Through the Peephole

It was a Saturday morning in the summer and I didn’t intend on going out, nor was there anything or anyone demanding for me all through that day, and thank God for that. I had much work to do and needed the entire day to get some work accomplished or the following week was going to be hellish for me. My wife had gone shopping and also to do her hair a while ago, and knowing her routine, wouldn’t be home until past noon or thereabouts. I had the house to myself until then.

I was in the corner of my living room that serves as my study. I had my library of books and printed files overlooking my laptop that sat on my desk. I placed a cup of coffee on the desk before assuming my chair and then got busy with the task at hand.

Lost in the middle of my work nearly an hour later, my doorbell rang. I got up and went to check through the peephole in the door.

The wavy-blonde woman was thickset, and her frame took every inch of the view. She wore a tank top and shorts; her breasts were what my eyes encountered as I viewed her outlook.

I pressed the intercom by the wall and said, “Yes?”

“Hi Brandon. It’s me, Jackie, who lives a few houses down the street. You remember me, right?”

“Hi Jackie. How can I forget?”

Of course I remember Jackie. She, including several others, had given my wife and I a decent welcome when we first moved into the neighbourhood several months ago. Although Jackie had taken some unexpected interest in me the likes of which would definitely piss my wife off were she to ever find out about our closeness. Nothing had occurred between us so far, but it was only a matter of time . . . until today.

Jackie smiled and spoke into the intercom, “Anyway, I was watering my little garden when I saw your wife drive off, and that got me thinking that I need to make some tea for Ed, but found out I’d run out of sugar. I was wondering if you wouldn’t mind lending me a few.”

I thought for a moment. This was temptation talking to me; should I accept it or push it away?

“Err, Jackie, you know you could stroll to the shop near the end of the street to get some sugar if you want them so bad.”

“I do want them badly, Brandon, I seriously do,” she said this while sweeping her hair from her face as if to emphasise her intention. “But I’m likely to get sunburn if I stood too long under this heat. Could you please be a friendly neighbour this one time? I promise I won’t bite.”

She winked at me when she made that last statement. I caught her wink and knew there and then that I was asking for trouble if ever I allowed this woman into my home. God knows what she would do . . . Heaven knows what I would do. And yet I never would have known if I’d told her off.

I unlocked my door and opened it. Jackie gave me a cute grin as if to say she knew I wouldn’t resist. I looked past her shoulder as she entered my home, praying nobody was watching. I didn’t spot anyone, and quickly shut the door.

“How many sugar cubes would you need?”

“Depends on how many you’re willing to spare,” she said.

Jackie drew closer towards me that I was practically feeling her minty breath on my chin. Sugar was the last thing she wanted, at least not the sort that came in cubes.

I succumbed to temptation and drew her towards me and kissed her. She kissed me back and warped her arms around me. We kissed deep and passionately, and I was nearly breathless when I pulled back.

“Won’t Ed be looking for you right now?”

She chuckled. “Ed left for work an hour ago. It’s just me and the kids, and they’re asleep.”

We resumed our kiss and I forgot everything about my work and made love to my neighbour’s wife right there in my living room.

Our interaction was fulfilling for the short time it lasted. I escorted Jackie through the back door, having given her several cubes of sugar wrapped in a paper bag in case anyone dared to inquire. She thanked me and said she’d see me later. I watched her leave, then returned into my house and proceeded to clean the living room of whatever speck of presence she might have left behind. Thankfully there wasn’t none, and I felt more happier when my wife returned home and didn’t notice anything. She did mention running into Jackie and Ed, but merely waved at them before continuing home. Thankfully that was all she said about them.

Days went into weeks, and as seasons changed, that fateful day faded from my memory like it never really happened; it almost felt like something I had imagined. Jackie and I still saw each other but always from a distance. Even when we had neighbourhood get-togethers, it was as if we had a long-standing agreement to stay as far from each other as possible. Not once did she come by my house wanting anything, nor did I attempt the same.

That changed on a late autumn weekend when I got a call from Jackie’s husband, Ed, who asked if I would mind coming over to his place to assist him with something. I had nothing doing at the time, and wanted to get out of the house to be away from my wife’s irritant nagging, so I agreed.

I crossed the street and went to press his doorbell. Ed spoke through the intercom; likely he was viewing me through his door’s peephole.

“Hi Brandon. You’re alone?”

“Yeah, I am alone,” I replied, feeling awkward about the question. “So what’s up? You still need my help on something?”

“Oh, I’m gonna need more than your help all right. I figured we’d talk this over man-to-man—wouldn’t make sense to let your wife know about this.”

I frowned. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Ed.”

“I think you do know what I’m talking about, Brandon. But allow me to refresh your memory.”

The door opened to reveal Ed glaring at me with cold eyes; Jackie stood behind him, teary-eyed.

“How about you tell me about two months ago when you fucked my wife. Does that ring any bells?”

I didn’t say anything. I tried to look at Jackie, but she looked away.

“Jackie told me everything,” Ed continued. “She was very explicit about what you both did, and the fact that you gave her some sugar to hide what you both did. Am I right?”

“You’re right,” I nodded, feeling ashamed by everything. “She came onto me, Ed. It was a spur of the moment thing; I’m very sorry.”

“Yeah, I’ll bet you’re sorry. But don’t sweat it; you’ll hear from me later once I finish with her.”

Ed shut the door in my face, and I distinctly heard Jackie crying. I remained in his porch looking like the world’s biggest fool, not know what to do. About the only thing I could do was turn around and return home with my head stuck between shoulders. It felt like a thousand mile walk back to my own porch, and I kept wishing for lightning to strike me dead.