The Wives of Beverly Row 5: Lust Has a New Address (8 page)

“If he got caught.”

“Exactly,” Ariel said. “And the only way he won’t get caught is if we don’t tell the authorities.”

“And the only way we won’t tell the authorities is if he let’s Zola go.”

“And gives her a nice divorce settlement too,” Ariel said.

“It’s a long shot,” Veronica said. “A lot of planning.”

“I’ve got it covered,” Ariel said. “I know I can pull it off. I just need Gabe to go for it.”

IX

“M
OM, BECKY SAID, COMING INTO
Ariel’s bedroom with the phone, “it’s dad.”

“For me?”

Becky shrugged and handed Ariel the phone.

“Thanks honey.” Ariel lifted the phone to her ear. “Gabe? What is it?”

“Listen,” Gabe said, “I just made plans with Becky to go to a concert in San Francisco next month.”

“Will she miss any school?”

“No, it’s over the long weekend.”

“Alright,” Ariel said. “I’m sure that will be fine. It will be fun for her.”

“Yeah, it will give me a chance to spend some time with her. I feel like she’s growing up so fast.”

“She is,” Ariel said. “And yes, it’s great getting her in the car. You get her full attention for a few hours.”

There was a brief pause on the other end of the line. Ariel really wanted to know what Gabe was thinking but she didn’t ask. She knew she had to be careful if she was going to get him to do what she wanted.

“Listen,” Gabe said, “I’ve been thinking a lot.”

“What about?” Ariel said, sounding casual.

“Well, you know I really regret some of the things that happened between us when we were married.”

“I know that, Gabe. Don’t beat yourself up about it. What happened in the past is over. We have to look forward, give our daughter the best future that we can.”

“You’re right,” Gabe said. “And thank you for being so forgiving.”

“There’s no point holding on to that stuff.”

“Well, I know I let you down, Ariel. I let both of you down. And if it’s not too late, I’d like to try to do something to help make up for that.”

“You mean the concert with Becky?” Ariel prayed it wasn’t the concert. She needed his help with Zola.

“No, no,” Gabe said. “I mean helping your friend out.”

“You’ll do it?”

“Whatever you want,” Gabe said. “I’m in. I know you wouldn’t ask if it didn’t mean a lot to you.”

“It does mean a lot to me,” Ariel said.

“Alright then.”

“Gabe,” Ariel said, the tone in her voice changing slightly.

“Yes?”

“Thank you.”

“It’s the least I can do,” Gabe said.

Ariel put down the phone. She couldn’t believe it. Gabe was in. Now all she needed to do was iron out the details of her plan. She knew she’d be able to lure Jake into anything. All she had to do was have sex with him and he’d trust her about anything. He didn’t know Zola had a problem with the way things were. He didn’t even know Zola had told her friends how desperate she was.

“Becky,” she called down the stairs.

Becky came up immediately. “So?” she said. “Can I go?”

“Your dad said you wouldn’t be missing any school.”

“Yeah, I won’t. I promise. We have a day off that Monday.”

“And you’ll get all your homework done?”

“Every single bit of it,” Becky said.

Becky was clearly getting more excited by the second. Now that she knew she was allowed to go to the concert she was thrilled.

“Well then, I don’t see any problem with a girl spending a few days with her father.”

Becky ran over to the bed and gave her mother a huge hug. “Thanks, mom.”

Ariel hugged her back. She loved making her daughter happy. It felt so good. If only everything in life was as simple and pure as the love she felt for her daughter.

“Becky,” she said.

“Yes, mom.”

“Can I ask you something personal?”

Becky looked at her a little skeptically. “Depends,” she said.

“Are things over between you and Kyle?”

Becky looked at the glass door leading to the balcony. She’d have been able to see Kyle’s house from the balcony if she went outside. “I think so, mom.”

“How come?”

“Things were moving a little too fast. We decided it would be better if we were just friends.”

Ariel gave Becky another big hug. “I’m so glad to hear that,” she said. “I wanted you to be my baby for a little bit longer.”

