Lying on top of the sheets I tossed and turned, the receding heat of the previous day slowly burning off. The windows were wide open, the fans humming along, but sleep remained elusive. I rolled out of bed and padded across the carpeted floor into the living room, moving quietly through the darkened apartment. I opened the refrigerator door and pulled out a bottle of chilled water.
Seeking just a few more degrees of cool I slid the screen door aside and stepped out onto the third floor balcony. I'd been staying in the leased apartment for a few weeks now, but most of my time had been consumed by work. I hadn't met any of the neighbors, other than a casual wave or hello as we passed in the courtyard.
The complex was arranged around that courtyard, the neat little apartments layered on top of each other three high. With the heat of the previous day slowly surrendering the most prevalent sound in the night was the hum of air conditioners. I've never liked sleeping in air conditioning and tonight was no exception, regardless of the heat.
Stepping out onto the patio I twisted the cap off the bottle of water and took a long cold drink, then casually glanced around. When I looked to my left I was startled to see a woman staring straight back at me.
She was standing just inside the patio screen door about thirty feet away. She was lit by a single lamp's golden glow from somewhere behind her. Her arms were raised over her head, each hand holding the curtains near the rail, about to pull the curtains shut.
Our eyes locked.
Then, I looked down. Or rather, I slid my gaze down her body. The patio rail was wrought iron, so there was no obstruction. She was raised on her tip toes, her brown skin glistening slightly. She was wearing a pair of sheer blue panties and a white t-shirt and nothing more. Her hair, a rich tangle of curls, was spread across her shoulders, disheveled. Her brown nipples stood in dark rings against the sheer white shirt.
We stood there for a long moment, stock still, pinned in silence.
