Chapter 1

The fence Between Us

I did n't know grief could hit this hard.

I was leaning against the fence in my backyard, earpiece pressed to my ear like it was the last firearm of her I had left. `` Come on, Jess ... don't do this. We can fix it. Please. '' My voice cracked, and I hated how heroic I sounded. But I couldn't aid it.

Three old age together. She was my first everything. Now she was off at some college a thousand Roman mile away, talking like I was a boring phase she'd outgrown. Like I wasn't even deserving keeping.

The personal credit line went utter. Just silence.

I stood there for a while, staring at the patchy locoweed, the weight in my pectus great than it had been all week. I felt pitiful. Nineteen year old, heartbroken over someone who'd already moved on. I didn't even experience tempestuous. Just… hollow.

That's when I heard her voice, soft, fond, and surprisingly close.

'' You okay, sweetheart ? ``

I looked up, startled. Katherine, my next-door neighbor, was standing just on the early face of the wooden fence, a garden hose in one hand, sunglasses pushed up on her headland. She was wearing a black bikini top that hugged her chest of drawers just right, cleavage practically spilling over. Her skin had that indulgent tan glow not counterfeit, not sunburnt, just real. Her consistency was the form that turns heads at every age, curvy, midst in the in effect ways, with an ass that looked amazing even in shorts.

I tried to fiddle it off. `` Yeah. Just ... life sentence hooey. ``

She smiled at me, centre kind. `` Breakups suck. But trust me you'll survive. ``

I laughed awkwardly. `` Is it that obvious ? ``

She nodded with a smirk."You were yelling into your phone like it owed you money."

I rubbed the back of my neck opening."Damn. Sorry about that."

"Don't apologize. I've got a son about your age. I know how rough it gets. Look, if you ever wan na lecture, or just hang out, don't be a stranger. We're neighbour now."

I looked at her, really looked and for a second, I forgot how lousy I felt."Thanks. That ... actually means a lot."

She gave me a wink."You'll bounce back. And in the meantime, lemonade's always cold over here."

Then she turned around .... and yeah, I absolutely stared. I didn't even try to hide it. That ass. That walk. The slight bounce. Goddamn.

The following few daytime blurred together. Mostly previous Night and mindless scrolling. I tried going for ravel, hitting the gym, blasting euphony too aloud anything to drown out the quiet.

But every good afternoon, like clockwork, Katherine would issue forth out to the pool.

It was her subprogram. A towel over the chair, big sunglasses on, and that Saame Bikini ... or sometimes a different one, smaller even. The fencing between our yards wasn't high enough to block my prospect from my bedroom window. Not even close. She must've known. function of me wondered if she did it on purpose.

She'd lay out, oil up, stretch in style that had me holding my breathing place. Sometimes she'd read, one leg draped lazily over the other. Sometimes she'd just close her eyes and tan, her pectus rising and falling slowly, peacefully. And I'd be watching, barely blinking with a rock-hard problem in my boxers and the Lapp question running through my mind over and over :

What would it feel like to stir her ?

I shouldn't have been thinking it. She was probably twenty dollar bill twelvemonth senior than me. Married. My neighbor. But none of that stopped the thoughts or the way my consistency reacted to her. Every fourth dimension she bent over to adjust the consortium umbrella, I swore she was going to discover me.

She was a cleaning woman, not a lady friend. And somehow, that made everything worse.

One evening, just before sunset, I caught her looking back at my window. Not for long. Just a quick glance. But it happened. My nerve jumped. Did she know ? Could she tell I'd been watching ?

I ducked away from the blinds, suddenly embarrassed, but something in me buzzed with something else too.

Not shame.

Not quite.

Chapter 2 :

Lemonade and Curves

It was just after noon when I finally worked up the cheek to take the air over.

I'd seen her lying out again — Saami bikini as before, maybe even lupus erythematosus material this time. The top strained to hold those mammilla in, and her articulatio coxae curved like something out of a pipe dream. The sunlight made her tegument glow. She was lying on her belly this time, legs slightly parted, and I'd been staring long enough to forget what day it was.

I didn't plan on saying anything. I was just going to take the air past the fence, maybe wave, maybe say hi. Instead, she turned her promontory, smiled, and called out to me before I even got the luck to decide.

"Tommy ! You gon na take the air past me all summer or you gon na come say hello ?"

I stopped mid-step, hands in my pockets."Didn't wan na interrupt."

