The Wives of Beverly Row 1: Lust Has a New Address (7 page)

That got her attention! Becky had even surprised herself. She had no idea where that had come from. She’d never spoken like that before in her life. She was completely bluffing, she had no idea whether or not she was going to be popular in this school but there was no way in hell she was going to let this mean bitch make a fool out of her on her very first day.

The girl looked straight at Becky. At first she looked like she was going to cry, then she looked angry, but it was clear that the tables had turned. The other girls and the other kids in the corridor were looking at Becky differently now. It wasn’t every day that someone stood up to the mean girls and everyone knew it. Becky wasn’t sure how the girl was going to react. It looked like she might have a fight on her hands.

Then she heard her name being called. “Becky!” That surprised her too. She didn’t know anyone in this school. Who could possibly be calling her name?

She turned around and saw Kyle coming toward her. He looked tall and strong and handsome with his broad chest and wide smile. His arms were muscular and strong. Becky had never seen a boy look so good in all her life.

“She knows Kyle Roycroft,” one of the mean girls whispered.

Kyle had jock written all over him and his timing was perfect.

“One second, Kyle,” Becky said as if he was her best friend in the world. “This chick was just about to direct me to the office.”

Becky looked at the girl. The girl looked back at Becky but the battle was over. Becky had won.

“It’s right down there,” the girl said, nodding down the corridor.

“Thank you,” Becky said, and rushed down the corridor before the mean girl changed her mind. Kyle followed.

XI

A
RIEL WATCHED BECKY WALK UP
the steps to the school. She prayed she’d have a good first day. She thought back on her own high school days and remembered how intense everything had felt. It was as if every feeling, every emotion, had been multiplied by a thousand.

She drove down Sunset and turned left into the UCLA campus. There was a Trader Joe’s across the campus and she needed to pick up some groceries. On her way through the university she passed the art building. She’d wanted so badly to study there when she was younger. She’d even been accepted to the prestigious school, but then she got pregnant. It just wasn’t possible for her to go to school after that. She’d married Gabe instead. She slowed down outside the building and looked at the students hanging around outside the entrance. The boys had long hair and the girls were smoking. If her life had gone differently she could have been one of those kids.

She parked on Weyburn Avenue and went into the supermarket. It was nicely air conditioned inside and she took a minute to appreciate the cool air on her body. She looked at her watch. It was just after nine. She thought about giving Becky a quick call but she resisted the urge. She had to let her daughter find her own feet in the new school. She told herself that Becky was a bright, friendly kid and would be just fine.

She got a cart and began making her way through the aisles, picking up the things she needed. She wasn’t far from Beverly Row but she didn’t expect to run into anyone.

“Ariel?”

She turned to see who was calling her name.

“Oh, Veronica.”

“I thought I saw you come in.”

“Just grabbing a few things,” Ariel said.

“Me too. They have the best salsa here. Have you tried it?”

“I’ll grab some.”

“It’s so fresh. I think they make it right here in the store.”

Ariel smiled. “I had a great time the other night,” she said.

“It was fun wasn’t it?”

“It was great to get to know you girls better. I really appreciate how welcoming you’ve all been.”

“Oh, we’ve been desperate for fresh blood, Ariel. Things can get awfully dull. We’re delighted to have you in the neighborhood.”

“Well, things sure don’t seem dull to me. You should have seen my last neighborhood.”

“It can’t have been more conservative than our little street.”

“It wasn’t more conservative. No. But after so many years there it just felt like the same thing over and over, day after day. You know what I mean?”

“I’m a wife and a mother, Ariel. I know exactly what you mean. If I have to hear one more story about Hank’s accounting practice and Kyle’s sports teams, I’ll scream.”

Ariel laughed. It was nice to meet other women who weren’t afraid to call things as they saw them. She found that so many women were so reverent about their lives, it was almost as if they were afraid to admit that they hated doing their family’s laundry and keeping the house clean.

“I was pretty surprised at the things you told me,” Ariel said.

“Oh, about the depraved fetish I crave?” Veronica said, grinning wickedly.

“Exactly. No one in my old neighborhood would ever have owned up to wanting something like that.”

“Well, that’s me. I’ll own up to anything. That’s not even the worst thing I’ve been lusting for.”

