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as much money as he was now. They would have a wonderful new life of power and wealth ahead of them and all the pleasure in the world would be theirs for the taking.
    As she looked down from the bridge over the rooftops of Troy that was the thought that struck her hardest. There was so much pleasure in the world, and it seemed to be suddenly coming at them from every direction at once.
    And she thought, even the fact that Ben was having an affair with his secretary had its advantages. It meant that she could get away with far more than would be possible otherwise. Just yesterday she’d been consumed with pain and jealousy over how to get Ben away from his secretary but now she saw the whole thing as just one more insignificant detail, something that would let her get what she wanted out of life.
    As they reached the front of
Terroni’s,
Janey found that she didn’t even care in the least that Ben was going in to the office to see Suzy. So what? she thought. He had his little plaything but she was the one he’d married. And besides, she had playthings of her own now.
    —Goodbye, honey, she said as she hugged him in the car.
    She was surprised when Ben wouldn’t let go of her.
    —I love you, Janey, he said.
    She kissed him. It was a long, passionate kiss.
    —I know, she said, and gave his penis a little squeeze through his pants.
    She got out of the car and blew him a kiss before watching him drive off. Then she searched in her purse for her valet ticket. The restaurant wasn’t open yet but she could see, sitting on the steps out front enjoying his morning cigarette, her boy.
Her
boy.
    That was really how she thought of him now. He was
hers
. Everything was hers. She could have whatever she wanted and there was nothing that could get in her way.
    —Hey, kid, she said to him, and gave him a charming and provocative smile. You ready to learn how to please a lady?
    The boy looked up at her and his mouth was agape. He looked her over and she knew he was impressed. He’d never been with a woman as hot as her before, she was certain he hadn’t. She’d purposely worn some sexy yoga pants and a tight shirt that clung to her breasts and left her midriff exposed. She’d told Ben that she was going to the gym.
    The boy was speechless.
    —Well quit staring like an idiot and take me to my car. I’m going to teach you how to go down on a girl like a pro.
    The boy got up and threw her the keys to her car.
    —Yes, ma’am, he said.



I
    J ANEY SAT ON HER BED and stared out the panoramic windows at the neighbor’s pool. She’d been sitting in her room all day, waiting for a sign that he was watching her. It had been two days since she’d thrown her underwear in his pool and she hadn’t seen a sign of him since. She was beginning to worry that she’d scared him off. Maybe she’d upset him by being so bold. She wracked her brain for a way to get his attention but she didn’t even know if he was at home. It was pointless. It was senseless, in fact. She was a grown woman and she didn’t need to be wasting her time sitting around, hoping that her neighbor was watching her.
    There was just something about it, though. The feeling of being watched had given her such a deep thrill. Since it had happened, all she could think about was the neighbor. She wondered what kind of a man he was. He was older than her but she had no idea by how much exactly. He was wealthy but she didn’t know how wealthy, or how he had made his money. She found herself daydreaming about what sort of a man he was, what kind of music and art and film he liked, what his interests were. She liked to imagine him as charming and intelligent and she imagined meeting him in person and the two of them hitting it off.
    All of this was crazy. She knew that. She was a married woman and the reason she was here in Sunny Oaks was to fix her marriage, cement her relationship with Ben, and get him out of his job in Troy. Finding him a new firm to work for was crucial