Covet thy Neighbor

by Denise Carbo

  He chuckles. “I guess that’s my cue to leave.” He kisses Franny. “Have fun.”

  Barbara’s gaze tracks him until he disappears into the house. Her breath whooshes out of her. “Oh my God!”

  Franny glances at me. “You didn’t warn her?”

  “I forgot.”

  Barbara’s entire face and chest turn red. “I’m so sorry.”

  Franny waves a hand. “Don’t worry about it. He gets that reaction from time to time. You should have seen Tina when she first met him. All she did was fan herself the entire time.”

  “Thanks, that makes me feel slightly better to have lost my intelligence and maturity.”

  We both laugh.

  Franny raises her voice to carry to the group. “Why don’t we all find seats? I thought we’d start the book club out here on the patio and then if it gets too cool, we can move it inside.”

  They’ve added a sectional sofa and two swivel chairs to the patio since my last visit and moved the chairs from the table to the other side of the sofa to accommodate all ten of us. Franny makes the introductions. I, of course, know Sally and Lucinda. I’ve seen Monica and Aggie plenty of times in the bakery. Rebecca owns the florist shop. Tina was the boys’ teacher in the first grade. I don’t know Kerry, who teaches at the high school.

  Barbara and I sit next to each other on the couch. Sally and Aggie take the two swivel chairs. Franny sits in a dining chair with Lucinda and Monica on each side of her. Rebecca, Tina, and Kerry take up the remainder of the couch.

  “Thanks for coming everyone. Who wants to go first?” Franny gazes at all of us.

  “I, for one, am not a fan of the whole rescue the damsel in distress plot so I was cheering the heroine on when she bashed the hero over the head with a chamber pot and saved herself.” Rebecca lifts her wine glass in a salute.

  Most of us nod.

  “I don’t know, there are days when I’d love for a man to sweep me off my feet and rescue me.” Monica shrugs and sips her wine.

  I cross my legs and lean against the arm of the couch. “Yes, but the problem with that is then they’ll expect you need them to instruct you on every aspect of your life, like you’re too dumb to figure anything out for yourself.”

  “Exactly.” Rebecca points her wineglass at me. “I’m with you, Olivia.”

  Sally folds her arms across her chest. “It doesn’t have to be one or the other. Men and women can take turns saving each other. It’s called compromise and essential to a healthy relationship.”

  “True, but my Dennis’ idea of compromise is to tell me I can choose between his two favorite restaurants when we go out to dinner. My idea of compromise is only to imagine braining him with my cast iron frying pan instead of actually doing it.” Aggie cackles and slaps her knees.

  “My soon to be ex thought he was compromising when he suggested we have an open marriage rather than get divorced. That way, he could still have his women on the side and not have to do it in secret.”

  Several gasps emerge. My mouth drops open and I stare at Lucinda. Is she serious?

  Franny reaches over and pats her sister’s hand resting in her lap.

  “Did you hit him over the head with a frying pan?” Aggie asks.

  “I would have run him over with my car.” Rebecca leans forward and rests her forearm on her crossed knees.

  “What did you do, Lucinda? I cannot imagine what I would do if my Ron suggested that to me.” Tina holds a hand to her chest. She was single when the boys were in her class and I was the room parent. She had been still nursing a broken heart over the breakup with her college boyfriend. Ron had come along the same time as my marriage to Ryan was ending. She had been flashing an engagement ring while we were drawing up divorce papers.

  They’re still in the newlywed and everything is perfect stage of marriage. I never experienced that stage. My first stage of marriage consisted of sleep deprivation and learning how to parent a set of twins.

  “The last straw for me was when I discovered he’d been bringing them home and sleeping with them in our bed. One even tried on my clothes. I thought I had been imagining things when I would find my things in different places than I left them. Then one day I found lipstick smudges on the collar of a silk blouse.” Lucinda shakes her head. “I think she wanted me to know. It didn’t work out for her though because she was only one of many and he had no intention of giving any of them up.”

