Across the Way

"Consider it an early Christmas present. Just, whatever you do, don't let your mother see," she said with an impish smile as she handed over the big carry bag. "She'd have a coronary."

Jody desperately wanted to check the contents, but at the same time was scared to -- knowing Sammi, anything could be in there. So, instead, she carefully stowed the bag beside the bed, hidden from her mother's gaze by the coverlet and the bedside chest.

"God, I'm bored," she moaned. "And I've still got two weeks of this before they change it to one I can get around in." She glared grimly at the cast encasing her leg from just below the groin to her toes.

Sammi's eyes sparkled. "Hasn't he been home lately then?"

Jody blushed and quickly glanced at the window. "I shouldn't have told you about that, should I?"

"It's all right, sweetie. I promise I won't tell. Besides, you've got to get whatever entertainment you can in these circumstances. I certainly wouldn't pass up the chance to ogle if I had a neighbour worth the effort."

Sammi stood and ostentatiously fiddled with the blinds, making sure Jody's view of the apartment across the alley was clear.

"Sorry, hun, but I've really got to go -- got a hot date tonight and I've still got to finish packing. Now, don't you pine away while I'm gone." She grinned and winked as she turned to leave. "I'm sure there's something in there" -- she pointed at the concealed bag -- "that will relieve the boredom."

With a quick "love you, see you in a week" she was gone.

Jody sighed as she heard the apartment door close. What she wouldn't give to be going on a date -- hot, cold or indifferent -- rather than lying here staring out the window. Admittedly, the view was sometimes rather good. Now the pain had eased in her leg, she could definitely appreciate it. Her leg may be busted up, but the rest of her 22-year-old body was in perfect working order.

She was lonely, bored, increasingly frustrated and beginning to become a little sorry for herself. How sad was she? All her friends were heading out for skiing trips and family get togethers over the holidays. The highlight of her days was watching some anonymous bloke working out in his apartment, and praying he wasn't going away like everyone else.

It was only because she liked to lie in the evening with the curtains open that she knew about him. Her mother had turned out the lights "so no pervert can look in". Oh, dear, if only she knew!

He certainly liked his fitness. Hell, she liked it too -- she'd watched him working out often enough in the past few weeks. Watched the muscles clench and relax, beginning to shine with sweat as he pumped iron.

That he liked to undertake his home gym sessions unimpeded by clothing was an extra bonus.

He always checked his windows before stripping off. She wasn't sure if it was to be sure of privacy, or in the hope of an audience. But, as far as she knew, she was the only resident on this side of the building -- everyone else had left for the holidays. And she had no intention of letting him know she was there. The images she collected help get her through each boring day, waiting for her mother to come and play nursemaid.

Jody chastised herself: she shouldn't be so damned ungrateful. Mother had been wonderful since the accident, dropping her own interests and activities to be there for her. She'd fed her, washed her, and tried to entertain her everyday. She'd brought gossip and magazines and never complained about missing her own friends.

But she was mother. And there were some things you just didn't share with her. Like gym guy across the way.

Mother would've been horrified. Not at the idea of Jody watching him, but the thought that he could maybe see her -- like there was anything to see - and would close the drapes.

Sammi had devoured every detail, had even gotten a bit excited at the idea of a totally naked, well built, sweaty man almost within arm's reach. She'd giggled and preened and never failed to mention him when she dropped in.

And now she'd brought a present, and Jody was sure it had something to do with gym guy. And the warning see just piqued her curiosity more. But she'd have to wait. Mother would arrive anytime now with dinner. She'd sit and chat while Jody ate, fuss about for a bit and then dash out to get home before dark. She hated driving at night.

***

"I'll be off then, dear. You sure won't need anything till morning?"

"Yes, ma, I'll be fine."

It was the same farewell ritual every evening. Mother leaving, feeling guilty that she didn't stay. Jody staying, feeling guilty that she hadn't agreed to stay at her parents' home, but relieved that mother was going at last, and feeling guilty about that as well.

