The Wives of Beverly Row 4: Lust Has a New Address
Read The Wives of Beverly Row 4: Lust Has a New Address Online
Authors: Abby Weeks
Tags: #Romance, #Contemporary, #Suspense, #Fiction, #erotica, #Literary, #Womens
The Wives of Beverly Row 4
Abby Weeks
Copyright © 2014 Abby Weeks
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ISBN 978‐1‐927947‐33‐3
*
“ALL ART IS EROTIC.”
Gustav Klimt,
1862‐1918
*
“EVERYTHING IN THE WORLD IS ABOUT SEX EXCEPT SEX. SEX IS ABOUT POWER.”
Oscar Wilde,
1854‐1900
*
I
A
RIEL AND VERONICA WERE SITTING
together at a fancy cafe in Beverly Hills. Waiters in white shirts and black pants served them fresh salads and sparkling water and white wine. Ariel sat back and watched the waiter. He was young and good-looking. Ever since sleeping with Jake she’d been feeling guilty but she’d also been feeling alive and vibrant and aroused. It was as if he’d woken up inside her something that had been asleep a long time. He’d brought back her desires for sexual excitement and risk.
“You’re staring at that poor waiter,” Veronica said, smirking.
“Am I?”
“Yes,” Veronica said, “you are!”
“I’m sorry,” Ariel said.
“Don’t worry about it. You’re single, you’re free. You can look at whatever you like.”
Ariel smiled. She knew Veronica was going through a difficult time in her marriage. She was trying to play the good wife, she was trying to be loyal to Hank, but Ariel knew she was finding it difficult. It was hard to be in a relationship like that where there was loyalty and friendship but no passion or excitement.
“You can look too,” Ariel said.
Veronica nodded, a little sadly. “I can look, but I can’t touch. That’s the difference. You can look
and
touch.”
“I don’t think that waiter will be letting me touch him any time soon,” Ariel said.
“But you know what I mean,” Veronica went on.
Ariel nodded. It was true. She’d been in a difficult marriage of her own for sixteen years. She knew only too well what it was like to be stuck in a relationship, to feel like all her options were shut off. She felt sympathy for Veronica, for her situation, but she wasn’t sure how she could help her.
“So it’s exciting that Hank wants you to open a restaurant,” she said, changing the subject.
“Yes,” Veronica said, glad to have her attention directed at something other than her difficulties. She pulled out a folder and opened it. It was full of pictures of different restaurants that she liked. There were different interior styles that she could consider, different furniture, different tableware. There were so many options.
Ariel pointed at one of the pictures. It was a sparse, white interior, very minimal. “I like that one,” she said.
“I love that,” Veronica said. “That’s exactly the kind of thing I’m going for.”
“I guess the first challenge is to chose a location. Once you know the neighborhood you’re in you’ll know what kind of style to go for.”
Veronica looked up from the folder. “Oh Ariel, how am I going to get through this?”
“What do you mean?”
“You know the history I have with Matt. You know how strong our feelings are for each other.”
“Yes I do, but I also know that you two never crossed the line.”
“But if he’s working with me, setting up the restaurant, think of all the time we’re going to be together. Think of all the opportunities. What if something happens?”
“Don’t be so hard on yourself,” Ariel said. “You’re acting like something’s already happened.”
“No I’m not. I’m just being realistic. I’m thinking of my marriage. I know how close Matt and I have been in the past, I know there’s a real risk of something happening.”
Ariel shook her head. “You’re getting ahead of yourself. You should spend more time thinking about what
has
happened, and less time worrying about what
might
happen.”
Veronica looked up at Ariel. Ariel looked away. “Ariel,” Veronica said, “what is it? You look pale.”
“It’s nothing.”
“It’s something,” Veronica said. “I know that look.”
“What look?”
“Something happened. Tell me what it is.”
“Something
did
happen,” Ariel said.
“Well?” Veronica said. “Tell me.”
Ariel looked at her friend. She looked around the cafe as if someone might be watching her. Everything was normal. No one was paying her any attention. She took a deep breath.
“I slept with Jake Medeiros,” she said.
As soon as she said the words she regretted it. She regretted sleeping with Jake and she regretted telling Veronica. She knew this was big news. This would change everything. Maybe Veronica wouldn’t even want to be her friend anymore. She realized all of that as she heard herself say the words. What had she been thinking, sleeping with her neighbor’s husband? There was no way it was going to go over well with the other women.
She looked up at Veronica.
Veronica’s eyebrows were raised. She was shaking her head.
“Say something,” Ariel said.
“What can I say?” Veronica said. “You know what you’ve done.”
Ariel nodded. She’d ruined everything. She’d ruined whatever trust she’d gained with Veronica and the other women on the Row.
“You’re shocked. You hate me now, don’t you?”
