As I strolled home from the pub I was surprised to see the cottage next door with lights in each window .I had been without a neighbour for the whole winter since Alice left in December to live with her daughter in Bristol ,these old estate cottages once so prized by estate workers were not wanted by the locals ,tied cottages were not the thing these days . I was born and raised in mine and took over the tenancy when my parents died ,got married and brought up two children worked on the estate from the age of 15 until retirement two years ago .My wife had died over ten years ago ,and the kids were both married and getting on with their own lives , so it felt good to have the cottage occupied again . Whilst I have retired I still rise around six ,50 year habits never pass ,so I usually take breakfast at 7 o'clock whilst listening to the radio ,I had just finished when I heard a knock on the front door ,so imagine my surprise at being confronted with a dot of a girl ,5ft tall if standing tall and about 7 stone wet through !! She offered her tiny hand whilst introducing herself as Val , I invited her in but she declined saying she had to get off to work but would love to call this evening if that was ok ,so that was agreed and she took herself off to her work . Now I should say immediately I live in a small village in South Gloucestershire ,it is a very friendly place but people do expect to know everything that is going on ,so I wasn't surprised when I had a couple of visitors before 10,both wanting to know about the new girl ,happily I was able ,truthfully ,to say I had no information so couldn't help them ,sending them off disappointed . The Estate manager Alan called round early afternoon and without my asking gave me the low down on my neighbour ,she had bought the cottage ,was a teacher in Thornbury a small town around 10 miles away ,he thought she was in her early thirties and had been very professional in any dealings with him ,he was sure she would be an ok neighbour . I usually went for a couple of pints of cider at tea time another habit from my days at work ,but these days I had become domesticated and put something in the oven to be almost ready when I got home , this actually ensured I only had a couple or risked burning down the cottage . I hadn't been home longer than 5 minutes when I heard the door, as expected it was Val ,she joined me inside and accepted the offer of a drink ,opting for a glass of wine and complementing me on the lovely smell emanating from the kitchen . Before she was half way through her wine she agreed to join me for tea and seemed to enjoy her meal whilst chatting easily ,confirming everything Alan had told me whilst adding that she had a boyfriend and intended to settle in the village. She was very chatty ,totally relaxed and confident ,a pretty girl tiny but very attractive ,I was totally comfortable in her company and inside a couple of hours it felt as if I'd known her for years ,looking at her watch she said she should be going as she always left early in the morning ,she thanked me for my hospitality saying she would arrange a return meal soon . As it was spring I was helping around the estate farm with the lambing and doing two or three days a week ,plus at busy times helping during the night so I only saw Val as we passed like ships in the night ,always getting a smile and a wave , I had just got in on Friday afternoon when she appeared at my window "Dinner round mine tonight ,7.30 no excuses " with that she was gone ,so tonight a change to my normal routine ,I thought the best bet was have a bath to remove the smell of the farm ,go to the pub a bit later then straight to hers . As I soaked in the hot water I wondered if I should ask her to the pub then she could meet the locals and get to know a few other people ,so quick bath get dressed and am banging on her door ,an upstairs window opens and she is also in the bathroom "was going to suggest the pub ,but maybe another time ,see you at 7.30 " she just smiled adding that I had better not be late . Purchasing a couple of bottles of plonk I head back to hers ,the sarcastic remarks echoing in my head as I walk back arriving bang on time ,she had obviously been watching for me as the front door opened as I walked up the path ,fuck me what a difference ,no jeans tonight short skirt ,silk blouse and heels and god she looked good . I am always pleasantly surprised by the young ,a welcoming kiss on the cheek she chatted easily making me feel completely at home , the only weirdness was how the hell had I missed how good looking she really was ,as I followed her inside I was mesmerised by her legs and swaying hips , god I was getting a boner !!! ..........