Peeping Neighbor (closed)

[sw4fun]

Making the turn onto Inglewood Brian breathed deeply as his day was finally coming to an end. Looking around the subdivision he again marveled at how empty it was. The developer for the division had gone broke with only about two-thirds of the homes built and there were less than half a dozen occupied. He and his wife had himself moved in when construction began and watched the whole thing come undone. As he pulled into the driveway he was surprised that it appeared the town home adjoining his had recently become occupied as well.

Pulling into the driveway to his home he tapped the leather covered steering wheel waiting for the garage door to open. As it rolled up he surveyed his slightly cluttered garage. The work bench on the right with a few unfinished projects made him think for a moment about spending the evening puttering about but he quickly discarded the idea. On the left side of the garage his mountain bike sat looking forlorn as it had been weeks since he went riding but alas it would sit there for at least one more day. Finally, as the door finished opening he put the car in park as it sat on the driveway and climbed out of his car, his back crackling as he stood. Looking to the door leading to the house all thoughts of the bench and bike disappeared as he caught sight of his wife scowling at him. She just shook her head and turned, slamming the door behind her.

It had been a long day where he had to drive into the city for a series of meetings and he had been looking forward to getting home. He knew now that the easy part of the day had just ended. As he walked across the garage thoughts turned to a cold beer and something charred on the grill but as soon as his hand touched the door knob even those fun thoughts abandoned him. Walking into the house with a growling stomach he set his keys on the dark marble counter and his black leather messenger bag on the hardwood counter. Loosening his tie he breathed deeply again to steel himself for what may come now that he was home. Surveying the house quickly his recliner in the living room sang a sweet siren song but he knew better than to have a seat or he would catch even more shit.

Walking past the counter where he had set his things he quickly trotted up the stairs and made the left into the master bedroom, looking for his wife. Not finding her he took a few moments to undress and his grey pinstripe suit, maroon shirt and grey tie were strewn unceremoniously on the bed with his leather wingtips sitting tipsily on the floor next to the bed. Standing there for a moment in boxer-briefs and his undershirt he considered just going as he was to go find her but again thought better of it and threw on some old grey cargo shorts and a battered t-shirt plucked from the bottom drawer of the dark cherry wood dresser.

Feeling much more relaxed he went back down the stairs to look for Felicia. He found her in the front bedroom looking through the blinds and scowling all the worse.

"What's wrong?" he asked from behind her.

"Nothing you are going to care about I am sure. Our new neighbor is some young hussy. I don't like the way she looks. You stay away from her." With that she stalked past him and grumble about going out for a hamburger and that he needed to figure out his own dinner. A few minutes later he heard the sound of her car pulling out and away. From experience he knew she would be gone for hours and he would actually have time to relax.

Heading back to the kitchen he started to pull things out of the fridge. A medium size sirloin steak, some corn on the cob and a large sweet potato. In short order they were prepared and ready for the grill. Looking up at the clock it was only 5:00 and he smiled. It may have been an early start to the day and a grueling trek throughout but if he was this far into the afternoon and already working on dinner maybe he would get to the workbench after all.

Grabbing a dark stout from the fridge in one hand and the plate of food in the other he nudged the door open to the covered patio and walked towards the grill. Flipping on the gas side of the grill he started to arrange everything so it would cook nice and slow over the low heat. It was at that moment though that he also became aware of some movement on the other side of the fence and looked over his shoulder.

"Hello there! I guess you are my new neighbor." He walked over to the edge of the patio and used the height advantage of the elevated patio and sloping grade to see into the neighbors back yard. He was very please to see a petite young brunette looking back.

 

[Ohia_Lehua]

When Emma drive up for her appointment to walk through the place she knew better than to buy. The building project had been scrapped and they were losing money hand over fists. It was one of the reasons Emma wanted to look at the home and it wasn't for their reasonable prices. She knew how to play; her parents were property managers, her Father for large business and her Mother high end residential properties. So when Emma counter offered to rent the house at a reduced price instead of buying they laughed her off. Until she sent them her proposal to finish the house with green friendly premium items with month to month reports and cost sheets. From then on there was just a few more points to haggle over but in the end Emma got what she wanted. So while many people might scoff at the idea of moving into a skeleton house Emma couldn't wait to begin because this was the kind of stuff she liked to do and as long as she kept it within the limits that the developer listed for her, everything was going to be great.

