Thou Shalt Not Covet
Rated PG13 For Subject Matter and Occasional Language
By Deb Gramlich

Captain William T. Riker sat in the brig onboard the USS Titan, his
head resting heavily against the metal gray wall behind him. He
wondered idly how he'd come to arrive in his current predicament, and
how he was going to manage to get out of it.

His lawyer sat in a chair across from him idly studying a data PADD
in his hand.  The graying Vulcan cocked an eyebrow as he finished
reading the information, turning his cold expression to Will.

"Captain, Mr. Whitaker's alibi is going to stand. I wish you would
reconsider your position."

Will stood angrily from his bunk. "I won't take a plea agreement. I
didn't kill her, how many times do I have to tell you that!?"

Of course, the Vulcan showed no interest in Will's emotional
outburst. He simply stood and tucked the PADD into a pocket on his
tunic.

"The trial is in three weeks. If you happen to remember anything
more, please contact me immediately. I'll be on Starbase 28 for the
duration of the trial."

Will nodded only half paying attention because of the person who had
just entered the brig.

Deanna.

As the security officer on duty dropped the force field to allow
Will's first guest to leave, Will walked to the very edge, hoping to
just be able to touch Deanna, if only for a moment.

She however, continued to stand by the entrance of the cellblock, her
expression carrying a haunted mixture of emotion; pain, guilt, and
did Will dare to imagine… hope?

She wrapped her arms around herself as she walked slowly to his cell.
The guard left the force field down to allow her entrance, however
she stopped just outside. Shrugging his shoulders, the young ensign
resurrected the force field and immersed himself in the computer
console before him.

Only part way however. He wanted to hear what was going on. Their
Captain sitting in the Brig awaiting a murder trial was the hottest
story running through all of Starfleet right now, and Ensign Riley
was about to have a front row seat to the newest developments.

Will looked at Deanna longingly, noticing that in the two weeks since
he'd been incarcerated, her body had begun to change. Although her
face was pale, her eyes absolute proof of the turmoil going on in
their lives, she still looked beautiful.

He could see the difference in the way she held her bearing, the
loose caftan she wore still showing the curves that had developed
since he'd last seen her. She dropped her hands down to her abdomen
where their daughter was currently growing, almost in recognition to
the changes going on within her.

They locked eyes for a moment before Deanna took a deep
breath. "Everyone told me that I shouldn't come here." She said
softly.

Will still clung to the hope that the angry bitter words she'd spoken
to him weeks before had now faded, and she'd promise to stand by him
no matter what. "I'm glad you came." He told her truthfully.

Her eyes dropped to the floor as she fought back tears, her hands
still cradling their growing daughter.

"I couldn't let anyone else do this for me." She answered quickly.
Raising her eyes to meet his once again she continued. "I'm not as
strong as I always pretended to be. Right now, I don't have the
strength to be the good wife, and an expectant mother. I have my baby
to think about now."

Will didn't miss the fact that `their' unborn child had now
become `hers'. His heart sank, almost as if predicting what was
coming next.

She continued. "So, I'm making the choice to be the best mother I can
be to her. I'm going to get away from all this, and let her be born
and live her life without the whispers and snickers I've endured in
the past several weeks."

Will was about to protest, but Deanna didn't give him the chance.
Stepping back from the force field, she took a deep breath and
announced. "I want MY name back. Me, you and the baby are in hell
Will, and I can't save you both. I want a divorce."

His entire world around him shattered. All their hopes and dreams,
splintering away like a million shards of glass. He couldn't even
seem to find the words to argue, he just stood silently and took the
news, doing nothing more but squeezing his eyes shut and dropping his
head.

Finally regaining his equilibrium, Will raised his tear-streaked face
to beg Deanna just to listen to him.

However, she was already gone, exiting the brig without even a glance
back in his direction.

Thou Shalt Not Covet (Chapter One)

Fifteen Months Before


Captain William T. Riker sat at the head of the conference table
taking several deep breaths before again attempting to negotiate with
the two bickering diplomats sitting in front of him. Glancing farther
down the table, he saw Deanna offer a reassuring smile.

