The dark clouds began to form and the air grew heavy as I stepped off the streetcar, a spring thunderstorm was on its way. The wind gusted, lifting the skirt of the woman in front of me. Her perfect brown legs made time slow to a crawl as the wind push her skirt high enough to offer a hint of her purple lace panties. I looked up to the skies above and silently thanked them for the little joy it had brought. It had been a long winter and even a faint glimpse of hope was welcome these days.
The smell of lilac trees opening up to greet the coming rain sent me into a lighter state of being. The first heavy drops started hitting the pavement as I climbed my front steps, kicking up the dust and cooling the air. The rumble of thunder came from the distance.
Casting off my backpack on the couch, I opened up the windows to listen to the storm and stepped into the kitchen to put the kettle on, warming my hands above the stove. Flashes of lightning sparked across the kitchen and the drapes danced with every burst of wind.
A series of loud knocks came from the front door and it opened, there stood Sarah a good old friend pulling her bike into the front room.
"Hello," she called out, "are you home?"
"In the kitchen making tea, do you want a cup too?"
"I would love one but make it big!"
She walked into the kitchen soaked top to bottom, her white cycling dress betrayed the colour of her body and her nipples stood out. The fabric fell tightly on her hips and down past her legs, where the goose pimples started to raise.
"I am freezing, do you have any towels? Your floor is soaking," she said..
"Don't worry about. go warm yourself up in the shower now or you'll get a cold."
"Thank you," she said and her head bowed down "are you sure?"
"Yes go, warm yourself up, I'll grab some clothes and put those in the dryer for you."
"Thank you, I wasn't prepared for the rain, and your place was so close by. I hope you don't mind."
'"Never, come stay for dinner, I'll whip up some penne arrabiata. Then we can throw in a movie or something."
"That is the best offer I have had in months." She slowly took off her boots and peeled off her socks, revealing skin white as milk. She turned and headed towards the shower, leaving me to watch her from behind. The door closed, my heart sank and my head turned back to the stove. We had been friends for such a long time, so many good times and bad, yet still always friends. With a body and a mind like that, it was sometimes too much for a man to bear.
With the tea steeped and dinner almost ready, I had distracted myself enough with dinner preps that I had forgotten to bring her dry clothes.
"Do have a sweater or something for me?"
"Shit, give me a minute. My favourite old cable knit is at your service and here are my running pants. Trade you wet for dry?"
The bathroom door opened and her hand reached out to mine while the other loosely guarded her towel. My heart skipped a beat as we brushed skin and our eyes met. Maybe it was the hot shower but she blushed and then her head bowed again.
"I'll grab the duvet for you and meet you in the living room, dinner is served."
"Do you have any wine? I could use a glass, it has been such a shit show of a day." She walked out into the kitchen drying her hair.
"Grab whatever you want from the wine rack."