Pastor Jeff stepped out of his little red sports car with his wife on his arm, flashing a warm smile and greeting everyone like old friends.
Compared to Jeff's easy enthusiasm, Selena beside him came off as pretty standoffish.
Those cool, emotionless eyes of hers gave off serious "keep your distance" vibes.
Today, Selena was rocking her usual look: a tight, high-slit red dress that hugged her figure, paired with a wide-brimmed red hat and a black veil over her face.
She was stunning, with this elegant edge that screamed sophistication.
Next to the local ladies, Selena looked like she'd just stepped out of some big-city high-society event—total class act.
Watching the couple walk up arm in arm, Mary sighed and said, "They look so in love, don't they?"
George, standing nearby, couldn't help but grumble sourly, "Pastor Jeff looks more like a butler than a husband..."
Jeff wasn't exactly a looker to begin with, and next to his gorgeous wife, he just seemed even more ordinary and kinda meek.
What George was really getting at was that Jeff didn't seem anywhere near good enough for her.
Of course, whether a little jealousy or envy was fueling that comment... well, who's to say?
"George!" Mary, being a devout churchgoer, quickly shut down her husband's snarky remark.
As George sulked a bit, Grandma Connie poked him and whispered, "You know what, George? For once, I'm with you on this."
It was a rare moment—the two of them actually agreeing on something.
Before long, Pastor Jeff escorted his wife to the head of the table and they sat down.
When it was time for the pre-meal prayer, everyone joined hands and closed their eyes.
During the prayer, Jeff thanked everyone for coming, thanked Mary for preparing the food... and even gave a shout-out to Lena's family for hosting.
You could tell right away he was a genuinely kind, gentle guy.
But while the prayer dragged on, Mike kept getting this creepy feeling that someone was watching him.
Suddenly, he snapped his eyes open—and locked gazes with a pair of hungry, greedy ones.
Selena, sitting right across from him, didn't even flinch at getting caught staring. Instead, the corner of her mouth curled up into a seductive little smile.
That kind of subtle teasing? It's the stuff that really gets under your skin.
The thing is, this gorgeous woman had always rubbed Mike the wrong way. Back at the Coopers' place, he'd noticed her casually checking him out too.
It was the kind of look a predator gives its prey.
On top of that, Mike could sense that Pastor Jeff's wife was way more than she let on.
So in his mind, he'd already slapped labels on her: "trouble" and "dangerous."
After thinking it over, he met her gaze with a polite nod—just enough to be civil without encouraging anything—then casually turned his head away.
Message sent: let's keep to ourselves.
Right then, everyone said "Amen," and Pastor Jeff wrapped up the prayer.
Because there were kids around, the meal itself was lively and fun.
George was circling the table with his special secret-recipe barbecue, showing it off and soaking up all the compliments.
Mike, enjoying his food, couldn't shake that wary feeling. Out of the corner of his eye, he kept glancing across the table.
After watching closely, he noticed that Selena—poised and graceful as ever—would occasionally sip her drink, but she hadn't touched a single bite of food on her plate.
That weird behavior just confirmed it for him: this woman was definitely not normal.
As the afternoon wore on, the gathering started winding down.
Little George, his face smeared with sauce, squeezed in next to Mike and whispered, "Hey, Mike, there are a few cute girls over there. Wanna go chat them up in a bit?"
You know what they say: full belly, wandering thoughts.
Thanks to Mike's good looks, a group of bubbly teenage girls on the other side of the table kept sneaking glances his way.
They were giggling and whispering about something.
When Mike looked over, they all shyly ducked their heads like scared little quail.
Honestly, the girls were pretty cute—young and full of energy. But compared to Karen or Lena? They didn't even come close.
Mike was zoning out a little and wasn't in the mood at all. "Nah, you go ahead," he said. "I'm planning on taking a nap soon."
"Come on, man! I don't have the guts without you," Little George admitted.
He was at that age where his ideas were bold, but when it came time to act... total chicken.
Mike chuckled and teased, "You sure you want me tagging along? You'd have zero shot with me there."
That's when it hit Little George—if he rolled up with a stud like Mike, he'd be invisible.
Resigned to reality, he sighed, "Fine, I'll go solo."
To boost his odds, he humbly asked Mike for a few pickup tips, then headed off toward the girls with newfound confidence.
(Wrong version? Nah—this is the real deal, fresh off the press.)
Missy, who'd watched the whole "lesson," looked skeptical. "Mike, do those tips you gave Little George actually work?"
"Nope," Mike admitted with a shrug. "I just said that stuff to pump him up a little. Whether he scores or not is all on him now."
Mike knew full well his own success with girls came down to his face. Pickup techniques? What even are those?
Seeing how unreliable he was, Missy silently mourned for Little George for about three seconds.
But deep down, the little schemer was secretly thrilled that Mike hadn't gone after any girls himself.
"Alright, go play," Mike said, ruffling her hair. Then he grabbed a blanket to sit on and headed to a shady spot on the hillside.
After lunch, a bunch of folks did the same—finding a quiet, cool place to nap.
Of course, others hung out in small groups, sipping beer, chatting, and catching up.
On the hillside, with crickets chirping, birds singing, and a gentle breeze blowing, Mike drifted off comfortably.
But it wasn't long before an itchy feeling on his face woke him up.
He opened his eyes to see Missy crouched beside him, holding a little blade of grass.
The second he woke up, she quickly hid it behind her back and flashed an adorable grin. "Mike, don't sleep anymore—come play with me!"
That's the thing with kids: they always have endless energy at the worst possible times.
"Cut it out, let me rest a bit," Mike said in that coaxing tone you use with little ones. "I'll play with you this afternoon, okay?"
Seeing he really wasn't in the mood, Missy backed off gracefully. "Fine, but you promised for this afternoon!"
Once she got his word, she happily scampered off to play with the other kids.
Mike rolled over and fell back asleep.
Some time later—he wasn't sure how long—a faint, nasty smell woke him up again.
"Missy, quit messing around," he mumbled groggily, still half-asleep. He figured she was pranking him with a stink bug or something.
But when he swatted at it, his fingers brushed smooth silk.
That didn't feel right. Mike opened his eyes—and there was Selena, crouched right beside him, looking down.
Her tight, high-slit red dress showed off perfect curves below, while the low-cut top left... well, quite the view up top.
Of course, that whole stunning picture was totally ruined by the foul smell hanging in the air.
Mike shot upright, leaning back a little, putting on an innocent face. "Ma'am, can I help you?"
Inside, though, he was sighing: Yup. This woman's definitely got her sights set on me.