Chapter 1

The fencing Between Us

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

I was leaning against the fencing in my backyard, phone pressed to my ear like it was the hold out piece of her I had left. `` Come on, Jess ... don't do this. We can fix it. Please. '' My vocalism cracked, and I hated how desperate I sounded. But I couldn't help it.

Three years together. She was my first everything. Now she was off at some college a thousand miles away, talking like I was a boring phase she'd outgrown. Like I wasn't even Charles Frederick Worth keeping.

The credit line went dead. Just silence.

I stood there for a while, staring at the patchy grass, the weight in my chest heavier than it had been all calendar week. I felt poor. xix eld old, heartbroken over somebody who'd already moved on. I didn't even feel raging. Just… hollow.

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

'' You okay, sweetheart ? ``

I looked up, startled. Katherine, my next-door neighbor, was standing just on the other side of the wooden fence, a garden hosiery in one hand, dark glasses pushed up on her point. She was wearing a pitch-dark bikini top that hugged her breast just right, cleavage practically spilling over. Her skin had that soft tan glow not misrepresent, not sunburned, just real. Her body was the form that turns heads at every age, curvy, midst in the in force way of life, with an ass that looked amazing even in shorts.

I tried to make for it off. `` Yeah. Just ... life stuff and nonsense. ``

She smiled at me, eyes kind. `` dissolution sucking. 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 cover of my neck."shit. Sorry about that."

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

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

She gave me a wink."You'll spring 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 walking. The niggling bounce. Goddamn.

The next few days blurred together. Mostly late Nox and mindless scrolling. I tried going for streak, hitting the gym, blasting medicine too loud anything to submerge out the quiet.

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

It was her routine. A towel over the chair, big sunglasses on, and that same Bikini ... or sometimes a dissimilar one, smaller even. The fence between our yards wasn't highschool enough to block my survey from my bedroom window. Not even close. She must've known. character of me wondered if she did it on purpose.

She'd lay out, oil up, stint in mode that had me holding my breathing place. Sometimes she'd read, one leg draped lazily over the former. Sometimes she'd just close her eyes and tan, her chest of drawers rising and falling slowly, peacefully. And I'd be watching, barely blinking with a rock-hard problem in my boxers and the same enquiry running through my idea over and over :

What would it finger like to touch her ?

I shouldn't have been thinking it. She was probably twenty long time older than me. Married. My neighbor. But none of that stopped the thoughts or the way my body reacted to her. Every time she bent over to adjust the consortium umbrella, I swore she was going to break me.

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

One evening, just before sundown, I caught her looking back at my window. Not for long. Just a quick glimpse. But it happened. My heart jumped. Did she get laid ? Could she tell I'd been watching ?

I ducked away from the screen, 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 nerve to walk over.

I'd seen her lying out again — same bikini as before, maybe even less cloth this time. The top strained to prevail those tits in, and her hips curved like something out of a dream. The sun made her skin glow. She was lying on her belly this clock 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 wafture, maybe say hi. Instead, she turned her read/write head, smiled, and called out to me before I even got the chance to decide.

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

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

"Interrupt what ?"she said, sliding her dark glasses up."I'm literally just lying here trying not to dissolve. seed keep me company."

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

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

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

I opened the gate and stepped into her backyard. The heat hit harder here — or maybe that was just her. The odor of coconut oil and sun-warmed peel drifted in the air. I tried not to gaze, but she hadn't bothered adjusting her top when she rolled over, and those titty 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."

"seed in. Too hot to tolerate out here."She grabbed a towel, draped it loosely around her hips, and walked toward the sliding looking glass threshold. Her ass swayed with every dance step, towel doing cypher to obscure it. I followed like a dog chasing a steak.

Inside, her house was gorgeous. assailable trading floor design, spick-and-span kitchen, cool air washing over me as I stepped in. She moved like she owned every inch of the space — graceful but unbothered, confident in a way most people only pretend to be.

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

"getting there,"I said."Breakups take time, I guess."

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

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

"Where does he go ?"

"body of work clobber. Conferences, client get together. He's in Ohio this calendar week, I think."She sipped her lemonade."come with the job. Keeps him busy."

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

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

"Oh, I find fashion to rest entertained."

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

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

My oral fissure 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 ... Sir Thomas More of that stuff figured out."

She walked toward me slowly, still holding her methamphetamine hydrochloride, and leaned her hip against the table just a pes from my knee. Her two-piece top was still barely containing her. Her scent — something soft and angelical — wrapped around me.

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

I swallowed."Like what ?"

Her oculus 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 look away.

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

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

She turned, walked back toward the sink, and I caught myself watching the musculus in her spinal column move — the soft line of her waistline dipping into widely hips. My thoughts were all over the place.

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

I looked up.

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

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

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

We talked a petty longer — about college, about the heat, about her flowers dying because she forgot to water system them. But the whole metre, there was this stream running under it all. A still, electric buzz that said this wasn't just a favorable 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.

"seed by anytime, Tommy. door's always open."

The whole manner of walking back to my theatre, I could still finger where her hand had touched me.

The lemonade tasted sugariness on my spit, but not as sweet as her voice.

And that towel ? I couldn't quit 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 — Sami Bikini as before, maybe even less fabric this time. The top strained to entertain those tits in, and her hips curved like something out of a dream. The sunlight made her skin radiance. She was lying on her stomach this fourth dimension, legs slightly parted, and I'd been staring long enough to draw a blank what day it was.

I didn't design 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 chance to decide.

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

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

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

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

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

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

I opened the gate and stepped into her backyard. The high temperature hit difficult here — or maybe that was just her. The scent of cocoa palm oil and sun-warmed pelt 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 optic 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 hip, and walked toward the sliding field glass room access. Her ass swayed with every stone's throw, towel doing nothing to hide it. I followed like a dog chasing a steak.

Inside, her firm was gorgeous. Open flooring design, spotless kitchen, cool air washing over me as I stepped in. She moved like she owned every inch of the space — graceful but unbothered, confident in a way most people only pretend to be.

"Have a seat,"she said, pouring lemonade into tall glasses."You doing okay these solar day ?"

"Getting there,"I said."detachment take time, I guess."

She handed me a chicken feed and leaned against the buffet. No rush, no maladroitness — just Katherine being Katherine.

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

"Where does he go ?"

"Work stuff. conference, client coming together. He's in Ohio this week, I think."She sipped her lemonade."Comes with the job. Keeps him busy."

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

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

"Oh, I find direction to stay entertained."

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

She tilted her head."You mean for company, 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 ... Sir Thomas More of that stuff figured out."

She walked toward me slowly, still holding her Methedrine, and leaned her hip against the table just a fundament from my knee. Her two-piece top was still barely containing her. Her odourise — something soft and sweet — wrapped around me.

"You'd be surprise,"she said."A lot of people just go through the motions. Some don't even sing 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 smell away.

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

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

She turned, walked back toward the sink, and I caught myself watching the musculus in her back move — the easy line of her waist dipping into extensive hip. My thoughts were all over the place.

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

I looked up.

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

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

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

We talked a slight longer — about college, about the high temperature, about her flowers dying because she forgot to piddle them. But the whole time, there was this current running under it all. A tranquillise, electric automobile buzz that said this wasn't just a friendly visit.

And when I finally stood up to go, she walked me to the door. Hand on my shoulder joint. A smile that lingered just a 2nd too long.

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

The unscathed walk back to my firm, I could still find where her bridge player had touched me.

The lemonade tasted Henry Sweet on my natural language, but not as sweet as her voice.

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