Szot, JC - The South Window (Siren Publishing Ménage and More) (2 page)

Chapter 2

Allie felt her lips pull into a grin as she leaned on the table, watching Tess out the window. The morning was as sultry as she looked. Allie reached into the pocket of her robe for a hair tie, gathering the lengthy strands of her strawberry-blonde hair away from her damp neck.

It wasn’t even 11:00 a.m. and Tess was moving in for the kill. Allie watched her waiting on Marty’s porch. After knocking, she leaned into the window, cupping her eyes to see inside.

It was then that Allie saw Marty walk around the side of the house. Allie sat at the table sipping her coffee, watching her silent movie. Tess, in a short denim skirt and a mint-green tank top, gave Marty that famous smile, then handed him whatever it was that she had made for him.

Tess did have culinary talent. Growing up in a family with a restaurant business, she had learned hands-on. Allie saw her hands move through the air theatrically. Marty nodded, wiping his forehead with the cuff of his work shirt. Allie could guess what she was saying to him. It was probably an invitation over to her house. Tess’s claws were sharp and ready to dig right in.

It looked as if Marty was eager to get back to work, his feet stepping backward, distancing himself away from their conversational loop. Allie then saw Tess glance over in her direction. Allie was hoping she would think it was too early. Besides, Tess did say she’d wait for her cue, Allie’s Federal Express pickup. The truck came twice a week to pick up her work.

Allie worked until the truck came. She was just finishing cleaning up, putting her templates away, when she heard Tess’s slingbacks clanking across the floorboards.

“Allie, I have seafood salad,” Tess called, her voice reverberating through the house.

“I’ll be right down,” she yelled.

Tess was bustling around the marble island when Allie got down to the kitchen. She had two rolls, the salad, and a bunch of red grapes. Allie pulled open the refrigerator and grabbed the mineral water.

Tess reached up and removed a large copper-bottom pasta pot from the overhead rack, then set it on the counter. Whenever they ate at the island, she always wound up hitting her head on it.

“I met our new neighbor.” Tess raised a shapely brow.

“I figured you’d go welcome him into our exciting community.” Allie shook her head, piling her plate, not having eaten real food in a day and a half.

“If I wore glasses, he would’ve steamed up the lenses,” Tess said casually as she sat down and crossed her tanned legs.

“That good, huh?” Allie chose not to mention meeting Marty last night.

“He’s from West Virginia. He used to work in a quarry but was injured.” Tess crushed a grape in between her front teeth.

“Really?” Allie let her do the talking, she learned more that way.

“Yeah, he got a sweet settlement and is on disability. He told me he moved here to avoid any aftermath hassles, you know, disgruntled coworkers and such.” Tess ran her fingers through the sleek, dark strands of her hair, tossing it over her shoulder. “There’s nothing like new blood.” Tess leaned on the counter, one eye squinting at her.

Allie knew she was plotting. Tess loved men. She loved to romp and fuck. She was a good-time girl who enjoyed the physical benefits without the need for emotional commitment.

Allie, on the other hand, couldn’t keep sleeping with a man without becoming emotionally attached. She just wasn’t wired for it. She tried it once in college and wound up heartbroken.

“Are you going to take him for a spin?” Allie laughed, already knowing what her answer would be.

“I might as well, since you seem to be tied down.” Tess tossed her head back, snickering.

Tess didn’t care for Dan. She thought he was flat, drab, and a waste of her time. They’d been together for five years. Over that period of time, Dan had proposed three times, but something was holding Allie back. The demands of Dan’s high-paying profession in finance seemed to cloud any possible chance of marital bliss. His job seemed to be the top priority. Allie had already given up another life back in Connecticut when Dan was transferred. A marriage certificate would hold her here, and she wasn’t sure she wanted to stay. She loved Dan, but some days she felt so empty.

“Are you going to introduce yourself? It’s only polite.” Tess wiggled her nose at her.

“Yes, I plan to go over there. I just wanted to give him time to settle in.”

“When’s Dan coming home again?” Tess stared at her over the rim of her glass.

“I haven’t heard yet. This weekend, maybe.”

“Are you done working for the day?” Tess began cleaning up their lunch. She always had an agenda. She made Allie aware of some of them. However, there were others that remained hidden.

* * * *

“Come on!” Tess banged her fist on the dash of her black BMW, demanding the air conditioner pump out cold air upon her command.

“Where are we going?” Allie buckled in.

“I need to go to the farmer’s market.” She swung the car around then barreled down the driveway, leaving a trail of dust behind them.

Landisville, Indiana wasn’t what Allie would call a hopping community. Its primary resources were farming and limestone mining. It was a rural, blue-collar town. If you didn’t go to church or play bingo, then there weren’t many other social functions to choose from.

Tess downshifted then stomped on the accelerator. Allie felt her body plunge forward then pull back in her seat, the engine winding out at its maximum speed. Tess’s hair whirled around in the convertible breeze, Allie’s ponytail taking flight behind her.

They careened down County Route 5. Open fields outlined with split rail fences passed in Allie’s periphery before Tess downshifted again to turn into Hillcrest Farm. Strategically dodging the potholes in the dirt lane, she pulled up adjacent to the produce stand and killed the engine.

