The Wives of Beverly Row 4: Lust Has a New Address by Abby Weeks Page B

wine I’d had, my own stupid horniness, it all just added up to a very bad decision.”
    “You’re going to have to sort this out with Zola,” Veronica said.
    “I know,” Ariel said, “but how do you tell a girl that you slept with her husband?”
    “Well, if she’s into this swinging like Jake said she was, it might not be so bad.”
    “Can you understand why I did it?” Ariel said.
    “Relax,” Veronica said. “I’m your friend, Ariel. You can tell me anything. I might not agree with every decision you make but I’m not here to judge you. There’s enough judgement in the world.”
    “Oh, thank you,” Ariel said.
    “Just promise me one thing,” Veronica said.
    “Anything.”
    “Let me know if you plan on doing anything with Hank!”
    Ariel burst out laughing. “I swear I will never touch Hank,” Ariel said.
    Veronica was nodding. “I know,” she said. “I know.” And then a very wicked grin crossed her face. “Although, maybe something like that would be just what my boring marriage needs to spice it up!”

II
    “B RING ME ANOTHER BEER, WOULD YOU, HONEY?”
    Zola hurried into the kitchen and grabbed a beer from the fridge. She always jumped when Jake gave her an order. She hated that she was so weak and obedient but it didn’t seem like there was anything she could do about it.
    She’d been waiting up all night for him to come home, she had no idea where he’d slept, and now that he was home she was running around trying to please him.
    “Can I get you anything else while I’m here?” she called out.
    Jake didn’t answer. Zola felt cheap, like a servant.
    “I bought you something,” Jake said when she entered the bedroom with his beer.
    “Oh?” she said.
    “Yeah, something for you to try on.”
    Zola tried to smile even though she had knots in her stomach. She didn’t know why but she always had knots in her stomach around Jake. He kept her constantly on edge.
    There was a package on the side of the bed wrapped in black tissue paper. She handed him his beer and picked up the package.
    “Open it up,” Jake said.
    “Thank you,” Zola said.
    “I thought you deserved a little something,” Jake said. “After the show you put on the other night for my friend, you really deserve something.”
    “Oh,” Zola said, uncertainly. She wasn’t sure how she was supposed to talk about what had happened. “Did Peter have a good time?” she said awkwardly.
    “A good time? He’s been all over the forum, telling everyone on there that you’re the best wife he’s ever tried.”
    Zola nodded. Her stomach felt so tight, she tried to take a deep breathe but she was too tense.
    “I’m going to really plan something big for you,” Jake said.
    Zola nodded very slightly. She didn’t know what he meant by that. She was too afraid to ask.
    She opened the black tissue paper carefully and saw that it contained leather lingerie. There was a black collar for her neck.
    “Put it on,” Jake said.
    “Now?”
    “Sure, why not?”
    She tried to act like she was excited to put on the collar. Her stomach was so tangled up in knots that she could hardly focus on what she was doing. She opened the zip on the back of her dress and let it fall to the floor.
    “That’s it,” Jake said. “You might as well take off your underwear too.”
    She opened her bra and got out of her panties. She was naked now in front of him. She knew she shouldn’t feel so nervous, Jake was her husband, but her heart was pounding in her chest. She put the collar around her neck. It fastened with a buckle.
    “Come here. I’ll close it for you.”
    She leaned down to Jake. He was sitting on the bed in the clothes he’d worn the day before. He’d come home early in the morning and offered no explanation for where he’d been. He could do anything he wanted without a care in the world, and when he came home, she had to obey him. He fastened the collar around her neck.
    “Thank you,” she said.
    Jake smiled.
    She went