Cheers

It was the first evening that the weather had been warm enough so I opened my curtains and then the sliding window and stepped out onto my balcony. The fresh, Spring air was a tonic and I placed my glass of wine on the balcony table and sat in the rattan chair and revelled in the view of the rooftops of the city. I'd left the lights off in my sitting room to reduce light pollution but also so I could sit there unobserved.

I heard a window sliding open in the flat next door and, in the half light, I saw someone emerge from their sitting room (the flats were all similar but adjoining flats were reversed in configuration) and as my eyes adjusted to the light that person became more visible. Soft music played from her room and she began to dance. She was tall and blonde and wore a pale blue shirt, collar up and cuffs rolled back one turn, over a short, diaphanous white skirt. Her movements were slow, sinuous and her body had that elastic quality of all good dancers.

On one turn, she paused and looked at me, peering it seemed into the half light.

"You dance beautifully."

"Hah, you should tell my sister that. She dances for some ballet corps and tells me I dance like a horse having a shit."

"Not terribly sisterly."

"I am Livia, I am Russian." Her accent confirmed that.

"You are a spy?"

"Of course. Also assassin. Every good Russian has two jobs. I have three. I am also banker in City." She began to sway again and extended one leg so it was pointing straight out, perfectly horizontal, and turned and turned, holding that position."

"You dance amazingly."

"Then you don't know shit for dancing." Her smile belied her words. "What your name?"

"Penny."

She smiled again and it was a beautiful smile. "I make many pennies. Are you drinking wine?"

"Yes."

"Wait, I will get some."

I watched as she retreated into the sitting room to emerge a few moments later with an ice bucket in which was the unmistakeable shape of a champagne bottle. She poured herself a glass and sat facing me.

"So, Penny, you live here long?"

"Two years."

"I am just moved in. It's ok but this fucking emergency is getting me down. I haven't seen my girlfriend for two weeks." OK, I thought, gay; well that makes two of us but let's keep that to ourselves for now.

"It's tough for all of us."

She stretched her long legs out and rested her heels on the railings that surrounded her balcony just as there were railings around mine.

"We are at least two metres apart, right?"

"At least."

"Good. I was better dancer than my sister, then I grew and she didn't. She says my tits are too big and my legs too long."

"Maybe she's jealous."

"For sure she is. She has tits like yours. Are you jealous?"

"No." I was beginning to find her a bit irritating but her next words mollified me. "You shouldn't be. Your tits are fine. Small tits are good." Thanks a lot. I was a bit surprised when she started to undo her shirt. "See, men like these." They were confined in an almost transparent bra which did nothing to hide the shadow of large, dark nipples. "But my girlfriend says too big. I mean she says they are ok now but in time, well, they will droop."

"Maybe not if you look after yourself."

She cupped one. "You think? Maybe. I dunno."

Covering her bra with her shirt, she peered at me through the semi darkness. "You live alone?" I confirmed that I did. "So, no boyfriend then?" I confirmed that too. "Maybe girlfriend like me?" Alas, no. "Maybe you don't like people. I should leave you alone?"

"No, please, it's good to be able to talk to someone who isn't a face on a computer or a voice over the phone."

"What do you do, Penny? No, let me guess. You are schoolteacher?" Wrong. "University professor?" Fat chance. "OK, I give up."

"Well, I am or was a travel writer."

"Why not any more?" Well since nobody can travel because of the Plague. "This is utter bullshit. You should write about places you have been that people will be able to go to again when all this crap is over. Great, amazing places you loved and want to go back to. Write for me. I will give you my email address and you can send it to me. I'd like to read it."

"I will. Where have you never been?"

"Quicker, I would say, to say where I HAVE been. I've been to US and to Russia and China. England too of course but I haven't seen much. Will you paint pictures for me with your words?"

