New Neighbours

I had done alright working in the city in London and had gained quite a hefty promotion linked with relocation to the Midlands. What that also meant was that with the difference in property prices I was able to buy myself a pretty good detached house with gardens in a nice quiet village. My neighbours, Paul and Jane and their daughter Sarah, were fifty yards or so to the left and the next house was almost quarter of a mile away so you could say I was nicely isolated.

Paul and Jane were both social and welcomed me to my new life in the country. Paul was a pretty quiet guy and loved to spend time in his garden which was quite spectacular with so many different colours and sizes of blooms. It was Jane however, who chatted to me the most and she was usually around when I got home from work in the evening. She liked to ask about my work and how different I was finding living here from what she called the ‘hotbed’ of London. “Now come on Tom,” she would urge, “Tell me more about the London clubs and the nightlife you frequent there, I would love you to take me to see some of it when we get to know each other more.” If I hadn’t known better I would have thought she was flirting with me those first couple of weeks and I have to say I was flattered. I’m quite good looking and keep myself fit at my gym and although Jane was probably a good fifteen or so years older than me, somewhere in her mid forties, she had raven dark hair and a trim body which women half her age would be proud of.

Sarah, their daughter, was also chatty and took after her mother with long dark hair which she usually held in a pony tail style. She was quite a looker as well but so where many of her friends who would call round to see her after school or at weekends. It was a little hard to guess Sarah’s age and I put her at about fourteen but Jane informed me she would not hit that mark for another two months. Sarah was clearly going to break a lot of hearts when she got older and it was a good bet that her mother had done the same in her time.

As I got out of my car on the Friday of the third week in my new house, Jane was walking along the road as usual and she came over to me to chat again.

“Listen,” she said, “you’ve been here nearly a month and you should have gotten settled in by now so why don’t you come over tonight and share a few drinks?”

I was really tired after a hard week but I didn’t want to offend her so I agreed.

“Great!” she exclaimed, “We’ll see you about eight then and that will give you chance to freshen up and eat before you come over.”

“What do you want me to bring?” I called after her as she headed back to her house.

“Just bring yourself Tom,” she threw back over her shoulder, “I’ll provide everything else!” and I heard her lightly laugh as she walked away.

“Hmmm,” I thought to myself, “That lady is one hell of a tease” and I smiled as my thoughts raced away with me. I went in and showered and fixed myself a sandwich and at eight I picked a bottle of Cognac from my bar and went round to Paul and Jane’s house.