Shelley Wilson looked out her window and saw a moving van parking at the house next door. A car pulled up behind the truck and a tall, leggy woman stepped out. She had very close-cropped hair, almost boyishly cut. Definitely not a boyish figure; more like a showgirl, though rather larger-breasted. Shelley approved.
She waited until the men in the van had begun moving boxes and crates inside. Then she went out to greet the newcomer.
"Hi, neighbor. I'm Shelley Wilson." She held out her hand.
The stranger took the proffered hand and shook it. "Hello. I'm Peggy Martin. I just moved here from Seattle."
Shelley looked for signs of a wedding ring but saw only a pale mark on the woman's ring finger. "Actually, I was considering making an offer for that house. I covet the pool."
"That's why I wanted it. I'm just coming off a divorce and this is part of the settlement."
"Looks like you got the best of the bargain." Shelley studied Peggy's face. She had green eyes, with a splash of freckles across her nose. Shelley liked what she saw.
"Well, I think I deserved it," Peggy said. "The son-of-a-bitch was rich, but that's all I can say in his favor."
Shelley figured that's the reason she seemed so abrupt. Nothing like a messy divorce to give one a sour puss. "Peggy, why don't you come over to my place and have a cup of coffee with me?"
"I'd love it. Give me a minute to give some instructions to the movers and I'll be right over."
"Swell. Just come around to the back and come on in. I'll be making the coffee."
Shelley just got the coffee going when Peggy showed up. She seemed to look a little less harried.
At Shelley's invitation Peggy sat at the kitchen table. "I hate moving, but this was just what I needed. I think I can put down roots here."
"It is a nice town, even if it's off the beaten path," Shelley said cheerily.
"I've just about had enough of the beaten path." She was silent for a moment. Then she asked, "Are you married?"
Shelley looked away for a second, trying to keep the tears from coming. "I was widowed last year. My husband died of a massive heart attack."
"Oh, I'm sorry," Peggy said. She put her hand gently over Shelley's.
"It's alright. My son Jerry and I are gradually getting used to it. Jerry just graduated from the university. He's going to stay home for a while until we get our bearings." Shelley got up to pour coffee for the two of them. "Fortunately, Ted had a large insurance policy and he had made some profitable investments, so we're okay financially."
"That's good. At least, you don't have that on your back."
They chatted amiably for an hour. Then Peggy stood up. "Well, I'd better get back over there and try to stow some of the goods away."
"Can I help you?"
"Thanks, Shelley, but I'm just going to go through the motions today. I'll just unpack enough to get by for now. Tomorrow, I'll start the heavy stuff."
"Then you come back this evening and have some supper with us."
"Oh, that would be great. Thanks so much, Shelley. What time?"
"Six would be just right. You can meet Jerry, too."
Peggy moved to the door. "At six, then."
Shelley sat back and sipped her coffee. Peggy seemed a level-headed sort. And very attractive. She'd have to keep an eye on Jerry. She'd probably have to keep an eye on Peggy, too.
Jerry came in just then, and gave his mother a kiss on the forehead. He dropped his 6' 2" frame onto a chair at the table. "Hey, I see we have a new neighbor."
"Her name is Peggy Martin. She just moved here from Seattle and she's going to have supper with us."
"She's a real looker."
"She is, at that, and she's really nice. Just divorced, though, and pretty sour on men, at least for now."
"Oh," Jerry said. He looked disappointed. "Anyway, I'm going to eat at Jack's house. I just stopped by to pick up my overalls."
"Another classic restoration project?"
"Yeah."
"Okay. Just don't be too late."
"I won't." He got up from the table, kissed her cheek, then went out to the garage.
Shelley busied herself with chores until time to start supper. It was just about done when Peggy knocked at the back door.
"Hi," Peggy said. "Was that Jerry I saw leaving?"
"Yes. I thought he'd be here to meet you, but he has other plans."
"Too bad. He's gorgeous."
"Yes, he is, if I do say so myself."
"You should be proud of him. I'll bet he has girls chasing him all the time."
"No, actually. He did have a girlfriend in college. But things just didn't work out. At least he spends a lot of time taking care of me. Since Ted's death, he's been sticking pretty close to home. I think he's being a little over-protective."
"Consider yourself fortunate. That son-of-a-bitch I just divorced thought only of his money." She giggled. "But I managed to pry a good-sized alimony check out of him every month."
"If I'm not being too nosy, Peggy, what brought on the divorce?"
"A lot of things, actually. But I think the final straw was when he caught me in bed with my girl-friend."
Shelley's eyebrows shot up. "You're a lesbian?"
"No, I'm not a lesbian or a dyke."
Shelley interrupted her. "That's good to know, because I never saw anyone who looks less like a dyke."
"Thanks, Shelley. My friend and I just liked a little something different once in a while. It wasn't anything serious, just fun and frolic. But I didn't fit his corporate image of what a wife should be. The best part is that the son-of-a-bitch be forever ignorant of how much fun he could have had."
Shelley used the time dishing up supper to digest the story Peggy just told. Peggy seemed so open and above-board about everything, which in Shelley's eyes made her a very refreshing person. Dinner over, Shelley cleared the table. "How about a glass of wine?"
"Thanks, Shelley, but I'm kinda beat and I need some sleep."
"Sure, Peggy, I can understand that. But I'll be over tomorrow to give you a hand."
Peggy hugged Shelley briefly. It felt good. Her thoughts wandered into the future about the possibilities... "Thanks a lot for supper and I would appreciate the help." She left by the front door and spoke briefly to the movers, who were just finishing up.
They spent a lot of time together in the next month. Shelley helped her to move in and get things arranged. Then she took Peggy around to the shopping malls, grocery stores and pointed out the honest mechanics and the not-so-honest ones. They had become fast friends.
A day later, they were sitting in Shelley's kitchen. Shelley couldn't control her curiosity any longer. "How did you and your friend start up with that part of your relationship?"
"We were sitting around one day, bemoaning our respective fates and cursing men in general. I guess we'd had one martini too many and we got to giggling and speculating about doing away with all men. The next thing we knew, we had our clothes off and began touching and rubbing together. Then we ended up in her bed. Unfortunately, we both liked it. I say 'unfortunately.' I should have said 'fortunately' because it's what eventually precipitated the divorce. That's when my stomach quit hurting."
"My God, you were getting an ulcer?"
"That's what my doctor said. That son-of-a-bitch was actually ruining my health."
"Then it's well you got away from him." Shelley thought for a moment, wondering how much she should tell Peggy about herself. She decided to be as forthright as Peggy had been.
"Ted and I had a satisfactory relationship, but he was so old-fashioned. He wouldn't let me do certain things and there were certain things he wouldn't do. No amount of pleading or cajoling would change his mind. Even at that, it was no reason for us to divorce."
"But you still had a good relationship. Some people don't have even that."
"Yeah, I guess I was lucky. In all other respects, he was a good husband and father. Jerry turned out well."
"It sure looked to me like he did. Say, why don't you come over for a swim? It's hot and the pool would feel wonderful."
"I'd love to. Let me change."
"Just grab your suit and change at my place."