Watching you, Watching Me
Misty Reigenborn
Copyright 2012
By Misty Reigenborn
Smashwords Edition
Carlie’s breath caught in her throat as she stood at her bedroom window. Her neighbor was standing in front of his bedroom window again. He was undressing. He was gorgeous. She couldn’t believe she hadn’t run into him even once since he’d moved in next door almost three months ago. She had looked forward to this time of night for weeks now, since she had first caught a glimpse of him undressing. The first time it had been an accident, but it certainly hadn’t been since then.
Carlie sighed as he walked away. She didn’t know his name. He seemed to leave the house rarely and was always getting deliveries. She’d noticed packages sitting on his front porch several times when she’d returned home from work. She wondered if he had everything delivered.
Her neighbor on the other side was a notorious gossip and claimed that the good looking man who looked to be in his thirties was some sort of drug dealer or ex con. Carlie had pretended that what Nat had said made sense and then laughed about it when she’d gone back home. The only people she’d ever seen leave his house had been delivering something.
There was no car in his driveway. She hadn’t seen a moving truck when he’d moved in either, though Nat claimed to have seen one late at night. Nat thought that his name was Trey, but Karen, the woman across the street, had supposedly talked with him one day and claimed that his name was Connor. Carlie was rather confused, since the names sounded nothing alike, but she wouldn’t have had the courage to ask him even if she had ran into him.
Carlie had been divorced for three years. She was very self-conscious about the weight she had gained since then. She thought that it was a little ironic that her ex had once threatened to leave her if she ever got fat, and she’d waited to get what she certainly considered to be fat until after he’d already left her. Her marriage with Brandt hadn’t been all sunshine and rainbows, but she still missed him sometimes. Then she’d think about what he had done and she’d realize that she was actually quite glad that they hadn’t been able to have children together, because she didn’t think she could stand to have to see him on a regular basis.
Carlie glanced at the romantic suspense novel on her night stand and wondered if she was awake enough to read for a while, or if she should just go to bed. It was after eleven. She had to be up and at the bake shop that she ran with her childhood best friend by 5 a.m., but Mr. Mysterious as she had been calling him in her head lately, always got undressed in front of his window a few minutes before eleven. It wasn’t something that she wanted to miss.
Carlie was lonely. She also got rather horny watching her neighbor. She felt like a dirty pervert. The thought that what she was doing was wrong hadn’t stopped her though. She figured that she justified it in the same way that many people who had watched others undress without their knowledge did. If he didn’t want anyone to watch him, he shouldn’t undress in front of his windows. The way he went about the whole thing intrigued her. There were blinds on his window. He seemed to lower them after he returned from the shower or whatever else it was that he got naked to do, but he always raised them before he undressed.
Carlie decided against trying to read. She was too tired tonight she thought. She felt old and tended to take naps during the afternoon to make sure she wouldn’t miss what had quickly become her favorite show of the day, but today had been an especially busy day at the shop.
Carlie closed the blinds on her own window and got ready for bed. Thoughts of Mr. Mysterious drifted through her mind as she fell asleep.
The next morning Carlie woke up before her alarm clock went off. She turned her alarm off and got out of bed. She used the bathroom and washed her face and hands and brushed her teeth. She made a face at herself in the mirror. She had never liked the color of her eyes. Her brother and her sister had both inherited their father’s blue eyes but she had inherited their mother’s brown eyes. She brushed her hair back from her forehead and saw that another pimple had popped up. And she saw several snowy hairs mixed in with her strawberry blonde.
She opened the medicine cabinet, wondering if she had time to rid herself of the white hairs. But she knew that if she did that, she’d probably just find more and still be standing in front of the mirror, deconstructing her appearance when she should be at work. She sighed and closed the door, trying not to catch another glimpse of herself in the mirror before she turned away.
She dressed quickly and pulled her hair back into its usual loose bun and headed out the door. She glanced at the house next door but saw no movement. She hid another sigh as she backed out of her driveway.
Tanisha was forever trying to set her up with some friend of her husband’s but Carlie just wasn’t interested. Brandt was the only man she’d ever been with. They’d been high school sweethearts. She was beginning to wonder if she’d ever have sex again.
Tanisha was already at the shop when she arrived. Her friend looked up and gave her a teasing smile. “You’re late.”
“I am not.”
Tanisha laughed. Carlie had always found the sound of her laugh to be almost musical. “Okay, so maybe you’re not, but we’ve got a lot of work to do today. Dozens of cookies that need to be made and two cakes that need to be ready by closing time. Are you ready to work your decorating magic?”
“It’s hardly magic Nish. I learned everything in that class you made me go to.”
“It is magic Car. Why are you so down on yourself all the time? I know that it’s been hard for you since Brandt took off with that tramp, but honey the world hasn’t come to an end. He never loved you the way you deserved anyway. Get over it and move on. There are other fish in the sea.”
“This isn’t about a man Nish. I don’t need a man to make me feel good about myself. I just feel like my life went off the tracks somewhere.”
Tanisha laughed. “Mine’s done that four or five times already. And I’m still here to tell the tale. Garth’s friend Evan was asking about you again. He really wants to take you out. He’s a nice guy. Even if there are no real sparks between you two, you could at least sleep with him.”
