Chapter One

The New Neighbors

 

So, I lay in the sun, soaking up a safe amount of rays to avoid the big c but also give me a nice tan. It was midweek, midday, and the community pool was quiet. That is, until a Chevy hybrid pulled up and a man and woman emerged. They looked around uncertainly, as if searching for something, then the woman found me.

"Excuse me," she called. "Where's the manager's office?"

She was cute. Well, more than cute. Mid to late twenties. Sunglasses covered half her face, but those full lips were more than enough of a draw. Her blonde hair was pulled straight back into a flowing ponytail to reveal a widow's peak hairline. A loose shirt hid the waist but a pair of tight, black work out pants gave a nice shape to the hips and legs. She seemed on the edge of too much bling, but her only jewelry was a tight, silver choker necklace with a tiny ring front and center, and a gold wedding band. It was as if she knew that with anything more, perhaps hoop earrings or overlarge bracelets, her look would change from simple and classy to overdone and cheap. As it was her appearance said tasteful and restrained. The man sported a matching gold band. He looked like in his mid-thirties with wide shoulders and an erect carriage that helped him not only stand up straight, but also maximize his height. A black t-shirt was tucked into a pair of faded blue jeans. Light eyes in a handsome face roamed the apartment courtyard. He took in everything, including myself. I didn't feel threatened, but more like they catalogued me for later reference.

"We saw on a website that there was a three bedroom apartment available," the woman said.

"Yeah," I called back. "It's on the third floor." I pointed at the place and their eyes swung upwards.

They conferred for a moment, then turned back to me. "We don't have an appointment," the man said. "Will the manager let us take a look?"

"I don't see why not," I replied and swung my legs over one side of the lounge chair.

"You're the manager?" she said.

"Been doing it for just under a year now," I said and fished out the pass key from my short's pocket. "David Edwards."

"Oh, hi," the woman said, and laughed nervously. "I'm Julia, and this is Warren. My mas... My husband."

We exchanged brief handshakes and I led the way up two flights of concrete and pebble stairs. The apartment was set in a remote corner of the complex above two other three bedrooms below.

"Are those also rented?" asked Warren.

"Yes, but they're usually empty. They're corporate, for visiting execs. No one has shown up for either in at least six months. And when they are here it's only for a few days."

Julia and Warren exchanged a quick glance and short nods, as if this met with their approval. Julia said, "So, up here we would have a little, private corner."

I laughed. "Oh, sure. You can get up to all kinds of mischief."

Another glance, this one a little sharper. Had I accidentally pushed a button?

I opened the door and the smell of fresh paint greeted us.

"Hardwood floors," Warren said in approval. "Nice. They'll come in handy."

I wasn't sure, but I think Julia blushed. She removed her sunglasses and trotted on to the bedrooms. "Nice size", she called back to Warren. "And there's an end suite between two of the bedrooms." Julia dashed for the master bedroom which was no surprise, but when I got there right behind her husband Warren what she did was unusual.

She stood in a far corner, looking out on the empty space, as if visualizing something, then slowly turned around, stopping to face the corner. Meanwhile, Warren walked from wall to wall in measured steps.

"Yes, yes," he said. "This is perfect. More than enough room. You can come out from there now, baby."

Julia spun around, as if she had been released from some restraint, and immediately stood at Warren's side. Again she appeared nervous, but her smile was genuinely happy.

"Do you have others coming to look, or can we sign a lease now?" Warren asked.

Wow. This was going fast. "I haven't even told you the rent," I said.

As it was, the rent was almost too high for them. In my office they spoke privately for a moment. I caught something about their wanting to make it work, and that they both had waited too long to let money stop them now. To help close the deal I offered the second parking space at a lower rate. It's unusual for an apartment to have two parking spaces, but the unit in question was bigger to accommodate a family, so it got an extra space. Less than an hour later a one year lease was signed and keys were handed over.

"Welcome to the Crossed Arms Apartments," I said.

Julia and Warren snapped a look at me. "Crossed Arms?" Warren said.

I shrugged. "The owners thought it sounded medieval and romantic. There's even a coat of arms on the building and on the contract." I pointed to the upper left corner of the lease.

Julia gave a short, loud laugh. "We never thought to look at the name. All we cared about was that there was an apartment with a large master bedroom."

"Well, you got it, and then some," I said. "It's the biggest room up there, and the whole place is about 1400 square feet."

"Yes," Warren said. "It will do quite well."

 

***

 

For the next two months I didn't see much of Julia and Warren. They moved in the next day; lots of boxes, but not much furniture. I did help them lug up a nice wooden dining table and chairs, a recliner and couch, and two beds. All in all though, it didn't seem like enough to fill a three bedroom. Well, maybe they would grow into it. One day I did see them both struggling to lift some heavy pieces of wood upstairs; and a large trunk. They didn't ask for my help with those. In fact, they absolutely refused my offer. For the next few days I caught the sounds of drilling and hammering, but by ten at night they went quiet. After all, people needed their sleep to get up for work early the next day.

