Respite

Spots of dappled sunlight streamed through the trees and danced and twirled on the pavement as I waited for her outside the building. She was always late, frantically trying to keep up with her life. Not that I would ever want her life, I snorted to myself. Immediately regretting the thought, I focussed on the distant rush of traffic echoing softly through what had to be the last quiet street in Brisbane's central business district.

The occasional fragrance of Lebanese cooking swirled on the cool breeze from the kebab shop across the road. It looked to be a family business. Mum and the daughters were up front, serving customers and seeing to the salads. The men bustled about backstage, the only ones permitted to shave curls of meat from the giant columns of beef, chicken and lamb slowly turning in the vertical rotisseries. There was something cute about it, I mused. The whole family working together, as opposed to the detached isolation of my own profession.

"Feeling hungry?" a smooth, female voice teased over my shoulder.

I spun on my heel to see Bree smiling at me. Beaming, I proffered my hand. "Oh, hello. How are you? It's great to see you again."

"I'm doing good. How about you?" Her handshake was firm, and her smile soft and genuine. She released my grip and swept back the thick tendrils of dark auburn hair which had blown across her face, tucking them behind her ear. Most women in their mid-forties kept their hair short and manageable, but I thought the collarbone length of Bree's suited her nicely.

"Good," I nodded. "Hey, that's a nice blouse. White really suits you." Every other time I had seen her, she had been wearing something dark.

The compliment threw her. Reflexively, she smiled, but then her brow twitched and she cocked her head slightly. She seemed bemused. Bree briefly broke eye contact, and I jumped at the chance to avoid the rapidly escalating awkwardness.

I shot a fleeting look over my shoulder at the kebab shop. "It's no Jamie Oliver," I apologised. "But it's all right for a quick feed if you don't feel like cooking."

"Oh no," she laughed, obviously relieved with the change of subject. "It's actually perfect. Kebabs are the only thing I can get Jessica to eat."

"Well that's lucky. At least I don't have to make up any lies about how it's the best kebab shop in the city. I ushered her over to the building entrance. As I fished around in my coat pocket for the swipe card, I leaned into her conspiratorially and whispered, "Actually, I think they deal drugs out of there."

Bree laughed and slapped my chest with the back of her hand as I held the card to the reader. It chirped three times, causing the lock of the glass door to click open. I stepped through, holding the door open for her to enter the dark, shiny lobby.

"Oh, the mailboxes are inside," Bree noted, studying the bank of stainless steel compartments opposite the two lifts on the left.

"Yeah, the postman actually has his own swipe card to get in. Really cuts down on the junk mail, and more secure if you want to check your mail late at night." I stepped over to the boxes and tapped one on the top row. "This is yours, Number Fifty-Four."

Bree gave me another bemused grin as I strode the three paces over to the lifts and pushed the call button. I always used possessive pronouns, like 'yours', when showing properties. It was an easy subliminal trick to get buyers in the right frame of mind. But she was having none of it.

The stainless steel doors on the right opened with a soft chime. I held my hand protectively across the door to stop it from closing and guided Bree into the lift first. Using the swipe card again to activate the panel, I pressed the button for the ninth floor.

"Will?" Bree breathed, gently touching my forearm as the doors closed. "I'm really sorry about Monday. Jessica had a bad meltdown, and I just couldn't leave her."

"That's okay," I smiled back, feeling my weight press into the floor of the rising elevator. "Half my day is waiting for no shows and cancellations. At least you have a good reason. I can't imagine how hard it is to look after a disabled child."

"Child with a disability," Bree corrected, removing her hand from my arm.

"Huh? What did I say?" I was genuinely confused, but I knew I had said the wrong thing. My cheeks were warming and I could feel my forehead prickle with sweat.

"My daughter isn't disabled," she explained. "My daughter is Jessica. And Jessica has autism."

I frowned at her. I still wasn't getting it, my embarrassment growing. Trying to mask the move by scratching a pretend itch at my temple, I discreetly wiped the sweat from my brow.

"'Disabled' is a label that defines someone." Bree's tone was patient, her brown eyes serious. "'Person with a disability' is a description of something they have. The person comes first, not the disability."

