It's been over 20 months since I separately posted Neighbor Chapters 1, 2 and 3, which have now been deleted.
I have just edited these earlier chapters and compacted them into one longer chapter. I have five further completed totally new Neighbor chapters to follow on from this piece. These remaining chapters will complete the whole Neighbor story concluding in a surprise ending.
If you are reading this story for the first time, that's great. I hope you enjoy it and stick with me for the rest. If you remember the earlier posting, you may be able to skip this, although its content is critical to a clear understanding of what is to come. You may consider this as a refresh. The new chapters are ready to go and will be posted over the next week or so.
This is fiction arising from my imagination. Any resemblance to places, events or people living or dead is pure coincidence.
Chapter 1 -- A spark is lit
Jim had a passing acquaintance with his next-door-but-one neighbor for about seven years. The young wife, Kelsey, who arrived in the house just married at age twenty-three had matured into a fine young woman with the arrival of her two children. Seeing and walking over to chat with Kelsey, usually outside in the spring and summer months, was not a hardship for Jim. He liked attractive women.
Returning from a walk Jim saw Kelsey planting some annuals in her front garden. She waved at Jim. He strolled over to join her, be neighborly and pass the of day with her. Yet as the conversation progressed Jim sensed this conversation was somehow different. Not so much with the words. It was that Jim suddenly became acutely aware of how very desirable and hot the woman before him had become. She had a great figure and an effervescent, somewhat quirky and challenging personality.
He would have followed her into her house and done anything she asked had she invited him in. She didn't. Jim tried to shake the thought that he had developed a boy-like crush on Kelsey. He hoped he managed to conceal his lustful attraction. He, as a retired older man, felt embarrassed at his own reaction.
Jim liked to write, mostly to work out his anxieties and stress. He wrote stories secretly. This time he tackled his totally inappropriate crush with a fresh story aiming to exorcise his reaction to Kelsey from his system. In his story he became Mike, Kelsey took on the role of Ruth and Kelsey's husband, who he hardly knew, was Bill,.
With Jim's wife, Gee, out for the day, he sat down to write.
******
Neighbor -- getting to know them
The phone rang.
"Mike?"
"Yes." Flat voice.
"Bill here."
I was no wiser. "Who?" With a bit of impatient attitude built into my reply.
"Bill. Neighbor. Two doors down. Ruth's husband." I detected a slight reflected impatience in his attitude.
"Oh. Hi there, Bill." Shook off my earlier edge by sounding bright. I had only spoken to the man half a dozen times over the few years since Bill and his wife Ruth had moved into Marge's old place. "What's up?"
"Can I come over to see you for a few minutes?" Cordial enough, but I was immediately on the defensive.
"What about? Something we can't cover the phone?"
Bill sounded quite calm but rehearsed. "No. I need your advice. Better to be with you."
"No prob. When'd like to come over?"
"You free now? Work best for me. I have a six-pack of wheat beer I can bring."
"Sure. Give me ten minutes and come right in. The door is unlocked." I needed breathing time to gather myself. I had a pee and pulled a couple of glass tankards from the cupboard, not that I liked wheat beer that much.
Doorbell rang. Clearly uncomfortable, Bill just waltzing in. He shook my hand as he entered. It was ice cold. We broke open a couple of beers as we sat down in the family room. I poured mine into a glass. He drank from the bottle.
"So, what's up?"
Bill sat facing me on the edge of his chair, somewhat hunched over, looking at me from under his eyebrows.
"You fucking my wife?"
"Pardon? What did you say?" It came out of me as a sort of explosive exclamation. I sprayed beer over the floor.
"You heard me. Answer." He had balled his fists and straightened his back. I knew I must be careful. As much as he tried to muster an angry dominating posture, his youthful face, light skin and almost blond stubble projected a petulant innocence rather than his desired effect. But there was not much doubt he was angry and on the edge of violence.
"Short answer. No. Long answer remains the same. I have not been fucking your wife." I emphasized the 'not' and tapered the end of the sentence.
Bill jumped in again. "You lying to me?" Louder this time. More anger with less attempted menace.
"Bill. Bill. I am not lying to you. I repeat. I have not fucked your wife. Where's this shit coming from?" I thought I better go on the offensive.
"A note in my letter box saying you go over to see Ruth three or four times a week in the afternoon and stay at least an hour sometimes two or three."
Jesus, that Jane woman. "Ah, I get it. Bill. The note you received probably came from Jane in number 7. She is a busy body. Further she has it in for me. We have a history going way back over 30 years since we first moved in. If you have two hours, I can tell you about it. " I took a deep breath, leaned forward and looked Bill straight in the eyes.
