Chapter 1

The first day of the next winding episode of my life began much as the last had ended, on an apparently normal day amidst an apparently normal world. After finishing my morning run and laps, I was knee deep in boxes reorganizing the garage for the hundredth time. At the low whine of a small engine, I looked up to watch a compact car drive past just as a chilly winter gust swirled around me. A typical January day, the cold air matched the gray skies and the waving branches of the leafless trees. With a subdued squeal of brakes, the car pulled into the driveway next door.

Finally, somebody was moving into the old Harris place. The Harrises were a pleasant couple who had lived in the older, brick-fronted two-story home until Kenneth passed away. Shortly afterwards, his widow left for California to live with her kids. Ever since then, all through the fall and as winter approached, the house had remained for sale. At last, when the sign finally came down, I expected the buyers to appear, but that had been several weeks ago.

But here they were. Bundled in hats, coats, and gloves, a slight man, a petite woman, and a college-aged girl piled from the vehicle to look around. When they saw me, I waved. While staring at me, clad only in shorts and a t-shirt, and muttering amongst themselves, they hesitantly returned my gesture. The cold no longer bothered me—it hadn't for quite a long time. Any explanation from me was cut short when, at an approaching rumble, they looked past me to track a large, white moving truck. Once it halted before their new home, they became immersed in unloading. Since time was short, I finished up and wandered inside to change before heading to the airport for an afternoon flight.

As I slid into the airport parking garage, I sighed; I never enjoyed traveling in winter. However, an old friend needed help in Vegas, so off I went. The week of training the team flew by, and, far too soon, I found myself back in the land of gray, dead trees, zipping back to my quiet home.

Nestled against thick woods on a cul-de-sac, the house had served me well; an unremarkable two-story home in a nondescript suburb. Other than the neighboring house, with its newly arrived family, a row of homes was just visible on a low ridge, through the leafless woods behind my property. Two other homes were across the wide cul-de-sac, but I hardly ever saw the residents.

After pulling into my driveway, I looked over at my new neighbors. As Christmas music played, they were breaking down boxes in their garage. No time like the present. Leaving my suitcase in the car, I sauntered over to meet them.

"Hi, I'm Jim."

After turning to stare up at me, the man grinned and came forward to shake my outstretched hand. "Hi, Jim. I'm Charles and this is my wife, Mandy. The little one under the big hat is my daughter, Susan."

Charles was a slender, pale man, full of nervous energy and quick to explain he was an important company officer in an international accounting firm. His wife, slim and petite, had raven black hair, shiny blue eyes that gleamed up at me, and somehow managed a tan in the depth of winter. Home from college for the holidays, Susan was only slightly taller than her mother and also slender. Loose strands of bleached blonde hair waved from her knit cap, framing an almost angelic face. Like her mother, her warm brown eyes also shined at me.

All three were much shorter than my tall frame. Though still in my lightweight clothes from Vegas, I helped them break down some of the larger boxes, catching a few furtive glances from both Mandy and Susan. I figured they were confused by my utter disregard for the chilly winter weather. Charles seemed oblivious, talking on about his company as he worked.

Once we finished, they headed out for dinner while I walked inside to unpack and make my own meal. And that was the first and last encounter I had with any of them for a long time. For a while, I actually thought they were Vamps, or something similar, since, for the rest of the winter, I rarely caught sight of the trio.

However, several weeks later, in mid-February, I started to notice slight movements of the curtains or fleeting shadows in their windows whenever I swam in my backyard pool. After decades, well centuries to be perfectly honest, of water operations, I could swim all year round and the cold had no effect on me. Thus, irrelevant of the weather, every morning, I finished my five-mile run and walked to the pool, stripping off my shorts and shirt. After my daily laps, I'd clamber into the hot tub and hydrate before heading inside to get ready for my day.

When I first noticed the gentle sway of curtains or a shadow moving inside their home, I thought nothing of it. At worst, I was giving somebody a free show of a scarred old man and his half-broken body. Bored, after a while, I added a little flourish to my moves and took my time drying myself before leaving. After the past couple of years, it was fun to be watched again.

