The Wives of Beverly Row 6: Lust Has a New Address (2 page)

“Oh, come on, honey. I know you’ve still got feelings for me.”

Gabe looked at her and then around the table at the others. “Maybe I do and maybe I don’t,” he said.

“You’ll have to watch Jake giving me everything he’s got.”

“Oh, come on,” Gabe said. “This isn’t about getting back at me for cheating, is it?”

Ariel shrugged, then she laughed. “Maybe it is and maybe it isn’t,” she said. She winked at Zola. Zola laughed. This was turning out to be more fun than Ariel had expected. Not only was Gabe helping her with the plan to get back at Jake, but she was getting a chance to get back at Gabe in the process. It wasn’t much, he’d be screwing Zola’s brains out while she was supposedly getting even with him, but still, there was something satisfying about it all.

Then her phone beeped. She took it out of her purse and looked at it. It was a message from Gabe. She hadn’t noticed him send it.

—We need to talk.

That was all it said. Maybe she’d scared him with her attitude.

“Will you please excuse me,” she said, getting up. “I need to make a phone call. It’s Becky.” She went over toward the ladies restroom. There was a sofa by the wall and she sat on it.

A moment later Gabe joined her.

“What did you tell them?” she said.

“I said I was using the washroom.”

“So what do you want to talk about?”

“What was all that talk about my cheating in there?”

“I’m just playing a role,” Ariel said. “I’m trying to get Jake to believe I’m doing this to get to you.”

“But you
are
getting to me,” Gabe said.

“Well,” Ariel said, “you should think about that. What do you think it was like for me, all those years, while you were cheating?”

Gabe looked her in the eye then dropped his gaze to the ground. “I know,” he said. “Ariel, if there was any way I could make that up to you, I would do it.”

Ariel felt bad. She knew he meant it. “I know, Gabe. I’m sorry. I couldn’t help it.”

“The whole reason I’m here tonight, the whole reason I’m giving this guy the painting, is because I’m trying to atone for what I did to you for all those years.”

“I know,” Ariel said. “I’m sorry. I just couldn’t help myself. Seeing you eye up Zola, it just brought back too many memories.”

“Well, just for the record,” Gabe said, “you’re a hundred times sexier than Zola.”

“You’re just saying that,” Ariel said.

“No, I mean it. And another thing. If I had my choice between having Zola and having you tonight, I’d pick you. I’d pick you over any woman in the world!”

III

W
HEN THEY GOT BACK TO
the table, Ariel felt better. She no longer felt angry at Gabe. She no longer felt the need to make him jealous of her and Jake. She also knew that the little scene she’d created between her and Gabe would have been helpful in persuading Jake that the whole thing was real.

“So,” Jake said, rubbing his hands together, “the steak here is really excellent. I totally recommend it.”

“Sounds good to me,” Gabe said.

“I think I’d prefer something a little lighter,” Zola said.

She flicked through the menu. There was something slightly surreal about the situation. Ariel didn’t understand how swingers managed to do this. How did they manage to enjoy it? It was weird, sitting there, the four of them. No one knew what to say, or who they should address. Gabe seemed to speak mostly to Jake. It was as if he was afraid to address Zola directly. Ariel saw how this type of scenario really could reduce wives to the status of property very quickly. The dynamic was weird.

When the waiter arrived Jake ordered the steak, rare. Gabe asked for the same. Ariel and Zola both ordered salads. They’d almost made their way through the bottle of wine Jake had ordered earlier and he ordered another.

“This wine will go great with the steak,” he said to Gabe.

Gabe nodded as he poured himself a glass.

“So what’s this I hear about some big art deal?” Jake said to Gabe.

“Oh,” Gabe said, pretending to be surprised. “Who told you about that?”

Jake put his arm around Ariel. She could tell that Gabe was finding it difficult to watch Jake treat Ariel with such familiarity. “Your wife did,” Jake said.

“My ex-wife,” Gabe said.

“Once a wife, always a wife, am I right?” Jake held up his glass and everyone met it for a toast.

The clinking wine glasses gave the table a festive atmosphere that Ariel knew was entirely false. Apart from Jake, no one was relaxed, no one was enjoying the situation. Zola had hardly spoken a word. Gabe and Ariel were struggling to retain their composure and play along with Jake’s little game. It would all be worth it, she told herself, when Jake realized what had happened to him.

