Cul-de-Sac by Liz Crowe @LizCroweAuthor

The bottom line was, she and her fabulous husband were still in the negative column when it came to sex. Something her post-pregnancy mind and body was clamoring for all of a sudden. More importantly, she knew her man needed it from her.
The press of the side of his body against hers as he held Tyler in his other arm and she clutched the diaper bag, was driving her mad. What she wanted to do was to feed Tyler a few bites of her homemade baby food—she didn’t trust that nasty processed crap—give him a bath, and tuck him into his new big-boy bed. This whole party thing was messing with his established schedule. It would be simple, really. She could wander over for a few minutes while Michael gave the boy his bath, send her regards, explain the problem—her toddler son and his rigidity was making everyone nuts. Michael was exhausted after his grueling travel and work schedule. That sort of thing.
Then she’d wander back over and meet Michael in their new bedroom. That was what she wanted right now. Not to meet a bunch of intimidating strangers.
“Sim!” Tyler yelped again. “Da! Ty sim! Want sim!” He had his father’s face between his hands. Amelia felt a rush of pride at the fact that her son was speaking in short sentences already. It was the breast milk, she knew. And the way they communicated with him—in full, adult sentences, not baby talk.
“You know it, buddy,” Michael said. He kissed Tyler’s cheek then Amelia’s hair. “This is gonna be awesome. Cool neighbors. One of them with a pool? We scored. Thanks to your Mommy, Ty.”
“Ma!” Tyler reached over and patted her cheek. “Love Ma!”
“Yep. I love your ma, too, my man.” Michael’s hand dropped to her ass and gripped hard. “I miss her,” he whispered into her hair.
“Not long now, Michael,” she said, her lips pressed to his firm chest, meaning it more than she’d ever meant anything. This whole parenting gig wasn’t quite what she’d imagined, at least when it came to her body and how it would remain hijacked well beyond giving birth.
“I love you, Ames,” he said.
She looked up at him, met his gaze fully, ignoring Tyler’s incessant clamoring for their mutual attention. “I love you, Michael. I adore you. And I’m going to make this up to you, soon.”
“It’s okay, honey,” he said, pressing his lips to hers while Tyler wiggled and hollered about swimming and the pool. “I understand.”
Her entire body filled with the sort of pleasant satisfaction she hadn’t felt in a while. This was why she’d married him. He was, on many levels, such an amazing man. “I know you do. But I need you. I’m ready,” she insisted.
She knew full well that getting him worked up before they headed into a social situation would make the party that much more interesting for them both. Role-playing was something else he’d introduced her to, something else she never in a zillion years thought she’d enjoy doing, sexually speaking. She went up on her tiptoes and bit his lower lip.
“Agreed,” he said, his voice dipping lower in that way it did when he was turned on. It made her warm all over. “Short and sweet.”
“Da!” Tyler tried to grab Michael’s face again and tug it around to get his attention. “Sim!”
“Wait, Ty. Dad’s busy right now.” He grinned down at her, cupped her cheek with his hand. “Soon, baby.”
“Yes.” She nodded. “Very soon.”
All right, son,” Michael said, shifting Tyler higher on his hip. “You ready to meet some new friends?”
“Sim!” the kid hollered for the millionth time.
“Right. That,” Michael said. “What about you, Amelia? You ready to meet our new neighbors?”
She squared her shoulders. Her parents had excellent relationships with their neighbors. The way everyone flowed from one house to the next, stopping by for coffee early, booze later, had made an impression on her. She wanted that same experience. To feel like her house was merely an extension of a bigger ecosystem—a block, a street, or in her case, this amazing cul-de-sac she’d lucked into.
“Yes. I am. Let’s meet the neighbors.”
They made their way the short distance between their house and the Coopers’, who were hosting tonight’s shindig. It was almost five thirty, a full hour and a half past the official start of the party. But that was all right. They were the guests of honor, she’d been told. They should come when it was convenient for them, given the baby and all.
Amelia hesitated about halfway over. Something about the scene in front of her eyes—the couples arrayed around the pool in varying stages of drinking, eating, laughing, talking—made her uncomfortable. She froze and tugged on Michael’s arm, willing him to go back to their house, to their life, without all of this fuss.
“Amelia!”
She looked over to where the sound of her name had emerged from the din of partygoers. Janice, the hostess, and one of the three women including her real estate agent who’d shown up at her door this past week with cookies, brownies, and in the case of the pregnant one, gluten-free lemon bars. “We’re happy you’re here.”
She’d been embarrassed that Tyler had refused to emerge from his room during these neighborly stopovers. But she hadn’t forced him out. That would only make him more resentful. None of the women had minded when she’d said he was “napping.” They’d be getting their fill of him soon enough.
Janice stopped dead in her tracks when she saw Michael. Amelia grinned to herself. It wasn’t anything new. Her husband was striking at first glance and only got better looking the more you got to know him. Her grin faded when something about the way Janice took her husband in, the way her gaze raked him from head to toe seemed blatant, borderline rude.
