Led down the path of.... (closed to Melissa_A)

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Led down the path of....

Name: Adrian Ham
Age: 48
Height: 6 ft
Eyes: Piercing Blue
Hair: Black, with grey highlights and slightly balding, so cropped short
Build: Tall, broad like a rugby player but also carries some middle age spread
Profession: Accountant

It was June, time for Adrian to advertise the top floor ‘studio flat’ which Adrian had done since his wife had passed away several years ago for the summer months. He often got summer placement students for 2-3 months before those who would lodge with him for 8-9 months. The space was otherwise wasted, and he at times liked some company in the place. and so had decided to offer his top floor area to mostly Post-grad students attending the local prestigious University. He was situated close to the Priestgate campus, once a Church of England college.

Adrian read the advert for the last time before reaching to click on Send. By mid-Monday morning, the advert will be on the University’s accommodation website.

Room available for Rent.

A room is available in an Edwardian town house close to the town centre and the university. The room is situated on the top floor and includes an en-suite shower/WC and a kitchenette. Access to the ground floor full kitchen is available with notification. There is also access to a bath on another level if required. The Location of the house is on Priestgate's way if you want to view the location on Google Maps.

I am an officially recognised service provider to the University and have relevant references from the Accommodation Office.

House is fully modernised internally whilst keeping its Edwardian period charm and character. Mod-cons includes both a wireless and cable network accessing Virgin Media's 150 GB service. The room also has a TV access point for cable TV (Tivo) as well as ‘standard’ TV. There is storage space for a push bike if required.

Rent for the flat for a young professional would be in the region of £800. However I have chosen to rent to a student, preferably one studying a postgraduate qualification but not limited to. To that end, with a suitable character reference and an official letter stating that you are indeed a bona file student, rent will be in the region of £550 (negotiable in part) I would prefer the quieter study-conscious character rather than a party animal.

Please call me on 07123 567890

Having pressed sent, he opened up Lightroom on his desktop, his photo cataloguing and basic editing suite; and spend the next hour or so on the Sunday afternoon editing some photos he had recently taken, before feeling his eyes starting to feel slightly screen fatigued.

He put the desktop to sleep, and looked up at some of his portraits he had taken, before leaving the office, turning the light of as he did so, and headed downstairs, and poured himself a bottle of ale from the beer fridge, as he settled himself into the sweet spot, and reached for his tablet. Moments later, he was immersed in Pink Floyd, enjoying the sound, as he thought of the weekend, What else is better than enjoying a Sunday afternoon, music and a good ale. He looked at the wall, and saw the portrait of his wife, taken before she was diagnosed with what turned out to be a fatal case of cancer. He quickly shook away those thoughts. He needed to relax.

Name: Natalie May
Age: 23
Height: 5’ 8”
Eyes: Green
Hair: Auburn hair which takes on more red-blond highlights with summer sun, worn down to her shoulders when not up in a bun or ponytail.
Complexion: Pale skin which freckles in the summer rather than tanning.
Build: Slender, toned build with well defined legs and a small chest.
Profession: Graduate student, researching history/anthropology

Natalie lay on her bed by her laptop, mousing through the entries in the student housing listing, fingers twisting through auburn hair. She’d looked at all of these before, and didn’t know why she’d think they had changed. Her summer research grant was to travel to England to immerse herself in the Carville Archives of Early British History. That part was exciting, thrilling even. The planning of all of the boring mundane parts wasn’t - which is how she’d managed to put it off for far too long. Now her departure date was closing in, and all of the places close by were either booked or too expensive, while the cheap ones were so far away she’d need to rent a car, which would also strain her grant budget to the ramen-eating level. She laughed to herself. Did broke English students eat ramen?

Then her fingers froze in mid-twist as she realized she was looking at a new entry. Edwardian town house, nice accommodations, and an address that sounded good. She pasted it into Google maps and sat up, folding bare legs beneath her. “Ohmygod, that’s incredible,” she murmured to herself, her hair now left to fall down to her shoulders as her attention was focused on the listing that just might save her. It’d be an easy bike ride to the university, or even not that bad a walk if she couldn’t get a bike. “What’s a pushbike?” she wondered aloud, until google answered her question.

She couldn’t handle the £800 price, but surely she could qualify for the £550 as a visiting student. She wasn’t much of a negotiator, but surely she could appeal to this gentleman on her merits - and she certainly wasn’t a “party animal.” His phone number was right there. She couldn’t let this get away. She leaned over the side of her bed to fish her cell phone out of her purse, then settled back against the headboard of her bed and took a deep breath as she glanced at the time. It shouldn’t quite be dinner time there yet, so she might as well call now. Fingers flew over her phone before she could get too nervous.

“Hello, I’m calling about your room to rent? My name is Natalie May and I’m an American who will be doing research in the Carville Archives this summer. Your place sounds wonderful and I’d have no trouble getting you appropriate references from my professor and the university.” Her words came out in a soft, nervous tumble.

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It was late Monday afternoon when he had his first call for the room. He was in his office, working hi way through some spreadsheet, cross-referencing the expenditure with receipts for a client. His mobile started to vibrate, causing his glass of water to start forming ripples in time to the vibrations. He picked it up and saw it was a withheld number. He almost ignored it, but his better judgement decided not to.

"Hello, Adrian Ham Speaking..." he answered straight away, talking over Natalie briefly until he heard her speak, and her soft American accent.

"Please continue Natalie" aware that he had spoken over briefly.

“Hello, I’m calling about your room to rent? My name is Natalie May and I’m an American who will be doing research in the Carville Archives this summer. Your place sounds wonderful, and I’d have no trouble getting you appropriate references from my professor and the university.”

"Hi Natalie, and the room is still available... I'm assuming that you are still stateside?"

"Yes" was her reply...

"Would it be easier and cheaper to Skype or Face-time this conversation?" He now had a theory why her number was hidden being an international call. They exchanged details and agreed to contact again in about 20 minutes.

He hung up his mobile, and entered the relevant details into the communicating software on his Mac Desktop, before heading downstairs to make himself a coffee together with some biscuits. As the time approached, his alarm on his I-watch vibrated. Picking up his coffee, he headed back upstairs to his home office, where he waited patiently for her call. He wore a simple blue Polo shirt and shorts. As he waited, his eyes looked outside and saw the the bloom of summer from the window, bringing a smile to his lips.

"Hi Natalie, and the room is still available... I'm assuming that you are still stateside?"

“Yes.” Natalie shifted on her bed. His accent was so wonderful, it was distracting. There was something she had always found so beautiful about an English accent.

”Would it be easier and cheaper to Skype or Face-time this conversation?"

“Oh, yes, that’d be wonderful.” As they exchanged details she found herself acutely aware of her current state of undress. She had gotten back from a morning workout, showered, and only pulled on undies and a cami before throwing herself on her bed with her laptop. She was absolutely not ready for her prospective landlord to see her. Fortunately he seemed not to be the hurried type, and they agreed that she would call him in 20 minutes.