It instantly calmed him… the same affect she always had on him. Just
a simple smile could ease his mind and allow him all the patience he
needed to deal with the harried diplomats.

The Andorian ambassador's voice began to rise again, this time
however Deanna stepped in to alleviate the situation.

"Gentlemen, really, there is no need to argue.  We're close to
compromise now, don't let your anger ruin the opportunity for peace
we have here." She soothed.

Will smiled inwardly. `That's it gentlemen, just a few more bats of
her eyelashes and Deanna will have them eating from the palm of her
hand.'

The unspoken thought earned Will a mock glare from his wife. However,
she knew the affect she could have, and within minutes, the days'
meeting was done. Hopefully tomorrow the trade agreement would be
signed and the Titan could move on in her mission.

After shaking hands with the diplomats and having them escorted back
to their quarters, Will turned to his wife who was still seated at
the table.

"Thank God you were here." He told her, causing her to smile.

"They can be a handful. Don't worry Captain; I wouldn't leave you
alone with them for a second." She joked.

He shook his head, placing his hand on the small of her back as they
started walking to their quarters. "It's incredible. I've been
Captain of the Titan for four years, and I'm still in amazement at
how Captain Picard made this look so easy."

Deanna smiled as they entered the turbolift. "Maybe that's why he's
bald?" She suggested, running her hand through Will's slightly
thinning brown locks. He laughed heartily, something he needed to do
all day long.

"That must be it." He agreed; glad to have Deanna at his side.

When they arrived at their quarters, Will sat to check the day's
messages as Deanna slipped off to shower. It was her favorite way to
unwind, and despite her joking nature, he knew that the intense talks
had taken their toll on her in the past few days.

He sighed when he saw the volume of messages that had amassed in the
past several days. They'd let the messages sit long enough, so he
promised himself to go through them once they finished dinner.

Unfortunately, he'd lost track of time, so when he'd noticed it was
after 2200 hours, he shut the computer off and wandered into the
bedroom. Deanna was already asleep, gently sprawled across her side
of the bed, various PADDS she'd been reading now laying haphazardly
across the mattress.

Will smiled gently and tiptoed across the room, gently taking the
reports and placing them on the bedside table. Will thought idly back
to when he and Deanna had first been married, when bedtime meant
making love almost every night of the week. Once they were settled on
the Titan the fires of newlywed passion had cooled a bit, but Will
was still the happiest he'd been in his life.

That wasn't to say that their sex life was lacking. Things were just…
different. He was content just to wake up every morning and have
Deanna be there. That was part of what marriage was supposed to be in
Will's book, and he had no complaints.

He softly settled into the bed, pulling the covers up over himself.
Deanna inhaled deeply and began to turn away from him to her right
side. Opening her eyes slightly, she murmured "Don't forget your
conference with Admiral Ross tomorrow morning."

Will nodded and placed his hand on Deanna's shoulder before pulling
the covers up to her chin. Lying back on his pillow, he slid into a
fitful sleep filled with dreams of reports, communiqués, and meeting
with stuck up admirals.

Thou Shalt Not Covet (Chapter Two)


The meeting with Admiral Ross the following morning had been simple
enough. As soon as the Andorian Trade Agreement was signed, the Titan
was to head to the Zed Lapa Sector to patrol for possible Romulan
excursions.

Romulans… Every time Will heard the word he couldn't help but think
of the hell Deanna had gone through right before disembarking to take
command of the Titan. It was then, that for the first time in his
life, Will Riker had killed someone… not out of necessity for
survival, but for the simple fact that the man had hurt Deanna. Will
had always taken pride in being able to control his temper when
needed, however, once he had that particular Romulan cornered, he'd
seen nothing but red and before he knew it, the Romulan was gone.

He and Deanna had both been shaken by the incident, but they made it
through together. They hadn't even been married for a week, but
having been together for so long, and bonded the way they were, they
had all the comfort and support the other could provide.