"Interrupt what ?"she said, sliding her sunglasses up."I'm literally just lying here trying not to unfreeze. Come preserve me company."

I hesitated. My ticker was thudding. It wasn't the heat.

"seminal fluid on, I don't bite."She grinned."Unless you ask nicely."

That assembly line hit somewhere low in my breadbasket. I laughed, hoping she didn't hear the way my voice cracked.

I opened the gate and stepped into her backyard. The oestrus hit harder here — or maybe that was just her. The odour of coco palm oil and sun-warmed skin drifted in the air. I tried not to stare, but she hadn't bothered adjusting her top when she rolled over, and those pap were half out. My eyes didn't stand a chance.

She noticed. I know she did.

"Lemonade ?"she asked, already rising from her chair.

"Yeah. That'd be nice."

"Come in. Too hot to stand out here."She grabbed a towel, draped it loosely around her pelvic arch, and walked toward the sliding glass door. Her ass swayed with every pace, towel doing nothing to hide it. I followed like a dog chasing a steak.

interior, her business firm was gorgeous. spread out floor plan, spotless kitchen, cool air lavation over me as I stepped in. She moved like she owned every column inch of the space — graceful but unbothered, sure-footed in a way most people only pretend to be.

"Have a rear end,"she said, pouring lemonade into magniloquent chalk."You doing okay these years ?"

"Getting there,"I said."Breakups return time, I guess."

She handed me a glass and leaned against the counter. No rush, no awkwardness — just Katherine being Katherine.

"Well, I meant what I said before. If you ever need anything — even just to vent — I'm around. My married man's out of townsfolk again, so it's just me rattling around in here."

"Where does he go ?"

"work poppycock. conference, guest get together. He's in Ohio this workweek, I think."She sipped her lemonade."seed with the job. Keeps him busy."

"And you ? Doesn't it get drilling ?"

She smiled again — something about it felt different this time. Like there was a mysterious tucked behind it.

"Oh, I find ways to rest entertained."

I laughed nervously."I guess being married must help. You know ... always having mortal there."

She tilted her head."You mean for party, or for sex ?"

My sassing opened, then closed again."I—uh ... both, I guess."

Katherine laughed — not mocking, just amused."That's an dependable answer. Refreshing."

I shrugged."I don't know. I guess I always thought grown-up relationship just had ... more of that hooey figured out."

She walked toward me slowly, still holding her spyglass, and leaned her hip against the table just a foot from my knee. Her bikini top was still barely containing her. Her scent — something soft and confection — wrapped around me.

"You'd be surprise,"she said."A lot of people just go through the apparent motion. Some don't even spill about what they really want."

I swallowed."Like what ?"

Her centre met mine."Like what turns them on. What they wish they could ask for. What they need."

My brass were burning, but I couldn't look away.

She took another sip and smiled."Anyway ... didn't mean to frighten away you off. I just like fair conversations."

I nodded slowly, my throat dry."Yeah. No, I like that too."

She turned, walked back toward the sink, and I caught myself watching the muscles in her back move — the sonant subscriber line of her waist dipping into wide pelvic girdle. My intellection were all over the place.

Then she said,"You know what else helps after a breakup ?"

I looked up.

"beingness wanted. Feeling desired again. Reminds you that you 're not the problem."

My pump jumped a niggling. I wasn't sure if she was still talking about me, or if that pipeline was meant for herself. Maybe both.

I didn't answer. I just took a slow up sip, trying to play it cool.

We talked a little longer — about college, about the heat, about her flowers dying because she forgot to water them. But the whole time, there was this current running under it all. A calm down, galvanizing buzz that said this wasn't just a friendly visit.

And when I finally stood up to go, she walked me to the door. helping hand on my shoulder. A smile that lingered just a second too long.

"cum by anytime, Tommy. Door's always open."

The whole walk back to my house, I could still sense where her bridge player had touched me.

The lemonade tasted confection on my tongue, but not as sweetly as her voice.

And that towel ? I couldn't stop picturing how easy it'd be for it to fall.

Chapter 2 :

Lemonade and Curves

It was just after noon when I finally worked up the nerve to walk over.

I'd seen her lying out again — same bikini as before, maybe even less framework this prison term. The top strained to declare those boob in, and her pelvis curved like something out of a dream. The sun made her struggle glow. She was lying on her abdomen this time, legs slightly parted, and I'd been staring long enough to forget what day it was.

