Jackhammer to the Heart

Author's note: This story builds slowly to a conclusion that I hope is satisfying. I've been fortunate to get detailed and thoughtful feedback from these volunteer editors: LostLittleLamb, 1moeannie, Rbloom, hisvixenkiki, Ohzee44, and DNLCS. Their generosity improved this story immeasurably. Also, LostLittleLamb and Ohzee44 are published authors on Literotica and you'd be doing yourself a favor to read their excellent stories.

Disclaimer: Although not stated explicitly, all characters are over 18 years old.

* * * * * * *

Aubrey jumped at the ear-splitting racket outside her window.

"I apologize for the noise on my end, Mrs. Jenkins," she said as calmly as she could manage. "That was my last question anyway. You can expect the magazine's fact checker to be calling you in the coming weeks to verify your quotes. Thank you again for your time during this interview."

Aubrey ripped her headset off just as the noise stopped. For weeks the neighboring house had been empty and peaceful. The new owner wasted no time ruining that, and almost ruining her interview. She went to look out her second-floor window.

Over the fence she saw a tall man holding a jackhammer over the little concrete patio in the neighboring back yard. He was covered in dust, but she forgot her anger upon seeing his astonishingly muscular shape. Thick arms held the tool, a tight shirt stretched across his wide back, and his powerful legs were wrapped in tight work pants. Aubrey felt herself flush looking at him, then startled again when the machine resumed.

Something about the sight of this man along with the intensity of the jackhammer ringing in her ears brought a wave of warmth between her legs. She laughed to herself. It has been too long, hasn't it?

She looked around to be certain nobody could see her. After all, why not? The least he could do in exchange for the interruption is to allow me a little fantasy. She pulled down her pants and leaned against the low cabinet, stroking herself while she watched him work. When it was quiet, she caressed herself gently. When the jackhammer started, she rubbed herself wildly as though she could feel the relentless vibrations against her clit. She imagined the man pounding into her with the intensity of that jackhammer. It didn't take many rounds of this for Aubrey to be right at the edge.

A final burst of jackhammering launched her into a surprisingly intense orgasm. She cried out just as the noise stopped, and the man must have heard something. He looked around for the source as her body surged with ecstasy. The floor hit her hard before she realized she had slipped off the cabinet. As she flailed to recover, she also realized that she recognized the man with the jackhammer.

She burst out laughing at how ridiculous she must look, splayed on the floor with her pants down. Fortunately, nobody would ever have to know. She picked herself up, pulled her pants back up, then felt for bruises. Nothing too bad. She opened the window.

"Nick, is that you?" she yelled before he started the jackhammer again.

He looked around but didn't see her. He pulled off his ear protection just as she called again.

"Hey asshole!" she called. "It's Aubrey! Up here!"

He finally saw her. She saw his eyes go wide with delight.

"Aubrey!" He seemed stuck, but then with effort he put on a calm smile. "Aubrey. Wow, how long has it been? Do you... do you live here?"

She nodded. "Yes, I also work here. Just on the other side of this thin pane of glass."

Nick's cheeks turned red. "Oh? Oh! Sorry about that."

"Are you doing construction work now?" Aubrey asked.

Nick cocked his head in confusion, then smiled. "Oh this?" He put down the jackhammer. "No, just doing a few things to the house before I move in. I had no idea you lived next door!"

"I had no idea you'd even moved back because you're terrible at keeping in touch. You couldn't have mentioned this in between dropping terrible jokes in the group chat?"

He shrugged and held up his gloved hands. "Yeah, I suppose you're right. I suck."

"You do," Aubrey said nodding. "To make up for it you're taking me out to dinner tonight. It's been almost ten years since we graduated, and we have a lot of catching up to do. Do you have a family I get to meet too?"

Again Nick looked confused, but then he shook his head. "Ah, no, no family. It's just me. Dinner would be nice, though. Damn, Aubrey... it's good to see you."

"Maybe you could have fucking called?" she said with a smirk.

"Yeah, that would have been a good idea." Remembering the jackhammer, he looked down again. "Oh, I should stop this, so I don't interrupt your work."

"How much more do you have to do? Is this going to be all week?" Aubrey asked.

Nick shook his head. "I only rented it for today. I have a little more to do, and then no more noise."

"Then just finish it," Aubrey said. "I need to run an errand anyway. Will seven o'clock give you enough time to finish and get cleaned up for dinner?"

