The Wives of Beverly Row 6: Lust Has a New Address

The Wives of Beverly Row 6
Abby Weeks

Copyright © 2014 Abby Weeks

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ISBN 978‐1‐927947‐36‐4

Title Page

Copyright

Quote

Chapter I

Chapter II

Chapter III

Chapter IV

Chapter V

Chapter VI

Chapter VII

Chapter VIII

Chapter IX

Chapter X

Chapter XI

Chapter XII

Chapter XIII

Chapter XIV

Chapter XV

Back Matter

*

“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 WAS DRESSED TO IMPRESS.
She’d pulled out all the stops. She had on a brand new Chanel dress, the most expensive underwear she’d ever bought, she’d had her hair done, her makeup was perfect. She was leaving nothing to chance on this night. She was sitting at her vanity, painting her nails, when Becky came in with the phone.

“It’s dad.”

“Thanks, honey,” Ariel said and blew on her nails. She took the phone and then looked up at Becky who was still standing there.

“What is it, honey?”

“Are you going on a date with dad?”

“Oh, Becky,” Ariel said and held out her arms for Becky to hug her. She was careful not to let her nails touch Becky’s clothes. “We’re just going out for dinner. It’s for business. It’s not a date.”

“Oh,” Becky said, “I just thought.”

“I know, baby,” Ariel said, and squeezed her extra tight.

She put the phone to her ear. “Gabe?”

“Hey,” Gabe said, “I just wanted to run over the details one last time.”

“We’ve been over it,” Ariel said.

“I know. So basically, I want him to buy the painting from me.”

“Yes, basically,” Ariel said, “but he’s not going to give you any money. He’s got to be the one left holding the pot.”

“I don’t know about this,” Gabe went on. “I mean, how’s it going to work? I’m basically giving him the thing for free.”

“He’s got to think he’s getting one over on you, Gabe. It’s all got to come from him. He thinks
he’s
the one screwing
you
.”

“Then why does it feel like
I’m
the one getting screwed?” Gabe said.

“Listen, Gabe, do you trust me?”

There was a long silence on the other end of the line. Ariel realized as she waited for him to respond that it was quite a loaded question she was asking. How much was he supposed to trust her? She was his ex-wife, he knew she’d been making love with Jake. What guarantee did he have that he wasn’t the one being ripped off in all of this? She was asking him to basically hand over a five million dollar canvas to her new lover.

“Yes,” Gabe said at last, “I trust you.”

Ariel sighed in relief. “Thank you,” she said.

“I just hope you’re as smart as you think you are, Ariel.”

“Gabe, have you ever had a reason to question my intelligence?”

Gabe laughed.

A car pulled up Ariel’s driveway outside.

“Damn, they’re here, Gabe. I’ve got to go.”

“Okay, I’ll see you at the restaurant.”

“Don’t worry,” Ariel said. “Just go with the flow. Jake’s greedy. He’s going to fall for the whole thing.”

Ariel hung up the phone and checked her nails. They still looked fine. She hadn’t ruined them before they’d had time to dry. She got up and slipped into her shoes, the sexiest, highest heels she owned, and then went downstairs. She grabbed her coat and opened the door. Jake was already on the porch.

“Wow,” he said, looking her over from head to toe. “You look fantastic.”

“Thanks,” Ariel said. She smiled. She hadn’t meant to but she couldn’t help herself. Despite everything she knew about Jake, she still had to admit he was very hot.

Jake opened the back door of his Mercedes and she got in. The white leather seats felt good against her skin. Zola leaned back from her seat in the front next to Jake.

“Hi, Ariel.”

Ariel touched her on the shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze. “Don’t worry about a thing,” she said when Jake had closed the door, “I’ve got everything under control”. They watched him cross in front of the car. The headlights lit him up.

He climbed into the driver’s seat and turned the ignition. He seemed so confident, so sure of himself. Ariel couldn’t wait to show him what it felt like to be under someone else’s power. He was a bully, plain and simple, and sooner or later all bullies had to learn the hard way that they couldn’t treat people the way he’d been treating Zola.

As the drove down the steep and winding hill toward Hollywood, Ariel saw Jake’s hand where it rested on Zola’s thigh. It made her angry to think of the way Jake treated her. He honestly believed Zola was his property.

Jake cleared his throat.

“So you really think your ex is going to fall for this?” he said confidently.

“I know he will,” Ariel said. “He thinks he’s a big shot but when it comes to selling a painting, he’s always needed help. He knows that. If you can make him believe you’re going to be able to sell this thing for him, he’ll be eating out of your hands.”

Jake laughed. He gave Zola’s thigh a little squeeze.

“And what about the other thing?” he said to Zola, referring to the fact that they were planning on swinging and wife-swapping once they met up with Gabe.

“What other thing?” Zola said.