The only thing that she was going to miss about moving were home cooked meals. Everyone in her family could cook and while she was the only child she had Aunties and Uncles on both side who had many kids. She supposed it was one of the reason she never bothered with cooking, everyone else did it and there was never a need to learn. And right on her mind was dreaming about buttery mashed potatoes and wine soaked stakes. It was making her belly rumble and served as a reminder that the last time she had eaten was early this morning.

"I'll just finish with this box and maybe make some pasta." It was the only thing she knew she could make without ruining it but it wasn't what she wanted. Again her stomach voiced its option but Emma ignored it hefting a box and balancing it on her hip.

Okay there was another thing she was going to miss. The box that she was taking outside was filled with children made bird feeders and bird houses in all shapes and colors. Back home she was an arts teacher for special need children and when she told them that she was going to be leaving they pulled together an arts and crafts day at one of the parents house on the weekend and surprised her the following Monday with their girts. Each bird feeder and house reminded her of the child that had made it and she hung each one with care. They may not have looked like much but they were precious to her and it made the bland back yard pop with color and life.

"Oh!" Emma was half way in a tree with one foot braced in the tree and the other dangling above the ground as she tried to place the last bird house in its new home. But the voice startled her and she slipped landing on the ground in a ungraceful heap. "Hi." Emma smiled waving in the direction of the voice as she got up. "Great first impression isn't it." She laughed cheerfully turning towards the man. "Yes, yes I am. My name is Emma Colts." She introduced herself. "And you are?"

 

[sw4fun]

"First off are you ok? Second, I am Brian Ingle. Welcome to the neighborhood such as it is. Third what are you hanging there?"

As he spoke he took a sip of his beer and set the platter of food down on the outdoor table. She was quite a striking young woman and he shifted uneasily knowing that Felicia would give him shit if she saw him talking with her. He looked back at the house to assure himself that she was indeed gone.

 

[Ohia_Lehua]

Emma laughed at herself again in embarrassment. "Yeah I'm fine. Just a little banged up but I'll recover quickly." She replied happily. If she knew herself and the way of her body she would have a bruise by the end of the day. Bot that it meant much, she bruised easily and it wasn't as if the tumble hurt.

"Brian Ingle, it's a pleasure to meet you." She pauses on his last name. "Ingle, like Inglewood Drive?" Emma asked seeing a relations between his last name and the street that they lived on. What was his relations to if or was it just a chance happening?

"Oh this?" Emma held up the ducktape proofed shoe box painted with stick figure animals in bright colors with a lopsided mash of a hole. "A bird house. I think." She smiled. "I used to be an art teacher for special needs kids and when I left they made me bird houses and feeders." She explained finding a low branch and hooking it on there not wanting to chance another fall trying to put it where she wanted.

Emma had smelt the bbq and the stake cooking and had been over here with her mouth watering trying to ignore it's delicious fragrance. "Having stake for dinner? Smells good." It was a compliment to his cooking and nothing more. But it made her stomach grumble in jealous pains.

 

[sw4fun]

"A chance happening that I had not even thought of till you mentioned it." He smiled at her easily. She was an easy woman to talk to and he assumed it had much to do with the demeanor developed after years of dealing with children.

"The bird houses are cute and your kids must have really loved you. Maybe as much as I love a good steak... probably more." He chuckled.

"I would invite you over but I only have the one piece of cow,"... and a wife that would try and skin me he thought to himself.

As if the thought had conjured her from nothing Felicia appeared at the backdoor and cleared her throat loudly.

"I forgot my phone." Her voice was nearly ice as she stared first at Brian and then shifted her gaze to Emma and the ice began to smolder as she spoke again. "If you don't mind I think I need a word with my husband." With that she was back in the house with a none to subtle door slam.

In frustration his head hung and his shoulders slumped knowing the royal bitching out he was going to get. Even having done nothing but say hello to his new neighbor Felicia was going to accuse him of looking at her inappropriately and flirting with her.

