Chapter 1

The fencing Between Us

I did n't be intimate heartbreak could hit this hard.

I was leaning against the fencing in my backyard, speech sound pressed to my ear like it was the net small-arm of her I had left. `` Come on, Jess ... don't do this. We can fix it. Please. '' My voice cracked, and I hated how desperate I sounded. But I couldn't help it.

Three years together. She was my number 1 everything. Now she was off at some college a M geographical mile away, talking like I was a tire form she'd outgrown. Like I wasn't even worth keeping.

The line went dead. Just silence.

I stood there for a piece, staring at the patchy grass, the weight in my dresser heavier than it had been all week. I felt pathetic. xix years old, heartbroken over someone who'd already moved on. I didn't even experience angry. Just… hollow.

That's when I heard her vocalisation, diffuse, quick, and surprisingly close.

'' You okay, sweetheart ? ``

I looked up, startled. Katherine, my next-door neighbor, was standing just on the other face of the wooden fencing, a garden hose in one script, sunglasses pushed up on her head. She was wearing a ignominious bikini top that hugged her chest just right, cleavage practically spilling over. Her skin had that subdued tan glow not fake, not sunburnt, just real. Her body was the kind that turns question at every age, curvy, midst in the best path, with an ass that looked amazing even in shorts.

I tried to play it off. `` Yeah. Just ... animation stuff. ``

She smiled at me, oculus sort. `` separation suck. But trust me you'll survive. ``

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

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

I rubbed the cover of my neck."tinker's 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 unknown. We're neighbors now."

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

She gave me a wink."You'll leaping 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 little saltation. Goddamn.

The next few days blurred together. Mostly late nights and reasonless scrolling. I tried going for runs, hitting the gym, blasting music too loud anything to drown out the quiet.

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

It was her routine. A towel over the death chair, big sunglasses on, and that Saami bikini ... or sometimes a dissimilar one, small even. The fence between our yards wasn't senior high school enough to block my view from my bedroom window. Not even close. She must've known. Part of me wondered if she did it on purpose.

She'd lay out, oil up, stretch in fashion that had me holding my breath. Sometimes she'd read, one leg draped lazily over the other. Sometimes she'd just close her eyes and tan, her chest of drawers ascent and falling slowly, peacefully. And I'd be watching, barely blinking with a rock-hard problem in my boxershorts and the same question running through my mind over and over :

What would it experience like to touch her ?

I shouldn't have been thinking it. She was probably twenty years older than me. Married. My neighbour. But none of that stopped the sentiment or the way my torso reacted to her. Every time she bent over to conform the kitty umbrella, I swore she was going to break me.

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

One eve, just before sundown, I caught her looking back at my window. Not for long. Just a quick glance. But it happened. My heart and soul 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 curve ball

It was just after twelve 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 clip. The top strained to bear those tits in, and her hip joint curved like something out of a dream. The sun made her shin glow. She was lying on her stomach this prison term, 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 head, smiled, and called out to me before I even got the luck 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 pocket."Didn't wan na interrupt."

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

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

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

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

I opened the gate and stepped into her backyard. The hotness hit hard here — or maybe that was just her. The fragrance of cocoa 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 tits were half out. My heart 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 deoxyephedrine door. Her ass swayed with every pace, towel doing null to hide it. I followed like a dog chasing a steak.

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

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

"Getting there,"I said."breakup return meter, I guess."

She handed me a glass and leaned against the retort. No rush, no maladroitness — 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 Town again, so it's just me rattling around in here."

"Where does he go ?"

"body of work stuff. Conferences, client merging. He's in Ohio this week, I think."She sipped her lemonade."semen with the job. Keeps him busy."

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

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

"Oh, I find mode to ride out entertained."

I laughed nervously."I guess being married must facilitate. 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 honorable answer. Refreshing."

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

She walked toward me slowly, still holding her glass, 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 sugared — wrapped around me.

"You'd be surprised,"she said."A lot of citizenry just go through the apparent motion. 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 look away.

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

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

She turned, walked back toward the sump, and I caught myself watching the sinew in her back move — the easygoing line of her shank dipping into wide hips. My thoughts were all over the place.

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

I looked up.

"existence 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 of products was meant for herself. Maybe both.

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

We talked a fiddling long — about college, about the heat, about her efflorescence dying because she forgot to water system them. But the unscathed time, there was this current running under it all. A tranquillize, electric car 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. A smile that lingered just a second too long.

"seminal fluid by anytime, Tommy. Door's always open."

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

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

And that towel ? I couldn't hold back picturing how easily it'd be for it to fall.

Chapter 2 :

Lemonade and Curves

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

I'd seen her lying out again — like bikini as before, maybe even less fabric this time. The top strained to restrain those tits in, and her hip joint curved like something out of a aspiration. The sun made her skin glow. She was lying on her stomach this time, legs slightly parted, and I'd been staring long enough to bury 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 promontory, smiled, and called out to me before I even got the chance to decide.

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

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

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

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

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

That 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 perfume of coco oil and sun-warmed hide 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 place upright out here."She grabbed a towel, draped it loosely around her hips, and walked toward the sliding glass door. Her ass swayed with every step, towel doing null to blot out it. I followed like a dog chasing a steak.

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

"Have a keister,"she said, pouring lemonade into tall meth."You doing okay these years ?"

"Getting there,"I said."separation proceeds fourth dimension, I guess."

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

"fountainhead, 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 ?"

"Work material. conference, node meeting. 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 clock time. Like there was a secret tucked behind it.

"Oh, I find ways to stick entertained."

I laughed nervously."I guess being married must help. You know ... always having somebody 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 dependable reply. Refreshing."

I shrugged."I don't know. I guess I always thought grown-up human relationship just had ... more of that hooey 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 soft and sweet — wrapped around me.

"You'd be surprised,"she said."A lot of mass 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 face were burning, but I couldn't look away.

She took another sip and smiled."Anyway ... didn't mean to affright 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 sump, and I caught myself watching the musculus in her vertebral column move — the easy line of her waistline dipping into blanket hip. 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 lilliputian. 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 bet it cool.

We talked a little foresightful — about college, about the heat, about her efflorescence dying because she forgot to water them. But the all time, there was this current running under it all. A quiet, electric 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. A smile that lingered just a second too long.

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

The wholly walk back to my household, I could still sense where her hand had touched me.

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

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