and I had always been just friends, her parents trusted us to be alone in her room, but I didn't want to push my luck. If her mom happened to peek in on us, she would always find me at a careful distance from her daughter.

As Simone chattered away, her expression animated, I found my thoughts drifting to how gorgeous she was. She'd always been pretty in a wholesome, girl-next-door way. Of course, she literally was the girl next door, and had been for as long as I could remember. But tonight, there was something about her rosy cheeks and bright eyes that made her beautiful.

Maybe my face revealed too much as I listened to her, for she suddenly fell silent and tilted her head. "What are you thinking about, Drew?"

I quickly looked down at my hands. "Nothing important. It's just awesome to see you so happy."

Simone was quiet for several more moments. "You know," she finally said, "the gift you picked out for me is so thoughtful. I'll always cherish it."

I met her stare again, unable to hide my pleased smile. "I'm glad you like it."

"I feel like a simple 'thank you' isn't enough," Simone went on. I could tell she was trying to sound casual, but I knew better. She patted the bed, indicating that I should sit next to her. "Come here."

I glanced nervously at her closed door. "Your parents..."

"It's fine," she insisted. "They're watching Newhart."

Fighting back my nervousness, I got up from the chair and went to sit on Simone's bed. As soon as I was comfortable, she took my right hand in both of hers. She got this way sometimes, affectionate and kind of flirty. I never knew how to respond, so I tended to laugh it off. The last thing I wanted to do was mess up our friendship by misinterpreting her signals.

When she leaned forward, gazing into my eyes, I struggled not to fidget. With my free hand, I ran my fingers through my dark hair. I'd dressed nicely for our dinner at the restaurant, but I now wished I was in my usual jeans and T-shirt. I felt out of place, especially while Simone was looking at me so intently. She was acting like we'd just gotten back from a date.

The air in the room suddenly felt hot when Simone placed my hand on her thigh. She was wearing a cute sky-blue dress, which complemented her eyes, and my own eyes widened as she guided my hand farther upward.

"I want to show how grateful I am for my gift," she whispered.

My mouth dropped open, and I desperately searched her face for a clue as to what the hell was going on. Simone had decided long ago not to have sex until she fell in love. That hadn't happened yet, so she was still a virgin. I was also a virgin, but my criterion for a partner wasn't nearly as stringent. Much of my time was spent fantasizing about finally getting laid.

But I didn't allow myself to fantasize about Simone. We'd been friends forever, and while I deeply cared for her, I knew her feelings for me were strictly platonic.

Or at least I thought I'd known that. Now, with Simone sliding my hand beneath her dress, I wasn't so sure.

She seemed to find my astonishment amusing. "What do you want, Drew?" Her voice lowered to a seductive purr. "Tonight, I just might be willing to give it to you."

"Uh..." I sounded so fucking stupid, but my brain couldn't keep up with the arousal overtaking me. My cock had grown instantly hard at her offer. Eagerly watching as more of Simone's creamy thigh was exposed to my view, I finally blurted out, "Will you show me your clit?"

Simone's gasp immediately made me fear I'd fucked up. Had I read this entire situation wrong? But how could I have done that, when my fingertips were now just inches from her pussy?

Before I could sputter an apology and pull my hand from hers, Simone actually giggled. "You want to see my clit?"

Though my face burned with embarrassment, I grinned at her. "You know I'm clueless when it comes to sex," I said quietly. "I've looked at a nudie magazine my dad has hidden in his bedside drawer, and..." I groaned, my mortification growing. "I am so confused. It looks like a... labyrinth of flesh down there, and I'm afraid when I go down on a girl for the first time, I'll make a complete fool of myself."

Was it only my imagination, or had my confession made Simone start breathing a little faster? She considered my words in that thoughtful way she had, and as the silence stretched on, my unease grew. "Look, forget I asked. I'm sorry—"

I stopped talking when she climbed from the bed and went to the door to lock it. That click resounded in my ears. The realization that we were about to cross what had always been a firm line between us made me both scared and excited.

Simone strode toward me. I watched in a kind of incredulous daze as she lifted her dress and then tugged down her cotton panties. She wasn't the only one breathing fast now! Her face, however, revealed nothing of her thoughts. I looked all around the room, trying not to ogle her when she propped her pillow up against the bed's brass headboard.