Natalie bounced out of bed and grabbed the top pair of shorts out of her chest of drawers. Even if he’d never be able to see it, she’d feel weird talking to him without being at least somewhat properly dressed. She pulled on the shorts and gave her auburn hair a quick brush before pulling it back into a ponytail. As she moved the laptop over to her desk she found herself wondering: was it weird that she was wondering if she should put on some light makeup? She was sure that if she was more of a fashionista she could have whipped out a perfect outfit, makeup, hair and accessories in fifteen minutes flat - but that just wasn’t her.

As soon as she brought up the Skype window she faced her own image with a critical eye. She certainly wasn’t looking as nice as she’d like for a job interview, without any makeup or jewelry and her hair just pulled back. She adjusted the camera a bit, and then suddenly realized that as comfortable as her white cami was, she probably was showing too much skin and definitely didn’t need to show her prospective landlord how her nipples had gotten hard from her nervousness. She grabbed a teal blouse and quickly buttoned it most of the way up, and strung a short gold necklace that held close to her throat and helped make her neck look longer.

Some basic level of vanity satisfied, she looked over her notes to formulate her talking points. She needed to come across as competent, professional, and responsible - all things that she was complimented on by professors and fellow students, even if she didn’t feel confident about these things all the time. Instead she just needed to get across the facts.

She typed in his address, took another deep breath as Skype connected. Once he appeared, she managed to keep a more measured tone, trying to speak as if she was talking to a professor.

“Hello Mr Ham, I’m Natalie May. Thank you for taking time to talk with me about your room for rent.”

“I’ll be flying in and can get a cab to your townhouse. I will be working in the Carville Archives under the guidance of Professor Amelia Brown. Our plan is for me to do my research in three weeks, though if things go particularly well it would be nice if there was some flexibility to extend that stay.”

“You mentioned there was a place for a bicycle. If I can find one cheap or to rent then I would like to bike to the university.”

“Please do be assured that I’m a relatively quiet person. I expect I’ll have little time outside of my research, though of course sightseeing is very tempting.”

“Do you have any questions or concerns that I might be able to answer for you?”

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Adrian answered her call after a couple of rings, seeing her face open up in a window, slightly porcelain looking to his eyes, thought that could be the lighting. He thought he could see her green eyes, and her hair looked auburn, though with the light it could be a light brown or even a darker blonde.

Not that he was bothered. But she smiled as she spoke, and first impressions were very positive.

“Hello Mr Ham, I’m Natalie May. Thank you for taking time to talk with me about your room for rent.”

"Hi Natalie, I hope you don't mind me calling you Natalie, very pretty name. Oh and please call me Adrian, no excessive formality here please" smiling.

“I’ll be flying in and can get a cab to your townhouse. I will be working in the Carville Archives under the guidance of Professor Amelia Brown. Our plan is for me to do my research in three weeks, though if things go particularly well it would be nice if there was some flexibility to extend that stay.”[/COLOR][/B]

"What day will you be flying? a cab from Heathrow or Birmingham airports would be quite excessive. I'd suggest train, and I'll happily collect you from the station as long as I know in advance. Oh Amelia Brown, you will have fun. She is full of fun and life but can be demanding at times... " Amelia was one of his clients.

"I have no other bookings for the autumn yet so you can stay as long as you like; as long as you pay that is!" he quickly added smiling. "My normal Student rates is £550 per calendar month, but I have been known to offer a slight discount of sorts, if you would be interested? "

He saw her eyes light up as he mentioned that, suggesting that she would be.

"Well, I live in a three-floor, four including the basement Edwardian town house alone. As such it takes some cleaning. So rather than me employ a cleaner, most of my lodgers have taken on board some of the cleaning duties amounting to around 3-4 hours a week, with a reduction in rent of a £150? But we can discuss that when you are here and seen the place. But for the first two weeks, I will charge you £150 if that's agreeable?"

“You mentioned there was a place for a bicycle. If I can find one cheap or to rent then I would like to bike to the university.”

“Please do be assured that I’m a relatively quiet person. I expect I’ll have little time outside of my research, though of course sightseeing is very tempting.”

“Do you have any questions or concerns that I might be able to answer for you?”

"Yes, you can store a bike, and we can find on on the local newspaper, no need to rent. I may be able to borrow one for you? Glad you are rather quiet, a recent lodger well she was a bit of a screamer it seemed!!" as he thought of Maggie, one of his fuck buddies who had a bike but rarely used it.

"Questions or concerns, not sure really. If you could email me a copy of your reference and something from Amelia to confirm your status, and I think that is all in order for now. If we don't click, well you have two weeks or to find somewhere else. But I am a reasonably open sort of chap!"

He kept looking at her as they chatted. She was rather pretty, not in a glamorous manner, but the girl next door. Her teal blouse suited her complexion. His Wife was also auburn, and they both loved her in teal, but that was a few years ago. Once or twice, she leant forward, her blouse falling away slightly giving him a slight view of her decolletage, and cleavage.

"So Natalie, any Questions? You can see from google maps etc that I am close to one of the main campuses, Prietgate's Campus, and the otehr campuses are a short ride away, walking will take around 30 minutes at a liesurely pace...?"

He then sipped his coffee as he saw her ponder about what to ask.

Natalie found herself smiling along with Adrian, his beautiful accent, and his easy charm. At first she had been worried he might fit the overly formal stereotype that Americans can have of English, but instead she was finding him casual .. perhaps even more familiar than was comfortable. She shifted a bit in her seat as he explained the conditions of the discounted lodging, and shifted again with a bit of a blush when he referred to a previous tenant as ‘a screamer.’ She laughed nervously at that. It had been quite a while since she had anyone in her bed. It would fulfill a bit of a fantasy for her to bring some young Brit back to her apartment for the night, but she had always been terrible at picking someone up or being picked up in such a casual way, and never had had a one night stand. With her introverted demeanor, a one-night stand with a hunky Brit was more likely to only occur in the erotica she sometimes indulged in. Thinking about that only made her cheeks and neck a bit more flush.

As she moved around in her seat, the hastily secured blouse opened up a bit revealing more of her favorite white v-neck cami that she loved to wear as a layering piece or just by itself for lazing around her apartment. It had become a bit thin with wear, though the built-in shelf bra was as much support as her young, small breasts really needed even if insufficient to hide when she was a bit nipply. Fortunately the blouse continued to cover that part from Adrian’s view, particularly given the limits of the Skype connection. But he certainly got a look at how her chest was firm and high as only youth can provide, at least without a push-up bra or surgery.

“Yes, I tend to keep a pretty neat apartment myself, so I’d gladly help out around the house with the cleaning, and I certainly appreciate the discount on the rent and finding a bike would be a bonus. Thank you. I’ll definitely send you my references. If you need a security deposit I can ask Professor Brown to forward that you to from my grant funds.”

Her smile widened at the prospect of having an addition discount on the student rate. It might open up the possibility for more weekend getaways to see Britain.

“I’ll send you my flight information. It would be great if you could pick me up from the train, thank you.”

"So Natalie, any Questions?”

