Pumpkin Patch Change in Plans

"I'm sorry about last night." Cynthia was looking over Andi's costume to give her expert opinion. "If it helps, I got laid for the first time in damn near two years." Kyler was spending the day with his grandparents, who had finally made it into town.

"I was hoping to get laid last night, too, Cynth. It's been since spring break."

"You've got a sure thing tonight, On-di," Cynthia smirked. "Try it on!"

I knew her hanging out with Davis was dangerous. "I had a sure thing last night." Before taking a shower, she wanted to try on her dress one last time so her expert friend could tell her what she needed to improve. She blanched slightly as she unzipped her skirt and let it fall to the kitchen floor.

"Where are your panties, missy?" Cynthia teased.

"After my boyfriend went down on me, I promised not to wear any until Rylan and I had sex for the first time. I thought I was only going commando for a few hours." She grabbed the purple gown and threw it over her head.

"You two still haven't?"

"Nope, we had to get his costume, and he cooked me dinner first. We were going to spend the whole night in my bed. Then some slut came begging at my front door for my help." Andrea glared at her bestie.

"How aren't you two going crazy?"

"He can really eat a pussy. I don't know. I kinda expected the former big man on campus to have never learned how to do that well."

"He's perfect for you, girl. Queen of calc? Is he aware of how much of a nerd you are?" Cynthia picked up her tiara and handed it to Andi. The lettering was small; only Rylan would likely see it on her.

"Very much. That's an inside joke with my boyfriend." Andrea shrugged and checked out her look in the mirror. It was nice to find a use for what was supposed to be her bridesmaid dress for Cynth's wedding. "He was as big of a nerd as me before he became the star quarterback."

"You're falling hard for the boy."

"Maybe too hard, Cynthia." Andrea was worried that he would find his confidence and the nerdy boy would swing too far into overconfidence.

"He seems to be gaga over you, Andi."

"What happens when he goes back to school next semester?" She shrugged. They danced around each other for about two months, and now they only had a couple more before he went back to school.

"It's one semester and a two-hour drive, On-di." Cynthia waved the worry away. It wasn't like they had much time for each other during the week. Their already nightly catch-up video call just easily happen over that distance. If they took turns driving up or back every other week for the semester, it wouldn't be that big of a deal.

"I'm... I'm worried that Rylan is going to realize how talented he is and end up going to coach somewhere. Coach is so impressed with how well he is doing instructing our quarterback." Andrea looked down at the dress and picked off a bit of lint. "I... I don't want to bounce from school to school. I want to put down roots here."

"Whoa, I get it, girl, but you two just started dating. Have some fun and worry later."

"I know, Cynthia. I'm getting ahead of myself, but you know me. I'm a worrier."

"He's really good with Kyler." Cynthia grinned. "He'd make a pretty good uncle for my little man."

"Now, who's getting ahead of herself?" Andi smirked and got a shrug in return. "How do I look?" She did a spin as Cynthia looked at her critically.

"I told you that you could wear this for more than my wedding, though you did make some alterations. It looks very regal, girl." Cynthia walked around her. "I got some costume jewelry that would really work with this."

"That would be awesome, Cynth. Enough about me. How was your night?"

"Kiran's a lawyer. He just passed the bar in the spring. It's his first year working at the county courthouse for the DA."

"Older?"

"A couple years. After Pete, though, I can really go for more maturity."

"Does he know about Kyler?" Men their age weren't usually prepared for a ready-made family. Andi needed any suitor to be willing to date the whole of her friend.

"I met him outside the courtroom when we had to go in and renegotiate child support. So, yes, he knows. He's even met Ky." Cynthia picked up the cloak-shawl combination and draped it over Andi's shoulders. "This is cute, girl."

"Good. How was the sex?" Andi pulled the dress off herself.

"Fantastic! He's not that big, but my God, can Kiran work what he has. I came like a dozen times! Once he gets tested, we'll put my IUD to the test." Cynthia started moving toward the bathroom. "Pete was huge, but I don't think he ever had to learn any skills."

"Good, you deserve it, Cyn." Andrea undid her bra and left it over the end of her bed on the way through the master bedroom. "Even if you cock blocked me last night."

"Sorry, I was letting my pussy do the thinking last night. Kiran's coming to the dance tonight. I'll introduce you to him and to Rylan." Cynthia took a typical post on the countertop as Andi came into take her shower. What started as talking in the dorm showers had just sort of continued when they moved to an apartment. Seeing each other naked was not atypical though it had been a couple years.