Jake laughed again. “What other thing?” he said mockingly. “You know exactly what I’m referring to. It’s the only thing you’re good for. The wife-swapping.”

Zola looked back at Ariel. “I’m excited about it,” Zola said. Ariel could hear the sadness in Zola’s voice. She was amazed that Jake couldn’t. It was as if he was blind to the fact that Zola was an actual person, with actual feelings.

“And what about you?” Jake said to Ariel. He was watching her in the rearview mirror.

Ariel forced herself to sound cheerful. “I can’t wait,” she said.

“This will be a real thrill for you, won’t it?” Jake went on. He could never leave well enough alone. He always had to keep picking at people.

“It will,” Ariel said. “I’ve always wanted Gabe to see me getting fucked by another man. Especially a real man like you, Jake.”

Jake laughed. He pulled the car up outside the fancy restaurant he’d chosen for their meeting with Gabe.

“Me too,” he said. “And I can’t wait to see Zola getting fucked like the whore she is.”

II

T
HE RESTAURANT WAS EVERYTHING ARIEL
had expected. It was extremely expensive, extremely trendy, and yet somehow totally lacking in any kind of taste. It almost felt like the lobby of a corporate office building. The valet took the car and a doorman held the doors open for them as they entered.

“Medeiros for four,” Jake said.

A server in a black suit and white shirt brought them to a nice table next to the massive windows overlooking the street. Gabe wasn’t there yet. Ariel was eager for him to arrive. She felt uncomfortable sitting there with Jake. Zola’s face was completely blank.

“Can I get you started with some drinks?” the server asked.

Jake picked up the wine list and selected an expensive bottle of burgundy. Ariel noticed that he didn’t check with her or Zola whether that was what they wanted.

She sat there feeling uncomfortable, staring across at Zola for moral support. Jake was sitting in the middle. When the server came back with the wine Jake tasted it. As the wine was being poured, Ariel gasped. Jake’s hand was under the table and resting on her bare knee. She looked over at Zola and she nodded. Jake’s hands were on both of their knees at once. Ariel felt so humiliated. Who did Jake think he was? She prayed no one in the restaurant could notice him feeling up both of them at once. She didn’t fancy the idea of being seen as part of Jake’s harem of wives.

Ariel picked up her wine glass and took a sip. She felt extremely uncomfortable. Jake’s hand was slowly moving higher and higher up her thigh. If Gabe didn’t arrive very soon, he’d have his hand in her crotch before long.

When Ariel finally saw Gabe walk into the restaurant she breathed a silent sigh of relief.

Jake stood up to greet Gabe. It was a strange feeling for Ariel to see the two men shake hands. She almost felt as if she and Zola might be the targets of some other, more sinister, scam that the men were planning. The thought made her shiver. She told herself that she was here doing this to help Zola, but if she was honest with herself, her life hadn’t been all that different from Zola’s. She tried not to think of it too often, but during her marriage she’d often felt similar to the way Zola must be feeling now, powerless, helpless, worthless. She’d forgiven Gabe as much as forgiveness was possible, but she knew she’d allowed that situation to go on far too long. She could have stood up for herself sooner, she didn’t have to let so many years of her life pass feeling so humiliated. Seeing Gabe shaking hands with Jake now brought it all back to her.

But she’d come a long way since then. She had to give herself credit for that. She was free, she was independent, and she felt that despite everything, she’d somehow managed to win Gabe’s respect in this new phase of her life. He was even being a better father than he’d ever been before. She felt like her courage and her strength were largely responsible for all of that.

She gave Gabe a smile when he sat down. She knew he wasn’t her enemy. Not anymore. He was here to help her, to help Zola.

Still, she couldn’t help noticing how smug he seemed as he sat there. He looked at Zola. He knew he was going to be having sex with her. Had he changed at all? She would probably never know.

“So nice of you to join us,” Jake said to Gabe.

“Oh, no problem, I mean really, I wouldn’t miss this for the world.”

“Ariel told me you two never tried this while you were married,” Jake said.

“Maybe we should have,” Gabe said, laughing. He looked at Zola again and Ariel couldn’t help but feel a tiny bit jealous at the way Gabe was eyeing her.

She knew she was being silly. Gabe was her ex, and Ariel was the one who’d orchestrated this entire scenario as a means of getting even with Jake, but still….

“Well, if I remember correctly,” Ariel interjected, “Gabe was doing his fair share of it. It was just that he was keeping me out of the party.” Ariel knew she was being challenging to Gabe but it worked for drawing Jake in, playing up to her cover story of wanting to get even with Gabe. She figured it could only work to their advantage.

“I can’t deny I was a terrible husband,” Gabe said, facing Ariel.

Ariel shrugged. “Well, I guess tonight you’ll get a taste of what I went through.”

“What do you mean?” Gabe said.