She hesitated for a moment, pursing her lips. “Well, if it’s not too personal of a question … since I’d be living there, who all else lives in the townhouse. Do you have a spouse, or kids, or .. uh .. partner?” It felt a bit intrusive to ask, but of course she’d know when she walked in, and she felt perhaps the whole thing was a bit too good to be true. If there were four small, loud kids in the townhouse that’d feel quite a bit different than if it was just Mr. Ham and his wife.

Adrian listened intently to Sarah as she spoke, enjoying her soft American Accent. He kinda guessed North East Area but wasn't sure. She also kept moving around - possibly nerves. As she did so, she would lean forward, exposing her decolletage and cleavage with brief, tantalising glimpses.

Even though she wore a teal blouse, it was sheer, a layered look that Adrian often found alluring, a suggestive look of femininity allure without actually revealing anything. He wondered if she had leggings or a skater skirt on, both he appreciated on a young female. He also thought he saw a blush as he mentioned a previous lodger being a load screamer, which made him smile.

She was the only lodger that he allowed himself to get too close to, kissing her intently after they went out before she moved on with some of her friends. But the two of them never explored any further. He was very hesitant of 'shitting on his own doorstep'!

" If you need a security deposit I can ask Professor Brown to forward that you to from my grant funds.”

"That won;t be necessary. If you are to work with Amelia, then well I trust her judgement" he offered with a smile.

“Well, if it’s not too personal of a question … since I’d be living there, who all else lives in the townhouse. Do you have a spouse, or kids, or .. uh .. partner?”

"Not too personal at all, in fact a good question and my apologies for not saying anything. I live here alone. My wife was unfortunate to become a cancer statistic. My daughter, who is of a similar age to yourself is currently travelling the world, backpacking and working in bars with her girlfriend." Hw was long after her death, and now was sometimes accused of being callous in his terminology. But she was dead. She told him to miss her but not to mourn her, and to ensure he has a good life. But every now and then, he and his daughter end up crying as they reminisce.

They carried on talking for a while about local shops, sports facilities and the like before the conversation reached a conclusion.

"So Natalie, please email me your flight details and I'll pick you up from the station, even the airport itself if I'm free. No need to bring towels or bedding, I will buy some fresh for you. And if you want to send stuff such as books by courier, please feel free to do so..."

They said their farewells and agreed to chat before she left stateside just to ensure all was in order.

As the conversation window ended, he saved the recording that he had made, and fast forward it a couple of times, looking at her, and her gal next door beauty. He started to record his face time chats with his daughter on her travels, so he could replay them when he missed her, and so was set up to save his calls.

After a couple of minutes, he saved it and headed downstairs to enjoy his evening.

Natalie let out a long breath as she closed her laptop. “Mmm, that voice.” She smiled, then shook her head to reminding herself that he had a daughter her age. Adrian seemed nice enough, perhaps a bit eccentric in the kind of way she liked to imagine all interesting Brits were. Had she maybe misunderstood his comment about a previous tenant who was a screamer? Maybe it was just too long since she’d … well. She lay back on her bed and the idle thought crossed her mind if she could dare to put her favorite vibe in her luggage, or if it would just be too petrifying if a TSA agent pulled it out for “examination.” She rolled over and tried not to think about that. Besides, she had too many other things to do before she got on the plane to start her adventure.

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It seemed like no time at all before she was soaring over the Atlantic on the cheapest red-eye she could find. She tried to get some sleep but between her excitement and an unhappy baby three rows back it felt like she only dozed off for short periods. At least she’d thought ahead enough to take Adrian up on his offer to ship a few of the heavier and bulkier things she’d want. She’d managed to keep everything else down to a single large suitcase, her backpack with its laptop pouch, and a purse that she considered quite reasonable in size. Wearing comfy grey leggings and a soft heather tunic made it easy to curl in the airplane seat under the thin blanket the stewardess had passed around.

She felt both jittery and zombie-headed at the same time as she made it through customs. She was sure she would have been far more worried about all the details if Adrian hadn’t been so gracious as to help her out. After some food and coffee she was feeling much better, if still tired from the long flight and the early hour. She had managed to get to where Adrian had directed her and propped her luggage away. Nervously she fiddled with her appearance, tugging on the hem of the tunic to make sure it was covering her bottom, running her hands through her hair in hopes it wouldn’t look too much like she’d slept on it… which she had of course. And of course like their Skype call she still didn’t have any makeup on because fuck makeup for an overnight flight. She sighed - she would never be mistaken for one of those women who always looks impeccably put together. She fiddled with her phone as she waited. It looked like it was going to be warmer here than when she’d flown out of Boston, so she was glad that the tunic and leggings were both lightweight. She had texted Adrian when she arrived, so she didn’t want to bother him again too soon. Instead she looked around and tried to take it all in. So this was England.

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The intervening week or so was a whirlwind of activity. They had been in touch a couple of times, and she sent him details of her large parcel, which arrived the day before she was due to arrive.

He carried it up into her room, unaware of the contents, though books were surely some of that weight he assumed. He also agreed to collect her from Heathrow, as he could arrange a meeting close by on that morning.

Having given her his mobile number, and clear, concise instructions to text him as she queued for immigration, he left the local coffee shop and drove the few miles towards the terminal, and parked in the short stay.

The Fee would be silly money, but he wasn't overly hassled by the cheeky amount, more of a tax on collecting he thought. But armed with an A3 piece of paper with 'Natalie May' he waited for her this right side of immigration, coffee in his other hand.

Tue to form, he wore a pair of cargo shorts and a short sleeve shirt, tucked into his shorts. Despite his regular cycling, he was overweight, though was currently on a calorie management routine. Not a true diet, but he was concentrating on snacking on the right foods, fruit, nuts and other 'calorie neutral foods' as well as making more of an effort to exercise every day, PArkeven just a walk around his local Priestgate's Park on which part of the campus is based.

He sent her a text informing her that he was waiting.

Finally, he saw her face in the crowds. He lifted his A3 paper above his head and tried to gain her attention. She looked better in the flesh he thought as she approached, her pale porcelain skin, her auburn hair contrasting nicely. Her legs were clad in grey leggings, nicely fitting, showing off her slender legs; though to be honest they were possibly too slender for his tastes, but they did suit her frame, her build. Her torso was covered in a light bluish- heather coloured tunic, complementing her leggings nicely. The tunic looked loose, baggy, ideal for a long flight, and hid most of her feminine curves.

"Hi Natalie." he offered as he held out his hand. It felt a tad formal and already felt that after a result of their correspondence and Skype chats, he had a rapport and felt a hug and a kiss on her cheeks was more relevant. But he wasn't going to make any assumptions. That would be her call.

As they greeted, Adrian took her large suitcase, glad it was on wheels as they made small talk about her flight.

"So need anything before a two hour or so drive to market town England?" meeting her eyes.

Before long, they were on the drive back to Bath, a market town come City West of London. The City was of Anglo-Saxon origins, before the Romans discovered the hot water spring, and built their baths. As such the city had developed as a spa and market town, with grand Georgian and Victorian houses and buildings.

