Hungry for Love (46 page)

Kevin nodded.  Some justice
,
he thought
,
but he was too terrified to speak up.

Bill observed Chrissy parking on the street by his house
,
but he noted that she didn
’
t exit her car.  He assumed she was waiting for the guys who were coming to pick up her exercise equipment.  Technically that stuff belonged to Bill
,
who had paid for it
,
but it was bought for her and the last thing he wanted now was to be petty.  What he did want to do was to examine his own heart and see what lurked inside.  Would seeing Chrissy provoke any latent feelings for her or perhaps an insight or two
?
  That was what Bill wondered.  The kids were thankfully off on play dates so he didn
’
t have to worry that they would suffer any further trauma.  As far as they were concerned
,
Chrissy no longer existed and that would be true for him as well after the next few minutes.

Soon enough a truck parked in his driveway and a couple of guys walked toward the door with Chrissy.  Somehow Bill didn
’
t even feel enraged
,
just as though a business transaction were ending
,
as if he were selling an old car that was being removed.  Oddly enough
,
it was Chrissy whose eyes shot daggers and Bill observed the withering glance she tossed him as she walked past him and into the den
,
her lackeys following her.

Chrissy was surprised when Bill had the gall to say hello to her considering how he
’
d behaved.  Some people had such nerve
,
she thought
,
but not wanting to jeopardize the sale of her equipment
,
she smiled politely and said hello back
,
then walked right past him with the scorn he deserved.

The men got the machines out the door with a minor degree of aggravation as Bill and Chrissy stood silently together. 
“
You
’
ve found a place already
?”
Bill asked kindly.

“
I
’
ve found what I
’
ve always wanted
,
always needed
,”
she said confidently.

Bill hoped she hadn
’
t meant Kevin
,
for he knew that would be a huge mistake.  Kevin never dallied and returned. 
“
That sounds positive
,”
he said neutrally.

“
God knows you refused to get it for me
,”
she said softly.

“
Oh
?”

“
Don
’
t pretend you don
’
t know.
”

“
What don
’
t I know
?”

“
You do know.  Koush Koush.
”
  Chrissy scowled at Bill.

“
Really
?
  Still
?”

“
You were just too busy porking your partner
’
s porky wife to take my needs seriously
,”
she said.

Bill was tempted to shove her out the door and lock it but shouldn
’
t she know the actual truth
?
 
“
We were never messing around.  We were planning your birthday party.
”

“
Yeah
,
right.  At some smokers
’
rally.  I wasn
’
t born yesterday.  I saw you two always lurking around together
,
shoving food into your mouths.  Why don
’
t you just be honest for once.
”

Bill laughed. 
“
Honestly
?
  I can
’
t fathom how I spent a year with you.
”

Chrissy huffed and turned and followed the men out the door
,
accepted some cash from them and
,
without looking back
,
walked to her car and drove away as Bill made a mental note—if you hook up with women just because they casually resemble your dead wife
,
you get what you deserve. 

Kevin was thinking about Meryl Streep and the fact that she had it much easier than he did.  In
Sophie
’
s Choice
she had two alternatives while he was being forced to sacrifice the thing he loved best
,
his beloved Porsche.  There was no rational way he could allow himself to keep it.  With demented
,
half-blind junior coppers and power-mad
,
moldy old judges ready to send him to the slammer for being an innocent victim
,
Kevin had to take self-protective measures.  The car had to go.  But what to do
?
  Should he go and buy a BMW
?
  A Corvette was sporty but had a different vibe than his Porsche.  What a dilemma and a damn shame too.

He drove to the beach
,
all the way down on
Pico Boulevard
,
where he had never seen that Honda and it had never pursued him.  Hey
,
if Laura kicked him out permanently
,
maybe he could move down here and keep the car.  No that was just silly.  Laura would never kick him out permanently.  They
’
d been married far too long.  She would take him back and then punish him with her disgust and life would go on.

Just as he approached the ocean
,
Kevin had an inspiration.  He had to sell the car
,
yes.  He needed different license plates and a different color—but he could still have a Porsche.  They weren
’
t out there running down every freaking Porsche in the city
,
were they
?
  He didn
’
t actually know
,
but it was just obvious
,
wasn
’
t it
,
that they were focused on him
,
or maybe on him and one or two others.  He whipped the car onto Ocean Boulevard and then turned east onto Wilshire and soon enough he was back in Beverly Hills at the Porsche dealer
,
signing papers and driving away in a newer model
,
different plates
,
and a different color.  Talk about the silver lining.

Then he decided it was time to confront Bill and get on with his career.  Porsches didn
’
t pay for themselves.  He had a practice and he wasn
’
t giving it up
,
so off he drove to the office
,
parking in his usual spot inside the building.  He glanced at his watch—it was after six in the evening.  Everyone was gone.  But look—his name was still on the door
,
and his key still worked in the lock.

Kevin took a seat behind his desk.  Really only a weekend and a day had passed
,
but it seemed as though he
’
d been gone forever.  Perhaps it was the disjointed feeling of being away from home.  He
’
d actually had to buy some new clothes
,
which as he thought of it was absurd.  This was his office and that was his home.  It wasn
’
t as though he couldn
’
t just walk in the door.

Laura was in the kitchen peeling carrots for dinner.  It was a task that made her feel serene and she went about the work of cooking with a peaceful sense of pleasure.  When the phone rang
,
she instinctively knew it was Kevin
,
and deciding that she couldn
’
t ignore his calls forever
,
she answered the call.

“
Honey!
”
he said fervently
,
“
I know I have a lot to apologize for
,
and I
’
m sincerely sorry
,
but when you hear everything that
’
s happened to me in the last few days I think you
’
ll realize…
”
  He paused to listen to what she was saying
,
then continued
,
“
I know.  I don
’
t know what came over me…
”
More comments from Laura then he resumed speaking
,
“
Yes it is some sort of malady.  I don
’
t know what
,
but once you hear my story about the car and that maniac.
”