  Monica leans forward to glance at Lucinda. “A sound argument for castration.”

  I choke on my water.

  Aggie claps her hands.

  Rebecca and Barbara both laugh.

  Kerry snorts while Tina gapes at Monica.

  “On that note, how about we have dessert?” Franny stands and walks over to the table where there is an assortment of treats.

  Barbara leans over and whispers, “I’m so glad you invited me. This is so much better than sitting home watching television.”

  I chuckle and we both stand and join everyone milling around the table.

  “Franny, how is it living with Mitch? Any trouble in paradise yet? Does he have any disgusting habits?” Rebecca takes a bite of a pastry and groans. “You keep feeding me like this and I’m going to gain twenty pounds.”

  “Actually, it’s my habits I worry about. Mitch is a bit of a clean freak where I can be a slob.”

  “Yes, you can.”

  Franny sticks her tongue out at her sister.

  Tina picks a mini cheesecake from the platter and puts it on her plate. “Ron and I didn’t move in together until after we married. We wanted the entire experience to be new.”

  “I wish I had lived with my husband before the wedding, I might have seen what a scumbag he was.” Lucinda glances around and then winces. “Sorry, I guess I’m still a little bitter.”

  “Don’t apologize, you have every reason to be.” Kerry pats Lucinda on the shoulder. “I was engaged to this guy once. He made me think I was crazy and paranoid whenever I questioned him. I found naked pictures of his ex-girlfriend on his phone and he convinced me they were old and he forgot they were there. Then I found women’s panties under the bed—not mine. He tried to tell me they were a present for me and I spoiled it. He couldn’t explain it away however when I walked in and found him screwing her on my kitchen counter, though.”

  “Men are nothing more than a walking talking set of cock and balls.” Rebecca picks up another pastry and eats half of it in one bite.

  “Not all guys are like that. We just need to search harder for the good ones. My Wyatt was one of the great ones.” Barbara’s sad smile prompts me to rub her arm.

  I bite back the urge to ask about Luke’s declarations. This is not the time or place and she might not know how Luke blames himself or why. If I ask, it could cause all sorts of problems.

  “My Herbert was one of the good ones too.” Sally walks by and pats Barbara on the shoulder.

  “Anyone want to see the latest picture my brother snagged of me?” Monica looks around. “For those of you who are new, my brother and I have this running practical joke we play on each other where we take and post awful photos of one another on social media.” She scrolls through her phone. “This time he took a video of me.”

  She passes her phone to Rebecca who watches it, laughs, and passes it to Tina.

  “That’s me trying not to do a face plant into the ground after trying to catch a ball and missing.”

  Tina and Kerry look together and pass it to me.

  Monica is awkwardly running with her torso parallel to the ground and her arms spread out like wings ready to take flight.

  I chuckle and hand her phone off to Lucinda and Franny. The phone makes the rounds.

  “So, anyone have any suggestions on how to pay back my brother?”

  “Ever try a water balloon?”

  All eyes turn to me.

  “One of my little cousins pelted me with a water balloon at a family picnic last week and my cousin Violet posted a picture of me g
etting smacked in the face with it.” I discovered that little treat the day after the party.

  “Ouch, did it hurt?” Franny winces.

  “It stung for a second or two, but honestly not as much as seeing that picture posted and all the comments under it.” I shrug. “It wasn’t a flattering picture, but it wasn’t as bad as the one she posted of me eight months pregnant with twins, sweating bullets in the summer heat and with my mouth full.”

  Kerry grimaces. “She doesn’t like you much, does she?”

  “I’d like to think it’s not malicious. She thinks she’s being funny.”

  “It’s not funny if it’s at another person’s expense without their knowledge.”

  I smile at Barbara.

  “How would she feel if a picture of her was posted which was less than flattering?” Rebecca asked.

  “That wouldn’t happen. She checks anyone’s phone if they take a picture and then deletes the photo if she doesn’t like it.”

