CHAPTER 1
After another tiring and uninspiring day at the office, Amber Swanson walked home from the bus stop. The pretty close-cropped blonde had coffee with her parents before she changed and went out to the pool at the bottom of the garden, leaving her retired parents fixed on a re-runs of comedy shows on TV.
"Dinner will be at 7:00 as usual," said her mom Queenie. "Tonight we're having sausage pie."
Well it was Tuesday, what else?
"Oh sausage pie?" Amber all but yawned and the 24-year old intoned politely how nice.
Wearing scuffs she wandered down the crumbling concrete path in her tight black one-piece swimsuit, sun glasses missing because it was now fall, but only just, and the light was soft, the air possessed an edge of crispness.
Amber sighed knowing her pool evenings were numbered because afternoon temperatures would drop relentlessly. If she were in the house her parents would expect her to sit with them and cackle insanely at "I Love Lucy" and other ridiculous entertainment created for the mentally unchallenged or for folk attuned to that kind of humor. She was pleased her parents laughed and enjoyed repeating some of the lines before they were delivered.
Amber had swum ten lengths of the pool and lay facing the setting sun on the padded teak sun lounger with her top down and was examining her breasts for the unwanted appearance of freckles when a guy in front of her said hi.
Well not in front of her; that was water. He was across the pool and behind the boundary fence, looking relaxed and acting as he had tits bared for him every day.
Amber said hi, not panicking. She just left her hands where they were, aware that if the guy had seen female breasts in his adult life, then having to eye yet another pair would scarcely rate as being earth-shattering.
"I apologize for disturbing your privacy."
Good heavens, was this a sensitive guy? She'd thought they had gone the way of dinosaurs.
"It's okay but I would have been upset had I been shaving."
He looked startled and then recovered amazingly well. "I guess you would. What system do your prefer?" "Wet shaving."
"Me too."
Amber struggled unsuccessfully to remember when she'd last had such an unusual opening conversation with a stranger of either sex.
Dammit. He then said sounded reluctant and said he'd better go."
Amber pulled up the top of her swimsuit and said, "Come over for a swim if you wish."
"No I must..."
"I'd welcome the company."
"Oh."
He halted indecisively.
She eyed him calmly saying to herself not to rush. As he began to turn from her she called, "I have my waterproof battery razor in the changing shed if you wish to use it."
He spun back to face her an blurted, "What?"
"Sorry that was just an attention grabber. If you have nothing better to do, come and join me. Grab a bottle of wine if you wish."
"Really?"
"Yes really."
"I'll be right back."
Jeff Rich was thirty-three, recently divorced from a woman who was much too fast for him. She liked spend money recklessly and to party and have sex with anyone on the infrequent occasions she got really drunk. Jeff complimented Amber for 'her quality analysis' when she asked was that how he'd first met the woman who became his wife'.
Amber took that to mean yes.
Jeff had just moved in next door after the White's left to reside in a retirement village.
"I appear to have made the right move."
"Yes," she nodded, easing down a leg of her swimsuit to make the outline of her pussy less prominent. "It's quite a nice house, well maintained."
"No I meant having you as a neighbor."
"Meaning?"
Obviously he was ready for that because he smiled, adjusting the crotch of his pants, drawing Amber's attention. "Until your friendliness, I haven't really been in female company for weeks."
"Oh," she said, pursing her lips. "By that do you mean no sex?"
Jeff reached for his wineglass and almost missed grasping the stem. "Um yes that too but I really meant just the company of a female. You know talking and that kind of thing."
"So that kind of thing is more important than sex?"
Jeff had the look of a trapped man. His reply earned him top marks: "I might not impress you if I answered yes but then again what is the truth?"
"Get to know me better Jeff and we'll see what eventuates," Amber, who hadn't had sex for some weeks, said in the tone mothers use when saying 'be a good boy and I'll give you one of those new cookies'.
"This is a lovely setting here," Jeff said thickly, easing the crotch of his pants.
"Well I'll be expected inside for dinner," Amber said, glancing at her waterproof watch and noting it was only just after 6:30.
They drained their glasses and stood and waited awkwardly.
"You may kiss me if you wish," she said.
"Oh yeah. Say goodbye to the hostess."
They kissed and she felt his erection against her leg and deliberately pressed that thigh against it more firmly.
Breaking away she said, "I come out here most evenings about 5:45. You may join me whenever you wish."
"Oh great. You could come over to my place too."
"I'd rather not Jeff, not until I get to know you better."
He looked confused and that's where Amber had hoped to leave him.
In the shower Amber was very busy with her dildo and had her biggest release for a very long time. Yes, she was determined to have sex with their new neighbor.
Amber had worked for R.W. Speight & Associates, since graduating with a master's in business administration, starting at the kitchenware importers as a supervisor in accountants receivable and after eight months when complaining she was over-qualified for the work she was 'promoted' to a supervisor in accounts payable. Two weeks later she complained again and was genuinely promoted to a new position of assistant to the chief administration and now did most of that old shrew's work.
Fed up, Amber had applied for advertised positions with four other companies and didn't receive any replies. She called two of the companies and was advised sorry the position had been filled. In a very dark mood Amber then wished she'd joined the CIA and had trained as an assassin. She could then take out the manager of HR departments of companies who treat job applicants like shit. Fortunately she now had Jeff as a mind diversion.
Jeff now joined Amber for a swim most afternoons and stayed and talked over a drink. Amber used the occasional phrase or hand movement over her body to refresh his mind that sex was within reach and she was unabashed at being manipulative. Such behavior would have appalled her once but unfortunately she found it no longer possible to initiate a sexual encounter almost on demand, not like at college. Obviously in the real world it was customary for people to be covert about their promiscuity. Besides, working in a predominantly female office was another barrier to a free-flowing love life.
* * *
Amber walked out to the pool a week after first meeting Jeff and decided the time had come to indicate he was free to move in on her. When they kissed when parting she'd place a hand around his erection or half-erection instead of just pressing her thigh against it. That should fire his engine and perhaps he'd invite her over after dinner.
Jeff was late and Amber was half-tempted to begin fingering herself when Jeff came to the fence and said hi and had a young woman with him. God she'd teased him and had held him off for too long and now he'd found some hot babe.
"Hi Jeff," she managed to say brightly.
"This is Kaye."
"Hi Kaye."
"Hi Amber. Jeff said he talks to you most week days."
"Yes that's right. Well come over guys."
Kaye smiled and said, "Thanks but just to go for a drink and then to dinner and goodness knows what else."
Amber gritted and thought that was putting it delicately.
Goodbyes were exchanged and Jeff and his hot woman were gone.
Once again Amber wished she'd joined the FBI.
The shock of Jeff doing this to her had put Amber right off masturbating. She went into the changing room and returned with an old magazine. She began reading it and discovered it was mostly about failed romances of celebrities. She had to grin.