"Yes, it will," Nick nodded.

"Do you still eat wings?" Aubrey asked.

"Yes, I do!" Nick grinned.

"Perfect. There's a great place a short walk from here. Come by at seven."

"I'll be there," Nick said. "It's good to see you, Aubrey."

"You too, asshole," she said, shaking her head with a smile. He grinned back at her as she closed the window and the jackhammering resumed.

* * * * * * *

After returning from the store, Aubrey decided to have a shower before meeting Nick for dinner. Feeling the water massage her neck, she thought back to how amazing Nick looked. He'd been so average looking back in college. She had trouble reconciling the man she'd seen today with the goofball she remembered, and she felt weird remembering the flush of arousal she'd felt before recognizing him. She didn't normally get turned on just by looking at a man, but there was something about the shape of Nick's back and the way it tapered down to... Aubrey straightened with a start and pulled her hands away from the heat between her legs. She took a deep breath to clear her head and finished showering, trying to not think about how long it had been since she'd last had a date.

And this isn't a date, she reminded herself. This is Nick, the buddy you used to clown around with. Even if he looks different, it's still Nick.

Brushing her blonde hair in front of the mirror, Aubrey thought about how different Nick looked and wondered if he would think she looked different. Studying her body, she thought she was still about the same shape as she'd been in college. Almost. She dressed casually in jeans and her favorite old college t-shirt. It was tighter across her chest than she remembered. She looked good, actually, even if it did emphasize her breasts more than she was usually comfortable with. She thought maybe the college callback wasn't worth giving Nick the wrong idea, but then the doorbell rang.

Aubrey opened the door to Nick, no longer covered in dust. She could see his short hair was still brown, though there was a little gray in there now. His face wasn't quite as round as she remembered, but just as kind. She wasn't used to thinking of Nick as handsome, but there was something distinguished about him that she didn't remember from before. His eyes looked her over quickly, seeming to widen a bit looking at her chest, but maybe she just imagined it. Then his face lit up with his familiar goofy smile and it was just regular old Nick again. Aubrey laughed to realize he was wearing the exact same t-shirt. His was also tight across the chest.

"You still have this shirt, too!" Aubrey said as she pulled him into a tight hug.

She felt her nipples tighten as they pressed up against Nick's broad chest and his strong arms wrapped around her. For a second she felt disoriented, breathing his clean scent, being enveloped in his warm strength. Realizing she held the hug too long, she released him quickly.

"It's good to see you too," Nick chuckled.

"You look the same, Nick!" Aubrey said. "Except for the Schwarzenegger impersonation."

Nick's cheeks reddened, and he looked down. "Oh, hardly," he said quietly.

"You look good," Aubrey said.

Nick looked back up at her. "You look..." He swallowed. "You look beautiful. As always."

Aubrey felt herself blushing and couldn't stand the awkwardness any longer. She pushed by him and locked the door behind her.

"I'll show you my house later, neighbor," Aubrey said. "Right now, I'm too hungry."

"Wiiiiiings!" Nick said, doing a robot walk exactly like he did back in school.

Aubrey burst out laughing and copied him. "Must. Consume. Wiiiiiings!"

Now that they were goofing around as they used to, Aubrey felt the awkwardness fade as she caught up with her old friend. Soon they were seated in a corner of the cramped restaurant, each digging into their own basket of wings with fries and drinking beer.

"I see you're still a coward about spicy sauce," Aubrey said.

Nick dipped a wing into the mild BBQ sauce and smiled. "I see you still think ranch sauce is not just for kids."

Aubrey gasped in mock outrage. "The ranch is essential for cooling the mouth in between bites of the atomic sauce. A real man would know this."

"I'd rather survive the meal than die a real man," Nick said, taking a sip of beer.

"So, Mister Coward," Aubrey said. "When did you move back to town?"

Nick looked up in thought. "About three months ago. I've been living in a hotel while I looked for a house. I suppose I should have introduced myself to my neighbors before I started making noise."

"You think?" Aubrey said with a laugh. "So, what have you been up to all this time? I thought you were off to business school back east somewhere. Doing lots of business?"

Nick chuckled. "Yeah, I got an MBA, but not doing much business." He took a breath, then continued more quietly. "My mom got sick soon after I got the MBA. With dad gone, I moved back home to take care of her. I found a sales analysis job I could do from home. It's not much of a career, but it gave me the flexibility I needed. And then when Mom died last year--"

Aubrey put her hand on his. "Nick, I'm so sorry. I didn't know."

