I wake up abruptly from my dream to the sound of the neighbor's two dogs barking again. The sun hasn't quite risen yet. I squint one of my eyes open and glance at my phone charging on my end table. 5:30am. This is the third morning this week his dogs have awoken me before my alarm. Annoyed, I throw on a pair of shorts and a t-shirt, not bothering to put on a bra or panties in hopes I'll be back in bed soon. I head downstairs and out the front door. If my neighbor is letting his dogs out, he must be awake. The man just moved in a few weeks ago so I don't know him well, but maybe he'll be understanding if I let him know how disruptive the barking is.
I notice movement inside his kitchen. I'm curious and since his kitchen window faces my house, I slip in the gap between our houses to take a peek. Inside, I see my neighbor shirtless and sweaty, leaning against the kitchen counter and facing the window, slightly off-center. The arm I can see is rigid, like he's gripping the counter. The window is slightly open and I hear the woman moaning before I notice her. She's just out of my view, a little too much to the right, so I crane my head to the side to get a better view. I can just make out the silhouette of her neck and chin, which is tilted up in ecstasy.