Carlie shook her head. “You sound like a man. I’m not going to use some poor guy for sex. I’m obviously not that good at it anyway since Brandt felt the need to sleep with so many other women. And you told this guy that I was still thin or showed him an old picture of me didn’t you?”
“You’re not that big sweetie. No one would ever look at you and think you weigh as much as you do.”
“Thanks Nish. So I don’t look like I’m as fat as I really am. I don’t want to go out with Evan or any other man for that matter. I think I was meant to grow old alone.”
“You were not. And you’ll always have me. We’ll terrorize the nursing home together.”
“Do you really believe that your kids will stick you in a nursing home?”
“You think I want my kids to take care of me? Do you not remember who their fathers are? None of their daddies besides Garth ever bothered to even try to take care of me.”
Tanisha had been married three times. She had four children with three different fathers, but she’d been married to Garth for six years now and seemed content.
“Why do women think that they need men to take care of them anyway?”
“It’s not about that. Well, maybe for some women it is. For me it’s about taking care of each other. You need a man to take care of you sexually. Have you heard of friends with benefits? Maybe you should find yourself one of those. You’d certainly be less uptight.”
“Oh, the politically correct term for a fuck buddy. No thank you. What do you think vibrators are for?”
Tanisha laughed. “It’s not as good as the real thing. Sex is a normal part of life Car. You don’t always have to be in love or expect to spend the rest of your life with someone to have sex with them. Live a little before you really do get old.”
“Do you know how many white hairs I saw when I looked in the mirror this morning? We are getting old Nish. Your daughter is almost grown. I don’t even have a child. We’ll have our twentieth high school reunion in three years.”
“So what? We both look better than we did in high school. You’re tall. When you’re really thin you look like a damned skeleton. Curves look good on you.”
“I just wish I didn’t have so damned many.”
“Maybe you should go to the gym. Find yourself a guy who’s in great shape or is working to get there.”
“No more talk about men. As if I don’t think about them enough already. This guy came in the other day when you went out to get lunch. He smelled so good. I wanted to reach over the counter and grab him and pull him closer to me so that I could really smell him. The sad thing was I didn’t even find him attractive. I would still have had sex with him though just because he smelled that good.”
Tanisha shook her head. “I told you that you needed to get laid. Has there been anyone since Brandt left?”
“You know there hasn’t been Nish. We see each other every day. You would have talked me into telling you even if I’d just had a one night stand. I certainly heard enough about yours when we were younger.”
Tanisha grinned. “Some of them were fantastic. If I managed to have fantastic sex between husbands, you can let go and take some guy from the bar home with you at least once.”
“I can’t stand the taste of alcohol. The last thing I need is to embarrass myself in public. Besides, guys don’t come on to me the way they do with you. You’re gorgeous.”
“You’re oblivious to the fact that men find you attractive, that’s all.” Tanisha took two sheets of cookies out of the oven and put another two in. “There was something I wanted to ask you.”
“Okay.”
“I got my kids a dog from the shelter because they’ve been bugging me forever to get one. He’s a good dog, but Garth says he has to go. Will you take him? Please. I don’t want to take him back to the shelter. And I don’t like to think of you all alone in that big house. Why don’t you sell it and move? Then you’d really be leaving your life with Brandt behind.”
“I love my house. It’s big enough for a family if I ever get around to having one before it’s too late. I don’t know about the dog. I loved them growing up, but as an adult my feelings kind of changed. They seem to be more trouble than they’re worth.”
“C’mon Car. My kids are already upset enough as it is that Garth said we had to get rid of Mitty. If they knew he was with you and that they could still visit him, they’d take it a lot better.” Tanisha gave her a pleading look.
“You named the poor dog Mitty?”
“The kids named him. Or the older ones were nice enough to let Leela name him. Please Car. I’ll be your best friend forever.”
Carlie shook her head. “You’d better be my best friend forever anyway. But yes, I will take the dog.”
“Thank you. Now let’s get to work. Can you start on that birthday cake for the Potters?”
“Sure.”
The rest of the day went quickly. Tanisha told her she would drop the dog off later that evening. Carlie went home and took a shower and then a nap. She made herself a salad for dinner and felt like she hadn’t eaten anything. She made herself a bowl of low fat yogurt with organic fruit and granola. She felt a little less hungry after she’d finished.
She was curled up on the couch with her book when Tanisha showed up. Mitty was a huge dog. Carlie was suddenly glad that she had a big backyard. She actually had a doghouse in the shed that the previous owners of the house had left behind. She reminded herself to dig it out the next day after she got home from work. Tanisha left her with a leash, dog dishes and a huge bag of dog food. She assured her that Mitty was house trained and would scratch at the door when he wanted to be let out.
He scratched at the door a few minutes before eleven. Carlie groaned. She’d been on her way to the bedroom to watch Mr. Mysterious. She let the dog out into the backyard and then went to her bedroom. The blinds were open next door, but he was nowhere to be seen. She sighed and went back to the living room.