"Oh, okay," I nodded, finally understanding the distinction. The elevator's electronic voice announced our arrival to Level Nine and I gestured for Bree to step out onto the floor. "Well, you've got to give me some credit. At least I didn't say handicapped this time."

Bree spun around on the charcoal carpet in front of the lift, coming to rest with her hands on her hips. Her soft smile told me that she got the joke, but her brows were furrowed in playful admonishment. I shrugged a cheeky grin and beckoned her to follow me down the corridor. She allowed herself a small giggle, then sighed theatrically with a shake of her head as she fell in beside me.

"This is you, at the end," I declared, stopping in front of the last door on the left of the deep purple hallway. Knocking first to check the owner wasn't home, I slipped the key into the stainless steel lock and opened the heavy charcoal door to the apartment.

I strode in and pirouetted on the dark, porcelain tiles, leaning back against the self-closing door to keep it open for her. Bree paced through into the small foyer and tentatively looked around. The charcoal flooring carried through from the corridor, but the off-white walls in the apartment contrasted nicely with the purple outside. The owner had decorated with sleek, trendy furniture, with the odd flourish of vivid primary colour. It really was a nice place.

"So, this one doesn't have all those great storage cupboards by the front door, like that one I showed you last week," I pointed out as I clicked the door shut. I stepped over to the wall opposite. "But there is space here to put your grandmother's side table and that antique mirror you were telling me about."

Bree's warm, brown eyes lit up, and her lips slid back from her teeth in that trademarked soft smile of hers. She was obviously tickled that I had remembered something about her.

"The other plus," I went on, reaching in through the adjacent doorway and flicking on the light. "Is that this place has a separate laundry, rather than just a cupboard in the bathroom."

She hummed her approval as she went in to inspect the small utility room by the front door. Bree was thorough, examining every inch of the space. I was ready this time for her questions about the hot water system and fuse box, holding up well to her interrogation. Satisfied, she turned off the light and drifted back out into the foyer. She looked up at me expectantly, waiting for the next part of the tour.

"This way." I guided her the half a dozen or so paces across the entry. "Waving my arm from the kitchen on the right, past the glass eight-seater dining table to the white leather lounge setting, and the balcony on the other side of the full length windows, I continued. "This is obviously the living area.

Bree quickly scanned the space, then walked past me into the kitchen, trailing her fingers across the black granite bench top. I flew into my sales pitch, pointing out the sellable features of the spacious galley kitchen, as she carefully appraised every nook and cranny. She swung open the white, glossy doors of the overhead cupboards, then tested the working order of each soft-close hinge. There was something about the way she moved, so deliberate, so graceful.

Moving around into the dining area, I watched her across the island bench. She had her back to me while she studied the gas cooktop. My eyes automatically fell to the subtle curves of her ass in those simple black slacks. Although she had a good fifteen years on me, she was a very attractive woman. When she squatted down to look inside the under bench oven, the hem of her white blouse rode up from her waistband, revealing a few tantalising inches of delicately contoured skin. I couldn't quite see the top of her panties, but it was a pleasant little thrill regardless.

Bree coughed a laugh, and I lifted my gaze up her slender back to see her glaring at me over her shoulder. Her nose was wrinkled in a what-the-fuck expression, complete with a crooked smile. She had caught me perving. The heat returned to my face and my forehead prickled again as she stood, holding my gaze the whole way.

I cleared my throat. "Um..." I swallowed. "I might just let you take a look around yourself. It's pretty self-explanatory."

Bree's smile widened, and she couldn't help giggling at my embarrassment. She kept her eyes fixed on mine as she stepped onto the carpet in the dining area. Twirling slowly between the dining table and couch to get a sense of the space, she finally released me from her scrutiny to continue her inspection of the apartment. I wiped the moisture from my brow and gave myself a mental slapping as she surveyed the living area.

Spinning around to face me, she asked excitedly, "The bedrooms are on either side of the living area?"

"I told you I had one that was perfect for you," I grinned smugly. Holding my left arm out like an auto show model. "You'll want to see Jessica's room first."