Again, Simone climbed next to me, then leaned back against the pillow. I wondered if she'd noticed my dick straining against my pants. If she did, she was kind enough not to mention it. Instead, she lifted her dress up to her waist before bending her legs and allowing them to fall open.

With her now spread wide before me, I fought back a surge of guilt. I'd asked her to do this, putting our friendship at risk in the process.

"Drew, look at me," Simone gently urged.

Reluctantly, I obeyed. She reached between her open thighs and used her fingers to part her outer lips, which were covered with dark curls. The sight made me so horny that I worried I'd come in my pants before she had a chance to show me what I desperately wanted to see.

"Lean closer so you can see better," she told me.

I was afraid to move, afraid to even breathe, but once again, I did as Simone said. Peering between her legs, I searched for that mysterious nub of flesh that supposedly held the key to a woman's pleasure. I saw her pink, glistening inner folds, along with her opening. The sight of it made me imagine sliding my finger inside. How would that feel? I wondered.

"My clit's right here." Simone used a fingertip to point out an inconspicuous pink bud.

Furrowing my brow, I moved even closer. "That's it?" I cried. "It's tiny!" I was now glad I'd asked her to show me, because I never would have found it on my own!

"Well, it gets a little bigger if you rub it," she revealed. Our eyes locked, and she must have seen the abject need in my face. "Do you want to try?"

I vigorously nodded, all of my reservations crumbling now that I was so close to Simone's pussy. Before I touched her, I slid my index finger between my lips, getting it wet. I had no idea what made me do such a thing, only that it didn't seem right to massage that tiny pearl with a dry fingertip.

That first intimate meeting of our skin made Simone release a faint cry. I looked from her pussy to her face, gauging her reaction to my touch. As she urged me on, the blush in her cheeks spread to her neck and chest.

I was tentative at first, barely grazing her flesh. It was hard to tell how sensitive her clit was when she was already so excited. She seemed to love the way I caressed her hood while trying to determine if it would retract any farther. "Is that sensitive, too?" I asked.

"When you rub it like that, it feels amazing!"

So I kept doing that until Simone said, "Use a little more pressure." I'd never seen her look so... eager. "Oh, that's good!"

Her body responded to my fingertip's coaxing. Soon, her moans grew almost constant, and she started moving her hips. Since my attention was focused solely on learning how to please her, I was no longer dangerously close to shooting my load. I stayed plenty hard, though; it was arousing as hell to see her writhing from my touch.

When Simone started making guttural sounds from deep in her throat, and her thighs clamped around my arm, I thought she was close. But before I could make her orgasm, she looked up at me, her gaze pleading.

"Use your tongue, Drew!"

My cock twitched fiercely at those words. Still, I asked, "Are you sure?"

She cupped her breasts in her hands, teasing her nipples until they hardened beneath her dress. "Yes! Make me come with your mouth."

I quickly lay on my stomach so I could settle between Simone's thighs. Being so close to her wet pussy, I easily detected her scent. I'd heard crude jokes from guys at school about the way pussies smelled, but now that I was experiencing it for myself, I grew desperate for a taste as well.

Gingerly, I licked Simone's clit. The tang of her juices lingered on my tongue, and I took a moment to savor it.

Simone lifted her head to stare down at me. "What's wrong?"

I realized I'd made her self-conscious by stopping, and I hurried to reassure her. "Nothing at all! I'm just enjoying your taste."

A relieved smile formed on her lips. "So I... taste okay?"

"Way more than okay!" With blatant enthusiasm, I set about licking not just her clit, but all of her inner folds. I was soon immersed in her taste and smell. Simone patiently allowed me to explore every inch of her pussy; she even went so far as to use her fingers to spread her outer lips wider, which helped me avoid getting a stray hair in my mouth.

Finally, her patience ran out, and she whimpered, "Go back to my clit!"

I worked the tip of my tongue against her sensitive flesh, trying to follow the same rhythm she'd preferred when I used my finger. She grabbed my hair and pressed my mouth firmly against her, letting me know my technique was working.

"Oh, my God!" she cried. "I'm getting close!"

I groaned in response, my tongue moving at a fervent pace. Her thighs trembled on either side of me, and I could hear her heavy breathing. When she spoke again, her voice was so thick with arousal that it sounded like a stranger's. "Suck my clit!"