X

T
HE NEXT DAY WHEN ARIEL
got out of the shower she was as determined as she’d ever been about anything in her life. She shaved her legs and armpits and took extra care shaving her vagina. She was leaving nothing to chance. She put expensive lotion on every part of her body, her best perfume, she even colored her hair. She spent over half an hour on her makeup. She put on the sexiest underwear she owned, a pure black silk bra with matching panties. Then she picked up her phone and sent a message to Jake.

—Busy?

She pressed send and waited for the reply. It didn’t take long, just a few minutes.

—Not too busy to see you.

She replied immediately.

—Want to buy me a cup of coffee?

Thirty minutes later she was entering the coffee shop Jake had suggested. It was on the UCLA campus. Jake was already there and when she walked in he stood up to greet her. He kissed her on the cheek and helped her into her seat.

“You look ravishing,” he said.

“You’re such a flirt,” she said, blatantly being a flirt herself.

“I’m just being honest.”

She looked up at the chalkboard containing the menu.

“What can I get you?” Jake said.

“How about an Americano?”

Jake got up and came back a minute later with two Americanos. Ariel watched him. She didn’t like his demeanor. He was cocky, self-assured, arrogant. Apart from that though, she did have to admit that he was a very good-looking man. She could see why Zola would have fallen for him. He was rich, confident, attractive. That combination could have a powerful effect on a girl like Zola, someone who was seeking to make a better life for herself.

“So,” Jake said as he took his seat, “to what do I owe the pleasure of this little date?”

“Is this a date?” Ariel said, playfully. She looked around the cafe. Students were busily typing on laptops.

Jake shrugged.

Ariel let her foot brush against his leg under the table. He instantly looked up at her, a fierce desire in his eyes that surprised her. He definitely was a man of strong sexual appetites. Ariel wasn’t used to men looking at her with such strong desire. It was almost as if he was hungry for her. She knew if she suggested it that he’d take her somewhere right then and there and fuck her.

She felt a throb of desire between her legs at the thought of it. Without really meaning to, she realized her foot was climbing higher up his leg, rubbing against his pants, slowly climbing up past his knee. She glanced around at the kids on their laptops. She was sure a kid who’d been watching averted his eyes.

“You seem like you’d like to have some fun today,” Jake said.

“Maybe I would.”

She wasn’t a hundred percent sure what her plan was. She knew she wanted to talk him into selling the forged painting. She knew he was a smart business man. He would want in on a good business deal if he thought it would be worth his while. The thing was, how was she going to temp him into it without raising his suspicions?

“I know a nice place close to here,” he said.

“Jake,” Ariel said, “I shouldn’t say this, but I haven’t been able to get you out of my mind since the other night.”

Jake looked pleased at the comment. Ariel could tell he had a thing for her. She wanted to use that to her advantage.

“I’ve even spoken to Zola about it,” she said. She waited for his reaction.

“Oh yeah?” Jake said.

“And, well, it’s always been a fantasy of mine to have a foursome.”

“A foursome?”

“Yes, with my ex-husband. We were married for a very long time, and during that time he cheated on me a lot.”

“I see,” Jake said.

“Yes,” Ariel went on. She still wasn’t completely certain of her plan, she was winging it, going on instinct. “And I never actually saw him doing it with another woman.”

“So you want to see that?”

“I sort of want to see that, I want to see him with Zola. I know he’d go for her. But more importantly, I want him to see
me
with you!”

“Oh,” Jake said, his eyebrows rising.

“Yes. Definitely.”

“Why?”

“I just think it would be therapeutic for me!”

“That would be quite some therapy.”

“It would just be really fulfilling,” Ariel continued. “He’d have to watch me fucking you. He’d be so jealous. You’re way better looking than he ever was.” She was lying but she knew Jake would believe it. He would fall for anything that revolved around his enormous ego.

“But would he go for it?”

“I could get him to go for it. He’d have to see Zola first, which would be easy enough to arrange. But he’d also have to have some sort of reason to want to impress you.”

“Why would he want to impress me?” Jake said.

“I think I have an idea,” Ariel said. “If you were a potential business partner, then he’d be desperate to impress you. He’d do anything to get you onboard. I know he would.”

Jake was intrigued by the idea. “What sort of business is he in?”

