Author's Note
: This note was originally put at the beginning of chapter two, but I felt it was better to put it here, so... Just a warning: this is a very wham-bam-thank-you-ma'am approach to sex, and one which I would never, ever practice in real life. Half the stuff in here I'd never even want to try, but I'm writing it for some reason, so I hope it's good. However, knowing myself, I'm sure some kind of emotional aspect will creep into the plot sooner or later. Probably sooner, as you might guess from this chapter. Anyway, hope you like it. Enjoy.
Edited to add: a few people have been claiming this as a rip-off of the television show Desperate Housewives. All I can say to that is that whilst I may have (read: did) poach the idea of Mrs. Dunn's relationship with Oliver from the show, the rest of the story has been in my mind for months and I just never got around to writing it. I don't expect everyone (or anyone) to believe me, but hopefully the story is good enough to justify your attention anyway. Thanks.
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Chapter One: Meet the Women
Mrs. Stacey Prewett of number three Lagoona Lane was a happy woman. She lived with her husband and two children in the rather wealthy suburb of Pennington, where houses were always clean, lawns always mowed, and maids and gardeners
always
employed. It was a pleasant enough place to live. A nice balance had been struck between contemporised urban living and the fresh air and spaciousness of open parkland; there was almost no crime to speak of, and everyone in the neighbourhood was as kind and cheerful as a community could be. There were no bad eggs, no untamed youths and certainly no unhappy marriages. Everyone in Pennington, and on Lagoona Lane, just got along.
Mrs. Prewett is forty-one years old. She moved to Pennington seventeen years earlier at her husband George's prompting. "We're going to need a much bigger house to raise the twins in," he told her. At first she had been reluctant to move, not because she was particularly attached to their previous home, but because all of the houses her husband showed her were far too big. They were mansions. "We'll never use all the space," she told him. "And think of the cleaning!" "We'll get a maid," her husband replied. "We have all this money now, Stace, let's start living the high life." In the end, Stacey smiled and watched her husband sign the deed.
She never regretted it for a moment afterwards. The house was enormous, but then so was the heart of the town and its residents. Pennington was simply a fantastic place to live. Stacey felt as though she had moved into a neighbourhood from an old fashioned television show, where everything was perfect. And it was – just perfect.
The twins were her life. Luke and Lisa thrived in their new home. Both were top students at school, both well-liked by their classmates, and neither of them ever threw so much as a sharp word at each other. They were the perfect children, and Mrs. Prewett was proud of them.
Her husband George was a lawyer. He had entered into a partnership six years ago, and now he co-ran Prewett and Waterman, which was the most prestigious law firm in Pennington, and for several towns over. He was good at his job, and loved it too, and the money he made went a long way towards pleasing his family. At forty-three years old, he was as happily married as a man could ever wish to be.
Mrs. Prewett loved her neighbourhood, and her street especially. Lagoona Lane was full of wonderful people, all brimming with kindness and generosity that never failed to amaze Stacey. Almost all of the houses on the street were occupied by married couples, usually with children. They were wholesome people who demonstrated the old-world values that seemed to be so lacking in today's society. Mrs. Prewett had befriended them at once, and now her group of girlfriends had swelled to an impressive number. She could always be sure that, when she walked outside her house in the morning to check the mailbox, she would see a friendly face. "Hi, Cathy," she would say to number four as she waved vigorously. "Oh, hi, Stacey, how're the kids?" "Good, good. Luke's earned himself another award for his writing. He's going to read one of his essays to the school on Monday." "Oh, you must be so proud." And Mrs. Prewett
was
proud.
She spoke with the other women on the block almost every day, to exchange gossip or recipes or sewing tips. They were a colourful bunch, and they almost always had stories to tell. Mrs. Prewett always listened eagerly, even though she herself could never measure up to the interesting tales her neighbours related to her. In fact, she had come to realise over the years that she was perhaps the most normal woman in the street.
She
had certainly never engaged in some of the activities her compatriots told her about. But she enjoyed listening to them all the same. It gave her quite a thrill.
