Shadow Lake Estates Ch. 01

Author's note: The following is an alternate ending to Ahazura's Zero, Fifty, or One Hundred.

*****

I'm joking! I'm joking! Don't click away yet!

This story is the result of a writing challenge that I gave to myself at the beginning of the summer. The challenge was to write a serial drama with multiple characters and multiple (sometimes interweaving) plot lines. It was perhaps my most challenging exercise to date.

This entire story is written, and will be released in short chapters, spaced closely apart so that you won't have to wait long between chapters. I won't say how many chapters there are or it might spoil the fun for you.

As always, I encourage your comments, whether you like the story or not. I am one hundred percent confident that there will be something in this story for everyone...to hate. By popular demand (and just for grins) I've decided to turn the scoring on for this series. You all know how I feel about the scores in this category (and if you don't, just check my profile), but the people have spoken. So bomb away!

*

Dan Price peered through the horizontal slats built into the sliding glass door that led to his back porch. He positioned himself to the side of the window frame to conceal himself as much as possible. There was a gap in the row of hedges that separated his yard from the yard behind him, and a girl was positioned perfectly in the center of that gap, as if she were inviting him to look at her. She couldn't be more than twenty years old, he thought, although it was difficult to tell from where he stood.

She had long, straight, jet-black hair that glistened in the sun and cascaded down to her delicate shoulders. Her angelic face was partially obscured by a pair of large sunglasses. It wasn't her face that he first noticed, however. Her breasts were absolutely exquisite. They were young, firm, and full; the perfect size, he thought. She wore only a skimpy red bathing suit top and an even skimpier bottom with a checkered pattern.

They didn't make girls like that when he was that age, he thought. He had always believed that he had been robbed by the era in which he was born. He was too young to have experienced the "free love" of the sixties and too old to experience the casual sex of today's generation. All his generation experienced, sexually speaking, was the introduction of a new and deadly sexually-transmitted disease.

He continued to devour her with his eyes, scanning along her perfectly-toned torso to her flat belly with just the right amount of baby fat to reveal her humanity. Her legs were long and nicely contoured, and her skin was absolutely flawless. Even her feet were attractive: chubby little toes and a flash of a toe ring, indicating that she may have a bit of a wild side to her. He was just about to make the visual return trip back to her enticing mounds when he heard his name called and realized that it wasn't the first time he heard it.

"Dan!" Denise shouted. "Did you hear me?"

He nearly tumbled over while moving away from the slider as quickly as possible. "Yeah, yeah. I'm coming."

"What were you doing?" she asked, moving toward the slider. Before she could get too close, however, her husband took hold of her shoulder and pivoted her back toward the front of the house. "We have a lot more stuff to unload," she added.

"I know," he said. "I was just taking a little break."

***

"Did you see our new neighbors have moved in?" Patty asked as she peeked out her window from across the street.

Hank grumbled an unintelligible response. Seated beside her in a comfortable chair, he was thoroughly engrossed in a word puzzle.

"They're very nice," Patty continued. "I met them yesterday."

"Of course you did," Hank said without looking away from his puzzle. "Nothing goes on around this neighborhood without you knowing about it."

"She's some kind of fancy executive," Patty said, "and he's a stay-at-home dad. Can you imagine? Times certainly have changed."

"Mmm," Hank grunted. "Changed for the worse, I say."

"They seem very happy. They moved here from a small town in Missouri, just outside of Kansas City. Quite a change, I bet. And they have two kids: a daughter in high school and a young son in grade school."

Hank looked away from his puzzle at last. "Oh, yeah? And what color is their underwear?"

Patty scowled at her husband. "Now, why do you have to be like that? I just enjoy getting to know people, that's all. I'm a people person."

"You're a busybody," he grumbled, and then chuckled to himself as he returned to his puzzle.

***

"Ma'am?" the workman called from the kitchen. He was tall and thin, and wore a leather belt around his waist with numerous tools attached to it. His arms were covered in tattoos, and his long hair was tied in a ponytail.

A stunning blonde with emerald-colored eyes appeared from the adjacent room. She was statuesque and elegant, with long legs and ample - almost too perfect to be natural - breasts, which strained the fabric of the tight tee-shirt she wore. The protrusion of her nipples through the thin fabric indicated that she wore no bra underneath. She tugged at her tiny denim shorts as she strolled into the room, her high heels clicking on the tile.