There was an added level of concern in her mother's voice. It had been rising steadily over the past two days. Jody sighed. She didn't like worrying her, but there was no way she could go with them on the trip to her brother, and there was also no way she was going to stop her mother from holding her first grandchild. Even so, it had taken some pretty fancy talking to convince both her parents that she'd be OK for a week on her own.

"As long as you're sure," Mother hovered at the door.

"I'm sure. You'd better scoot off, or it'll be dark. I'm fine. Promise."

Tonight the guilt at her relief as the door closed was barely a murmur. But still, she waited until she heard the elevator hum before dragging Sammi's bag out of hiding and shaking it out on the bed beside her.

As she recognised the items before her, Jody first gasped, and then collapsed in giggles. No, it certainly wasn't fit for Mother to see! The colours alone would give her a turn -- a bright cerise jelly dildo, looking remarkably anatomically correct, if a little large; a purple vibrator with the delightful name of "Petite Flower"; and a cute little blue thingy called a Screaming Octopus, which promised "tingle tentacles to disperse the high speed vibrating sensation from central to tip."

The names along with the florid descriptions on the packaging, combined with an image of her mother's face should she see them, brought on a fresh attack of giggles.

There was also a less lurid box, containing a set of compact binoculars, with a note from Sammi: "So you can get a closer look!", a book of erotic stories "in case all else fails", enough batteries to power everything at least twice and a teddy bear -- "check his butt".

So she did. The bear had a hidden zipper along the seam between his ass and his leg. The compartment it opened was big enough to take all the toys and cushioned enough for them to remain secret.

Jody carefully removed each item from its packaging -- reading all instructions and outlandish performance claims as she went. Then she put batteries into each item and turned it on, her eyes widening at the crazed bumblebee noises and odd contortions. She laughed outright at the dildo -- it had flashing lights!

Trust Sammi to find a way to lighten her mood. She collected all the cardboard and plastic packaging and put it back in the carry bag, which went back on the floor, hidden by the coverlet.

The bear, still empty at this stage, gained pride of place on the pillow beside her and the toys, book and binoculars lay on the bed. She wasn't really in the mood to take any of them seriously, but she picked up the binoculars, to see how well they worked.

The light outside had faded, so there wasn't much to see, but they did pullthat window much closer. Not that she'd ever dare use them when he was home, would she?

No, of course not. She shoved the binoculars under the pillow, stuffed the toys into the bear, dumped it on top of the pillow and resolutely turned her back on the window.

***

There were only so many times you could hobble around an apartment this small before the novelty wore off. And it had definitely worn off.

When her mother had departed that morning, leaving many frozen meals for microwave reheating, a stack of new magazines, a set of crutches with a warning to only get up when she had to and a list of emergency phone numbers, Jody could barely contain her excitement.

Freedom to move at last!

It didn't take long to realise a number of things: crutches and a fully plastered leg were a very awkward combination; she couldn't carry anything and work the crutches at the same time; her apartment really wasn't big enough to swing a crutch, let alone a cat; and bed really was the most comfortable place.

So, by the time the light came on in that window across the way, Jody had flicked through all the magazines she could stomach, watched as much holiday TV as she could stand and was bored out of her mind again.

Like a moth, she was drawn to the light. And there he was, looking out the window, scanning the windows of her building and down along the street.

Without registering the thought, she retrieved the binoculars from under the pillow. They were still focussed from yesterday's experimentation, only a minor adjustment was needed to bring the room into crisp view.

First to go was the tie, followed by the dress shoes and belt. Jody watched, fascinated by her apparent proximity, as he undid the cuff buttons of his business shirt and then slowly revealed his chest and torso as more buttons gave way and he pulled it off, first one shoulder, then the other, then pulled his arms free of the shirt, his chest rippling as he did so.