She was half asleep on the couch a few minutes later when the dog scratched at the door. She opened the door and Mitty came inside. She had turned and was ready to close the door when a deep voice said “He’s beautiful.”
Carlie turned and looked right into the eyes of her neighbor. He was standing at the fence that separated their yards, shirtless and barefoot. He had on a pair of faded jeans that hung low on his hips. The very edge of his boxers was peeking out. She had to swallow hard before she could speak.
“Thank you. My friend’s husband said she couldn’t keep him so I got stuck with him. Well, not stuck with him exactly.” She trailed off, feeling like an idiot.
He chuckled. “I know what you mean. It’s nice to have a companion sometimes. I know I certainly get lonely myself. You’re Carlie Cooper aren’t you? You own the cake shop downtown with Tanisha Landry.”
Carlie licked her lips since they had suddenly gone dry. “I am. I don’t think I know who you are. Well, other than my neighbor that is.” She laughed, but it felt forced. Her heart was pounding in her chest and her palms were sweaty.
“Connor Blakely. It’s nice to formally meet you Carlie.”
“Yeah. You too.” Not knowing what else to say and suddenly wanting to escape back into her house since she had a terrible feeling that he knew she’d been watching him undress every night, she turned away from him.
“Goodnight Carlie.”
She didn’t turn because her face felt like it was on fire. “Goodnight Connor.”
When she was back inside and the door was locked behind her, Carlie breathed a sigh of relief. Then she laughed at herself for thinking that Connor knew she’d been watching him. Well, she mused as she headed to bed; at least she had a name to add to her fantasies now.
Two weeks later she was standing beside her window at eleven o’clock at night. Mitty was asleep on the floor by the foot of her bed. She was glad that she didn’t have to work the next day. Caring for Mitty was beginning to feel like caring for a child. She walked him twice a day. While she knew the exercise was good for both of them, it sometimes felt like he was walking her.
Connor appeared in front of his window. He was standing closer than usual. Carlie was more than a little disappointed. Granted, he usually turned away when he took his pants off, but she loved to look at his ass almost as much as she loved to look at his chest. He lingered by the window and was still standing there several minutes later when it finally dawned on Carlie what he was doing. His eyes were closed and with the movements of his arm, she suspected that he was pleasuring himself.
She felt a blush rise to her cheeks and turned away. But she wasn’t halfway to her bed when she turned back. The movement of Connor’s arm was slow and steady. Any doubt in her mind of what he was doing quickly left. Carlie swallowed and stepped back slightly. As she watched him, she grew more and more turned on until she felt as if she couldn’t take it anymore. Finally, after watching him for what felt like an endless minute, she moved her hand into her panties.
Her eyes drifted closed. She was close to orgasm when she heard the movement of Mitty behind her. She opened her eyes and realized that she’d moved closer to the window. She chanced a glance across her yard and found herself looking straight into Connor’s eyes. He gave her a slight smile. She removed her hand from between her legs and hastily shut her blinds. She was humiliated and was glad for the first time since Connor had moved in that he seemed to rarely leave his house.
Carlie took a cold shower and then went to bed.
The next morning she called Tanisha. “Hello.” Carlie thought that her friend still sounded half asleep.
“I need to ask you a favor Nish.”
Tanisha yawned. “Yep. You got it Car. Now let me go back to sleep. The kids were gone last night. Garth kept me up late. I still have three hours before Leela will be home. I plan to make good use of it.”
“I’m sorry. When are your older kids coming home?”
“This afternoon. Why?”
“I need someone to walk Mitty for me today.”
“He’s not that bad is he? I thought you were starting to enjoy having him around.”
“I am. There’s another reason Nish. One that I’m way too embarrassed to tell you.”
“Huh uh girl. You wake me up out of a dead sleep and then you tell me that you’re too embarrassed to tell me something. Are you forgetting who you’re talking to? We’ve been friends since kindergarten, when you ate glue and sniffed the fruit markers so much I swear you got high and I got paid by little boys when I let them look up my skirt. You had sex didn’t you? Oh Car, wasn’t it any good?”
“It wasn’t that. I really can’t tell you Nish. You’ll laugh at me.”
“I will not. I have four children. Believe me, sometimes when they get upset over really silly stuff I want to laugh at them. Not that it means I love them any less. I guess you’d have to be a mother to understand. Fess up. You’ll feel better after you tell me anyway.”
Carlie sighed. “You know that guy that moved in next door to me?”
“The hot one that never comes out in daylight? If I believed in vampires, I’d think he was one.”
“He doesn’t come out after dark much either. I actually talked to him a while back. His name is Connor. He has this habit of undressing in front of his bedroom window. It’s right across from mine. He’s got such a nice body. I know that I shouldn’t look, but he stands there with the blinds open. He actually raises them before he undresses.”
Tanisha laughed. “So he wants you to watch. Maybe he’s lonely too. Have you started undressing in front of your window Car? Did you catch him watching you?”
“Not exactly. It’s worse than that.”
“Spill it. I hope to be able to go back to sleep.”
“Thanks Nish. He was standing in front of his window last night. He stood there for a really long time. After a while, I figured out that he was pleasuring himself.”