Then her new neighbor rallied. She smiled. Reached for Michael’s outstretched hand. Shook it. Touched Tyler’s hair with a more genuine grin. “Do you like to swim, Tyler? We have some floaties, if you want them. My grandboys would love some company.” She glanced back at Amelia, and something about that look made her feel as if she’d been forgotten in the last few seconds. It wasn’t a pleasant sensation but one she chalked up to her nervousness and aggravation at having to be here, and not in bed with her husband.
Tyler wiggled out of Michael’s arms and made a beeline for the patio. She started after him, terrified by the fact of the pool and of her little boy falling right in headfirst. Michael gripped her arm.
“It’s okay, Ames, I see him.”
She tensed under his touch. Janice’s smile became something resembling benevolent. A sort of Oh, how cute the adorable couple is feuding over helicoptering.
Before Amelia could react, a tall, handsome, older man, slid inflatable bands onto Tyler’s arms. She lurched forward when the man led her son to the edge of the pool. Michael held her back. “He’s fine, Ames. Relax.”
“But…he…he’s not wearing his swimsuit.” And like that, he was in the pool, wearing the borrowed floaties and in nothing but his diaper, laughing and splashing with the other kids. A youngish woman in a modest one-piece suit got in and stood next to him then waved over at them. “Oh.” She forced herself to relax.
Janice took her elbow. “That’s Suzanne. She’s my grandsons’ nanny. He’s in good hands.” Come on, honey. People are dying to meet y’all.” Her soft Southern accent was out of place enough to be comical. Amelia stared at her, nerves shredded from the past days’ worth of stress.
“Okay,” she said, glancing back at her husband, her rock, her anchor. He smiled at her then turned to face an attractive blonde woman who’d appeared at his other side, her gaze as eager as Janice’s had been.
It was all a bit too weird, or maybe the word was surreal. But Amelia let herself be carried along, passed from group to group, from one set of admiring eyes to the next. She ate ribs, kale salad, some kind of quinoa thing, and plenty of fresh fruit. Once she’d declared that she wanted wine, a glass was pressed into her hand and never allowed to empty.
At several points, she heard Tyler yelping, laughing, hollering. But he never seemed to need her.
At another point, she sought Michael’s face. She could always locate it. But it seemed to get farther and farther away from her as the night went on and she got steadily drunker. Irresponsible, as a mother. She’d have to pump her breasts and dump out the poisoned milk. Give Tyler a sippy cup of thawed breast milk from the freezer.
But it was all right. These were the nicest people. Friendly, and eager to put her at ease.
She smiled at her host, Allen Cooper, who’d barely left her side all evening. “This is a great neighborhood,” she said, hearing herself slur.
He grinned at her. She squinted through her increasing booze fog. Gosh, he sure was a good-looking older guy. At one point, she’d swear someone touched her ass, cupping it gently, making her glance over her shoulder, expecting to see Michael but seeing Allen instead. She’d gasped, flinched, and moved out of his reach. “Sorry,” she said for some reason as a bolt of something like dread hit her brain. “I should go. We should go. I’m…I’ve had way too much to drink.”
She needed Michael. Something was off about this whole thing and she wanted her husband by her side. Now.
“You all right, Amelia?” Janice appeared at her elbow with a bottle of water.
“I’m…yes. I’m fine.” She grabbed the water and gulped it down. This had to be the oddest barbecue she’d ever attended. “I’ve had a bit too much to drink though.”
Janice patted her arm. Handsome silver fox Allen was on her other side. She blinked fast. “Where’s my husband? Where’s Tyler?”
“They are right here, sweetie,” Janice said, stepping aside to reveal them both. Tyler was sound asleep on Michael’s shoulder, thumb in his mouth. Amelia exhaled in relief.
“Oh okay, thank you. Thank you both.” She turned to smile at Allen then over at Janice. All of a sudden, she was surrounded by the people she either already knew or had met tonight. Melissa the real estate agent, and her handsome husband Ryan. The Aryas. The LeBlancs—the wife, Cassie, resting her hand on her baby bump and looking serene.
Exhaustion stole over her. Michael pulled her close. “This was amazing,” he said to the gathered group, which at that moment resembled a den of wolves licking their chops at the sight of fresh meat. They were all…staring at her, at Michael, sizing them up. But why? For what?
She glanced up at her husband when he spoke again. Jesus, she was sloshed. For the first time since she’d gotten pregnant. “Thank you,” Michael was saying. His body was relaxed. His smile legit. “This is going to be better than we ever thought it would be.”
An odd thing to say. Suddenly, she wanted nothing more than to be away from this…this wolf pack. Wanted to be back in her house, their house. She slumped into him, trying and failing to ignore the way every single set of female eyes locked onto Michael as he spoke.
“Let’s go,” she said under her breath. “Michael,” she said, louder.
“Better get my wife home,” he said. “Good night, all. Thanks Janice and Allen, for hosting us.” He tightened his grip on her arm.