You might call this a typical 80 degree Thursday night in the Rocky Mountains. Dark clouds in the mountains to the south and north and the occasional sound of thunder but I'm not expecting it to rain in my backyard. I've been sitting on my backyard couch for nearly two hours while sipping Bourbon and listening to a baseball game on the radio. I moved here a year ago following my daughter and her family to the mountains. There were not many housing choices but I did find one that filled most of my wants. The only exception being the backyard is not as private as I would like.
I spent the prior year getting acclimated to living in the mountains, dealing with heat in the Summer and snow in the Winter. Being divorced, I made particular effort to meet and get friendly with most of my neighbors. A friendly lot has been my impression after my first year here. Of course, I got to know my next door neighbors Greg and Joni the best of them all. When you have a low fence between houses, you tend to see other coming and going to the garages. You exchange hello's and sometimes casual conversation about life with just a five foot wooden fence between us.
I am sitting in shorts and a tank top enjoying the sound of thunder and wondering if it will cool off before I go to bed. Somewhere after I refill my glass for a second time, I open up my laptop and begin viewing porn when it is obvious my team will lose the game on the radio. My couch sits in the corner of my deck shielding me from all the neighbors but Greg and Joni. And I think they both are at work. I have the volume muted on the laptop but the glow of the screen illuminates my torso as the evening grows dark - both with the setting sun and the encroachment of the dark clouds.
As I often do when watching porn, I slip my left hand under my shirt and play with my nipples. It's like a nervous habit but just something I've done longer than I can remember. Soon enough, each of my nipples grow fat and firm from the stimulation - visual and physical. At this point in life - I'm 53 - I don't even think about doing it when I am. What makes this night atypical is that Greg is home and has been standing in the shadows watching me for twenty minutes. Greg mock-closes the back door and looks over my direction. "Hey there Jimmy - how you doing tonight?" His voice is deep as calls across the fence.
The sound of the door then his voice startles me. My hand jerks free of my shirt and I slam down my laptop as if Greg can see what's on my screen. Greg moves to the fence and peers across the small yard to where I am sitting. "Whatcha watching, Jimmy?" I stammer about something on Netflix hoping that will placate him. "Are you sure?" The follow up question unnerves me and I reach for my glass and take a long sip of the Bourbon to steel my nerves. Thunder cracks nearby and the sky lights up with a flash of lightning that causes me to jump on the couch cushion. "Hey come here, Jimmy - I want to ask you something but don't want to yell."
The conversation is moving in a way that has never happened in the past but I find myself standing up and walking across the small grass yard to the fence where Greg is standing. My hand brushes the front of my shorts trying to make my now evident erection a bit less obvious as I approach the fence. The sky is dark but not that dark that my action goes unnoticed by another male. "Jimmy, I want to tell you the ear ring looks great. I noticed it a couple weeks ago but didn't get a chance to ask you about it." It was something I had wanted to do for years and finally got up the courage about three weeks earlier. It's a small ring that isn't so obvious with my salt-n-pepper neatly trimmed beard but I like how it looks. I'd only had one other comment about it and his words make me feel good.
"And ... " a short pause but not long enough to make it seem like he's nervous about asking "I'm wondering what porn you were watching over there." I look across the fence at his wide face not believing I heard him correctly. Greg just stands there and smiles back at me and my obvious discomfort. "I've been home about twenty minutes and I've been watching you for most of that time. And it's obvious you could only be watching porn." My mind starts to race and I want to turn and go inside but it's not like I won't see him tomorrow and the day after tomorrow.
I look across the fence and speak softly as if the entire neighborhood will hear my reply. "A mash up of oral and anal. Oh fuck, I hope that doesn't offend you. I'm really sorry if it does." Greg just smiles his big smile and laughs softly. It still doesn't register that he was watching me for twenty minutes before saying anything.
"No, not at all, Jimmy. In fact, Joni's not home for a few hours and I figured I'd watch some myself." Greg is 40 and a bear of a man. He's about 6'2" and I'd guess he weighs at least 230. He has a full beard and a nice smile. The three healthy pours of Bourbon were beginning to be really felt as I stand on my grass talking to Greg about porn. A flash of lightning and the rain begins - softly at first but soon escalates. Then the question that changes my life. "Grab your stuff and come on over - I've got some good Bourbon you should try." I hesitate and Greg gives me a "come on, it's really starting to rain," and the I find myself hustling across the grass, scooping up my laptop and walking around the alleyway to his back door.
Greg tosses me a beach towel to dry off from the rain and motions for me to set my laptop down on the kitchen table. He's showing me the top shelf bottle of Bourbon as he pours two tall tumblers with ice. I'd been over to their home a few times in the past year but I suddenly realize this is the first time I've been there when Joni was not home. Greg walks across the room to hand me the glass then seems to stand just a bit close. I am 5'10" and 180 pounds but I suddenly feel small standing so close to my neighbor.
Greg takes a drink while I finish toweling off and is satisfied when I compliment on the Bourbon then wanders out to the living room. I set the towel over a chair and follow him. He's already turning on the television as he flops down on the couch opposite the 75" big screen. "You said oral?" as he motions me to take a seat.
"Um, yeah ... " my voice trailing off as I see him motion me to the couch not the overstuffed chair.