Natalie saw her name on the sheet of paper, then immediately saw Adrian, his tall build helping him stand out amongst the crowd. She managed her luggage through businessmen on their cellphone waiting for taxis and hugging clusters of reunited friends and families. A little slice of her new world, it seemed, from a young woman her age looking much like she might see on a trendy street in Boston to a grandfatherly type in an argyle sweater that seemed very British.

"Hi Natalie.” She took his hand with what she hoped was a professional enough handshake to establish she was her own woman, but something in his friendly face made that seem so formal. What was it they did here - did they do the kiss on each cheek like the French? After a moment’s awkward hesitation she instinctively decided to treat him more like an uncle and gave him a brief hug.

“Thank you so much for coming to get me.” Her body was slender and firm against his solid mass, her head naturally coming against his shoulder, his warmth pleasant through her top in the early morning air. She stepped back away from him, still feeling a bit awkward, and was glad when he took her suitcase and easily began chatting about her flight as they walked.

As she helped put her things in the back of his car, she bent over and inadvertently gave him a brief look at the simple black bra she wore beneath her tunic. She seemed more caught up in their conversation that worried about such things though, at one point adjusting a bra strap while they spoke about the history of Bath once in the car ride.

"So need anything before a two hour or so drive to market town England?"

“No, not that I can think of. If anything I might try to catch a brief nap once we get to your place. Of course I’ve love a quick tour, and I don’t want to be a poor guest, but I just didn’t get much sleep.”

Indeed as they drove, she started to nod off during a lull in their conversation.

.

Her handshake was soft yet reassuringly firm. The day of 'manly handshakes' seemed to be numbered. Even many of his clients of a similar age or older now offered him a flimsy 'wet fish' handshake.

But before he realised it, she leant in and gave him a brief hug, not as clingy as his daughter's hugs, but more in line to a few he gets from her best friends, a couple he knew from toddlers. In fact, he was unexpectedly asked to give her away at her wedding, her father like his wife had also become a cancer statistic.

“Thank you so much for coming to get me.”

"My pleasure, I was able to arrange a meeting this morning, so all mileage is on the company!" he replied

“No, not that I can think of. If anything I might try to catch a brief nap once we get to your place. Of course I’ve love a quick tour, and I don’t want to be a poor guest, but I just didn’t get much sleep.”

He led her to the car, a sensibly sized sporty hatchback. He had a practical sized car, sporty, some spacious but not overly large. He didn't need that. The rare occasions he would, he would hire an off-road SUV.

"Take the back seat if you like?" he suggested as they approached; "More space for your snooze?"

He opened the boot and placed the suitcase in there, before sitting in his driver's seat. For a late mid-week morning the traffic was kind, and soon he was on the Ma motorway. They chatted for a while before Natalie started to dose.

A couple of hours later, he turned off the M4, as they approached the city, and soon, he was driving around the suburban streets, before ending up in Priestgate's way.

The street was wide, adjourned with large townhouses, tall, wide and imposing. The front gardens were small, and the front door was a few steps up, little windows revealing the basements underneath.

His house was one of 5 which were still houses. All the others had been converted into flats. As such his house would fetch quite the price if he sold it.

As he parked up, he turned to face Natalie.

"Tea, coffee? snacks? I'm sure you will want water after your dehydrating fight?"

His little hatchback looked like a great match for the busy, tight streets she'd heard so much about in England. She was glad she was used to small cars, should she ever decide to rent one to drive about here. Her luggage fit easily in the hatchback.

"Take the back seat if you like? More space for your snooze?"

"Oh thanks, that really does sound lovely."

Natalie was asleep by the time they were solidly on the motorway. Her head lay against the gently vibrating door panel, the sunlight gently lighting her pale skin. Freckles spread over each cheekbone and dappled together over the bridge of her nose, with a few lone freckles appearing on her forehead. She was slumped in the seat with the seat belt crossed between her breasts, making clear the outline of her bra through the thin tunic. Her legs stretched across the middle, the tunic top having ridden up as she slumped. It wasn't quite enough that a casual glance from the drivers seat would be enough to see all the way up her legs, but it was a close thing and there was lots of legging-clad thigh visible. If she had been wearing tights (or less) then it would have been a bit more scandalous a view, but instead it just highlighted how her yoga and cycling had shaped her legs.

She awoke as the rhythm of the driving changes in the town, slowly opening her eyes and blinking as she remembered where she was. She straightened up in her seat and tugged down her tunic across the tops of her thighs. She looked at the houses passing by, seeing how everything looked older and more classy than back home. As they pulled up to the row of Edwardian townhouses she smiled. She had looked up the address on Google Street View back home and recognized it as Adrian's home.

"Tea, coffee? snacks? I'm sure you will want water after your dehydrating fight?"

"Just some water, please." He was such a gentleman host. Everything about him seemed to just fit, and she found herself smiling every time she heard his voice. "I'm sorry I was such a terrible conversationalist. I guess that flight really took it out of me."

She unbuckled and continued as they got out. "Honestly, I'd really love to just get my stuff up to the room and do a bit of unpacking and maybe even lie down again." She insisted on getting all of her luggage except for the big suitcase.

"I'd love to get a full tour of your home once I've got a bit more energy, if it's okay with you." She let him lead her up to the townhouse, her head looking about to take it all in.

.


As Natalie accepted the back seat offer, he opened the left-hand side passenger door and held it open as if he was the chauffeur and closed it after she had sat in the back seat. Moments later he was in the front right had a seat, turning the ignition, the engine firing instantly. He hated driving around Heathrow, and somehow found it confusing, and so he was concentrating on ensuring he was int he right lanes.

But 20 minutes later, he was on the M4, driving westbound towards Bath. He looked in the mirror, and saw the lovely porcelain face asleep, using one of the small pillows that he kept in the back of the car. She looked cute he thought and liked how the seat belt crossed her chest between her breasts emphasising her smaller but still none the less feminine curves. Ashe glanced at her in his mirror, he started to ponder, wondering what style of bra she was wearing. He thought he could make out the edging of the top of her cups, so she was more likely to be wearing a more conventional bra as opposed to a sporty, activity style crop top bra, which, on the right physique e did find incredibly sexy.

But as she slept, and the distance eaten by his car, he noticed that her tunic top had ridden up somewhat, exposing more of her slightly skinny but yet still muscular thighs. Again, he started to imagine those upper thighs covered in black lace of stocking tops, and a suspender strap exposed from under her skirt or dress. He also wondered if she had anymore funky, printed style leggings; especially as she is a sporty type from what he remembered.

"Stop it Adrian!! he thought to himself.

But as he approached Bath, he had less time to glance at her in his mirror as he drove towards is abode, and finally parked up almost outside his house. With the hand brake applied, he turned off the ignition as he announced.

"Here we are..."

He leapt out of the car, and briskly walked round onto the pavement to allow him to open her door, and if required to be able to assist her out of the car.

Moments later, with her suitcase in his hand, he opened the front door, turning to face her over his shoulder.

"Welcome to my home Natalie; I hope you have an enjoyable stay."

