“You have dimples,” Adele blurted out before she could stop herself. “I mean”—she pulled herself together—“she didn’t go back to teaching?”
The smile disappeared as quickly as it had come. “No.”
Adele waited. When no explanation came, she decided to pry. “What does she do now?”
“Some clerical work. When she can get it. Are you gonna show me what I’m gonna be doing? I don’t really care what it is.”
Adele made a mental note to find out a little more about his background. “Well, I have a lot of little jobs that need doing.” She pointed at a window. “See the lawn? Not through that window you can’t. But if you could, you’d see it needs to be cut. The windows need washing. Badly. All the supplies are in the utilities closet and the shed out back. Most of what I’ll have for you now will be cleaning or repairwork. Can you handle that?”
He nodded. “Where can I put my bag?”
“I’ll keep it in my office, if you like.”
He hesitated, then handed it to her. “Oh, wait.” He pulled out a small MP3 player and headphones. “See you later.”
“Let me know if you need anything,” she called to his retreating back. Unlike most guys his age, his pants actually rested where they were supposed to and he definitely had a little junk in the trunk. Get a grip, woman. You have better things to do than ogle this guy’s ass…I mean butt! Lord forgive me!
Despite Adele’s best intentions to keep her mind focused and pure, she found herself making excuses to go past the window or take walks outside to watch Miguel cut the grass. On her second peek, she noticed he had shed his tee in favor of the tank underneath.
“That boy must be nearly dehydrated. It’s only right I bring him something to drink,” she told her assistant, Kim.
“Mmm-hmm. I’ll go take it out.”
Adele grabbed her arm before she could hurry off. “He doesn’t need some hot-blooded woman panting after him. Besides, you have stuff to do. I’ll take it.” Mindlessly, she adjusted her hair in the window.
Kim burst out laughing at her friend. “Okay, Sister. But I don’t think it’s me he needs to look out for.” With a wink, she strode off to her office.
Five minutes later, Adele went outside carrying a pitcher of ice-cold water and a glass. “Miguel!” She yelled to be heard over the lawn mower.
He turned and waved to her. She lifted the water and motioned him over. As he got closer, she could see that his shirt was soaked through with sweat. The thin material clung to his chest. Suddenly, she felt a heat spread through her body, one that she couldn’t attribute to the warmth of the sun. It started somewhere so deep inside, Adele was hard-pressed to put her finger on it.
“I brought you some water,” she heard someone giggle. To her horror, she realized that she had uttered the words like a silly schoolgirl.
“Thank you, Sister.”
“Adele. No one calls me Sister.” She pointed to the tattoo on his arm. “What’s that about?”
He shrugged. “That’s past.”
“You have nice muscles. You work out?”
“Yeah, sometimes.” He gulped the water, then poured another glass. “That hit the spot. Thanks.”
“You’re welcome. There’s more when you need it. I don’t want you getting dehydrated.”
He nodded and walked back to the mower. Adele grabbed the pitcher and went back inside. This time, she didn’t even fight the urge to sashay back to the building. She never turned around, but something told her that his eyes were on her the whole way.
The rest of the day passed uneventfully. Adele finally pushed Miguel and his sculpted biceps from her mind long enough to get her work done. He poked his head in at four to collect his things, but she was too absorbed in her duties to do more than wave.
Adele finally made it to her apartment after nine that night. Her eyes were heavy, but the heat had made her sticky with sweat. There was no way she could go without a shower.
She relaxed under the warm water, feeling the tension seep from her muscles. She reached for her special supply of aromatherapy bath gel. She used it only on days like today, when she felt particularly drained. The tightness was good. It meant that she was getting things accomplished, things that would affect her community positively.
She pulled on her bath gloves and lathered up. First her neck, then shoulders and breasts. She shivered as the coarse nylon slid across her nipples. She hesitated before drawing them back over them, playing with them until they hardened. The heat had returned full-force, but this time she could identify the source of the intensity.
Adele hadn’t masturbated in years. Ever since she had taken vows, she relied on sheer will and prayer to get her through the temptation. This time, she found her fingers sliding cautiously down her belly to the swatch of hair between her legs. The gloves proved to be too rough for her sensitive nub, so she tossed them aside.
“I don’t even think I remember how to do this,” she muttered.