Of course, the incident was now four years in the past, and Will
couldn't let his dealings with one particular Romulan affect the way
he dealt with all of them. So, taking the mission to Zed Lapa should
have been fairly routine - simply patrol for a few days, give
Starfleet the `all clear' and move on.

However, now as Will sat at McKinley Station, awaiting the final
disembark call for what was left of his crew, he wished that it had
been a simple mission. No sooner had the Titan arrived in the Zed
Lapa Sector when two Romulan Warbirds attacked her. The Titan was
able to survive, with some nice speedy help from the nearby USS
Yorktown, but had sustained heavy damage.

The Titan had limped back to Earth, now needing a complete overhaul
and refit. Will and Deanna had decided to take some nice, boring desk
job while the ship was refitted; maybe even allowing them time to
start the family they wanted so much.

In a way, Will was looking forward to spending some downtime on Earth
with Deanna. A year after they'd been married, they'd purchased a
home in Atlanta where they could spend their off time. Unfortunately,
they'd spent little time there, so now was the opportunity to amend
that.

Once the orders had been received, and the ceremony over, Will and
Deanna were the last two left onboard the Titan. Putting his arm
around her as they walked through the extended hallway between the
station and the ship Will pulled her tight. "Ready to go home, wife?"

She smiled and laid her head against him. "Definitely. It'll be nice
to feel the sun on my skin again."

The transporter at McKinley Station deposited them directly from the
station orbiting Earth to their sunbathed front yard, causing both
Deanna and Will to squint against the sudden blinding light.

Once their eyes adjusted, Deanna broke into a bright smile as the
sight of their large, two story Victorian house swam into view. She
took a deep breath of clean, fresh air. Feeling almost giddy, she
spread her arms out to her side and spun halfway around to face Will.
He too was smiling, mostly because of her reaction instead of the
fact that they'd be stuck planetside for the next several months.

It didn't matter though. They were together, they were happy, and
they were home. What more could a man ask for?

Thou Shalt Not Covet (Chapter Three)


The following weeks found Will and Deanna more haggard and tired than
they were on the Titan.

Between adjusting to their new positions at Starfleet Headquarters,
trying to get the house decorated to exactly how Deanna wanted it,
and simply adjusting to life planetside instead of onboard a starship
found the two of them being pulled in what seemed to be a dozen
different directions.

One night as he and Deanna ate dinner, he wondered why they'd decided
when the time came, they'd leave Starfleet together and settle here
on Earth. Though money wasn't an issue when you lived on a starship,
here on Earth it was different. Nothing was free, and between
payments for the house, the redecorating, household amenities, and
buying a transport vehicle to use while they were home, the Rikers
quickly found out the meaning of debt.

However, it wasn't substantial, nor did either of them care. With the
money they made from Starfleet, they could still afford to live
comfortable. And, if the time ever came for them to be blessed with
children, those children would be given the best of the best.

Deanna was finally happy with the house, especially after Will
refused to rearrange the furniture again.  At work, the two of them
worked fluidly, spending almost twenty four hours a day, seven days a
week side by side.

Life was definitely good.

Deanna bustled into Will's office one morning, delighted at the news
that the Enterprise would be in orbit for a few hours as it took on
new crew members. Will and Deanna quickly contacted Beverly at
Starfleet Medical, and arranged a dinner for the former Senior Staff
of the Enterprise.

The night had been wonderful, plenty of laughter, stories and
reminiscing to last everyone a lifetime. Beverly was impressed with
the house, and most especially in the area they had decided to settle
in. The small part of Atlanta they lived in prided itself on `rustic
charm'. You would see very few shuttles breaching the skies. Most
homes, Will and Deanna's included, didn't have a replicator nor were
they operated by a central computer system.

One local business had even brought back a piece of history. For a
weekly fee, you could get all of the news and current events
delivered to your doorstep by way of a black and white printed paper.
At the end of every week, the papers were collected, recycled and
used to print the following week's news.

Of course, it was easier to obtain the information via computer, but
reading the morning newspaper while sitting and drinking your morning
coffee just added to the charm. 