"Do you have a costume?" Andi stood beside the tub as the water heated.

"I have my standard witchy getup ready to roll. I'm thinking of throwing on my cat ears and being the witch and black cat in one." Cynth looked her up and down. "You look so cute, girl. I'm glad you kept up the waxing."

"Thanks, you haven't?" Andi stepped into the warm water.

"Nah, I quit when I gave birth." Cynthia got out her phone from her purse and started texting someone. "I hadn't had a reason to in a while. I had to shave the kitty before last night. Did you find a place in town, or are you returning to our Alma Mater to get waxed?"

"I got a good place here. Rylan took your approach."

"He's shaved? Rye doesn't seem like the type." Cynthia set her phone to the side.

"That's kinda my fault." Andi lathered her hair as she talked.

"Why's that?"

"He was, uh, unkempt when we played around last weekend. I told him to do a little manscaping. When he asked how much, I said it depended on how much he liked my blowjob." Andrea rinsed the shampoo from her hair and massaged in some cream rinse.

"You must really be able to suck cock."

"Oh, I do. Though, He's a challenge."

"Big? I mean, he does have big hands."

"Only a little longer than average, but he's damn thick."

"Those are the best."

"Maybe tonight I'll get to find out."

Rylan -- As the sun sets

"How's the corn maze doing, Davis?" Rylan checked out the canvas tent where the performers took their breaks.

"We have a line wrapped around the pumpkin patch! Whatever you did for advertising worked, bro!" Davis was dressed in a leather apron speckled in fake blood. He wore a disconcerting leather mask that was currently resting behind his head. Only the elastic strap was showing. The old, reliable chainsaw his brother was gassing up was on the table.

"Huh, you might have to thank Andi for it. I think it was the homecoming dance that reminded folks we exist." Rylan grinned.

"I guess she's good for all of us. Grandpa says we're doing better than we have in a decade. What are you supposed to be, big bro?" Davis eyed his costume.

Rylan had an open leather jacket that showed off his chiseled chest, and the peeks of a six-pack that had disappeared since the injury. Two weeks of intense workouts were not enough to make them come out. A streak of silver paint was supposed to look like metal peeking out from below his skin. On his legs, a pair of ripped jeans showed off his prosthetic instead of concealing the difference. A touch of removable metallic paint made it look more robotic.

In his hand, he held a mask with a single red eye. It would glow when he activated the hidden LEDs, but that would wait until he walked into the dance with Andrea on his arm. The look was completed with a silver sleeve, metal glove, and dark-colored hiking boots. "A cyborg. Better to lean into Cyn's humor than run from it and show weakness."

"Is my brother getting crafty?" Davis smirked.

"Andrea did the sewing. I bribed her with scallops and bucatini."

"Don't fuck things up, bro. You two are good for each other."

"I'll try my best, Davis."

"An unsolicited word of advice, Rye?"

"I feel I would be getting the advice if I said no anyways." Rylan gave a laugh and a head shake.

"Yeah, probably. Rye, are you more the nerd or the guy with an ego that couldn't fit through a doorway?" Davis asked with perfect clarity.

"More of the nerd, I guess."

"Trick question, RyeRye. You're both. Don't lose the confidence and drive you found when you were going for your goal, but never forsake the humor and the genuinely nice guy you are. You need both to keep a woman like Andi happy."

"What do you know about keeping women happy, Davis?" Rylan teased lightly.

"More than you know, bro. Being a gay best friend has given me some perspective that you straights might not get." Davis needled back lovingly.

"Alright, I'll concede the point." His phone chirped out a text. "Oh, it sounds like Cynthia, Kiran, and Andrea are about two minutes out. I'm going to go meet them. Thanks, Davis."

"Who's Kiran?"

"Cynthia's new boyfriend, the reason I ended up babysitting last night. Keep up the good work at the maze, my man. You're kicking ass this year. You might have earned that chainsaw, honestly."

Grandpa Joe was taking donations as the groups came into the dance. This was not a money-making night for the farm, at least not from the party barn. The corn maze was not officially attached to the festivities but certainly benefited from the increased traffic. Every last cent they made tonight went into the party.

"Let me guess, Andi's here." Grandpa Joe grinned.

"How'd you know?"

"Your big goofy grin is giving you away, my boy. Don't worry about being the manager this evening, Rye. Your Grandpa is still plenty spry and has decades more experience."

