“It’s your turn, Ace,” 20-year-old Lance Bass said as he adjusted his seated position on his bed. He lifted his arm to brush the sweat from his forehead before grasping the front of his sticky, sweaty t-shirt, removing it from his heated skin. “And make it a good one this time, your last ones have been lame.”

He sighed as a cool breeze suddenly washed over him as the fan turned in his direction. It stood in front of the open window, slowly spinning from side to side, drawing the somewhat cooler air from outside into the warm, stifling bedroom.

Clinton, Mississippi had been experiencing its longest heat wave that Lance could remember and as luck would have it, the heat wave caused part of the city to experience a blackout. The days hadn’t been below 95, when the normal average would sit at 90. People went so far as taking cold showers and eating ice cream or popsicles as much as often if not for simply just staying in one spot all day long. It was easy to go to the pool or the creek or to any open store to cool off, but it meant having to actually move and they didn’t want to take the time to do that.

“It’s too hot ta think, James,” Lance’s best friend, 18-year-old Annaleigh Carr complained, waving her hand by her face, trying to cool herself. She was lying top to toe next to him, on her side, hand propping her head up.

“Oh come on, I’ve asked enough,” Lance said, grasping at the collar of his shirt, rapidly pulling it away from his chest to try and cool himself down. He then wiped his hands off on his board shorts, probably the only pair of pants he had that would keep him cool in the intense heat.

“Ok, ok, don’ get your feathers ruffled,” she replied. Lance watched as she rolled her dark eyes, her nose wrinkling, drawing her freckles towards each other. “Ummm…” She pressed her pink lips together before her tongue darted out between them, wetting her dry lips. Lance crossed one leg over the other when he felt the familiar ache arise down below. “Never have I ever…gone skinny dippin’.”

“That’s true,” Lance replied, his lips curling up into a smile. “You’re too modest for that.” Annaleigh reached out a hand and swatted at his bare leg. “What? You are!”

“Yeah, but that actually sounds pretty good right now,” she replied giving a half smile. Her eyebrows twitched upwards, her lips curling upwards into a smirk when she caught his eye. “Ok, I have another one. Never have I ever snuck a peek at ya.” She pushed herself up into a seated position, adjusting the strap to her tank top. She pulled her long legs towards her chest, accentuating the curve of her bottom in her jeans shorts. “Not in the shower, nor at the creak, the pool, nothin’.”

Lance slowly narrowed his eyes as he peered over at her. She tossed her wavy hair to the side as she waited for his answer. He squeezed his hands tighter in his armpits, fighting the urge to reach out his hand to brush her hair from her face.

“That’ssss…truuue,” he slowly replied. His eyes widened, an odd laugh coming out of his mouth, heart starting to pound as she slowly shook her head back and forth. “That’s false? You’ve actually looked?”

“Of course I’ve looked,” Annaleigh replied with a laugh, her eyes alight with amusement. She shrugged her shoulders. “I’ve always looked.”

“When?” he asked, wincing slightly as his voice cracked. He swallowed thickly and tried again, purposefully lowering his already deep voice. “I mean…when?”

“The creek mainly,” Annaleigh replied, half her face scrunching up as she thought about it. “But, I’ve seen ya in the shower a couple times, and at the pool.”

Lance felt his jaw drop just slightly. She was talking about it as if it was a common thing for her, like watching a movie. He didn’t know if he was embarrassed by it or turned on, but nevertheless he felt heat crash over his body, starting with his toes, working its way up to the top of his head.

“Oh,” he managed to get out. Annaleigh chuckled before pressing her big toe into his thigh.

“So what about you?” she asked.

“I think I’ve seen myself often at this point, Ace,” Lance replied, hiking an eyebrow. Annaleigh rolled her eyes.

“You know what I mean, James,” she replied. Lance grinned.

“Yes, I’ve looked,” he replied. His chest swelled as he sucked in a deep breath of air before letting it out. “A handful of times. Haven’t been disappointed.”

