The Secret Life of Wendy Milque

Ahhhhh! she screamed as the door effortlessly swung open. She dropped her purse and her keys as she covered her mouth in a moment of pure panic. "What's the matter?" a male voice suddenly said from several doors down the hallway.

Now more panicked than before, she spun around to face the unknown voice. With her heart racing and tears beginning to well-up in her eyes, her brain struggled with the instinct of 'fight-or-flight.' Unable to move her feet, she finally managed to say, "My door is unlocked -- someone may be in my apartment."

The stranger realizing her distress approached slowly. "Hi, I'm Derrick -- I'm your neighbor. I've seen you in the building for several years. We've just simply never met." He slowly moved toward her before saying, "Do you mind if I go in and look around for you -- just to make sure it's alright?"

Still covering her mouth with both hands, Wendy stepped backwards allowing him to peer into her apartment. He gently pushed the door open and felt for the light switch along the wall. Clicking the light on, he pushed the door the rest of the way open and cautiously stepped inside. Wendy moved closer as she began to follow him.

Once they were both inside, he turned on more lights and walked from room to room checking the place out for any evidence of intruders. Wendy picked up her purse and keys and after fully entering her living-room, slowly closed the door behind her. Her eyes were wide as saucers and her legs were still shaking when Derrick announced, "I think it's okay. I don't see any damage, and nothing appears to be missing."

"What did you say your name was, again?" Wendy asked cautiously.

Quickly walking towards her and sticking out his hand to introduce himself, he says, "I'm Derrick Amore -- I live two doors down." Shaking her hand, he adds, "I've seen you around the building for several years. I've never introduced myself because -- well, I guess because you never made eye contact with me and I just didn't know how to just -- well, just introduce myself."

Dropping her hand from his, she wiped several tears from her face. "I think I've seen you -- at the mailbox -- I guess."

"Yeah -- I'm sure that was me," he said. "I apologize for not introducing myself sooner."

"Oh, it's my fault," Wendy said after finally regaining a little of her composure. "Do you mind checking around with me again -- nothing like this has ever happened to me before."

"Of course not," Derrick said as the two of them carefully searched the entire tiny apartment -- the kitchen, the bedroom, the bathroom -- the whole place. And nothing was out of place, nothing missing. Wendy had never had a man in her apartment before -- actually she'd never had anyone in her apartment before for that matter. She was a little uncomfortable about the unprecedented invasion of her privacy, but under the circumstances, she felt that it was necessary. And besides, she was a meticulous housekeeper, bordering on OCD, so there was really nothing to be embarrassed about.

After the third comprehensive search of every square foot of the apartment, Wendy felt better. "Maybe you just didn't lock the door this morning," Derrick suggested.

"Oh no," Wendy immediately protested. "I'm super conscious about locking my door. Both the handle and the dead bolt every day. I know I locked them both this morning."

Realizing that he'd possibly touched a raw nerve, Derrick quickly back-peddled. "Huh, I mean maybe the building superintendent came in to fix something or check on something. And just didn't relock the door properly -- maybe."

Wendy didn't really buy it, but there wasn't any other possible explanation. She finally nodded her acceptance of the scenario, though she was still nervous and really didn't want to be left alone.

"Well, I guess I'd better be going," Derrick finally said, sensing that Wendy's anxiety was subsiding.

"No -- I mean please don't go," Wendy quickly responded. "Huh -- thank you for helping me. Honestly, thank you. May I offer you a glass of wine?"

Derrick was now the nervous one. "Okay," he said, happy to finally have had the opportunity to actually meet Wendy -- but of course wishing the circumstances had been better. Wendy broke out wine glasses and a bottle of white wine from her refrigerator. Derrick sat on the couch as Wendy nervously poured each of them a glass of wine and then brought out a Tupperware container of homemade chicken salad, a box of crackers and a wedge of cheese. It wasn't what Derrick normally ate for dinner -- he usually ate out. But it is what Wendy normally did as she sat home alone and read another book, night after night.

Over chicken salad, crackers and cheese, Derrick explained that he was an IT manager for the local property tax agency and Wendy described her life as the only child of a single mom, her obsession to reading and her current life as an assistant librarian. An hour or so later, the food was gone as was Wendy's only bottle of wine. Derrick again tried to make his excuses, but Wendy again protested. "Oh, please don't go," she begged.

"Okay," Derrick said slowly. Then realizing that they were out of wine, he slowly offered, "I've got vanilla ice cream and a bottle of red wine in my apartment."

"Great," Wendy exclaimed actually excited for the first time in -- well since she could remember. Derrick brought the ice cream and wine back within minutes. Wendy sliced up several peaches she had in her refrigerator and added some blue berries and sugar for an ice cream topping (an old trick her mother did to stretch desserts). Several hours later, the ice cream and fruit were long gone as was the second bottle of wine.

"Well Wendy, it's been really nice to finally meet you," Derrick said as he tried to stand and leave.

"Oh no -- don't go," Wendy begged as she pushed him back down onto the couch. As Derrick sat a little uncertain of his next move, Wendy leaned over and placed her lips squarely on his. It took Derrick a moment to realize what was about to happen, but once he did, he wrapped his arms around her and deeply returned the kiss. When their first kiss finally broke -- Wendy breathlessly asked, "Will you stay -- please?"

As Derrick place their dirty dishes in the kitchen sink, Wendy went around turning off the lights and then led her promising new lover to her bed. Tenderly they unbuttoned each other's outer garments, before sitting side-by-side on the bed. Shielding their eyes from each other's bodies, they nervously removed their respective undergarments. Now both sitting naked on the bed, Derrick leaned over, and gently kissing Wendy pushed her back -- her head landing softly on the pillows. As their lips remained locked tightly together, they both managed to wiggle under the covers and between the sheets.

As Derrick tightly held Wendy's upper body and head in his hands, she ran her hands up and down Derrick's back before gently clinching his bare butt cheeks and pulled him tightly into her embrace. Sensing where this was going, Derrick gently spread Wendy's legs with his, moved his body over hers, and as he mounted her, effortlessly entered her for the first time.

As the two lovers gently rocked back and forth -- their bodies perfectly molded together. Wendy strained to hear the ta-booketa, ta-booketa... ta-booketa -- but there was none. All she could hear was Derrick's breath as he nibbled softly on her ear and the muffled sound of the bed springs beneath them.

As the two lovers neared their respective climatic releases, Wendy breathlessly whispered into Derrick's ear, "Derrick, are you real -- is this really happening?"