Szot, JC - The South Window (Siren Publishing Ménage and More) Read Free Page A

downstairs and out to his car, the saw still chewing through the lumber. Sawdust spewed from the blade. Marty glanced over, giving them a friendly wave.
    Dan tossed his bags into the trunk of the Audi then leaned over and kissed her. Allie didn’t watch him pull out this time. She climbed the porch steps and entered the house without looking back, alone again after their brief visit.
    She began rifling through the cabinets, seeing if she could make Marty something to welcome him to their sedate neighborhood. She knew she couldn’t compete with whatever Tess had made, but she would be polite, as Tess had suggested. Allie decided on a cinnamon swirl coffee cake. She had some gourmet coffee she could bring over to go with it to help break the ice.
    The sun was streaming through the kitchen window; lemony light danced across the dark-brown marble counter. Allie placed two sticks of butter inside the microwave to soften, then went upstairs to get dressed.
    Allie made the cake for Marty and spent the day doing designs for a new friendship line of cards the company was trying to launch for the upcoming fall season. She had plenty of time to get ahead with her work, especially if Dan was considering planning a trip. Allie was unsure whether that would become a reality or not. One way or the other, she’d be ready.

    * * * *

    Around 7:00 p.m. Allie heard Tess’s tires screech out of her driveway. Her house was diagonally across from her bedroom window, giving Allie an informative view of her activities. The sprawling acres of land that their houses were built on had, at one time, been a large dairy farm. The lots had been subdivided gradually over a span of fifteen years. Marty’s house was the oldest in style, a simple Cape Cod. Her and Dan’s house was more contemporary, with large vaulted ceilings, glossy hardwood floors, along with ivory-marble tiling in their bathrooms. Allie’s kitchen was the star of the show, contemporary and spacious, done in brown and beige. All of her appliances were the newest stainless steel.
    Tess’s house was the newest of the modern monsters, a massive, two-story brick home with overhead arches and French doors off the master suite, along with an inground pool in the back. Allie cringed at the acceleration of Tess’s car engine. She still had the top down, a white scarf over her head, her lips painted a bright fuchsia.
    Allie took this as a good opportunity to go see Marty. She walked across the yard, the evening dew dampening her toes. There was a dim light lit in the kitchen and another in the front room, which Allie knew was the living room.
    She and Tess had peeked in the windows of Marty’s house many times prior to his arrival. Allie recalled the day when Tess was tempted to break in and have a look around, but Allie had put her foot down, demanding that they didn’t. Allie knocked lightly on the door. She wondered if he’d seen her coming, the front porch was immediately flooded with light.
    “Allie, hello. Good to see you. Come in.” Marty ushered her inside, swinging the door closed behind them. His appearance was considerably cleaned up, compared to their last meeting.
    “I just wanted to give you a little something to welcome you to the neighborhood.” She felt a slight heat warm her face.
    “I appreciate that. Between you two ladies I won’t need to go shopping.” He smiled.
    He had a soft shadow on his face, the results of being too pressed for time to shave.
    “This smells outrageous.” Marty jammed the bag of mocha java-flavored coffee under his nose. “Let’s brew a pot.”
    Allie followed him into the kitchen. The country-blue walls looked granite gray in the dim light. He still had boxes lined up against the wall and on the counter. He filled the carafe and spooned the grinds into the basket.
    “So what’s in here?” He lifted the foil off the cake. “Nice, I love this sort of stuff.” He reached into the cabinet for two plates and a pair of mugs. “You