“Shut up,” Annaleigh laughed, slapping his leg again, a blush reaching her cheeks.

What kind of question was that? He was a guy, of course he looked. He could admit that he ogled the first couple of times she wore a bikini, but whether she noticed or not, or was comfortable enough to call him out on it was a different story. He couldn’t deny that she was one of the prettiest girls he’s known, but he didn’t think she thought that way about herself. Any guy in Clinton could say that she was a spring chicken.

“It’s your turn,” he said to her.

“Naw, it’s yours; I asked two questions,” she replied, shaking her head. She gathered her hair up in her hands, holding it in a ponytail. She held her hair in one hand, letting out a breath of air before craning her neck, fanning the back with her hand.

“The second one doesn’t count,” he protested. Annaleigh stuck her tongue out at him. “Do you mind if I take off my shirt?” She blinked at his sudden change of subject. Lance closed his eyes, letting out a sigh as the cool air from the fan washed over him seconds before it disappeared and the heat instantly returned, prickling his skin.

“Is that your question?” Annaleigh asked, hiking an eyebrow. Lance reached for the collar of his shirt, ignoring her. “Go right ahead, Lance-A-Snot; not like it’s anythin’ I haven’ seen before.” He watched as she gave him a toothy smile before his vision was obstructed by the cloth of his shirt as he lifted it up over his head.

“You sneeze all over your shirt once…” Lance muttered, shaking his head.

“As long as you don’ mind me takin’ off mine.”

Lance paused just slightly as he tossed his shirt aside. He flickered his eyes towards her, and she gave him a curious look in return, her eyes boring into his. He could’ve sworn he saw her lips twitching in the corners, just slightly, as if she knew what she was doing to him. He crossed his legs tighter as he set his shirt aside.

“Go ahead,” he replied, waving a hand in the air.

Annaleigh dropped her hair before she crossed her arms, reaching for the bottom of her tank top. Slowly, so very slowly (at least to him), her stomach was revealed, then her belly button, just underneath her breasts, then her bra, and then her shirt was off and on the floor. Lance felt his tongue poke out between his lips, slowly dragging between them.

“Your turn,” she commented, adjusting her bra.

“Uhhh…never have I ever…I don’t know…played a kissing game at a party,” Lance replied, shifting his gaze to the ceiling, trying to calm himself. His pants were getting too tight. He tried not to move…

“That’s false, you got your first kiss at spin the bottle,” Annaleigh instantly replied.

“So did you,” Lance replied, angling his head downwards to look over at her. Annaleigh rested her chin on her knees, shaking her head, wrinkling her nose. “You haven’t?”

“Naw, I chickened out,” she replied, an embarrassed look crossing her face. “Turned my head at the last second. Remember? You said that Lucas Tanner practically ate my face tryin’ ta get a kiss.” Lance couldn’t help but laugh. Lucas was a hot shot, thinking he knew everything there was to know about girls. In reality, he barely had any experience either, just talked a big game. “It’s not that funny. Stop laughin’ at me.” She stuck her bottom lip out into a pout.

“So…you’ve never been kissed?” he asked, sitting up. He uncrossed his legs, holding his hands in his lap. “At all?”

“Woulda told ya if I had been,” Annaleigh replied, shaking her head. “But, naw.” She gave a shrug of her shoulders.

“Hmmm,” Lance muttered in reply after a moment of silence.

“Yep.” She popped her ‘p’ nodding her head. Silence fell over the two of them; a heavy, yet comfortable silence. The only sound in the room coming from papers ruffling, posters gently tickling the walls, and the hum of the fan as it twisted from side to side.

Lance watched as Annaleigh used her top teeth to bring her plump bottom lip into her mouth, biting down on it. His heart beat sped up, and an ache formed in the pit of his stomach. I wonder what I’d be like to…before he knew it, he was leaning towards her, a hand caressing her leg.

“What are you doin’?” Annaleigh asked, leaning away from him.

