Love Thy Neighbor

by Kimberly Smith

  *****

  Kayla

  By the time they left the karaoke bar Daniel had performed several songs. Kayla had created a monster, a karaoke addicted monster. They laughed and talked about the other performers all the way back to the car. He opened her door for her and then slid in beside her with the biggest smile she had seen on his face all night.

  “I had so much fun tonight.” He said as she headed home.

  “Me too. Who knew? You have a talent there. I almost peed my pants when you started rapping 'Slim Shady.' She laughed.

  He paused looking at her through the darkness. “What am I too 'white bread' to listen to rap music?”

  “Well, it's just not what I would have expected, that's all.” Kayla said still smiling.

  “Yeah, well I like all music, and I do listen to rap sometimes. I actually admire Eminem among others.” He said and started rapping the chorus with the radio, Candy Shop by 50 Cent. Kayla howled with laughter.

  They talked about music and debated who had real talent all the way back to her house. Kayla pulled into the driveway and returned the mustang to its spot in the garage. Daniel followed her into the house. “May I use your bathroom?”

  “Of course, it's down the hall there.” She said pointing to the hallway right off the entrance.

  Daniel made quick work of emptying his bladder and washing his hands. He walked back in to the living area. There was no sign of Kayla. He peeked into the kitchen, nothing. Then he heard the splash of water. Was she swimming naked again?

  He walked through the French doors next to the fireplace in the living room and found her. Her clothes were in a pile near the pool. He looked to the pool and found her swimming towards the edge near him. “Come swim with me.” She said grabbing the edge.

  “I don't have a suit.”

  “You don't need one. You can swim in your undies.” She said pausing with a big smile. “Unless you'd prefer to go commando.”

  Daniel felt his face flush with color. She laughed at him turning and flipping under the water so that he could see the red lace covering her bottom as she swam away from him. Daniel undressed quickly leaving on his boxer briefs and cannon balled into the pool just as she came up for air.

  She swam around him in a circle when he surfaced. While she was wearing her bottoms, she had ditched her bra and he couldn't help but stare. He swam back to the edge of the pool, resting his back against it. She swam right up to him stopping only inches from him. She looked delectable. He reached out and pulled her into his arms spinning her so that her back was against the pools edge.

  He slowly lowered his head, brushing his lips against hers. She tasted sweet a little like the coke she'd been drinking all night. She moaned low in her throat. He kissed her again deepening the kiss, exploring her mouth with his tongue. She moaned again and wrapped her arms around his neck. He gripped her butt in his hands pulling her closer. She wrapped her legs around his waist rubbing his obvious erection again her center.

  He pulled his mouth from hers, kissing her jawline and licking her neck. He lifted her slightly bringing her soft brown globes to his awaiting mouth. He flicked the dark pebble of her nipple with his tongue before sucking it into his mouth. She ground her hips against him as he switched to give the other breast his attention.

  She pulled his head from her breast and took his mouth with hers; she sucked his lower lip into her mouth. He was filled with such passion that Daniel grabbed her underwear, shredding the lace from her body just as she reached between them and freed his rock hard cock. She pulled her head back.

  He looked into her beautiful brown eyes and covered her mouth with his as he thrust into her slowly savoring the feel of her around him. She felt fantastic. She groaned into his mouth as he began to thrust harder and faster, over and over as she pushed back. She had her arms tightly wound around his neck. He could feel her gripping him with each stroke, she was close and so was he. As she came, she threw her head back “Oh god yes!” she gritted between her teeth as he felt his balls tighten with his pending release. He buried his head in the crook of her neck on his final thrust groaning at the intensity of the pleasure.

  *****

  Daniel slowly opened his eyes squinting against the bright light coming through the window. He glanced at the clock beside his bed. It was after ten. He had actually slept in and had the most erotic dream ever. It was so vivid and life like. He sighed, if only it had happened that way.

  When he had returned from the bathroom Kayla smiled. “Thank you for taking me out.”

  “I should go,” he said. He wanted her to ask him to stay the night, but she didn't. She led him to the door. He slid out, closing it. He waited to hear the lock click into place and then he walked quickly down the walk way and across the sidewalk to his house.

  Chapter 3

  Kayla

  “I'm coming!” she yelled from the bedroom as she went to answer the doorbell. It was just after eight in the morning. Who could be ringing her bell this early? She peaked out the side window. It was Holly. Suddenly she remembered that she had invited her to come back for coffee this morning.

  “Hi.” Kayla said as she opened the door.

  “Oh my. Did I wake you?” Holly asked taking in her bed head and swollen eyes.

  “It's okay. I needed to get up anyway. Come on in.” Kayla said leading Holly into the kitchen.

  “We can do this another time.” Holly said from behind her.

