The ice cream seemed a great idea at first.
The day had been hot, searing hot. The road tar was sticky, dogs were silent, even the trees wilted. Talaya had got back from working a half-day, and the relative coolness of her flat had inspired some tidying up. This had been a mistake: now she was hot and grumpy, but not much tidier. So she had promised herself an ice cream.
Outside, the city shimmered in the heat. No one was making much of an effort. Definitely ice cream o'clock, she thought to herself. She put on a light top and skirt and went out into the street. The heat was intense, but there were clouds in the distance and a sense of expectancy in the air.
On the corner near her flat, there actually was a corner store. Talaya liked to use it when she could, hoping to keep it in business. Ice cream bought, she stood outside under the awning. The ice cream melted, sending trickles over her fingers. She watched the clouds building up and felt the crackle in the air as the thunderstorm approached. Gusts of wind swirled paper scraps into the air.
Just as she set off for home there was a tremendous crack of thunder overhead. Immediately, huge drops of rain splattered all around. They soaked the pavement as steam rose from the road. Every flat surface was covered in dancing droplets. Runnels of storm water flowed across Talaya's path. Of course she was drenched, although the excitement of the weather and the rain running down her gave her thrills. Her white blouse sticking to her skin, she noticed how it seemed to heighten the curves of her breasts. Her dark nipples stood out through the thin fabric and her aureoles accentuated the effect. She revelled in the feelings, of cooling down at last, of her skin tingling to the touch of the wet clothes - especially when the wind gusted over her, of the sexy thrill of showing so much of her body.
Though not a prude, Talaya was quite reserved and had not done much at all in relationships. The right man (or woman?) would appear in a flash, she'd always thought, and would take her in their arms and give her all the pleasures of the body and mind. Sometime. In the meantime, she lived a pretty plain life of work, paying off her flat, relaxing on weekends, occasional holidays...
Baily muttered under his breath. "It could wait till I was inside, or at least parked, but, no." As the rain drummed on his car and obscured his view down the one-way street, he searched for a parking spot. But what was this - a space on the opposite side. Thanks, I'll take that. And who's this coming down the street?? Isn't it the girl from upstairs? Naked?? No, wearing thin clothes soaked in the rain, but showing everything. That, is just, a beautiful sight. She's a stunner. So, out of my league, that's for sure.
Baily was also very reserved and while not a virgin, he had not had much experience, and wasn't sure how to arrange things better for himself. So he lived a pretty simple life too, as it happened, in the flat immediately below Talaya.
This could be awkward, he thought. Does she know me, or want to be seen like that. She was walking along totally unaware of him or anyone, eyes almost shut, face up into the rain. Baily admired the lines of her generous lips, her chin, her neck, shoulders, breasts all a perfect composition, her striking nipples thrusting up. Then the storm gods stepped in.
Just as Baily started to open the car door, a gust of wind swooped and flung the door wide. Talaya started, swerved and was slightly off balance. At that second there was a shocking flash of lightning. The world was white for an instant; at the same time the thunderclap hit, cracking the air and echoing off the buildings. Talaya shrieked and fell backwards. She staggered and sat heavily on the pavement, absurdly trying to save her ice cream as she went down.
Baily leapt out to try and save her, but the seatbelt and low car held him back too much. She crashed. He knelt down to her, then noticed, about the same time as Talaya did.
Talaya was wearing only a short lightweight skirt, now soaked through. In the heat earlier she had not bothered to put panties on. She was now sitting on the ground, her lean legs wide apart, her skirt forced up in the fall. Baily could see everything, from her long dark hair, down her curved breasts with their brown nipples, her slim waist, her vee of dark curls nestled between her legs. She was holding a ruined ice cream cone.
Baily froze, with no idea what to do next. Look away? Help her up? He couldn't take his eyes off her beautiful curves. He worried vaguely that the ice cream was running down her arm, and would be hard to lick up from her elbow.
Talaya looked at herself, on the ground, saturated, wide open, a stranger standing over her looking quite concerned and she with her ice cream still. She started to giggle at the craziness of it, even though her bottom was sore from the fall. As well, she noticed how the stranger's nipples stood out as small dark circles, now his shirt was soaked. The muscles of his shoulders and arms made a pleasing shape too. She noticed him staring but not leering at her, which brought on another sensation. She stared back, giggling. The stranger smiled.
"Can I help?" Baily stammered, putting out his hand. He helped her up and let her try and straighten her clothing. She winced. "Oww, I think I've actually hurt myself. Thanks for helping there. Hey, do you live in that block just there?" She pointed it out.
"Well, yes, I think I'm in the flat underneath you. Can I help you home?"
"Ouch. That'd be very kind of you."
The walk was OK, but going up the short flight of stairs into the building made Talaya wince again. The two of them were starting to shiver as well.
Baily surprised himself. "Look, if it's all right with you, you could come into my flat, get warm and dry, and when you're ready, go upstairs. It'd be no problem."
Talaya wondered. I've never met this man, but he seems nice. I've seen him before, but, into his flat? Is it even clean? But I'm cold and getting colder. I need to rest my backside. Hell, why not?
"All right, that would be nice - if I can trust you!"
"Look at me... you can trust me!"
She did look at him. He was slightly taller, slimmer, with paler skin colouring than her, fine features, a slightly dreamy look to him, not very threatening. Pretty nice to look at, really.
They got up the stairs, into the flat and out of the rain. It still held the hot air of the day, so was quite pleasant. Baily found a fresh towel while Talaya sat in the kitchen. It was pretty plain, but clean enough. The one feature was a huge poster for an ancient Phoenician art exhibition.
The towel was dry, and warm from the day's heat. It felt lovely on Talaya's cold skin, tickling her and brushing in a way that roused her senses. She kept Baily in the kitchen and went into his bedroom to take off her wet clothes. His room was plain, fairly tidy, with a view of a small park nearby. It was Talaya's bedroom view as well, but lower. Standing naked in his room, she wondered. Here I am, nude, in a strange man's flat. Instead of anxiety she felt a tingling and urging inside her.
Wearing her skirt - only damp now - and the warm towel, she gratefully accepted the hot chocolate Baily offered her. She sipped the milk beneath the Phoenician poster, while Baily found a dry shirt.
