Leia simply laid back in her outdoor hot tub. The cool air nor the drab skies would get to her. Not today. The flow of warm water and the bubbles swirling around her were enough to tickle her. The simple pleasures in life. Being able to enjoy creature comforts. As herself.
Not with James.
Nope! She wasn't going to think about him. He was in her rearview now. No more dwelling on his comments. Of who they were, or were engaged to be. Or whom he was fucking around with now. He was kicked out. She invited him into her home and he callously took advantage of her. Let the worm rot.
Indeed, in dipping her head back into the warm water, Leia could feel months of build-up and tension seep out of her. The water enveloping the one-piece swimsuit covering her body relaxed her. She could reflect in peace. Moving on with her life.
A smile graced Leia's face. She had been thinking of how to get back to being herself in life. One thing she could do for herself would be to bake cookies tonight! Her passion for baking had stalled while she was with James. It's hard to pursue a passion when one's significant other is apathetic to your work. With him out of her life, she could go back to the basics.
Leia trotted out of the hot tub with a giddiness in her step. The sun was beginning to set. As much as she'd love to soak in her revelry of freedom, time would only move on without her. And the lure of chocolate chip cookies was too strong to put off for long.
It was some time later she found herself riffling through the refrigerator. She couldn't believe it. She was out of eggs! Experience had taught her that you could substitute for butter or sugar. Not eggs. She had already mixed her wet ingredients together - she wouldn't wait until tomorrow.
"Alright, I guess I'm heading next door."
She considered herself lucky to have settled into a nice neighborhood. She didn't know that she was cut out for suburban life when she started house hunting, but she quickly settled in. Her immediate neighbors were all nice. All families of varying years. She decided to pay Sam and Monica a visit. It was a fair bet they'd be home.
Slipping on her footwear, Leia strode out of the house - unkempt hair and all. She may be forgoing a bra but her hoodie would belie the truth. Besides, it was just a stroll up the street. Two eggs and she'd be on her way.
She rapped on the door and patiently waited. The evening was underway now, but the porchlight's glow assured her she wasn't intruding.
Sam opened the door. His eyes hesitated through his glasses for an instant. As if caught off-guard, he stammered to find his words. "Oh! Oh, hi, um, Leia? Leia, is it? Ok, good! Yeah, hi! Come on in."
Leia found herself likewise at a loss by having caused the man of the house to blush. But she thanked him anyways and stepped in through the door. Their house was well kept, but as Sam and Monica were a generation older than her she chalked it up to maturity. Try as she may, she could never muster the will to keep her house immaculate.
"I don't mean to interrupt anything."
"Not at all, not at all," he replied, a jitteriness still about him. As if on cue, his phone buzzed in his pocket. Sam's already nervous air continued as he fumbled for the device in his pants.
"I was just wondering if maybe I could..."
"Hold on, just a moment. It's Monica. You know what? Go ahead, make yourself comfortable, I gotta answer." He pressed the button. "Hello?"
Leia stood, mouth agape, her words caught in her throat. She only wanted to pilfer two eggs. As Sam's conversation with his wife began, she couldn't help but think she were intruding.
Still, as the host wandered off into the living room during his phone call, Leia figured to take up his offer to get comfortable. She slipped off her shoes and began to wander. She and James had been inside once before, but only in the doorway. Most of her chit-chat had been outside when they caught themselves on the weekends. Even then in the front yard, as her backyard fence gave her and her hot tub privacy.
She found herself heading down a hallway heading to the bedrooms. She peaked in the master bedroom. Tastefully decorated and comfortably sized too.
But it was the view that caught her eye.
Leia's curiosity quickly caught the better of her as she slowly walked through the room. Through the curtains came an elevated view outside. Made sense, there as a gentle incline between their houses. It was this elevated perch that gave her an angle of her house she hadn't quite seen before. A view of her roof and her backyard.
Including the hot tub.
How she had been oblivious to this all this time she couldn't piece together. How many times had she taken a soak and looked around? As she recalled, she could see the roof of Sam and Monica's house, sure. But she couldn't recall a window. Maybe she hadn't cared? Had she been this careless all this time?
How many times had the neighbors watched her slip into the tub? Did Monica think she was flaunting her body? And what of Sam? Would he oggle her form?
She found herself breathing a little heavy. Stepping back, she realized being found in the master bedroom would be bad form. Composing herself, she made her way back to the hallway.
Her mind was abuzz with thoughts of her neighbors, this prim and proper family, having leered at her as she's relaxed and enjoyed herself in her hot tub all these days. She wasn't sure they had. They very easily could have though. Heck, she was just in there this evening. What if Sam was spying on her, touching himself as she dipped her hair back, her chest fully visible to his prying eyes. Being mentally undressed behind his glasses. His mind caressing her body. Imagining what he would be doing to her.
It would explain him being off guard when he answered the door...
She strode back into the living room as Sam distractedly stepped out of the kitchen. He was telling his wife that they could order it over the weekend. Whatever it was. He shot a smile at Leia conveying he hadn't forgotten about her as he wrapped up his conversation. She quietly positioned herself closer to the door, as if to resume where they left off.
"Well," he started, as the call ended. "I'm so sorry about that. Talk about timing, huh? What can we do for you?"
Leia hoped she wasn't blushing through her hoodie. Her mind was scrambled, knowing that her neighbors had a plain view of her and her hot tub. Why was she here?
"Oh, it's been a while, you know," she finally stammered. "And, uh, actually, I was baking some cookies and I realize I need some eggs."
"Sure! Sure, sure," he said, expressing an uncanny energy. He turned and made his way to the kitchen, motioning for her to follow. "What are neighbors for, right? We can save you a trip to the store. How many eggs were you looking for?"
"Just two," she replied, regaining her composure.
"Well, let's see." Sam's head emerged from the refrigerator holding two brown eggs. "We don't exactly have disposable egg caddies here..."
"Oh, I can carry them," she said, a slight bounciness inflected in her voice. "Thank you so much."
"Well, the pleasure is all mine, really!" The two made their way to the front door, exchanging pleasantries. "We've a pretty good neighborhood here. Monica and I are both so glad to have someone like you move in."
"Believe me, having such great neighbors like yourself has been a blessing," she replied in turn as she stepped through the front door. Her mind itched as it weighed whether what she just said ran counter to what she discovered, but she ignored it as she proceeded down the front walk. "Thanks again and have a good evening!"
"You too, dear!"
She made her way down the street back to her house. It was a short walk, but in her mind his words echoed in her ears. Dear? Whose dear? Was he from such an older generation that it was commonplace to say such a thing to someone younger? If not, what fantasies was he projecting on her? And why didn't she object? Over eggs? We're they that precious to her? Yeah, she could now complete her cookies, but still...
Well, cookies do make things better, she reminded herself.
