Friendly Neighbours

If you could put this at the top, in italics, that would be great:

This is a submission for the Valentine's 2010 contest, and is categorized under erotic couplings.

It would be great if you could rate my story after reading, and comments are always read and appreciated!

Thanks!

*

Riley grumbled to herself as she walked down the street. The icy sidewalk was slippery, and she had to tread carefully over the slabs of concrete. Her black knee-high boots had only a little grip on the soles, and she cursed herself for not wearing more sensible shoes. Her breath smoked around her face in small puffs of mist highlighted by the street lamps and clung to the navy wool knit that was wrapped around her neck and chin. Her hands dug into the pockets of her black wool coat and clenched into fists as she huddled into herself, trying to keep warm.

"Fuck this, and fuck that stupid asshole," she swore to herself, her brow furrowing. "Fuck the bus, fuck Valentine's Day, fuck this stupid fucking ice, and fuck winter!" She stopped and looked around suddenly, realizing she had walked half a block too far. "Fuck!" she yelled down the street, listening to the echo reverberate off the buildings and noting a couple far down the street snap around suddenly to look in her direction. Turning around, she paced back to the door of her apartment building and fumbled in her purse, looking for her keys.

"Jesus fucking Christ! You have to be kidding me," she groaned and rubbed her hand over her eyes while moving to the intercom by the door to push in two numbers.

"Um... hello?" a confused voice garbled out of the speaker covered in brown fabric.

"Hey Brian, it's Riley..." she began.

The voice immediately warmed with recognition and exclaimed, "Oh hey, Rye! Forget your keys?"

"Yeah... can you let me in?" Riley sighed and grabbed the handle of the door in anticipation, glaring bitterly at the warm yellow-lit lobby with the tacky maroon carpeting on the other side of the glass.

"Sure thing; see you upstairs in a few," the voice crackled and a muffled click was heard before the familiar buzzing noise. Riley pulled the door open and shuffled in, wiping her feet on the mat and unbuttoning her coat. She walked over to the elevator and angrily punched the car call button with her finger, as if it was the source of all her problems. She unwound her scarf from her neck and let it dangle, smoothing down the deep red cotton shirt underneath the coat. Groaning at the small wine stain that was still on the front of it, she felt her shoulders drop in defeat. Couldn't the day just be over now? Tears pricked the backs of her eyelids as she willed herself to hang onto her composure until she was safely behind her locked apartment door.

The bell rang as the elevator doors opened, allowing the faint smell of musty mildew to emit from the car. Wrinkling her nose as she always did, Riley stepped in and pushed "9", rolling her eyes at the shiny heart tinsel her manager had put around the bulletin board on the wall. Fuck Valentine's Day. She glared at the board while glancing over the memos disinterestedly: selling a sofa for thirty dollars, has anyone seen this cell phone, please remember that recycling is now picked up on Thursdays, blah, blah, blah.

Riley was out of the elevator car as soon as she could fit through the opening and paced down the hallway, turning right to see Brian leaning against the jamb of his open door, smiling at her in bare feet. She looked at him and sighed, stopping in front of him with a frown. "Thanks, Brian," she mumbled, with an outstretched hand.

Brian smiled gently, not giving up her keys just yet. "Bad night?" he asked, moving to lean against the wall beside her door and face his own open one. When Riley didn't answer save for a glare and her outstretched hand not returning to her side, he nodded and looked at her for a moment. She looked frustrated, although very cute as always, he thought to himself. Standing up, he held open both his arms and looked at her with sympathy.

Riley exhaled a long sigh and looked at him sadly for a second, then bit her lower lip and moved into his arms, beginning to sob. Her body shook and Brian hugged her tight, not wanting to let go. Her head tucked under his chin and her hand rubbed at her nose as she sniffled while the other arm wrapped tightly around his waist. He rubbed her back soothingly and petted her beret-covered head, letting her cry. Riley jumped a little at the caresses, but did not stop him as her shaking diminished and the sobs quieted. Tears were still streaming down her face as she stepped back, sniffling and rubbing her eyes as she looked at Brian sadly.

"Fuck, sorry," she stammered as she noticed the wet spots on his navy t-shirt. She covered her face in her hands and apologised again, shaking her head. "I'm so sorry, Brian," she muffled through her hands, "I've just had such a fucking horrible night, and I don't mean to bring you down too." She set down her purse and took off her coat, draping it over one arm.

