Chapter 1

The Fence Between Us

I did n't have it off heartbreak could hit this hard.

I was leaning against the fence in my backyard, phone pressed to my ear like it was the hold up 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 despairing I sounded. But I couldn't assistance it.

Three year together. She was my low gear everything. Now she was off at some college a thou miles away, talking like I was a dull phase she'd outgrown. Like I wasn't even worth keeping.

The course went drained. Just silence.

I stood there for a piece, staring at the patchy sess, the free weight in my pectus weighty than it had been all hebdomad. I felt miserable. Nineteen geezerhood old, heartbroken over somebody who'd already moved on. I didn't even feel angry. Just… hollow.

That's when I heard her voice, subdued, warm, 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 hosepipe in one mitt, sunglasses pushed up on her head. She was wearing a nigrify bikini top that hugged her thorax just right, cleavage practically spilling over. Her skin had that soft tan glow not talk through one's hat, not sunburned, just real number. Her body was the sort that turns head teacher at every age, curvy, thick in the safe agency, with an ass that looked amazing even in shorts.

I tried to bring it off. `` Yeah. Just ... life stuff. ``

She smiled at me, heart 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 speech sound like it owed you money."

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

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

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

She gave me a nictitation."You'll leap 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 shroud it. That ass. That walk. The little bounce. Goddamn.

The next few solar day blurred together. Mostly late nights and senseless scrolling. I tried going for runs, hitting the gym, blasting euphony too gimcrack anything to drown out the quiet.

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

It was her function. A towel over the chair, big sunglasses on, and that same Bikini ... or sometimes a different one, little even. The fence between our yards wasn't richly enough to impede my view from my bedroom window. Not even close. She must've known. role of me wondered if she did it on purpose.

She'd lay out, oil up, stretchiness in way of life that had me holding my breath. Sometimes she'd read, one leg draped lazily over the early. Sometimes she'd just close her eyes and tan, her chest rising and falling slowly, peacefully. And I'd be watching, barely blinking with a rock-hard problem in my pugilist and the same question running through my creative thinker over and over :

What would it feel like to touch her ?

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

She was a woman, not a fille. And somehow, that made everything worse.

One eventide, just before sunset, I caught her looking back at my window. Not for long. Just a warm glimpse. But it happened. My nitty-gritty jumped. Did she know ? Could she tell I'd been watching ?

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

Not shame.

Not quite.

Chapter 2 :

Lemonade and Curves

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

I'd seen her lying out again — same Bikini as before, maybe even to a lesser extent fabric this clock time. The top strained to hold those bosom in, and her pelvic arch curved like something out of a pipe dream. The sunlight made her skin glow. She was lying on her tum 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 walk past the fence, maybe wave, maybe say hi. Instead, she turned her mind, smiled, and called out to me before I even got the chance to decide.

"Tommy ! You gon na walk past me all summertime or you gon na add up say hullo ?"

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

"Interrupt what ?"she said, sliding her sunglass up."I'm literally just lying here trying not to melt. seminal fluid hold on me company."

I hesitated. My nitty-gritty was thudding. It wasn't the heat.

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

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

I opened the gate and stepped into her backyard. The rut hit harder here — or maybe that was just her. The smell of Cocos nucifera oil and sun-warmed peel 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 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 brook out here."She grabbed a towel, draped it loosely around her articulatio coxae, and walked toward the sliding glass door. Her ass swayed with every step, towel doing null to hide it. I followed like a dog chasing a steak.

inside, her planetary house was gorgeous. Open floor plan, spotless kitchen, cool air washing over me as I stepped in. She moved like she owned every column 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 mean solar day ?"

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

She handed me a glass and leaned against the buffet. No flush, 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 stuff. league, client coming together. He's in OH this workweek, I think."She sipped her lemonade."semen with the job. Keeps him busy."

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

She smiled again — something about it felt dissimilar this prison term. Like there was a secluded tucked behind it.

"Oh, I find elbow room 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 companionship, 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 human relationship just had ... Sir Thomas More of that stuff and nonsense figured out."

She walked toward me slowly, still holding her glass, and leaned her hip against the board just a groundwork from my knee joint. Her bikini top was still barely containing her. Her odourise — something delicate and sweet — wrapped around me.

"You'd be surprised,"she said."A lot of people just go through the apparent movement. 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 brass were burning, but I couldn't look away.

She took another sip and smiled."Anyway ... didn't mean to frighten you off. I just like honest 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 indorse motion — the indulgent phone line of her waist dipping into wide articulatio coxae. My opinion 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 ticker jumped a small. I wasn't sure if she was still talking about me, or if that business was meant for herself. Maybe both.

I didn't answer. I just took a decelerate 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 unit time, there was this current running under it all. A serenity, galvanic 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. A smile that lingered just a arcsecond too long.

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

The all walk back to my house, I could still feel where her hand had touched me.

The lemonade tasted Henry Sweet on my tongue, but not as cherubic as her voice.

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

Chapter 2 :

Lemonade and curve ball

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

I'd seen her lying out again — Lapplander bikini as before, maybe even less fabric this fourth dimension. The top strained to obtain those tits in, and her pelvic girdle curved like something out of a dream. The sunshine made her pelt glowing. 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 walk past the fence, maybe undulation, 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 hail say hello ?"

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

"Interrupt what ?"she said, sliding her dark glasses up."I'm literally just lying here trying not to melt. Come hold on me company."

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

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

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

I opened the logic gate and stepped into her backyard. The passion hit backbreaking here — or maybe that was just her. The olfactory property of coconut 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 hips, and walked toward the sliding glass door. Her ass swayed with every footfall, towel doing nothing to hide it. I followed like a dog chasing a steak.

inside, her sign was gorgeous. Open storey plan, spotless kitchen, cool air washables over me as I stepped in. She moved like she owned every inch of the quad — graceful but unbothered, confident in a way most people only pretend to be.

"Have a seat,"she said, pouring lemonade into grandiloquent glasses."You doing okay these twenty-four hour period ?"

"Getting there,"I said."separation takings time, I guess."

She handed me a glass and leaned against the comeback. No boot, 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 husband's out of Ithiel Town again, so it's just me rattling around in here."

"Where does he go ?"

"work stuff. Conferences, customer get together. He's in Buckeye State this workweek, I think."She sipped her lemonade."Comes with the job. dungeon him busy."

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

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 oneself. You know ... always having someone there."

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

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

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

I shrugged."I don't know. I guess I always thought grown-up kinship just had ... more of that stuff and nonsense figured out."

She walked toward me slowly, still holding her spyglass, and leaned her hip against the board just a foot from my genu. Her two-piece top was still barely containing her. Her odor — something diffused and sweet — wrapped around me.

"You'd be surprised,"she said."A lot of people just go through the motions. Some don't even let the cat out of the bag 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 looking at away.

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

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

She turned, walked back toward the cesspool, and I caught myself watching the muscle in her back move — the soft line of her waistline dipping into wide-eyed hips. 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 heart 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 answer. I just took a slow sip, trying to diddle it cool.

We talked a minuscule longer — about college, about the heat, about her flowers dying because she forgot to water them. But the unharmed time, there was this current running under it all. A quiet, galvanising buzz that said this wasn't just a favorable visit.

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

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

The wholly walk back to my sign of the zodiac, I could still palpate where her hand had touched me.

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

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