Jean-Luc Picard had enjoyed his visit very much. When most everyone
had gone except him and Beverly, Jean-Luc had pulled Will aside while
Beverly and Deanna had gone upstairs to talk about linen sets.

Walking outside, they leaned against the wooden railing of the front
porch and stared into the crisp, spring sky. Picard turned his gaze
to his former first officer, studying him for a moment before
beginning to speak.

"I never thought I'd see the day." He started.

Will looked down at him, his brows furrowed. "What do you mean?"

"I still remember the day you first beamed on to the Enterprise. You
wanted nothing more than to advance your career; nothing was going to
get in the way of that."

Will smiled at the memory. "That was until a certain Betazoid
counselor stepped off of the turbolift and threw my life into a
whirl." He said.

Picard laughed. "Yes, I do seem to recall you having a certain
adverse reaction to seeing her again. However, the two of you never
let the past interfere with your duty. I thought for sure that I'd be
lucky to have you as a First Officer for a year before you took your
own commission."

"Well, in all fairness… I did take my own commission. It just took me
a while."

"You took your own commission when you were sure you could take
Deanna with you. I envy you for that Will; you didn't lose sight of
what's important in life. I'm proud of you for that." The pride in
Picard's voice was unmistakable, causing both men to choke back their
emotions slightly.

After a moment, Will gestured to the empty street in front of
them. "Deanna and I figure another five years of active duty, then
we'll come back here and be content to live our lives behind a desk."

Picard shook his head. "Is that really what you want?"

Will smiled. "She's really what I want. She's the most important
thing in the world to me. Alone, we feel like nothing… together we're
everything."

Picard smiled at Will's candidness. But before their discussion could
continue, Deanna and Beverly came noisily through the door. "Well,
it's been fun, but I have patients starting at 0700 tomorrow, so I'd
better be getting back."

Deanna and Will hugged Beverly and bid her goodbye as she began to
walk down the walkway. Will looked pointedly at Picard and gestured
to the retreating woman. "It's not too late you know." He said.

Deanna turned to Will, her eyes wide at his brazenness. Picard
however, reacted exactly how Deanna didn't think he would.

He kissed her hurriedly on the cheek and rushed down the
walkway. "Beverly, wait!" He called causing her to turn around. "I'll
walk you to the transport center."

As Beverly and Picard disappeared down the street, Deanna turned to
Will and wrapped her arms around his large frame. "I love you." She
whispered allowing Will's warmth to envelope her.

Will smiled and kissed the top of her head. Noise from the house next
door broke the moment as Will realized for the first time there was a
large transport pulled up to the house that had been sitting for sale
for months.

Men were bustling around the transport, moving crates and furniture
off and carrying it gently into the house. A smaller transport pulled
up and a tall woman with blonde hair stepped out. A whooping yell
came from inside the larger transport as a man came tearing out of it
on a motorized bike.

Deanna snorted and raised her eyebrows as she looked up at
Will. "Guess we have new neighbors."  He said.

She nodded and took his hand, not worrying about the new neighbors as
much as she was about how they were going to spend the rest of their
evening.

Thou Shalt Not Covet (Chapter Four)


The following morning, Will wandered slowly downstairs allowing the
scent of fresh made coffee to awaken his senses.

Since they were no longer shipboard, and didn't have access to any
gym equipment here at the house, Will had taken to jogging and
bicycling in the morning, just to insure that his `middle age spread'
didn't spread any farther. Occasionally he thought about venturing to
the gym, however, not really knowing anyone in the area, he decided
against it. Ambo Jitsu would be boring without a partner to spar with.

Deanna was sitting at the table, already reading the newspaper when
he entered. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail in preparation for
her morning shower. "Morning." She said sleepily, flashing him a
smile as she dug the sports section out of the papers strewn before
her.

Will kissed her cheek gently and settled down at the table to enjoy
breakfast before his morning run. Their routine was always the same,
so there was no reason to believe today would be any different.