It had honestly never occurred to me to do that, but I now readily circled my lips around her swollen bud. She cupped a hand over her mouth to muffle a wail. My own excitement grew until I was practically humping the bed.

I wasn't expecting Simone's entire body to stiffen as she came. Her back arched fiercely, and her shuddering was so powerful that I could barely keep my face between her thighs. My own satisfaction at making her come felt intensely sexual.

As I reveled in her cries, muted as they were from her hand pressed hard against her mouth, my lips and tongue kept working. I was amazed at how long her orgasm lasted; just when I thought she was finished, another wave of spasms descended upon her.

By the time she inched away from me, still quaking, I was perilously on edge again. My own need to come had grown painful.

"I've never come that hard before!" Simone revealed with a huge grin.

Through my agony, I grinned back. "Thank you for letting me do that for you. But I, uh, I need to..." Glancing down at my crotch, I hoped Simone understood my desperate state. "I have to use the bathroom. Like, right now. It won't take me long." All I needed was a few minutes to jerk off.

I started to leave the bed, but Simone sat up and grabbed my hand to stop me. "Will you show me your cock, Drew? Let me touch it. Please?"

"Oh, fuck." I wiped my hand over my face, torn between giving Simone what she wanted and fleeing to get relief. "Just for a sec, okay?"

"Okay." Her voice was soft and soothing.

I let her guide me back onto the bed, and as I rested my head on her pillow, I frantically worked to free my cock. She eagerly watched, her eyes bright and wild. As soon as I had my dick out, she wrapped her fingers around my shaft.

"It's so warm!" she murmured. "And your skin is really soft, but you're so hard underneath it!"

When Simone began stroking me, I hissed through clenched teeth. My shirt was damp with sweat, clinging to me like a second layer of flesh. The sight of her hand gliding up and down my shaft was almost more than I could bear. Gently, she swept the pad of her thumb over my tip, making me whimper.

"Your balls are moving all by themselves!" Simone said through a giggle.

"Yeah, they tighten up when I'm close to coming." My voice sounded pained, but I couldn't bring myself to stop her. God, it felt so good having her touch me like this!

Simone's stare was riveted to my dick; she seemed intensely curious about my physical response. Yet she told me, "Don't make a mess."

"If you don't want me to make a mess, you're gonna have to stop!"

She licked her lips, her hand never slowing. "I know what to do," she said, more to herself than to me. Then she leaned forward and took my cock in her mouth.

"Holy shit!" I cried, my voice far too loud. It was excruciating, the way she pushed me right to the edge. Her mouth, warm and wet, surrounded my tip, and I felt the caress of her tongue. I began shaking from the effort to hold back.

"Simone, please!" I begged.

She inched her lips down my shaft, taking me a little deeper, and then deeper still.

And then I let go. I had no choice but to surrender to the bliss of her mouth. Simone didn't lift her head; she didn't even flinch. Instead, she worked to gulp down all my cum, as if she was determined not to let a single drop escape. My groans increased in volume as I let her drain me dry.

Finally, she sat up, wiping at a trickle of spit and cum that had seeped from her lips. I stared up at her, still shocked at what she'd just done for me. "Simone, that was fantastic!"

She grinned at my praise. "Not bad for my first blowjob, huh? Of course, you were so worked up that I didn't have to do much to make you come."

My dick was still plenty hard when she lay down beside me. Without thinking, I pressed my lips to hers. The kiss we shared wasn't my first, but it was definitely the best.

Simone and I continued our explorations throughout the summer, doing "everything but." In the process, I became quite talented at making her come from oral, and she in turn grew skilled at giving head. Still, we told ourselves, and each other, that we were just friends having fun.

During her freshman year at college, Simone fell in love and finally lost her virginity. I, meanwhile, got lucky with a junior who'd heard about my love of eating pussy. But when Simone and I returned home the following summer, we were both single again. Soon afterward, she and I, at long last, gave ourselves to each other. When we first made love in her room, our pleasured moans were quiet, but her brass bed was most definitely not. Through our low laughter, we prayed that the sound of the bed's rhythmic squeaking wouldn't be overheard by her parents downstairs.

In the midst of those seemingly endless days of light and heat, I told Simone I loved her. Yet I waited three more years, until the summer following our college graduations, before I got down on one knee to propose to the girl next door.

And that girl said yes.