I didn't program on saying anything. I was just going to walk past the fence, maybe wave, maybe say hi. Instead, she turned her head, smiled, and called out to me before I even got the probability to decide.

"Tommy ! You gon na walk past me all summer or you gon na come up say hi ?"

I stopped mid-step, hands in my sac."Didn't wan na interrupt."

"Interrupt what ?"she said, sliding her sunglasses up."I'm literally just lying here trying not to thaw. Come keep me company."

I hesitated. My heart was thudding. It wasn't the heat.

"semen on, I don't bite."She grinned."Unless you ask nicely."

That billet hit somewhere low in my venter. I laughed, hoping she didn't hear the way my voice cracked.

I opened the logic gate and stepped into her backyard. The oestrus hit harder here — or maybe that was just her. The scent of coconut oil and sun-warmed skin drifted in the air. I tried not to stare, but she hadn't bothered adjusting her top when she rolled over, and those tits were half out. My oculus didn't stand a chance.

She noticed. I know she did.

"Lemonade ?"she asked, already rising from her chair.

"Yeah. That'd be nice."

"Come in. Too hot to brook out here."She grabbed a towel, draped it loosely around her articulatio coxae, and walked toward the sliding glass doorway. Her ass swayed with every dance step, towel doing nix to hide it. I followed like a dog chasing a steak.

inside, her house was gorgeous. undefended base plan, speckless kitchen, cool air laundry over me as I stepped in. She moved like she owned every inch of the space — graceful but unbothered, confident in a way most the great unwashed only pretend to be.

"Have a place,"she said, pouring lemonade into grandiloquent glasses."You doing okay these Clarence Day ?"

"Getting there,"I said."breakup take metre, I guess."

She handed me a field glass and leaned against the counter. No rush, no awkwardness — just Katherine being Katherine.

"wellspring, I meant what I said before. If you ever need anything — even just to vent — I'm around. My husband's out of town again, so it's just me rattling around in here."

"Where does he go ?"

"piece of work stuff. conference, client meetings. He's in Ohio this week, I think."She sipped her lemonade."Comes with the job. bread and butter him busy."

"And you ? Doesn't it get dull ?"

She smiled again — something about it felt different this time. Like there was a secret tucked behind it.

"Oh, I find ways to stay entertained."

I laughed nervously."I guess being married must help. You know ... always having soul there."

She tilted her mind."You mean for party, or for sex ?"

My mouth opened, then closed again."I—uh ... both, I guess."

Katherine laughed — not mocking, just amused."That's an honest answer. Refreshing."

I shrugged."I don't know. I guess I always thought grown-up relationships just had ... Thomas More of that stuff figured out."

She walked toward me slowly, still holding her glass, and leaned her hip against the tabular array just a foot from my knee joint. Her bikini top was still barely containing her. Her scent — something indulgent and Sweet — wrapped around me.

"You'd be storm,"she said."A lot of people just go through the motions. Some don't even talk about what they really want."

I swallowed."Like what ?"

Her eyes met mine."Like what turns them on. What they wish they could ask for. What they need."

My cheeks were burning, but I couldn't face away.

She took another sip and smiled."Anyway ... didn't mean to dash you off. I just like reliable conversations."

I nodded slowly, my throat dry."Yeah. No, I like that too."

She turned, walked back toward the sink, and I caught myself watching the muscles in her endorse move — the soft crinkle of her waist dipping into wide rosehip. My thinking were all over the place.

Then she said,"You know what else helps after a breakup ?"

I looked up.

"organism wanted. Feeling desired again. Reminds you that you 're not the problem."

My fondness jumped a little. I wasn't sure if she was still talking about me, or if that line was meant for herself. Maybe both.

I didn't solution. I just took a boring sip, trying to play it cool.

We talked a little longer — about college, about the heat, about her efflorescence dying because she forgot to water them. But the whole time, there was this current running under it all. A quiet, galvanizing buzz that said this wasn't just a friendly visit.

And when I finally stood up to go, she walked me to the door. bridge player on my shoulder joint. A grin that lingered just a second too long.

"Come by anytime, Tommy. doorway's always open."

The unharmed walk of life back to my sign of the zodiac, I could still feel where her deal had touched me.

The lemonade tasted sweet on my tongue, but not as mellifluous as her voice.

And that towel ? I couldn't block picturing how easy it'd be for it to light .