I stood in my bedroom, leaning against the glass door that led to the little balcony over looking the garden. The night was dark with the exception of the occasional spark of lightening. The rain pounded against the glass, running down in little rivulets. The glass was cold, I could feel it thru the think silk of my robe. Thunder boomed loud in the distance, the door vibrated. I pressed my body against the coolness, felt a shiver tingle down my spine, my nipples hardening slightly.
The flowers in the garden below swayed in the wind. It was past two in the morning and I couldn't sleep. I had been dreaming some erotic dream. Being touched by unseen hands. Being brought to climax by someone I couldn't see. I closed my eyes and could still feel the rough texture of those hands on my skin, could feel the fingers entering me. The dream had been very real, I woke up wet, panting.
I stared at the rain and the flowers. Everything so dark. No noise except the rain and the thunder. That's when I saw him, silhouetted in the pale glow of the lightening. He was standing under the big oak tree, leaning casually against the trunk. I jumped back, startled by the site of him. My hand instinctively clutched my robe at my chest. Then all was dark again.
Slowly I leaned back against the glass, staring hard at the tree. I strained to see, but my eyes were having trouble adjusting to the darkness. But yes, there he was, unmoved. My heart pounded. He was staring back at me, a small smile on his lips. I could see he had black hair, curling slightly around his ears, and dark eyes. He wore well fitting faded jeans and a black t-shirt. His lips were full and I found myself staring at them.
It seemed as though I knew him, knew him on some intimate level. But at the same time I knew I had never seen him.
I knew I should call the police. There was a strange man standing in my garden!! Staring at me with a little boy grin. But I couldn't move, I could only stare back, intrigued. Another flash of lightening lit the sky...I blinked...and he was gone. I pressed closer to the glass, scanned the garden, but he was gone.
Now, my home is completely surrounded by a 6 foot wrought iron fence. And inside this fence is a 130 pound Rottweiler. People can't just come and go that easily. Slowly I opened the door and stepped out on the balcony. The rain was like tiny needles of ice. It took my breath away as it pelted my skin. I walked to the railing and looked down. Bubba was asleep on the porch below. Butterflies didn't make it inside the gate without a warning, much less a full grown man.
Maybe I had imagined it, maybe he had been a trick of the light and my mind, after all I have a great imagination. The rain was coming down harder, the thin silk robe clung to me. I stepped back inside and peeled it off. Locking the door behind me, I went to the bathroom for a towel. Once dry, I climbed back into bed, naked. It wasn't long before I was deep in sleep.
The next morning I woke to bright sunshine streaming in. As I laid there, I decided I had definitely imagined the whole thing.
The day sped on with complete normalcy. Work, grocery shopping, home. I checked my messages. Nothing important. A last minute meeting scheduled for the morning, a quick hello from my mother. I put the groceries away, grabbed a leash and took Bubba for his walk.
The Garden District is beautiful in the Spring. Flowers blooming everywhere, green lawns behind the fences. Bubba and I had walked this path hundreds of times. I knew my neighbors, by face if not by name. Of course there were always tourists, but they were easy to spot.
Mr. and Mrs. Smith were on their porch. They had to be the sweetest old couple on Earth. Married 60 years and if you walked by on the second Saturday of the month, you could hear them getting it on. I waved at them and they smiled, waved back.
That's when I saw him. Leaning against the lamp post at the corner of the block. He was watching me, that impish grin on his face. A tourist couple waked right past him, but didn't even glance in his direction, as though they didn't see him. I slowed my pace a bit. Bubba tugged at the leash, impatient with this change in our routine. Surely this was not the same man I had seen in my garden last night. That had been my imagination, right?
As I got closer, I could make out his features a little better. He was definitely handsome in a dangerous sort of way. His eyes were almost as dark as his hair and they were full of mischief. His skin was a beautifully smooth olive color, and his lips were full and enticing. I had that feeling of familiarity again.
He continued to blatantly stare at me, his eyes casually scanning my body. I suddenly felt self-conscious in my shorts and tank top. As we approached him, Bubba didn't even seem to notice him. I wondered for a moment if I was going crazy. But he was really there. I was almost close enough to touch him.
"Please do." he smiled as he spoke. A full smile that made him appear all the more an imp. His voice was rich and masculine and seemed to vibrate around me.
"Please do what?" I asked.
