The Neighbor [The Complete Collection] (5 page)

Ben was pounding her so hard and it felt so good that she began to feel her body reaching again toward the exquisite climax of orgasm.

—Yes, she said, over and over and over, and just when she thought she couldn’t take it any longer Ben pulled out.

—Stay there, he said.

She had no intention of doing otherwise. He went into the bathroom and came back with a bottle of lotion. He poured it all over his dick and then rubbed some of it on her bum too, being careful to get it right inside her asshole. He penetrated her anus with his finger, something he’d never done before, and Janey let out a little cry of delight.

—Punish me, daddy, she said. I’ve been so bad. Make me sorry.

—You’ll be sorry, Ben said, and there was a new, gravelly, manliness to his voice.

—Punish me hard, she said again.

Ben pressed the tip of his penis against her anus and pushed hard. It didn’t slip in but Janey knew it would if he kept trying. She’d been able to get the dildo in and that was wider than Ben would ever be. He seemed to be reconsidering the idea and she didn’t want him to change his mind.

—Punish me, daddy, she said. I’ve been a naughty slut, and she wiggled her bum in front of him teasingly.

He pressed his penis against her anus again and this time she felt it force its way in. She felt every single inch that he had to offer slide into her. Every second that he was forcing his way into her ass felt like an eternity of pleasure, and then he pulled out in a rush and she moaned. Immediately he was forcing his way back in. She felt like a virgin that was being violated for the very first time in her life. She screamed out in delight and held her ankles tightly in her hand as he plowed again and again into her tight, pink asshole. She looked into Ben’s eyes and he looked into hers and pushed in and out of her like a machine.

—Yes, she screamed as she came.

Ben came at the same time as her and then he pulled out, dripping the last little bit of semen onto the sheets.

—Make sure that’s cleaned up before I get home, he said.

—Yes, daddy, Janey said.

VI

T
HEY SPOKE LITTLE ON
the drive into town. They crossed the Hudson and Janey looked down at the flowing river with new eyes. She certainly wasn’t sure what was going on with her life. She didn’t know exactly what had gotten into her and Ben since they’d moved into the new house, but she was sure of one thing: their marriage was enjoying a new burst of life. There was no denying it. And she liked it.

She’d never been more excited. She had the neighbor to think about for one thing. Then there was the valet kid who she’d let finger her vagina like it was nothing at all. And then Ben had taken her in the ass like he was an entirely new man and she was some whore he’d picked up at a motel. She felt like their whole world was changing.

Before they knew it, Ben would be working for a fancy new firm in Albany and would be taking in twice as much money as he was now. They would have a wonderful new life of power and wealth ahead of them and all the pleasure in the world would be theirs for the taking.

As she looked down from the bridge over the rooftops of Troy that was the thought that struck her hardest. There was so much pleasure in the world, and it seemed to be suddenly coming at them from every direction at once.

And she thought, even the fact that Ben was having an affair with his secretary had its advantages. It meant that she could get away with far more than would be possible otherwise. Just yesterday she’d been consumed with pain and jealousy over how to get Ben away from his secretary but now she saw the whole thing as just one more insignificant detail, something that would let her get what she wanted out of life.

As they reached the front of
Terroni’s,
Janey found that she didn’t even care in the least that Ben was going in to the office to see Suzy. So what? she thought. He had his little plaything but she was the one he’d married. And besides, she had playthings of her own now.

—Goodbye, honey, she said as she hugged him in the car.

She was surprised when Ben wouldn’t let go of her.

—I love you, Janey, he said.

She kissed him. It was a long, passionate kiss.

—I know, she said, and gave his penis a little squeeze through his pants.

She got out of the car and blew him a kiss before watching him drive off. Then she searched in her purse for her valet ticket. The restaurant wasn’t open yet but she could see, sitting on the steps out front enjoying his morning cigarette, her boy.
Her
boy.

That was really how she thought of him now. He was
hers
. Everything was hers. She could have whatever she wanted and there was nothing that could get in her way.

—Hey, kid, she said to him, and gave him a charming and provocative smile. You ready to learn how to please a lady?

The boy looked up at her and his mouth was agape. He looked her over and she knew he was impressed. He’d never been with a woman as hot as her before, she was certain he hadn’t. She’d purposely worn some sexy yoga pants and a tight shirt that clung to her breasts and left her midriff exposed. She’d told Ben that she was going to the gym.

The boy was speechless.

—Well quit staring like an idiot and take me to my car. I’m going to teach you how to go down on a girl like a pro.

The boy got up and threw her the keys to her car.

—Yes, ma’am, he said.

I

J
ANEY SAT ON HER BED
and stared out the panoramic windows at the neighbor’s pool. She’d been sitting in her room all day, waiting for a sign that he was watching her. It had been two days since she’d thrown her underwear in his pool and she hadn’t seen a sign of him since. She was beginning to worry that she’d scared him off. Maybe she’d upset him by being so bold. She wracked her brain for a way to get his attention but she didn’t even know if he was at home. It was pointless. It was senseless, in fact. She was a grown woman and she didn’t need to be wasting her time sitting around, hoping that her neighbor was watching her.

There was just something about it, though. The feeling of being watched had given her such a deep thrill. Since it had happened, all she could think about was the neighbor. She wondered what kind of a man he was. He was older than her but she had no idea by how much exactly. He was wealthy but she didn’t know how wealthy, or how he had made his money. She found herself daydreaming about what sort of a man he was, what kind of music and art and film he liked, what his interests were. She liked to imagine him as charming and intelligent and she imagined meeting him in person and the two of them hitting it off.