“Figured I’d go the whole hog and kiss you,” Lance replied.

“Careful, James, you actually sounded Southern,” she said, giving him a teasing smile. Lance rolled his eyes. He couldn’t deny that while he was touring he had lost his Southern accent along the way. It was still there, just not as noticeable as hers, but it used to be. “Why do you want ta kiss me?”

That was a loaded question. “If you can’t kiss your friends, who can you kiss?” Lance offered. He gave her a gentle smile. “I just want to.” Boy, do I want to.

“Well, shut my mouth,” Annaleigh said.

I plan on it. “It’s not a big deal,” Lance reassured her. “It’s just…a friend helping out another friend. Just relax.” He slowly leaned forward and she made a face, pursing her lips, leaning towards him. He let out a laugh, pulling away. “What are you doing?”

“What?” Annaleigh asked, her voice going higher pitched. She laughed along with him, burying her face in her hands. Lance gently grabbed her wrists, pulling her hands away from her face. “I’m sorry. It’s jus’ weird.”

“It’s ok,” Lance replied, lifting his hand to brush her hair away from her face, sliding his fingers through her warm hair.

Annaleigh’s eyes fluttered shut for a brief moment at the touch. He slid his fingers over the curve of her jaw before they rested just beneath her chin, tilting her head back. Her eyes then snapped open.

“Wait! Do I close my eyes or—?”

“Yes,” Lance replied, sitting back. “What kind of question is that?” He quickly realized his question could’ve been harsh and gave a small grin. “Would you want someone staring at you as you kiss?” Annaleigh shrugged. “If you don’t want to do this, we don’t have to.”

“No, no, it’s ok…I want to,” Annaleigh replied, quietly. “I mean…just to get it over with.”

“Right, just to get it over with,” Lance repeated, nodding his head. He put his hands up defensively. “You don’t have to be nervous. I won’t tell anyone if you don’t want me to—“

“Well, it’s not like people don’ already think somethin’s goin’ on between us anyway,” she said, interrupting him.

That was true.

Annaleigh let out a breath of air. “Ok,” she said, nodding her head. She slid her hands down her legs. “What do I do with my hands?”

Instead of answering, Lance just grasped her small hands in his. He placed on one his hip, instantly feeling a spark shoot from his hip bone down to his groin, feeling his cock twitch. He moved her other hand to his shoulder, effectively pulling her closer towards him. He could feel the warm skin of her smooth leg touching his own. Her cheeks instantly bloomed pink.

“Just relax,” he said quietly, his voice barely above a whisper.

He lifted his left hand, burying it into her hair, his right hand, resting on her thigh. He leaned forward, closed his eyes, tilted his head, and pressed a light kiss to her lips. He could feel her trembled beneath his fingers and added a little more pressure to her mouth.

Annaleigh sat there for a brief moment before Lance felt her mouth tentatively slide over his. The ache in his stomach grew as he continued to kiss her. The hand on her thigh slid higher and higher up, brushing over the rough jeans before looping around her waist, pulling her closer to him. He heard a gasp slip past her lips and he darted out his tongue, gently gliding it over her bottom lip before gently poking it into her mouth.

“Blegh!” Annaleigh recoiled, making a face. She used the back of her hand to wipe at her mouth.

“Well, I didn’t think it was that bad,” Lance commented, giving her a mock look of annoyance. She rolled her eyes, her face flushed.

“Well…I mean…I guess it wasn’t,” she said, an uncertain look on her face. “What was that?”

“A French kiss,” Lance replied. He paused for a moment. “You use…tongues.”

“I’ve gathered that, thanks!” Annaleigh said, shooting a small glare in his direction. Lance put his hands up defensively. “Sorry.”

"What was gross about it?" Lance asked. "Because it was my tongue or--"

"It was lumpy," Annaleigh instantly replied.