“Damn. That’s kinda creepy but kinda hot too. So he caught you watching him jerk off?”
“Did you have to say it like that? We’re not in high school anymore remember?”
“It’s jerking off whether they’re thirteen or sixty. Did he catch you?”
“Um, well I got really turned on and started to touch myself. I moved in front of the window without thinking about it. I opened my eyes and he was watching me. He smiled at me.”
“Go get yourself a piece. He wants you, you want him. Simple as that. Walk Mitty yourself. Maybe you’ll run into him.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of Nish. It was humiliating.”
“How was it humiliating? He knows that you’ve been watching him and he likes it. But he’s too shy to do anything about it. So he thought he’d push it a little further and see how you reacted. I’m thinking that your reaction was probably better than he’d hoped for.”
“Why would he want me?”
Tanisha let out a sigh that was full of frustration. “I love you Car, but sometimes when I talk to you, I feel like I’m talking to one of my kids. You’re not that big. You’ve always been much more attractive than you’ll admit. This guy has a thing for you. Admit it to yourself. Enjoy it. Take advantage of it. Go get laid and let me go back to sleep. And don’t ask me a question like that ever again or I’ll let Leela kick your ass.”
Carlie laughed. “She’s five.”
“My girl can kick some butt. She can take her brothers down.”
“They’re twice her size.”
“Yes they are. Now I’m going back to sleep. Go knock on Connor’s door and get yourself laid. Call me this afternoon and tell me about it. Then I’ll forgive you for waking me up.”
“But Nish. . .”
“No buts. Talk to you later Car.”
Tanisha hung up. Carlie groaned as she hung up her phone. She couldn’t believe that she’d told Tanisha about what had happened the night before, let alone that her best friend seemed to think her problem had such a simple solution.
She got dressed and took Mitty for a walk. She usually walked past Connor’s house, but that day she went in the opposite direction. She avoided her bedroom window like the plague and tried to pretend she didn’t have a neighbor.
Tanisha teased her about Connor at work. She threatened to tell Garth about what had happened if she didn’t do something about what seemed to her to be an obvious mutual attraction, but finally shut up about it when Carlie begged her.
Two weeks later, she came back through the alley on her evening walk with Mitty. She let them in through the back gate and unlocked the side door to her house. Mitty had already gone inside. She was halfway inside when a voice stopped her. Connor’s voice.
“Carlie, can I talk to you for a minute? Please.”
Carlie wanted to pretend that she hadn’t heard him. She paused with her hand on the doorknob and let out a quiet sigh. She took a deep breath and then let it out, and turned to face him.
“I think I owe you an apology.”
“Oh.”
Connor let out a sigh of his own. “Do you want to come over for a cup of decaf, or tea or something? I’d rather do this inside than out. You can bring Mitty if you want.”
“I don’t know if that’s a good idea Connor.”
“Please Carlie. I feel like I need to explain myself. I mean you no harm. Bring your dog. You know he won’t let anything bad happen to you.”
Mitty was a very protective dog, Carlie had to admit that. She called out his name. He came running. She clipped his leash back to his collar and shut and locked the door. Her heart was pounding as she walked to the front gate. Connor met her on his front porch. He held the door for her. Once she and Mitty were inside, he shut the door behind them.
His living room was very neat. There was no TV, only an elaborate stereo system in one corner and a big desk with both a desktop and a laptop computer. He gestured for her to sit down. “You can let him off of the leash. Do you prefer coffee or tea? Though I think I’m out of tea bags so it would have to be iced.”
“Tea is fine, with a little sugar please.”
“It’s already sweetened. Do you want a slice of coffee cake? I’m sure it’s not as good as anything you make at the shop, but I thought it was good.”
“No thank you.”
Connor shrugged and went towards the kitchen. Mitty followed him. She saw him pat the dog’s head. He was back a few minutes later with two glasses of tea. She took a sip and then placed the glass on a coaster on his coffee table. It was perfectly sweetened.
Connor settled into the armchair across from her. Mitty curled up at his feet. She shot her dog a dirty look and Connor chuckled. They were both silent for several minutes. Then he cleared his throat. “I feel like such an idiot Carlie. I’m so sorry about that night. What I did was wrong. I noticed you watching me a few times and I enjoyed it. It made me feel good. It’s hard to explain, but it made me feel as if life was worth living again, knowing that you were watching me.”
Carlie picked up the tea just for something to do. She took a sip and then replaced the glass. “What do you mean Connor?”
“My wife died almost five years ago. We have a daughter. She’ll turn next this spring. My mother has custody right now. I couldn’t stand to raise her by myself. She looks just like Bessie. I never agreed with her choice. She had cancer. When she found out she was pregnant, she chose to discontinue any kind of treatment. We’d been using birth control but things happen. Bessie thought it was a sign from above and she made up her mind. She thought that I’d be able to carry on without her if I had a piece of her with me, but I couldn’t do it. I’m a terrible father and a terrible man.”
“You’re not. I’m sure it wasn’t an easy choice for your wife to make.”
