Our community is shaped like an arch, on the top of the town. It can't develop any further north, because the curve in the stream is a natural boundary; no building allowed higher than that. When they went up for sale, the houses nearest the stream were sold first. Ours is nearer the town.
One evening, I got home but did not park in my garage. Linda's car would be in there anyway. Neither did I pull onto my drive; not yet. I left my VW in the street, and got out. No, there was no strange car there. But what I could see deserved closer inspection. I took photos, then went to the back door and locked it after I entered.
Linda was only wearing a bathrobe.
"Ready for bed already?" I asked.
"In a way." she replied. "I fancy some early loving after dinner. How about you?"
"Sounds like fun, I'll just go and get changed."
After dinner, I asked her: "What did you do when I called to say I'd be early?"
"I put the dinner on, and took my clothes off!"
"What else? Don't leave anything out."
"What's this about?"
"Just tell me everything."
"OK. The ingredients for the meal were prepared, so I got dinner started. Then I went up and stripped, and put this robe on. Oh, and these slippers of course. Then I came down and poured a glass of wine and waited. You were here twenty minutes later."
"Nothing else? You didn't even - I don't know - have a pee? Close the curtains?"
"Nothing else at all. The curtains were already closed. It gets dark so early these nights. What's got you so edgy?"
"All right. I'll tell you what's bothering me. In reverse chronological order would be best. Do you mind removing your slippers first? It's nice and warm in here."
"OK."
"Good. Now come with me."