The silence in the room was intoxicating, thought Suzan.
Her home was a large one, built when she had a growing family and, oh, yes a husband. All long gone.
Now it was just herself, and her work. A lawyer, her clients were spread all around the country, so she worked at home a lot. Spending so much time with nice people certainly made life stressful, she thought wryly.
She was sitting in her home office, trying to concentrate on her work. The silence, she knew, allowed images and thoughts about Andrew, her neighbour, to enter her mind, and imagination. Which she found annoying, yet irresistible.
Normally so professional and disciplined, the episode with Andrew last week was unnerving yet more than a little tantilising.
She had found Andrew attractive from the moment she met him. He was a builder, worked with his hands and was totally different to the usual men she met. Perhaps it was that opposites attract thing.
But, more importantly, he was nice! Courteous and respectful, not what she expected at all from a guy that drove a truck!
Yet, he had that way about him, like he knew a lot more about the world than he was letting on.
One night - was it just last week? - she was drawing the curtains in her spare room, and there he was, in his own house looking over to her. Not creepily, just looking out the window.
An almost sub-conscious urge took over. She undid her robe, and had exposed herself, knowing he was looking.
Then, of course there was the note in her letterbox quite a few days later.
TONIGHT: 8PM. I WILL BE AT THE WINDOW, WATCHING.
The note can only have been from Andrew, surely? But she had no way of really knowing.
A knock on the door woke Suzan from her daydreaming.
With a start, she could see through the window that it was Andrew!
Checking herself quickly in the mirror, she cheekily undid a button on her blouse, to give him a peek at her cleavage.
Suzan walked confidently to the door and opened it.
"Good morning neigbour," Andrew said. "There was a package by your letter box and I thought I should bring it into you, looks like rain outside."
With a hint of disappointment, she replied, "Oh that's just a new outfit I ordered online. But thank you so much."
Andrew seemed to not notice her cleavage at all, she thought!
The two of them stood uncomfortably for a moment.
"Would you like a coffee, Andrew?"
"Ah no, I'm on my way out Suzan, but thanks."
Suzan felt a mixture of relief and disappointment. "Oh well, don't let me keep you."
"Oh, before I forget," Andrew said. "Sharee asked me to get your cell phone number, in case of anything urgent, you know. She's away on business all this week."
Momentarily dazed, Suzan recovered and said "Of course, here's my business card. My private cell is on it."
Andrew left, and Suzan was more confused than ever.
Getting her cell number, and letting on that Sharee, his wife, was away. The classic pickup line? But he had declined her offer of coffee.
She read the note again:
8pm TONIGHT. I WILL BE AT THE WINDOW, WATCHING. WEAR THAT PINK DRESS AND LIE ON THE BED. OUR ADVENTURE BEGINS.
Every word in the note was the opposite of everything she was.
She loathed being told what to do in the workplace. And being told what to wear and what to do? And she didn't have adventures.