Connor sighed. “Sometimes I think it was. Sometimes I think that she was tired and would have been ready to go even if she hadn’t gotten pregnant. But that’s not why I asked you in. That night, I let my feelings towards you overtake my sensibility. I think of you quite frequently when I do that in private. I thought that for some reason if you saw you’d realize that I knew you were watching and wanted you in the same way that you seem to want me. Or seemed to want me. I was thrilled when I saw that you were touching yourself as well, but then you opened your eyes and you saw me. The look on your face was terrible. I shouldn’t have smiled at you. I never should have done it in the first place. I apologize. I promise you that I’ll never do it again. You can go back to watching me if you’d like.”
Carlie couldn’t bring herself to look at him. “No Connor. I should never have watched you in the first place. I was wrong too. I’m going to go now. Come on Mitty.”
Mitty raised his head but didn’t move.
“Carlie. I’ve wanted to approach since the first time I saw you but I never had the courage. You’re so beautiful. I’ve seen some of the cakes you’ve made. They’re wonderful. It’s almost like an art form.”
Carlie laughed. “It’s a cake Connor. The shop was Tanisha’s idea. I never knew what I wanted to do with my life. She always seemed so sure. I’m just kinda along for the ride. I’ve felt that way my whole life. The shy, kinda cute girl that always hung out with the pretty girl who was never afraid to speak her mind.”
“Do you not know that you’re beautiful? Don’t you own a mirror?”
Carlie shook her head. “I’ve gained almost forty pounds since my divorce. I wasn’t that great to look at beforehand, now it’s just kinda sad. I’m okay with what happened that night. We were both wrong. I’m thinking of selling my house.”
Her last statement had slipped out. It hadn’t been true until she’d said it. But now that she thought about it, moving away from this neighborhood was starting to sound better and better.
“I see. Can I take you out to dinner sometime? Or make you dinner. I seem to have developed more than a bit of agoraphobia since my wife’s death.”
“I’m sorry Connor. I wouldn’t feel comfortable.”
“I understand. But I want you to know that I do think you’re beautiful no matter what you weigh. Will you say goodbye if you do sell your house?”
Carlie nodded, feeling tears prick her eyes. “I have to go. Mitty. Come.”
Mitty finally responded. She clipped his leash back on and made her escape. When she was home, she let the tears flow. Her feelings were so conflicted that she didn’t come close to understanding them. She understood that it had to have been hard for Connor to say the things to her that he had. There was a part of her that wanted to run back to his house and tell him that she’d love to have dinner with him, but there was a part of her that was still much too humiliated to face him again.
So she did nothing. She took a shower and then she went to bed. Two days later, she put her house on the market. Six weeks later it sold. She and Mitty moved into a much smaller house that still had a big backyard. It was reasonably priced. She was able to get more for her old house than she’d thought she would. She did not say goodbye to Connor.
A month after her move, Tanisha convinced her to go out with Evan. There was no chemistry between them. Carlie thought that he was good looking and funny, but knew that she’d never think of him as more than just a friend. He did give her a confidence boost though. He told her she was beautiful and actually made her believe it. She lost fifteen pounds since she’d started taking Mitty on longer walks and walking to work since her new house was much closer to the bake shop.
Three months after her move, she was in the back of the shop putting the finishing touches on a cake when Tanisha came into the room and said “Your boyfriend’s here.”
“Evan and I aren’t seeing each other anymore. I thought you knew that. He was never really my boyfriend anyway. We just went out a few times.”
Tanisha grinned. “I’m talking about the gorgeous neighbor that you ran away from. He’s got an adorable little girl with him. She looks about Leela’s age. I should invite her over for a play date.”
“Connor is here? You take care of him. I’m staying right here.”
Tanisha shook her head. “Nope. It’s my break time. I think I’ll go see if the hot one’s daughter wants a cookie.”
“Nish please.”
“Honey you are thirty six years old, not thirteen. You haven’t faced him in almost six months. It’s time to face him. I’ve never met a woman in my life that didn’t totally take advantage of it when a guy that fine had a thing for her.”
“Ha ha. Nish, I’ll do anything. I’ll watch your kids for the next month. You and Garth can go out every night.”
“You and my kids would all go crazy if I let you do that. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a pretty little girl to bribe away from her daddy.”
Tanisha turned and walked out of the kitchen. Carlie groaned. She straightened her apron and then looked at her reflection in the door of the microwave. She sighed. Her cheeks were already flushed. She hoped that no one else was in the shop. She took a deep breath and then let it out.
Carlie walked out to the main area of the bake shop and put a smile on her face. Tanisha had already managed to wrangle Connor’s daughter away from him and was sitting with her at a table. Tanisha winked at her and then turned back to the pretty little girl.
Connor gave her a smile. “Carlie. You look wonderful. We miss you in the neighborhood. The family that moved into your house has two very rebellious teenagers. I almost want to move myself.”
Carlie laughed. “Your daughter is beautiful. Is she just visiting?”
Connor nodded. “Thank you. For now she is just visiting. I still have to figure out whether I want to stay here or go back to my hometown. Isabella is quite attached to her school and her friends.”
“I see. It’s good to see you out and about.”