  “A classic narcissist.” Monica wrinkles her nose. “She doesn’t see the hurt she causes only cares about her wants and needs.”

  “She’s selfish and spoiled, but I don’t think she’s hateful. I really hope not since I’m now at her mercy since I agreed to be her bridesmaid.”

  “Ugh.” Rebecca groans. “She’s going to make you wear the most hideous dress she can find.”

  “I hope not.”

  Monica purses her lips. “I hate to tell you, but I agree with Rebecca.”

  “Yup.”

  “Me too.”

  “You poor thing.”

  The chorus of agreement has me sighing. Sadly, I agree with them.

  Chapter 13

  “Peace offering.” Luke stands at my door holding a pizza box from Joe’s Pizzeria. The smell of the magical combination of dough, sauce, cheese, and spices wafts into my house. I stare at the box and then glance up to meet his gaze.

  “Can we forget about last week and the things I said?”

  “Lucky for you I’m starving.” I step back and he walks in. I wave a hand to the kitchen table and close the door behind him. It’s Saturday night, I just got home from work and the kids are with Ryan, so I hardly feel like cooking for one.

  He glances around my small house. From this vantage point he can see the living room, kitchen, and dining area. Pretty much the sum total of my downstairs minus the bathroom separating the two spaces at the back of the house. Two of my houses could fit into his and there are three of us living here.

  It’s small, but it’s all mine. Well, mine and the bank’s.

  I walk behind him into the kitchen. “What exactly are we forgetting?”

  He stops and glances over his shoulder.

  I smirk. “Kidding.”

  His confession of blame and killing his brother has popped into my head all week, but I can understand how survival guilt might manifest. If he doesn’t want to talk about it with me, that’s his choice. I can respect that, even while I wonder if he’s talking to anyone about it and getting the help he needs to heal.

  “Funny.”

  He puts the box on the table while I walk past and grab a couple of plates from the cabinet and set them on the table.

  “What do you want to drink? I’ve got water, milk, iced tea or I could crack open a bottle of wine.”

  “Water is fine with me.”

  I pour two glasses of water and bring them to the table. He’s already placed a slice for each of us on the plates. I sit across from him and pick up the pizza. After taking a bite, I close my eyes and savor the flavors exploding in my mouth. When I open my eyes, Luke is staring at me.

  “Told you I was starving. I haven’t eaten since this morning and I love pizza.”

  He picks up his slice. “Barb had a great time at your book thing. She chewed my ear off. Went on and on about meeting Mitch Atwater.”

  “Yeah, I didn’t realize she’s such a huge fan.”

  “Fan? I’ve gained a whole new perspective on teenage girls and celebrity worship.”

  “Are you telling me you never had a poster on your wall as a teenager?”

  He takes a bite and glances up. “I had a poster of Edgar Allan Poe. I don’t think that quite compares to the wallpaper of posters Barb showed me a picture of.”

  “She has pictures?”

  “An entire album. There were autographed pictures and magazine cutouts too.”

  “Wow, no wonder she was speechless when Mitch walked over.”

  I finish my slice and grab another. “Edgar Allan Poe, huh? No rock bands on your walls or women in bikinis?”

  “Nope, Wyatt’s side of the room had pictures of cars. Our parents would never have allowed any posters of women or bands. Too distasteful, according to them.”

  “Were they strict?”

  He shrugs. “Not any more than any other kid’s parents I knew. We lived in a decent neighborhood in a multifamily house. We lived on the top floor and space was limited, which is why Wyatt and I shared a room. They gave us plenty of freedom as long as we showed them respect.”

  Luke polishes off his third piece and nods his chin towards my plate. “Are you going to finish that?”

  I look down at the crust. “’Fraid not. My stomach is full.”

  He snags it off my plate and eats it before grabbing another slice. Oli always does the same.

  “What about you? Any posters on your walls growing up?”

  “A few and I have to admit one of them was Mitch. I don’t think I rank as the same caliber of fan as Barbara though.”

  “I doubt few would.”

