Excerpt from Hot Air by Marcy Dermansky, plus links to reviews, author biography & more

"I have always hated anniversaries," the woman said. "But this one was too much. Seriously, Jonathan, I'm done."

Jonathan sighed.

"I was trying to make a grand romantic gesture," he said.

"And you failed," his wife said. "Miserably."

"You told me you liked this idea."

"So it's my fault."

The wife had straight shoulder-length brown hair. She had bangs. She had blue eyes. She looked, honestly, a little bit like Joannie.

Jonathan, for that matter, resembled Johnny. They were middle-aged white men in decent shape. Maybe they were all interchangeable. Maybe, Joannie thought, this date was getting interesting.

"Would you have anything dry that I could change into?" Jonathan asked.

"Seriously," the woman said. "That's what you care about?"

"I am wet," Jonathan said.

"What's wrong with that?"

"Where are my manners?" Johnny said. "Of course I do. Give me a second. I'll gather some clothes."

"I think I had better go home," Joannie said. "I need dry clothes, too."

"No! Don't go!" Johnny cried. They had been kissing, Joannie remembered. She had not liked the kiss, but maybe he had. He did not seem particularly perceptive. "I'll find something for you, too, Joannie. This night is just getting started. This is a night like no other! I have a hot air balloon at the bottom of my swimming pool! And unexpected guests! I'm going to find some dry clothes for everyone. We can check to see if the kids are okay, and then keep the party going."

"I don't think this can be considered a party," Joannie said, regretting how unkind she sounded.

It was possible that Johnny was an idiot.

It was possible that Jonathan and his wife had suffered some sort of trauma. But they seemed fine. Johnny and Jonathan went into the house together in search of dry clothing.

Joannie knew that she should go check on Lucy. But once she did that, she would be a mom again, and it felt good to have a few hours off. Johnny had a point, really. About continuing the night. Anyway, where were the sirens? Concerned neighbors?

Johnny did have very large hedges.

From Hot Air. © 2025 by Marcy Dermansky. Excerpted by permission of Alfred A. Knopf, a division of Penguin Random House LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.