"If you will excuse me." His voice was flat, almost emotionless, as he picked up the platter and headed back inside. The beer sat forgotten and the grill smoldering as the high pitch of Felcia's voice could be heard yelling from inside. The words were muffled and muddled but the tone spoke volumes.

 

[Ohia_Lehua]

Emma looked back over her shoulders at all the hung bird houses and feeders. "I'm going to miss them." She sighed but when she turned back to face him there was a smile on her face. "But a nice thick piece of stake is hard to measure up to."

"Oh, no." Emma was shaking her head no to the invite. "I have more boxes to unpack and I wouldn't want to intrude." She politely declined in time with Brian's words of having only one piece of cow. "Thank you anyways, it's very kind of you."

At that time a woman appeared in the doorway to the back yard and Emma smiled speaking up so the woman would hear her. "Hello. I'm your new neighbor. My name is-" But she was cut off by the woman's unfriendly stare. "Emma." She finished feeling deflated and unwelcome. "Of course." She nodded voice and demeanor bland and emotionless, thrown by her attitude.

It seemed like she wasn't the only one to feel that way as Brian's body slumped and the smile left his face as she approached his wife. "I'm done out here anyways and have boxes to see to so I'll be going inside. It was nice to meet you Mr. Ingle." Emma nodded her head not even risking a smile and addressing him as Mr Ingle to add distance on the friendly and harmless conversation they were having.

Emma wanted to give them their privacy and left the back yard and entered her box filled house but that didn't hide the shrill voice that carried form Brian's house to hers. She couldn't understand what the woman was so upset about but she couldn't help straining her ears to listen. It still didn't help and Emma felt instantly guilty that he was getting into trouble for something that she had done. Was there some rule that she had broken? Was it the homemade mailbox of the wind chimes that hung in the tree in the front yard?

Feeling like it was her fault Emma started digging through a box labeled 'kitchen' and pulled things out. Maybe a batch of homemade mini pecan tarts would ease her welcome with Brian's wife. It was an old family recipe and was the only thing she was allowed to cook and knew it tasted awesome.

 

[sw4fun]

The night passed in an unpleasant emotional chill and Brian was miserable. He tried to excuse himself to his office but a backhanded comment about the view of the backyard was enough to send him to their room and an early night.

In the morning he woke earlier than normal and decided that today would be a good day for a longer than normal run. He dressed quietly in his running clothes and slipped downstairs to put on his shoes. As he was out there he remembered his beer from the other night and stepped out to get it. As he was out there and with the first strands of light coming over the horizon he looked at all the handicrafts hanging in the trees. He just reflected on what kind of amazing teacher had to engender that kind of loyalty from her students. After a moment he grabbed the beer and headed back inside to throw it away.

A few minutes later he was headed out on the road but couldn't help take a lingering long look at the front of Emma's house. She seemed like such a nice young woman. That thought faded into the steady pounding of his feet on the pavement as he headed up the street and the early morning sunlight.

 

[Ohia_Lehua]

Emma had spent the whole night unpacking and had lost track of time, heading to bed after a quick shower with a clock that told her it was one in the morning when she closed her eyes to fall asleep.

It could have been that reason or the fact that she didn't have to wake up that had Emma turning over so late in the morning and by late she meant 6:45 am. When 5:30 - 6:00 is the time that you normally are out of bed waking up so near to seven felt like a waste to the day. But when you had nothing to do other then unpack boxes was there really a waste Emma debated in her mind trying to figure out if she should just go back to sleep or get up.

"I can go for a run." She said out loud testing the idea out. "Yeah I like the sound of that." Emma nodded hopping up out of bed and quickly changing. It was going to be weird, back home she would take her parent's dog Shaggy out on her morning runs. Being alone just felt lonely but it would be a great start to the morning and she would get a better feel to the neighborhood.

Memories of late night and the frosty stare from Brian's wife disturbed her. Not only because of it's intensity but because she seemed to take it out on Brian when he did nothing wrong other then make his neighbor feel welcome and that wasn't a bad thing last time she checked. Witch reminded her, after her run and a shower she could take the mini pecan tarts over and introduce herself on better terms to Mrs Ingle. Yeah that sounded like a plan.

