As part of my work, I've travelled a lot. I've been away from home for at least 5 months in each of the past 5 years. Of course, I've got some security in the apartment including a camera in the living room, attached to the clock. I can view it online from almost anywhere in the world, to see what is happening at any moment. In addition, I've got a simple arrangement with my neighbours. They have held the front door keys and have a look round every few days to make sure there are no water leaks nor insect invasions through the ducting. That did happen once and was a real bummer.
So my neighbour Suzanna and her boyfriend Alec have a set of key and I buy them a gift whenever I return from overseas. They've been totally reliable for these years and I trust them implicitly.
Recently, as I set off back home, I sent the usual WhatsApp message to let them know when I'd be arriving. But Suzanna sent me a sad reply : She had spilt with Alec some weeks back but was still in her old address and was still doing the security visits every few days. I sensed from her message that she was rather down about the split but I don't know much about their lives or their relationship. I'm not even sure what Alec does for his work, although I know that Suzanna works as a physiotherapist in a city centre clinic. She is 30-something, quite short but fit and muscular; I've noticed from seeing her jogging around the neighbourhood. I suppose her work encourages her own muscle development. I have noticed, also, that her breasts don't bounce up and down as she jogs; so I deduce she wears a good supportive sports bra or equivalent. Neither do her buttocks wobble about, which is the case with other women joggers I see. I concluded that she must be very muscular and trim in the "derriere department." But that was as far as I ever noticed her physical appearance. Oh, she has long blonde hair, down to her waist; I could see that! She is 20 years younger than I am and had seemed committed to Alec.
So I arrived home last Friday evening, about 7pm, tired from a 9-hour flight but glad to see that the apartment was secure, and the post was collected into little piles in the hallway instead of being just a knee-deep mess behind the door. I got in and placed my luggage in the spare bedroom, and made a pot of tea. Then I got our the gift for Suzanna: a group of scented candles, made without animal fats, and set in a nice rustic primitive ceramic base. Just the kind of thing I know she likes as a table centrepiece.
After about 10 minutes, the door bell rang and I went to let in Suzanna, for her to return my keys. She stood in the door way and held up the keys with one hand, cocking her head to one side as if to say, "Here they are. Happy now?"
She was dressed in her jogging outfit; trainers, soft but fitted jog-bottoms, a loose flowing sweater and a neat woolly peaked cap.
I reached out and took them and said, "Come in Sue and have a cuppa."
She came in and I reached out to the gift before going into the kitchen for the tea,
"This is for you with my thanks for looking after things again."
"There's no need for presents, you know. I do it as a good neighbour and you've helped me in the past with big deliveries and with my decorating," she demurred.
"Well, open it and see if you like it," I suggested and went for the tea.
When I came back she was sitting with her head down, and with my gift in her hands, and clearly upset. Maybe, I thought, she was sobbing: perhaps because Alec was not here with her this time.
"Sue, is everything OK?" I asked and knelt down to one side of her, placing the tea tray on a little table I'd placed carefully before she came.
She stood up and lifted me from my kneeling.
"Oh, you are so kind and thoughtful. And I've been so lonely," she confirmed my thought about Alec.
She continued, "The candles are lovely. Thank you, but you don't need to give me things."
I replied, "Sue you've given me peace of mind for years and I wish I could give you more gifts to show my thanks - my gratitude. Is there anything I can do for you to thank you?"
We were standing facing each other, about one foot apart and she still had tears in her eyes. After a few seconds of silence and eye contact, suddenly she reached out and took my hands, and pressed them to her breasts.
"Please will you make love to me?" she whispered.
She lifted her head and looked straight into my eyes. Hers were still moist with her tears.
"Sue. Are you sure you want this from me?" I whispered back to her, with my hands still pressed to her breasts.