"So is yours," Lance instantly shot back with a short laugh. "Or do you not know what your tongue feels like?" Annaleigh's upper lip curled slightly. Lance twisted his mouth to the side, sighing. “Do you want to try again?” Annaleigh nodded, this time leaning towards him before he could even move. Lance blinked in surprise but met her halfway.

She was more confident with this kiss, pressing her lips against his, a hand slowly moving up to cup his cheek. Lance felt his lips curling up into a smile and a small laugh slipped past his lips. Annaleigh pulled back just slightly, keeping her forehead pressed to his, laughing as well. He felt her nervousness slip away as she pushed herself closer to him, heating him up more than the sun could.

He kissed her a few times before sliding his tongue over her bottom lip. She slowly dropped her bottom lip and slid her tongue against his, sending shockwaves through his body. He gripped her tighter, pulling her on top of him as he leaned back against his pillows before rolling on top of her.

Annaleigh breathed a sigh, nuzzling against his chest as he broke the kiss, dipping his head to brush his lips over her neck. Her fingers dug into his shoulder, his side, as a soft, “God, Lance” made its way to his ear. He could feel her pulse quicken beneath his lips, beneath his tongue. The smell of vanilla wafted up his nose, the slight taste of salt reaching the taste of his tongue making his head spin.

He slid his hand down the side of her neck, around the curve of her breast—she arched her back pressing her chest against his—down her sides, past her hip and tightly gripped her thigh, bringing her leg up to wrap around him. He moaned into her neck as he pressed his growing bulge against her core.

“Shit,” Annaleigh breathed, chest heaving. “God, Lance.” And then he could feel her grinding against him.

Lance kissed her cheek before pressing his lips against hers before  he pulled back, chest heaving. “Ace..."

"Hmm?" Annaleigh asked, peering up at him, putting a hand to her cheek before moving to brush her hair up off of her forehead. She couldn’t look anymore beautiful to him than in that moment.

"How far is this going to go?" Lance asked quietly.

"How far do you want it to go?" she asked in reply, pushing herself up onto her elbows. “Your parents won’t be home for a while…”

Lance looked back at her for a moment before rolling off of her and his bed, his feet hitting the floor with a dull thud. He crossed over to the fan, grabbing the bass before carrying it over to the bed, pulling the pin to keep it from rotating. He then moved to close and lock the door. He pressed his forehead against the wood. I can’t believe this is happening.

“If you don’t want to,” Annaleigh called over to him, “that’s fine.”

“Oh, trust me, I want to,” Lance replied. "I'm just worried about you."

"I offered didn't I?" Annaleigh asked, pushing herself up onto her elbows.

Lance gave a devilish smile as he hurried back over to the bed. Annaleigh let out a shrieking laugh as he practically jumped on top of her. He pressed a hard kiss to her lips. “Mmmm, you’re so hot.” He gave a short laugh. “Literally.”

“Do go on,” Annaleigh replied, words dripping with sarcasm. She shivered beneath him, goosebumps appearing on her arms. He dragged his fingers up and down her arm, relaxing into a warm, loving smile which she returned.

“I promise I won’t hurt you,” Lance said quietly. “If you want to stop, just tell me and I will. We can just forget that this happened, and hang out or something.” Annaleigh sat up and pressed a kiss to his lips.

“In case you haven’ noticed,” she said as she pulled back, “I’m a little cold over here an’ could use some warmin’ up.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Lance drawled, looping an arm around her waist, lowering her back down onto his mattress.

He slid his hand up her back, reaching for her bra strap. With a quick twist of his fingers, he unhooked the back, the article of clothing loosening. He pulled the garment down, his fingers tickling the side of her breast. As soon as her bra was removed, her arms flew up to cover her chest.

“Sorry,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

“It’s ok,” Lance replied, giving her a reassuring smile. He kissed her softly on the cheek before moving to kiss her neck, gently coaxing her to uncross her arms. He lifted a hand up to cup her breast and she let out a gasp, which quickly turned into a moan as he twisted her nipple between two fingers.

