SLUTBURBIA - Chapter Nine - The Secret

Dang it.  Anna looked through the glass in the freezer section at the grocery store.  They were out of frozen egg rolls.  She'd promised Jackson a night at home, just the two of them, some Chinese food and some dirty porn.  The shopping cart was already filled with everything else she'd needed, it was too late to put it all back and just order take-out.  And it would have been terribly rude to just leave the cart.  Having worked at Hooters so long, she knew how much customer service sucked.  She was always conscious of being polite, never leaving the waiter or the grocery store employee more extra crap to do if she could help it.  Whenever they ate out, Jackson would laugh and tease as she picked up every last bit of paper from the straw wrapper and pile the napkins, flatware and trash onto their plates, making sure to make the job as easy as possible for the server.  

"Anna," he'd tease, "I'm not leaving them a tip if they don't come fill my iced tea.  I'm serious this time."  He was never serious, he'd never do such a thing.  But he loved watching her come to their defense and argue that he didn't understand how hard their job was.  Anna played the game, knowing she was his much beloved little bleeding heart humanitarian, an Angelina Jolie of the restaurant industry, and in the end he always left an outrageous tip.  Even when the service sucked.  And she fell in love with him over and over again every time he did it.  

Crap.  She wandered the aisles slowly trying to come up with a solution to the egg roll disaster, her iPod pushing Madama Butterfly through the ear buds as she stared blankly at the junk food on the shelves.  When her nerves became wound too tightly, or she needed to slow down, Anna could always count on escaping into Puccini.  He'd always been her favorite composer, and since Jackson had surprised her with balcony seat tickets to see the opera in a few weeks, she'd been listening to it over and over again.

From behind, she felt a rough shove at her shoulder, and she was suddenly snatched from the beautiful, tragic story of the devoted wife playing in her ears and thrown back into the ugly world of batshit crazy.  Anna spun around to face her attacker, adrenaline pumping through her body like a lightning bolt.

Sarah.  Of course it would be Sarah.  Who else would have pushed her like that, in a flipping grocery store?  Sarah towered over her, her thin frame shaking like an earthquake was surfacing beneath her.  Her face was red and angry, her thin lips pulled taut and her snow white hair was pulled back too tightly.  She looked like a wicked witch in a story book, a wicked witch wearing Harry Winston studs, pressing her Chanel bag against her shoulder like she was walking through some urban ghetto instead of standing in the middle of a high-end grocery store in the suburbs.

"What the hell is wrong with you," Anna asked quietly, pulling the ear buds out and shoving them into her purse.

"Why haven't you answered or returned my calls?" Sarah spat back, obviously unconcerned with keeping her voice down.   

"Calm down," Anna hissed, "People are looking at us."  She turned casually back to the cracker shelf and continued with her voice down, "I told you I needed to put some space between us, you're my friend, Sarah, but I'm in love with my husband and whatever silly little fling we had is over."

"Silly little fling?" Sarah shrieked, and then whispering angrily, "You said you loved me!  I was going to leave my husband!"  Anna spun around again to face her, confused.  

What?  She'd never said she loved her, what kind of game was she playing now?  Was she delusional?  Whatever she was, this whole "silly little fling" thing had already gotten about a million times more complicated than Anna had signed up for.  And if she was being honest, it hadn't even been that great to begin with.  She'd been a decent kisser, but Sarah's hands and fingers were too thin, sometimes they'd felt more like surgical tools than objects designed to give pleasure.  And she had no meat on her, she was all bones.  She was too skinny.  And now she was batshit crazy, too?  Forget this.

"You're crazy," Anna whispered disgustedly, "I never told you that.  I never said anything but that I wanted to be your friend and that I loved my husband.  Stop calling me."  A crowd had gathered now, anxious to see what the ruckus was all about.  She went to push her cart and leave, unwilling to contribute anything else to the conversation, or the performance the other customers were hell bent on witnessing.

"You filthy slut!" Sarah screamed after her, "Don't you ever come near my husband again!  I will RUIN you!  How many other women have to worry about you sucking their husband's dicks?"  Anna walked faster, pushing the cart towards the exit, desperate to get away from the scene Sarah was determined to have.  It took a moment, but she finally processed what Sarah was saying.  Incredulity slowly joined the adrenaline fueling her to get the hell out of there.  

Oh my GOD.  She really was crazy.  Anna hadn't expected anything like this to happen, never.  It surprised her when the pity poured into her heart, taking over where the outrage and anger had been only moments before.   She didn't want to feel pity for Sarah.  If she was capable of putting on a scene like that for the benefit of onlookers, what else was she capable of?

Anna's eyes filled with tears and she fled from her shopping cart, out of the store and into the parking lot.  She needed to tell Jackson before somebody else got to him with another version of what happened.  The tears came faster and she choked back sobs, fumbling to get the key into the ignition.  She tore out of the parking lot, racing to get to the safety of home, barely able to see the road through the tears.  What had she done?  This was her fault, she should never have betrayed Jackson, she knew it was wrong.  And now she was being punished for it.  Oh my GOD, I texted Sarah that naked picture.  Jackson was going to be so hurt.  What if he didn't forgive her?  She couldn't lose him.  She wouldn't lose him. 