Connor chuckled. “It still feels rather strange sometimes. But I couldn’t expect a five year old girl to stay cooped up inside the house for a week. She just had a birthday. Tanisha is trying to talk me into letting her take Isabella for the night. She has a daughter about her age.”
“Leela. She’s a bundle of energy. I’m sure they’d have a great time together.”
Connor smiled. “I’m sure they would. Carlie, would you have dinner with me tonight? I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you.”
Tanisha raised an eyebrow at her. Carlie had forgotten that her best friend had such good hearing. She bit her lip. Tanisha frowned at her and then returned her attention to Isabella.
Connor sighed. “It’s okay Carlie. I understand if you don’t feel the same way.”
Carlie shook her head and then decided to lay it all out. “It’s not that Connor. I’ve always been very attracted to you. I’m afraid. Afraid of my feelings, afraid of hurting you. Afraid of getting attached to you and then having you leave. Your responsibility is to that beautiful little girl.”
“We can’t let our fears stop us from living Carlie. I did that for way too long. I let my fears steal a big part of my daughter’s childhood from me. I watched Isabella grow up in pictures and videos because I couldn’t stand to look at her and see her mother. It’s dinner. One date. Then we let nature take its course. If you decide you never want to see me again, I’ll understand and I’ll leave you alone. No pressure.”
Tanisha was grinning widely. Carlie shot her a dirty look and then turned back to Connor. He gave her an amused smile. “Please Carlie. It doesn’t have to be tonight if you don’t want it to be. You name the time and the place. Just don’t try to make me go dancing please.”
Carlie laughed. “You’re in luck there. I don’t dance either. Dinner would be great. Thank you.”
“Great. What time should I pick you up? Or do you want to meet there? ”
“Seven is good for me if that’s not too late. You can pick me up. I need to make sure Mitty gets his evening walk. Sometimes I feel like I have a child myself.”
“I could see that. You live at the corner of 12th and Pine is that right?”
“I do.”
“I’m not stalking you, I swear. Tanisha told me.”
“That does not surprise me. I’ll see you at seven. It’s the off white house with brown shutters if Tanisha didn’t tell you that.”
“She didn’t. I’ll see you tonight. I suppose I should go retrieve my daughter. Would you like to meet her?”
“I’d like that.”
“Good.” Connor smiled. “I’ll be right back.”
Tanisha rose from the table. She gave Isabella a bright smile. “I’ll see you tonight sweetie. Leela has a ton of dolls and games. We have a big backyard. Leela’s bed even pulls out and turns into two beds. You’ll have a great time.”
Isabella gave Tanisha a shy smile. “Thank you. Daddy is it okay?”
Connor smiled. “Of course it is sweetheart. I know you miss your friends. Come meet Daddy’s other friend.”
Carlie smiled at Isabella. The child gave her an inquiring look. “Are you my dad’s girlfriend?”
Carlie wasn’t sure how to answer. Connor hid a smile. “Isabella, this is Carlie. Right now Carlie is just an extra special friend of Dad’s. We are going out to dinner tonight though. Would you like to come?”
Isabella shook her head. “Tanisha said that they’re having homemade pizza and that I can help make it. I like it when Grandma lets me help her make dinner. Dad can we still go to the park?”
“Yes honey. I’ll see you later Carlie. It was nice to see you again Tanisha. Thank you so much for the invitation for Isabella.”
“No problem Connor. Garth will pick her up at five thirty if that’s okay. He has to pick Leela up from her ballet class.”
“Sounds great.”
Tanisha smiled. “Good. Can I borrow Isabella for another minute? I want to send her home with some cookies if that’s okay with you. She says that Daddy isn’t a very good baker.”
Connor laughed. “She’s right. That’s fine.”
Tanisha reached out her hand. Isabella took it and they headed back to the kitchen. Since there was no one else in the shop, Carlie was suddenly alone with Connor. She was painfully aware of the fact. He looked at her. She tried to look away but his eyes drew her in. They were full of so much sincerity. She backed against the counter because she wanted very badly to reach for him.
She could hear Tanisha and Isabella chatting in the kitchen, but for Carlie it felt as if they were in a world of their own. Connor tentatively reached out a hand and brushed it across her cheek. Carlie closed her eyes when she felt his lips touch hers. She put her arms around his neck and let herself get lost until a few minutes later when Tanisha loudly cleared her throat.
“I hate to interrupt Carlie, but do you know where the last of the s’mores bars are? I can’t seem to find them.”
Carlie pulled away from Connor and gave her friend an embarrassed smile. “I’ll get them. I’m sorry Nish.”
Tanisha grinned. “As my oldest and dearest friend, you can imagine what dirty deeds I’ve done in this building after closing time. The kiddo didn’t see. There’s no one around. It’s all good.”
“Too much information Nish. We’ll be right back Connor.”
Connor chuckled. “Take your time.”
Carlie followed Tanisha to the kitchen. Isabella was sitting on the footstool they kept there, patiently waiting. When Carlie saw the huge bag of cookies that Tanisha had already put aside, she had to laugh. “Nish, you’re going to put her into a sugar coma. There’s no way Connor is going to let her take that many cookies home.”