Across the road from Mrs. Prewett, at number four Lagoona Lane, was Cathy Maple, who lived with her husband Ron and her son Joey. She was the same age as Mrs. Prewett, and a rather timid woman; she usually said even less than Mrs. Prewett at the neighbourhood gatherings. She had been living at Lagoona Lane since before the Prewetts moved in, and she had learnt to turn a deaf ear to some of the things the other women spoke about. She had no idea how some of them could engage in such acts when they were considered respectable ladies.
Her husband Ron was a dentist, and seemed happy enough with his job. He often told Cathy about his patients while they ate their dinner, and Cathy was a faithful enough wife to feign an interest in them. "Did he really?" she would ask. Or, "Imagine that." But whilst dentistry failed to hold her interest, so did everything else. She was a simple woman that engaged in her daily routine, usually consisting of household chores, running errands and the occasional spot of daytime television if she could manage it. Her life was quite mundane, but, remarkably, this didn't bother Cathy one bit. She was perfectly happy, and wouldn't exchange her lot for the world.
Just like Mrs. Prewett, Cathy's child was her life. Joey was a wonderful son who never gave his mother any grief; he loved her as much as she loved him. Cathy was careful, however, not to smother him or embarrass him in front of his friends, and as a result, he showed her a good deal of affection. Cathy didn't think any other boys on the block still kissed their mother good night. She loved Joey dearly.
Whilst she never said anything to anyone, Cathy was always slightly disapproving of her neighbour Mrs. Dunn. Gwendolyn Dunn of number six was a beautiful woman; she was half Spanish, and whilst she had none of the accent, she had all of the charm. Her skin was a lovely tanned colour, and her dark brown, almond eyes heated many a collar around town. Her hair was her pride and joy; it fell a little past her shoulders as soft sheets of jet-black silk. As black as it was, however, it always seemed infused with rich browns and warm reds when the sun caught it.
It had come as no surprise – to everyone in the neighbourhood – that Gwendolyn Dunn was an ex-model. She was twenty-eight years old and as ravishing as any supermodel in the industry today. Her figure was the envy of every woman in Pennington, and the dream of every man. But Pennington was a wholesome town, so no one ever made this known.
Mrs. Dunn had no kids, and lived with her husband Antonio, who himself looked like an ex-model. He was the youngest man on the block and a highly-paid executive for a well-known accounting firm by the name of Donovan Kingsley. He specialised in mergers and take-overs, which was again no surprise, as his considerable charm would obviously lend itself well to potential buyers and sellers. There were some women on the block who spoke of Antonio Dunn in the same tone they used when speaking of Cathy Maple's basil puree. And they all agreed that Gwendolyn was a lucky woman.
Gwendolyn, however, would say otherwise. She and Antonio were not happily married. They were happy with certain facets of their marriage, but not all. Antonio had promised Gwendolyn everything she had ever wanted when he'd asked for her hand in marriage. And he'd delivered. He had given her a diamond ring and several pairs of diamond earrings, a large house, a flashy car and a wardrobe that would make Julia Roberts jealous. But it didn't take long for Gwendolyn to realise that she had wanted all the wrong things.
It was a lucky thing, however, that she never wanted a faithful husband. She no longer even bothered asking about the lipstick stains on his shirts or the smell of perfume in the back seat of his car. If Antonio wanted his own play things, so be it. Gwendolyn didn't mind. She and Antonio were more like associates than husband and wife. Gwendolyn would agree to accompany Antonio to all his business dinners and parties, and in return, he would lavish her with gifts. The only time they saw each other, other than at formal gatherings, was in bed at night, where they would sate each other's desire without speaking. It was a good arrangement for Gwendolyn, but she had made it better.
The boy that tended the Dunn's garden was named Oliver. He was only eighteen years old and he was making a fortune – for his age – by working for them. He had no experience in gardening or agriculture, but Gwendolyn had quickly learned how he'd landed the job.