She smiled at me warmly, my pronoun trick working its magic. Bree rushed through the doorway to check out the room that might soon be her daughter's. I couldn't help but chuckle to myself when I heard the sound of her opening the wardrobe doors. A minute later she flashed a quick grin at me through the doorway on her way to the main bathroom, shortly followed by a thorough drawer-banging search of the vanity unit. When she returned to the living area, I could tell she was obviously impressed.

"So, how was that?" I leaned back against the kitchen bench. "Enough room for Jessica's drawing table, do you think?"

"Yeah," she beamed. "It'll easily fit in there. Her bookshelves too."

"That's great," I smiled. "Come on, let's check out your room." I ushered her across the living area and into the main bedroom. Full length windows made up the walls on two sides, one of them leading out onto the balcony. The king-size bed was neatly made with a white, patterned quilt, and sat between the doors to the ensuite bathroom and the walk-in wardrobe.

Bree couldn't conceal her excitement as she strode around the room. She was as happy as a pig in shit with the walk-in robe. Women and wardrobes, I silently laughed to myself. The ensuite too, blew her away.

"I know, the shower's over the bath," I admitted. "But you actually have a bath. And the great thing about being on the corner of the building is that you have a window in your ensuite." All the other apartments I had shown her had dark, internal bathrooms with no natural light.

Her big brown eyes were alight with excitement. It was infectious, and we both started giggling. She really was a beautiful woman. A few lines, a few grey hairs, but I liked it. She had an intangible quality the twenty somethings I usually ended up with lacked.

I became very aware of how close we were standing in the tight bathroom. The sound of our breathing echoed off the white porcelain that lined the walls, and I was sure it was growing louder. There was definitely a shift in the atmosphere. Bree sensed it too, toying with the button of her blouse between her modest breasts.

The piercing trill of her mobile phone startled us both as it broke the tension. She fished out her Samsung and checked the screen. "I'm sorry. Excuse me, I need to get this. It's my ex-husband about Jessica."

I nodded an understanding smile and stood back against the double vanity to give her room to leave the ensuite. Slowly padding out into the bedroom behind her, I could hear that she was in a heated discussion with him. I watched Bree slide open the glass door and step out onto the balcony to continue ripping her ex-husband a new asshole in relative privacy. Leaving her to it, I went back into the living area and took up position to wait for her, leaning against the kitchen bench.

I heard the sliding door rumble open in the bedroom about ten minutes later, then close again with a click of the lock. But Bree didn't reappear. I gave her a few more minutes, anxiously watching the doorway. Still nothing.

I poked my head in the bedroom door. "Hey, how are you doing?"

"Oh, I'm fine," she smiled brightly, as if everything was all right. But the almost imperceptible tremble of her voice betrayed her.

"Oh, Bree, what's wrong?" I breathed as I entered the bedroom and moved towards her.

Her armour cracked in an instant, and her best light and breezy body language immediately collapsed into despair. Her shoulders slumped and her hand covered her mouth as she began to cry. I bounded the last few paces to her at the foot of the bed, wrapping her up in a tight, supportive hug. She fell into me, sobbing into my chest.

"I'm sorry," she sniffed after only a few seconds, desperately trying to compose herself, rubbing at her eyes and nose with the back of her hand.

"Bree, it's okay," I whispered, brushing a few wayward strands of her hair behind her ear. Her face was red, probably just as much from embarrassment as the tears, and her mascara had begun to smear. "You're allowed to cry."

The dam burst and Bree buried her head in my chest again, this time letting herself go for a full thirty seconds before she sniffed and snorted herself back under control. She pulled back half a step, hiding her face with her hand.

"Here," I offered her a blue spotted handkerchief. Putting my arm around her shoulders, I guided her to sit on the foot of the bed and placed my other hand on her knee. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"No, thank you, I don't want to bother you with my dramas." Bree blew her nose, but before she finished wiping, the floodgates opened again. "I'm sorry to break down on you. It's just that I have to fight for absolutely everything, all the time. I just...I'm just so..."

"You just need a break," I whispered, squeezing her shoulder.

"Exactly!" she whined, wringing her eyes shut and throwing her head back. "Dale, my ex-, you know, nothing's ever good enough. I should be doing this for Jessica, or I should be doing that. But does he ever step up and help?"