 "What did I do?" she wailed to herself over the radio, "Oh GOD, what am I going to do?"  And then crash. 

She'd run into another car as she whipped into the neighborhood.  GASP!  She was shocked out of the tears and back into crisis-management mode.  She'd hit a little red Prius.  Not a bad wreck, she assessed quickly.  But still, she'd just hit somebody because she was too upset and she wasn't paying attention.  She put the car into park and watched as the driver from the other car got out and stormed towards her.

Oh no.  It was that girl Jenny.  And she was raging.  Anna sniffed dramatically and wiped the tears from her face, then stepped out of her car to handle her business.  

"I'm so sorry," she began, "Are you okay?  I didn't mean..."

But Jenny cut her off yelling, "What the fuck is wrong with you?  Why don't you watch where the fuck you're going?"  She threw her hands up, pointing at the damaged front end of her car, "Well?  What the fuck?"

"I'm sorry," Anna stammered, "I just wasn't paying attention..."

"No shit, you weren't paying attention!" Jenny yelled, "GOD!  What a stupid bitch!"  Anna stopped trying to hide it then, the tears coming back as she buried her face in her hands and stood in the street crying uncontrollably.  Her little frame heaved as she struggled for breath between the sobs.

"He's going to leave me," she cried, "He's never going to forgive me."

***

What the hell?  He would leave her over a stupid car wreck?  Jenny had recognized her immediately as the little slut always making out with her friend in front of Juanita's.  Of course she'd be the kind of selfish bitch to run into her because she wasn't watching the road.  She watched Honey Gold standing in the street crying, wondering what the hell she was missing about being married if a woman had to worry a man would leave her over a stupid car accident.  It really wasn't even that bad of a wreck.  Just some cosmetic damage, it's not like the car wasn't drivable.  

"Hey," she said, "It's not that bad, I'm sure he'll understand."  Goddamnit, why am I comforting her?

"No!" Anna sobbed, "It's awful, he's going to hate me, I've ruined everything."  Jenny wondered what kind of game this little slut was playing, she had to have been manipulating her.  Maybe she thought tears would keep her from filing with the insurance company.  Well, if that's what she thought, she was fucking crazy.  

"Look," Jenny sneered, "Just give me your insurance card so I can write it down and we can leave, I don't have time for this shit."  Anna continued sobbing, but wiped her face and sniffled, trying to straighten her shoulders and pull it together.

"Of course," she rasped, "I'm sorry."  She walked to the passenger side of her car and reached in to pull the paperwork from the glove box.  Jenny waited behind her impatiently and snatched the card, looking it over to find the most pertinent information.  So Honey Gold's name was Anna.  Pffffft, what a plain name.  She'd at least expected her to be an Anastasia or a Cameron or some shit like that.  She tapped away at her smartphone to copy the information into her contacts.  Anna started crying again, and leaned back against her car, covering her face with her hands.

"Ohhhh Gooooood!" she wailed.  Maybe it was Anna's genuine emotion that tugged at Jenny's instincts, or maybe it was Jenny's new understanding of what it felt like to be fearful of losing the man she loved... whatever it was, without thinking, she stopped what she was doing and reached up and put her hand on Anna's shoulder to comfort her.

"It's really not that big of a deal," she said gently, "It could be a lot worse."

"You don't understand," Anna cried, "It's awful, she's going to ruin everything!"  Huh?  Now Jenny was more confused.  Maybe she wasn't trying to manipulate her after all, it didn't even sound like she was talking about the car wreck.

"Who's going to ruin everything?" she asked.

"Sarah!" Anna yelled through the tears, "She said she would ruin me, she's crazy I think, I don't know!"  Before she could process it, Jenny realized she was standing in the middle of the street with Anna's arms wrapped around her.  She was hugging her, shaking with fear or whatever the fuck, Jenny didn't know what was going on.  But this woman was looking to her for comfort.  And... What the fuck?  Jenny just stood there, her arms out at her sides, not knowing how to react.

"She made it sound like I was trying to sleep with her husband," Anna cried, sobbing into Jenny's chest, "But I swear I wasn't, I really didn't, and it was just... crazy... I don't know what she's going to do!"  Jenny was at a loss.  Nothing like this had ever happened to her before.  Not only was this total stranger confiding in her, but she was hugging her, looking to her for comfort.  It was fucking bizarre.  But she liked it.  It made her feel... something.  She didn't quite understand it.  It made her feel needed.

"Hey, shhhhhhh," Jenny cooed, finally reaching down and wrapping her arms around Anna, "Listen, it's going to be okay.  We all make mistakes, he might forgive you."

"No, he won't," Anna said, "I hate her, I hate her!"  She pulled away, leaving Jenny's shirt soaked in tears, and wiped her face.  "Ugh!  I could just kill her!  I can't believe I ever thought she was my friend."