He leads her into a hallway with the stairs on the left-hand exterior wall, and along the right, two doors into adjoining rooms, plus a door at the far end. The war has numerous photos; some were of sunsets and landscapes, printed onto canvas boards. Others which were more traditionally framed had photos oh him and his wife and daughter.

"Your room?"

"Please" was her simple reply.

He leads her up the several flights of stairs, until finally, they were up in the attic area of the house, as he opened the door with the key in the lock. The flights of stairs and hallways had more photographs hanging up, not overly ostentatious, but clearly, he enjoyed photography. On the other floors, there were more landscape and even a few arty black and white photos. Many on close examination would have his name on the bottom right corner of the photograph.

He entered the room first, placing the large suitcase on a trunk style piece of furniture at the bottom of the 3/4 bed. The bed was obviously made with brand new bedding, the wrapping still in the waste bin in the corner, together with another set on the bed. In one corner, there was a small kitchenette with a small fridge and electric cooker, as well as a kettle and a work top, with overhead cupboard space. First impressions of the room would be that it resembles a studio flat, with an open plan area including the kitchen area, the bed, and along one wall fitted wardrobes, which lead to a desk area including a couple of network points. Her box that she sent via courier was on the desk waiting for her. Secured to the wall above the desk, and clearly visible from the bed and seating area is a flat screen TV. Above the bed was a skylight int he sloping ceiling with an electric blackout blind.

Next to the kitchen is a door into a bathroom containing a sink, power shower and toilet.

"So here is your room" he offered as he stepped aside to allow her to enter.

"There is the kitchen area, if you ever want to use an oven, please let me know and you can use the one downstairs. Through there" pointing to the bathroom "is your bathroom, shower, toilet and sink. Again, there is a bath downstairs that you can use. As I promised, new bedding for you as well as two towels in the bathroom. The washing machine is downstairs.. Any Questions?" he asked as she started to walk around the room.

Natalie followed him up the stairs, glad that he had the build and strength to heft her larger suitcase all that way. She was sure she could have done it, but it would have been tiring, noisy, and definitely not an elegant way to get to know her new home. Instead she had time to look at the photography that adorned the walls along the way. He clearly was an enthusiast, and to her inexpert eye he seemed a pretty good one too.

“I love your photos, Adrian. Is this your wife and daughter?”

”Yes, but that was quite a few years ago.”

She found that there was at least one picture on each staircase that really caught her eye and she found herself asking him short questions as they went. She wasn’t sure if he found it flattering or annoying, but perhaps it also gave him a welcome reason to pause in his hauling of her suitcase.

Right before the final flight of stairs a beautifully composed black and white photo of a young woman reclining on a bed. The sheets were held so that they covered her breasts and draped down over her thighs, but it certainly looked like she was nude. The combination of the look on her face and the way she was lit made her look so beautiful and yet so vulnerable. Natalie paused looking at it for a long moment, a pleasant warmth rising in her cheeks as she considered its gentle eroticism.

"So here is your room" he said from the top of the stairs, and she pulled herself away from the photo and ascended to join him. Between the photo and the effort of bringing her other things up the stairs, the points of her breasts were quite visible through the thin material of her unlined bra and tunic top, though Natalie did not notice that herself.

“Oh, it’s beautiful.” She walked slowly forward, dropping off her purse and bag at the foot of the bed.

”There is the kitchen area, if you ever want to use an oven, please let me know and you can use the one downstairs. Through there is your bathroom, shower, toilet and sink. Again, there is a bath downstairs that you can use. As I promised, new bedding for you as well as two towels in the bathroom. The washing machine is downstairs.. Any Questions?"

She turned about taking in the room, then leaned her head into the bathroom to check it out.

“No, this all looks wonderful.” She beamed as she looked about the room. “Absolutely wonderful. Oh, and I see you got my box of my boots and books!” She almost skipped as she went over the box, particularly happy to see that the packing tape she had wrapped it in was still intact and thus the more intimate contents were still kept private.

She let out a long sigh as she looked back to Adrian. “Thank you so much, Adrian. I think I’ll just do a bit of unpacking and perhaps take a nap, then I’m sure I’ll be a better houseguest.”

.

The trip upto the spare room was a tad slow, not that Adrian was complaining. It meant he could rest the suitcase, as Natalie looked at some of his photography that hung from the walls. But she also seemed to be appreciative of his attempts, asking some brief comments about his daughter, and Clare, his wife.

And then there was the photo of the nude, taken in a studio under guidance. She was a friend of his daughter's, a part-time model, she offered to pose for him for an afternoon as a birthday present, arranged by his daughter. He stood facing Natalie as she looked at the photo, for a minute or so. He was sure he could see her cheeks blush slightly, her white skin suddenly had a tad more colour in her palour.

But also, her nipples seemed to be responding to. "Was she becoming turned on?' he wondered to himself. But then Natalie, turned and continued following him up the several flights of stairs to her room.

“Thank you so much, Adrian. I think I’ll just do a bit of unpacking and perhaps take a nap, then I’m sure I’ll be a better houseguest.”

"Of course..." He paused.

"So food tonight, my treat. Would you like to eat in and relax further after your flight, or would you to explore the local eateries? We have some good restaurants and delis, as well as a couple of good Gastro-puns..." pausing again "Your call? It's almost 2 pm, so either way, I was thinking of dining around 7 pm, if that's okay wth you?" He looked at her as she deliberated.

She looked at him and smiled as she spoke...

"I'd love to go out and try something 'British'....."

"I know the perfect place, and it's in walking distance too. I'll catch you later."

He turned and left her room, closing the door behind him as he descended the stairs down to the ground floor, and into the back kitchen. Turning the Espresso machine on, he ran some water from the tap before filling the glass and taking a few mouthfuls.

Then he called 'The Raleigh' and booked a table for 7 pm-ish, and then proceeded to make himself a coffee. He had some work to do from the meeting he had that morning, and so headed upstairs into his study, and deposited his coffee and water, before moving down the landing into his bedroom.

It was a lovely mid-July summer's day, well warm enough to work in a pair of shirts and one of his singlet tops. Once changed, he returned to his study, and with the door open, he started to work, aware as and when Natalie would walk past down the stairs.

She followed him to the door to the attic suite with a final “Thank you so much” before gently closing the door. After hearing his footsteps recede down the stairs she softly locked the door, not wanting him to hear it and make it sound too brash or untrusting… but it was now her bedroom after all.

She considered starting to unpack, but the warm sun coming in from the skylight just made her want to nap. The luggage could wait, she decided as she pulled off her top and (even more welcome) her bra. It was a fairly comfy unlined bra, but it had still been a long trip. Not for the first time she was glad that her breasts were small and firm enough not to need much support. For years she had envied girls with larger chests, but after hearing complaints from more endowed friends she was now quite happy with what she had.

She climbed under sheets wearing only her grey thong having discarded her leggings on the floor beside the tunic. With the studio layout she would definitely have to keep things in order, but right now she only wanted to get a few hours more sleep.

