I pushed myself away from the desktop and stretched my arms. I'd reached my favorite part of the day. I always made it a little challenge to see how much free time I could leave myself after all my work was done. Glancing at the time displayed at the lower right hand corner of the screen, I was pleasantly surprised. Usually I finished with about a half hour to spare before Claire got home. Of course, working from home, this was the only true cut off point I had. Technically I was finished whenever I decided.
Everything was wrapped up a full hour before my wife was due home from her job. The video call with the new clients had gone way better than I could have hoped. The company reps easily adapted to the software they'd bought from us, and it took minimal effort to show them the ropes. This freed up so much time for me to work on the bugs of another program, which I'd made great progress on.
I stood from my computer chair and stretched to my full height. It felt like I hadn't moved all day. That was ridiculous. I'd gone downstairs to the kitchen about a dozen times. Working from home certainly had its perks. I silently hoped it wouldn't turn me into a vegetable. The thought made me glance toward the blinds at the window. They were shut like always, reducing the glare in the room. I walked over and opened them.
The brilliant afternoon sun spilled into the room. I lifted the blinds fully to have a look. Looking out into the gorgeous day from the second story, I could not only see across my own back yard below, but into the other yards near mine. Harvey's pool in the yard behind mine was visible over the short fence that separated our properties. The guy had often joked that we should just take the fence down so that it'd make our cookouts easier. Staring at the crystal clear water of his pool, the sentiment was starting to look more appealing.
I had some time to myself. I considered going outside, or going for a short run. Exercise sounded like work, and I knew I'd find something to tinker with or fix out in the yard. Staring up at the clear blue skies above the rooftops around my house, I suddenly got an idea.
Crossing the room, I began digging through the closet in the corner. Piling a stack of computer parts and recording equipment to the side, I found what I was looking for. I carefully set the large black bag on the floor in my office and set to work. It had been months, but I soon remembered which pieces went where.
It only took about fifteen minutes or so before I had the telescope built and mounted on its tripod in front of the window. There were about a dozen different eyepieces or lenses that I glanced over one by one in my hand, remembering which had been the most useful in the past.
Glancing out into the neighborhood, I decided to give the telescope a little test run. I wanted everything to be set for later when it got dark. Surely the skies would remain clear. I didn't want to waste time getting things set. Loosening this knob and turning that one, I was able to guide the body of the telescope downward.
Peering through the finder scope, I guided my eye across the blurred colors below. I swapped eyepieces until I was able to focus in on the fence in my back yard. A bluejay was sitting on the top of the fence. I hurried to adjust my knobs until I could bring it into a more detailed view. Sadly it flew away just as I got the tedious settings right.
For a while I entertained myself trying to see how far away I could view something in detail. A flower across the road in front of Pam and Harvey's place. A distant license plate down the road. It wasn't the fanciest equipment, but I was still amazed at what I could see.
Removing my eye for a second, I spotted a woman jogging down the road on the street beyond my neighbors behind my house. I pondered for a second, knowing my telescope would be useless on a moving target like that beauty. When the woman stopped running, I went into action. She was detaching her phone from an elastic strap of some kind on her arm. I used the time to zero in on her.
With no regard to who might spot me at my perch, I focused in on the young woman. Though somewhat shaky, the image was very clear. She soundlessly adjusted her earphones and swiped through the screen in her hand. I watched her chest heave beneath her tight sports bra. Part of her midsection was bare. I could see how her skin glistened with sweat. The fact that I could see her in such detail while she was oblivious to my watching eyes gave me a tiny thrill that wriggled through me. It was slightly uncomfortable, but scratched some hidden itch deep down.
Just like that she was running again. I wished it didn't take so long to get set. Maybe I needed binoculars, I thought, scoffing at myself. I glanced toward Pam and Harvey's house just behind mine. A dirty thought began to coil inside my head. My eyes darted about, but I saw no one around at any other neighboring houses.
Why not? Pam was quite an attractive lady for her age. I knew that she was normally at work at that hour, but it wasn't out of the ordinary for her to take a day off or come home early from time to time. From my vantage point, I couldn't see my neighbor's driveway to see if there were cars parked there.
Before I could talk myself out of it, I was tilting the telescope toward Pam and Harvey's house. It was highly unlikely I'd see anything anyway. And even if I did spot her? Pam would probably just be passing by a window carrying out some mundane chore. The thought of watching her still enticed that dark little thrill inside me.
With the finder scope, I scanned windows at the back of my neighbors' home. I saw no signs of life. I could just tell there were a few lights on inside, but that meant nothing. I panned downward toward the patio, and the covered porch that also served as a balcony on the second story of their house. I wished that I could have seen Pam lying out on one of those long beach chairs. I made a mental note to remember my telescope for the days that happened. I'd peeked from the window before, but not like this.
My sights ascended as I guided the scope toward the balcony and the set of double doors that I knew led to Pam and Harvey's master bedroom.
They were open.
I froze when I saw the open threshold. For a second I removed my eye from the glass to peer across at the neighboring house to be sure of what I was seeing. Without a doubt, the double doors were both wide open. Had they been open before? No. They couldn't have. I'd have noticed.
I worked to focus my lens on the open doorway. Even through the afternoon sunlight, I could make out the furniture in the room. I saw a tall dresser against the wall. There was the foot of Pam and Harvey's sprawling bed. I'd seen all this before at a glance. I'd been in the house many times after all. But knowing I could now peek into my neighbors' private quarters like this was exciting on some dark level.
I could see the door leading to the bathroom. Yes. Just to the side of the dresser beyond the bed was another door. At first I thought maybe it was the door to the hall, but I could see the room was illuminated within. That bright white glow was unmistakable.
Frustrated that wasn't quite able to get everything in frame in exquisite detail, I fumbled for another eyepiece and installed it. Readjusting, I carefully drew the scene into clarity before me. I was amazed at how much I could actually see inside the bedroom.
My pulse was beginning to race. I became increasingly aware that I just might see her in that room. The bathroom light was on. Sure they could have left the balcony doors open. That actually made sense for either Pam or Harvey, they were so carefree like that. All of my focus was on that bathroom door. Someone was home. Someone was in there. I might be able to see them. I stood hardly breathing, trying to steady my view into the eyepiece. It seemed like forever passed. Still I watched.
My patience paid off. The bathroom door opened. White light that filled the threshold shone brightly then was switched off. A body moved into the bedroom.
Harvey. The older man left the bathroom and walked over toward the dresser.
Harvey was completely naked.
For an instant I felt the need to pull away. But I didn't. Something kept my eye fixed on the image in the lenses. I was in my office. I was inside my house. No one was watching me. No one could see me. Not even in that moment could I explain it to myself. I was able to watch this guy without anyone noticing. And because I could... I did.
Maybe it was the shocking sight of Harvey's nude form right before my widened eye. The guy was old enough to be my father, and he looked to be in better shape than I'd ever been. He was busy with something at the dresser and was facing away from me. This gave me several moments to trace the hard curves of his broad shoulders down the slopes of his back. Though I could see the the slightest evidence of time and gravity attempting to pull his skin down, the man was so toned that it drew his tan skin tight.
I'd not stared at many naked men before, but Harvey had to have the most bulbous ass I'd ever seen on a guy. Though his hips were square, I could see how much his thick ass cheeks bulged from his body. A solid dark line carved its way down and split at his hairy thighs.
