II

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II

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        The tree house was in the Pimbertons' backyard where it was concealed from the facing street by the dull-gray privacy fence that was starting to splinter. The little box sat fifteen or so feet up, nestled in the sprawling branches of the oak. As far as he knew the tubby Pimberton kid never used it so it was perfect for Gabes requirements.

        Gabe parked his car three blocks away on Ashby Street where nobody he knew lived, grabbed his Zeiss binoculars and walked towards the Pimbertons' backyard. It was eight pm and he could see through the living room window that the rotund family was just starting into their honey glazed chicken and pasta, a recipe that Dorris had seen on the Food Network. Gabe sneaked past the soft glow of kitchen lights and unlatched the fence door, closing it behind him as he moved towards the tree house. He made his way up the steel ladder that had been installed instead of wooden planks tacked into the side of the tree to get up; a measure taken for the kid's safety.

        With the small hatch in the floor closed behind him, Gabe took out his binoculars, removed the lens caps and wiped them down with the static free cloth he'd tucked inside his coat pocket. He moved his glasses to his bald, sweaty forehead and looked through the binoculars, leaning on the wooden crossbeam that separated him from the ground below. He'd done this before and he knew where to look. Just across the street on his left, the blue ranch style house with white trim was hers. He wouldn't have to wait long. She'd be getting home from work any time now, not that Stoolie's deserved to have her as a waitress anyway. She was much too good for that place and their drunken, salacious patrons and her walking around in cutoff jean shorts and tank top. Gabe had never, would never set foot there.

        Ten minutes passed before he spotted Tilly's beige Volvo 780 coming around the corner of Lee and Maple and finally pulling into her driveway. She got out of the car, fumbled with the keys for a second and went inside. The outside light went off as more and more of the house started lighting up from inside. Gabe exhaled and adjusted the sight on his binoculars, wiping his hands on his jeans after finding a good balance.

        Everywhere Tilly went in her house the binoculars followed. She went to the kitchen where she grabbed a Budweiser, rolling the cool bottle across her head, her lips moving but making no sound. Gabe imagined she said, “I only wish there was somebody to take me away from all of this. Someone like that cute guy in church. Gabe, I think.”

        His chest was heaving up and down as his heart threatened to explode. He unhitched his belt and moved his sweaty hand to his crotch, gripping the tip of his penis between his thumb and index finger, working it between the two. “Gabe is the one for me, I know it. All of those stupid, ugly guys at work would hate to know that I have someone handsome like him at home. And when we get married all of the people at church will say that they knew, all along. It was meant to be! That we were destined to be together.”

        Gabe grabbed the bottle and gulped the remaining beer in one go, setting the bottle on the table while he carefully pushed a loose tangle of fiery hair behind her ear. Her hips arched towards his as he picked her up, shoving her onto the table and knocking the beer bottle onto the floor, shattering it. She grabbed the back of his head and pressed her lips onto his. His teeth dug into his lips and he tasted the tiniest bit of blood, but he didn't care.

        They rocked against the creaking table, Tilly finally leaning back to stare at Gabe as she pulled the black tanktop over her head, tousling her hair from the ponytail. "You don't know how long I've been waiting for this," she said, reaching behind her to unhook her lacy white bra.

        And then he exploded, reeling backwards from the release and onto the wooden floor of the tree house. He felt the wetness seeping from the front of his jean down his left leg and pulled open the hatch to the ladder. He secured the binoculars around his neck and hurried down the steel rungs, still making sure that he closed the fence door as he passed through. The Pimbertons' had finished dinner and were now involved in the latest Wheel of Fortune episode and Gabe ran by, not bothering to duck or attempt to conceal his presence. By the time he got to his car he knew his thighs would be chaffed the next day. He wondered how he was going to make it through church with a leg rash.