I of course knew the answer was no, but I bit my tongue and just listened to her. It was heartbreaking to watch this incredibly strong, confident woman coming apart at the seams. But it was hardly surprising. There was only so long she could keep up the façade. She unloaded her awful life story, filling in the gaps between the odd pieces I already had from the half dozen times I had spoken to her before.

I knew she was on her own with an eighteen year old daughter with a disability. However, I was saddened to learn that her husband had run out on her shortly after Jessica had been diagnosed with autism. She was only three at the time. A real hero, leaving her with the burden of raising her alone. She had battled the education system and disability services for years to get Jessica through a mainstream school. And now that she had finished, she needed Dale to give their daughter some work experience stocking the shelves of his stationery shop after closing.

Her ex-husband was once again, nowhere.

This poor woman, I thought as I sat on the end of the bed with her, listening to her vent her spleen. I held her close, gently stroking her shoulder with my thumb. The feeling of her bra strap through her thin blouse triggered the less honourable centres of my brain, and I found myself wondering how long it had been since she had last had sex.

Oh, good one, dickhead. I looked away for a moment as I mentally chided myself. That's the last fucking thing she needs, you cracking onto her in the middle of all this. Like you're some sexual dynamo who could make her forget her troubles. What an ego!

I shook the thought and returned my attention to Bree. She was in a tailspin, running through an overwhelming list of things she had to do for Jessica, all of them this minute. Her usually smooth voice cracked as she went on, the increasing anxiety causing her eyes to brim with tears.

"You're holding on so tight," I reflected back gently.

"I have to," she whined. "I don't have any other choice."

"What about just letting go?"

"Pfft," Bree snorted. Clearly it was the most preposterous suggestion she had ever heard. Her head dropped as she shook it, launching back into her monologue of responsibilities and pressures.

"Hey," I interrupted, gently squeezing her knee. When her dewy brown eyes looked up, I asked, "When was the last time you did something just for you?"

The question seemed to snap her out of it. Her eyes, glued to mine, narrowed slightly. Bree's bottom lip twitched in concentration as she searched for a response. All of a sudden, her focus sharpened, but there was still no answer.

"And don't say, buying an apartment," I warned. "We both know you're doing that to make sure Jessica has a future."

Bree's eyes twinkled and her lips spread into her beautifully soft smile. It wasn't pride with what she was doing for her daughter, I knew. It was because I could see through her. "You don't know me," she snorted in mock indignation.

I held her gaze and smiled. "I think I have a pretty good idea." I lifted my right hand from her knee and brushed the auburn hair from her forehead. As my fingertips lightly caressed her skin, I was emboldened by the spark of electricity I felt. When I returned my hand to her leg, I placed it considerably higher up her thigh.

Bree swallowed. Then subtly moistened her lips with her tongue, leaving the pink flesh glistening in the light streaming in through the full length windows. As she sat there, with my left arm around her, and my right hand on her thigh, she did absolutely nothing to pull away. She just stared at me, her eyes smouldering with anticipation.

My own heart pounded in my chest, and I became aware of the sound of my own breath. Her closeness, the feeling of her slender frame, the look she was giving me, it had to be a signal. I was sure she wanted me to kiss her.

Are you out of your mind? She's a potential buyer, you idiot. And you're way too young for her. My inner voice was a real ass, but he had a good point.

I sat a moment longer, not moving. The tension was palpable. I felt the flush in my cheeks, and the coy smile that turned up the corners of Bree's mouth only made it worse. Unable to take it any longer, I leaned in, slowly, closing the maybe six inches between us to about three.

Bree's breath hitched, but she didn't pull back at all. She kept her big brown eyes locked on mine, waiting for me to keep going. I moved in another inch or so and Bree tilted her head up to meet me, her eyes closing as her soft pink lips parted. It was definitely a signal.

I moved forward the final inch.

Our lips met softly for just a moment. Tentatively, I pulled back a fraction, keeping my nose in contact with hers, and opened my eyes to gage her reaction. Bree kept her eyes closed and inhaled as she chased the kiss. I pressed my lips to hers and sucked her bottom lip between mine. The sound of gentle slurping and our quickening breath became my whole world.