Soon the days lengthened and my swims finished in half-light. Which meant I glimpsed Mandy's face several times when she slipped too close to the glass or left a curtain open too wide. Perhaps on purpose? Though appearing to ignore her, each time I caught her, I posed a little longer and put on a bit more of a show. Hey, since my last wife, Debbie, had passed, as they all did, I was intrigued. And, frankly, this was a lot more fun than early morning television.

Then, things became even more interesting. With the first break in the weather, I opened the narrow French doors of my second-floor bathroom. They led to a faux balcony overlooking the neighbor's home. And, if the windows or curtains were open, I could see down into their first-floor master bathroom. Since the trio had moved in, they were almost always closed.

However, somebody must have noticed I opened most of mine to let in the spring air. One sunny, but cool day their windows were open. After leaving the shower with a towel around my waist, I caught sight of Mandy's face in the gloom of her bathroom. Acting as if I had not noticed, I continued my morning grooming. Every day from then on, barring a driving rain or icy chill, I kept them open. This was fun. My own private audience.

After a while, I decided to add to my show by skipping the towel. With nothing but a tight grin on my face, I stepped to the open doors and stretched as I stared up at the sky. The naked stretch became part of my daily routine. She definitely must have been enjoying the show, since Mandy was getting more than an eyeful, and their windows remained open. On most days, she was barely visible in the distant corners of her bathroom. However, one day a well-timed gust of wind revealed her, head rolled back, eyes screwed shut and hand plunging into her pretty pink lace panties. Of course, I kept right on stretching and turned away before she caught my grin.

As much fun as that had been ... Let's see how much fun she could bear before running away. Or calling her husband. Or the cops; though I knew the chief. Dean would chuckle and tell her not to look.

So, the following morning, I stepped out to stretch, and, once again, Mandy lingered in the shadows. This time though, I locked my eyes on her as I grasped my rod in both hands. As I stared into her wide, blue glinting eyes, I used slow strokes. Just as my shaft surged upwards, her eyelids flashed open when she realized what I was doing. Her loud gasp was audible as she dashed for the windows to slam them shut. After releasing myself, I chuckled and turned away.

Oh, well, I had just ruined my morning fun ... And hers. So, with a sigh, the next day, I returned to my normal towel-wearing routine and paid no attention to the neighbor's closed windows. However, after several days, the windows were open once more, but the sheer curtains were still drawn. So, unless a strong breeze blew them around, I could no longer see inside the bathroom.

"Challenge accepted," I muttered under my breath and smiled.

After sliding the towel from my waist and tossing it aside, I did a nice long series of stretches just as a small breeze swirled through the curtains; they flicked open for a fraction of a second to reveal Mandy's eyes, gleaming and laser-locked on me. Once more, I looked down into the now closed curtains and gripped my shaft. When I began to stroke, imagining her fingers rubbing deep inside her, it didn't take long before my pole stood proud, crimson and thick in the morning sun. With lengthy swirls of my hands, I increased my stroking.

It wasn't long at all, before my muscles tensed and, grinning down at the curtain, I grunted as my cock flung a huge looping pearlescent strand high into the air. Sparkling in the sun, it arched upwards until it spun and twisted downwards to the yard. While I shuddered, spurt after stringy thick spurt followed, and I groaned at the first release I'd had in a while. Since Debbie? No, there had been Lucy, bless her heart.

But even more satisfying than my toe-curling relief was the whimper and the sudden clattering of long fingernails on the bathroom countertop below. Soon, several loud groans came from beyond the swaying sheer curtains while I pumped more of my backed-up seed out into the morning air. At last, pleasantly drained, I stepped back to wipe myself off. As I dressed, I smiled at the thought of Mandy, doubled over in her nighty, leaning on her bathroom counter while her fingers pumped into her.

Ah, fun neighbors were the best.