The New Neighbor

shaped eyes were a brown so dark they were almost black. In spite of the healthy fullness of her hair, her face seemed drawn, pale, as if she were ill. Perhaps it was because she wore no makeup, but the skin beneath her eyes seemed to sag in dark half-moons and her cheekbones hung over darkened hollows. But despite the appearance of illness, she was beautiful, with lips that looked smooth as rose petals and a long elegant neck that sloped gracefully into her sweatshirt.

George realized he had been holding her hand looking at her for too long – several slow seconds too long – and he pulled his hand back rather abruptly.

'Well,' he said, 'the firewood's out in the garage. I can get a basketful for you.' He was about to suggest that he carry it over for her, but thought better of it. She seemed friendly enough, but he did not enjoy the discomfort she stirred in him, the awkwardness -

– The wanting, he thought suddenly, surprising himself, I don't like the wanting -

– and, instead, he said, 'I'll have my son carry it over for you.'

He heard Karen's footsteps behind him and turned to see her smiling at the woman.

'Hi,' she said, then turned to George with a subtle questioning look in her eyes.

'This is our new neighbor,' he said, 'Lorelle Dupree. She doesn't have any electricity and needs some firewood for the night.'

Karen shook Lorelle's hand and said, 'You must've bought the Huitt place across the street.'

'Not exactly. I'm renting. I wasn't planning to move in until next week, but my plans changed, so now I'm over there in the cold and dark.'

Karen turned to George. 'Well, why don't you get Robby to take some wood over for her.' Then to Lorelle: 'And we have some kerosene lanterns, if you need them.'

'Oh, that would be great.'

There was a moment then in which Lorelle and Karen smiled silently at one another-it lasted long enough for George to look from one to the other twice-as if they had met before and were trying to remember where and when.

George turned to go to Robby's bedroom and said, 'I'll go get Rob-' but stopped when he saw Robby peering sheepishly around the corner of the hallway entrance. 'Oh, here he is,' George said. 'Robby, this is Lorelle Dupree. She moved into the Huitt place.'

Robby did not move; he remained hidden, with only a fraction of his face leaning past the corner.

George cocked a brow. 'Robby?'

Stepping out of the hall, the tall, lanky boy bowed his head and looked at their guest as if peering over bifocals, and folded his hands before him.

George frowned. Robby looked as if he were being punished.

'Nice to meet you, Robby,' Lorelle said, offering her hand again.

It took a moment, but Robby finally returned the gesture and nodded silently.

There was a tension in the room that made George want to squirm, to leave. He glanced at Karen, then Robby, feeling guilty for his surprisingly strong attraction to Lorelle and wondering if they sensed it, if it was showing on his face. He slapped Robby on the back and said, 'C'mon, Rob, let's go out in the garage and get some wood for Miss Dupree. She needs heat.'

As he and Robby headed for the kitchen and the entrance to the garage, and as Karen said to Lorelle, 'I'll get the lanterns,' George thought about his words and silently told himself with a smirk, What am I saying? She's got plenty of heat.

George was relieved to enter the cold garage with Robby and sighed as he closed the door behind them.

* * * *

'Are you in high school, Robby?' Lorelle asked.

'Yeah.'

'What year?'

'Senior.'

'Ah. So how's it going? Are you doing okay?'

'Yeah.'

Robby hugged the basket of wood to his chest as they crossed the street; kerosene sloshed in the two lanterns Miss Dupree carried, one in each hand. He felt like a walking raisin, shriveled with humiliation. He'd wanted to scream at his dad for sending him on this errand with the woman who had watched him through his bedroom window as he came into his hand, and he wanted nothing more than to do as he'd been asked as quickly as possible and go back home.

No… no, that wasn't entirely true. As his arm brushed the woman beside him, he realized there was something else he wanted even more. But that was about as likely as lying naked on a bear rug in front of a fire with Miss Weiss. Besides, Miss Dupree did not look well, so even if, by some wild act of God, she would want to do something with him, she probably wouldn't feel like it.

His undershorts were moist from his session only minutes ago. His cock felt limp, but not sated. It was still extremely sensitive from the attention it had received and threatened to grow hard again, in need of more. Although at least a foot of space separated them, Robby could feel Miss Dupree, as if he were standing within the heat of a blazing fire in the fireplace, and as the house across the street grew closer, Robby became more uncomfortable.

When they reached the house, she went in first and closed the door behind him, then led him into the blackness toward a glow that came from the living room. Although Robby had been in the house before and was well acquainted with its layout, he felt he had entered unfamiliar surroundings.

'Did you know the people who lived here before?' she asked.

'Uh-huh.'

'Then you've probably been in here before.'

'Uh-huh.'

'Just set that down here,' she said, putting down the lanterns and waving toward the hearth. 'God, it's cold in here.'

He put the basket on the hearth beside the fat flashlight she'd left shining there and stepped back, stuffing his hands into his jeans pockets. His leg bumped something warm and soft and he turned to find two stern golden eyes looking up at him. Thin black lips quivered back over long fangs for just an instant and Robby staggered back, blurting, 'God!'

Miss Dupree hunkered down and began stacking wood atop a bunch of crumpled newspapers she'd already put in the fireplace. 'Oh, that's Gomorrah. Say hello, Gomorrah.'

The dog stepped forward and nudged Robby's hand with a cold nose.

'Where's Sodom?' she asked her pet. 'Go find Sodom.'

Gomorrah gave an abrupt, low bark and another dog emerged from the darkness, walking slowly, its slanted predatory eyes looking directly up at Robby. The dogs were enormous and almost identical – only the stark black and gray markings on their thick white fur differed.

'Wolves?' Robby asked nervously.

'Malamutes. Gorgeous, aren't they?'

'Fed them lately?'

'Oh, they look pretty vicious, but they're really pussycats.' She stood and brushed her hands together, adding, 'Unless I tell them not to be.'

The glow of the flashlight made her already pale skin look ivory white. She stood, took the flashlight, and disappeared into the dark for a moment, casting a dancing glow on the walls and ceiling. She returned with a cigarette lighter and lit the newspaper, then touched the lighter's flame to the lantern wicks. Sitting on the hearth, she faced Robby and smiled. The top three buttons of her shirt were unfastened and the growing firelight crept down her chest, causing a V-shaped shadow between her breasts, which jostled with each movement of her arms, shifting the shadow back and forth liquidly.

'So, what kind of town have I moved into?' she asked.