***

Anna walked through her dark bedroom to the bathroom and the garden tub where she could rinse away the disgust.  She'd just spent two hours with Jenny, confiding everything that had happened, and sharing her fear over what Sarah was capable of.  They'd had coffee and talked, and it was an amazing feeling to unload all of it on somebody who understood.  Anna had felt better afterwards, grateful she'd had somebody to talk to about it.  

"What kind of person would yell something like that in a crowded grocery store?" she'd asked Jenny, " A blatant lie?"  Jenny was a God-send, she'd helped her understand it.  Of course Sarah was trying to set up the pieces in her favor, like a game of chess.  She was probably trying to blackmail her, or maybe she was just being spiteful.  Whatever it was, Jenny had convinced her that Sarah wasn't finished, and Anna would have to think very carefully about what move to make next.  

Jenny was right, it was too soon to tell Jackson.  For all Anna knew, she might be able to outmaneuver Sarah and get her to drop it.  Jenny had promised to help her, they'd come up with a plan for what to do next.  Jenny had tons of ideas about how to deal with "scandalous bitches."  They'd made plans to meet the next day after Jenny got home from work, and in the meantime Anna just had to hold it together long enough for Jackson not to catch on.

She'd ordered the Chinese delivery, still feeling guilty about having left her shopping cart full of groceries at the store, and the doorbell rang just as she finished her hot shower.  She raced down in her hot pink satin lingerie robe, paid for the food, and waited patiently for her husband to come home.  She was feeling more and more confident about resolving the whole "silly little fling" thing.

Jackson came in like the breeze, excited about making good on their promise to have an evening filled with freaky sex.  Sometimes he was more like a horny teenage virgin than a 30 something year old doctor, but Anna loved that about him.  His appetite for sex was still insatiable, and in an age when men couldn't put down the Viagra, it was nice to have a man who never had a problem getting his dick hard.

Anna stood to meet him and without skipping a beat, he snatched her up and threw her over his shoulder, then took the stairs two at a time until they reached the landing.  He put her down and leaned down to kiss her hard on the mouth, his huge hands snaking their way into her robe.  He touched her stomach first and then moved his hands against her skin around her waist until he cupped her ass.  

"I've been imagining this all fucking day," he growled, "I couldn't stop thinking about kissing your pussy and fucking you stupid."  He walked forward, pressing her into the bedroom as he kissed her.  Anna's nerves were still ragged, but when he pushed her back on the bed and ran his hands up her legs, between her thighs, over her stomach... she sighed and let herself start to relax.  Jackson was always good at this.  He kissed her stomach first, letting his hands drift up to her nipples, pinching and teasing them until they stood at attention. 

His mouth made its way to her nipple, sucking it into his mouth while he pushed her legs apart and cupped her pussy. 

"Mmmmmmm," he murmured against her, the vibration in his mouth sending a shiver up her spine, "You're already wet, good girl."  He moved back down to her stomach and then her thighs, kissing her all the way, his strong, knowing hands massaging and stroking her in the way he knew her body needed.  God, he was made to fuck me.  And she'd betrayed him.  Her body tried to clam up, guilt and nerves threatening to kill the mood.  Just relax.

He nibbled at the inside of her leg, kissed that gentle skin next to her pussy, teasing her until she couldn't wait and begged, "Please, baby."  

"Push up," he ordered.  Anna followed the well-understood direction, pulling her feet up to bend her knees and raise her hips from the bed.  She arched her back, her legs spread wide, giving Jackson unobstructed access to her cunt.  He kissed the lips softly and let his hands run back up to her breasts, rubbing and pulling at her nipples while he tasted her.  When his tongue finally slid between the folds of her pussy, she sighed with pleasure and opened up more for him.  When she started grinding against his face, he reached down and unzipped his pants, pulling himself up until he was in position to fuck her. 

"Hurry, baby," she moaned, "Fuck me!"  When his cock pushed her open, she exploded in orgasm, and fell back into the bed where he drove himself into her.  He fucked her hard, pushing deeper and deeper while her cunt convulsed around his dick.  Anna reached up to taste the salty skin on his neck, kissing and licking, every moan encouraging him to drive harder until he finally came, his dick pulsing inside of her until he collapsed.

"Fuck" he rasped, "That was too fast, we have to start over."  He rolled off of her and lay on his back collecting his breath.  "Thanks, baby, I love you."

Ugh.  She was such a whore.  Jackson loved her, he took care of her.  And she was lying to him.  Anna didn't think she could live with herself.  She had to tell him, he didn't deserve to be made a fool of.  Now or never.

"Jackson, I have to tell you something," she said in a small voice, "I did something really stupid."

"I already know," he said, pushing up on an elbow to look down into her face, "I'm not blind, Anna."  Crap.  I bet he thinks I'm talking about the car.

"No, not the car," she said, "I have to tell you something else."  He laughed then, and leaned down to kiss her.

"No, not the car," he repeated, "The girlfriend with the 24 hour lipstick that tattoos your ass every Wednesday before you come home from the book club.  Did you think I didn't know?"

Click here to read Chapter Ten.