Hungry for Love (53 page)

“
Sure it didn
’
t.  You were just feeding each other bacon.  Gnawing each other
’
s spare ribs.  Nobody was having raunchy naked pig sex.  I just hope you know what you
’
ve done and what it
’
s going to take to get me back.  Flowers
?
  You
’
re thinking flowers
?
  Well
,
okay yes I love flowers—you know me very well.  But I
’
m talking way more than flowers.  Like blood tests.  And you better stay away from that
,
that
,
that
,
bacon bewitcher.
”

And then Colette turned and stormed out the door.

Ben laughed. 
“
She has lots of personality.
”

“
Yeah—if only she had at least one normal one
,”
said Angie.

“
Oh don
’
t worry
,”
said Clint almost seriously
,
“
I
’
ve known her for years.  She
’
ll get over it.
”

Bill sat facing Laura at Angie
’
s deli
,
enjoying their new weekly tradition of meeting there for lunch.  He saw the sadness in her eyes despite what she was saying. 

“
Once I made the decision
,
it was a relief.  I should have done it years ago….  Probably…. You think Julie will handle it okay
?”

Bill nodded
,
“
I think so
,
in time.  It
’
s what Candy called the travesty of divorce.
”
  He pressed his hand warmly on hers
,
“
I
’
ll be here for both of you.
”

Laura laughed. 
“
You know you should see him.  Every day a delivery comes.  A couch
,
flat screen TV.  He put in that outdoor kitchen we always talked about.  Giant grill
,
built in fridge
,
sink with running water.  Julie goes out there every morning and has breakfast with him.
”
  Bill was bemused.  For a guy who normally was rarely at home
,
Kevin had hunkered down outside in the cabana. 
“
And you still have a shower out there
,
right
?
  After the conversion and all
?”

Laura nodded. 
“
All the comforts of a first class dorm room.  For a third rate idiot…. An idiot who can always crawl back into my heart.  Could
,
I
’
m changing that to could…. 
And what about you
?
  Joining the dating game again
?”

Bill nodded
,
“
Already started.  Candy made a list.  Says she can
’
t go to college with me all alone here.
”

“
She
’
s such a trip.
”

“
I think maybe I
’
m ready now.  I was just too desperate to get past the grief
,
in too much of a hurry.  Did you know the kids hated Chrissy
?”

“
She was just never good enough for you.
”

“
At least she kept me from losing my mind and losing it totally for the kids when I was at my lowest.  And now it feels like I
’
ll be okay
,
funny I guess
,
but I
’
m just not as down.  I can go on these dates and shrug
,
say okay we
’
ll see
,
less urgency.
”

“
Hey that
’
s great.
”

“
Only thing is
,
it
’
s too easy.  I get the sense I could have any one of these women at all
,
and it
’
s not because of who I am
,
but what I am.
”

“
Yup
,
rich doctor
,
good catch.  You could look like a troll
,
be a troll.  No wonder Kevin could screw around so readily.
”

Bill laughed. 
“
Yeah
,
he was an innocent bystander in it all.
”

“
Absolutely.  Those women were totally at fault.  Didn
’
t even unzip his own trousers.  He had no choice.  Wait—let me wipe away a tear.
”

“
So are you planning to date
?”

“
Maybe as a way to torture Kevin
,
like in that movie with the big hut and the little hut.  Wow that was an oldie.  Match.com
?
  What do you think
?”

Bill laughed. 
“
You could date me.
”

“
I think our destiny is to be friends.
”

Bill hummed
,
“
They
’
re writing songs of love
,
but not for me….
”

Kevin sat on the couch he
’
d bought for the guesthouse.  It wasn
’
t bad
,
pretty comfortable
,
and he was fine
,
but why was he miserable
?
  On the very same Friday
,
he
’
d received papers for a dissolution of partnership from Bill and divorce from Laura.  From the same attorney
,
no less.  Because he had refused to leave the office
,
Bill had moved to a new place
,
taking half the furnishings and equipment and all of the staff
,
even Caryn
,
who
’
d just shrugged when Kevin asked her why she was choosing Bill over him.   Without Bill there to generate revenue
,
Kevin knew the income from the practice would drop severely and the expenses would remain the same.  Kevin rebounded quickly and took on a junior associate
,
which proved to be an excellent idea.  This junior doc did more than his share of the work
,
provided additional billing and received less in compensation.  When everything was considered
,
Kevin knew he would be just fine professionally.  He would make a good income
,
just as he always had.  So why was he so miserable
?
  There were several new nurses
,
all hot
,
and at least one regularly gave him the eye.  He could have her any time he wanted
,
without Bill there to ruin the fun with his constant disapproval.  So why was he so miserable
?

There was one and only one thing on Kevin
’
s mind—his wife.  He woke in the morning
,
thinking of Laura.  At night before he fell asleep alone in his private little world
,
it was her face that he saw.  He thought about sex and he thought about Laura
,
but the odd thing was that he thought of them together.  When had he last had that sense of yearning for his wife
?
  When had he last felt what could only be described as lust
,
but no it was more than lust
,
it was passion
,
desire
,
and it wasn
’
t even about the sex.  He wanted to go home and Kevin had recognized that Laura was the home he wanted.