And then the bad weather had started. At first Brett thought it would clear within a couple of days but it had set in as a steady drizzle. He had continued to go out running even in the rain. The first time he had come back from a run when it had been raining he headed straight for the shower. He found a white blouse hanging to dry. He realised that his mum was forced to drip dry the more delicate clothes in the bathroom as they couldn’t hang outside in this weather. He carefully hung it outside before climbing in. This happened a few more times until his mother eventually asked him to call her to collect them instead. She said she would prefer to hang them up herself and Brett thought nothing of it and guessed that her sweaty son handling her clean laundry wasn’t the best idea. The next time he called her to collect the laundry he handed it to her with his head sticking around the door. It gave him an exhilarating rush thinking that the door acted as the only barrier protecting his nakedness. She had thanked him but said that next time she could come in and collect it herself.
The next time turned out to be when he had found her skin coloured underwear. It hadn’t been missed upon him either that his mother had sent his father to the shops again.
As Brett considered whether or not to call his mother down he remembered her saying that he mustn’t be shy. She had said that he needn’t hide from her. So maybe with all the rain she had in fact devised this opportunity in the place of watching him from the window. She could be waiting for me to call up this very second he thought breathlessly. Then again, he thought, maybe this would be crossing a line that he really shouldn’t cross. Maybe she wouldn’t expect it at all. What had happened in front of his window had been a bit of fun and most importantly there had been the very real and physical barrier of the window between them. If he called her down now he would be fully exposed in touching distance. Perhaps she had meant that next time she would collect it herself not expecting Brett to be fully undressed. There would be nothing between her and his naked body now. He felt a stiffening in his penis at the thought.
He stood there motionless weighing up his options for some time. And then eventually he called out.
‘Mum,’ he tried to sound calm ‘I see there actually is some laundry in the shower after all’. Oh my god he thought to himself. I have said it now. Oh my god. He covered his groin out of reflex. He waited. But there was no reply. Maybe she hadn’t heard he reasoned. But maybe she had heard and was pretending not to. Maybe his father was back early.
He called for her again, a lump in his throat.
‘Mum’ he shouted this time.
‘Yes’ she replied right away. Suddenly he heard her footsteps. ‘Yes dear’ she called. Brett stuck his head out of the bathroom door and could see she was walking down towards him.
‘Um’ he mumbled. Still time to back out, he thought again.
‘Is everything ok?’
‘Yes, it is just this…laundry’ he said at length.