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Authors: Georgia Beers
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soft
blanket. Jennifer had lit several candles around the room. The flick-
ering light on the buttery-soft burgundy of the leather gave the
whole room a warm and inviting glow and made it seem more like
early fall than late spring. As she lay her head back, Alex took a
good look at the room.
40 Georgia Beers
The coffee table and matching end tables were a rich, dark
cherry and obviously costly. A large, abstract painting adorned one
wall and matched the earthy colors in the area perfectly. It didn’t
really feel like a house by the lake. It felt like a warm, cozy library
or a cabin in the woods, someplace you wanted to hunker down
with a good book. The walls were a soft and richly pleasing shade
of cream, but they seemed almost textured. She cocked her head to
one side, trying to decide if it was the candlelight playing tricks on
her or maybe wallpaper. Unable to figure it out, she stood, crossed
the room, and placed her hand flat against the wall above the over-
sized leather chair, expecting to feel a pattern of some sort. It was
smooth under her palm.
“It’s paint,” Jennifer commented with a smile, startling Alex
into an embarrassed grin.
“Sorry. I just wasn’t sure. It looks textured.”
“Color wash,” Jennifer said. “I was experimenting. It came out
better than I’d expected.”
Alex eyes widened. “You did this?” Jennifer nodded. “Wow.
It’s beautiful! It sets the mood for the entire room. I’m really
impressed.”
It was Jennifer’s turn to look embarrassed and, much to Alex’s
delight, she blushed. Alex managed to smother a smile.
“Thanks. I like that sort of thing, interior design. I just did this
room last week. It’s the only one in the house that I’ve completely
finished, but I have plans for almost every other room.” Jennifer
laughed. “Eric thinks I’m insane.”
“No way.” Alex shook her head. “I can’t do this stuff. This
takes talent. Serious talent. Maybe you could help me with some
color decisions in my place some time.”
“I’d like that.” She handed Alex her glass and they returned to
the couch, one at each end, facing one another. Kinsey immediately
jumped up into Jennifer’s lap and curled up into a contented ball.
Alex shook her head in mock-disgust, but Jennifer just smiled. “So,
tell me about you, Alex.”
“I’m afraid I’m not really all that exciting.” Alex grinned as
she sipped her wine. She was not the kind of person to open up eas-
ily, especially to somebody she’d just met. Jackie often teased her
about how difficult it could be to extract information from her.
With Jennifer, though, she didn’t feel that foreboding sense of vul-
nerability that usually kept her from revealing much of anything.
The expression on the younger woman’s face was simply one of sin-
cere curiosity and the desire to get to know her new friend. It was
very flattering and Alex was instantly comfortable. “What would
you like to know?”
“What do you write?”
Thy Neighbor’s Wife 41
“That’s an easy one. I write fiction, mostly. Stories about every
day people. I’ve always loved mysteries and suspense and action
adventure, but I’ve never been able to write them. I love stories
about private eyes and female cops, but I don’t know them. I don’t
have those experiences.” She smiled sheepishly. “And I’m lazy, so
research isn’t my favorite thing in the world. I tend to write about
what I know. People you could run into on the street or in the local
grocery store. People who live next door.” She winked over the rim
of her glass.
Jennifer smiled. “You like mysteries, huh?”
“Oh, God. I love them. You ever read Sue Grafton? A is for
Alibi? B is for Burglar?”
“Nope. Can’t say that I have.”
“Well, then. I have an assignment for you this summer, Mrs.
Wainwright. I have the whole series. She’s up to Q now. You can
borrow my A is for Alibi and let me know what you think.
blanket. Jennifer had lit several candles around the room. The flick-
ering light on the buttery-soft burgundy of the leather gave the
whole room a warm and inviting glow and made it seem more like
early fall than late spring. As she lay her head back, Alex took a
good look at the room.
40 Georgia Beers
The coffee table and matching end tables were a rich, dark
cherry and obviously costly. A large, abstract painting adorned one
wall and matched the earthy colors in the area perfectly. It didn’t
really feel like a house by the lake. It felt like a warm, cozy library
or a cabin in the woods, someplace you wanted to hunker down
with a good book. The walls were a soft and richly pleasing shade
of cream, but they seemed almost textured. She cocked her head to
one side, trying to decide if it was the candlelight playing tricks on
her or maybe wallpaper. Unable to figure it out, she stood, crossed
the room, and placed her hand flat against the wall above the over-
sized leather chair, expecting to feel a pattern of some sort. It was
smooth under her palm.
“It’s paint,” Jennifer commented with a smile, startling Alex
into an embarrassed grin.
“Sorry. I just wasn’t sure. It looks textured.”
“Color wash,” Jennifer said. “I was experimenting. It came out
better than I’d expected.”
Alex eyes widened. “You did this?” Jennifer nodded. “Wow.
It’s beautiful! It sets the mood for the entire room. I’m really
impressed.”
It was Jennifer’s turn to look embarrassed and, much to Alex’s
delight, she blushed. Alex managed to smother a smile.
“Thanks. I like that sort of thing, interior design. I just did this
room last week. It’s the only one in the house that I’ve completely
finished, but I have plans for almost every other room.” Jennifer
laughed. “Eric thinks I’m insane.”
“No way.” Alex shook her head. “I can’t do this stuff. This
takes talent. Serious talent. Maybe you could help me with some
color decisions in my place some time.”
“I’d like that.” She handed Alex her glass and they returned to
the couch, one at each end, facing one another. Kinsey immediately
jumped up into Jennifer’s lap and curled up into a contented ball.
Alex shook her head in mock-disgust, but Jennifer just smiled. “So,
tell me about you, Alex.”
“I’m afraid I’m not really all that exciting.” Alex grinned as
she sipped her wine. She was not the kind of person to open up eas-
ily, especially to somebody she’d just met. Jackie often teased her
about how difficult it could be to extract information from her.
With Jennifer, though, she didn’t feel that foreboding sense of vul-
nerability that usually kept her from revealing much of anything.
The expression on the younger woman’s face was simply one of sin-
cere curiosity and the desire to get to know her new friend. It was
very flattering and Alex was instantly comfortable. “What would
you like to know?”
“What do you write?”
Thy Neighbor’s Wife 41
“That’s an easy one. I write fiction, mostly. Stories about every
day people. I’ve always loved mysteries and suspense and action
adventure, but I’ve never been able to write them. I love stories
about private eyes and female cops, but I don’t know them. I don’t
have those experiences.” She smiled sheepishly. “And I’m lazy, so
research isn’t my favorite thing in the world. I tend to write about
what I know. People you could run into on the street or in the local
grocery store. People who live next door.” She winked over the rim
of her glass.
Jennifer smiled. “You like mysteries, huh?”
“Oh, God. I love them. You ever read Sue Grafton? A is for
Alibi? B is for Burglar?”
“Nope. Can’t say that I have.”
“Well, then. I have an assignment for you this summer, Mrs.
Wainwright. I have the whole series. She’s up to Q now. You can
borrow my A is for Alibi and let me know what you think.
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