“Lance,” she breathed, arching her back as he gripped and palmed her breasts, her nipples rubbing against his palms. “Mmm, that feels so good.” He felt her hands slide over his shoulders, down his chest, and to the waistband of his board shorts.

And then she grabbed him.

“Shit.” Lance’s eyelids fluttered as she began to massage the bulge in his pants. He bucked his hips forward, trying to get as much of her touch as he could. He could feel himself growing beneath due to the ministrations of her fingers and palms. “Keep going, Ace. Fuck. That feels amazing.”

“D-do you want me to…?” Annaleigh trailed off, her gaze dripping downwards before flickering back up to his eyes.

“Yes,” Lance replied, rapidly nodding his head. “God, yes.”

Annaleigh grabbed his face, pressing a rough, hard, kiss to his mouth before pushing on his shoulders, rolling him over. Lance let out a startled laugh at the sudden weight shift as he was thrown onto his back. She straddled his waist placing light kisses on his jaw line before slowly rocking back and forth on top of his cock, earning moans from the two of them. She started slow at first, moving faster as the seconds went by.

“Jesus,” Lance groaned, pushing himself up onto his elbows before moving into a sitting position. He slid his hands down her sides before grasping her ass in a tight grip, helping her grind against him. One of Annaleigh’s arms looped around his shoulders, the other grasping the back of his head, her fingers lightly scratching at the blonde hair at the bass of his skull, sending electric shocks down his spine. “Oh, God, keep doing that. Fuck.”

He took a nipple into his mouth, gently biting down on the soft flesh. He dragged his tongue around the fleshy mound,  as he tightly squeezed the jean covered flesh. A small shriek of surprise sounded in Annaleigh’s throat when he landed a slap to her ass. She pushed on his shoulders and he allowed himself to drop back against his pillows.

Despite the fan blowing the cool air on them, he continued to grow hot and more slick with sweat as Annaleigh kissed his jaw line, his collar bone, down the center of his chest, and to the waistband of his shorts, which loosened with the loud sound of the Velcro being ripped open. Lance let out a loud groan of relief as he was finally freed, his cock standing straight up, twitching as the cool air hit him. Annaleigh grasped he sides of his shorts, pulling them down his legs until he was naked beneath her.

He wrapped a hand around his cock and slowly stroked himself, letting out soft moans, his gaze shifting up towards the ceiling. His chest shuddered when he felt her wet, warm tongue slowly slide over the tip, licking away the drop of pre cum at the tip before slowly sliding around the top. A whimpering moan escaped his lips as Annaleigh bent her head parting her lips to engulf his cock. He removed his hand from his shaft, sliding his fingers through her hair.

“Mmm,” Lance moaned, licking his lips, slowly bucking his hips upwards into her mouth. Her hands pumped the rest of the cock she couldn’t fit into her mouth. He could feel her tongue lapping at the underside of his cock, tasting each inch before swirling at the tip moments before her thing fingers grasped and rolled his balls. “Mmmm. Fuck, Ace. Keep going. Oh, my god.”

He gently pushed down on her head as he thrust up into her warm mouth. His eyes fluttered shut and his chest heaved with deep gasps of air. “Don’t pull on my balls,” he instructed between gasps of air. “Just roll…fuck. Just like that.” She bobbed her head faster and faster, sucking harder at the tip of his cock every time her lips came to the tip. “Fuuuck.”

Annaleigh removed her mouth with a pop and wrapped her hand around his shaft, quickly stroking it, gasping for air. Lance rolled grasped her arm, gently pulling her on top of him, relishing the feelings of her breast against his chest. Annaleigh moaned against his mouth as their nipples brushed against each other’s  as he rolled them over.

“God, I bet you taste so good,” Lance said, as he reached for the button of her jeans shorts. He slid down the zipper, grasping the sides, pulling them down her legs as she lifted her hips to help slide them down past her ass. They soon joined the other clothes on the floor. Lance grasped his cock in his hand, slapping it down repeatedly on her cloth covered clit.

