Out of my League - Part 1

The doorbell, why now. Joe was in the middle of watching a particularly hot hentai video with his pants around his ankles and now he had to make his way to the door.

He made made himself presentable making sure he tucked his erection away rather than leaving it making an awkward bulge in his trousers and made his way to the door of his apartment. It must be someone in his block because it was his actual doorbell rather than the intercom that was chiming. He didn't really know that many people in the building. The only person he had any real interest was the utterly stunning eastern European lady who had moved in a few weeks ago. Katerina was stunningly beautiful, jaw droppingly so. The very site of her made Joe stammer, then again he wasn't really much of a ladies man anyway. His easy-going wit and friendly nature seemed to freeze and turn into stone when faced with someone he was attracted to and Katerina was beyond attractive.

He had met her as she moved in, he'd offered to help with the boxes and had spent an exhausting afternoon re-arranging furniture and generally scurrying round as she instructed him. He had even got her shopping in because she had just moved into the area and didn't know any of the local shops yet. He had fantasised about her a lot. Since then he had tried to remain in contact with her without appearing too pathetic. This had consisted of doing simple things like taking her post up to her to save her the chore of going down to the ground floor to fetch it. He had learnt that she was, amongst other things, an author and was working in the area for a few months in order to secure a book deal with an English publisher.

He opened the door hoping it was her but knowing secretly that dreams like that didn't come true.

It was Katerina. In all her glory. She wore a smart white blouse with the top two buttons undone revealing her perfect chest and a black pencil skirt, stockings and high heeled shoes. Her perfect pale skin made her ruby red lips glow and her eyes seemed to smoulder and drill into you as she fixed you in her gaze. The gorgeous face was framed by long jet black hair and her fingernails were long red talons. To say she was alluring was one of the biggest understatements you could manage.

"Joe, I am locked out" she said in her heavy accent. Joe stood their stunned for a moment. She continued "The landlord with bring me a spare key and I will wait here"

This was ridiculous. This was as near as a fantasy scenario as Joe could imagine.

He realised he was being rude, he stammered "Of...of course Katerina, please by my guest" and stepped aside. She breezed passed him into his home.

Joe was a website designer, he worked in IT. A couple of years ago he'd been made redundant and had started doing freelance projects. It was the best decision he had ever made. Starting up making sites for friends business he had quickly scored some lucky breaks and worked his way up to bigger projects. Joe always called them "lucky breaks" but the truth was that he was fantastic at what he did. He had moved to the city after securing a big, long-term project. It had paid handsomely and now he resided in a plush high-end apartment block near the waterfront.

He was a loner in terms of an active social life but had a network of friends online. He basically lived a self contained life here and it suited him down to the ground. He was slight of build with soft features. He had spent most of his school years being bullied and had retreated into cyberspace in order to escape. Unlike many people in IT he was scrupulously clean and tidy, a fact he was extremely grateful for as the woman of his dreams had just invited herself into his abode.

He followed along after her and she made her way into the living room "I really appreciate this Joe, I don't really know anyone in the area" she said

"It's really no problem, make yourself at home....would you like a cup of coffee"

She was still standing in the middle of his living room surveying it "Tea please, black"

He hurried off into the kitchen to make their drinks. After a brief time he heard her call in to him "You have a beautiful apartment...you live alone?"

"Yes, just me" he replied

"It is extremely tidy and very well decorated...You have very good taste" he glanced back into the living room to see her looking at his various ornaments and decorations. He smiled....He was a collector of various ethnic trinkets from various places in the world he'd visited. He apartment was adorned with various paintings, carvings and generally objet d'art from all over the globe.

"Thank you, I just pick up things here and there" he replied

"These are from your travels" she continued

"Yes, I try to break up my work with some backpacking....otherwise I think I'd go stair-crazy in here" he said as he readied the drinks

"So you work from home? For yourself" he heard Katerina say

"Yes, just me in my study, I am my own boss....it is pretty cool" he said as he carried the tray back into the living room

He saw Katerina looking into the office....the office he'd been sitting in minutes earlier....watching pornographic Japanese hentai. He immediately panicked. He'd paused the movie, what had been on the screen when he'd done so. He was almost certain it was a room full of naked Japanese girls forcing their male captive to pleasure each and every one of them.

She turned back to him with an unreadable expression on her face. He wasn't sure how to read it, the corners of her mouth twitched upwards into a smile but her eyes betrayed no amusement. She leaned against the doorframe and fixed him with those soul-penetrating eyes "I see being your own boss has advantages"

Joe's heart sank, his dream scenario, the most beautiful women he'd ever met sharing tea in his apartment, and within minutes he'd outed himself as a pathetic pervert. He wanted the ground to upon up and swallow him "I am really sorry about that, I can only apologise..." he knew he should add something but he just couldn't think of anything that would make the situation any less embarrassing.

"You are interested in Japanese animation?" she asked in a neutral tone

Joe placed that tray on the coffee table "You weren't supposed to see that...I am very embarrassed" he mumbled shamefaced

"Why, it is a fascinating piece of their culture....their artist and scriptwriters are extremely creative" She replied.

"Erm....I suppose it is. I love everything Japanese" he said hopeful that the conversation allow him to look less of a pervert

"Most of it is extremely objectifying to women and yet seem to have chosen one where the male is tied down at the mercy of the women" She left the sentence there and reached for her tea cup

Joe was feeling uncomfortable, he tried to make a joke then change the subject "Ah well, I am all for equality I suppose....have you ever been to Japan?"

Katerina sipped her tea staring at him. Eventually she placed the cup down "I travel to the far east often, their aesthetic is amazing. And south east Asia too, their attitudes towards beauty are wonderful...I find it extremely inspiring"

Joe inwardly breathed a sigh of relief "I was lucky enough to go to Japan last year and Thailand a few years ago...I loved it"

Katerina stirred at him intently, it made him slightly uncomfortable given the glimpse she'd seen into his private life. He was glad, however, that the conversation had moved on "So when you are not enjoying hentai what is it you do in your office" she asked, this time betraying a definite amount of amusement.

Joe blushed furiously but ploughed into a description of his work. This delighted Katerina as she was currently looking for a website designer who could help make a site to promote her books. Joe leapt at the chance....he was pretty busy at the moment but he could definitely make space in his schedule if it meant spending more time with Katerina. They discussed her needs and it all seemed extremely easy. Katerina wrote dark fantasy novels that had recently been translated into English.

Despite the earlier blip things were going like a dream. Katerina's enthusiasm and confidence pushed the conversation along and before they realised it Joe had a fairly long "To do" list scribbled down as well as Katerina's contact details. Eventually Katerina brought up the subject of payment, Joe hadn't even considered that in his enthusiasm and infatuation for this gorgeous women. He mumbled some fee that was well below the market value.

Katerina tilted her head "No, this is too little...I wouldn't not take advantage of my neighbour"

Joe thought that Katerina taking advantage of him would be just fine as far as he was concerned but waved off her objection saying how simple the project was and he was happy to do nice things for his new neighbour.

They then chatted about websites and then world travel, Joe was seriously plucking up courage to ask Katerina out to dinner when her phone went "Ah, it is the landlord" she announced to Joe's disappointment "I have one more favour to ask of my neighbour. I am having trouble getting broadband to my apartment. Would I be able to share yours for a short while"

Again Joe was almost falling over himself to help her and quickly scribbled down the username and password and with that down Katerina showed herself out.

Joe closed the down and breathed a sigh of relief. Despite the early disaster things had gone fantastically well. He cleared away the cups and went back to his computer.