[heartfire05]

Royce stood in the living room of his new apartment and simply enjoyed the moment. A week had passed since he moved in and by now he pretty much had everything set up. New furniture had been delivered and arranged in order. The living room was now comfortably “livable” and on the far side the dining alcove had a nice table and four comfortably padded chairs. Beyond that the efficiency kitchen was fully stocked and he had begun to fix his own meals.

He had a two bedroom apartment. The master bedroom was set up with a queen size bed and the rest of a bedroom set appropriate for a single male. The other bedroom was intended to be an office with a desk and chair and a couple of file cabinets. Royce expected to add more items later on as they were needed. And of course the bath and a half was fully supplied with all essential consumables.

All the utility arrangements were also complete. The electricity was set up in his name. Water was provided by the apartment management as part of the rental agreement. The telephone man had installed two phones, one in the living room and one in the master bedroom. And as soon as he could have a telephone jack placed in the office Royce would have a third phone there.

The final arrangement had come that morning with the delivery of his new color television which was connected to the apartment complex cable system. Royce had grown up with the old black and white TV’s. He had seen color TV’s in other places. But now he owned one for himself.

For Royce this was the beginning of a new chapter in his life. In many ways it was the beginning of an entirely new life. He had another week before starting his new job. A whole week to enjoy this nice apartment here in this new city. This new city where people didn’t know him and he could live his life the way he wanted, the way he enjoyed without the burden of people who knew his family background constantly glaring at him in not so silent condemnation. This was what Royce most of all looked forward to in this new life. He could now be rid of all the religious regulations and restrictions his parents had straitjacketed him in throughout the years of his childhood. Now he could finally live his life with all those good and fun things that everyone else got to have and enjoy.

The doorbell rang and Royce turned toward the door in mild surprise. No other delivery men were scheduled to come so who could be at his door. He walked over and quickly opened the door without first peering through the peek hole. And then he did a half choke at the sight that met him.

It was her. The stunning older woman from that first level apartment with all the potted plants on the patio. And she was still wearing her bikini.

“Hi,” she greeted him in a cheery voice. A slightly wicked smile played on her lips. “My name is Lana. Welcome to Chesterfield.”

Many thoughts raced rapidly through Royce’s mind. Here was an opportunity. He was sure it was an opportunity for something really good. And he did not want to blow it. But he was also extremely self conscious of his own limitations. Given the nature of his upbringing he was about as unprepared as a man could be to comfortably react to a sudden encounter with an attractive woman who obviously delighted in being sexy. And so he feverishly grasped for the right thing to say.

“Hi, back at you,” was the response he finally settled on, and he hoped it projected a suave confidence he didn’t feel. “My name is Royce and I’m happy to be here. Um, at Chesterfield.”

And he inwardly cringed a little at that awkward stutter. Lana didn’t say anything and the wickedness of her smile was joined with just a hint of subtle amusement.

“Won’t you come in,” Royce offered, trying not to sound desperate as he sought to recover and save the opportunity.

“I was wondering if you would ask me in,” Lana accepted. And without hesitation she proceeded through the door brushing with casual unconcern her nearly naked body against Royce as she passed.

“Oh I just love these two bedroom apartments,” she announced. “I wish I could afford one. You should see how small my place is. And you have really nice taste in furniture. Most men don’t.”

Without any uncertainty or hesitation Lana stepped over to the sofa and sat down, picking a spot just beyond the end of the coffee table where she could stretch out her legs as she pressed her shoulders and tilted her head against the plushly upholstered padding.

“Umm,” she purred. “This is so soft. You really do know your furniture. I could stay here forever. Mind if I move in with you?”

Royce’s eyes had been focused on Lana’s crotch and shapely legs. But now that jestful question snapped him back from his admiration of her body. Thinking rapidly he quickly decided to bypass the moving in tease.

“I like the sofa too,” he simply said. “Spent a lot of time checking them out before I picked that one.”

