Sophie's Tale 01

She looked through panel after panel of glass, out onto an unknown city. People rushed around her, to and fro like busy ants. But she just stood there. Taking deep breaths. Quietly smiling to herself.

After what seemed like hours to her, but was in fact around ten minutes, she picked up her small trolley suitcase and headed towards the doors.

Washington Dulles International Airport. The beginning of a new life.

Sophie was British, born just outside London. She'd attended a good university and graduated with a first class degree, yet something was wrong about her life. She'd lived within her mother's boundaries all her life, chopped and changed her personality, her attitudes, her opinions but now she was ready. Ready for a fresh start. Ready to finally find herself.

So here she was. America. She had managed to land herself a year contract with a local school, teaching English as a second language during evening classes. And she was excited. Her mother had tut-tutted and complained, what was the need to go so far for so long when there were plenty of job opportunities right there in England. But Sophie resented the restrictive binds of her childhood which had creeped into her adult life, she wanted to explore the world, and so she ignored her mother's pleas.

Her mother had an unusual attachment with her children. Sophie's father had left her mother and her brothers and sister when she was just 5 years old. She had him to thank for her golden skin and dark mocha hair. Her mother had fallen in love with her father, an Indian man who ran the local restaurant when she was 20, rebelled against her own parents and married him. They'd had 4 children, ran the restaurant together and lived a happy enough life. And then one day he packed up and left. Leaving everything behind, taking only his toothbrush, an old navy blazer and a battered copy of War and Peace. Sophie always mused over his choice of items to take with him, and wondered what would she have taken? Something with a little more sentiment most likely. Her mother had sold the restaurant, taken up a quiet job at the local post office and Sophie hadn't felt her father's loss, except for the occasional twinge.

She tentatively stepped outside the doors of the airport, holding up a small group of tourists behind her, eager to take pictures of the airport and not the back of Sophie's head. A wave of relief swept over her. She felt free. At home in this strange place. She confidently walked up to a taxi, climbed in, and read her new address off a slip of paper.

*****

It had been a week since she landed in Washington. Her modest apartment felt like home, her hippy style of decoration had helped make the cold, clean lines of the existing decor break up a little. Drawings, photos, pictures covered one wall of her bedroom. Vases, candles and books scattered around all over the place marked this place as hers, Sophie's apartment. It had taken her a few days to unpack, the majority of her things arriving the day after she landed.

Sophie had strolled around her local neighbourhood, taking in the sights and sounds. She'd met the couple who lived above her in their own apartment, they seemed like nice people, they didn't play loud music at 4 am and kept themselves to themselves. She had watched two toddlers play on their lawn with their mother and father just three doors down from her, and smiled warmly as she passed them. She had even made a friend, an old man who lived opposite her.

*****

"One moment!" She shouted, scrambling into a pair of worn jeans. She ran her fingers through her hair, wondering who it was at the door.

"Hi." He said, one hand leaning against the door post, the other lazily placed in his pocket. A smile playing on his lips.

"Hi." Sophie replied, confusion written all over her face. Was she expecting this man? He didn't look like the electrician she had phoned the day before, no tools, no van.

"Can I help you at all?" She said, drinking in his appearance. The messy light brown hair, speckled with blonde. Deep blue eyes, a chiselled jaw and slanted brows, giving him an intelligent look. He was tall, 6 foot at least. She registered muscular arms, his obviously well shaped body underneath his blue t-shirt. The same colour as those eyes, intently staring at her.

"Yeah, my name's Jack, I live across the road at number 22. I heard someone new moved in, just thought I'd come over and introduce myself."

He quickly removed his hand from the door frame, suddenly losing the confidence he had started out with. Those green eyes suddenly making him nervous. No longer his usual Mr. Smooth.

"Oh right, well, I'm Sophie," she hesitated, and then smiled broadly "would you like to come in for a drink?"

Jack shifted nervously, peered over her shoulder before agreeing to come in. He couldn't help admiring the view as she turned her back to lead him inwards, her smooth upper arms, the curve of her round bum and her small waist cinched in by her tight vest top. He had seen her the day she moved in, pouting with her full lips, a small smile spreading across her face as she walked up the steps to her new apartment. He had already checked out her curvy figure from afar, registering her full breasts in the dress she wore, her dark hair cropped at the neck in a stylish bob, her legs smooth and alluring. He had realised she was attractive, but now just inches away from her, he realised just how much. And that accent. That cute British accent. A jolt of electricity shot through him, lingering at his groin before he snapped himself out of it as he arrived in her kitchen.