"Thanks, Gramps, for everything."

"You've earned it, Rylan. You've worked your ass off this whole season. Enjoy a weekend for you." Grandpa Joe gave him a knowing wink. "And make sure you treat that pretty girl right."

"Don't worry, you taught me well." Rylan patted his grandfather on the arm and moved toward the parking lot. He put on his mask to greet the vehicle. Andrea had done a fine job on his costume, and Rye was proud to show it off.

Cynthia's bright orange SUV pulled up with Kiran in the driver's seat. Cynth leapt from the passenger side as soon as the vehicle was parked. She wore a black dress with a witch's hat and black cat ears; her long blonde hair was in a pair of pig tails. Striped, black, orange and purple thigh-high socks went well with an almost scandalously short skirt. One that would not have worked for Andi yesterday without the panties.

"I brought an adorable brunette with me again. Though, I hear she's not single any longer." Cynthia smiled as she slung her purse over a shoulder and skipped toward him. "She's also not wearing any panties." She whispered with a smirk.

Andi had texted Rylan to inform him that she would not drive, and Cynthia was bringing her new boyfriend. Kiran was a tall thin man that looked to be of Indian descent with deep brown skin and a big, gleaming smile. He had on what looked like a powdered wig and judge's robes with a white collar. "You must be Kiran."

"A pleasure, Rylan." The man offered him a handshake. He had a slight English accent. "I understand we have you to thank for Cynthia not having to break our date last night. Thank you, my friend."

"He's a Barrister for Halloween," Cynthia answered his question before Rylan could ask it.

Every ounce of his attention was pulled to the SUV as Andi stepped out from the backseat. Her hair fell over her shoulders in a trio of lazy curls from a ponytail. A pair of strands that framed her gorgeous face spilled under her tiara. Her green eyes had him in their thrall. An elegant purple gown fell nearly to her ankles and was highlighted by a fuzzy white cloak. A golden scepter completed the regal look.

"You look incredible, Andi!" Rylan stepped over to embrace his girlfriend. "Princess?"

Andrea pulled him into a passionate kiss before replying. The buzz of electricity had to be what it felt like when one's hair stood on end before lightning stroked through the sky. There was a tangible electricity lancing between them as if their passion had been made corporeal. Her broad smile as they left each other's embrace was another bolt from the blue.

"Not a princess, a queen. I believe I was coronated during the last semester of high school." Her hand brushed the tiara forward to reveal the 'Queen of Calc' Emblazoned on the bottom of the tiara, which was typically hidden by hair.

"Yes, yes you were! Long may you reign." Rylan smiled and gave another kiss to his new girlfriend. "Your work turned out fantastic, Andrea." He gave her a twirl on his good leg before he showed off the perfection of the expertly torn jeans.

"I didn't count on you going shirtless under the jacket." Andi's hands went under his coat, and she felt his pecs. "I like the personal spin you put on it. Do you want to share a machinery barn with me again later?"

"I want to share a bed anywhere with you, Andi." They shared one more kiss before walking into the dance together.

Andrea showed him off to the high school faculty, grasping his non-cybernetic hand the whole time. He remembered several of them from school, but many younger teachers were new since his time. This is serious. Rylan couldn't tear the smile from himself even if he was supposed to be a severe deadly half-man half-robot. Andi didn't seem to mind as she was wearing a similar look on her face.

Kiran seemed to be a genuine and friendly guy. He came by his English accent mostly, honestly; he was just turning up his accent for the sake of his costume. His parents were from London before meeting in the states in graduate school. His mother was a network administrator, and his father was a physician. He treated Cynthia well and could dance in the big crowd like a fool.

Andi pulled Rylan out on the dance floor enough times to change into her flats instead of the outrageous and unique heels. They enjoyed hard ciders and chats with Grandpa Joe and Davis when he was on break. If his leg was bothering him, Rylan never felt a thing. He was too enraptured with the vibrant, brilliant young woman that had agreed to be treated to a night on the town or a party barn, in this case.

Cynthia must have apologized a thousand times during the night, even after Rylan waved away the need for any apologies. He was just thankful that he got to spend the evening with Andi. Cyn also spent much of the night conspiring with Davis, which was slightly disconcerting. Playing into Mr. Cyborg had seemed to disarm the woman. She and his brother vanished for about a half hour after the corn maze closed. Planning something...