---

The sun had climbed almost to the middle of the sky by the time she awoke, and now glared down on her blinking eyes. The temperature in the room had definitely increased since she lay down as well. She rolled off the bed and got a drink of water from the kitchenette sink. Unzipping the big suitcase she pulled out a snug green t-shirt emblazoned with “Greenway Yoga” and a pair of grey exercise shorts and headed down the stairs. Both were favorites for lounging around her apartment at home when comfort was key and no one would see her anyway.

With that she got to work unpacking. Soon the re-made bed was covered by small stacks of clothing, shorts here, bras and undies there, tops alongside them as she considered a final decision on which wardrobe shelves they would go to. Spread out like this it didn’t really seem like she’d brought that much. Not that it would be too bad to do a bit of shopping while she was here of course. Books came out of the box to the top of the desk alongside her laptop, while a favorite pair of black leather knee high boots stood by the end of the bed, and a rather more intimate item went hiding away in the purse by the head of the bed. Toiletries went off to the small bathroom.

By the time she came back to stare at the wardrobes she was perspiring in the sun-warmed heat. She gave the skylight a quizzical look and decided it was time to ask Adrian for help.

“Adrian?” she called softly as she got down to the next floor. “Can you come show me how to operate the skylight? Also, do you have a spare shower curtain or should I get one?”

.

Adrian had lost track of time that afternoon. He had been, and still was immersed in his work as he sat at his desk, the study being over the kitchen on the floor below. His desk faced the window which overlooked the garden and conservatory.The room was rectangular in shape with two windows. He sat opposite the larger one, perpendicular to the door on his right. The room was crowded, with various bookcases, and shelving units covered with books, photo frames. His desk was collected with a Large Mac Desktop, his Mac Pro laptop and a Windows based machine.

Also on the wall, in addition to his photographs were various pencil sketches of partial nudes, the subjects being mostly nude, but there were several male nudes, or partial nudes, including one entitled 'The Male Penis' close to the door.

There were also photos of Adrian in uniform. Some of him were in green, European camouflage style battle dress of the late 80s early 90s. But there were also some of him in desert attire, clearly in either Iraq or Afghanistan, or possibly both. Most were smaller in size, and most of the photos were in a couple of handmade collages.

He 'felt' her presence rather than anything as he looked up, and over his right shoulder to the door. His blue singlet top exposing his still muscular, or at least well-toned muscles as well as his middle age spread.

He pushed the chair out into the room, and turned to face her, exposing his legs to her as he sat barefooted in his shorts.

"Hi Natalie, sleep well?" he asked.

As he looked at her, he saw her tight green T-shirt, clear tension lines in the fabric around her breasts. He couldn't be sure, but he thought he could see little indentations from her nipples. The top had a scoop neckline, hinting at the cleavage underneath.

Her legs were exposed, apart from the top of her thighs, covered in tightish grey shorts. Not quite legging style shorts, but certainly didn't leave that much impression.

"ADrian?"

As she acknowledged him, he smiled, wondering what she would look like nude, the light behind her would, could create an interesting photograph.

“Can you come show me how to operate the skylight? Also, do you have a spare shower curtain or should I get one?”

He thought quickly, as he heard the shower curtain. He had bought one only a few months ago. "Ah yes, the shower curtain, I took it down t wash it when the previous occupant left, sorry...."

He stood up and approached her. "It's downstairs in the utility room. I HOPE" he quickly added.

"I"ll go and fetch it and then show you how to use the skylight... " pausing "Unless you want a cup of tea or coffee?"

He was now standing a pace or so away from her, not quite entering her 'personal space' as she stood in the doorway. He looked at her eyes, and her exposed neck, her Auburn hair unkempt from her sleep. He was starting to fall for her, her soft accent, her tender curves, her Auburn hair.

'I wonder how she maintains her pubes?" he asked himself. 'Timmed I hope?'

"Hi Natalie, sleep well?"

She paused in the doorway, her eye caught by the artwork along the walls. There was a palpable beat before she replied. “Yeah, I think that was just what I needed. But it’s .. uh ..” her eyes were drawn to the sketch of a male nude as she continued “a bit hot in my room.”

The prominence of her nipples had been lightly visible through her shirt, at least to those who looked, when she had first stepped in the doorway. As their conversation continued those points became much more defined as small, hard nubs quite distinct against the fabric.

“Can you come show me how to operate the skylight? Also, do you have a spare shower curtain or should I get one?”

She took in his physique, particularly how his arms and legs showed toned muscle, even if his middle was no longer as tight. In the back of the mind she wondered if some of the nudes were what he looked like, perhaps a decade or more back.

"Ah yes, the shower curtain, I took it down t wash it when the previous occupant left, sorry.... It's downstairs in the utility room. I hope. I"ll go and fetch it and then show you how to use the skylight... Unless you want a cup of tea or coffee?"

As he drew nearer to her she suddenly became aware of not only his presence, but how her own body’s reaction was so clear through her shirt. She crossed her arms over her chest as a blush rose in her cheeks. Was she really thinking about what her landlord’s body might look like nude? And was he… looking at her that way. She looked up to his eyes, then had to look away, the blush in her cheeks now spread down her neck and onto her chest.

“No… no thanks maybe later. I uh, I’ll just meet you back upstairs.” She turned and headed up the stairs, the gray shorts tight over the curves of her hips and the tight, pert roundness of her bottom. The lines of her thong were just barely visible through the fabric.

As soon as she was back in her room she pulled off her top, exposing her all-too-responsive nipples, and pulled back on her bra from the morning. Once the shirt was back on at least there were only small signs of her unexpected excitement. She paused to catch her breath and recenter herself. So her landlord was not only a photographer but an artist, and he worked with nudes, including hot looking nude men. Did that mean there would be nude models around the townhouse? That thought threatened to arouse her even more, and she nervously laughed out loud at herself. Clearly it had been way too long since she’d had a lover. She glanced over at her purse tucked away by the side of the bed. Maybe after he was gone again…

She heard his steps on the stairs and took another breath, trying to think calming thoughts. Best to be busy, she thought, so she moved over to the bed and started moving the short stacks of clothing into the wardrobe. She found herself picking up a stack of undies as he arrived through the open doorway.

.

As Adrian approached Natalie, he saw her nipples protruding further into the cotton fabric of her Yoga T-shirt, the material appearing to be even tighter around her breasts. He glanced at them briefly, one appeared slightly lower and fuller than the other.

'Bra-less, definitely Bra-less' he thought to himself before returning to reality.

He smiled as she was caught of guard by the nude drawing, the pencil sketch of a man with an erection.

As she turned to leave, he caught sight of her young firm bum again, as he watched her run up the stairs. With a grin on his lips, he went in the opposite direction, and was soon in the laundry room looking for the shower curtain. He soon found it, and started to head up the three flights of stairs before pausing; stopping to think.

He was already looking at Natalie as a possible sexual conquest, and not as a lodger. He was attracted to her as a person from their first chat on Skype, she was polite, came across as intelligent, and they seem to have a connection, a rapport already. But he thought to himself that he should tread carefully. After all he had pretty much managed to avoid shitting on his own doorstep previously. But he wasn't sure about her behaviour. At times, he wondered if she was being slightly flirtatious towards him as opposed to just being friendly. But he assumed it was his imagination, his wishful thinking perhaps?