“The art deal,” Gabe said, “it’s nothing serious. I own a gallery so there’s always some painting or another that I’m trying to sell.”

“Ariel told me that you found selling the most difficult part.”

“Oh,” Gabe said. “I wouldn’t say that, necessarily. I mean, it depends on the painting of course, but I can usually come up with a buyer. My gallery’s got a very good reputation for spotting new talent.”

“But this is an older piece, isn’t it?” Jake went on.

“Wow,” Gabe said, flashing a look at Ariel. He was playing his role perfectly, acting exactly the way they’d discussed. “She told you all that?”

Jake was gloating now. He liked feeling as if Ariel had betrayed Gabe in some way by telling him too much. He liked rubbing Gabe’s nose in that fact. “This little lady tells me everything,” he said. “She just can’t keep her mouth shut once she gets going.”

“Right,” Gabe said. “Well, it’s a pretty old painting, yes.”

Ariel wasn’t sure if Gabe was pretending to be flustered or if he really was. She knew it would be weird for him, watching Jake put his arms all over her. As Gabe spoke, Jake gently rubbed Ariel on the back in the most affectionate, familiar way possible.

“And valuable too, right?”

“You could say that,” Gabe said.

“Well,” Jake said. “We’ll have to talk about it later. I’m really interested. I could sell ice to eskimos. It’s my speciality.”

“Alright,” Gabe said.

Their food arrived and Ariel was relieved of the chance to gather her wits. Jake wouldn’t touch her as much while they ate. She felt like she was walking a tightrope, trying to keep everything on an even keel so that she could pull off her plan. She had to make Jake believe she was doing this to get back at Gabe, but she also had to make sure she didn’t push Gabe too far.

When they finished their food, Jake ordered a round of espressos. “They have the best coffee here,” he said to Gabe.

It seemed Ariel and Zola were not going to be addressed directly in any of the conversation. Everything was for the men, including their bodies.

“So,” Gabe said, giving Ariel a quick glance, “you said earlier that you had contacts who might be interested in making an investment in art?”

“Oh, sure,” Jake said, obviously bragging. “I know a lot of people with money in these parts. A lot of high-tech guys. I’m sure one of them would be willing to invest in some art.”

“This would be more than an investment,” Gabe said. “This would be millions of dollars. I’m thinking you’d want to get an institution involved.”

Jake’s eyebrows rose. “Millions?”

“Yes, millions,” Gabe said. “This would really only be something of interest to specialist collectors, a museum, something like that. There’s not a lot of private collectors who’d have the money to put down for this kind of painting.”

“We’ll see about that,” Jake said. “Who’s the artist?”

“I’d rather not say,” Gabe said.

“Look,” Jake said. “I’m not blowing smoke up your ass here. Tell me who painted the thing. I have serious connections.”

Gabe looked across at Ariel. He was pretending that he wasn’t interested in Jake’s offer. “I don’t know, Jake,” he said.

Jake threw up his hands. “Jesus,” he said. “What have you got to lose? If I find you a buyer, you make a sale. If I don’t, there’s no loss.”

“Well, it’s not as simple as that,” Gabe said. “This is a sensitive painting. It’s rare. It’s old. If anyone knew I had it they’d want to know how. There would be a lot of questions. Questions I’m not ready to answer.”

“All the more reason to get me to sell the thing for you,” Jake said.

“Look,” Gabe said, “if I thought you had a snowball’s chance in hell of selling this painting, I’d gladly tell you everything. But I know you can’t sell it. There aren’t more than five guys on the planet who know how to sell this painting.”

Jake was getting really interested at this point. There was nothing that got to a man like him as much as being told no.

“All I’m saying is that it’s something to think about,” Jake said.

Now Jake looked at Ariel, as if it was he and her who were going to be pulling the wool over Gabe’s eyes. She smiled at him.

Then he leaned in toward her and put his lips on hers. She felt incredibly uncertain about what he was doing. As his tongue slid into her mouth she tried to look and see what Gabe’s reaction was going to be. Jake held her head as he kissed her. When he let her go she tried to act as natural as possible.

“I guess that’s what we’re here for,” Gabe said.

Ariel was finding it difficult to read Gabe. Was he upset that Jake was acting like this, or was he excited that he could do the same to Zola? She had no idea.

“Why don’t you taste the goods for yourself,” Jake said to Gabe, indicating Zola.

