Julie & James

I handed him a towel, he looked upset and he stayed quiet, so I didn’t bother him with too many questions. We were standing in the hallway. I stood shifting through our post on the side table. He stood by the front door, rubbing down his clothes with the navy towel I’d passed him. I looked back down to the bills and junk mail, and I felt something drip onto my arm. I looked around and he was looking at me - he had his pants and shirt in his hand. I looked at his body - he’d wrapped the towel around his waist, taken off his shoes, socks, pants and shirt. I gawked for a second, before he said “Have you got some place warm I could put these, please?” I took the soggy clothes, still gazing at the contours of his chest, and said huskily “Follow me...”
I walked up the flight of stairs by the front door, and took him to the smallest little hallway he’d probably ever seen. The stairs were directly behind me, I moved to the left, almost against mom’s door, and opened the airing cupboard. I moved to the centre automatically. I hung his clothes up neatly, whilst feeling his heat directly behind me. I blushed red, feeling the closeness of someone else’s body that close to mine. I shut the door quickly, and pointed to the bathroom on the right. “There’s a bathroom there if you need it,” I said quickly, needing to fill the silence so my thoughts didn’t wonder.
“No thank you.” I gulped, then nodded and walked back downstairs, with him following me. The living room was opposite the stairs, and I walked in there immediately. I turned through the other archway that lead into the dining room, and then turned left into the kitchen. It was small, but adequate for the family.
I still felt his heat behind me. I walked straight up to the kettle, filled it up and put it on the oven to heat up.
“Would you like some coffee, to heat you up,” I turned to the cupboard above the oven and reached for my hot chocolate mix. “Or maybe some hot chocolate?”
“Just coffee, thanks.” I made up the coffee, pouring four spoonfuls of sugar in my hot chocolate. I walked into the dining room with both mugs, set some coasters and put the mugs on them. We sat and drank.
“It was kind of you to invite me in,” he said, finally, breaking the silence - and, not to mention, the crude and dirty thoughts roaming around my mind. He was gorgeous.
“It’s all right - I don’t like the rain,” I said, before slurping on my drink, “I thought you looked a bit upset, and I’d seen you walking about 5 minutes before,” I slurped away again. I needed something to distract my wondering eyes - and mind. “I decided to let you in.”
He finished off his coffee, and put it back on the coaster. “I was upset.” He smiled a little. “My girlfriend dumped me, and I was on my way home... I live about 12 houses down - we just moved in.” He held his hand out for me to shake. “Chad,” I shook his hand gently. “Julie.”
“Are you seeing anyone special?” He asked sarcastically as he hit the word special. I just shook my head. I don’t know why - maybe it was because I felt sorry for him, or because I felt that I had no one else. But I said no. I felt guilty, very guilty, but I was alone - and I just needed a friend.
Chad stayed until his clothes were just damp, he slipped them on upstairs whilst I stayed downstairs, fiddling with our old radio - circa 1933. Mom had kept all her parents belongings. She’d had them repaired a million times, but she refused to simply buy a new Television set or Radio. He came back down, his clothes almost dry and a smile on his face.
“Thanks, you... well, you didn’t save my life, but you made me realize there are nice girls out there. Or 12 houses down from you.” He grinned, then bent down, kissed my cheek, and left into the list mist that had descended after the heavy rain.

I watched after him in the bay window... He turned around to look at me twice.