Read Online The Neighbor [The Complete Collection] by Abby Weeks - Free Book Online

swum like that. She swam competitively in college but hadn’t kept it up. She let her mind go blank now, the way she had in college. She began to remember how good it felt to be in the water.
    After about fifteen minutes she tired and got out of the pool. Of course, Henry was still standing there at the glass, watching every move she made. With the water dripping off of her, still out of breath from her exertion, she walked over to the glass door that Henry was at and stood right in front of him. He smiled faintly. She put her hand up against the glass. He put his hand up to it and touched her through the glass. She leaned forward, pressing her breasts against the window pane. He looked at her breasts and for some reason she felt like crying. She allowed a few forlorn tears to fall down over her cheeks.
    It was as if she’d entered a different world, a world where her life wasn’t falling to pieces around her. She was yanked back to the present when she saw the lights of a car drive by and pull around into her driveway. Ben was home. She gave Henry one final glance before running naked through the hedge to her kitchen. She could hear the garage door opening and made a dash for the stairs. She’d left her bath towel out by the pool but she hardly cared. She got to the bedroom and went straight to the shower. She didn’t relax till the hot water was rolling down over her body, soothing her and warming her after the chill of the night air.
    By the time she got out Ben was snoring on the bed. He hadn’t taken off his suit and he was lying on top of the covers. He’d never even knocked on the bathroom door to tell her he was home. She went over to the window and looked out across the lawn. Henry wasn’t there.

VI
    T HE NEXT MORNING, BEN WOKE up late for work. He had a hangover and was in a foul mood.
    —Want me to make some coffee? Janey said as Ben stepped into the bathroom.
    —Sure, he mumbled.
    She went down to the kitchen and put on water. Then she scooped two measures of coffee into the French press and waited for the water to boil. She went over to the patio doors to look outside and gasped in surprise! She stepped back from the doors with a hand over her mouth. She couldn’t believe it. Henry’s entire swimming pool had somehow been filled with red roses during the night. There were thousands of them. The entire pool was like a carpet of flowers. How had he managed to arrange that in such a short time?
    Janey felt tears forming in her eyes. It was the kindest, most romantic, most loving gesture she had ever seen in her entire life. What kind of a person would do such a thing? She wanted to dive into the pool and bathe in the flowers. She wanted to swim in them. And most of all, she wanted to let Henry know that she appreciated the huge gesture he had made. She supposed this meant he liked her using his pool!
    She was still standing by the patio doors when Ben came downstairs.
    —Where’s the coffee? he said.
    He looked a little better now that he’d showered and shaved but his mood hadn’t improved much.
    —Sorry, it’s coming right now.
    She poured hot water over the coffee grounds and waited for it to brew. She felt awkward being there with Ben. She felt she had to say something about his coming home so late but she didn’t see the point. She knew where he’d been. He’d been with his secretary.
    —Sorry about last night, he said sheepishly.
    She looked at him and nodded.
    —You were home pretty late.
    —I know. It’s these new clients.
    —Ben, I don’t care who it was.
    Ben was looking at the ground, shaking his head.
    —I know, he said. I know. We’ll do something nice tonight. Ok?
    —Will we?
    —Definitely. Why don’t we meet in the city for dinner.
    —Ok. I’ll call you later and we can firm up a plan.
    She handed him some black coffee in a travel mug.
    —Do we have any aspirin?
    —I don’t think so. You’ll have to pick some up.
    Once Ben left, Janey felt much calmer. She was