I collected my mail from the locked pigeon hole and headed across the simmering foyer of my apartment block. It was summer and I'd just finished work, after spending an hour stuck in traffic watching my dash board melt I was in a rotten mood. I started up the stairs as I loosened my tie and undid a couple shirt buttons. I was sweating terribly by the time I had reached my fourth floor apartment. Inside I threw my bag down and stripped down to my underwear and stood in front of my floor fan to help cool off. It was late afternoon and with the sun sinking below the taller buildings in my neighbourhood the room was filled with a pale orange light. I was about to shower when I heard a knock at the door.
"Just a second!" I shouted. I pulled on a pair of shorts. As I pulled a singlet over my head there was another knock, louder now and sounding impatient.
"Just chill the fuck out!" I cried as I reached the door. Jerking it open all my annoyance drained when I saw who was making all the goddamn racket. It was Annabelle; she lived down the hall from me. I'd spoken to her a few times when I was taking out the trash or if we crossed paths in the building somewhere. She was a university student in her early 20's, she might have even been a teen still. On any account she was at least 6 or so years younger than me. She was a very attractive brunette with large blue eyes. Her body was slim and toned with deeply tanned skin. She was wearing a tank-top and a pair of denim shorts, there was a 'v' of sweat forming on her chest between her small breasts. When the door opened she jumped a little.
"Sorry I didn't mean to bother you" She apologised seeing how flustered I was. I sighed.
"That's okay; it's just this damn heat. What can I do for you?" She seemed timid and cautious; worried I might snap at her again. I did feel a little stupid for getting so worked up at someone knocking at my door but sometimes when it was hot like this I lost my temper.
"Well I know that you helped out Mr. Gorges when the door in the lobby jammed. I was wondering if could borrow your handy man skills for a bit?" She asked cocking her head slightly, her hair fell to one side revealing the nape of her elegant neck. She was right about my handy work. At the start of last month the lobby doors had jammed and I'd helped out when I saw the trouble our elderly super was having in fixing it. I had my own set of tools and I was fairly technically minded.
"Well what's the trouble, Annabelle?" I asked leaning against the doorway. She giggled
"God, I haven't been called Annabelle in ages. call me Anne please. My sink is backed up. Think you can lend me a hand?" she asked straightening her neck
"I can pay you" She added quickly. I smiled, I was flattered that she came to me and she was really cute.
"You don't have to pay me. Let me grab my tools and I'll have a look, okay?" I went to the closet in my kitchen and fetched my tool box and a bucket. When I returned to the front door Anne was in my living room admiring the glass top table there. It had a wooden ornate carving beneath a plate of glass. I'd made that years ago when I was still at university. In the orange afternoon light her body looked brilliant and vibrant, almost glowing. Her dark hair shone in the light. Looking her up and down I felt a small pulse behind my zipper, I began to think about the old-school pornos about a hairy plumber coming round to 'fix the pipes'.
"This is a really nice table. Can I ask where you bought it?" She said turning to me.
"I built it" I beamed. I tried not to be too boastful but I was proud of that thing. She bent down and looked closer at the carving behind the glass. As she leaned I could see the cotton of her underwear rising above the hem of her shorts. I felt the pulse again.
"It's beautiful" She said admiring it "Guess I came to the right place for handy help huh?" she smiled. She led me down the hallway to her apartment. Opening the door I could smell an aroma like incense, definitely a girl's apartment. Her apartment had the same floor plan as mine but with cheaper student budget furniture. It was weird feeling being in such a similar room, it was like someone had stolen all my stuff and swapped it with different furniture. In the kitchen I opened up the cupboard beneath her sink. As I set to work she stood nearby watching me. I plunged the drain hole trying to open the pipes. She sat on the bench beside me. I looked at her; her big blue eyes were down at my chest level. She was watching my arms tensing as I worked the plunger, watching the sweat build on my skin. She blushed when she knew I'd caught her.
We smiled and I removed the plunger from the flooded sink. "Looks like It's really plugged up" I said wiping sweat my forehead. I took a wrench from my toolbox and lay on the floor with my head under the sink. The tiles of the kitchen floor were cold and smooth. "Oh the floor's nice and cool" I sighed settling under the sink. I saw her slim legs slide down from the counter as she sat on the floor beside me. She hummed felling the cool air through her shorts.
"Oh that is nice" She said laying back on the floor, her head was beside my shoulder. I began undoing the nut in the sink's drain pipe to release the water and clear the block. Working in small movements the 's' bend began to loosen.
"Ok I need you to give me a hand now" I said as the nut began to leak dirty, smelly water.
"Grab that bucket and hold it here, quick, quick" I ordered. She jumped up and grabbed the bucket, holding it just to the side of the wrench as she knelt on the floor beside me.
"When I say so hold it under the pipe, okay". I turned the nut two more times and dodged a jet of dirty water "Shit. Now, now, now" I laughed. She held the bucket as the water filled it. The cavity under the sink began to stink of old water.
"Eww that reeks" She gagged. I laughed . Soon the water began to dribble and then stopped. Moving the bucket I began to pull strings of black goop from the 's' bend. I pulled out a thick lump about the size of a ping pong ball and plopped it in the bucket. I wiped my hands against my shorts.