Hungry for Love (10 page)

Bill listened silently as Laura continued her harangue and he wondered was she talking completely about smoking or was something more personal under the surface working its way up.

“
Think about it
,”
she implored
,
“
Now is the time to break those nasty habits
,
not to get sucked in too deeply into something you
’
ll regret later on. 
Please!
  Give it some thought.  Here
,
take this.  Take two.  It
’
s not too late to change now.  You can do it.  You really can.
”

Silently the young couple each accepted the flyers and nodded to Laura wordlessly then turned to walk off in the other direction.  Bill put a kindly hand on Laura
’
s arm and together they walked forward.  He glanced back
,
noting that the kids had tossed the flyers in the nearest trash can.  Shaking his head
,
he refocused on what Laura was now saying.

“
You know
,”
she said wistfully
,
“
Last night I dreamed George came back.  I didn
’
t even tell Kevin about it.  You know how he felt.  Such a competition.
”

Bill nodded.  Kevin was quite insane on the subject of George.

“
You remember it all
,
right
?”
asked Laura
,
murmuring softly
,
“
George and me
,
walking along
,
and out of nowhere that jerk
,
and he swerved and I pulled on George
,
but he didn
’
t move fast enough.
”
  Suddenly she began to weep
,
very intensely Bill thought
,
considering how long it had been
,
and he faced her
,
his hand on her arm
,
stroking it softly.

“
He was reaching for a cigarette
,
did you know that
?”
she asked
,
“
That
’
s why he didn
’
t see us.
”
 

Her tears grew stronger and Bill just wrapped his arms around her
,
hoping it would help and she would feel a little better.  He patted her kindly on the back.

“
I didn
’
t know that last part
,
no
,”
he said.

Despite having pretty much every workout gadget any girl could ever want right there at home in the den
,
Chrissy often liked to vary her days and that usually meant a trip to her favorite spot
,
a super high tech gym called Zero Tolerance.  It gave her energy to work out alongside other motivated people and if she wanted to talk
,
there was always someone to chat up on the treadmills.  At this moment
,
she
’
d finished a workout
,
had showered
,
and was carrying her gym bag as she walked toward the parking garage nearby.  Just as she was about to cross the street
,
she noticed something shocking.  There in the middle of the sidewalk was her Bill
,
embracing Kevin
’
s Laura—right out in public.

She gasped audibly and then with much astonishment
,
clapped her hand over her mouth
,
as though her gasps could cause her to be noticed when she wasn
’
t the one committing a flagrant act of infidelity
,
right there on the sidewalk.  She stood frozen for a while
,
for as long as their nauseating embrace continued
,
but then as they began walking
,
so did she.

Like a character in a movie trying to outsmart a sniper
,
she serpentined along
,
darting into doorways
,
sidling around corners
,
expecting at any moment that Bill would turn around and spot her.  Quick thinking—that was what she needed.  Reaching into her gym bag
,
she extracted her hoodie and tied it around her head with the arms linked under her chin. That would surely provide some cover.  Unconcerned that she looked a bit like someone from the old country about to exit
Ellis Island
,
Chrissy was determined to follow them.

They walked half a block or so and she continued her covert stalking.  Were they going to a hotel
?
  What would they think when she burst into the room
,
after a suitable pause of course. She would catch them in the act and then who would have the power
?
  But no
,
they entered a small jewelry store
,
one with very beautiful pieces in the window
,
and that only made Chrissy sadder.  Lurking outside the store
,
she tried to see all without being seen.  If only she could hear
,
but no
,
not a word.  But hey
,
a picture was worth a thousand cheaters
,
wasn
’
t it
?
  As she saw what came next
,
her stomach dropped and she thought she
’
d lose it all
,
right there in the street.  Bill had fastened a diamond necklace on Laura
,
who held up her hair and looked in the mirror.

Chrissy raised her hands
,
shaking them back and forth as though she were at some peculiar religious revival meeting. 
“
Oh
,
Oh
,
Oh
,”
she mumbled again and again.  She pulled her cell phone out of her pocket and slowly punched in the numbers as she whispered each one
,
something she did every time she made this call. 
“
What
’
s the damn number
?
  Oh crap. 1-800-what-wait—oh 1-800-s-h-r-i-n-k.  Wait that
’
s not enough numbers.  What
’
s the last one
?
  Every freaking time.  Another K
?
  s-h-r-i-n-k-
k
?
  No wait
,
that
’
s not it
,
that
’
s the racist group.  Oh crap and double crap.  Wait
,
wait
,
hmmm
,
maybe….
”
  Finally she remembered
,
and triumphantly dialed 1-800-s-h-r-i-n-k-U.
”
  It rang several times but at last Ben picked up the phone.  Thank goodness.

“
Yes
,”
she said
,
“
It
’
s Chrissy.
”
  She took a deep breath as he was speaking
,
then answered quickly
,
“
Very upset.
”
  With each pause her shrink said something to which she would respond.
“
Bill
,
cheating on me with his partner
’
s wife.
”
  Ben was talking then and she waited politely
,
only half hearing what he was saying
,
then she continued
,
“
She was in his arms
,
that
’
s proof
,
isn
’
t it
?
  I saw them.
”

Bill and Laura had by this time exited the jewelry store but carried no packages.  Spotting them
,
Chrissy quickly turned her back
,
angling her face into a wall.  Momentarily Bill noticed her
,
looked quizzically
,
then shook his head dismissively and continued walking with Laura who was asking him a question.

“
Just how serious are you about this girl
?”

Bill shrugged.

“
Once you start buying diamonds
,
there
’
s really only one direction in which to go.  Is that where you really want to go
?
  Can you see yourself with her ten years down the road
?”