I live in one city and work, play and socialize in another. I'm out in the city I work in and am very much NOT out in the city I live in.
I live on a nice quiet street in a historical district and my garage is a converted carriage house that leads out to the Alley. From there I can access a cross alley and never once drive on my street. i also drive a very common car in a very common color. My bff is a tall blonde GG and my neighbors are quite used to seeing her come and go, so I don't worry toooooo much when I leave the house, especially as most of my neighbors are at work by the time I leave.
About four years ago we had some new neighbors move in two doors down from my place. Perhaps a week after moving in the community had a yard sale and being a very friendly street some of us decided to go greet our new neighbors. We all chatted for awhile and it seemed we were all getting along. That is until the boyfriend started to ask "my other half" questions about my education and work. It did not take long to see that he was trying to establish himself as the "Alpha Male" and was not happy with my responses.
As it happened people started to stop at our houses and we all went back to our homes to deal with shoppers. Perhaps an half hour later one of my neighbors and I went over to chat with our new neighbors some more. When we got there, we said "Hello" and neither one would talk to us. Not a single word. i thought it was perhaps me, and left. My other neighbor, a woman, followed me about three minutes later and told me that they had turned their backs to her till she left.
After that no one in the neighborhood would talk to them except for an old woman who lived on the other side of them. They were just rude.
Maybe a year ago the Police came and settled some fight they had and the boyfriend moved out. Some of the neighbors became friendly with her, and her new female roomate, but I honestly had no desire to be friendly to someone that rude. I do however turn at the corner he house sits on to access the cross alley that takes me to the highway. I have seen her out in her backyard a few times, but mostly at night and really gave it little thought. Especially as I learned years ago that be nervous can give you away a lot faster than acting casually.
Christmas arrives and so do eight inches of snow. I'm out shoveling snow and I see her trying to do the same and watch as her shovel breaks. I go over and shovel the street out in front of her car so she can leave and then a quick pathway to her porch.
As I am turning to walk away she comes out of the house with small flat wrapped box; hands it to me and says "I got this for you. I Just haven't been brave enough to hand it to you. I open it and inside are a beautiful pair of black lace panties....
I look her in the eyes in surprise and before I can say anything, like "you got the wrong box", she said "You don't have to hide who you are from me. It took me a minute to realize that it was you in the car, that I kept seeing, and not your friend. I realize I was a real witch to you. I'm really curious about you and I need new friends. All my friends in this town are his friends. I moved here from out of state to be with him and now that we are broke up, I have a good job and own my own home and I just can't afford to move back to NYC. I would really like to get to know you. The real you".
So we are having dinner tonight. In an hour. Part of me is happy, but the rest worries that if things go wrong all this careful work to go unnoticed in my neighborhood will be gone. She is the only one, btw that does not have a fence in her back yard, and hence is the only one that could possibly see me on a regular basis coming and going.
Lol..I have a lot of questions for her. Wish me good luck.
Michelle