The Neighbor Who Tempts

Thai was the kind of person who was devoted, committed, and caring. She was a beautiful woman even for being just nearly 60 years of age. In fact, her cafe au lait skin, never seemed to age and her raven straight hair didn’t have a single speck of grey. She had two daughters Rachel and Brooklyn. Each given their own tender and loving nicknames of ray and Brooke. Thai had been a loving wife and, in her youth, a rigorous woman. And she had been fortunate to marry a man who loved her as passionately at night, and as devotedly every day to provide her and her daughters the perfect home space and be both the doting and exceptional husband and father. When she first met her husband the fieriness between the two of them was unquenchable, and Thai thought that it would always be this way because the passion and admiration coupled with undeniable yearning that she held for him made it impossible for her to consider ever having built a life with anyone else. But with all things, and as her daughters grew into beautiful young women, Thai soon began to feel the effects of having an empty nest and the syndrome that came with it proceeded to cause her quite a bit of despair and depression. Though she had never had problems in her marriage or partnership at any time before, it seemed that a dilemma had arisen to shake up her life and home space.

And so it came to pass that Thai and her husband for the first time ever found themselves at a crossroads that neither had ever before experienced. And Thai, as much as she loved her husband, could not force her body to succumb or respond to any of his acts of affection let alone knows that could produce and a rousing response. And so, week after week Thai and her husband began to drift further and further apart, until one sudden day her husband approached her to deliver a crushing blow that nearly took her out at the knees.

It had been six months since that had happened, and because the girls were already grown women and out of the house, the judge was able to expedite her husband’s request and she found herself divorced with a humble means of alimony to get her by due to her astounding commitment to domestic housewife duties and rearing children. But it also left Thai with no choice but to move out. Out of the home that she had built, and away from the life that she had known for well over twenty-five years, Thai suddenly found herself instantly independent and questioning what to do next.

“You know, it’s been quite a while since you moved into that flat have you gotten to know anyone around you yet, Thai?” The sound of Thai’s younger sister, Asia’s voice crackled through the phone.

“Hush Asia, you’re supposed to be my wing person here; you know, like life coaching style, and here you are making me question everything about my life. It’s not like I had any control over what happened, or like I knew I was going to be divorced because of menopausal symptoms. I certainly never expected that having a low libido would be the thing to completely shatter my life.” Thai huffed in annoyance.

“I’m just saying, you should get out more.” Asia’s voice held a bit of snark, and Thai caught onto it instantly.

“Well, I’m going to the community ice cream social; so gimme a break.”

“An ice cream social? Come on, Thai; go out!”

“Look, ice cream and socializing sounds better to me than beer and crude remarks like I’d get down at the bar.”

“I mean, crude remarks might be just what you need, girl.”

“Look, this thing starts in an hour. I’m going. Deal with it.” Thai murmured.

“Rawr; fine then, okay. Let me know if you meet any hot beaus.”

“Yeah right,” Thai murmured, hanging up.

***

Thai strode through the doors of the community room, dark eyes flickering around her but finding it mostly empty,

“Well, damn.” She murmured.

“Hey,” a voice echoed behind her, and Thai spun around curiously as she found a handsome man — no older than forty by his looks, with an eerie resemblance to Luke Grimes.

“Oh, um. Hi, I didn’t see you there.”

“Nervous?”

“Uh, can you tell?” Thai’s lips quivered slightly, as the stranger peered back at her.

“Just a little.” He chuckled, wining lightly her direction as he reached for his back pocket, “It’s a bit sad but the freezer broke today. They had to cancel it.”

“Oh, what? That really sucks.”

“Yeah, I’m Tobias Marlowe, Toby; I’m the handyman around here. Well, service, maintenance; whatever you want to call me.”

“Oh, Thai. Um, Thai Weaver; resident.” Thai said, sheepishly.

“Ha, that’s funny. Cute intro.” Toby grinned with a nod.

“Uh, yeah; thanks.”

“No problem.”

“I better get going. That was my big hurrah for the night.”

“Well, you could come back to my apartment; you play chess?”

“Chess? Uh, are you inviting me to play a game with you?”

“Well, yeah; unless you can’t.”

“You live onsite too? I’ve never seen you.”

“Oh, yeah; well, I just recently got the job. An apartment comes with the benefits package. Sure, you don’t want to come down?”

***

“Thai, come here.” Toby’s voice was tender, alluring as the two of them stood on the balcony of his apartment. Thai had spent three months playing chess with him, but the way his voice sent shivers down her spine was starting to become unbearable. Slipping in closer to him, her eyes steadied on the horizon where his fingers pointed.

“What?”

“I want to taste you while you watch the moonlight flickering across the sea.” He murmured, his face suddenly tucked in close to hers as his hazel eyes focused in on her, “will you allow it?”

“Wh…what?” Thai’s voice wavered, her heart beating wildly; had he truly said that?

“You heard, me…I want to taste you right here.” His hand suddenly slid across the plane of her belly, fingers tracing down her abdomen until they paused just above her navel, “trailing my tongue to the place you glisten.”

“Oh god…”

“No, but I will bring you a spiritual experience that you’ll never forget.” His breath was hot against her cheek, and Thai tightly closed her eyes as the scent of his pheromones filtered into her nose.

“Uh…”

“Say yes, Thai; I can’t bring you a shattering release without your willful participation.” Toby’s tone turned a bit more dominant — commanding, and yet velvety smooth with encouragement even as he drew his five o’clock shadow nearer to her cheek.

“Oh, yes…please.”