Gemma had grown up next door. I had know her since a baby and seen her grow up over the years and had now turned eighteen. She had always been a pretty girl and she always put a smile on my face when I saw her. She was an only child and her parents were not only very protective, but also extremely strict with her.
Now that normally leads to one of two things in my experience; either a rebellious daughter, causing her parents an immense deal of trouble and heartache; or a secretively rebellious daughter who did what her parents wanted, but in her own time and space would find the type of trouble she was craving. Gemma was the latter of the two.
Over the past couple of years I had begun to notice things. Small occurrences that most people would miss. Gemma was very good at keeping up appearances and to all concerned was always straight down the line. But living next door to someone you see different things. Little things. I would notice Gemma sneaking a cigarette when her parents weren't watching. The occasional drink of her Father's scotch that he keeps in his study that faced my kitchen window.
Now don't get me wrong, I wasn't spying on this family. But you notice nuances on your day to day travels. Some people say I am very observant when it comes to people. I don't know about that. I just notice things others may not.
There is something I must confess at this point. Up until last month Gemma did not much enter my mind except for the occasional thought of her beauty when I saw her. But one night last month changed that.
I was sitting at my dining room table, eating my dessert, when out of the corner of my eye I saw a light flicker. Looking up I could see one of the upstairs rooms next door was lit up. This was a little strange because the curtains were almost always closed in that window. But not tonight.
I could see Gemma moving a number of things around as if she was changing that into her bedroom. I sat there and watched her for a while. She then went out of sight and the light went off. I found my newspaper and followed my usual routine of reading after dessert.
After a while of reading I noticed the light go on again in that room. Gemma walked back in with a towel wrapped around her as she must have just come out of the shower. She moved out of my sight for a few seconds. Then she moved back into view and sat on the bed. With the towel still wrapped around her she leaned forward and placed her feet in her underwear and slid them up. I sat there transfixed.
I wondered whether I should move in case she could see I was watching. But I couldn't; she had me engrossed. She then undid the towel and let it fall as she pulled on a t-shirt. I could still see her white underwear hugging her firm body. She brushed her hair and then turned the light off. My mind wandered and I started to think of Gemma in a different way.
Over the next few weeks this became our nightly routine. I began to look forward to my nightly show from Gemma. But my thoughts started to grow more intense. I wanted to see her up close. Smell her. Touch her. I found myself casting glimpses at that window.
This morning while I was checking my mail I noticed her boyfriend get out of his car and walk up to the house. I knew that Gemma's parents were strict about them not being at home together while they were not there. I smiled to myself thinking if only her parents knew, before going to my study to do some work.
At twelve o'clock I went make lunch. As I looked out of my dining room window I could see Gemma and her boyfriend in the lounge room walking towards the front door hand in hand.
After lunch, sitting back at my desk, I tried to go back to work but I couldn't concentrate. My mind was filled with Gemma. Questions floated around in my head. I started to think I was going crazy because I couldn't shake the thoughts of her. Thoughts of her changing in her room, with her figure hugging panties clinging to her body. It was consuming me.
After ten minutes I walked back into the dining room to look at her again. But she was nowhere to be seen. I needed to see her. Then an idea hit.
Walking over to her house I was still in the midst of formulating what I was going to say. I knocked on the solid front door that had an intricate glass design to the side of it. Gemma opened the door, "Hi Mister Clark. How are you?"
In a quiet but serious voice I replied, "Can I come in please Gemma?" Gemma moved out of the doorway and opened the door fully for me. I walked in and stood in the lounge room facing away from the door. Gemma walked into the room and around in front of me.
"Is everything alright Mister Clark?"
"Are your parents home Gemma?" I asked knowing they were out.
"No, they're not," she replied.
I stood there for a second looking as if I was contemplating something. "Perhaps I should come back when they are."
"Is everything alright Mister Clark," she said, "can I help you?"
"I don't think you can Gemma. I wanted to tell your parents something," I said.
"It's not something bad is it?" she asked quietly.
I hesitated, "Well it's about you Gemma."
Gemma's head tilted back as she didn't know what to say. "Me? What did I do?"
I walked to the couch and sat down. "Did you know that from my kitchen window I can see into this lounge room?" I motioned over to the window that was directly across from the one at my house. "I saw that you had your boyfriend over this morning. I saw everything Gemma."
Gemma looked concerned. "But..." she stopped as if to gather her thoughts. "Please Mister Clark. You don't need to tell them. You know what they're like."
"Yes Gemma. That is exactly why I have to tell them. You need to respect their wishes while you are living in their house."