Unplugging her Jaybird JF3 wireless headphones and picking her favorite playlist of songs, Emma stepped out of the house with the first colors of the sunrise above her and started her jog unknowing that Brian had started out about ten minutes ahead of her.

Per usual once Emma going into the tempo of her jog she mind wondered and she mindlessly started singing to the music. The few people who had heard her sing told Emma that she had a voice that should be heard but it was one of the things she was shy about and minus 'her' kids she only sang on runs and in the shower, sometimes alone in the car but she would catch herself and look about wondering if anyone had heard her.

"It’s true what you heard, I am a freak, I’m disturbed - So come on and give me your worst, uh oh, yeah - We’re moving faster then slow, - If you don’t know where to go, - I’ll finish off on my own, uh oh, yeah - Hey boy! - I don’t need to know where you’ve been, - All I need to know is you and no need for talking - Hey boy! - So don’t even tell me your name, - All I need to know is whose place, - And let’s get walking... - Say say hey... - All I wanna do is love your body - Oh oh oh oh - Tonight’s your lucky night, I know you want it - Oh oh oh oh!"

 

[sw4fun]

Making a turn Brian saw a figure in the middle distance that seemed to be running as well. It was still early enough that there would have been few people up and running anyway but in a half empty subdivision it was particularly strange. As a matter of fact it was enough of a mystery that he decided to see who was running and picked up his pace a little bit. A very little bit as it turned out to be since he was on the back half of a six mile run and his legs were feeling every step of it.

Drawing closer it became very clear soon enough that the figure was a woman and this drew a little extra speed from him. Again as the distance closed he realized that this had to be Emma and almost without thinking his eyes scanned the back of her form. She was so obviously fit but with all the proper curves for a woman in her mid-20s. Knowing it was her and the watching how her hips moved with each stride drew him a little faster in his pursuit.

Now less than 20 yards behind her he could hear the singing and he smiled. When he ran he never did so with music preferring the solitude of his own thoughts or the conversations and debates he would have with himself. She had a nice singing voice though he couldn't make out the words. Kicking his speed up again to close the distance he approached from her left side. As he drew even with her he spoke in a loud clear voice, "Good morning!"

 

[Ohia_Lehua]

Emma took every turn, went down side streets that were empty and even got herself lost before turning back home. She wasn't sure how far she had gone but it was far enough that she only sang bits and pieces of the song playing. "Oh boy, I can see your body moving - Half animal, half man - I don't, don't really know what I'm doing - But you seem to have a plan - My will and self-restraint -Have come to fail now, fail now - See, I'm doing what I can, but I can't so you know - That's a bit too hard to explain... humm, hummm hmmmm-mmmm." Listening to Shakira made her want to dance and put a sway in her hips as she jogged.

If she knew that she was being watched Emma should wouldn't be singing let alone jog/dancing so when a voice broke through the breakdown of the music it was logical that she jumped mid step. And because of her natural lack of grace it turned into a missed step and a tumble to the ground.

"SSSShhs." Emma hissed hitting the ground on her hands and knees feeling the rough pavement tear the skin on her palms and bust her knees ignoring the thin fabric of her running pants. The shirt that Emma had taken off a while back and was thrown on her shoulder she used to wrap the worse of her hands. Twisting to sit on the ground Emma pulled up the legs of her pants to see the damage on her knee, they too were bleeding but her hands were worse but she had a feeling the impact of falling on her knees would turn out to be the worse of the two.

"Oh, hey. Hi." Emma finally looked up seeing who surprised her. "This seems to be a habit. You showing up and me falling down." She smiled letting the leg of her pants down. These were her favorite pair of pants and hoped that the blood would come out of the fabric easily and if she was careful she wouldn't get blood on her sports bra and ruin that as well. Keeping that in mind she kept her bloodied hands away from her body. "So are you just starting out or coming back?" Emma asked getting to her feet testing the flex in her knees. They didn't hurt as of now but they would and she wanted to be home in a hot bath before they started to bother her.