the couple next door a novel by shari lapena

She must stop looking at the tabloids at the grocery-store checkout and comparing herself to all those celebrity moms with their personal trainers who look terrific after mere weeks.īut even at her best, Anne could never compete with the likes of Cynthia, her taller, shapelier neighbor-with her long legs, nipped-in waist, and big breasts, her porcelain skin and tumbling jet-black hair.

She thought she’d be back to her pre-pregnancy figure by now, but apparently it takes at least a year.

She is still more than twenty pounds overweight from her pregnancy, six months after having the baby. He will stand by her no matter what-she takes another gulp of wine-no matter how bad things get.īut watching Cynthia drape herself over Marco, Anne is becoming more and more anxious and upset. She knows he is completely committed to his family. Tells herself that of course Marco is faithful to her.

They make a striking couple, Cynthia and Marco. Marco is almost too good-looking himself-with his tousled dark hair, hazel eyes, and charming smile, he’s always attracted attention. Cynthia is flirting more than Marco is he is the flattered recipient of her attentions. No, she decides-they wouldn’t be carrying on like this if they had anything to hide. Perhaps the alcohol is making her paranoid. Anne has never had such suspicions before. Cynthia has such outrageous good looks that she can’t seem to help herself.īut the longer Anne watches, the more she wonders if there could actually be something going on between Marco and Cynthia. She leans in a little too close to Marco as she bends over and fills his glass, her clingy top cut so low that Marco’s practically rubbing his nose in her cleavage.Īnne reminds herself that Cynthia flirts with everyone. Marco in particular can’t seem to take his eyes off Cynthia. Anne wasn’t brought up to create a scene, isn’t one to draw attention to herself.Īll three of them-Anne, Marco, and Cynthia’s mild-mannered husband, Graham-are watching her, as if fascinated. So she ignores it, quietly seething, and sips at the chilled wine. Why does Anne put up with it? Why does Cynthia’s husband, Graham, allow it? Anne is angry but powerless she doesn’t know how to put a stop to it without looking pathetic and ridiculous. Cynthia is flirting openly with Anne’s husband, Marco. She’ll have to pump and dump her breast milk in the morning.Īnne wilts in the heat of the summer night and watches her hostess with narrowed eyes. Now she has no idea how much wine she’s drunk over the course of this interminable dinner party. Anne had meant to keep herself to a limit, but she’d let things slide-she didn’t know how else she was supposed to get through the evening. Cynthia has been topping her up all night. Anne can feel the acid churning in her stomach and creeping up her throat her head is swimming.

The couple next door a novel by shari lapena