Chapter 2

On Tuesday, Jake was back to his routine. But Rachel was at her house. He missed her, thinking about the cries of passion and laughter they had shared just days ago. David returned from the city, meeting Elena. David was unaware of his wife’s infidelity. Meanwhile, Jake sat in his office, thoughts of Rachel swirling in his mind. The loneliness was overwhelming, and he craved more: the need to see her again.

He grabbed his phone. He sent a quick text: “Could you come over tonight?” His heart raced as he hit send.

Rachel’s reply came fast: “Not tonight.”

Jake was disappointed, but he knew he shouldn’t push. Rachel had a life with David. That had to come first. Yet, the idea of her naked, just next door, was hard to shake. It was tempting. He decided to wait. The evening crawled by.

The next four days, he occupied himself with work, which became his escape. He spent time on numbers and graphs, a distraction from the constant buzz of desire. Rachel stayed a silent wife next door, her house just meters away. They passed each other with smiles, and polite waves were exchanged.

During nights, Rachel texted him photos of her provocative dresses. The dresses were beautiful. Rachel had a talent for picking outfits. They were classy yet hinted more. They ignited his imagination. He imagined himself stripping her out of them. Each picture was a tease, a hint of her willingness to keep their secret affair alive. Rachel thought these images would satiate his hunger until they were alone again. Instead, they only fueled his libido.

Rachel couldn’t meet Jake, as David hadn’t gotten out of the house for the past week. On Saturday morning, Jake finally had time to deal with his messy lawn after weeks of neglect. Both the backyard and front lawn looked like a mini-jungle had taken over. Jake decided it was enough, and it was time to tame the landscape. In the garage, he found the old lawn mower, pressure washer, and garden tools left by old tenants. They were rusty but still worked. It stirred memories of his father bribing him to mow the lawn when Jake was in high school. He chuckled, as a lot had changed since then. But maybe it could keep some part of his childhood alive.

He rolled up his sleeves and got to work on the backyard. Weeds stuck to the fence. Yet, Jake wanted this place to feel like home again. He worked as sweat dripped down his face. The smell of freshly cut grass filled the air. After hours of effort, the fence started to look decent again. After that he went to the pool; it was completely wrapped and didn’t need serious cleaning. He began removing the floating leaves and pressure-washing the concrete on the edges. He replaced the filters and added chlorine. It wasn’t a professional job, but for him it felt like a success.

Then, Jake headed to the front lawn with the mower. The Texas sun beat down hard, with sweat trickling down his skin. He looked down and pulled off his shirt, exposing a well-defined body. He tossed the shirt aside, not bothered by the dirt. He stood there in just his shorts. His bare chest caught the attention of Rachel, who watched from her bedroom window. Her eyes stayed on him, desire showing in her eyes. She blamed her circumstances for not being able to hold him at that moment. David was home, and they couldn’t expose the secret affair out in the open.

Unexpectedly, a car drove by and stopped in front of Rachel’s house. The car door slammed shut, and a young woman stepped out. She was in her late 20s, with long, wavy red hair. Her figure would turn everyone’s head. She wore a tight blue tank top and cut-off jean shorts. As she looked over, she spotted Jake. He stood there, half-naked and sweaty. Her eyes widened in surprise, but a smile crept onto her lips. Instead of heading inside Rachel’s home, she walked over to Jake.

“Hi Jake,” she said, her tone playful.

Jake turned, heat rising to his cheeks. He felt a mix of embarrassment and attraction. He hadn’t expected someone so stunning to pop up out of nowhere. “Hi there,” he stammered, wiping sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand. “I’m sorry, I don’t think I know you. Do you know me?”

“You don’t remember me?” She pouted. “Your high school girlfriend.”

Jake squinted. He struggled with names, yet he remembered faces. Especially pretty ones. But she wasn’t from his school. She felt too different from anyone he knew. Then it hit him. Elena, David’s daughter. She had changed so much. Gone were the thick glasses and baggy clothes. The quiet shyness was replaced by a confidence that practically glowed.

“Elena!” Jake exclaimed, surprise thick in his voice. “You’ve changed.”

She laughed, cheerful and theatrical. “So have you,” she replied, her eyes checking his chiseled abs.

“Yeah, but not like you,” he said, chuckling nervously, still captivated.

He couldn’t believe it was Elena Thompson. The shy girl who had a crush on him in high school was gone. In her place stood a woman, a gorgeous woman.

Elena’s smile was flirtatious as she walked close to him. “You look like you’ve been working hard,” she said. “You look good,” she added with a wink.

Jake had almost forgotten her awkward way of talking to him. “Thanks,” he replied, trying to stay cool. “What brings you back to town?”

“Oh, you know, the usual,” Elena said with mischief. “Missing the small-town charm and old friends.” She winked again.

He swallowed hard, trying to steady himself. “Well, it’s great to see you,” he managed to say, his gaze drifting to her bare legs.

Elena replied, smiling knowingly. “How’s life been treating you?”

Jake took a deep breath. “It’s had its ups and downs,” he said, glancing at the opposite house. “But I’m trying to turn over a new leaf.”

Elena nodded, her eyes lingering on him. “We’re having a party tomorrow. You should come,” she said. “It’ll be fun. David will bring his friends, but we can catch up. Maybe share some personal secrets.”

Jake was shocked to hear Elena call her dad by his first name. The chance to see Rachel again in a private setting was tempting. “Sure, I’d love to,” he replied.

Elena’s face lit up. “Great! It starts at seven. Don’t be fashionably late,” she joked.

Jake nodded. “I’ll be there.”

Jake finished mowing the lawn after Elena went inside her home. He stepped inside his house, feeling accomplished. Then, he went to the bathroom to wash off the sweat and dirt. When he stepped under the showerhead, the stress of the day began to melt away. But then, he couldn’t shake the image of Rachel. Her eyes filled with a hunger only he could satisfy. Now, with Elena in the picture, things felt complicated. After showering and getting dressed, Jake grabbed his phone. There was an unread message from Rachel.

“Elena must have told you about the party,” the text read.

“Yeah, she invited me,” he typed back, trying to sound casual. “I’ll be there.”

“Terrific. Love you,” Rachel replied almost instantly.

Jake didn’t expect her to use the “L” word so easily. He quickly typed a response, not wanting to overthink it. “Looking forward to it. You too.”

The next day, Jake showed up at the party in a clean button-up shirt and jeans. It was simple, yet he knew Rachel would appreciate it. When he rang the doorbell, Rachel opened the door. She looked stunning. The dress was a deep, royal blue. It hugged her curves just right. The plunging neckline showed off her cleavage. Rachel chose it for him, classy yet sexy. Her hair fell in waves over her shoulders. She painted her lips red, which matched her smile.