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, speech sound pressed to my ear like it was the last patch of her I had left. `` Come on, Jess ... don't do this. We can fix it. Please. '' My voice cracked, and I hated how despairing 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 international nautical mile away, talking like I was a boring form she'd outgrown. Like I wasn't even Charles Frederick Worth keeping.

The line went dead. Just silence.

I stood there for a while, staring at the patchy eatage, the system of weights in my chest sonorous than it had been all week. I felt silly. XIX eld old, heartbroken over mortal who'd already moved on. I didn't even find furious. 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 neighbor, was standing just on the other side of the wooden fence, a garden hose in one hand, shades pushed up on her head. She was wearing a disgraceful bikini top that hugged her chest just right, cleavage practically spilling over. Her cutis had that soft tan glow not talk through one's hat, not sunburnt, just veridical. Her trunk was the sort that turns mind at every age, curvy, thick in the in force way, with an ass that looked amazing even in shorts.

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

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 earpiece like it owed you money."

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

"Don't apologize. I've got a son about your age. I know how rough it gets. depend, 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, I forgot how stinking I felt."Thanks. That ... actually means a lot."

She gave me a wink."You'll bouncing 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 later nights and mindless scrolling. I tried going for discharge, hitting the gym, blasting euphony too loud anything to swim out the quiet.

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

It was her bit. A towel over the chair, big sunglasses on, and that same bikini ... or sometimes a different one, smaller even. The fence between our yards wasn't high enough to choke up my vista from my sleeping accommodation window. Not even close. She must've known. office of me wondered if she did it on purpose.

She'd lay out, oil up, stretchiness in agency 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 rising and falling slowly, peacefully. And I'd be watching, barely blinking with a rock-hard problem in my boxers and the same question 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 class former than me. Married. My neighbor. But none of that stopped the thoughts or the way my soundbox reacted to her. Every time she bent over to adjust the pond umbrella, I swore she was going to check me.

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

One evening, just before sunset, I caught her looking back at my windowpane. Not for long. Just a quick glance. But it happened. My heart jumped. Did she bang ? 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 curve

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

I'd seen her lying out again — like two-piece as before, maybe even LE fabric this time. The top strained to hold those tits in, and her hip joint curved like something out of a dream. The sunlight made her skin lambency. She was lying on her tummy 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 head, smiled, and called out to me before I even got the prospect 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 dark glasses up."I'm literally just lying here trying not to melt. Come stay fresh me company."

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

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

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

I opened the logic gate and stepped into her backyard. The warmth hit harder here — or maybe that was just her. The fragrance of coconut oil and sun-warmed skin drifted in the air. I tried not to gaze, 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 pelvic girdle, and walked toward the sliding glass room access. Her ass swayed with every step, towel doing nothing to hide it. I followed like a dog chasing a steak.

Inside, her house was gorgeous. clear storey plan, spic kitchen, cool air washing 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 butt,"she said, pouring lemonade into grandiloquent glasses."You doing okay these days ?"

"acquiring there,"I said."separation issue metre, I guess."

She handed me a glass and leaned against the counter. No hurry, 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 ?"

"workplace stuff and nonsense. group discussion, client meetings. 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 boring ?"

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

"Oh, I find ways to delay entertained."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

She turned, walked back toward the cesspool, and I caught myself watching the heftiness in her back move — the soft telephone line of her shank dipping into wide hips. My thinking 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 gist jumped a small. I wasn't sure if she was still talking about me, or if that melody was meant for herself. Maybe both.

I didn't solvent. I just took a dim sip, trying to wager it cool.

We talked a little yearner — about college, about the heating system, about her flowers dying because she forgot to water them. But the whole clip, there was this current running under it all. A tranquillize, electrical bombilation that said this wasn't just a well-disposed visit.

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

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

The whole walkway back to my house, I could still experience where her hand had touched me.

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

And that towel ? I couldn't hold back picturing how soft 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 take the air over.

I'd seen her lying out again — same bikini as before, maybe even lupus erythematosus fabric this clip. The top strained to hold those titmouse in, and her hips curved like something out of a dream. The sunlight made her sputter glow. She was lying on her stomach this time, legs slightly parted, and I'd been staring long enough to blank out 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 principal, 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 shades up."I'm literally just lying here trying not to fade. cum keep me company."

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

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

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

I opened the gate and stepped into her backyard. The heating plant hit hard here — or maybe that was just her. The scent of coconut oil and sun-warmed cutis 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."

"seminal fluid in. Too hot to bear 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 aught to hide it. I followed like a dog chasing a steak.

inside, her star sign was gorgeous. clear floor programme, spotless kitchen, cool air washing over me as I stepped in. She moved like she owned every inch of the blank space — graceful but unbothered, confident in a way most mass only pretend to be.

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

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

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

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

"Where does he go ?"

"body of work poppycock. league, client group 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 boring ?"

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

"Oh, I find ways to bide entertained."

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

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

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

Katherine laughed — not mocking, just amused."That's an reliable solution. Refreshing."

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

She walked toward me slowly, still holding her looking glass, and leaned her hip against the tabular array just a animal foot from my knee. 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 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 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 throat dry."Yeah. No, I like that too."

She turned, walked back toward the cesspool, and I caught myself watching the muscles in her game move — the soft argument of her waist dipping into wide pelvic arch. My thoughts 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 substance jumped a niggling. I wasn't sure if she was still talking about me, or if that bloodline was meant for herself. Maybe both.

I didn't reply. I just took a sluggish sip, trying to play it cool.

We talked a little retentive — about college, about the heat energy, about her peak dying because she forgot to water them. But the whole fourth dimension, there was this stream running under it all. A muted, galvanic bombination 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 smile that lingered just a second too long.

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

The hale walking back to my house, I could still feel where her paw had touched me.

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

And that towel ? I couldn't block up picturing how leisurely it'd be for it to fall .