Authors note: all characters in this story are over 18 years old (ages are given within Chapters 1 or 2).
Park View Drive was a typical street of three or four-bed detached 'executive' homes, built around a decade earlier on what had once been part of a small county estate. Inevitably in this part of England they came with a hefty price tag, with the result that most of the residents were middle aged couples, some with children still living at home, others whose offspring had grown up and left. It was a pleasant, quiet place to live in many ways, but indisputably a bit dull.
Jessica Roberts had to admit that she missed the social life that might have come with having more neighbours of her own age. She was 23 and had been married -- and living at No.37 Park View -- for a year. Her husband Mike was four years older than her and had a job of some sort with a tech company, which she freely admitted that she didn't understand, but which paid well enough that they could -- just about --afford their mortgage and living expenses. Jessica's talents lay in a different direction; she had a degree in fine arts and a genuine talent for photography, but making money from it was not easy and she currently worked in the office of a local solicitor, mostly doing filing and answering phones. It was not glamorous, but it helped pay the bills.
Jessica herself was rather more glamorous. A natural blonde with a pretty face, she kept her 5' 7", 120lb figure trim and healthy with regular runs and gym visits. Although slim, she still had curves in all the right places. Jessica was a very attractive woman and she knew it, but she never flirted. Mike was her man and she was more than happy with that. They had met at university and she had moved away from her parent's home when they married, as he needed to live nearer his work. This had rather cut her off from her family and former social circle. Fortunately, aside from Mike's companionship, Jessica had made a new best friend just three houses down the road.
Their near neighbours at No.31, Mr and Mrs Walcott, had an only daughter called Ellie. Although Ellie and Jessica were at different stages of their lives, Ellie being 19, single and about to start university, the age gap was only four years and somehow they had had just hit it off at once. Actually, it was not hard to like Ellie, pretty much everyone did. She was just fun to be around, bubbly, enthusiastic and with a positive outlook on life that was infectious. Like Jessica she was surrounded by middle aged folks, and had seized on the arrival of the slightly older woman with typical enthusiasm, introducing herself and making friends. They now did park runs and the gym together. Mike was pleased that his wife had found such a good companion, although he worried a bit about when Ellie went off the university in the autumn.
The Walcott's were of Afro-Caribbean descent. Mr. Walcott had had a successful spell as a professional footballer in his youth until an injury had ended his career. He had invested the money he had made in a series of restaurants and proved even better at business than he had been at football and was now comfortably off. His daughter was a pretty, vivacious girl, with lovely coffee-brown complexion, curly dark-brown hair that she wore long and a slim body, but with rounded bum and C cup breasts, that stood out on her slender frame. She had attracted much attention from boys, but as a well-brought up Christian girl had only been on a few dates and had not had a serious boyfriend.
* * * * *
Saturday 8 July
When the land was sold to build Park View Drive, also sold was the former country house that went with it. This building, Park Manor, had been retained but now, slightly incongruously, it no longer sat surround by grounds but merely at the end of the road, with the Roberts' No.37 to its left and No.38 on its other side. Park Manor was considerably larger, as well as much older, than the new homes that surrounded it. With six bedrooms and two bathrooms upstairs and downstairs reception rooms to match, as well as a generous back garden area, the house carried a price tag of £2.5million. It had been empty for the entire year since the Roberts' had moved in, but now the gossip was that it had been purchased and the new residents would be moving in on Saturday.
Jessica was delighted that her location would give her every opportunity to have first look at their new neighbours without needing to be too obvious about it and Ellie had asked for a full report as soon as she had any information. Jessica settled herself in their front bedroom, where she could observe events without being seen. Mike had removed himself off downstairs in a certain amount of disgust at his wife's curiosity. He was keen to know about the neighbours too, but in his view this snooping lacked dignity.
At around 10 a.m. two large delivery vans arrived, then shortly afterward two cars, one a Jaguar, the other a Range Rover, both of which parked on the driveway in front of the house. A man and women got out of the Jag and three more women emerged from the Range Rover. Meanwhile the men accompanying the delivery vans opened up the backs and started to convey furniture and belongings into the house. Jessica watched for a while, in growing surprise and then shouted to her husband, "Mike you need to come and see this. It's really odd."