"All set?" she asked with a sweet smile.

He returned her smile. "All set. The faucet has been replaced, and is working as good as new. Including labor and materials, that comes to $452.50. But let's call it $450, just to round it off."

"That's kind of you," she responded. "Will you be sending us a bill?"

"No, ma'am. I need the payment today."

"Okay," she chirped, "I'll write you a check."

"I'm sorry, ma'am, but your husband said it would be a cash payment. Otherwise, the bill would be a lot higher."

"Well, shoot," she said, crossing her arms over her voluptuous chest. "I...I don't have that kind of cash on me. He should have told me, that jerk!"

The workman raised an eyebrow. "Well, I guess you'll just have to make a visit to your bank. I'll wait here until you get back."

The woman pouted for a moment before a naughty smile appeared on her face, revealing an irresistible dimple on her left cheek. "I wonder...if maybe...we could work out some sort of discount."

With that, she swiftly removed her tee shirt, causing her breasts to bounce for a mesmerizing instant. With another swift motion, she yanked down her shorts, leaving her completely naked with the exception of her heels. She kicked off her shorts and strutted toward the worker like a fashion model on a catwalk.

The worker's eyes widened and he licked his lips as this gorgeous creature approached. She pulled him toward her and brought her luscious lips close to his. With one hand, she reached down and caressed the growing bulge in his pants.

"Wh-what about your husband?" the worker stammered.

The woman scoffed. "He won't be home for another hour," she said. "You won't need more than five minutes, trust me."

"Five minutes, huh?" the worker said with a grin. "Challenge accepted."

They pressed their lips together with passionate force and his hands explored every inch of her exquisite body within reach. As she devoured him, she tore at his clothing, attempting to remove it all as quickly as possible. She practically knocked him backward while trying to undo his belt. He responded by wrapping his arms around her, lifting her, and carrying her to the nearest counter.

He set her bare ass on the counter, fished his hard cock out of his pants, and slid it inside of her. She gasped and cried out. He silenced her by pressing his lips to hers and prodding her mouth with his tongue. She wrapped her long legs around him and clawed at his back for support, pulling him into her along with each forceful thrust.

"Oh, yes!" she screamed. "Fuck me hard! Fuck me with that big cock! Lay that pipe!"

For a moment, the man continued to pump away at her as hard as he could. Suddenly, he stopped, and burst into laughter.

"I'm sorry," he said, taking a step back. His glistening cock began to deflate. "Lay that pipe? Really?"

"What? You're like a plumber or something, right?" She looked annoyed, and straightened her hair.

Still laughing, the man said, "I'm sorry, Karla. That one just pulled me right out of the fantasy."

"Well, excuse me for trying, Tom! You're the one who came up with this dopey idea." She hopped off the counter and searched for her clothes.

"That's what you get for calling me a jerk!" Tom called after her as she stormed out of the room.

***

Dan shuffled across his backyard toting a heavy cooler filled with beer and soda with one hand and a pair of lawn chairs, which dangled awkwardly around his other arm. Walking alongside him, Denise held a large covered casserole dish. Trailing behind them were Holly and Alex, each clutching a lawn chair of their own. The look on Alex's face was one of excitement and bewilderment, while his older sister looked as though she was already planning her escape.

Art was stationed near the keg when he spotted his new neighbors approaching through his backyard. He quickly excused himself, took his wife by the arm, and hurried toward them. "Welcome to Shadow Lake Estates!" he shouted to them. He extended his hand toward Dan, who was forced to drop his lawn chairs in order to reciprocate. "Art Clevinger," he said with a handshake that was a little too firm. "This is my wife, Roxanne."

Dan made his best attempt to maintain eye contact with Roxanne, but it was a difficult task. Roxanne Clevinger was a very well-endowed woman. Her enormous breasts appeared out of proportion with the rest of her body. The two of them made an odd couple. Art was very tall, with broad shoulders and a barrel chest, while Roxanne was a tiny little thing - with two great exceptions. She had a thick head of dark hair, and dark eyes, while he was bald with piercing blue eyes.

"It's so nice to meet you," Roxanne said. She had a beautiful face and a flawless smile. "Welcome to the neighborhood!"

"Your timing couldn't be better," Art said. "Our Fourth of July party is pretty much the highlight of the year around here. You'll have a chance to meet all the neighbors. Well, except for the assholes who didn't want to come."