And then he paused as he mentally kicked himself for being so obtuse. He took another glance at Lana’s crotch, tightly enclosed in her bikini bottom with just a hint of cameltoe, as he assessed the situation. He had been obsessing over this woman ever since he first saw her. In the first couple of days after he rented his apartment and while he was still ironing out all the paperwork details he had made several trips to the apartment complex office.

This had taken him past Lana’s apartment and naturally it was impossible to not notice her. If she had a job apparently she worked off beat hours because she was just about always at home during the daytime. And each time he passed by going to and from the office she was usually out on her patio in her bikini tending to her plants.

She would have been a strikingly attractive woman under any circumstances but especially so with her body so fully displayed. She was older than Royce, probably at least thirty. And her body was simply magnificent. Lightly tanned, and superbly shaped and toned, Lana was an absolute delight to look at. And for Royce this was a major element of his new life. To be able to look at a woman’s body, without fear, without having to feel guilt.

He had recently browsed a men’s magazine and come across a humorous test to evaluate what was the respondent’s favorite part of a woman’s body. Her tits, her ass or her legs. Royce took the test and it confirmed what he already knew. To him a woman’s tits and ass were delightful but above all he loved her legs. And he considered himself fortunate in that preference. A single, unattached man like himself would have to take special measures to see women’s naked busts and butts. But if he wanted to see their bare legs all he had to do was visit the nearest beach or swimming pool.

Now that he was in his new life, now that he was finally free of the religious tyranny that had never accepted and never would accept that it was not a mortal sin for men and women to glimpse each other’s exposed bodies as revealed by those horrible things called swimsuits, the delights, the sheer fun of beaches and swimming pools were now available to him. Just as they had always been available for the enjoyment of everybody else.

And this predilection for legs, this proximity to a stunning woman who had no hang-up about showing off her body, had given Royce additional reasons to make those trips to the office. Each time he looked forward in eager anticipation to catch sight for a few seconds as he passed of this woman, name then unknown, in her bikini.

In all the times he had made those trips and feasted his eyes on her body she had never looked his way, had seemingly never noticed his interest but had remained occupied with her plants. As far as Royce could tell she wasn’t even aware of his existence.

But now, suddenly, unexpectedly here she was in his apartment, relaxing on his sofa, making jests about moving in. Royce wanted very much for this to lead to better things and inwardly he cursed himself for being so woefully unprepared by his old life and upbringing to seize such an opportunity. Thinking desperately he decided to go for broke.

“You know, uh Lana,” he winced as he stumbled over the opening and then tried to force what he hoped was a confident smile. “I’ve always thought it was silly when people think it’s proper etiquette to ignore something that’s obvious because it might not be polite to talk about it.”

Lana’s smile now had a trace of curiosity as she listened.

“But of course I can see that you’re wearing a bikini.”

“Does that bother you?” Lana asked. Ever since she had settled on the sofa her legs had been slightly spread. And now even though she did not adjust them the complete absence of motion as she remained in the same position pointedly proclaimed that if her near nakedness bothered Royce it certainly didn’t bother her.

“No, not at all,” Royce hurriedly replied. “I think it’s great.” But in spite of his best efforts there was a tremor in his voice as he continued. “I really admire someone who is so comfortable about themselves. I admire you.”

Lana just smiled and made no comment and Royce tried to fill the void of silence by stumbling on.

“I mean, how many people are going to wear a bikini and go into a stranger’s place to introduce themselves.” And then after a pause. “I think it’s great.”

Lana continued to smile silently and again Royce felt impelled to fill the void.

“I love your legs,” he said softly.

Lana rose from the sofa and turned around. She turned her head and glanced back at Royce over her left shoulder as she struck a pose.

“I think I’ve got a pretty nice butt, too.”

And Royce had no answer for that. Lana turned back and stepped up to him.

“It was nice meeting you, Royce.” She lightly fingered his shirt as she said, “I hope to see more of you.”

She raised her index finger and kissed the tip. Then she touched that same tip to Royce’s lips. And with another smile she stepped past him, again brushing her body against his. As she went through the apartment door she glanced over her shoulder again and rewarded him with a final smile before easing the door shut behind her.