We said goodnight and retreated into our own flats a while later. I was curiously taken with her. She was so direct, so easy with her body and it truly was a lovely body. I was seeing again in my minds eye the sway of her hips, the way her hair flew when she spun, the shape of her arse under that tiny skirt. And, I told myself, she's gay and doesn't hide it. Tantalising having a beautiful gay neighbour but she has a girlfriend. In my bed that didn't stop me seeing, in my mind's eye that bra, the nipple, her hand cupping it seemingly lovingly. That led to me reaching down between my legs, easing my long, silk nighty up, stroking myself through the fabric. Lifting the silk out of the way I spread my legs wider and enjoyed feeling 'her' fingers caressing me until I was open, then between my lips until my clit peeped out from under her hood. I lifted my knees a little and curled a finger inside, stroked slowly and deeply. With my other hand I started circling my clit then teasing her until, joyously, I climaxed with a small sigh of pleasure that often belies the intensity of the orgasm. Thank you Livia.

The next day I wrote her an email.

Livia, I enjoyed meeting you last night and watching you dance. Will you dance for me again? I know you must be sad being separated from your girlfriend but it will end and you will be reunited.

(I then put, 'I envy you having a girlfriend to reunite with' but deleted it.)

I would love to go back to many places but some are special for me. Burma with its broken streets and broken economy but never-broken people who owe the British so little except enmity but treated me as a most welcome guest. The Indians who are so gentle and respectful and cook amazing meals in kitchens we'd think were too small to be cupboards and the saris, oh the saris.

I rambled, giving her where I could a flavour of the places and the people until I felt I had said too much so I edited it down and sent it before I changed my mind.

Penny, Thank you for your email. Now I want to go to Burma and Vietnam. Maybe you take me, show me. Maybe you take me to India too. You are a good writer. I am glad to have a new friend as my neighbour. Please write more.

You said you never saw Russia so I will describe for you. Maybe we have a drink together this evening.

Her description was colourful and I could imagine what she described. I found myself looking forward to that drink and at pretty much the same time as the night before I slipped out onto my balcony. She was there, dancing and I sat and watched her. She danced for several minutes then came to the railings and looked at me.

"Does it make you horny to watch me?"

"Yes."

"It makes me horny dancing for you." She touched her blouse, flimsy and loose and as she pressed it against herself her nipple became obvious, hard and erect. No bra tonight, I thought. "You like women too?"

"Yes."

"So, here we are, two lesbians two metres apart. I liked meeting you last night and I loved your email. Thank you."

"Where is your girlfriend?"

"In Russia. She is doctor and decided to go back to help. Maybe I never see her again."

"I'm sure you will."

"She will meet handsome, rich man and marry. She likes guys too, too much I think. Do you like guys."

"I don't hate them."

She smiled. "I don't hate but I don't fuck." Livia sat down and picked up her drink from her table, long legs extended, heels on the railings. "How come you have no girlfriend?"

I shrugged. "I did have but she left me. Maybe my tits are too small for her liking."

Livia laughed. "Sure, we always leave our lovers because their tits are the wrong size. Show me." I hesitated and she smiled and opened her blouse and proudly showed me hers. "It's easy, just open your shirt." I opened it as she had. "There. They are nice, lovely actually. You have pretty nipples."

"Thank you."

I barely noticed that she had moved her heels apart of the railings but when she lifted her skirt and began to stroke between her legs, just as I had when I had thought of her the night before, I was entranced and, perhaps oddly, not shocked. "I did this after I saw you last night."

"So did I."

"Really? That is very flattering."

"Yes it is." I lifted my skirt out of the way and revealed that, just like her, I was naked beneath it. She showed no surprise whatsoever but her fingers got busier and she started first to stroke, then squeeze her nipple. I followed her, opening my lips, circling my clit, rolling her between my fingers. She set her feet on the floor so I could see better.

"I don't usually cum unless I have something inside me."

I stood up, moved close to my railings so she could see me clearly. "Look at me, please." She did and as she did, I lifted my hand to my mouth and slowly pushed a finger into it. Her entire body seemed to shiver as if an earthquake had struck but her eyes remained steadfastly on me as she quite obviously but silently climaxed.

"You have good finger. Now, sit down and show me what you are like when you have orgasm."

A short while later, she said, "You cum nice." She raised her glass. "To us and social distancing."

"Cheers."