Roxanne thrust an elbow into his side. "You'll figure out eventually that my husband has no filter." She looked toward Denise and lunged toward her to take the casserole dish from her hands. "Here, let me take that. If you were waiting for my husband to act like a gentleman, you'd be waiting here all afternoon, trust me."

Art laughed and reached down to pick up the lawn chairs Dan had dropped. "Come on," he said. "Let me introduce you to the rest of the folks."

All eyes seemed to be on the Price family as they were ushered through the crowd. After finding a place for their belongings, Dan cracked open a can of beer. A couple approached them, accompanied by a young son and daughter.

"Dan and Denise, this is Bill and Kara Thompson," Art said. "They live just next door."

The couples exchanged handshakes and greetings.

"And who are the two troublemakers you've brought with you?" Denise asked Kara with a sly grin.

Kara smiled. "This is Matt," she said, gently placing a hand on her son's head. "And this little one," she said, referring to the young girl clinging to her leg, "is Ella."

"It's nice to meet you, Ella," Denise said, sweetly. She turned to her son. "Alex, it looks like Matt is around your age."

"I'm nine," Alex responded. Matt nodded his head with a smile.

Noting the baseball cap on Matt's head, Dan asked, "Do you play baseball?" Another nod. "Well, Alex here just started playing ball last year. Didn't you, Alex? He really loves baseball."

"Is that right?" Bill said. "We'll have to get him signed up for little league. I'm the coach for one of the teams. You'll love it out here, Alex. We play baseball all year 'round!"

Alex gave him an uncomfortable smile and nodded.

"Hey, Sunil!" Art called, waving over another neighbor couple. "Dan and Denise, this is Sunil and Asha Gupta. They live a few houses down the road."

There were so many new names to remember, it was becoming overwhelming for the new neighbors. After more introductions, the women, men, and children all split off into their own little groups. The men stood in a circle around the coolers, clutching their beers.

"So, what do you do for a living?" Bill asked Dan.

Dan hesitated for a moment and took another sip of his beer. "I used to own my own business," he said, "but now I guess you can say I'm between jobs."

"So, you got yourself a sugar-mama!" Art said, tapping Dan on the shoulder. "Good for you! I need to find me one of them!"

The other men nodded in sympathy. "Times are tough," Bill said.

"This economy sucks monkey nuts," Art added. "Thankfully, I work at that firehouse down the road, and those jobs are tough to outsource."

The men chuckled. "I had a landscaping business," Dan continued. "It was a really great business, and we were really doing well when the housing market was at its peak. But then the market collapsed, and a lot of my customers just disappeared. Thankfully, Denise had just finished up with her degree. She got an opportunity to come out here, and we just couldn't pass it up. I'll find something out here eventually."

"I'm sure you will," Bill reassured him.

"Ah, I see Kiersten has found herself a new friend," Art noted, motioning toward the door, where his daughter emerged along with Dan's daughter, Holly. They were giggling, and seemed to be enjoying each other's company. Art waved to his daughter and motioned for her to join the group.

"Dan, this is my daughter, Kiersten," Art said.

"Stepdaughter," Kiersten corrected him. She extended her hand and looked deep into Dan's eyes. She had long and lush eyelashes, sultry eyes, and full, pouty lips that shined bright-pink speckled with glitter. "You look familiar to me," she said in a raspy voice that oozed sexuality.

Dan stammered. His tongue felt as though it had expanded to twice the size. His heart beat rapidly. Had she seen him staring at her from his window? He had just thought of a way to divert the conversation when Art did it for him.

"Holly, have you graduated from high school?" Art asked.

"No, I'm just starting my senior year in the fall," she responded.

"Well, Kiersten here graduated two years ago," Art said. "She managed to make it through an entire - what was it, honey, a month of college?"

"Two," Kiersten responded, rolling her eyes.

"Two months," Art said with a chuckle. "Cost me an arm and a leg before she decided it just wasn't for her. I've been telling her to go to beauty school so she can work down at the salon with her mom. She doesn't listen to me, though."

"It's okay to take some time off and figure out what you want to do with your life," Dan offered.

"Yeah, well, right now, all she does is lounge around the house all day," Art said.

