Chapter 1

The Fence 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 last 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 assistant it.

Three days together. She was my first everything. Now she was off at some college a thousand mi away, talking like I was a deadening phase she'd outgrown. Like I wasn't even worth keeping.

The line went utter. Just silence.

I stood there for a while, staring at the patchy weed, the weight in my chest labored than it had been all week. I felt pathetic. Nineteen years old, heartbroken over someone who'd already moved on. I didn't even find angry. Just… hollow.

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

'' You okay, sweetheart ? ``

I looked up, startled. Katherine, my next-door neighbour, was standing just on the former position of the wooden fencing, a garden hose in one hired man, sunglasses pushed up on her head. She was wearing a blackness bikini top that hugged her bureau just right, cleavage practically spilling over. Her peel had that soft tan glow not fake, not sunburnt, just tangible. Her soundbox was the form that turns heads at every age, curvy, midst in the best way of life, with an ass that looked amazing even in shorts.

I tried to spiel it off. `` Yeah. Just ... life clobber. ``

She smiled at me, eyes 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 earphone like it owed you money."

I rubbed the cover of my neck."red cent. Sorry about that."

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

I looked at her, really looked and for a minute, I forgot how shitty 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 walk. The little bounce. Goddamn.

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

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

It was her routine. A towel over the chairperson, big sunglass on, and that same two-piece ... or sometimes a dissimilar one, smaller even. The fencing between our curtilage wasn't high enough to block my purview from my chamber 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 manner that had me holding my breather. Sometimes she'd read, one leg draped lazily over the other. Sometimes she'd just close her eyes and tan, her breast uprising and falling slowly, peacefully. And I'd be watching, barely blinking with a rock-hard job in my packer and the Lapplander dubiousness running through my psyche over and over :

What would it feel like to stir her ?

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

She was a fair sex, not a girl. 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 inwardness jumped. Did she have a go at it ? Could she tell I'd been watching ?

I ducked away from the blinds, 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 fabric this time. The top strained to hold those tits in, and her rosehip curved like something out of a dream. The sunshine made her skin luminescence. She was lying on her abdomen 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 nous, 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 pockets."Didn't wan na interrupt."

"Interrupt what ?"she said, sliding her sunglasses up."I'm literally just lying here trying not to mellow out. ejaculate 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 line hit somewhere low in my stomach. I laughed, hoping she didn't hear the way my phonation cracked.

I opened the gate and stepped into her backyard. The heat energy hit strong here — or maybe that was just her. The scent of cocoa palm 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 nipple 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 bear 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 whole tone, towel doing nothing to veil it. I followed like a dog chasing a steak.

interior, her house was gorgeous. Open storey design, spotless kitchen, cool air washables over me as I stepped in. She moved like she owned every in of the space — graceful but unbothered, confident in a way most hoi polloi only pretend to be.

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

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

She handed me a meth and leaned against the counter. No kick, no gracelessness — just Katherine being Katherine.

"Well, I meant what I said before. If you ever need anything — even just to give 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 stuff. Conferences, client coming together. He's in Ohio this week, I think."She sipped her lemonade."Comes with the job. hold him busy."

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

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 somebody there."

She tilted her header."You mean for troupe, 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 ... to a greater extent of that hooey figured out."

She walked toward me slowly, still holding her methamphetamine hydrochloride, and leaned her hip against the table just a foot from my articulatio genus. Her two-piece 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 off 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 brawniness in her spine motility — the soft bank line of her waist dipping into wide hips. My mentation 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 heart jumped a picayune. 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 heat energy, about her flowers dying because she forgot to water system them. But the whole sentence, there was this current running under it all. A quiet, galvanising bombination that said this wasn't just a friendly visit.

And when I finally stood up to go, she walked me to the doorway. bridge player on my shoulder joint. A smiling that lingered just a back too long.

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

The whole walk back to my house, I could still finger where her helping hand had touched me.

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

And that towel ? I couldn't stop 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 — same bikini as before, maybe even less material this time. The top strained to hold those titmouse in, and her hip curved like something out of a dream. The sunlight made her bark glow. She was lying on her stomach this clock 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 take the air past the fencing, maybe wafture, 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 fall say hello ?"

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

"Interrupt what ?"she said, sliding her sunglasses up."I'm literally just lying here trying not to melt down. seminal fluid maintain 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 line hit somewhere low in my abdomen. I laughed, hoping she didn't hear the way my interpreter cracked.

I opened the gate and stepped into her backyard. The heat hit gruelling here — or maybe that was just her. The scent of coconut palm 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."

"Come in. Too hot to put up out here."She grabbed a towel, draped it loosely around her pelvic girdle, and walked toward the sliding glass door. Her ass swayed with every whole tone, towel doing nothing to obscure it. I followed like a dog chasing a steak.

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

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

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

She handed me a glass and leaned against the counter. No kick, 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 hubby's out of town again, so it's just me rattling around in here."

"Where does he go ?"

"oeuvre stuff. league, guest meetings. He's in Ohio this calendar week, I think."She sipped her lemonade."Comes with the job. dungeon him busy."

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

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

"Oh, I find slipway 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 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 ... more of that clobber figured out."

She walked toward me slowly, still holding her glass, and leaned her hip against the tabular array just a foundation from my knee. Her bikini top was still barely containing her. Her scent — something soft and sweet — wrapped around me.

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

I swallowed."Like what ?"

Her eye 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 looking away.

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

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

She turned, walked back toward the cesspit, and I caught myself watching the muscles in her punt move — the soft rail line of her waist dipping into widely rose hip. My view 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 trivial. I wasn't sure if she was still talking about me, or if that telephone 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 small longer — about college, about the heat, about her flowers dying because she forgot to body of water them. But the whole fourth dimension, there was this current running under it all. A silence, electric buzz 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 berm. A smile that lingered just a arcsecond too long.

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

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

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

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