Page 11 of The Neighbor
“Hi Sara!” Kimmy gushes, and I can’t tell if she’s sincere or not. “Welcome to the Dog Days of Summer party!”
Her husband elbows her upper arm and laughs. “I thought it was an extravaganza.”
For the first time, she gives him a nasty side-eyed look, and for a moment, she isn’t her usual chipper self. She recovers quickly, though, and pastes that smile of hers onto her face. No having actual feelings for that one.
Taking Sara by the hand, she guides her over to the table with all the food. “Yes, yes, it is an extravaganza as my husband said. Now eat up. We have a ton of food, and you’re more than welcome to it. I need to run into the house to get more ice, but please, enjoy yourself.”
And with that, Kimmy hurries off toward her house, but I notice she turns back to look at the tent with hurt in her eyes before she disappears through the front door. I can’t help but be a little surprised. I hadn’t imagined she had any emotions other than overwhelmingly happy with adults and frustrated with those boys of hers.
Then the party takes a turn into even more exciting times when Suzanne pulls into her driveway. I quickly look over at Jared and see he hadn’t expected this.
A tense feeling comes over the group of us, and when I glance around the tent, I see everyone else is wondering something similar to what I’m thinking. Does Suzanne know her husband is sleeping with Sara, and if she does, is she going to make a scene?
Suzanne waves over to us and smiles before calling out, “Sorry I’m late! I’ll be right over.”
Dressed in her usual dark business suit and four-inch heels, she trots up her front sidewalk and into her house as everyone seems to take a collective deep breath. If Jared can get Sara away quickly enough, we might avoid what I think is an inevitable ugly moment for our charming little neighborhood.
Oddly enough, Jared doesn’t make a move to do anything. He simply stands in the same spot near the grill where he’s been since he joined the party and drinks his beer. When I look around at the rest of my neighbors, everyone else seems confused by his inaction too.
Perhaps he’s eager to finally have his wife find out, but does he really want that confrontation to happen at the Dog Days of Summer Extravaganza? Nothing like a public airing of your dirty laundry.
Finally, Tim leans over toward him and clicks his metal tongs. “Nice to see Suzanne was able to show up, don’t you think?”
“Yeah. She spends too much time at that office of hers, so I’m glad she’s here.”
There’s not a hint of irony in his voice as he says that, although I can’t understand how he can so blindly miss what everyone else can see. Something tells me he’s not going to be so happy in a few minutes.
I hear Suzanne slam their front door and turn to see her marching over toward where we’re standing under the tent with a look of determination on her face. As much as I want to leave the party right now, I don’t move. Holding my breath, Iwait for her to see Sara standing over near my bowl of tortilla chips stuffing her face like she isn’t some obsessive runner every morning.
Then again, she really isn’t, is she?
Suzanne steps under the tent and glares at her husband. A strong woman, she doesn’t seem capable to controlling her rage at this moment.
“Exactly what the hell is going on here?” she snaps at him, and suddenly, every ugly scenario I’ve played out in my mind begins to come true.
5
Every head snapsin Suzanne’s direction, including Sara’s, and the sheepish look on her face tells the entire guilty story. It feels like we’re all collectively holding our breath for Suzanne to continue, and we don’t have to wait long.
Still staring holes through her husband’s face, she repeats her question. “What the hell is going on here?”
Jared foolishly chooses to pull the stupid man routine. “What? I don’t know what you mean.”
Even Tim cringes at that little bit of idiocy, and he’s stupid more often than not. I want to look away, but it’s like a trainwreck, horrifying yet fascinating.
Suzanne takes a step toward her husband so they’re nearly touching they’re so close, and in his face bites out through gritted teeth, “What is she doing here at our neighborhood party?”
Something inside me makes me wish one of my neighbors would say or do something to ease the tension of this moment, but as I glance at all of them, I see nothing but unease written all over their faces. Caroline especially appears uncomfortablewitnessing this scene of marital discord, wincing as if she’s in pain even as she doesn’t look away.
Jared makes his second mistake in a matter of seconds by looking over at Sara instead of focusing on his very upset wife. Grabbing his jaw, she forces him to face her and snaps, “How long have you two been enjoying our little neighborhood get-together today? Thought I didn’t know, didn’t you? You probably thought I wouldn’t be home until later, I bet.”
In a stunning display of not knowing how to read the room, Sara steps toward them and says, “It’s no big deal. I just stopped over because Jared mentioned it this morning.”
Things move like they’re in slow motion around me as Suzanne lunges toward her, sending the two women careening into the snack table. Bowls of peanuts, pretzels, and tortilla chips fly everywhere as the table crashes to the street. All of us scurry away out of the tent, all except Jared who leaps into action to pull his wife off his mistress. Stunned by the attack, Sara tries to push Suzanne off her, but she has no luck. Neither does Jared.
“You bitch! How dare you come here!” Suzanne screams as she wraps her hands around Sara’s neck.
“Get off me! You’re crazy!”