He started to climb the stairs, and was soon outside her room, as he knocked on the open door, before stepping into the doorway, but not the room.

"May I?"

He looked at her, and saw the outline of her bra through her tight green top. She had decide to be more cautious around him.

She nodded as they made eye contact.

"Here is the shower curtain, I'll put it up if you like."

"Please" she replied.

He headed into the small bathroom, and started to attach the shower curtain to the clips on the rail, looking around the room as he did so. There was a bag of toiletries but not much had been unpacked. 'I wonder if she is on the pill?" he pondered.

He returned to the room smiling.

"It's done, now the Skylights. My apologies" as he reached a remote control from a shelf next to the wall mounted TV screen "I should have explained this earlier. He then proceeded to use the remote control to operate the two skylight windows, watching them rise, allowing the cooler air to enter the room. With the windows open, he offered her the remote control.

"Any other problems or questions?" he inquired meeting her green eyes again. He glanced at his I-watch, and saw the afternoon was ticking away.

He inhaled deeply before he spoke next, his voice slightly aprehensive.

"Sorry if my taste in art has caught you, well off guard Natalie, my Office is normally of limits to my lodgers for various reasons." He inhaled deeply as he looked into her lovely green eyes.

"So I'm sorry if I have embarrassed you Natalie." his voice was genuinely sincere in his apology. "Those pencil sketches, I sometimes see them in little art galleries as and when I travel, There is something erotic about the human form in a state of natural attire, don't you think?"

He inhaled again, as his voice resumed his normal tone.

"Time for afternoon tea and cucumber and pickle sandwiches" he joked, speaking in a rather posh English voice. "Oh and I've booked a table for 7-ish this evening at the local gastro-pub. He closed in on the door to the stairs as he waited for her reply before heading to the kitchen and making a pot of tea.

.

As he busied himself with the shower curtain and showed her how to use the remote control for the skylight, Natalie’s mind kept spinning: “He was checking out my chest, he was definitely checking me out. Wasn’t he?” There was a warm nervous excitement which came with that growing certainty. Sure, sometimes she saw one of the guys at her yoga class checking out her ass, but there were always much more curvy and pretty girls around that they stared at with more lusty attention. The real question was: was he looking just because he noticed her lack of bra earlier, or because he liked what he saw? And should she even be having these kinds of thoughts about her middle-aged landlord anyway? She pulled herself back enough to take the remote control from him.

"Any other problems or questions?"

“No, I think I’m good for now.” She shook her head, a nervous smile on her face. She liked how his blue eyes seemed so intent on hers, though she had to wonder if that was because he was making sure she didn’t catch him looking at her breasts again.

"Sorry if my taste in art has caught you, well off guard Natalie, my Office is normally of limits to my lodgers for various reasons. So I'm sorry if I have embarrassed you Natalie. Those pencil sketches, I sometimes see them in little art galleries as and when I travel, There is something erotic about the human form in a state of natural attire, don't you think?"

The blush was quickly back in her cheeks but she kept eye contact with him. “Oh, I wondered if they were more of your own art. I don’t mind them, don’t worry. One of my art electives had a long segment on historical treatment of the … uh… nude. My friend Emily did quite a few herself and showed me her work. Really quite beautiful, yes.” She realized she was rambling and paused, avoided quite agreeing with him about such pictures could be erotic and not just pornographic. She also really didn’t want to talk to much more about Emily’s artwork and how they’d made Natalie feel… and how Emily made her feel. All those thoughts ran through her mind and she could feel her body reacting. She took a breath before continuing.

“I’m sorry if I intruded on your office, Adrian. I’ll make sure to knock or say something before I poke my head in next time.” She hoped he wasn’t saying that she wouldn’t be allowed in there again. Her curiosity was definitely piqued to see what else was in there, but she was far too uncomfortable with the subject at least in current moment to say more. Fortunately perhaps he was a bit uncomfortable too, as he changed the subject, which Natalie was quite welcome to hear.

"Time for afternoon tea and cucumber and pickle sandwiches. Oh and I've booked a table for 7-ish this evening at the local gastro-pub.”

“That sounds great. I’ll just put away a few things and join you.” She paused for a moment, awkwardly wondering if that wasn’t meant to be an invitation. “And a gastro-pub sounds delightful.”

Natalie glanced away from him and her laptop on her desk reminded her. "Oh, and I noticed you have WiFi. Do you mind if I get the password for my phone and so I don't need to have my laptop plugged into the port?"

"Sure, get a piece of paper and I'll write it down."

He then proceeded to write the password as he spoke "The Wi-fi network you should select is Fullers, and the password is Bengal-Lancer-65 And please use common sense in what you download!"

"Thanks!"

.

"See you Later!" was his last comment, before he walked down the three flights of stairs to his kitchen. The kettle was quickly on the boil as hr emptied the teapot. He looked at his watch, almost 4pm.

It wasn't long before the kettle had boiled, and added to the tea leaves in his china pot. He collected two mugs from the cupboard and placed them on the worktop, adding milk, as the kettle boiled again. As the kettle boiled, he prepared a few cucumber and pickle sandwiches, cutting them into quarters, and decorating them with a few cherry tomatoes. Finished, he placed them onto a tray, together with the unused mug.

He entertained himself on his Ipad, an older one that was now relegated to the kitchen area. As such it was pretty clean in terms of email accounts, should she start to peruse.

Finally, the kettle boiled again, and so he poured himself a cup of tea before heading into the living room carrying the tray filled with goodies including a couple of quality British chocolate covered biscuits placing the tray onto a side table. Then he sat in his favourite spot., in front of the TV and in the 'sweet spot' for his multi-channel home entertainment system; and soon he was immersed in some early genesis, as he continued to explore Facebook.

Natalie felt the stirrings of cooler air being drawn from the lower floors thanks to the open door and newly opened skylight window. There was a very pleasant feeling through her body that made her smile, made her feel more alive. She started some music playing on her laptop as she finished putting away her things into the wardrobe and moved on to getting out all of her necessities and beauty supplies into the bathroom sink and cabinet. It was really starting to feel like her own apartment. She briefly considered changing out of her snug exercise shorts, but she didn't want him to think that she was constantly changing her clothes ... and some part of her still wanted to see how much he really was looking at her.

She started down the stairs, moving fairly slowly and quietly on her bare feet. She wanted to take in the artwork on hew way down, wondering what other little hints about his nature she might find. When she reached the floor where his office was she gave a glance to see if he'd left the door open, but did not intrude.

After that she descended the stairs at a normal tread until she found him clearly comfortable in an accustomed chair in his living room.

"Mmm, the tea smells delightful." Her stomach gave a little rumble. She poured herself a cup of tea and collected some of the cute little tea sandwiches. She brought the tea pot over to where he sat. "Would you like a refill?" She bent over as she poured, the black strap of her bra venturing into view as well as the upper curves of her breasts. She tried to unobtrusively note where his eyes strayed.