"Don't apologise, Rye," Brian's voice was soft. He looked at her sad face and streaked makeup, and his heart did the familiar flip-flop it did every time he saw her. "Valentine's Day is shit for us single people."

She let out a shaky, shuddering sigh and nodded, biting her lip. "No shit," she muttered and held her hand out again, looking at her toes. She felt the key ring press into her palm and she closed her hand around it. To her surprise, her hand encased Brian's fingers as well. She shot her gaze up to look at him and saw him look at her seriously.

"Come over? I have hot chocolate and pizza that just got delivered and Monty Python. You can tell me all about it."

Riley looked at him and blinked, realizing what he had said had not been an invitation; it was a request. She looked at her door and looked at him and slowly nodded, forcing a small smile. "Okay, Brian. I'm just going to have a quick wash-up and change into my pyjamas. I'll bring some popcorn over, too," she offered.

Brian grinned and loosed his hand from around the key he still held, depositing it into hers. "Great," he nodded at her to emphasise she had made the correct decision. "I'll leave my door unlocked, so go ahead and walk in, alright?"

Riley nodded at him and leaned in to kiss his cheek. "Thanks," she looked at him and genuinely smiled at him for a moment before picking up her purse again and unlocking her door. "See you in a bit," she said, and closed it quietly.

Brian touched his cheek with his hand and gazed at her door, sighing to himself. He wandered back into his apartment and shut his own door, leaning against it and rubbing his forehead. "Damn, Brian. You've got it bad, don't you?" he muttered to himself and walked to the kitchen, putting the pizza in the oven to keep it warm. Riley's eyes adjusted painfully to the bright light of her hallway as she hung up her coat and put her purse on the floor of her closet. Standing in front of the mirror on the closet door, she looked at herself. Groaning at her makeup, she tried to rub the grey streaks from underneath her eyes away, and realized Brian saw her looking like this. She winced at the thought, and began to rub harder. He didn't seem interested in her, but she could still keep trying, and at least looking her best, couldn't she? Sighing and putting her hands on her hips, she examined her outfit choice. The red cotton shirt she wore had a boat-shaped neckline and its sleeves were short and draped over her upper arms while exposing the top half of her shoulders. She wore a white ribbed tank top underneath for modesty's sake, and a white belt held up her blue jeans. Her black knee-high leather boots gave her an inch extra in height and a black beret sat askew slightly on her head. She puffed out her chest a little, knowing that the tank top peeking over the red cotton was the only thing preventing her breasts from exploding out of the shirt. Turning halfway, she looked at the swell of her bottom, the curve of her hips, and the slight softness of her stomach. Her hair was bunched in a low ponytail and draped over one shoulder, flirting with heart-shaped earrings and the chain of a heart pendent that sat in her cleavage.

She nodded, and thought to herself, 'I do look pretty cute, though, I have to say. Whatever. His loss; he was an asshole, anyway.' Her expression soured a little and she got slightly angry again, unzipping the leather boots from her legs and taking off her hat. She put these away and stepped into her bedroom, pulling clothes off as she went. She dumped the ensemble into her clothing hamper and padded around in her underwear as she took off her jewellery and put it away in her vanity. Sitting down in front of the mirror as she undid the clasps on the earrings, she looked at the swell of her breasts encased by the bra and smiled slightly at what she saw. It was deep crimson with white hearts patterned all over it and lace-edged along the plunging neckline. The soft pad inserts pushed her breasts up and together, and she reached her hand inside the bra to adjust them so that they sat properly in the push-up. Fixing the band so it sat flush with her ribcage, she ran her hands along the curves, pressing softly and stroking the exposed skin. If only her night had turned out better, someone else might have been doing it instead.

"Ugh, no, not with that jerk," she said aloud to herself. She wouldn't sleep with whatever the fuck his name was in a million years. "That's the last goddamn time I reply to a personal ad," she angrily promised her reflection, shaking her head. She stood up and walked to the bathroom, retying her hair back into a loose bun at the nape of her neck. Reaching down, she adjusted her panties that had ridden upward a little, and smiled again at the fabric. The thong she had chosen matched her bra, and she decided to keep her sexy lingerie on. She liked the way it made her feel, and after the night she'd had, she needed a little boost.