“What are you going to get?” Allie opened the door, eyeing the produce stand filled with three-dimensional colors of red, purple, and green.

“Oh, some luscious fresh fruit, maybe some eggplant. I’ll find something.”

Allie noticed her flat expression reflecting back at her in Tess’s huge white-rimmed sunglasses.

“I’m having our neighbor over for dinner.” Tess winked. “You gotta get in the game, Allie.” Tess hopped out of the car, readjusting her skirt.

Not surprised in the least, Allie followed her up to the stand, eyeing the strawberries, wondering if Dan was coming home and if she should make strawberry shortcake.

* * * *

On the way home Allie asked Tess to stop at the Main Street Market so she could pick up two steaks. It was a gamble, but if she had a no-show she could just chuck them in the freezer. It wouldn’t be the first meal she’d put on ice.

When Allie stepped off the curb, she saw Tess through the overhanging trees that lined Main Street in Landisville. She was loading a box into the trunk from the liquor store. Allie passed a group of men congregating in front of the general store, sipping their beverages of choice, sharing the local gossip.

She walked toward the car, watching Tess shift her bags of seduction around to make room for the wine and beer.

“So when are you going to ask Marty over?” Allie asked, already painting an intimate picture of the two of them. Tess was so predictable.

“I think I’ll pay him another visit tomorrow. Tonight I’m going out to Readington.” Tess glanced over at her. Allie’s envious reflection stared back at her once again.

* * * *

“Okay, I’ll catch you later.” Tess waited for her to gather her bags.

“What’s in Readington? You’ve been going there a lot lately.” Allie checked her expression. This was Tess’s fourth or fifth trip. It was a lengthy ride for one evening.

“A night life. Sure beats staying here, taking a cold shower. But hey, I live rent-free, so everything has its price, right?” She pulled her dark, rich hair up, catching the breeze on the back of her neck. “You of all people should understand that.”

“No one knows better than me,” Allie muttered.

“See you, girl.” Tess accelerated, popped the clutch, and was gone. Allie watched her disappear into a tunnel of dust. Whatever was in Readington must be good if Tess was willing to travel that far.

* * * *

“I’ll be home, Al, but only for one night. They need me to go to Chicago.” Dan’s tone sounded regretful, but Allie couldn’t be sure if it was authentic.

“Well, I’ll fix dinner, okay?” She reclined on the bed, gazing out the window at Marty’s house.

“Sure, that’ll be fine. See you tomorrow.”

Allie waited for Dan to hang up first. She always did. Why this was, she didn’t know. Maybe she thought she’d be able to hear some kind of incriminating background noise. She often questioned if he was having more fun than she was.

Chapter 3

“Al, where’s my dark-gray suit?” Dan was rummaging through the closet, getting ready to leave after what felt like a two-hour stay. She slid out of bed, reached in front of him, and slid the hangers across the bar, producing the suit.

“Hey, thanks.” He kissed her, his freshly shaven skin sliding against hers. “Are you all right?” He reached over, caressing her shoulder, his gray-blue eyes searching through her.

“It feels like you just got here,” she sighed.

“I know, babe, I’m sorry, but Jim’s wife is still on chemo, so I’ve got to step in.” He tilted her chin.

When Allie wasn’t face-to-face with Dan, she had more nerve, but as he stood here in front of her, she withered like a dying flower. Allie tried to rejuvenate herself, soaking him up. His body smelled like fresh linen right off the line, his hair gelled back, falling into sandy-colored waves.

“Don’t you ever miss me?” As soon as the words left her mouth, she regretted them.

Dan shook his head. “How can you say that?” His eyes narrowed.

“I’m sorry, really I am.” Allie raised a hand, attempting to soften the blow.

“Listen, Al, I’m always busy, constantly under the gun. I’m not sitting around ruminating. Maybe you’re bored.” He took his suit over to the bed, slipping it into the garment bag.

“It’s not like I don’t work.” Allie dropped into the chair in front of her dressing table. Dan tossed his shaving kit into his bag.

“I know, Al, I mean something else…a hobby, maybe.” He came toward her. Allie stood up, slipping her arms around him.

“When all this simmers down, we’ll take a trip, how’s that?” He peered down into her, softening her insides.

Allie nodded, holding him close, breathing in his scent.

“We’ll go wherever you want—Aruba, Mexico—hey, we’ll go to Italy if you want to, okay?” He cupped her face, his kiss soft.

Over Dan’s shoulder, Allie saw Marty out the window, resting two pieces of lumber over a pair of workhorses. The loud shrill of an electric saw soared through the air. Dan released her, turning toward the window.

“He seems like a decent guy. He sure knows how to maneuver that saw.”

After dinner last night, while Dan was outside cleaning his car, which was a ritual before leaving for every business trip, Allie had seen him mosey across the lawn, extending his hand to Marty. The two of them spoke for awhile. While Allie was doing the dishes, she kept looking outside to see if Dan was still talking to Marty, her curiosity pulling her.

“Well, I better get a move on so I’m not waiting to get my bags checked all day.” Dan turned and grabbed his jacket, slipped it on, then zipped up all his bags.