As she turned and walked back to put the pot on she knew he'd get a nice view of her backside, as well as how her toned thighs left that little gap that some seemed to be fascinated with. She was pretty proud of the work that she had put into her body, particularly her legs.

She found herself a chair. "It almost feels like home up there. Thank you. I'll just need to find where the nearest grocery is and then I'll be much more self-sufficient." She smiled at him.

.

As he sat, and relaxed, he reached for his latest Ipad gadget, the I-pad Pro, and entered in his password. Soon he was logged onto his router, to see if Natalie had logged onto his network yet.

She hadn't.

He then started to browse the news site, wondering when Natalie would join him. He hoped sooner rather than later. But he wasn't to wait too long catching up on the news and enjoying his tea.

The living room was large, situated at the front of the house over looking the street. Where the fireplace would have once stood, there was bespoke cherry tree wood fitted furniture, with the 55-inch flat screen 4K TV sitting in the middle. Above it were cupboards which also included a drop down projector screen. To the side of the TV were glass display cupboards containing luxurious crystal glasses and other ornaments jugs and the like.

To the side of the furniture were floor standing speakers. His chair sat opposite the TV in the middle, and to the side, two two seater leather sofas. His chair was a state of the art home cinema reclining chair, but he was known to move it for one of the sofas if he had an intimate guest joining him.

Behind him were rear speakers. On the wall that faced the back of the house, there were wooden doors which could be opened to make one large room joining the living and dining room together.

"Mmm, the tea smells delightful."

His train of thought was disturbed as Natale joined him.

"Thank you N" he offered in return to her compliment with a smile as he turned his head to look at her. He saw her head straight for the side table against the partitioning doors as she poured herself a mug of tea. As she did so, he reached for his phone, and used the remote control app to turn the volume down.

"Would you like a refill?"

"Oh please." he replied holding out his almost empty mug. He watched her approach, still in her sporty yoga top, the wide scoop neckline slipping almost of her shoulder exposing the black shoulder strap of her bra. He glanced at it for a moment, longer than normal, but not long enough to be an intrusive glance. He also noted a hint of cleavage, her decolletage bare of jewellery or any skin markings of note.

'Cute' he thought as he stretched out his still bare legs. While they were not totally shaved, he did shave them every fortnight or so over the summer as a result of his cycling. He knew it wouldn't save weight, or make him more aero dynamic, but her felt better in his lycra shorts as a result, for some obscure reason.

"Thank you" as she stopped pouring into his mug, and added some milk. She turned around and walked back to the table giving him yet another eyeful of her bum. Like her legs, while her bum suited her, it was perhaps a tad to small, height wise for his taste. But as a person, as a package, he was attracted to her.

There was no denying that to himself.

"It almost feels like home up there. Thank you. I'll just need to find where the nearest grocery is and then I'll be much more self-sufficient."

"Glad you like the studio room, Natalie. We will let you settle in, and then discuss the finances, but there is no rush." he offered as he continued. "At some point, maybe tomorrow we can give you a guided tour of both the house and the local shops and amenities? Depends how jet lagged you feel, and when you start your research."

As they chatted, he sensed her eyes on his bare legs, as he leant back into the chair, his mug of tea in his right hand. /he used the recliner facility to raise his legs, aiding his comfort but also making his legs more into her line of sight.

Was she looking? He wasn't sure.

When she poured his tea, she noticed his glance along her neckline and felt a little thrill of excitement. As she finished the pour, she let her eyes slide along his legs. Perhaps one of the reasons they had looked so well toned was that the hair on his legs was very short. It looked very much like when she’d given up shaving her own legs for a bit. Perhaps a habit from being a competitive swimmer in his youth? It might explain the strength in his legs and arms, and he certainly seemed to have the chest for it. She looked away and headed for her seat, wondering in her head.

"Glad you like the studio room, Natalie. We will let you settle in, and then discuss the finances, but there is no rush. At some point, maybe tomorrow we can give you a guided tour of both the house and the local shops and amenities? Depends how jet lagged you feel, and when you start your research."

She nodded. “I do need to email Dr. Brown.” Natalie’s face settled into a bit more professional demeanor. “I was to meet with her tomorrow afternoon, though we hadn’t set a specific time.”

Her face lightened a bit. “But that nap really helped with the jet lag. I mean, I’ll probably crash hard tonight, but for right now I’m feeling pretty good.” When he mentioned a tour of the house, she immediately thought of the various photos and artwork she’d seen and her curiosity was again aroused. “I’d love to have a tour of the house this afternoon if you feel like it, and discuss what kind of cleaning you would expect for the rooms.” Her eyes glanced to his legs as he leaned back in his recliner. The sudden through struck her that if he was doing anything more than simply looking at what she showed him then the real sign would show in his shorts.

She made a mental note to ask him later about how fancy this gastropub was. Neither one of them were in appropriate clothes for a restaurant, and if it was a nice place she’d want to get a shower and take a bit of time to be more presentable - and perhaps more put together.

“Oh, and perhaps on the way to dinner you could point out the local shops I might find nice. I’m sure I could find them on google maps, but that’s nothing like the opinion of a local.”

.

.

As Natalie sat down, the two of them started to talk. Adrian glanced in her direction, and was able to see her pretty looking face, and the curves of her breasts. Once or twice, the Yoga shirt would slip, exposing a black bra strap. The sort of look that Adrian found provocative, suggestive yet not really revealing anything.

"I do need to email Dr. Brown.” Natalie’s face settled into a bit more professional demeanor. “I was to meet with her tomorrow afternoon, though we hadn’t set a specific time.”

"Well, if it is in the afternoon, I could walk you there, and show you the route, her campus isn't far, if that would help? Or even we could cycle there?" His voice was friendly, and he was trying to be helpful, possibly too helpful if one of his friends was observing. The sort of helpfulness one offers to a person whom you sort of fancy, are attracted to!

“I’d love to have a tour of the house this afternoon if you feel like it, and discuss what kind of cleaning you would expect for the rooms.”


"Of course, the offer is still on the table. We can finish our cup of tea and then we can start? And the cleaning, well you can see how large the house is, so 2 to 3 hours a week helping clean the communal areas will be appreciated, and in stead of the usual £550 monthly rent, I'll happily accept £400."

He paused as he looked at her, those green intoxicating eyes of hers as she was clarly listening to him and thinking about his offer.

"How long are you staying here? You mentioned around two months if I recall but you had an open return flight?" raising his eyebrows as he asked.

As he looked in her direction, he started to have some inappropriate thoughts, or rather asking himself rhetorical questions such as 'Does she swallow?' or is 'She kinky in bed or prefers the plain vanilla sex. Is she assertive or timid?' These rhetorical questions were not specifically aimed at Natalie, he often asked himself them when a female attracted his interest for one reason or another. Of course, he would never find out, but it was still fun to think.

“Oh, and perhaps on the way to dinner you could point out the local shops I might find nice. I’m sure I could find them on google maps, but that’s nothing like the opinion of a local.”

"Sure, we could leave around 6ish.. The table I've booked is outside in the beer garden, so simple casual attire will be suitable" he proposed.

He took a sip from his mug as she replied.