The sunlight fell through the apartment window lighting the kitchen and casting warm shadows around the room. In the kitchen doorway Steve, the young owner of that very same apartment stood sipping his first cup of coffee of the day and admiring the very shapely backside of his girlfriend as she worked diligently at washing the breakfast dishes. His eyes moved across her body as the sound of dishes clinking together reached his ears, from the back her dark brunette hair fell in gentle waves across her shoulders. The hair was bouncing slightly to the movements of her head in time to the sounds of music coming from the clock radio on the counter. In the glass of the kitchen window, he could see her features reflected, her bright blue eyes danced with mirth as she sang along, her rich, full lips highlighted with a light shade of pink lipstick pulled back in a smile. Her high cheekbones and flawless fair skin gave her a beauty that most women envied though her chest wasn't far behind. Though the modest cotton dress she wore did little to reflect it, her large, round breasts swelled under the fabric stretching it outward.
Steve sat the cup down on the counter as he slipped up behind his girlfriend of three years, kissing her softly on her cheek as he slid his arms around her waist.
"Has anyone ever told you how amazingly beautiful you look," he whispered in her ear.
The woman of his dreams pivoted neatly around in his arms sliding hers up around his neck as she beamed back at him, "Oh I hear it from time to time, but it only matters coming from you."
Steve grinned back as he leaned forward and planted a soft kiss on his girlfriend's lips, even after some years and many good kisses he still marveled at how soft her lips were as they caressed his own.
"I love you, Jill," said Steve as he broke the kiss.
"I love you too babe, hey shouldn't you be getting to work?" said Jill with a glance at the clock.
"Hmm, yeah I should, but it's tough to walk away from all this," he said looking downward at her cotton-clad body.
"Easy Tiger, plenty of time for that later, you have to go out and earn lots of money to keep me in the manner to which I have become accustomed," said Jill with a laugh.
"Yeah, would that be living in a thin-walled box and eating Pop Tarts," said Steve with just a hint of bitterness.
His career wasn't exactly taking off the way he had hoped, since graduation the year before he had been able to find only part-time work in his chosen field, architects seemed to be a dime a dozen in this town.
"Don't be so hard on yourself sweetie, your talented and your break is bound to come," said Jill her smile never wavering, Steve wished he felt so confident.
"I hope so, but you're right I do need to get to work," replied Steve as he moved across the kitchen to retrieve his suit coat from the back of a creaky wooden chair. As he pulled his jacket on glancing back at Jill, he wondered for the millionth time how he ever landed a catch like her. He certainly didn't impress her with his masculine good-looks, not that Steve was an unattractive fellow, but he wasn't exactly a model either, just a shade over five-foot-nine with close-cropped blonde hair that framed a rather ordinary face with green eyes and a nose slightly too big for his features. He was sometimes compared to a young Owen Wilson.
"Minus the star power and charm," he thought to himself.
Steve picked up his briefcase and headed for the front door, pulling his car keys from his pocket as he opened it he glanced up and was greeted by the sight of one of the apartment agents, Wendy, coming toward the unit adjacent to his. That one had been empty since the kindly old woman that had lived there before passed away the previous month. He froze, not upon seeing Wendy but rather whom she was escorting, he felt his chest tighten, and his palms begin to sweat as some very unpleasant old memories flickered through his head. Walking next to her was a nightmare from out of his past, Quinton Beckett, all-star quarterback and all around jerk who had made Steve's life in high school a painful experience on a daily basis. As they drew closer Quinton glanced in his direction, a huge grin splitting his handsome features and to Steve's disgust, he found himself face to face with his old rival.
"Holy shit, Stubs! What are the odds man! What has it been like four years since I saw you last?" said Quinton in his booming voice, one set at a volume designed to make everyone in earshot turn and take notice.
Steve winced at the mention of his old high school nickname that had been bestowed on him by Quinton himself so many years earlier and was a play on the height difference between the two of them. He had hoped never to see Quinton again after enduring four years of abuse at his hands at Lancaster High, but the pride of the Lancaster Lions stood before him reaching out to shake his hand, and Steve's manners were too well ingrained not to accept the offer. He tried his best not to show any reaction as his small hand vanished into Quinton's over-sized mitt.
"Hey, Quinton, yeah it has been a long time," replied Steve.
"You know this has to be fate, I was just telling Wendy here that I was in need of some new digs closer to the center of town and not only do I find an apartment but it's right next door to my old high school pal!" said Quinton.
Steve couldn't imagine how Quinton could characterize their relationship as "pals" and he also couldn't imagine a worse neighbor than this blowhard who had enjoyed shoving him into lockers back in school.
"Well, well, well...and who is this Steve?" asked Quinton as his eyes widened looking past Steve and into the apartment beyond.
Jill had heard the sounds of a loud voice from outside and had come from the kitchen to investigate. She stepped into the light from the doorway, and her eyes fell on what appeared to be a giant standing over her boyfriend. As his head swiveled towards her, she could feel the piercing glare of his dark green eyes taking her in. His face lit up as he stepped past Steve and she felt the immense strength in his grip as he took her hand. She smiled politely looking into his arguably very handsome face, rugged features with a hint of five o'clock shadow, raven black hair swept back off his forehead and firm lips.
"Hello, I'm Steve's girlfriend, Jill," she said quietly.
"Girlfriend huh, geez Stubs you've sure moved up since high school, I'm Quinton Beckett III, pretentious as hell right? Blame my Dad. Everyone calls me Quin," said Quin with a chuckle.
Quin held Jill's hand for perhaps a second or two longer than was necessary as he seemed to survey her from top to bottom, it wasn't the first time that a man had checked her out, but she had never grown entirely comfortable with it. She had been something of a late bloomer, her parents had been very religious, and she had not been allowed to date in high school. Taught to dress conservatively by her devout mother she hadn't been used to the attention of boys when she got to college. Jill had met Steve her freshman year, they had the same math class together and when she struggled early on Steve had offered to tutor her. It had taken her some time to warm up, but eventually, they had started dating. Steve had been her first, and only and she took particular pride in not being one of those girls who slept around. Still, she had to admit there was a certain magnetism to Quin's gaze and she felt a little ripple of nervousness pass through her as he continued to stare.
"Wow! Steve old boy you are a lucky man, you are a lovely lady if I may say so," remarked Quin.
"Thanks, Quin, you can let go of her anytime now," said Steve in an annoyed tone.