He looked at her and blinked. "Thank you. It's been hard, but I'm okay."

He sat up straighter. Aubrey let her hand slip off his.

"Anyway," Nick continued, "I just needed a change. I sold my parents' house and decided to move back here. I guess it's a little pathetic that all the fond college memories drew me back here."

"Don't expect criticism from me," Aubrey said. "I like it here too. I never left!"

"Are you still writing?" Nick asked.

Aubrey nodded. "Freelance, yes, for several different magazines. I get to interview lots of interesting people, and I can work from home, so it's not bad."

Nick grimaced. "Were you doing an interview when I was using the jackhammer?"

"Yes," Aubrey laughed. "I was pretty pissed until I recognized you. When did you get so... fit?" Aubrey noticed how his shirt sleeves stretched over his muscular arms.

Nick shrugged. "I just needed something to do. I didn't have much of a social circle, and I was stuck home taking care of Mom. For a while I got a little obsessed with lifting." He looked embarrassed.

"I think it's great," Aubrey said, losing herself for a moment looking at his arms. "You look... you look great!"

She could tell he felt uncomfortable with the attention. "Of course, now that you know about this wing place, your stomach won't be flat for long."

Nick chuckled. "You've got that right. This is delicious."

Aubrey raised her beer. "To old friends, and new neighbors."

Nick raised his glass in return. "To a fresh start."

They drank. He looked happy, but there was something in the look he gave her that she couldn't quite identify.

After more laughing and more beer than she'd had in ages, Aubrey felt happily buzzed as they walked together back to her house.

"When do you move in?" Aubrey asked.

"I need a few weeks to finish things in the house, first. Painting. Replacing the bathroom sink. And the, uh, patio, as you heard."

"You're not going to drive back to the hotel like this?" Aubrey asked.

Nick chuckled as he stumbled. "No, that wouldn't be wise."

He pulled out his phone to call for a ride, but Aubrey put her hand on his and pushed it down.

"Don't be silly! I have a spare bedroom. You should just stay here tonight."

Nick was quiet. It was too dark to tell if he was blushing. "I don't mean to impose."

Aubrey pulled him toward her front door. "No arguing! Come on!"

She helped him put fresh sheets on the spare bed, gave him a new toothbrush, and they said goodnight to each other.

Alone in her bed, still feeling a bit drunk, Aubrey thought about Nick sleeping on the other side of the wall. She felt so happy spending time with him. It had been a long time since she'd had this much fun. Was it just nostalgia?

The memory of Nick with the jackhammer flashed in her mind, bringing with it a wave of unexpected warmth between her legs. Shaking her head at herself, Aubrey rolled over and tried to put him out of her mind as she went to sleep.

* * * * * * *

Morning was announced by soft light and a pounding headache. Aubrey rushed to the bathroom to take some aspirin. The drink of water and hope for relief from pain allowed her brain to form a new thought: coffee. She stepped out of the bathroom and leaped into the air upon seeing someone in the hall.

"Sorry!" Nick said brightly. "Didn't mean to startle you. Good morning."

Aubrey had a hand on her heart, breathing heavily with her eyes wide as she tried to calm down. "That's okay. I just forgot... I'm just not used to having someone else in the house."

She noticed Nick's eyes move down and then shoot back up to her face as he blushed. She blushed too when she remembered she was wearing panties and a short sleep shirt with no bra.

"Mind if I make coffee?" Nick asked, hurriedly turning toward the kitchen.

"That would be a lifesaver, thanks," Aubrey said, hurrying to her bedroom for a bathrobe. Her head pounded, but she couldn't stop wondering if she had imagined that gleam in Nick's eyes when he had looked at her.

She found Nick in the kitchen digging in the fridge. He blushed again when he turned to nod at her, and then quick buried his face back in the fridge. Coffee was brewing, thank god.

"It's been a while since I drank that much," Aubrey said, sitting at the table, unable to do anything but watch the coffee pot slowly fill.

"Breakfast will help," Nick said.

Astonishingly quickly he was scrambling eggs and making toast. He put a mug of coffee before her, and after savoring the first blessed sip she found a plate of hot food before her as well. She ate gratefully.

The aspirin, coffee, and food helped take the edge off her headache and she was finally able to think more clearly.

