Disclaimer all characters are over the age of 18 and entirely fictitious.
I closed down my computer, stood, stretched and after gathering my stuff headed for the door after another day at the coalface. The sun had long since set as I stepped out into the cold early evening air for the short walk home. Pulling my coat tight around me I strode purposefully along, woollen hat keeping my head warm against the winter's chill.
Before I go any further, I best introduce myself. My name is Max, early 40's, fair hair, blue eyes, athletic in build with a tattoo or 2. I work in the office of a small company selling, servicing and repairing photocopiers, not exactly exciting, but it pays the bills. Having been made redundant from my last job, I had a decent pay off so the office job just keeps me ticking over having bought a house with my lump sum.
I live on a small housing estate in a lovely market town on the edge of the Cotswolds, having moved here following the breakdown of my marriage shortly after my redundancy. There was no one to blame for the breakdown of my marriage, we just grew apart and amicably split after almost 10 years.
Since the split just over 18 months ago, my love life had been non existent, if I'm honest I wasn't too fussed with the opposite sex as it stood. I have my urges, as we all do, but the hassle of a relationship wasn't something I could be bothered with at present.
A couple of the ladies in the office where I work were easy on the eye, but both are married and off limits, last thing I want is an angry husband knocking only door for an indiscretion with one of them. So my love life was quiet to say the least, little did I know that within a few months that was going to change.
Back in the present, I used the pedestrian crossing to avoid the traffic and headed on, homeward bound, head bowed against the wind. Glancing up I noticed a lady coming down the road towards me, as we met she smiled at me, I returned the smile as we passed and kept walking.
Home I got my coat off, ran upstairs and quickly changed into my running gear and headed out for a 6 mile run before I sat down and changed my mind about going. Just under an hour later I was home, sweating with the exertion of my run, glowing red and feeling smug with myself for having the motivation to get out and run.
Showered and changed into my chilling gear I ate in front of the TV and settled in for a night of channel surfing.
And that is my life! I have very little social life, at least I don't during the week anyway. At the weekend I usually head out to the local hostelry and have chat and drink with a few people I have got to know since moving here, otherwise I live a fairly solitary lifestyle.
A few days later I was again heading home and once more I crossed paths with the same lady I had seen days before. Once again we made eye contact briefly as we passed each other and we both continued our journeys on.
Over the next month this lady and I crossed paths numerous times as I walked home alone, we continued to greet each other with a smile and nothing more. I admit I paid her little attention each time, as I was just eager to get home as soon as I could after a day at work.
Then one day things changed. It was just after Christmas and New Year, I'd been back at work for a week and I was heading home on a Friday night looking forward to a quiet weekend at home. I'd had the foresight to take an umbrella with me, as the forecast was for rain later in the day.
As I got to the pedestrian crossing I noticed a familiar figure waiting to cross, going in my direction this time and getting wetter by the second as the rain poured down. Stepping alongside her I instinctively moved my umbrella over her head as well as mine, her head turned towards me as she noticed the rain was no longer beating down on her.
"It's seems like chivalry isn't dead after all" my companion exclaimed, rain dripping off the end of her nose.
"Maybe not" I chuckled, "going my way?"
"Yes indeed, bloody weather caught me out " she muttered as the lights changed and we set off. I did my level best to keep us both out of the torrential rain pummelling the umbrella above us both as we headed home, but I ended up getting wetter and wetter in my efforts to keep my companion as dry as possible.
As we reached a cut through not far from home, she paused to step through, expecting me to step aside. "I'm up this way" she said. "Me too, come on" I replied, as again we moved off. The cut through was quite narrow and I felt her arm move through mine, holding us both closer together as the rain kept up it's steady rhythm above us.
At the end of the alleyway we moved onto a wider path, where I expected us to part, but she kept her arm through mine and looking ahead she said, "I'm up here, then right". "Me too", I replied once more. We swung right at the top of the small cul de sac and carried on walking. We were both now on my road and I smiled inwardly at the thought that we had clearly been close neighbours all this time, but never knew it.
Passing a couple of houses, my companion slowed and came to a halt outside a neat semi-detached house identical to mine, but 5 doors away. "This is me", she declared, "thanks for your help, I'd have been a drowned rat if you hadn't come along."
Laughing I escorted her down the path to her front door, "It was my pleasure, always happy to help a damsel in distress!" I smiled. "Besides as it turns out, I'm only 5 doors down, so it was on my way anyway."
After a brief fumble in her bag, she located her keys, unlocked the front door and stepped inside. Turning towards me, she smiled again, said "thank you" and closed the door.
A minute later I shook my umbrella off and turned the key in my own front door, stepping in I recalled my encounter with my neighbour and realised that I still didn't know her name. Smiling wryly to myself, I stripped off, readying myself for a run, trying to recall all I could about her.
Minutes later I stepped back into the rain and headed off for my run. An hour later I was home again, soaked through but pleased to have made the effort to run anyway. I went through the usual routine of a shower, then food and settled down to watch TV.
Nothing in particular caught my attention on the TV and I settled for an old documentary about the USA. Ten minutes later I was bored stiff and my mind wandered to my newly found neighbour. From memory, I guessed she was in her 60's, slim, usually wore tight black jeans, had auburn hair and that was it! Oh well I thought, maybe we'll meet again soon and I'll find out more about her?
The next month or so work continued as normal and my neighbour and I crossed paths a few more times, always going in the opposite direction. We smiled, said hi and that was it.
About the middle of February, the Six Nations Rugby began and instead of sitting on my own at home, I decided to go to the local pub to watch it. Plus they did good food, so I could eat while watching the game, win, win in my eyes.
I ordered a drink and food at the bar and settled into a quiet booth to watch the game, happy in my own little world.
