It was late in the spring, and Carly had just gotten home from a hectic week at work. The afternoon was still warm despite the setting sun, and the light breeze carried the fragrance of the jasmine from her garden.
As she entered the house, locking the front door behind her, Carly took off her shoes and dumped her handbag on the side table. She went to have a quick shower before changing into a lightweight sleeveless knee-length dress. Feeling slightly more human, Carly headed out to the backyard to water her plants.
Despite having just had a cool shower, Carly enjoyed some of the water spray from the hose that drifted over her thanks to the breeze. She finished up in the garden and decided she could really do with a glass of sparkling wine.
As she came back into the kitchen, leaving the back door open so she could enjoy the late afternoon breeze, Carly poured herself a glass of wine. Intending to take just a sip, it was hard to stop herself from drinking the whole glass because it was so cool and refreshing.
Carly drained the glass in a matter of minutes and decided to pour herself another one. Quickly forgetting that she hadn't eaten lunch that day, she could feel the alcohol going to her head. It didn't help that it was still quite warm, so she decided to go and have a lay down on the bed before preparing dinner.
With the cool breeze billowing through the curtains, Carly found a 'Chill Out' playlist on her music player. She switched on the bedside lamp as she laid down on her back, thinking it would help to make sure she didn't fall asleep (since the sun was setting). Carly just needed a quick power nap...
* * *
Jason was a 38-year-old tradie who was glad to have finished at the job site for the week. He pulled his ute into the driveway as the sun was starting to set.
As he got out of his ute, Jason could smell a hint of jasmine in the air which drew a smile. He had grown to enjoy the sweet scent, ever since his next-door neighbour Carly had started growing them.
Ahh...Carly...his thoughts drifted to his neighbour. Despite her 32 years on paper, he thought she hardly even looked like a 25-year-old.
Jason and Carly had been neighbours for a few years now, after Carly moved into the cottage next door. They had a friendly and sometimes flirtatious relationship. Despite an obvious attraction between them, for a variety of reasons, they had never taken it further.
Jason stood at nearly 6ft tall, with a fit build thanks to his many years as a carpenter. He had dishevelled dark brown hair that he kept mostly collar length. Jason didn't bother much with styling it and would often wear a trucker-style cap to help keep the longer strands from getting into his face while he worked.
Jason didn't care much for facial hair, so despite his outwardly scruffy appearance, he was usually clean shaven. This past week had been particularly busy for Jason, with earlier starts than usual. It meant that he hadn't had time for a shave in the last few days, so there was some stubble on his face.
For some men, this kind of stubble just made them look untidy. For Jason, it happened to make him look even better. That wasn't his opinion...he knew the ladies liked it and he didn't mind the attention. He certainly wouldn't mind if the attention came from Carly.
Jason shucked his work boots off at the front door, before heading to the bathroom to have a shower. He was looking forward to enjoying a cool beer out the back on his patio. Maybe he'd get to chat with Carly. When they'd briefly exchanged greetings yesterday morning, she said she'd be home...
* * *
Despite not planning on falling asleep, the wine coupled with the cool breeze and relaxing music, meant that Carly soon succumbed to dreamland.
In her slumber, Carly's body became completely relaxed. One arm by her side, the other resting comfortably on her stomach. Her legs had drifted apart, and the gentle movement of early slumber had made her dress bunch up slightly underneath her.
Carly was dreaming that she was laying in the shade on a sun lounge by a shimmering pool. She was wearing a floppy hat and some sunnies, as well as a modest bikini swimsuit with ties to hold the sides together. Carly was pleased with her swimsuit, as it had taken her a long time to find one that covered everything appropriately, but also looked good at the same time.
In her dream, Carly was alone in the pool area, except for the good-looking man she was smiling at and chatting with. She couldn't quite make out his face, but he had dark brown hair that was slightly untidy, and he hadn't shaved in a few days.
Mmm...Carly loved that stubbly look. Few men could pull it off and look good. This man was one of them. Who
was
he? She was squinting to try and work it out but his face was too hazy for her to see, yet he seemed somehow familiar.
The good-looking man was asking Carly if she'd like him to help her with applying the sunscreen. She happily accepted, and turned onto her stomach to make it easier for him.
Carly shifted slightly to the side of the sun lounge so the man could perch on the edge next to her. He squeezed some sunscreen into his hands and started to rub it into Carly's shoulders.
His hands were slightly rough (
"he must work with his hands"
Carly thought to herself). Despite the roughness of his hands, Carly could tell he was strong yet gentle. She couldn't help the moan that escaped her lips as the man treated her to a mini massage.
Carly's lazy sun-addled mind started to drift...
* * *
After his shower, Jason dressed for comfort in a tank top and workout shorts. He grabbed a beer from the fridge and made his way out to the patio.
The setting of the sun had made the sky a pale purple and blue, as early evening descended.
Jason looked towards Carly's little cottage, wondering what she was up to. His curiosity piqued as he saw the light from a lamp in the bedroom window, yet he could tell no other lights were on in the house.
Carly was home, because he'd seen her car in the driveway as he pulled into his own driveway earlier.
Jason could hear a kind of banging sound coming from Carly's back door, so he left his beer on the table beside his outdoor chair and walked over to check on Carly's place.
As Jason approached Carly's back door, he could see that it was ajar. He couldn't tell where the sound had come from, but perhaps the breeze had made the door open and close.
Jason lightly knocked at Carly's back door, while also calling out to her. Despite the door being open, Carly didn't respond, so Jason stepped into the house. There was a half-empty bottle of wine on the kitchen bench, condensation pooling around the base of the bottle.
"Carly?" Jason called again. Still no response.
Now he was inside, Jason could faintly hear some music playing. He went to the hallway, listening to where the music was coming from. The soft glow from a lamp was spilling onto the floor at the end of the hallway, so Jason tentatively padded along to see if Carly was there.
At the back of his mind, Jason was thinking maybe he shouldn't be inside Carly's home, but he also told himself he was making sure she was ok.