Near the end of the dance, Kiran was called to the center of the floor. The man had been selected as one of the costume contest winners. Rylan thought that Andi's queenly raiment deserved a win, but the woman that came dressed as a Valkyrie was amazingly detailed. Kiran and Cynthia shared a dance as Rylan took pictures on her smart phone as instructed. Somewhere in the middle of the song, Andi disappeared.

A few minutes later, the lights came up in the barn, and Davis announced the end of the dance then retreated with haste. The corn maze had shuttered an hour prior as many workers wanted to get in at least a little time at the dance.

"Have you seen Andrea?" Rylan questioned Cynthia and Kiran as they left to go to their car.

"I don't know where she went, but she said she was preparing a surprise for you. I think Davis knows where she's headed." Cynthia waved him away as Kiran opened the passenger side door for her. He was driving because he had abstained from any of the beers, wines, or hard ciders that the rest of the group had been enjoying.

"Okay, get home safe, you two."

"Use protection, Rylan!" Cynthia yelled out through her window and chortled as he turned bright red. "No getting my Andi preggers!"

Rylan turned on his heel to head back to the party barn and almost ran into Mrs. Landers and her husband. "You two were so cute together, Mr. Cyborg. You better follow her friend's advice and have fun, Rylan!" She sounded as if she had already been drinking her wine, not waiting this time until the dance was over. Mr. Landers had to help her to the car just a little.

I hope that won't embarrass Andi too much. Rylan went to find Davis and figure out what surprise Andrea had planned for him. Grandpa Joe was turning out the lights at the barn as the last few people shuffled out. "Have you seen Davis?"

"He was going to turn out the lights at the maze and make sure there weren't any teenagers sneaking off to drink or go for a roll in the corn. Where's Andi? Did she go home with Cynthia and... What was his name, Coran?"

"Kiran. And no, she was talking to Davis, according to Cynth."

"Okay, when you see him, let Davis know I owe him a whiskey. This was a great dance, Rylan. I know you handed it off to the manager, but all the planning was you, son. Keep up the great work. I owe you a whiskey too, but I think you'd rather spend the rest of the evening with Andi."

"Raincheck on the whiskey, Gramps. We'll catch up tomorrow night."

"Have fun, but be careful, my boy." Grandpa Joe clapped him on the shoulder. "Our generation isn't as out of it as you may think. Treat that girl right. I'm not sure it would be possible to find a better one."

"Thanks, Grandpa."

Rylan found Davis by the entrance to the corn maze with a flashlight in his hand. "Hey, Davis. Have you seen Andi?"

"I have, RyeRye. I'm supposed to give you this and this." He handed Rylan a note and a flashlight.

"Huh? What's this? Where's the tent?"

"Cynthia wanted to thank you two for watching Kyler. Did you bring condoms this time?"

"Yes, I did. Grandpa said he owes you a whiskey."

"Have fun, Rye. Don't let this one get away too easy." Davis's shoulder pat felt a lot like Grandpa's. "I helped your girlfriend prepare all this, but I don't need to be here for anything else. Don't worry about the barn. Cynthia and Kiran will help me clean it up before tomorrow. Remember, we open the corn maze at noon on Sundays."

"Thank you, Davis." He waited for Davis to disappear around the corner of the party barn before he opened the note.

'Come to the center of the maze and find your queen.'

Rylan smiled and took off through the corn. He wanted to wind his way straight through the stalks into the center in a line, but that would probably be against what Andi wanted. Still, he didn't tarry long on the path; he almost missed that something was left at each place where there would be a scary display when the haunted portion of the corn maze was running.

'When I leave something, you leave something.' He saw a folded paper on the table beside the cloak she had been wearing. A pair of jack-o-lanterns sat on the table with the remains of candles burning inside. One was a pumpkin he had carved, and the other was her creation. He smiled and left his jacket even if the night air was chilly. He almost walked off without his condoms but sped back to grab them. Around the corner, he walked up and down rows of corn.

'Lose the pants, Rye. Keep the boots.' Her dress was on the table, along with another pair of carved lanterns. Those gourds were Grandpa Joe and Davis specials. It took Rylan a minute, but someone had thought ahead and left him a chair so he could sit down and untie his boots. He now only had a pair of boxer briefs to guard against the cold of the night. Once he had his shoes back on, he ventured onward. When this year's path took him close to the edge of the maze near the farmhouse, he turned off the flashlight and used the stars to make the next turn.