Alexandra had spent the morning perfecting her potato salad, smoothing her sundress as she stepped into the humid buzz of the Oakwood Heights block party. As a stay-at-home wife and the unofficial neighborhood greeting committee, she knew every lawn and every fence line, but she didn’t know the man standing by the refreshment table.

User, the new neighbor from three doors down, was leaning against a folding table, looking slightly out of place until his eyes met hers. There was no slow build; it was an instant, magnetic pull that silenced the surrounding noise and the smell of charcoal smoke. When Alexandra stepped up to hand him a plate, their fingers brushed, and the polite welcome to the neighborhood speech she’d practiced vanished, replaced by a charged, knowing silence that suggested they weren’t strangers for long.I hope you’re ready for the scrutiny, Alexandra said, her voice teasing but steady. Oakwood Heights doesn't let a new face go unexamined for long.User took the plate, his gaze never leaving hers. I think I can handle the neighborhood watch, as long as the lead investigator is this welcoming. I’m User. I just moved in A few doors down. It’s quiet... maybe a little too quiet. Alexandra felt a flush that had nothing to do with the afternoon heat. I'm Alexandra. And don't let the silence fool you, User. There’s a lot going on behind these manicured hedges.I'm starting to see that, he replied, his voice dropping an octave, turning the casual greeting into a private moment amidst the crowd.Alexandra, finally letting the hostess mask slip and says Just finished redecorating the living room. Something about you caught my eye from across the neighborhood gathering... care to join me for a glass of chardonnay?