  Kayla grabbed to mugs and went to the Keurig to brew two cups of coffee. “No, this is a perfect time. Have a seat.” When the coffee was ready, Kayla handed her a mug and brought out sugar and cream.

  Holly made herself comfortable and added sugar and cream to her coffee. “I had Matt take the kids out for breakfast so that I could come over. I was looking forward to this; honestly don't have many friends anymore. Everyone is so busy with his or her kids and jobs. This is a nice change for me.” She waited until Kayla had a full mug. “Are you involved with anyone?” she asked stirring her coffee.

  Kayla joined her at the bar. “Not really.”

  “I'm sorry, that's kind of personal, but I was hoping you had a man in your life so that we could double date some time. Most of the time it's just the kids and us. I was thinking how nice it would be to go out with another couple our age and leave the kids at home.”

  “That does sound like fun.”

  “Maybe Matt can introduce you to one of his friends or coworkers. So, you said last night you were in the automotive industry, what do you do exactly?” she asked sipping her drink.

  Kayla swallowed and sat her mug down. “I work as a mechanic.”

  “Wow, that sounds fascinating.” Holly enthused.

  “It's boring to most.” Kayla sad remembering the faces of countless men and women who were interested for a small time and then she would watch as either their interest waned or until they made an excuse to get away from her. She couldn't help herself. She loved cars and working on them and she tended have a single minded focus when talking about what she did or working on a car. “Why don't you tell me a little about our neighbors?” she said to change the subject.

  “Alright, well Matt and I were college sweethearts. We've been married for nine years.” Holly went on to tell her about some of the others who had not come to the welcoming party last night before telling her about those she did meet. “The Colemans have lived in that house for more than thirty years. They never had any children. Petunia has never worked a day in her life. She comes from old money, where Stanley worked very hard to become a success and take care of her. He likes to pretend that he'd be better off without Petunia. No matter what he says, he would go crazy without her. Petunia is super nosy. She always knows everything that is going on around here.”

  Pot calling the kettle black Kayla thought while she listened to all the knowledge Holly had. “You my new friend, are the first thing that's been a surprise to her for quite some time.” She smiled at Kayla over her mug.

 
“How so?”

  “When the house sold, before the construction started, she tried to find out who would be moving in and she got nowhere. Even with all the connections she's gotten through Stanley and his old business partners. She couldn't find out a thing. She even tried to get the construction crew to give her information. She was frustrated beyond belief. And then when she found out that you had actually moved in and she hadn't seen you yet, she went into a tizzy.”

  Kayla laughed. “I never meant for it to be a covert operation. I just had to handle some things in San Antonio before coming here, so I relied on some friends to take care of things for me.”

  “Petunia is harmless for the most part. You can tell by how much the kids around here love her. She has particularly taken to Vanna and her kids.” She saw Kayla's eyes spark with interest and continued. “Vanna's husband left her a few years ago and things haven't been easy for her. There are rumors that he's in some kind of legal trouble and that he may be going to prison. I think that Petunia has her heart set on getting Vanna and Daniel together.”

  “Is that so?” Kayla asked.

  “Yes. Daniel is a handsome devil, that's for sure and Vanna has made it very clear that she would love to be with him and well, Petunia and Daniel's mother were very close and she kind of feels like she needs to look after him. I kind of think that she thinks of them both as surrogate children.”

  “Interesting.” Kayla said. “Is there something between them?” She couldn't help but ask even though Danny had told her himself there was nothing between them. She really hoped there wasn't.

  “I think they have gone out with Stanley and Petunia, but it doesn't seem that Daniel feels the way she does.”

  Kayla liked Holly, she was easy going and even though she shared what she new about their neighbors, she didn't seem to be malicious with her knowledge. Kayla gave her a tour of the house, pointing out other changes she had made. Holly was impressed with the changes and talked about the possibility of making some changes to her home. She stood looking out the window at the pool from the guest suite upstairs. .

  “This is an interesting shaped pool. I've never seen anything like it. “It looks like...?”

  Kayla laughed, “It's shaped like a wrench.”

  “That is really different.”

  “Yes, it is.” Kayla agreed smiling.

  Holly followed her back to the ground floor and at the door; she hugged her and thanked her for showing her the house and invited her to come over next Sunday for lunch.

  *****

  Daniel

  A few hours after he woke up, Daniel was ready for his Sunday afternoon poker game with his friends and neighbors. He'd sat out fixings for sandwiches and the guys always brought their own drinks. Robert, one of his coworkers was the first to arrive, followed by Ken his college roommate and closest friend. Within a few minutes of them arriving, Matthew and Stanley arrived together.

  They were sitting around the kitchen table munching and drinking while they played. “So are you gonna tell us about last night?” Stanley asked Daniel with a wicked gleam in his eye.

