Chapter 3

It was just after 5 now, so I pulled the meat out of the fridge to bring it up to room temperature, then I took a bag of charcoal out of the shed and proceeded to light the barbecue. If there’s one thing I hate, it’s lighter fuel flavoured burgers, so I always try to light one using kindling only, tightly wrapped newspaper and small pieces of wood.

As I was watching the coals burn I felt an arm around my waist, I turned to look and came face to face with Kelly.

“Sorry to sneak up on you, Naomi let me in.”

“She treats my house like her own sometimes.”

“I think she’s moving in, she was on her way out with a woman, said she was fetching some clothes.”

“Mmm, well, if it’s ok with you, I have no problem with her staying here, she’s good company.”

“I bet she is,” Kelly laughed.

“No, seriously, just as another person in the house, I’ve always enjoyed her company.”

“Who was the lady, they looked to be getting on well.”

“That’s my sister, Helen. She decorated the whole house when we moved in, so Naomi has asked her to help her redecorate her room.”

“This is all going too fast for me Tom...”

“Then slow down, there’s no rush. Like I said, I’m fine with Naomi staying over whenever she likes, but that doesn’t mean you have to do anything you’re not comfortable with.”

“I’m fairly sure I’ll be comfortable, it’s just Naomi’s moving us in before I’ve even slept with you, I’ve no idea if we’ll be compatible.”

“Well, that’s something we can test whenever you’re ready, but again, no pressure, it doesn’t have to be tonight.”

Kelly cupped my face in her hands, she brought our faces together until our lips touched.

“That’s one of the things I’m most impressed about Naomi’s review of last night, you were such a gentleman and never pressured her into anything, always making sure she was ok”

“Well, I just wanted her to know she didn’t have to do anything she didn’t want to, that she could back out at any point.”

We kissed for a moment, then Kelly pulled back suddenly.

“We’re being watched, they’re back and watching us out of a bedroom window”

“If she’s looking out of a window at the back of the house she’s either in my office, or she’s decided to move to a different bedroom.”

“She’s above the kitchen.”

“Interesting, that’s a smaller room, but doesn’t have pink wallpaper, maybe she’s decided that’s easier than redecorating.”

“Anyway, back to last night,” Kelly said, “she’s only disappointed about one thing.”

“Oh no,” I said, concerned I’d accidentally upset her with something I’d done, “what did I do.”

“Not you, she’s disappointed she fell asleep before you could fuck her arse, now personally that’s not something I’d want to do, but she’d set her mind on it, so she’s a little annoyed she flaked out.”

“I kind of let myself get carried away there, and she came so hard she passed out.”

“She was so full of praise about how you carried her to the bath and bathed her so tenderly. Nobody has ever done that to me, I am actually really jealous of my daughter now.”

At that point we were interrupted by a group of neighbours arriving.

“Ahh, I should have told you, Naomi decided to invite the neighbours, I think it’s to either give you someone to talk to if we don’t hit it off, or to provide witnesses to our new found love if we do.”

Kelly shook her head, “I don’t know where she gets it from, but that girl is so organised, well, right now I think we’ve hit it off, don’t you?”

“It’s working well so far.”

Kelly took my arm and wrapped it round her waist, “so let’s go meet the neighbours then.”

We turned as one and greeted our neighbours.

“Oh my god! Kelly and Tom, I just knew you’d be perfect for each other,” cried Elizabeth, she lived with her husband and three children in the house between mine and Kelly’s, thankfully she’d left the kids behind, unfortunately she’d brought her husband, Derek, he drank like a fish, but really couldn’t handle his beer, he’ll be drunk and singing within the hour. I’m so glad I remembered to cover the pool.

Behind Elizabeth and Derek were Josie and Clive. I got on well with Clive, he spent as much time as possible away from the house, so was often to be found working in the gardens around the village, Kelly knew him well from her beautiful gardens competition.

The reason he spent so much of his time away from the house was the fact Josie was an absolute slut. She wasn’t interested in her husband for anything more than his money, Clive for his part was probably gay, so Josie was his beard, can’t have the members of the Ex-Servicemen’s club finding out.

I’d spent the years since Anita’s death fending off Josie’s advances. Naomi obviously invited her to show I’m now off the market, a genius move. Not that Josie would think a wife was any obstacle, but even she must concede defeat when her rival is a beautiful former glamour model 20 years her junior.

I greeted Clive warmly and we walked around the garden so he could see how everything was progressing.

“Oh dear, this bed is looking a little sparse, I’ve got some plants in my greenhouse that will fit in here perfectly, I’ll bring them round on Monday old boy. I’ll trim those bushes as well. Did you decide on what you’re doing with that far corner that’s always in shade?”

“Not yet Clive, and I’ll hold off for a little anyway, there’s two other people who may have ideas.”

“Oh yes. And I think it’s absolutely marvellous you know, fine looking filly that Kelly, and the daughter, simply delicious, such a character. She knocks on the door bold as brass, invites us round for a barbecue. I’m a little puzzled why she’s inviting us to your house, but Josie, obviously she’s seeing an opportunity to pounce on you again. You should have heard her when she saw you with Kelly, I am not going to hear the last of it tonight, so I think I’ll get drunk if you don’t mind, then go to bed as soon as we’re home.”

Clive twirled his mustache and walked over to the beer cooler, where he started talking to Geoff, the widower from the other side of Kelly’s house. I think Geoff had been sleeping with Josie since long before his wife died.