Mike came in the bedroom saying, "What's odd?"
"Well, I can't make it out. There seems to be five people moving in. One was a man. I only glimpsed him briefly before he went inside. Bit nondescript really, but I would guess about 30. The other four are women. Look, they are out there now, helping to unload. They can't be a family, because, well look, one is Asian -- Chinese or Japanese maybe -- one looks Indian and the other two, well one is a redhead with very pale skin and the other is brunette and with more of a Mediterranean complexion, like maybe Italian or Spanish. The guy looked different again, just kind of a standard English look with brown hair."
Mike watched the scene for a while and then said, "That's because you are looking with a female eye."
"What?" said Jessica, confused.
"Well, you have seen the obvious differences, but not seen what those girls have in common" her husband continued.
"And what do they have in common, oh wise one," said Jessica, teasingly.
"Mainly body type; I would say they are all around 5'6", give or take a couple of inches either way, and slim but shapely, you know, curvy. Also, they are all good looking, but in a cute 'girl next door' sort of way rather than 'beauty queen' type. Finally, they all look early 20's in age."
"Yeah, well, trust you to notice all that" said Jessica, with just a touch of jealousy. She swiftly told herself not to be so stupid. Guys enjoy looking at pretty girls, and to be honest she didn't mind the sight of a handsome man herself, but she trusted Mike totally. "Ok, Sherlock, what's your deduction from your observations?" She was back to teasing him.
"Harem" he said.
"What!!?"
"If you had a guy who liked a particular body shape in women but also wanted variety in their looks, then you would end up with something like those girls down there." Mike turned to face his pretty, slim but shapely wife. He thought to himself that, actually, it was exactly the look that attracted him too which was why he had noticed, but he knew to keep that idea to himself or he would never hear the end of it. Besides he liked blondes and their new neighbour didn't have a blonde. One up to him!
"You seem to have given this harem business a lot of thought" Jessica said, feeling a bit annoyed. "But it is surely just a male fantasy. In mean men don't have harems. It's not like those women are locked in a basement or something; they are running around outside looking quite happy".
"Well," replied Mike "the guy has to be loaded. You know what that house was up for; well north of £2million. And look at the cars too. Maybe he is paying the girls."
"Ugh, that would be disgusting" said Jessica, but she still looked unconvinced. "I am sure there is another explanation. If that is the best you can come up with, I am going to see Ellie and see what she thinks. And at some point, you and I are going to go over and introduce ourselves to our new neighbours and when we do, please try not to ogle those girls too much".
Mike smiled, "I'll do my best. Now come here wife and I will show you who's the one for me" and pulling Jessica into his arms he gave her a loving kiss.
* * * * *
Jessica went to see Ellie and told all that she had seen. Despite her reservations she also related Mike's theory and his reasoning for it. Ellie giggled a lot at the idea, but took it no more seriously that Jessica, which she found reassuring.
Ellie was eager to know more. "Look Jess, we need something better than that. Like you were saying, why don't you and Mike get over there and introduce yourselves, find out what's going on. Do it today! I'll nip round this evening and I want to hear all the goss."
* * * * *
Mike took some convincing, arguing that people who had just moved into a new house would have better things to do than talk to nosy neighbours but, in the end, Jessica got her way as she knew she would. Mike would eventually agree to most things for a quiet life.
As luck would have it, they didn't need to even knock on the front door. As they were walking up the drive, the door opened and the red-haired woman they had seen earlier emerged. Now they were closer, Jessica could see that Mike was right; the redhead was indeed extremely pretty. Jessica could see she had green eyes to match the red hair. She was sexy too; the dress she was wearing was stylish and clearly expensive, but perhaps a bit too short and too figure-hugging for decency. Jessica guessed she was slightly older than her, perhaps 25.
Jessica suddenly felt that maybe she didn't want her husband initiating this conversation, so she quickly spoke first. "Oh, hi there. I hope this isn't inconvenient? We are your neighbours, from number 37." She pointed at their house. "We just wanted to say hello, welcome you to Park View and ask if you needed anything?" And also pry into your personal affairs, Jessica thought, but you've probably guessed that.