Veronica shook her head. “Don’t be so dramatic, Ariel. To be honest, I’m not that surprised.”
“You thought I’d sleep with someone’s husband?”
“No, not at all. I’m surprised at you. I didn’t think you were like that.”
“I’m not usually. Something’s just come over me lately.”
“But Jake? Jake’s slept with every girl within a thirty mile radius. I know he’s into all sorts of perverted things. I’ve heard stories about him.”
“What kind of stories?”
“I wouldn’t even be surprised if Trudy’s slept with him.”
“Veronica. What kind of stories?”
“Oh, you know. Nothing I should repeat. Just kinky stuff.”
“What kind of kinky stuff? You mean swinging?”
“Oh God!” Veronica said. “So it’s true.”
Ariel looked at Veronica and nodded slowly. Then she covered her face in her hands. She felt so embarrassed. She was embarrassed about Jake’s sexual habits! She wasn’t sure why she should feel responsible for those things, but having slept with him, she somehow felt as if she was a part of it all now.
“What happened?” Veronica said. “Tell me everything.”
“Well,” Ariel said, “I was in a bar having a drink after work. I wasn’t sure what I was in the bar for, I hadn’t planned to meet anyone there.”
“And Jake was there?”
“Yes, he was there and he was so charming. I guess I’d gone in there looking for some sort of trouble, and when I found Jake I felt relieved to know someone in the bar so I let him flirt with me.”
“And one thing led to another?”
“Well,” Ariel said, “not exactly. I mean, sort of, but he told me that Zola was in on it. He said he and Zola had a very open relationship. He told me she wouldn’t mind if we did something.”
“And you believed what you wanted to believe.”
Ariel knew she should stop talking. She knew that Zola’s private life deserved some respect, but she wanted to try and justify her decision to sleep with Jake in some way. “Yes, but he showed me a video.”
“What do you mean?” Veronica said.
“He showed me a video on his cell phone of Zola having sex with another man. She was having a threesome with this other guy and Jake at the same time!”
Veronica’s hand flew up to her mouth. “You are kidding me!” she said. She said it so loudly that some of the other diners looked over at them.
“I’m not kidding,” Ariel said. “I mean, I still feel horrible about it. I know I never should have done anything like this.”
“But you figure if Zola’s into it, then where’s the harm?”
“Well, I just sort of let it happen,” Ariel said. “I’m not proud of it, really I’m not.”
“I should think not.”
“But you don’t know what it’s like to be single after so many years of loveless marriage,” Ariel said.
Veronica was quiet. Ariel felt bad then. She knew that Veronica knew only too well what it was like to be lonely, to be wanting for passion and intimacy.
“I can see where you were coming from,” Veronica said.
“I just let him have his way with me for the night,” Ariel said. “I know I shouldn’t have, but the video with Zola, the swinging, the wine I’d had, my own stupid horniness, it all just added up to a very bad decision.”
“You’re going to have to sort this out with Zola,” Veronica said.
“I know,” Ariel said, “but how do you tell a girl that you slept with her husband?”
“Well, if she’s into this swinging like Jake said she was, it might not be so bad.”
“Can you understand why I did it?” Ariel said.
“Relax,” Veronica said. “I’m your friend, Ariel. You can tell me anything. I might not agree with every decision you make but I’m not here to judge you. There’s enough judgement in the world.”
“Oh, thank you,” Ariel said.
“Just promise me one thing,” Veronica said.
“Anything.”
“Let me know if you plan on doing anything with Hank!”
Ariel burst out laughing. “I swear I will never touch Hank,” Ariel said.
Veronica was nodding. “I know,” she said. “I know.” And then a very wicked grin crossed her face. “Although, maybe something like that would be just what my boring marriage needs to spice it up!”
II
“B
RING ME ANOTHER BEER, WOULD YOU, HONEY?”
Zola hurried into the kitchen and grabbed a beer from the fridge. She always jumped when Jake gave her an order. She hated that she was so weak and obedient but it didn’t seem like there was anything she could do about it.
She’d been waiting up all night for him to come home, she had no idea where he’d slept, and now that he was home she was running around trying to please him.
“Can I get you anything else while I’m here?” she called out.
Jake didn’t answer. Zola felt cheap, like a servant.
“I bought you something,” Jake said when she entered the bedroom with his beer.
“Oh?” she said.
“Yeah, something for you to try on.”
Zola tried to smile even though she had knots in her stomach. She didn’t know why but she always had knots in her stomach around Jake. He kept her constantly on edge.
There was a package on the side of the bed wrapped in black tissue paper. She handed him his beer and picked up the package.
“Open it up,” Jake said.
“Thank you,” Zola said.
“I thought you deserved a little something,” Jake said. “After the show you put on the other night for my friend, you really deserve something.”