Jody sighed. She'd never realised watching someone undress was so interesting.

He undid his trousers and dropped them to his knees before sitting down and carefully pulling them off his legs by the bottoms. Jody was momentarily confounded as he stepped out of view, holding the trousers in front of him as he went.

He returned, without trousers, now clad only in his bright blue briefs and dark socks. He turned away from her as he removed them, and then stooped, offering a perfect view of his toned butt, to pick up the shirt, which he balled with the socks and briefs and two-pointed into a clothes hamper in the corner of the room.

He turned slowly, pivoting on one leg, to face the window. Jody gasped -- he was standing hands on hips with his legs slightly apart, for all the world like he knew he was being watched.

She squeaked and ducked low on the bed - he'd seen her.

Then she giggled. Of course he couldn't see her. Her room was dark, his was lit. He was just checking his reflection in the mirror.

Yeah, sure, that was it. Why would he? He'd seen her -- seen the light glinting off the binoculars.

Oh, for heaven's sake! How paranoid can you get? Like he could see that through the glass window, if there was any reflection it'd be on the window, not the binoculars.

And why wouldn't he check himself out? The clothes definitely did not make this man -- hell, he looked good enough to eat.

She looked again, risking all if he had seen her.

Gym guy was doing curls with a set of dumbbells. Jody had seen this before, but the binoculars brought her much closer. She could see the muscles flexing and relaxing under the smooth tanned skin of his chest as his arms pumped up and down, the biceps bunching and releasing.

Jody imagined how it would feel to stroke that chest and feel those arms around her. So hard and yet gentle, so strong and safe and secure. She could almost feel his touch, those big hands gently caressing her, cupping her breasts, pressing himself to her.

Her free hand mirrored her thoughts, mimicking his imagined actions, while the other held the binoculars steady.

Now he was doing squats, full frontal to the window, his cock bouncing up and down as he moved. Jody licked her lips, her own hand moving down. She was sitting in front of him, almost within touching distance -- within licking distance.

She needed to move, to get more comfortable, and allow her hand easier access to her pussy while still being able to see outside. Laying the binoculars aside for a moment to rearrange her pillows, she spied the bear, his belly stuffed with suddenly useful, needful things.

The Screaming Octopus seemed the easiest to handle. It fitted snugly against her mound and the vibrations tingled through her clit, almost like a man's breath or the light touch of a tongue. She moaned, pressing against it, rocking in time with the man across the alley.

He stopped, panting slightly and smiling. Jody froze, sure again that she had been seen. But no, he was just preparing for a change of activity. He turned from the window, showing her his high and tight buttocks, and lay on a weight bench, his legs straddling it, his head at the far end.

His cock appeared to like weight work too, rising steadily to point at the ceiling as he worked out with a lightly loaded bar.

Using her thigh muscles to hold the Octopus in place, Jody rummaged in the bear, her eyes glued to the binoculars.

She found the dildo and brought it to her hot, wet pussy. The octopus slipped and she was forced to lay aside the binoculars.

She closed her eyes, one hand holding the Octopus, the other sliding the dildo slowly into herself. It was his cock, stretching and filling her. In and out, in and out, the octopus continued humming on her clit building the intensity, forcing little gasps and sighs from her.

Jody flicked the switch on the dildo, groaning at the sensation as it began purring inside her, matching the vibrations on the outside and expanding them until her whole being rocked on the unbearable tension centred on her pussy and the humming toys within and against it.

She was strung tight, too tight and her climax gushed through her, spilling the tension in great arching waves.

As peace returned, Jody turned the toys off, putting the octopus to one side and slowly easing the dildo in and out, coming down, enjoying the full to empty sensation as she removed it.

Oh, gym guy, that was great. Thank you.

Turning to the window she gasped. Gym guy sat on his bench, staring out straight at her.

He smiled at her shocked face, waved while stroking his cock and mouthed "Merry Christmas".