“Well, it’s nothing like your business,” Ariel said, still trying to flatter Jake and stroke his ego, “but there’s a lot of money to be made in it.”

“He has an art gallery, right?”

“Yes, and he’s actually got an extremely lucrative deal on the table right now. This deal could net millions.”

“Millions?”

“Yes.”

“Of dollars?”

“Yes,” Ariel said.

Jake looked a little skeptical but she knew she had his attention. He couldn’t let a chance at millions of dollars pass him by.

“So what do you propose we do?” Jake said.

“Why don’t we all go out for dinner, you, me, and Zola. I’ll tell him you’re interested in his painting, maybe I’ll tell him that you might know a buyer.”

“Will I actually have to buy the painting?” Jake asked.

“God, no,” Ariel said. “The price of this thing would make you pale, Jake. I’m not kidding. We’re talking seven or eight figures.”

“Jesus.”

“Yes. Just pretend you’re serious. Maybe tell him you might have a client who’d be interested, something like that.”

“What kind of a painting is it?”

“It’s an old one. But don’t worry about it. You’re only pretending to be interested so that I can get all four of us in a restaurant together.”

“And then you’re going to tell him that Zola and I are swingers?”

“Exactly.”

“And he’ll be attracted to Zola?”

“He’ll be madly attracted to Zola, and he’ll be madly desperate for you to buy this painting he’s got, or sell it for him, and I know he won’t be able to resist.”

“And then you get to live out your little fantasy?”

“He’ll see you fucking me like a complete stallion,” Ariel said, giving Jake a really alluring smile, “and he’ll never be able to get that picture out of his mind for the rest of his life!”

“And hey,” Jake said, “maybe I’ll even be genuinely interested in his art deal.”

“Wouldn’t it be even sweeter if we could make money off him at the same time?” Ariel said, enthusiastically.

Jake gave her an admiring look. “Remind me never to get on your wrong side,” he said.

She leaned over the table and put her lips on his, sliding her tongue into his mouth. She was technically doing all of this to help out Zola, but if she could get away with a little harmless kissing while she was at it, where was the harm? She hated Jake, but he was
so
hot!

XI

A
RIEL LAY BACK ON THE
motel room and let Jake go down on her. As his tongue worked its magic on her sensitive clit, she ran over the details of the plan in her mind. She was going to talk Gabe into the foursome. That shouldn’t be too hard. Especially given the fact that they would be royally screwing Jake in the process. She would entice Jake into buying the forgery. She knew she could get Jake to go for it if she played her cards exactly right. Jake’s greed would blind him to everything. He’d never even know the painting was forged. At least not until it was too late. She thought about the reaction he’d have when he found out he’d been screwed over. She thought about the look on his face when he finally learned that Zola had gotten the better of him. As his tongue worked on her sensitive clit, she pictured the thoughts that would go through his mind.

She orgasmed picturing Jake granting Zola everything she demanded in the divorce.

*

T
RUDY LOOKED AT HERSELF IN
the mirror. Was she getting older? She wasn’t sure. She examined the fine lines around her eyes and then shook off all thoughts of aging. She was fine, she told herself. And anyway, she’d turned over a new leaf. The important thing right now wasn’t just her appearance, it wasn’t just whether or not she could pick up college students on Friday night. The real issue was whether or not she’d be able to help her friend. She was as determined as Ariel was to see that Zola got out of her marriage to Jake with as much dignity, and as much money, as possible.

*

V
ERONICA LAY IN HER BED
next to Hank. She felt guilty, she was nervous about what she was going to have to say to him. She knew he would be heartbroken. But at the same time, she couldn’t help feeling thrilled at the opportunity that was opening up before her. She felt as if her life had suddenly brightened. It was as if she’d been living in darkness and all of a sudden the sun had risen. She felt as if a future with Matt was finally within her reach. She could actually see that life happening for her. She didn’t know how her divorce from Hank would be, she didn’t know how difficult he would make that, but she knew that when all was said and done, everything would be worth it. Her happiness was worth it.

Hank touched her shoulder. She’d been lying on her back with her eyes closed.

“What are you smiling about, honey?” he said.