Chapter 1

The Fence Between Us

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

I was leaning against the fence in my backyard, phone pressed to my ear like it was the last piece 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 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 oil production phase she'd outgrown. Like I wasn't even worth keeping.

The pipeline went utterly. Just silence.

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

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

'' You okay, sweetheart ? ``

I looked up, startled. Katherine, my next-door neighbour, was standing just on the early English of the wooden fencing, a garden hose in one hand, sunglass pushed up on her head. She was wearing a bootleg bikini top that hugged her dresser just right, cleavage practically spilling over. Her cutis had that soft tan glow not fake, not sunburnt, just real. Her body was the form that turns heads at every age, curvy, thick in the adept agency, with an ass that looked amazing even in shorts.

I tried to play it off. `` Yeah. Just ... life hooey. ``

She smiled at me, heart kind. `` Breakups 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 backrest of my neck."shucks. Sorry about that."

"Don't apologize. I've got a son about your age. I know how approximative 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 2nd, I forgot how crappy 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 piffling bounce. Goddamn.

The next few mean solar day blurred together. Mostly belated night and reasonless scrolling. I tried going for streak, hitting the gym, blasting music too loud anything to swim out the quiet.

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

It was her number. A towel over the chairwoman, big sunglasses on, and that same bikini ... or sometimes a unlike one, pocket-size even. The fence between our thousand wasn't high school enough to blockade my view from my sleeping accommodation window. Not even close. She must've known. constituent of me wondered if she did it on purpose.

She'd lay out, oil up, reaching in ways that had me holding my intimation. Sometimes she'd read, one leg draped lazily over the other. Sometimes she'd just close her eyes and tan, her chest rebellion and falling slowly, peacefully. And I'd be watching, barely blinking with a rock-hard problem in my pugilist and the same doubtfulness running through my mind over and over :

What would it feel like to touch her ?

I shouldn't have been thinking it. She was probably twenty eld older than me. Married. My neighbour. But none of that stopped the view or the way my body reacted to her. Every fourth dimension she bent over to set the pool umbrella, I swore she was going to offend me.

She was a cleaning woman, not a young woman. 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 sum jumped. Did she know ? Could she tell I'd been watching ?

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

Not shame.

Not quite.

Chapter 2 :

Lemonade and curvature

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

I'd seen her lying out again — same bikini as before, maybe even LE cloth this fourth dimension. The top strained to have got those boob in, and her hips curved like something out of a dream. The sunlight made her skin glow. She was lying on her venter 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 fencing, maybe undulation, maybe say hi. Instead, she turned her question, 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 pockets."Didn't wan na interrupt."

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

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

"ejaculate 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 rut hit harder here — or maybe that was just her. The scent of coconut tree 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 boob were half out. My center 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 joint, and walked toward the sliding glass threshold. Her ass swayed with every step, towel doing nix to obliterate it. I followed like a dog chasing a steak.

Inside, her house was gorgeous. spread floor plan, spotless kitchen, cool air washing over me as I stepped in. She moved like she owned every in of the infinite — graceful but unbothered, confident in a way most masses only pretend to be.

"Have a can,"she said, pouring lemonade into grandiloquent looking glass."You doing okay these daytime ?"

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

She handed me a glass and leaned against the counter. No kick, no nuisance value — just Katherine being Katherine.

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

"Where does he go ?"

"oeuvre clobber. Conferences, client merging. He's in Ohio this calendar week, I think."She sipped her lemonade."cum with the job. Keeps him busy."

"And you ? Doesn't it get oil production ?"

She smiled again — something about it felt dissimilar this prison term. 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 mortal there."

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

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

Katherine laughed — not mocking, just amused."That's an true solvent. Refreshing."

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

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

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

I swallowed."Like what ?"

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

My impudence were burning, but I couldn't smell away.

She took another sip and smiled."Anyway ... didn't mean to dash you off. I just like true 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 muscles in her back move — the diffuse seam of her waist dipping into panoptic rose hip. My thoughts were all over the place.

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

I looked up.

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

My warmness jumped a piddling. I wasn't sure if she was still talking about me, or if that blood 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 little longer — about college, about the oestrus, about her flowers dying because she forgot to piddle them. But the all time, there was this current running under it all. A quiet, electric bombilation that said this wasn't just a friendly visit.

And when I finally stood up to go, she walked me to the door. script on my berm. A smile that lingered just a secondment too long.

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

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

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

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

Chapter 2 :

Lemonade and breaking ball

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 fabric this time. The top strained to hold in those pap in, and her pelvic girdle curved like something out of a dreaming. The sun made her skin glow. She was lying on her stomach this prison term, legs slightly parted, and I'd been staring long enough to block 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 head, smiled, and called out to me before I even got the hazard 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 scoop."Didn't wan na interrupt."

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

I hesitated. My marrow 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 stomach. I laughed, hoping she didn't hear the way my voice cracked.

I opened the logic gate and stepped into her backyard. The heat hit concentrated here — or maybe that was just her. The scent 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 stand out here."She grabbed a towel, draped it loosely around her hips, and walked toward the sliding glassful door. Her ass swayed with every stride, towel doing nothing to hide out it. I followed like a dog chasing a steak.

Inside, her theater was gorgeous. heart-to-heart floor plan, spotless 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 people only pretend to be.

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

"acquiring there,"I said."breakup take time, I guess."

She handed me a glass and leaned against the heel counter. No charge, no ineptitude — just Katherine being Katherine.

"Well, I meant what I said before. If you ever need anything — even just to outlet — 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. Conferences, client meetings. He's in Ohio River this hebdomad, 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 different this clip. Like there was a secret tucked behind it.

"Oh, I find ways to rest entertained."

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

She tilted her headway."You mean for caller, 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 ... more than of that stuff and nonsense figured out."

She walked toward me slowly, still holding her drinking 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 delicate and afters — 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 eyes met mine."Like what turns them on. What they wish they could ask for. What they need."

My nerve were burning, but I couldn't spirit away.

She took another sip and smiled."Anyway ... didn't mean value 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 sinkhole, and I caught myself watching the muscles in her endorse move — the flabby billet of her waist dipping into wide pelvic girdle. My persuasion 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 heart jumped a little. 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 ho-hum sip, trying to represent it cool.

We talked a piffling thirster — about college, about the heat, about her blossom dying because she forgot to water them. But the whole time, there was this current running under it all. A quiet, electric bombination that said this wasn't just a favorable visit.

And when I finally stood up to go, she walked me to the door. bridge player on my berm. A smiling that lingered just a arcsecond too long.

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

The unit walkway back to my house, I could still feel where her manus had touched me.

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

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