  Daniel stopped drinking his beer and looked around the table. All eyes where on him. When he didn't seem to be forthcoming with information Stanley added. “Vanna said that you already knew her. Is that true?”

  Ken and Robert said in unison, “Knew who?”

  Stanley smiled wickedly, “Vanna and my wife were very distraught that you had a date with her last night.”

  Matthew choked down the bite he'd been chewing to say, “What? You went out with Kayla last night?”

  Daniel took a deep breath; there was no way he was getting around this conversation. “Yes. I went out with her. Now can we continue the game?”

  “Okay, someone has to tell me what the hell is the big deal here.” Ken said looking from Daniel, to Matthew, to Stanley and then Robert.

  “Don't look at me. I'm as clueless as you, my friend.” Robert said.

  “Kayla is the new neighbor next door. She's is, as you youngsters say, 'bootylicious' or is it that her trunk is full of junk?” Stanley said cleaning his wire-rimmed glasses.

  They all started laughing shocked that Stanley would know those terms, let alone use them. “Where did you learn that?” Daniel asked.

  “I watch music video's among other things on YouTube when Petunia walks Mr. Wiggles.” They continued laughing at the thought of Stanley watching Beyoncé videos.

  Ken said, “She's bootylicious? Come on, you have to bring us up to speed here.”

  Matthew held up his hand as if testifying, “She is smoking hot. Red curly hair, flawless skin, full lips, bodacious breasts and the kind of ass that porno films are made of.” He said closing his eyes at the imagery.

  Daniel didn't like the way this conversation was going. Not only was he objectifying her, he apparently had really checked Kayla out. “Okay, Okay. Vanna was trying to get me to go out with her again. I didn't know what to say and Kayla walked in and I told Vanna we were going on a date.”

  “Okay, but Vanna said you already knew her and saying you were going on a date is not the same as going on a date with her. So what's the deal? Robert asked.

  Daniel took a drink of his beer. “I met her in the grocery store yesterday. We talked a bit. Kayla played it cool and just went along with it and after she let Stanley, Petunia and Vanna out, we went out and had some fun. I owed it to her.” That's all he was going to tell them. “She covered my ass.” He added.

  No matter how hard they tried, Daniel refused to give them any real details. Stanley told them of how upset his wife and Vanna were and that Petunia had taken it upon herself to sit up to see what time Daniel and Kayla had come home. He also explained that thanks to him slipping her one of his sleeping pills, that she had fallen asleep before eleven pm and didn't see anything but the back of her eyelids. They all chastised Stanley while laughing at his antics.

  “Are you sure you're ready for this?” Keven asked Daniel.

  “Ready for what?”

  “Interracial dating.” Keven said looking around the table. “Come on Daniel, have you ever dated a woman that wasn't white?”

  “Well, no but what does that have to do with anything?”

  Keven leaned back in his chair. “It has everything to do with it. Dating a black woman is not like dating a white woman.”

  “How would you know?” Matthew asked.

  “I, unlike Daniel here, have dated all types of women. I don't discriminate buddy. I'm like skittles, “I taste the rainbow.” They all laughed at that. “It is different. For the most part they are just like other women, they want to be treated right, loved and all that stuff, but there are some things that are different. Some things you need to be prepared to handle.

  “Like what?” Stanley asked leaning his arms on the table.

  “They don't like it when you mess up their hair. It takes a lot of effort and money to look good.” Robert said. When everyone looked at him he added. “What? I have black friends and they are always talking about how their girlfriends and wives act when their hair is messed up or gets wet.”

  “It's not only that.” Keven said taking a drink of his beer. “You will have to be prepared for the fact that some people aren't going to like the idea of the two of you as a couple.”

  “Come on, man. We live in a modern world now.” Matthew said.

  “You think so? Well, for the most part people aren't going to say anything directly to you, but you will get treated different by some and some of those will be people you know. Those are the ones that are going hurt the worst and most of them won't say anything to you directly, but they will say things to her. Just be sensitive to the things that she will have to deal with and never forget that she is a strong and powerful woman with a lot of pride.” Ken said getting up and tossing his bottle in the trash.

  Daniel smiled at him. “Did you have problems like this with one of your skittles girls?”

  “A little. In college before you and I
met. I had a serious thing for a black girl. Jackie was smart and pretty and she liked me too. We met at an off campus party and hit it off. Things were great until her friends started telling her that it was a jungle fever thing and that eventually I would dump her for a white girl. It didn't help that my friends thought of it as a passing fancy and disrespected her when I wasn't around. She didn't tell me any of this until the day we broke up.

  She saw me talking to another girl, a white girl and blew up at me accusing me of using her for sex and saying I just wanted to be the big man with a black notch on his belt. Then she starting telling me all the things that she had been dealing with from small-minded people. I couldn't believe it. I said she was paranoid and that it was all in her head.