Deanna would shower while he was jogging. As he showered, she'd toast
them bagels or plain toast, something quick they could eat as they
finished primping for the day.  After the quick ride to the transport
center, they'd beam directly to San Francisco and begin their day. At
exactly 1700 hours, their day was done and they'd return home, only
to do it again tomorrow.

So, their life on Earth was a bit mundane and boring, but to Will, it
was absolute Heaven. Occasionally when he was jogging, he'd think
back to the days when they'd first reunited after the Briar Patch.
Stolen kisses and quick afternoon lovemaking sessions ruled their
days. They'd spend their nights together, either in the holodeck or
in one of their quarters.

Shore leave was always spent together, going somewhere exotic, like
the time he followed Deanna to the beaches of San Francisco. She'd
arrived a few days before he did, so when he walked into their hotel
room, he was pleased to find her laying in bed, nude and waiting for
him. Of course, Reginald Barclay had interrupted some of the fun of
that trip,  but not all of it.

After the wedding it changed, as life always does. You can't remain
passionate newlyweds your entire life,  can you?  `Of course not.'
Will told himself.

Had Deanna noticed the change?  If so, she hadn't mentioned it to
him. She seemed as content as he did, so why worry about it?

As he set out for his jog, he heard someone running up behind
him. "Hey, mind if I join you?"

Will turned slightly to see a man with dirty blonde hair. He
immediately recognized him as their new neighbor, the one who was
racing around the yard on his motorized bike yesterday.

"Sure, I'm Will Riker." Will stuck out his bouncing hand to the man.
The man smiled and shook his hand affectionately.

"I'm Randy,  Randy Whitaker. Nice to meet you Will."

How was Will to know that this particular jog would be the one to
ruin his life forever?

Thou Shalt Not Covet (Chapter Five)


"Hey, mind if I join you?"

"Sure, I'm Will Riker." Will stuck out his bouncing hand to the man.
The man smiled and shook his hand affectionately.

"I'm Randy… Randy Whitaker. Nice to meet you Will."

The only sound that passed between the two men was the pounding of
their feet on the road for several moments. Finally Randy spoke.

"Hey, sorry if we were making too much noise yesterday while we were
moving in. We just got back from a weekend on Ferengal and were
excited to finally be able to get settled."

"Ah, don't worry about it. We were up for a while anyway." Will
answered, smiling within that there was a particular reason he and
Deanna didn't hear any noise from outside last night.

Randy remained silent for a moment as they fell in pace with one
another. After several moments he said, "Let me guess, you work for
Starfleet, right?"

Will's pace slowed in surprise. Randy smiled a bit before he
announced, "You're at least a Vice-Admiral."

Will smiled and shook his head. "Captain actually, of the USS Titan."

Randy showed a bit of surprise before answering Will's unspoken
question. "Don't worry about it, I used to sell insurance. You get a
particular feel for people."

"So what do you do now?" Will asked, surprised at finding himself
liking Randy's candidness. Usually it took him a bit of time to warm
up to people.

"I'm a financial advisor. I've even worked with the UFP on several
projects."

As they turned onto the long winding street they both lived on Will
told him, "Don't let my wife hear that. She's constantly worried
about finances."

Randy laughed and clapped Will on the shoulder. "Well then, I guess
it's a good thing we happened to run into one another."

Barely ninety minutes later, Will was upstairs struggling to get his
rank pips fastened to his collar as he explained to Deanna. "He said
they don't know anyone around the area. Its just dinner, Deanna."

"Do you need these?" She called from the bottom of the stairway as
she held up two data PADDs.

Will nodded and rushed into the bedroom as she shoved the PADDs into
the chaos of her briefcase.

"And this!" He called as he dropped an isolinear chip over the
railing. Deanna caught the free falling object easily with her bag.

"You know I feel uncomfortable having dinner with people I don't
know. I deal with strangers and their problems all day, I don't want
to have to deal with it over dinner." She told him.

Will came downstairs looking like the proper Starfleet Captain he
was. "Just one dinner."