“Hey, Isabella is taking some home with her to Grandma’s house. She told me that Grandma isn’t much of a baker either.”
“I see. Let me get you those s’mores bars.” Carlie dug around in the freezer until she found what she was looking for. Since there were only six inside, she handed the whole thing to Tanisha. “There you go.”
Tanisha put the smaller plastic bag into the larger one. “There you go sweetie. We’ll go take this to Daddy.”
Isabella nodded. “Thank you.”
As they turned to leave Carlie said “It was nice to meet you Isabella. I hope to see you again sometime soon.”
“You too. Thank you.”
As Isabella walked out of the kitchen Tanisha said quietly “You’ll see plenty of her. Future stepmother.”
“Tanisha.”
Tanisha shook her head. “You’re already gone girl. I can see it in your eyes. You’re gonna walk in here Monday with a huge grin on your face. You’re getting laid tonight. I can feel it.”
“Is that why you asked to take Isabella for the night?”
Tanisha grinned. “You’re welcome.”
Carlie shook her head as she followed her friend out of the kitchen. Connor thanked them for the cookies and then he and Isabella said goodbye. Tanisha teased her endlessly about sex the rest of the day. She wanted to pull her hair out by closing time. But she was worried too. With the way she had felt when Connor kissed her, she was afraid that he wouldn’t have to try very hard to talk her into bed with him.
When she got home, she took Mitty for his walk. After they were home she took a shower and then agonized over what to wear. She had no idea where Connor was taking her and wished she’d thought to ask. Finally she decided that semi casual would be best. She pulled out a new pair of dark slacks and a violet sweater set. She had to run the lint brush over her clothes three times by the time the doorbell rang because Mitty suddenly decided he wanted to be even more affectionate than usual.
Her heart beat fast as she opened the door. Connor smiled at her. “You look great. I probably should have told you where we were going.”
Carlie laughed. “I thought about that too. I figured that jeans and a t-shirt were probably the wrong way to go unless you were taking me to a drive through.”
“Not on the first date. Maybe the second date.” He winked at her. “You ready to go?”
“Yes. Let me put Mitty out.”
She let Mitty out into the backyard. He whined at her for a minute, but quieted as she shut the door. “He’s a little spoiled.”
“I can see that. I hope you like Italian.”
“I do.”
“Good.” Connor smiled as he held her front door open for her. She shut and locked it and followed him out to a dark blue sedan.
Connor held the car door for her. She got in and shut the door. When he was behind the wheel she said “Nice wheels. When did you get this?”
“Right after you moved out. When you didn’t say goodbye, it kind of made me come to the realization that I was letting my life pass me by.”
“I’m sorry.” Carlie gave him an apologetic smile.
Connor shook his head as he started the car. “No need to apologize. I think I needed it.”
“Was Isabella excited to spend the night with Leela?”
The rest of their conversation was about Isabella until they reached the restaurant. The restaurant was relatively new in town. Carlie had never been there. The lights were low and the atmosphere was romantic. They followed a pretty waitress back to a booth. Conversation was light but Carlie could feel the tension. She felt like there was a pink elephant sitting in the middle of the table. And it was called sex.
By the time they had finished eating, Carlie was thrilled that Connor hadn’t offered to cook her dinner because she had a feeling that if he had, they would have already been in bed together. But she was helpless with anticipation and was almost disappointed when he drove straight to her house after they left the restaurant.
He walked her to the door. Mitty barked at her from the back yard. Connor laughed. “Someone’s glad that you’re home.”
“Yeah. Do you want to come in for a minute?”
“I’d like that.”
Carlie unlocked the door. He followed her inside. She left Connor on the couch while she went to let Mitty in. Mitty joyously greeted both of them and then seemed to content to lie on his pillow next to the front door. They sat in silence for several minutes, then both started to speak at once.
“Connor,” she said.
“Carlie,” he said.
Carlie laughed. “I’m sorry. Go ahead.”
“No, you go ahead.”
Carlie licked her lips. “Will you kiss me?”
Connor smiled. “I’d like nothing more.”
Their kissing soon grew heated. Carlie pulled back several minutes later to take a breath. “Would it sound too forward if I asked you to stay with me tonight?”
“I’d love to. I’d have to leave early in the morning though. I want to make sure that I’m home when Isabella returns. Would I be too forward if I told you I don’t have protection?”
Carlie blushed. “My brain is kind of cloudy right now. I was thinking of that, but I didn’t think that far ahead. I’m not on birth control anymore.”
“I could go to the store.”
“Maybe next time. I’ve never been with anyone besides my ex-husband. I’m really nervous.”
“I haven’t been with anyone for almost four years Carlie. There have only been two women for me besides my wife. I think we’ll do fine. We’ll take it slow and easy okay?”
Carlie smiled. She took his hand. “I’m not sure I can handle slow and easy the first time.”
Connor grinned. “We’ll take it slow and easy the second time then.”
“Sounds good to me.”
She led him to her bedroom. Connor shut the door behind them. Mitty whined to be let in but Carlie shook her head. “He likes to jump up on the bed.”
“We wouldn’t want that right now, now would we?”
“Oh no.”