"Thank you for breakfast. I needed that. How did you sleep?" she asked.

"Well, thank you," Nick replied. "My arms are a little sore from the jackhammer."

Aubrey blushed at the memory of what she had been doing while he was jackhammering and felt her nipples tighten. She sat up straight and took a deep breath.

"You know," Aubrey said, "You're welcome to stay here while you finish up work on your house. My spare room was just going to waste. You should save that hotel money; houses are expensive."

Nick looked surprised. "Oh no, I couldn't impose like that. I've already disturbed you enough."

She shoved his shoulder hard, just like she used to back in college. He felt more substantial than she remembered, and her hand lingered longer than she meant.

"Give me a break," she laughed. "You know you can't win this argument, so don't even try. There's a spare key by the door. Welcome to Chez Aubrey. Linens are provided, but you do your own laundry."

Nick laughed. "Thanks, Aubrey. I owe you."

"Not at all! It'll be good to have some company. I've had my head down in work too much lately. Though I don't think I can do wings and beer again for a week at least."

* * * * * * *

It had been an exhausting few weeks with work, but it was great to have Nick around. He insisted on cooking breakfast and dinner, and he was away most of the day so she could work. Not a bad arrangement at all.

The evening was warm, so after dinner they sat on Aubrey's back patio sipping whiskey and watching the summer sky darken.

"Whatever happened with, oh, what was her name?" Aubrey exaggerated stroking her chin as if trying to remember. "Mara? Cara?" She snapped her fingers in triumph, though clearly she knew the whole time. "Sarah! That confused girl you dated senior year?" Aubrey asked.

Nick laughed. "She only called me 'Rick' accidentally that once. We only went out a few times," Nick said. "She was nice, but we didn't really click. What about you and Pete? You could never shut up about having sex with him."

Aubrey felt her ears redden at the memory of telling Nick about having sex with Pete. Why had she thought that was a good idea? "Pete was... fun. But we lost touch after graduation."

Nick nodded.

"What?" Aubrey said. "Come on, Mister Judgment. Let's hear it."

Nick shrugged. "I don't know. Peter was just... he wasn't special, you know?"

Aubrey nodded. "You're right. I think I knew that. But he was easy to be with."

"God," Nick sighed. "I had such a..." He shook his head.

"What?" Aubrey asked.

Nick rolled his eyes. "It's embarrassing, and I'm sure it was obvious. I was just remembering what a crush I had on you back then. It was pathetic."

Aubrey felt a flash of dizziness. Memories of college replayed in her mind, moments with Nick that she saw completely differently now. It was obvious, but she hadn't seen it then. Why had she been blind to his feelings back then? How might things have been different if she had realized? Her heart sank at the thought of how he must have felt when she talked about sex with Pete. She had a guess now why Nick had grown distant after graduation.

"What about you?" Aubrey asked. "Tell me about your love life. I imagine you have women coming onto you constantly, looking like that." Aubrey took in his form, her eyes frozen for a second noticing the way his chest filled his shirt before she looked back to his eyes.

"Hardly!" Nick protested. "I don't know. I haven't dated much."

Feeling like an ass when she remembered what Nick had been doing the past few years, she changed the subject. "I talked with Jackie recently. I had forgotten you two knew each other in high school."

Nick nodded. "How is she?"

"Jackie's fine," Aubrey said. "Still finding drama everywhere she goes. She mentioned a girl, Samantha, who you dated in high school?"

Nick looked pale.

"Nick, are you okay?"

He swallowed and nodded. "Yeah. Sure. How is... how is Samantha?"

"Jackie told me Samantha seems good. Married, two kids." Aubrey studied Nick. He still looked upset, but relief crept back into his face. "Dude, come on. What's eating you? You can tell me. Do you still have a thing for Samantha?"

Nick shook his head. "No, nothing like that."

Aubrey scooted her chair closer and put her hand over his. "Sorry, I didn't mean to pry."

Nick looked at her hand on his. "No, it's okay. It's not a fun story to hear."

Aubrey nodded. "I'm listening, if you want to talk about it."

Nick took a breath. "Samantha and I dated in high school. At the time it felt like love, but the truth is it was just hormones holding us together. A month before the end of senior year she decided she wanted to have sex. We were pretty excited. I remember being so embarrassed buying condoms. Her family was away for the night, and I snuck over. I couldn't believe it was actually happening."