“Veronica! You’re hilarious.”

“Ariel! Don’t tell me you don’t have fantasies like that. Wouldn’t you just love it if a great big hunk of a man took you and made you his and did everything he wanted to you? Wouldn’t you pretty much give anything for that?”

Ariel looked around the supermarket. It wasn’t busy but she didn’t want people to overhear the conversation she was having with Veronica. It was pretty risqué for the Trader Joe’s dairy aisle.

“I’ve never thought about it,” Ariel said.

Veronica slapped Ariel’s arm playfully. “Oh, give me a break, Ariel. You can’t fool me that easily.”

“Let’s get out of here,” Ariel said. “I’ll buy you a coffee.”

They checked out together and loaded their groceries into their cars. The street was still in shade and it wasn’t too hot.

“There’s a Starbucks right around the corner,” Veronica said.

They ordered some drinks and sat by the window overlooking the street. A good-looking guy about ten years younger than Ariel jogged past and Veronica winked at him. Ariel laughed. It was more of a giggle really.

“Spill the beans,” Veronica said.

“What do you mean?”

“I know you’ve got something to tell me, Ariel. You’ve been intrigued ever since I told you I wanted anal.”

“Keep your voice down,” Ariel said, leaning forward.

There were a few other people in the cafe, sipping drinks and typing away on their laptops.

“Anal, anal, anal!” Veronica said. “I want it in the ass so bad, and I want a prince in shining armor to give it to me!”

“Veronica!”

“No one’s listening,” Veronica said. “That guy’s got headphones on.”

Ariel looked at the guy. He did have headphones but how could she tell they were turned on?

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Veronica said. “I’m being silly. It’s just, sometimes I get to feeling so cooped up, so controlled and held back. It’s oppressive.”

“You’re just horny,” Ariel said.

“I am,” Veronica said. “I know it. That’s what I’m saying. I’m so horny I’m willing to scream it from the rooftops. I can’t remember the last time Hank gave me an orgasm. Having sex with him, which is a pretty rare occurrence in the first place, is like using a limp, wilted piece of celery for a dildo.”

“Veronica!”

“Don’t sound so shocked, Ariel. You’ve been married. You know what it’s like.”

“Do I?”

“Come on. Don’t you have some wicked, naughty fantasies that you’d do anything to fulfill?”

Ariel thought about it. She looked at Veronica. Then she smiled. “Everyone’s got fantasies,” she said.

“Exactly,” Veronica said. “That’s all I’m saying. If they exist, why not just admit them? Where’s the harm in it?”

“Well, I don’t know,” Ariel said. “I guess people are afraid of them.”

“What’s to be afraid of?”

“I don’t know about you, but I’d be scared to death if someone said they were going to make my naughtiest, dirtiest fantasies come true.”

“I
wish
someone told me that,” Veronica said, shaking her billowy, ruby hair over her shoulder.

“But no one’s going to make them come true, are they? That’s the point. They’re just fantasies. They’re never going to happen.”

Veronica took a sip from her coffee. The way she looked at Ariel was unusual.

“What is it?” Ariel said.

“Don’t you just wish they
could
come true. Just for one night?”

Ariel shrugged. “I don’t know,” she said. “I mean, if you really want it, if you just want to have anal sex with a big giant hunk, I’m sure it could be arranged. It probably wouldn’t even be that difficult. There are all sorts of groups on the Internet these days.”

“I know,” Veronica said. “I actually think about it all the time. I’m desperate. I just fixate on it, when I’m at home alone I use a dildo.”

“In your butt?”

“In my butt.”

“Veronica! I can’t believe you.”

“I know, I know. I’m, what’s the word? Gauche?”

“You’re fine.”

“I know people usually don’t admit to things like this. God, you hardly know me.”

“You’re just being honest.”

“I just don’t think I could cheat on Hank. He’s been so good to me and Kyle. He’s been so decent to us.”

“Why don’t you talk to him about what you want? Maybe he’d try to give it to you.”

“I don’t want him to
try
. I don’t want him to do it because
I
want it. I want
him
to want it. To be honest, I just don’t want to do it with him at all. He’s too meek. I want it with someone else!”

Ariel hit her on the arm, playfully.

“I’m kidding. I couldn’t cheat. I just couldn’t.”