Leaning against the bathroom countertop, she began to wash her face. Using citrus-scented cleanser, she rubbed the layers of shadow and eyeliner from her eyes and rinsed off the smooth lather. Looking at herself in the mirror again, she was satisfied with the clean face looking back at her. She smoothed the last stray dark brown waves of her hair against her head and tucked them behind her ears. She decided to spoil herself and grabbed the bottle of rose-scented lotion, tipping the faintly pink cream into her left hand and rubbing it along her body, neck, and face. Her pale skin absorbed it quickly, and she rubbed it in every inch of her body until she was sure she smelled faintly of roses everywhere. Putting her arm up to her nose, she inhaled the delicate, faint floral notes and smiled. She felt a lot better already.

She switched off the light in the bathroom and walked to her closet, eyeing the hangers and folded shirts and pants that rested there. She pulled another white tank top out and pulled it on, noting that she could faintly make out the colour and pattern of her bra. Frowning, she grabbed a black sweater that tied in the front like a robe to solve the problem. She looked around and selected a red pair of pyjama bottoms made of soft flannel with a plaid pattern. 'Might as well keep to the theme,' she thought, and shrugged as she pulled them on and tied the tie. Pulling on her sweater and letting it hang loose around her body, she gave the room a quick scan before grabbing her slippers and turning out the light.

She put the brown sheepskin slippers on in the hallway and remembered with a start she had promised to bring popcorn. Stepping into her kitchen, she glared at her keys lying innocently on the counter, and picked up the offensive objects. She grabbed a couple of bags of microwave popcorn and Brian's key to her apartment door. Eyeing the fridge, she opened it, and grabbed a bottle of peppermint Schnapps. Satisfied, she switched off all the lights and walked out her door. Locking it behind her, she stepped the two feet across the tacky maroon-carpeted, dimly-lit hallway and grabbed the handle on Brian's door. Letting herself in, she called out a hello as she shut the door behind her, locking it out of habit.

"Hey," Brian replied as he hit the pause button on the video game controller he was handling. Turning around to look at her, he draped one arm over the back of the couch and cracked a grin. "You look festive," he offered, and felt his stomach do those familiar turns and flutters.

She smiled at him gently and held out her full hands and explained, "I'm going to put these in the kitchen." She turned into the small linoleum lined room and placed her things on the counter. Putting his key back into the leftmost drawer with the rest of his keys, pencils, twist ties, rubber bands, and other odds and ends, she remarked to him as he entered, "It was a really good idea to give each other copies of our keys."

Brian leaned in the kitchen doorway, still taking her in; she looked adorable in her pyjamas. "I know, right? You've saved my ass a zillion times by having mine," he agreed and walked over to the oven, pulling out a large pizza box. "Are you hungry? I got the one with everything on it."

"Yeah, I'm starving. I didn't eat dinner," Riley's stomach growled as the smell of the pizza filled the kitchen. Her mouth watered and she eyed the pizza box in almost a predatory way. She looked back at Brian and asked almost meekly, "So is that hot chocolate still up for grabs? I brought some stuff for it, if you want some." She motioned to the bottle of Schnapps and smiled at him.

Brian's face lit up. This woman had to be reading his mind somehow. "Good call! I just ran out of the butterscotch stuff I put in mine," he reached for the bottle. "I'll make us some. How strong do you want it?"

"Go heavy on the booze," Riley muttered glumly, "I need it." She opened up his fridge and pulled out the milk, putting it on the counter next to the stove. Leaning back against the counter, she crossed her arms around her chest and nodded her approval at the large mugs Brian pulled down from his cupboard.

"That bad, huh?" Brian asked, grabbing the sugar and cocoa powder. "So spill, what happened with Jerry, or whatever? I thought you guys were going out for dinner," he probed, now beginning to heat lots of milk in a saucepan.

Riley grabbed the milk and put it away as she began to explain, "He was a total douchebag, honestly. I went to his place first and we had some wine and cheese and crackers before we left. It was sort of okay, and we were talking, but he got really weird. He kept staring at my chest and it made me uncomfortable." Brian raised his eyebrow and put away the cocoa and the sugar. "Well, to his credit, you did look really good." He flinched a little when he realized what he had just said, and whipped around quickly back to the stove, inquiring further, "Uh, so then what happened?"

