âGood Lord,â Leila sighed to herself in her empty apartment. âIs there anyone else without a thing to do on a Saturday night?â She was, with the exception of her collection of tetras in the fish tank along one wall, alone. It was a beautiful Saturday evening in early summer, and even though there were concerts, movies, and a plethora of restaurants to enjoy in the city, she had no plans.
She shook her auburn hair out of her eyes and raised herself from the couch, where sheâd fallen asleep watching the six oâclock news. The glass of wine on the table in front of her was empty, as was the bottle next to it. âGreat. I managed to kill an entire bottle of merlot before nightfall out of sheer boredom. And I wonder why I canât find anything to doâ.
Weekends were sheer hell for Leila. Work was fine; she had an hour commute each way, and plenty of work to bring home with her. But the boredom that crept in on Friday night inevitably found its way into getting everything accomplished that night, making weekends into a little Purgatory. There were only so many Saturdays she could handle visiting her mother, who constantly updated her on the unlamentable jerk who left her at the altar. Or the big-chested blonde whoâd replaced her after a drunken weekend in Vegas. Damn near every female friend she had was married with her own little ones toddling around. And the dating scene lately had been, if anything, more dull and lackluster than a book with Fabio on the cover. All her co-workers were involved in their own little soap-opera melodramas. Hell, what she wouldnât give for some college kids to be friends with; at least they knew how to party!
Groaning, she made her way into her bedroom and caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror above her armoire. Not bad, she had to admit. Even though the Yale t-shirt and unfashionably faded jeans had seen better years, at least she managed to stay the same size as her old sorority days. No signs of aging on her at all. Granted, she was only 27, but her mother was half-grey at that age. Her chest was probably a touch larger than proportional, but there wasnât much beyond reduction surgery to change that. âWhat the hell is wrong with me?â Leila whined to her reflection. âYouâd think I was some sort of ugly hag, the way I have no real life.â Her reflection didnât answer back. Oh well.
He wasnât exactly stalking her. Thatâs what he kept telling himself at any rate. Perched on the roof across from her apartment, he had a hidden telescope trained on her windows. The old shoe repair shop had been closed for a year now, but there was still plenty of junk stored on this roof. Heâd used it before, when heâd needed a place to hide out while roof walking. Being a cat burglar wasnât always glamorous, he had to admit to himself, but it was profitable. And, sometimes, it gave a man a nice taste of adventure.
It had been a month or so since the last time he had been in this area. Heâd needed to hit a loft or two to make ends meet. Let the drug addicts steal car stereos and VCRâs, was his philosophy. Professional thieves knew what to take, where to sell it, and how to not get caught, above all. It was a better living than working a nine to five, and a damn sight safer than selling drugs to strung-out users. However, heâd almost lost it all.
And it was her fault.
Damn, she was a hot little piece. Memories of her lying in that bathtub of hers had been enough to keep him awake some nights over the past month. It was bad enough he hadnât scouted the place enough to know she was still home. It was even worse that heâd caught her getting herself off in a bathtub big enough to fuck a womanâs brains out it. No, he had to be even more stupid than that and actually feel her up in the tub. God only knows why she didnât snap out of whatever she was in to kill him.
But he wanted more. And that was why he was sitting on this roof, with boxes piled up by the old chimney; a telescope trained on her wide living room windows. As evening came, her lights came on. A figure was walking around the living room.
Leila finished cleaning up her Chinese take out and empty wine bottle. There wasnât a damn thing on television, and if she hadnât been to Blockbuster more times this month than she had, sheâd probably go to see what was there. But she knew there was nothing out she wanted to see (again), so that left her with one option. Go find a book and read.
She scanned her bookshelves for the twentieth time since Friday night. Nothing seemed appealing to her. Good lord, she fumed, isnât there anything worth doing tonight? Her gaze swept the room, looking for something to do, and landed on the kitchen table. Beside the bills, credit card offers, and sweepstakes entries, was a slim package from her older sister sheâd forgotten to open. Well, maybe Jenna would have something interesting in there. Probably another tape of her adorable niece, Morgan.
Slipping out of the padded envelope was a book wrapped in newsprint. A letter was taped to the front. Dear Lei-Lei, it began. I know your lifeâs been duller than dull lately. Thanks, Jen! So, when I went shopping for some books for myself, I came across this. If my copy werenât so worn out, Iâd have lent it to you, but you deserve your own. Enjoy the reading! Love always, Jen-Jen.
Well, in most things, her sister had never steered her wrong. Curious, Leila opened the wrapping. Knowing Jenna, it could have been anything from Oprahâs latest selection to some old Shakespearean sonnets. That girl would read anything. But thisâŠ
âThisâ was a book that Leila would never have expected from her big sister. The cover was black, with no title on it whatsoever. The title page was just as mysterious. The Tattoo. No author given. What the hell was this supposed to be? Pouring another glass of wine, Leila gathered the book and walked out onto the balcony off her living room windows, settling herself into one of the comfortable reading chairs she has set up.
He watched her sit down in her chairs, a glass in one hand and a book in the other. The jeans she wore were so damn tight, showing off those legs of hers. And that t-shirt. What he wouldnât have given right there to just help her take it off. The way she sat made the shirt stretch across her chest as some of the fabric got caught up under an arm. Using the light from her living room, she brought the book up to her face and began reading. He simply watched.
By the time she got to page three, Leila was turning red. By page ten, she was wiggling around in her chair. By page twenty, she was ready to slide out of her jeans and get laid right there on the balcony. What the hell? Jenna must have been confused. She would never read this! Jenna was a soccer mom, on the PTA, in the choir at church! Jenna wouldnât read this, thisâŠwell, this porn!
But a little voice nagged in the back of her head. If she was enjoying the tale so far, why wouldnât her sister?
Well, Leila, she thought, you wanted something to do tonight. You might as well have fun doing it! A smile crept over Leilaâs face. Looking around, she noticed that all the other windows facing her apartment were dark or curtained. She was too high for cars and pedestrians to see her. No one was on the roofs, as far as she could see. The smile turned even more mischievous.
She left the book on the chair and walked into her apartment. In her bedroom, Leila changed into a pair of dark grey panties and bra that she knew looked like a bikini from a distance. It was a touch too cool, but if anyone were to see her, it wouldnât look terribly out of place. Opening a bottom drawer, she took out a very slender wand. Turning the end, she felt the little motor whirring inside. Good, the battery was still working. She snatched a thin blanket, and headed back to the landing.
He was so upset when she went back inside, but when he noticed she left the door open and the book on the chair, he smiled. Sheâd be back. But when she did finally make it, he didnât expect what he saw. She was in a bikini, or maybe lingerie. He couldnât tell. He saw her settle back into her chair and cover herself with a blanket, settling something next to her in the chair. His curiosity got the best of him.
âLady, you back again?â The tattoo artist looked up from his client to see who had walked in the door to his little shop. The woman taking a seat had been coming in way too often lately. This would be her third visit this month alone. He wasnât complaining; she paid in cash and she paid a lot of it. But this was getting insane.