Carlie undressed herself. Connor took it slow. It reminded her of the delicious moments she had spent watching him through the window. He smiled at her and then led her to the bed. The sex was incredible. Carlie didn’t think she’d ever spent so many pleasurable hours in her life.
After they had showered, they let Mitty into the bedroom. Carlie gave him a stern look and directed him to his bed which lay on the floor at the foot of her bed. She and Connor lay down together. She felt utterly content. She knew at that moment that she could love him, that she very likely would quite soon.
She traced a heart on his chest. “Do you shave your chest hair or do you just not have any?”
Connor chuckled. “I actually seem to have inherited an almost hairless chest from my father. Not very manly, I know.”
“No. It’s nice. Every part of you is very nice.”
Connor kissed the side of her neck. “Thank you. The feeling is mutual. I realize that you’ve lost a little weight, but you must have been terribly thin before you gained weight. You have a beautiful body. Curves in all the right places.”
“Thank you. I actually feel like I walk Mitty most of the time now instead of the other way around.”
“That is good. Isabella wants a dog. But my mother is allergic.”
“I’m sure she’d love Mitty. Tanisha’s kids loved him. She can visit him if she’d like. Of course I guess it would have to be well before she goes home. When does she leave?”
“Four days. The time seems so short. I’ll miss her so.”
Carlie hid a sigh. “I know you will.”
Connor brushed her hair back from her neck. “Carlie, are you okay? I don’t like to think that you already regret what we’ve done.”
“It’s not that. I’m afraid of losing you. I know that you have to do what’s best for Isabella though.”
“I feel like I’ve been hit by a freight train Carlie. But not in a bad way. What we could have together can be a very beautiful thing if we let it. My daughter still needs time to get adjusted to the idea of living with me full time. Maybe with enough visits with Tanisha and her kids, she won’t even be upset about living here. The schools are quite good here.”
“Are you sure?”
“If we question too much, we can talk ourselves out of anything, even something that could quite easily turn into love.” Connor squeezed her hand. “I could very easily see myself totally and completely head over heels in love with you Carlie.”
Carlie smiled. “I feel the same way about you. It half scares the shit out of me and half makes me want to tie you to my bed and never let you leave.”
“Mmm. Sounds kinky. We might have to try that sometime.” He winked at her. “Will you set the alarm for seven thirty please? I’d say eight but I think I might have a hard time talking myself out of your bed.”
Carlie kissed him. “It’s a good thing I don’t have to work tomorrow or you’d have to talk yourself out of my bed at four thirty in the morning.”
Connor chuckled. “I didn’t think about that. The shop is closed on Sundays right?”
“Most Sundays. Busier parts of the year we’re open longer hours and seven days a week. That’s when Tanisha has to hire extra help.”
Connor yawned. “I could see that. Goodnight Carlie. I had a fantastic time tonight.”
“I did too. I’m so glad you came into the shop today.”
“Me too. I almost didn’t stop. My daughter convinced me.”
“I’ll have to thank her someday.”
“Yes. I’m sure you two will get along great.”
“I hope so.”
Carlie leaned over and set her alarm. She switched the lamp off and then snuggled back into Connor’s arms. “Goodnight Connor.”
The alarm seemed to go off all too soon. They both used the restroom and then crawled back into bed together. Mitty whined to be let out. She sighed as she let him out the back door. When Carlie returned to the bedroom, their heated make out session turned into leisurely love making. When they had finished, Connor groaned as he looked at the clock.
“I wish I didn’t have to leave. I would love to spend all day in your bed.”
Carlie smiled. “There will be other days for that.”
Connor grinned. “Oh yes there will.” He dressed quickly and then gave her a quick kiss.
She let Mitty back in on the way by. If her dog had been a human she thought that he would have given her a very dirty look. She walked Connor to his car. “I’ll see you.”
“You will. Count on it. Oh, can I have your phone number?”
Carlie laughed. “Of course.” He took out his cell phone. She gave him her number. Then she gave him a lingering kiss. “Goodbye Connor.”
“No goodbyes. ‘Til we meet again Carlie. I’ll call you. I’ll ask Isabella if she’d like to visit Mitty.”
“Sure. I’ll talk to you later Connor.”
He gave her a wave as he drove away. He called her later that afternoon. Isabella wanted to visit Mitty the next day. They made plans for them to come over after Carlie got off of work. It was a nice day. They walked the dog together and then made dinner together.
Connor talked Carlie into going with him when he took Isabella back to his mother’s house. His mother was thrilled to meet her. Carlie liked the older woman very much. She spent much of her time off with Connor after that.
Things moved very quickly between them. Two weeks after their first date they discussed moving in together. Four weeks after that they did because Carlie was pregnant. They compromised at first. Carlie and Mitty moved into Connor’s house since it was bigger. They found a bigger house two months later. Isabella was soon living with them happily. They were married on the sixth month anniversary of their first date. Carlie thought she’d never been happier. She wasn’t sure she’d ever be able to tell her grandkids the truth about how she had met Connor though. It still seemed strange to her to think that she used to spy on him when he undressed in front of his window but she was glad that she had and that he had caught her.