Gabe looked at Zola. Ariel knew he liked her. During their marriage, he’d have happily fucked her. She wasn’t sure how much things had changed now though. Gabe wasn’t the man he’d once been, but that didn’t mean he was above screwing Zola’s brains out.

“Go for it,” Jake said encouragingly.

Ariel watched. Gabe looked at Zola. She looked back at him. Ariel knew Zola was just acting on autopilot. She was so overwhelmed with everything Jake was doing to her, everything he was putting her through, that she’d sort of given up resisting.

Gabe gave Zola a little smile. “You game for this?” he said.

Zola looked at Jake, then at Ariel, then back to Gabe. “Of course,” she said.

Ariel wasn’t sure if she was pretending or not. She knew Zola had learned to pretend she was into Jake’s little games, but maybe she actually liked Gabe. Gabe was a nice guy, good-looking, there wasn’t really much reason not to like him. Zola might even be relishing the opportunity to get back at Ariel a little bit. It was only fair. She’d slept with Jake. Why wouldn’t Zola want to sleep with Gabe?

The entire situation was weird. It was messing with Ariel’s head. She couldn’t quite think straight. She watched with intense interest as Gabe reached out to Zola and took her cheek gently in his hand. He leaned toward her and to her surprise, Ariel found it difficult to breathe as Gabe started kissing Zola. She could see the tension in Zola’s shoulder relax as Gabe kissed her. Their lips seemed glued together. She imagined that Gabe’s tongue was inside Zola’s mouth, playing with Zola’s tongue. She was almost sure she could see Zola’s nipples firm up and ripen from the exhilaration of Gabe’s kiss.

As she watched them kiss, she was surprised that Jake’s hand began sliding up the inside of her thigh. It went further and further up under her dress until it reached the lacy fabric of her panty. Despite everything in her body telling her that this situation was bad, that it was wrong, that it was going to leave her hurt, she felt blood flowing into the lips of her vagina, ripening them for sexual activity. She sighed. She looked at Jake. He was watching Gabe and Zola kiss. The sensation was very strange. Ariel could almost begin to see the appeal of swinging. It was like doubling the intensity of love making. She could feel what Jake was doing to her, and at the same time, she imagined she could feel what Gabe was doing to Zola as well. It was as if the sensations were being multiplied, as if she was experiencing her own pleasure and Zola’s pleasure at the same time.

The waiter arrived with their coffees and broke the spell.

“Wow,” Gabe said. His eyes met Ariel’s but he looked away again. He was embarrassed. He wasn’t sure if he was allowed to do this.

Jake’s hand was still touching Ariel’s panties. She tried to concentrate on her coffee but it was impossible. As she drank the rich, dark liquid, all she could think about was getting to a hotel and having her body fucked by Jake and Gabe at the same time. And she didn’t just want them for herself, she wanted Zola to be fucked by them too. She wanted to share everything with everyone who was at the table. It was a sensation she’d never felt before.

IV

J
AKE AND GABE BOTH WANTED
to pick up the tab for dinner but in the end it was Jake who paid.

“Thanks for dinner,” Zola said to him.

“You’re welcome, honey,” Jake said.

Ariel watched as Jake patted Zola on the bum. He treated her like an obedient pet. Then he put his arm around Ariel. She felt horrible, as if she was in some way being taken advantage of, but she also knew there was a big part of her that wanted this.

She looked at Gabe. He was walking next to Zola and she saw him take her hand. It was probably in response to Jake’s putting his arm around Ariel but still, she wasn’t sure how she felt about it. She knew she was silly to feel jealous but emotions were never logical.

“Let’s get a room somewhere,” Jake said.

Gabe looked back at him. “We’re close to the Roosevelt,” he said.

“Let’s do it,” Jake said.

Gabe led them out onto the street and hailed a cab. “The Roosevelt,” he said to the driver when they were all in the car.

Jake had taken the front seat, leaving Ariel and Zola in the back, sitting on either side of Gabe. As the car cruised down Hollywood Boulevard, Ariel was shocked when she felt Gabe’s hand on her thigh.

“What are you doing?” Ariel said to him under her breath.

“Hey,” Gabe said, “this was all your idea. I’m just playing along.”

Ariel had such conflicting emotions about everything that she wasn’t even making sense anymore. What had she expected? She’d basically organized this orgy and begged Gabe to be a part of it. Now she was getting mad at him for touching her, and even madder at him for touching Zola.