"What would you like to drink? I have lemonade, orange juice, tea... Or you could join me for a beer?" She smiled quirkily, raising one brow.

"A beer would be great"

She carefully noted the way he spoke. His smooth voice washed over her, his baritone notes comforting her and his American accent accentuated by her 'proper' English accent. She glanced over at him as she rooted around for her bottle opener. Oh yes, he was very attractive. Hesitation washed over her all of a sudden. This is where the old Sophie would become slightly withdrawn, point out her faults, hold back her unusual sense of humour. She gave herself a mental shake. Not anymore.

"Here you are," She passed him his bottle, raising hers, "to new neighbours."

The bottles clinked. Her eyes danced with a smile as she sipped her beer, tilting her head back to reveal a soft brown expanse of throat. Jack's mind immediately enacted a million scenario's., not one of them was remotely platonic. He almost choked on his beer, and fought back his arousal.

"So, you're from England?" He said, quickly placing his beer on the surface and staring at his fingernails. Sophie giggled.

"And how would one arrive at that assumption?" she said, exaggerating her accent and fluttering her eyelashes. Jack laughed. Usually, he would have easily come back with a witty comment. But this girl, Sophie, made him nervous. No girl makes you nervous, he told himself. He had had the cream of the crop, slept with prettiest girls at college and still had his pick of the women afterwards.

There was an awkward silence. At this rate, he'd never be able to fulfil his goal of getting in her pants. As horrible as that sounded, that was Jack's nature. That was how Jack worked. He immersed himself into a woman, slept with her, for a few weeks if she was lucky and then moved on. He wasn't ready for a relationship, or so he told all his girls.

Yet all his confidence drained away when he looked into those green eyes. He knew nothing about her. What was wrong with him?

Sophie's mind was equally running riot. Why was he looking at her like that? Why was her stomach fluttering like that? Why was he so damn attractive?

Sophie cleared her throat.

"So what do you do for a living?" She asked.

"Well. I graduated from college in Web Design a couple of years ago, and now I work different projects with different companies. It's an interesting job, I get to use all my expertise in a million different ways. Most of the time it doesn't even feel like I'm working."

She saw his eyes light up as he talked about what he did. She loved seeing that sort of passion in people, and couldn't comprehend how people could continue doing a job they disliked.

"At the moment I'm re-designing a website for a lingerie company actually." He said, smiling slightly, before blushing. Why was he blushing? He'd been using this line to get the conversation a little more x-rated and open for months, since he started working on this project. So why was he feeling stupid all of a sudden?

"I mean, I do loads of different projects. Like loads. Not just..."

She saw his embarrassment, and felt a little sorry for him. But couldn't help teasing.

"I never knew Web Design was so manly."

Jack flexed his muscles animatedly, "Well lingerie is my specialist subject." He winked, before immediately regretting what he'd said. Sophie had registered the comment, but scoffed and rolled her eyes dramatically.

"I can't speak for American women, but we English girls can see right through men like you." She retorted, very matter-of-fact.

He stared at her, until she felt hot under his gaze and spoke slowly, "Can you?"

A shiver ran down Sophie's spine. She bit her lip nervously, before resting her eyes on the curve of his lip. He looks kissable, so kissable, she thought to herself.

Jack leant towards her an inch, two inches. His eyes alternated from her luscious lips to those eyes, framed by long dark lashes. Desire leapt inside him like a naked flame. The chemistry was undeniable. Even he didn't move this fast, yet he couldn't help it, all he wanted to do was kiss her, and touch her, stroke her...

A car horn beeped loudly outside. Sophie and Jack immediately jumped apart.

"Um, I'd better get going." Jack scratched the back of his head and looked downwards before stepping in the direction of the door.

"I'll show you out." Sophie said, knowing he could hear the smile in her voice. He turned towards her as they walked, and he smiled back. A smile full of promises of what's to come.

"Well, I'll see you soon." He said, leaning in for a quick hug, kiss, whatever he could get.

Sophie pressed her cheek against his, aware of the heat entering her body via her palm, firmly resting on his taut chest. A slight giggle left her lips. What was she doing?

Jack laughed, shaking his head and lifting his hand in a wave. She closed the door behind him, before squeezing her eyes shut and resting her palm on her cheek.

Full o f hope, excitement, and now lust, she smiled to herself.