When I left home for college 8 years ago, I never expected to return for longer than a summer break or a holiday together. My mom had passed away while I was in high school, and my relationship with my dad was challenging, at best, and I never felt like the house I grew up in was my 'home' anymore after my dad started dating again, and introducing a revolving door of drinking buddies turned lovers into my life, none being able to tolerate him more than a month or two.
My dad died suddenly from a heart attack earlier in the year, and I was left the responsibility of sorting through his affairs -- and the many things he didn't address after my mom died -- so I went on temporary leave from my job and moved back into the house I had left, vowing never to return to again.
I lived a hermit's existence the first couple weeks back; my dad was a bit of a hoarder, and just sorting through piles of junk to feel like I had the space to think and live was a challenge. But the more I discarded, the clearer I felt in my head to tackle the really challenging parts ahead for me.
My dad was very popular with his friends and neighbors, and I had a couple open houses to let them come in and take away anything of his they would find meaningful; my sister and I had taken the few things we wanted, and I coordinated with his current girlfriend -- whom he had been with a few years now -- to collect anything she wanted. But that still left a lot, and as the spring turned into an early summer, I quit my job fulltime after deciding I needed more time to sort through everything.
I didn't have much of a social life in this period; I had a couple friends from high school still in town, but I spent a lot of nights home alone, smoking pot and drinking a little too much. On this Friday in mid-May, it was warm and a little humid, so I was comfortable sitting out on the back porch in just a t-shirt and soccer shorts, enjoying a cold beer and a freshly packed bowl when the back porch light of the neighbor, Vicki, flicked on.
Vicki moved in a year or two before my mom passed away, and she and my dad loved to sit outside on either's patio drinking beer and telling stories. My dad knew everyone in our city it felt like, and it just so happened they knew a lot of the same people since she was an accountant for a large union he sometimes did work for.
I had a crush on Vicki from the first time I met her, helping her move in boxes from the truck when she moved in. She was younger than my parents, but ironically had children who were older; she moved in with two sons following her divorce, but both had moved out by now. She was much shorter than my 6' height, and was chubby with an amazing set of large breasts that I jerked off thinking about for years. She played college softball and maintained muscular legs despite her round stomach. She had a pretty face and maintained short hair that was dishwater blond like mine.
"Hey Tommy," she called over to me from across the 4' chain-linked fence that offered no privacy to either yard. She let her little dog Winston out with her, and let the screen door slam shut behind her. I noticed she had a drink in one hand a pack of cigarettes in the other.
"Hey Vicki," I replied, waving over to her. "What are you up to tonight?" I asked.
She walked over to the fence and leaned against it, flashing a bit of her cleavage in my direction. Similar to me, she was wearing a simple v-neck shirt and shorts combination.
"Oh, just watching the Cardinals game, " she replied, taking out a cigarette and lighting it. "Winston was whining at the back door to come out, so I thought I'd come out too and grab a smoke. He must have heard you out here which is what got him so excited," she finished, exhaling her smoke into my direction.
"Aww, sorry about that, buddy" I replied to the dog, who was now sniffing at the fence line at Vicki's feet. "What's going on in the game?" I asked Vicki, honestly, not really caring what was going on in a mid-May baseball game.
"Eh, it's still scoreless, bottom of the 2nd," she replied, taking another long drag of her cigarette. "You're free to come over and watch it with me, if you want some company tonight."
And I did want some company, so I agreed to her offer and gathered my items to take them back inside while she finished her cigarette. I grabbed a couple extra beers out of the fridge, and left through the front door and crossed the few steps over to Vicki's yard. She met me at the door, and opened the screen door and gave me just enough space to squeeze past her, but not enough to prevent me from brushing my left arm against her breasts. It was the first time I'd even accidentally touched her breasts, and I started getting a little hard as I thought about the contact.
"I grabbed a couple beers," I said, offering her one which she happily took. She offered me a seat on the couch as she flopped into a recliner and cracked open her beer, informing me the bottom of the 2nd had just ended.
We spent the next hour or so more engaged in conversation than the ballgame. Vicki had a lot of questions on how things were going with clean-up, and what my plans were for the house, in addition to the general chatter about what I was doing in Chicago before moving back home, what I might do next. Twice I got up to replace our beers, and on the third trip, Vicki announced she would join me and pip outside to have a smoke. I replied that I could also use a smoke break, and stepped onto the back patio with her. She was confused as I'd never been a smoker before, but gave a nod of understanding as I pulled the marijuana bowl out of its satchel and put the mouthpiece to my lips. I offered it to her, but she waved me off, and I took her hit for her.
"So are you dating anyone?" she inquired, taking a long drag off her cigarette just as I was exhaling my second hit.
"No," I replied, choking a little bit. "I broke up with my college girlfriend about a year ago; I've been seeing this woman casually but she's married, and it's all a little complicated especially with me down here now."
"Married?" she asked, inquisitively.