And they both did work. Julia wore scrubs while Warren sported a suit and tie. But their schedules didn't always quite match. A few times I found Julia by the poolside in a nice fitting one piece. More than once I noticed her face grimace as she carefully lay down on her back. If she was a nurse then maybe she had to turn patients over in bed and it had tweaked her spine. But when she walked with a large towel draped over her shoulders she didn't shuffle. If anything, she behaved as if she were in the best of physical health.

I sure didn't mind looking at her, but I knew better than to take it any further. She was married, which stopped everything right there anyway. In fact, they acted like no other married couple I had met before. They weren't newlyweds; that was obvious in how they treated each other, but there was a closeness I had never seen in a married, or more accurately, a really committed couple. When they smiled at each other it wasn't because they had to, it was more like they wanted to. When together they were almost always within each other's personal space, like their auras were mixed and it was only natural they be that way. Seeing them like that I was jealous. I couldn't help it. I wanted that too. And I wondered just what it was between them that made them like that. I found out, just by the sheerest chance.

One morning, as they left for work, Julia and Warren lingered for a moment longer than usual at their side-by-side cars, his Chevy hybrid and her equally white Chevy SUV. I could see them through the office window, with Julia sort of facing in my direction. Julia's lips moved, quick and sharp, her eyes narrowed, not in anger, but to help make her point. Suddenly, Warren's hand gripped Julia's hair at the back of her head. Julia's face turned to the sky, mouth open, eyes closed. They both held still like that, a frozen tableau. I'm not a lip reader, but I was pretty sure Julia said "Yes" followed by something else. After another moment, Warren roughly released her and Julia's eyes were downcast. I think Warren said something more. Julia nodded once; with her eyes still down she turned, got in her car, and drove away. Warren watched her, not moving until she was out of sight.

The next day I found Julia out at the pool. I waved at her and she kind of waved back, then turned over on the lounge chair. Above the back line of her bathing suit were marks. Red welts.

I backed away, retreated to the office. Already my pants were getting uncomfortable, the bulge down there more than obvious. I had a nice gig here and didn't want to screw it up. A really good friend's family owned the apartments, a fact that I kind of kept hidden. Not that there really was anything to hide, but it didn't seem necessary to tell others. I was burned out from college and carrying all that student debt just made things worse. When I graduated what I needed was something simple to just let me think about what I wanted to do for the rest of my life and how to pay off those loans. So my college roommate Glen got me the apartment manager job. Also, I had more than a few dating disasters in college. And it wasn't like I was about to just tell someone I had a kink for... for leather. I had tried to come out my last year at school, dating a shapely and provocative psych major that kind of let on she was more broadminded than others. But when I told her my fantasies she gently suggested I get some therapy. So, for now, there wasn't any girlfriend around to distract me. And Julia definitely wasn't available. So I just minded my own business and admired her from afar. And that's how it was going to stay.

Humph. Yeah, right. A couple of days later the distance between us got a lot closer.

I was on my way out on some errand that wouldn't wait. As I turned a corner I nearly ran into Julia. She nervously dropped a tube of something that squirted out white cream. I quickly stepped back with a mumbled "Sorry".

"Aw, shit!" Julia said, looking down at the mess. She bent down to pick up the tube and gritted her teeth in a spasm of pain.

"Are you alright?" I said.

"It's my back," she said. "Warren... Well, Warren can get a little rambunctious. He doesn't always understand when I give my safe... I mean, when I tell him to slow down. If you know what I mean."

"Ah, yeah." Oh, shit, here comes the erection. Ignore it, ignore it, and maybe she will too.

"In fact, I was coming to ask you for help." She held up the tube. "This stuff is for my back. Usually only Warren spreads it on, but I really can't wait for him. Would you mind?"

"Uh, you want me to put it on...on your bare back?" Oh, fuck, cock straining against my pants. Next thing it's going to break out and make like the chest ripper in Alien.

"Now, David, don't get me wrong," Julia said, her light blue eyes boring in to mine. "That's all I'm asking. That's all. Got it? Will you please help me? Please?"

Alright, alright I thought to myself. Outwardly I swallowed and nodded. As I filled my palm with the cream Julia turned around and lifted her shirt in back. Thank god she wore a bra! But any thoughts of her wearing underwear or not fled when I saw those marks again. I spread the cream over them, working my hand underneath the bra strap in back. I covered them all, including the ones at the small of her back, near the top of her buttocks.

"Oh, that feels so good. Thank you, David." Julia drew down the shirt and turned around, one pants covered ass cheek quickly rubbing against my erect cock. A couple of fast air kisses on both sides of my face and she was gone. I stood there, like some kind of dumb virgin, the tube still in my hand.