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.