“Ohhhh, fuck!”Annaleigh gasped, arching her back, her hands flying up to grasp her breasts. “Oh, God, Lance! Mmmm.”

“You like that?” Lance asked.

“Yes!” Annaleigh hissed.

Lance smirked, climbing off his bed, making his way over to his dresser. He pulled open the top drawer and slid his hand underneath his clothes until they brushed a box. He grabbed the box before removing it from the dresser. He pulled out a condom, ripping it from the chain before putting the box back.

Lance moved to kneel at the end of his bed. He lifted the foil wrapper to his mouth and ripped off the top before spitting it onto the floor. He removed the condom from his wrapper and rolled it onto his stiff cock after a few quick jerks.

He then grasped Annaleigh’s ankles and roughly pulled her down to the end of the bed. The sudden movement tearing a shriek from her throat. Lance removed her underwear before hooking her legs over his shoulders, flicking out his tongue to lick her pussy lips. She started grinding against his mouth and Lance grasped her thighs to stop her from moving; tickling the inner most regions with his fingers.

“Ohhhhh, ssssshiiit.”

He lapped at her juices, gently sucking her pussy lips into his mouth, lightly grazing them with his teeth. A mewl slipped past her lips when his teeth grazed her clitoral hood. He stiffened his tongue and slowly pushed it inside of her. He felt her fingers slide through his hair, her fingers tips pressing on the back of his head, trying to feel more of him inside of her. He wiggled his tongue inside of her, pressing his head forward to push on her clit with his nose, sending a shiver through her body.

Lance turned his head to kiss her inner thigh before getting to his feet, lifting her legs to rest against his chest as he lined himself up with his hand. He lifted his head when he heard her ask, “Is it going to hurt?” Her hands were in her hair, chest slowly rising and falling with each breath. Her face was flushed, brown eyes glowing, holding lust, love, and worry. “I don’t think…it might not fit.” Her eyes flickered up towards him, her lips curling upwards just slightly into a hint of a teasing smile. “It’s bigger than I’ve last seen.”

“Yeah, I hope it is,” Lance commented with a small chuckle, reaching his hand down towards her core. He rubbed small circles on her clit with his thumb. “I’ll go slow, I promise. But, I think you’re wet enough.” Annaleigh nodded, licking her lips, shifting her gaze up to the ceiling. Lance kissed her slowly sliding into her. “Just relax.”

He let out a long sigh as her tight walls clamped down around his length as he  pushed farther and farther inside. He felt her tense just slightly and stopped. “You ok?”

“Yeahhh,” Annaleigh replied, nodding her head. “Yeah, I’m ok. Keep going.” Lance kept his eyes on her face as he continued pushing himself inside her. Moments later, her legs relaxed, and her face cleared of any look of pain.

“Good,” Lance said as he pulled all the way out before slamming back into her again, and again, and again, speeding up as he did so. Annaleigh cried out in pleasure, her eyes slamming shut. He thrust into her harder and faster, watching as her breasts bounced on her chest with each thrust. “You like that, baby?”He drove his cock inside her, a loud clap bouncing off of the walls. “Does my cock feel good in your pussy?”

“Yes! Yes, yes, yes,” Annaleigh cried. “Fuck. Harder, Lance! Fuck me, harder!”

“Is that what you want?” Lance breathed.

“Yes! Fuck me!” Annaleigh grasping her breasts, pinching and rolling her nipples between her fingers. “God, Lance, fuck me!” Lance allowed her legs to fall from his shoulders, down around his hips. He fell forward, balancing his weight on his forearms, rolling his hips forward. She lifted her hips, slamming up towards him, grasping his ass to help his movement.

“I’m close,” Lance whispered, feeling a burning sensation down below. He squeezed his eyes shut, slamming into her as fast as he could. “Fuck! Awww, fuck that feels so good.” He looped his arms around her, rolling them over until she was sitting on him. Lance gently took her hands and placed them on his shoulders. “Ride me, baby.”