“Well, there’s always porn.”

Veronica shook her head. She covered her face in her hands. “What’s wrong with me?” she said.

“Nothing’s wrong with you. We’re all the same, Veronica. All of us.”

“Really? Because I don’t hear other women ever say anything like this.”

“Okay,” Ariel said. “I’ll tell you a real fantasy of mine.”

“This better be good.”

“Ménage à trois.”

“A threesome?”

“Yes. Me and two men. Both strangers. I’d be all over that like white on rice.”

“Really?”

“At least in my mind. In real life I might chicken out, but as a fantasy? Yes! Definitely! I could get off thinking about that.”

“Why do we have fantasies like this if we can never act on them?”

“Maybe one day we’ll get to,” Ariel said.

“Maybe we will,” Veronica said.

XII

“H
OW WAS SCHOOL, HONEY?”

Becky had just come in the front door. She dropped her backpack on the ground and went through to the living room where her mom was watching TV.

“Oh, just wonderful!”

“Really?”

“Yes. I loved it.”

“For real? Or are you kidding? I can’t tell.”

“For real, mom. I’m not being sarcastic. I loved it.”

“Well, that’s great, honey.”

“Kyle showed me everything. He’s on the football team.”

“Kyle, Veronica’s son?”

“Yes. He introduced me to everyone.”

“That sounds great.”

“He is.”

Ariel looked at her daughter. It seemed someone had a crush.

“How old is he, honey?”

“A senior.”

“Well, you just make sure you make friends in your own grade too.”

“Oh, don’t worry, mom. Everyone thinks I’m hot shit because I know Kyle. You should have seen them, the mean girl clique, they thought they were going to intimidate me. By the end of the day they were all sucking up to me.”

Ariel wasn’t so sure how she felt about her daughter getting too attached to a senior but it was definitely better than Becky coming home in tears because she had no friends. “Then you’ll be glad to know we’ve been invited over to the Roycrofts for dinner.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

“Will Kyle be there?”

“I believe so.”

“Sweet!” Becky said and rushed upstairs and into her shower.

Mother and daughter spent the rest of the afternoon getting ready for dinner. They both probably over did it, Becky because she was trying to impress Kyle, Ariel because she was trying to impress Hank and Veronica.

*

“D
ON’T THE TWO OF YOU
look darling,” Veronica said as she let them in.

Ariel had brought a bottle of wine and a cake for dessert.

“Oh, you didn’t need to bring anything,” Veronica said. “Come on in.”

“Is Kyle here?” Becky said.

“Don’t worry, sweetie,” Veronica said. “He’s just having a shower. He’ll be down in a minute.”

Veronica looked at Ariel and gave her a little nudge.

“What’s going on there?” Veronica said, quietly.

“I think Kyle showed her around the high school today, introduced her to his friends, I’m afraid he made quite an impression.”

“I see,” Veronica said. “Well, he better behave himself.”

The dinner was nice. Veronica had it catered by an Italian restaurant in Beverly Hills and they even sent over a very good-looking young man to serve it. Becky sat next to Kyle and Ariel could tell she was smitten. She watched as Becky laughed at everything Kyle said. She swooned when he paid her a complement. He seemed like a nice boy but Ariel shuddered at what might happen if he ended up breaking Becky’s heart. He was a senior after all, and she was just a sophomore. Ariel couldn’t help feeling protective over her daughter, she wanted to spare her all the pain she’d experienced in her own life.

“Can I take Becky to see the skatepark?” Kyle asked after dinner.

“Really?” Becky said, obviously thrilled. “Can I, mom?”

Ariel sighed. “Just make sure you’re home by ten.”

“We will,” Ariel said, getting up from her seat, “and thanks so much for dinner, Mrs. Roycroft.”

“It’s Veronica, honey.”

When the kids were gone, Veronica opened another bottle of Zinfandel.

“So,” Hank said to Ariel while Veronica was getting the dessert from the fridge, “what are you planning on doing with yourself now that you’re a wealthy woman? Have you thought about investments?”

Ariel looked him over. She could see what Veronica had meant when she said he was boring. He was a nice man, decent, but he wasn’t exactly the kind of guy that had girls weak at the knees with sex appeal. He was an accountant, he talked like an accountant, and he looked like an accountant.