As they rushed through the front door he tried, "Randy even promised
to have a lot of chocolate."

Deanna rolled her eyes at Will as he turned to lock the door behind
them. "I gave up eating chocolate."

Will stared at her incredulously. "Since when?"

"Weeks ago, I thought I was getting fat."

Will's mind scanned back over the last several days as he rushed to
their transport. "I hadn't noticed." He said idly.

Deanna stopped mid-stride and looked at him. "What, that I gave up
chocolate or that I was getting fat?"

Thou Shalt Not Covet (Chapter Six)

Several hours later, Will smiled inwardly as he watched Deanna engrossed in a conversation with Randy.  They’d walked over to Randy’s home about twenty minutes before despite Deanna’s protestations, and so far they both were having a delightful time, despite that fact that Randy’s wife had yet to make an appearance.

“So anyway, Tammy and I decided to go to Ferengal for the weekend just to do some shopping. I didn’t realize the scene my wife would cause at the transport center. We were practically in the middle of a riot!” Randy was saying as he poured them another round of drinks.

Real drinks, not synthehol. Will reminded himself to be careful, wondering if perhaps that was one of the reason Deanna was giggling at Randy’s story. She wasn’t used to real alcohol of any kind, so it could prove to be an interesting evening.

“I was so busy protecting my wife, that I didn’t notice them stealing all of our luggage! Haven’t you ever been in the middle of a riot Deanna?” Randy asked as he handed her glass back to her.

Deanna just laughed and looked at Will incredulously. Before she could respond, a voice from the hallway interrupted.

“Sorry I’m late.” 

Will turned and looked into the eyes of one of the most beautiful women he’d ever seen. Her silky blonde hair hung past her should blades, her eyes deep brown and so familiar to him. ‘She’s Betazoid’ he noted.

She was wearing a white sweater suit that gently accentuated all the curves Will knew he shouldn’t be looking at. Deanna rolled her eyes in his direction but didn’t say anything. She always told him that he could look; just not touch or she’d break both his hands.

“I’m Tammara, but everyone calls me Tammy.” She said softly, a brilliant smile lighting her features.

Randy pointed to Deanna. “Tammy, this is Will Riker and his lovely wife Deanna.”

Tammy smiled and came forward to shake hands with her guests. Seeing Deanna she noted, “You’re Betazoid!”

Deanna smiled again. “Only half.”

Tammy clasped her hand tightly. “Me too. Empathic, telepathic, or none of the above?”

“Empathic.” Deanna said as she sipped her drink again. ‘Her eyes are starting to get glassy.’ Will noted.

Tammy nodded. “Well, I’m none of the above. Apparently I just inherited the genetic markers of a Betazoid woman, none of the abilities.” Tammy moved next to Randy and put her arms around him.  “Dinner’s ready, I just need to bring it out.”

“Here, I’ll help you.” Deanna offered leaving Will alone with Randy as they two women moved into the kitchen.

Will walked over to a grand piano that was set up in the living room. Will tapped a few of the keys, a small part of an ancient blues song he liked.

“You play?” Randy asked, again refreshing Will’s drink.

“Yeah, I learned about a year ago.”

Deanna and Tammy came bustling back into the room laughing about something, their hands filled with plates of exotic cuisine.

As the four newfound friends settled at the table and began their meal, their conversation branched off in many different directions. Tammy asked Will about the Titan’s repairs, how long they’d be in port and the normal questions he received from people who discovered that he was Captain of one of the finest ships in the fleet.

As a lull in their conversation came about, Will caught a snippet of the conversation between Randy and Deanna.

“The way I look at life is this… money is like blood. If you want to live, you’ve got to have a lot of it pumping through the system. For example, most people will never know what it’s like to see the Grand Canyon from an air glider, or to speed across the ocean at 161 kph,  or to take off to Ferengal for the weekend. It takes guts… and money! See what I’m saying? Without money, you shrivel up!”  Randy announced proudly.

Deanna knitted her brow together and stared at her empty drink glass. She glanced at Will, then back to Randy. “How do you explain all those shriveled up rich people?”