“Oh my god!” Annaleigh breathed, throwing her head back as she slowly bounced up and down on him, knees on either side of his hips. “Oh my god, Lance.” Lance grasped her hips, helping her move on top of him. Lance let out a loud groan as he thrust himself up into her. His grip tightened on her hips as they speed up.

“Fuck, Ace,” Lance gasped, slapping his hand down onto her ass, earning a small cry from her. He lifted his knees towards his chest, pressing the heels of his feet into the mattress before he started pounding into her faster than he had before. Annaleigh’s eyes widened, her jaw dropping in a silent scream.

“Holy shit, Lance!” she cried towards the ceiling. “Ohhh, myyyy, goooood.”

“Yeah, baby,” Lance groaned, closing his eyes. “You like that?” He slapped her ass once, twice, three times. “You like that?”

“Oh fuck, yes.” Annaleigh grunted in pleasure, his hips slamming up into hers. He moved his hand back to grab her ass, kneading her warm, slick skin. “Oh, fuck. Oh, fuck. Oh, fuck. Right there, right there. I’m so close.”

“Me too.” Lance grasped her hands, threading his fingers through hers, bouncing his hips off of the mattress to thrust into him. He squeezed his eyes shut, letting out a long, loud moan of pleasure as he came, thrusting once more inside her.

“God, Lance,” Annaleigh cried, collapsing on top of him as her walls clamped down around him.

Her hot breath tickled his ear as they tried to catch their breath. Lance looped his arms around her, burying his head into her chest, placing a kiss to her shoulder. Oh my god, repeated over and over in Lance’s mind, allowing the cool air of the fan wash over them, cooling them down from their steamy activity.

“That was amazing,” Annaleigh whispered into his ear before pressing a kiss to his cheek.

“Mmhmm,” Lance agreed, giving a lazy grin.

Lance let out a satisfied sigh as the cookies n’ cream ice cream slid down his throat, chilling himself from the inside out. He darted his tongue out of his mouth to lick away the glob of chocolate syrup at the corner of his mouth. He turned his head towards the living room when he heard the front door open.

“Lance? Annaleigh?”

“Hi, Miss Diane,” Annaleigh called as she grabbed a spoonful of ice cream from the bowl.

“Hey, mom,” Lance greeted Diane Bass as she made her way into the kitchen, letting out a sigh. He licked the ice cream off of the spoon in his hand. “How was school?”

“Good, but the kids didn’t want to be stuck inside all day. I’ll tell ya, I was considerin’ spendin’ the night there, the air conditioning is still working,”  Diane replied with a sigh, setting her bags down onto the kitchen counter. She then turned towards Lance and Annaleigh as they worked out spoonfuls of ice cream. “Ah, that’s a good idea.”

“There’s more ice cream in the freeze if ya want some,” Annaleigh said, elbowing Lance’s arm out of the way to get to the cookie chunk in the bowl.

“Don’ mind if I do,” Diane replied with a smile, turning towards the refrigerator freezer.  “I might consider grillin’ for dinner tonight. It should be pretty cool this evening, a much needed break from all the heat.”

“It’s not so bad, mom,” Lance replied.

“Oh?” Diane asked as she turned to set the bottle of chocolate syrup and a container of whipped cream onto the kitchen table. She then closed the refrigerator door before opening the freezer, retrieving the container of ice cream. “So, what’d you two do today?”

“You know, just hung out,” Annaleigh replied with a shrug of her shoulders.

Lance reached for the bottle of chocolate syrup, peering at it before looking over at Annaleigh out of the corner of his eye, his lips curling up into a smile. Annaleigh avoided his gaze, pressing her lips together, her cheeks turning pink.

"Don' even think about it," she mouthed.

"Lance?" Diane prompted.

“Just trying to find a way to beat the heat, mom,” Lance replied, his smile widening. "Nothing special."