  “So back to Edgar Allan Poe, what’s the deal?”

  “I liked his work.”

  “It was always a little too dark for me.”

  “Rumor has it he was a dark guy.”

  “Tell the truth, you wore black eyeliner and had crows and dead trees drawn all over your notebooks.”

  Luke smirks and leans back in the chair balancing it on two legs. He folds his hands together over his flat abdomen. “No eyeliner, but there might have been a few doodles.”

  “Do your parents still live in Pennsylvania? Philadelphia, right?”

  “They moved to Arizona several years ago. My mom has bad asthma and the dry heat down there helps her.”

  “Oh, do you get a chance to see them? What about Joey?”

  “They make an annual trip back to see Joey every year and Barb is real good at keeping in touch. She does video chats with them every week and sends pictures of Joey.”

  “I like Barbara. She’s really a sweet person.”

  “Yeah, Wyatt lucked out when he got her. She’s one in a million.”

  There’s still three pieces of pizza left in the box. “Do you want me to wrap those up for you?”

  “Nah, save them for the boys. Unless they’re not allowed or allergic or something.”

  I smile. “God help me if they were. They’re pizza fiends like me. I do limit us though, otherwise we’d eat it nightly if my budget allowed. It’s a problem.”

  His lips twitch into a half smile.

  “By the way, I owe you for mowing my lawn again. Any requests?”

  “You don’t owe me anything. I told you it helps me think. But I wouldn’t turn down any more baked goods.”

  “Do you have a favorite?”

  “No, I’m not picky. Surprise me.”

  “Okay.” I get up and put the pizza in a plastic container so it will fit in my fridge. “You want to sit outside? It’s supposed to be another clear night.” I peek out the window. “And the sun is setting.”

  “Sure.” He stands.

  “Do you want more water? Or something else?” I open the fridge. The bottle of wine I placed in there this morning sits on the top shelf mocking me. It is my birthday after all.

  “I’ll take a refill.”

  My parents called this morning to wish me a happy birthday, but they were the only ones besides Oli who remembered. It’s kind of hard for him to forget since we share
a birthday. The boys must be forgiven for not remembering because they are only ten. Of course, it would have been nice if their father had bothered to remind them and have them make me a card. I always make sure they do something nice for his birthday.

  I fill his glass and then gaze at the wine bottle one more time.

  Screw it!

  “I hope you don’t mind, but I’m going to have a glass of wine.”

  “Why would I mind? Go ahead.”

  I pour myself a glass and hold up the bottle. “You sure you don’t want one?”

  He shakes his head. “I don’t drink.”

  Uh oh, should I not then? Is it a moral or addiction issue? Or maybe he simply doesn’t like alcohol. Franny is that way. He said he didn’t mind though and I’ve already poured it. Biting my lip, I carry my glass into the living room and out the back door onto the deck.

  The sun lights up the horizon in a fiery ball of orange with pinks and lavender ribbons shooting out from its sides.

  I turn my chair to watch before sitting down. Luke glances at his phone and then does the same.

  He frowns and then pulls his phone back out. “Didn’t you say your birthday was the third?”

  “Yup.” I raise my glass. “I bought this to celebrate.”

  Luke glances around. “Am I crashing your birthday celebration?”

  “Does it look like I had plans? Other than this glass of wine? You saved me from having to cook and eat alone.”

  He’s still frowning, staring at the table.

  “Look, my birthday stopped being an event when I had kids. My parents called me this morning and I got a card from them in the mail. I talked to my brother this morning too and we wished each other a happy birthday.”

  “I guess mine wasn’t much different. My parents sent me a card. Barb and Joey gave me an ice cream cake and a cute drawing Joey made of his handprint.” He frowns again. “You should blow out a candle and make a wish at least. According to Barb, it’s mandatory.”

  I laugh. “I’m fresh out of candles. Something else I purged from my life when the kids were little. I was too afraid of fires and burns.”

  Luke looks around and his gaze lands on the grill. “You got a lighter or something you use to light that?”