Riley was taken aback by the compliment, but continued, "When we got up to leave, he flat out pushed me against the wall and mauled my neck, among other things. I gave him a hit in the nose, pushed him off, and told him what he could go do with himself before I ran out."

Brian gaped at her, whisking the deep brown liquid in the pan, impressed. "You socked him?! Did he bleed?"

Riley shook her head and grinned, "No, unfortunately. I just hit him hard enough to stun him. He was strong, it was sort of scary..." her voice trailed off as she stared off into space, recalling the incident.

"Fuck, what an asshole! I'll kill him!" Brian's brown eyes smouldered as he gripped the handle of the pan. Riley was such a sweet girl, and he shuddered as his imagination ran off without him and imagined what horrible things could have happened to her.

"I don't think he would have done anything to me, Brian, it's alright. He was just a forward asshole," she said dismissively. When he didn't respond, she leaned over and squeezed his shoulder until he looked at her, still slightly angry. She smiled and said, "Thanks, Brian. You're sweet."

Blushing a little, he stammered out another question, "So are you going to try someone else now?" He tried not to sound bitter as he pulled the now hot chocolate off the element and turned off the stove.

"No, I give up with everything," Riley sighed. "It's been so hard to meet people since I moved here, but I don't want to deal with this sort of shit anymore. The last, like, five guys weren't dating material, and I'm not into just one-night-stands like they seemed to be," she shrugged and poured the peppermint liqueur into the mugs. "How much do you want?"

Brian's heart leapt at her words and he smiled at her as he replied, "Oh, not a lot... yeah, that's great." He raised his eyebrows as he looked at the amount she had put in her own cup and looked at her, "You gonna be okay with all that on your own?"

Riley rolled her eyes at him as he laughed and handed her the now full, steaming mug. She gratefully took it and curled her fingers around the blue ceramic. Inhaling the aromatic steam, she almost purred as she closed her eyes and took a sip, gingerly.

"Careful," Brian warned and took a sip of his own hot chocolate, watching her interestedly. Satisfied with how his tasted, he paused as he watched her tongue lick her lips and run along the side of the mug as some hot chocolate dripped down it. Trying to hold back the odd noise in his throat, he felt the familiar twinge in his jeans and quickly turned to grab the pizza box from the oven. "Why don't you head out to the living room, and put in the DVD. I'll be right there with pizza and plates and stuff," he quickly suggested, hoping she would agree.

"Well, I can help you," she offered. "Here, let me take the pizza," she put her mug down and stepped over to stand next to him, taking the box from his hands and bending down to put the oven door back up.

His eyes roved over her round bottom as she stood up and he gulped a little, nodding his thanks and moving around behind her to grab some plates and napkins. He automatically grabbed her waist to guide her to the side and out of his path, and she leaned into him a little, smiling over her shoulder at him. He awkwardly smiled back as he grabbed the dishes and his mug and darted out of the room, setting everything down on the dining table.

Riley huffed to herself. Brian was the only man she'd encountered so far that she couldn't flirt with easily. She pondered that perhaps he wasn't into her at all, and sighed as she followed him with her own hot chocolate. 'He's such a sweetheart... and so good looking too,' she thought, admiring his jean-clad butt from behind. 'He didn't seem interested when I first moved in here, and he still doesn't seem interested now. If he'd even given any sort of hint, I wouldn't have tried finding dates everywhere else!'

Brian passed her a plate and opened the pizza box, motioning her to help herself. Riley smiled and grabbed two slices before heading to the couch with her hot chocolate. She opened a DVD box and put the silver disc in the player, leaving the rest up to Brian: remotes were so difficult when you didn't own them. Brian sat down beside her on the couch and fiddled with the buttons and got the movie playing. They'd both seen it at least ten times and so relaxed into conversation while they ate and chuckled at the scenes.

After they both had finished eating, they were sitting in comfortable silence, watching the comedy unfold on screen. Riley was pleasantly buzzed from her drink and sat curled up with the mug. After taking the last few sips it, she put the mug on the coffee table and leaned back into the couch. "Mmm. That was good hot chocolate," she looked at him and smiled before continuing, "Thank you. You've made a really shitty night a really good one. I don't know what I'd do without you, Brian."