With that, Kiersten rolled her eyes and sighed, then pivoted to make a hasty retreat from the group. Holly followed closely behind her. After taking a few steps, Kiersten quickly turned around and caught Dan staring at her ass. She flashed him a naughty smile, and he turned away instantly, his face flushed.

***

As the afternoon turned into late evening, and the sun began to fade behind the mountains, leaving a spectacular canopy of oranges and reds in its wake, the party revelers grew a little louder and rowdier. Polite conversation turned off-color, and comments were made that would have been stifled earlier in the day.

Throughout the day, Dan couldn't help but notice the way that several of the husbands were looking at his wife. They didn't do it overtly, but he caught several of them checking her out. Although it made him feel uneasy, he couldn't blame them. Denise was a knockout, and she looked particularly gorgeous that day. After Holly was born, she had let herself go, physically. She no longer watched what she ate, and there was simply no time for exercise. She had just begun to get back into shape when she announced she was pregnant with Matt. They hadn't planned to have more than one child, so he was a surprise, to say the least, born nine years after his sister.

After Matt was born, Denise was more determined than ever to whip herself back into shape, both physically and mentally. She had graduated from college with a degree in business, but became pregnant with Holly soon thereafter, putting her career on hold. With Dan's thriving landscaping business providing plenty of income for the family, Denise decided to go back to school after Matt was born to get her Master's degree.

That is when their lives took an unexpected turn. The economic downturn, combined with increased competition, brought Dan's business to its knees. Suddenly, for the first time in their marriage, it became difficult to make ends meet. Not only did their finances suffer, but so did their marriage. They began arguing more often and their sex life practically disappeared. Even Holly and Matt began to suffer as a result of all the stress in the house.

When Denise first mentioned the job opportunity presented by her college professor, Dan was hesitant. It meant a complete upheaval of their lives. It also meant that Dan would no longer be the primary breadwinner of the family. It took a great deal of convincing before he finally agreed to swallow his pride, sell the house, and move halfway across the country.

"I said, hello, neighbor!"

Dan suddenly realized that he was standing alone, staring into space, with an empty beer can in his hand. He turned to the voice that had just awoken him from his stupor.

"I don't think we've met," the woman said. "I'm Karla." She was pretty enough to be a model, he noted. He began to ponder whether there was something in the water in this strange new world that made all of their women so attractive.

"Sorry," Dan said, shaking her hand, "I was just zoning out there for a minute. My name is Dan."

"Yes, I've heard all about you from your wife. Denise, right?"

"Yes, that's right."

"My husband, Tom, and I live just a few houses down the street. He wasn't able to make it tonight. He had a gig."

"Oh, he's a musician?"

"Yeah, he plays in a bar band. Nothing too exciting. He's an artist by day and musician by night."

"Wow, he sounds like a talented guy," Dan said.

"I guess talent runs in our household. I'm an actress. Well, an aspiring actress."

"Wow, that's great!" Dan said. "Have you been in anything I've seen?"

"I doubt it," she said. "I've mostly done local TV ads, and some very small roles in some very bad movies. But I keep trying to break through, you know?"

"I hear ya," Dan said.

"Well, I just wanted to say hi and introduce myself," Karla said. "I was actually on my way home when I spotted you out here."

"Well, thanks for that," he said. "I'll see you around, I guess."

He watched her long legs, perfect ass, and swaying hips as she disappeared into the darkness. He didn't even notice the person standing right behind him.

"She's a whacko-bird, that one," said the voice. Dan's heart leapt, and he turned to face the old man he had met earlier in the evening.

"Uhh...Hank, right?" Dan sputtered.

"Mm-hmm," the old man grumbled. "She and her husband are a couple of whackos, if you ask me. Earthy-crunchy types. He has long hair like a woman, and is covered in tattoos, and she doesn't seem to have two brain cells to rub together."

"Well, she seemed like a nice person to me," Dan remarked.

Hank cocked his head and looked at him for a moment. He mumbled something unintelligible and then disappeared as quickly as he appeared.

***

Out on the back porch, a dance party was underway, with Kiersten and Holly doing their best to convince the others to join them on the dance floor. As the music blared, a group of husbands stood around the porch, drinking beer and occasionally stealing a glance at the gorgeous young women swaying their hips to the beat. Two other girls of roughly the same age soon joined them, creating a sea of young, taut, tanned, partially-exposed female flesh. Off to the side, in the cover of darkness, young Matt and Alex stood and watched, mesmerized by the spectacle.