Will almost burst into laughter at Randy’s expression. Deanna seemed quite proud of her question, nodding as she awaited Randy’s answer.

“I’ll tell ya how. Those people… they know how to make money, but they don’t know how to spend it. Getting money is easy!” Randy swore.

Deanna smiled and looked to Will. Nodding her ascent to him, she turned back to Randy. “We need to talk!”

After dessert, one where Deanna enjoyed luscious piece of chocolate cake Will noted, Randy and Deanna retired to the sofa to talk finances. Tammy was sitting quietly across the room watching Will as he plucked away at the piano.

He played a few notes of his song again, only this time, he heard Tammy repeat the words of the song. “You know that one?” He asked.

She smiled shyly and nodded. He waved her over in his direction. “Come, give me a hand with it.”

Deanna sat swirling her newest drink around in her glass. She knew she’d reached her limit, plus some, but was truly enjoying their visit with the Whitakers. She made a note to apologize to Will later for giving him such a hard time.

“So, what would you invest in?” She asked Randy.

“Myself? Hmm… Compulsive addiction rehab centers.”

Deanna wrinkled her nose and started laughing. “What?!’

“No no really! It’s one of the best investment opportunities out there. People are like sheep. You tell them they can’t do something, and they immediately want to do it. Tell them they can’t quit doing it by themselves, and they have to seek out help. That’s why there’s so many centers popping up.”

Deanna thought about it for a moment and nodded. True, she’d counseled patient after patient who was addicted to one thing or another; drugs, alcohol, sex… she’d run the gambit in all her years in Starfleet.

Will smiled as Tammy came to stand next to him. Having caught the tale end of Randy and Deanna’s conversation, he couldn’t help but think ‘He’s speaking her language.’

Will played the small part of the old blues song on the piano again, this time with Tammy’s accompaniment. She had an amazing voice, soft and velvety, perfect for singing blues music.

He closed his eyes as he listened to her, nodding his head as she continued to sing. She knew the entire song and the musician in Will soon found himself enraptured in her voice. Randy and Deanna too had stopped talking and were listening to the two would be musicians playing their duet.

When the song was done, everyone burst into applause causing Tammy to blush. The relaxing evening continued well into the late hours until Deanna realized the time.

Saying goodbye to their new friends, the Rikers walked back home hand in hand. It was barely fifty steps from the edge of the Whitaker’s property to theirs, which was a good thing considering how much Deanna had drank that night.

As she went to change and return a communiqué from her mother, Will crept up into the attic where he kept his desk and private computer terminal. The large window that was behind his desk faced the Whitaker’s house. All the houses in the complex they lived in were so close that one could probably stand in one window and throw an object through the neighbors’.

Before, it had never occurred to Will that sitting at his desk and staring out the window would bother anyone. That was mainly because the house next door was vacant. Now, the Whitakers were living next door, so Will swore that he’d have to try to break himself of the habit.

Sitting in his robe he began looking through the day’s messages that they’d neglected earlier. Realizing that there was nothing that required his immediate attention, he turned the console off and was about to extinguish his desk light and go to bed.

However, movement across the way caught his attention. The Whitaker’s bedroom window faced his office window directly, and although the shade was drawn, Will could still see movement behind it.

Tammy was in there… apparently changing for bed. Will could see her silhouette as she slipping her clothes from her body. Knowing that he shouldn’t watch didn’t make his continued perusal of her form any better. Finally, after several moments he shook himself out of his stupor. ‘Don’t be an idiot Will.’ He chastised, glad that his body no longer betrayed him every time a beautiful woman came into view. And, there was one reason for that.

After switching the light off and turning in his chair, that reason came wandering up the stairs looking for her husband. Will definitely perked up when he saw her wearing nothing more than a short nightgown that barely touched her thighs and hung completely off her shoulders.

“Come to bed Imzadi.” She instructed before slinking back down the stairs.

“Yes Ma’am.” Will answered and diligently followed.

To be continued