It all started because of me. You see, I'm quite forgetful sometimes. I was always forgetting little things I had to do, or places I had to be. And this time, I'd forgotten my keys and wallet at work. Locked out of my apartment, with no intention of going all the way back to grab them, I slumped to the floor in front of my door in defeat. Glumly, I pulled out my phone to ring my girlfriend, Amy, to reveal the depths of my stupidity.
She picked up, and I told her of my mistake. "Oh Dan, and tonight after work I'm going to visit my parents! I'm just about to set off from work, and you know it would take me twice as long to make it over there before I go. I won't be back for two or three hours!"
Yet another thing I forgot.
"It's alright though, you can get a key from Mrs. Jones in the apartment next door. I left one with her when we went away last summer, so she should still have it. And she's home all day, so you shouldn't have any problem getting hold of her."
Things were looking up. I might be able to get through the door of my flat at last. And whilst I barely knew my next door neighbour, I knew from passing her on the stairs that she was at least polite and friendly.
I picked myself off and dusted myself off, and moved down the hallway to her door. I knocked loudly, and waited for what seemed an eternity. With no answer, and my hopes of salvation seemingly dashed, I knocked again. After another interminable wait, I decided that she must not be home. I turned to leave and had made it three steps back towards my door when I heard the locks turning, and her door open. A head popped around the frame, looked up the other end of the hallway, and then finding no-one there, turned back in my direction. Her eyes found me, and she smiled, a sea of white on her flushed face.
"Dan, hello! Sorry, I didn't hear you - I was watching a film. What's up?"
I explained my predicament to her head as it poked around the door and she giggled. "Well, you'd better come in whilst I find them then." I headed back to her door, and followed her into apartment. As I rounded the corner I realised she was only wearing a dark satin robe that was cinched around her waist and came down to just above her knees. The effect of the belt made the robe hug her curves as she sashayed in front of me, hips swinging ever so slightly.
I'd never really paid much attention to my neighbour before, having only passed her saying hello. What I did remember was that she was in her early forties, about 5'5" with short dark hair, and always seemed to have a smile on her face. What the baggy sweatshirts and leggings I'd always seen her in had failed to disclose was that she had a beautiful figure. And that figure was now tightly ensconced in a robe and wiggling its way in front of me. I shook my head, trying to quell the rising thoughts about what might be under it. She turned and noticed me behind her, and smiled. She turned away again quickly and I could feel the heat rising to my face and a full blush coming on.
"Have a seat Dan, please, whilst I go get the key." I sat, as invited, on the sofa in her open plan lounge, in front of the blank widescreen TV. She returned a few seconds later with the key, dangling from her finger.
"Thanks Mrs. Jones, I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't have had a spare. My girlfriend Amy is away until later tonight, so I would have been outside that door with nothing to do but twiddle my thumbs all evening."
"Call me Sally, please! Mrs. Jones makes me sound so old, and I'm only 42!"
I blurted out that she didn't look it, and that she looked amazing. She smiled at my blushing face, and laughed. "Well, flattery will get you everywhere Dan. Why don't you stay a while, seeing as your girlfriend will be out for so long. I could do with the company, as I don't get many visitors as young and handsome as you." She had a point on the young side, whilst I wasn't too sure about the handsome. At 23, 6'0" and pretty toned, I was sure youthful and pretty trim, but as for handsome? Well I'd been attractive enough to snare Amy, hand't I?
"As it's after six, would you care to join me in a drink?" I nodded my assent and she wandered off to her kitchen, where I could see her mixing what looked like two strong drinks.
She returned and handed me my glass, and sat down on the opposite end of the sofa and curled her smooth, shapely legs up under her.
"So, tell me a little about yourself."