On one of the first warm days of spring, with snow having just melted from the shady spots and daffodils and tulips filling the beds along the backyard fences, Darrell was surprised to see his landlord had uncovered the lounge chairs and was stretched out, sunning herself. Adding to his surprise, she wore a thin bikini with the shoulder straps lying loose. He couldn't help but stare at Meredith from behind his window. It occurred to him that he had an excuse to get a better view. Now was a good time to ask about what he felt was an inflated utility bill. However, he hesitated. She had been stern and standoffish during their few encounters since he moved in over the Christmas break between semesters.
He was more comfortable talking business with Meredith's husband, Ryan, who he had dealt with on the lease and rent. However, whenever something out of the ordinary came up, Ryan would defer to Meredith. At times, Darrell was a little confused about who wore the pants in the family.
She also might not appreciate being bothered while sunbathing. On the other hand, her near nakedness enticed him. The sight of bare womanly flesh in the spring was always arousing after a long winter of pants, sweaters, and coats. Additionally, she knew he could be home and did not seem bothered by his potential presence. He resolved the issue by telling himself: She's just a woman, and a near-naked woman is always worth a closer look. So, he gathered his courage, went through the door, and walked across the lawn. As he approached, the trim, oiled figure stretched out on the lounge chair captivated him. She obviously worked at staying fit with a tight runner's physique.
Assessing her, he noted that she had firm, modestly sized breasts, but still, it seemed the bikini top she wore wouldn't hold what was there. And with the shoulder straps off and the cups folded down, the tiny pieces of fabric only just covered her nipples. Similarly, the bikini bottom fit tightly around her pubic area. She must be well-trimmed or maybe completely shaved. Wow--winter and the loose-fitting sweaters had not revealed anything interesting--now this. Additionally, with her glasses, precisely trimmed shoulder-length, blond hair, and prim personality, it had not crossed his mind that the female half of his new landlords was so attractive. One of the favorable things he had noticed was her height. The few times they had crossed paths, he had noticed that she was a pleasing height, probably about five-eight or five-nine, but it was hard to tell because she seemed to like high heels, which had to be subtracted from his calculation.
She was listening to a cassette tape on a Walkman and had not noticed him standing there, so he cleared his throat.
She pulled off the headphones, which she had on in reverse fashion with the piece that went over your head under her chin. In a surprisingly friendly tone, she said, "Oh, hi. You need something?"
He opened the conversation, trying his best to be casual. "I have a question, but if there is a better time, I can come back. You look like you are enjoying the afternoon sun, and I'm sorry for bothering you."
She pulled the straps back over her shoulders, unfolding the cups covering more of her breasts.
"That's okay. I've about had all the sun I can handle on this winter white body, but it sure feels good. I'm just not a winter person. Ryan and I like living near the mountains well enough, but we both would rather be on a beach this time of the year. I'll take some sun in the backyard as a tolerable substitute."
"I agree, mostly, anyway. I enjoy the warmth, but on the flip side, I also enjoy a real winter, a real summer, and the seasons in between."
"There's that," she said. "The contrasts do make the year more interesting."
He was uncomfortable as the conversation paused, forcing him to move on to his excuse for walking over and not wanting to be caught just standing there staring. Now, his issue with the bill seemed lame, but he had to say something to justify his intrusion.
"I have a question for you about the cottage. Last month's utility bill seemed unusually high. The weather was much warmer than the previous month, but the bill was more like mid-winter--even slightly higher. I expected it to be less, and the heating costs were a lot for that little cottage."
"That's just how the utility company bills. They are basically a month behind. They may read your meter near the beginning of the month, but they do not bill you until the end. Their accounting process results in a month's lag--more or less."
"Oh--okay. No worries, then. I guess it all works out."
"It does; when it gets cold again, that first winter bill will likely be on the small side. It's been quite warm the last few weeks, so your next bill will be much smaller. I promise."
"Got it."
He wondered if he had gotten stuck paying for the last tenet's winter electric use, but such a quibble wasn't worth asking about. Instead, he said, "I've got another question." She explained the utility bill nicely enough, and the backyard had been on his mind most of the winter. But he lost his nerve and paused, thinking it was better not to ask.
"Yes? What is it?"
He thought, okay, she's forcing it, and it's just a question, plus she is barely wearing anything. "I apologize if this comes across as rude. Do you always wear a bikini when you are sunbathing in the yard? It hardly seems necessary. It's very private back here." After the poorly planned utterance came out of his mouth, he regretted the question and waited for a curt answer. He was sure she would snap at him for being so frank. It seemed her personality, but the bikini said something different. It barely covered her private parts.
"That is quite the presumptuous question. So, what you are saying is that you want to see me nude?"
"No! I didn't mean it like that. I mean, I like women, and you are really attractive, but that's not why I asked."
"So, you do or don't want to see me naked? Answer my question honestly, and I'll answer yours."
"Yeah, sure, of course, who wouldn't? You're beautiful. But I wish everyone could be free of their clothes whenever they wanted. I mean, it's natural. Right?"
"Hmm--okay," she said, amused. "I'll take that as a yes and a partial compliment, so I'll answer: it's simple enough. Ryan and I once spent time out here sunbathing nude, but then we started renting the cottage. We lost our privacy."
She motioned for him to sit down on the other lounge chair.
"Please sit. We can't have a conversation with you standing over me."
When settled, he said, "You and Ryan don't have to stop on my account. I wouldn't be offended." With Ryan added to the discussion, he regained some composure.
"Yeah, I'm sure you wouldn't. Guys your age rarely object to seeing a nude woman. You are nice enough, but my being seen nude would just be embarrassing and quite uncomfortable. It took me a bit of nerve to come out here like this, knowing you were home and you didn't help things by coming over here."
