Hungry for Love (60 page)

Kevin drove back home resignedly to tell Laura about what had happened
,
and yes there was her car
,
parked in the driveway and alongside it—the Honda CR-V.  Kevin
’
s eyes bulged and his nose flared.  Had Laura in fact been the one to sic these maniacs on him
?
  Were they now blackmailing her
?
Or were they all conspiring further
?
  After all he
’
d done for her
,
too.  She was shameless.  No
,
that was too crazy to believe.

Kevin parked behind Laura and barreled into the house ready to confront the car
’
s owner only to find her talking and laughing with that rabid judge. 
“
My God!
”
shouted Kevin
,
“
This is unbelievable.  What are you doing here in my house
?”
He strode menacingly up to the judge and stood nearly nose to nose. 
“
You have no jurisdiction here.
”

Sam turned to Laura and said
,
“
This clown is your ex-husband
?”

“
Kevin
,”
said Laura
,
“
This is my friend
,
Sam.
”

“
You
’
re in my house
,
asshole
,
and this is my wife.  Get out of here or I
’
ll be the one calling the cops.
”

“
Stop it
,
Kevin.  Stop it immediately.  I
’
m sorry
,
Sam
,
really.  What
’
s the matter with you
?”

“
Just because she threw me out and filed for divorce doesn
’
t mean this isn
’
t my house and she isn
’
t my wife
,”
asserted Kevin.

Sam displayed his most judicial countenance and said
,
“
That
’
s exactly what it means.  Laura
,
I can get you a restraining order today if you like.
”

“
Restrain this
,”
said Kevin
,
socking the judge on the jaw. 
“
You catch me with your daughter and so you come here trying to snake away my wife
?
  She
’
s my wife
,
pal.  I
’
m keeping her.
”

Laura pushed her way between Kevin and Sam and turned to her husband with rage and said
“
Angie….That sweet young girl
?
  A patient.  And basically a kid.  No wonder she switched to Bill.
”

“
Don
’
t be so smug
,”
Kevin said
,
“
She was coming onto me for months.  I asked Bill to take her case.  And nothing happened with her.  I was being run off the road
,
remember.  And you hung up on me so she gave me a ride.
”

“
Kevin
,
I told you this weeks ago but I was never genuinely sure until this moment.  It
’
s over.  You need to get your stuff and move out of the cabana.  Get a place of your own.  Build a new life of your own.  I
’
m never taking you back.
”

“
You heard the lady
,”
said Sam. 
“
I
’
m not leaving until I see you drive away from here.  I
’
ll file that restraining order and post a policeman if necessary.  You can
’
t be a sleaze ball and keep a fantastic woman like this.
”

“
This isn
’
t over
,”
said Kevin to Laura
,
and then more softly
,
“
I
’
ll never give up on you—I finally know what you mean to me.  I want to make it up to you for the rest of my life.
”

“
Make it up to someone else
,”
said Laura.  And pointing toward the door
,
“
Go.  If you don
’
t go
,
I will get that restraining order.  Today.  Immediately.  Enough of these games.
”
  She watched as Kevin padded out the door
,
his head down and shoulders slumped.

When the door was closed
,
Laura turned toward Sam
,
“
Oh God
,
look at your face.  Wait
,
let me get you some ice.
”

“
No
,”
said Sam
,
“
You wait.  I was holding off on doing this until you were sure about your marriage.  You seem pretty sure today.
”
  As if in slow motion
,
he reached toward her
,
enveloped her in his arms
,
and gently reached down and kissed her for a very long time.

Butch and Wimp sat in the international terminal at LAX airport.  He clutched her hand tightly. 
“
I was one payment away from owning that car
,”
Butch said morosely. 
“
It would have lasted fifteen more years
,
maybe twenty.
”

“
Prison isn
’
t like college
,”
said Wimp sagely
,
“
They don
’
t let you bring your car.  Destroying the plates and abandoning it was the only choice we had.  The insurance will pay off and you
’
ll get a new one.  And you won
’
t be in jail.
”

“
You don
’
t know Bill would come into the shop.  He didn
’
t come in to place the order.  Maybe a secretary did it.
”

“
And what
,
she got amnesia over night
?”
  Wimp scowled at Butch.

“
Maybe a vicious sister wife did it and she won
’
t tell.
”

“
The car is gone.  Make peace with it.  We
’
re going on vacation.  Let
’
s just try to get our sanity back and when we come home this will all be a distant memory.  And you
’
ll get a new car.  Maybe a nice
Toyota
,”
said Wimp comfortingly.

“
Now you
’
re just trying to depress me.  Oh look
,
isn
’
t that Guru Magic—that Indian Guru—very famous.
”

Wimp turned to look at a group of Indian women
,
all in brightly colored saris
,
following behind a woman who did have a certain spiritual countenance. 
“
Oh my God
,”
he said
,
“
Never mind the guru—look at the girl in pink.  The pale pink.
”

“
So
?
  I really don
’
t think she
’
s the kind to recruit for any threesomes.
”

“
Chrissy!
”
he whispered.

“
Oh my God
,
it is her.  Wow she got fat.  How many pounds do you think
?”