All of this was crazy. She knew that. She was a married woman and the reason she was here in Sunny Oaks was to fix her marriage, cement her relationship with Ben, and get him out of his job in Troy. Finding him a new firm to work for was crucial because it would get him away from that slut of a secretary at his current office. The right firm would also get them both started on the social ladder that existed at the state capital in Albany. She should have been spending her time finding out about the big firms in Albany, figuring out who was who in the upper echelons of state politics, checking out which law firms were making the most money and winning the most important clients. Instead she was sitting on her bed, gazing across the lawn at the neighbor’s house, wondering where he was and whether he’d ever come back and watch her in her bedroom.

The craziest thing about it all was that she seemed to got more of a thrill out of being watched by the neighbor than she did actually having sex with her husband. She’d even fooled around with that parking valet at
Terroni’s
, flirting with him shamelessly and even letting him touch her. That had been a brief but dangerous moment of absolute senselessness. It was just madness, plain and simple. She’d been aroused so utterly that day by the neighbor’s watching her that she’d acted out of character and allowed the valet to touch her. She’d even acted provocatively with him the following morning, flirting shamelessly and making suggestive comments when she’d gone back to get her car, but of course nothing had happened. She couldn’t explain that behavior. Was she beginning to lose it? She had a full life to lead with Ben, he was going to be a successful lawyer and the two of them were going to climb the ladder to wealth, success and happiness. If he caught her fooling around with parking attendants he’d flip out. She’d lose everything. What had she been thinking?

That wasn’t her. She wasn’t one to act so recklessly that she’d jeopardize everything she’d worked for in her life. She had a good, loving husband, even if he wasn’t perfect, and she should be doing everything she could to help him advance his career right now.

She got up off the bed and went into the bathroom. It was ten in the morning and she wasn’t even out of her pajamas yet. She had to get a hold of herself. She couldn’t spend the rest of the summer moping around hoping the neighbor would come home and watch her making a fool of herself. She got in the shower and let the hot water wash over her body, trying to get a feeling of reinvigoration and life into her bones. She’d shake herself out of this rut she’d fallen into.

After her shower she got dressed and went downstairs, determined to be productive. She made coffee and toast and after she’d eaten she got the laundry organized. The laundry room in the new house was really nice. They had new, front-loading appliances that came with the house. Ben hadn’t wanted to pay for them but Janey pleaded and begged and finally he’d agreed.

She took a pair of Ben’s pants from the washer and felt something in the pocket. She reached in and pulled out a candy wrapper. Then she dropped it on the ground. Her face flushed red and she felt as if she’d just been slapped hard across the cheek. She felt hot. It was as if the entire room had gotten hotter. It wasn’t a candy wrapper at all. It was a condom wrapper.

She and Ben didn’t use condoms. She was on the pill. He was still screwing other women. It must have been from being with Suzy.

She touched her cheek with the back of her hand. It did feel hot. She went to the sink and ran the cold water and washed her face with it. She washed away her tears and tried to convince herself that she hadn’t been crying at all.

Why was Ben doing this to her? She couldn’t bear the thought of it. She’d tried to convince herself that she didn’t care what Ben did, that she was stronger than this and that it didn’t matter if he fooled around with his secretary, but it did no good. The pain ran sharp and deep. She wasn’t strong enough to overlook this. She shut off the water and breathed deeply, trying to regain her composure. She wouldn’t allow this to control her. She was master of her own emotions and she would overcome this. She had to. She had decided not to bring up the affair with Ben, she wanted everything to remain calm and happy in their home, and she vowed she could do it.

She finished the laundry as calmly as she could and went back upstairs. She sat at the bar in the kitchen and finished the pot of coffee she’d made earlier. She was numb. She forced herself to be numb. Whatever happened, it was self-control that she needed now, not emotion or panic or grief, just control.

As she finished the last of the coffee the phone started ringing. On the caller ID she saw that it was Ben calling.

II

J
ANEY BREATHED IN DEEPLY AND
gathered all her strength before picking up the phone. She had decided that she wasn’t going to ruin things by letting Ben know she knew about the affair. She was going to bear the whole weight of it alone, for the good of their marriage. That was how she’d been raised. That was what her mother had done. And that was what she would do, too.

—Hello, honey, she said into the receiver.

—I’m sorry, a woman’s voice replied. Is this Janey?

—Yes, this is Janey Carver, she said.

—Hi, Janey, the voice said. This is Suzy. Walter will be on the line in just a minute.

—Ok, Janey said.

Her voice sounded weak. She was motionless as a statue as she held the phone to her ear and waited for Ben to come on the line. She didn’t know how Ben could have Suzy place his call to her. He was having an affair with her. It was heartless. It might have been ten seconds or two minutes that she had to wait for Ben. She had no idea.

—Hello, he said.

—Hi, honey, she answered, trying to sound as normal and unaffected as she could.

—Is something wrong?

—No. Nothing. I just burned myself.

—Oh, I’m sorry, baby.

—It’s ok, she said as she flicked the kettle back on.

—Is it bad?

—No. Don’t worry about it. Why did you call?

—I just wanted to let you know I’d be home late tonight.

—Oh. She couldn’t help it. Her voice cracked.

—What is it?

—Nothing, honey. I just thought I’d cook us a nice meal tonight.

—Sorry. Clients.

—I understand.

—Don’t sound so disappointed. It’s work, honey.

—I know, Ben. It’s just, I’m here alone all day, I was looking forward to your getting home.