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on and on about how she was the best friend and she of
    all people should get a full synopsis of the story and so on and so
    forth. Alex kept coloring and smiling, noting Kinsey with amuse-
    ment. He had settled next to Hannah, his snout resting possessively
    on her butt as she colored. Her swinging feet occasionally bonked
    him in the head, but he didn’t seem to mind. He was as enamored of
    her as Alex was.
    24 Georgia Beers
    It wasn’t long before slamming car doors could be heard and
    Kinsey jumped up to bark at the sound.
    “More guests,” Jackie commented. “Whoa! What have we
    here?”
    Alex looked up and tried to follow Jackie’s gaze out the win-
    dow, but couldn’t from her spot on the floor. She stood up, much to
    Hannah’s annoyance.
    Across the way, Jennifer was out on her deck working on some
    flowerpots. She wore a tight, red, scoop-neck t-shirt and snug,
    ripped jeans. Her blonde hair was pulled back into a loose, casual
    ponytail and she looked good enough to eat. Alex swallowed hard,
    wondering why she couldn’t quite catch her breath.
    “That’s Jennifer. My new neighbor.”
    “New neighbor?” Jackie smiled at her knowingly. Alex gri-
    maced, hating the feeling that Jackie could see exactly what was in
    her head. “Well, at least you’ll have some inspiration for the story,
    hmm?”
    Alex felt herself flush a deep, deep red.

    * * *
    The day had somehow managed to stay gorgeous, which was a
    miracle in itself. Alex and her guests sat on the deck eating, drink-
    ing, and shooting the breeze, soaking up the rays of sunshine and
    planning the upcoming summer. In addition to Jackie and Rita,
    there was Alex’s good friend Steve and his girlfriend, Shelley. At
    the end of the deck on one of the lounges was Alex’s ex, Nikki, and
    her girlfriend Diane. The atmosphere was one of fun and anticipa-
    tion and laughter surrounded them.
    Throughout the afternoon, out of the corner of her eye, Alex
    kept unintentional track of Jennifer as she practically landscaped
    her entire yard. She was sure Jackie caught her once or twice, but
    wisely said nothing. She was also sure Jackie would use it against
    her later.
    “Hey, volleyball starts in a couple weeks, you know.” Steve was
    one of Alex’s most cherished friends. The two of them had worked
    together while in college making pizza for Vito’s in an attempt to
    cover the unexpected costs of college life—like food and beer. They
    had a lot in common and became instant buddies. It was during col-
    lege that Alex had struggled with her sexuality, and when poor
    Steve had pursued her romantically, she ran away screaming like the
    last female left in a horror movie, leaving him dazed and confused.
    Fortunately, she’d accepted things readily and Steve was the first
    close friend to whom she had ever come out. He had always
    remained sweet and supportive and she couldn’t imagine her life
    Thy Neighbor’s Wife 25
    without him. “We should get in a couple practices. Work out the
    kinks.” His dark, unruly hair always looked like it needed to be cut
    and he regularly tossed his head to the side, temporarily flinging his
    bangs out of his eyes.
    “Kinks?” Jackie teased. “Getting old, Stevie my boy?”
    “I’m afraid so,” he responded with an easy smile. “I spend a lot
    more time stretching these days.”
    “Those early thirties are a killer,” Rita commented. At thirty-
    nine she was the eldest of the group.
    Alex smirked. “Apparently, Shelley’s not giving you enough of
    a workout.”
    “Hey!” Shelley protested from her spot at the table. She was a
    petite blonde who had been with Steve for three years and simply
    adored him. “I give him plenty of workouts. It’s not my fault he
    can’t keep up any more.”
    That earned Steve a couple of sympathetic pats on the shoulder
    and many pitiful looks. He blushed, even though he knew Shelley
    was just teasing him. He was so easy to embarrass.
    “We still need a setter,” Alex said as