It was supposed to be just another quiet afternoon in the backyard, a lazy weekend where nothing extraordinary happened. Alicia, dressed in her comfortable black leggings, was busy with her garden chores. The sun was high, casting a golden glow across the yard as she bent down to tend to her plants, completely unaware of the eyes that were fixed on her.
Across the yard, hiding behind the shade of a large palm tree, Jordan watched her through the screen of his phone. He wasn’t a creep, at least he tried to tell himself that. Alicia was his neighbor, a woman he had admired from afar for months, always too shy to make a proper introduction. She was stunning, with curves that made his pulse quicken every time he saw her, but more than that, there was something about the way she moved—confident, carefree, and completely captivating.
Jordan had always had an eye for photography, and today, he had decided to capture Alicia’s beauty from his hidden vantage point. He justified it as art, something that needed to be documented. Her figure, outlined perfectly against the backdrop of nature, was too beautiful not to immortalize. But deep down, he knew there was more to it—something unspoken, a desire that stirred in him every time he saw her.
He crouched low, angling his phone, capturing her from behind as she bent over the soil. His breath caught in his throat as he zoomed in, the camera lens focusing on her perfect curves, her body moving rhythmically as she worked. She was a vision, a goddess in the midday sun, and Jordan was mesmerized.
But just as he pressed the button to take another shot, Alicia suddenly stood up, turning her head in his direction. Their eyes locked.
For a moment, time seemed to freeze. Jordan’s heart pounded in his chest as he quickly lowered his phone, trying to act nonchalant, but the damage was done. She had seen him.
Alicia’s brows furrowed in confusion before her expression shifted to one of realization. She placed her hands on her hips, the corner of her mouth twitching in what looked like amusement rather than anger. Without a word, she started walking toward him, her strides purposeful and confident.
Jordan panicked. He wanted to run, to hide, but his feet were rooted to the spot. As she closed the distance between them, he could feel the heat rising in his cheeks. What the hell was he going to say?
“You know, if you wanted to take my picture, you could’ve just asked,” Alicia said, her voice playful as she stopped a few feet away from him, arms crossed over her chest.
Jordan blinked, completely caught off guard. That was not the reaction he had expected. “I… I didn’t mean to… I was just—”
Alicia raised an eyebrow, cutting him off. “Admiring the view?”
He swallowed hard, nodding sheepishly. “Something like that.”
She smiled then, a slow, teasing smile that made his heart race even faster. “Well, if you’re going to be sneaky about it, at least let me see the pictures.”
Jordan hesitated, his hand tightening around his phone. He had never felt so exposed, so vulnerable. But there was something in the way she was looking at him—something bold, daring—that made him hand over the phone without a second thought.
Alicia took it, scrolling through the images with a curious expression. As she flipped through the shots, Jordan could feel the tension in the air thickening. He expected her to be mad, to tell him off for invading her privacy, but instead, she let out a soft chuckle.
“Not bad,” she said, handing the phone back to him. “You’ve got a good eye.”
Jordan was speechless. His mind was racing, trying to make sense of what was happening. She wasn’t mad. In fact, she seemed… amused.
“I… I wasn’t trying to be creepy,” he blurted out, feeling the need to explain himself. “I just thought you looked beautiful, and I wanted to capture it. I’m sorry if that sounds weird.”
Alicia tilted her head, her eyes studying him for a moment before she smiled again, this time softer, more genuine. “It doesn’t sound weird. It’s actually kind of flattering.”
Jordan let out a breath he didn’t realize he had been holding. “Really?”
“Really,” she said, her voice taking on a more playful tone. “But if you’re going to be taking pictures of me, I think it’s only fair that I get something out of it too.”
His eyebrows shot up. “Like what?”
Alicia stepped closer, her body just inches from his now. She reached out, lightly brushing her fingers against his arm, sending a jolt of electricity through him. “How about you take me to dinner? You know, as payment for being your muse.”
Jordan’s mouth went dry. Was this really happening? Was she actually flirting with him? He had admired Alicia from a distance for so long, never daring to imagine that she might be interested in him too. But here she was, standing so close he could smell the sweet scent of her perfume, her eyes sparkling with mischief.
“I… I’d love to take you to dinner,” he stammered, trying to regain some composure.
“Good,” she said, her voice dropping to a sultry whisper. “Tomorrow night. Seven o’clock. And wear something nice.”
With that, she gave him one last teasing smile before turning on her heel and walking away, her hips swaying seductively as she disappeared back into her yard.
Jordan stood there for a long moment, his heart still racing, his mind spinning with disbelief. Had that really just happened? He glanced down at his phone, scrolling through the pictures he had taken of her. Each one was perfect, but none of them could capture the feeling that was coursing through him now.
Tomorrow night couldn’t come soon enough.
