Hungry for Love (8 page)

Angie loved the tête-à-têtes they had weekly.  She sat in the chair facing him
,
perched on the edge so she could lean as much toward him as possible.  He was so magnetic
,
how could she avoid it.  She
’
d deliberately left the two top buttons on her sweater undone and leaning forward just made her cleavage pop even more.

She reached for the little cue stick off the tiny pool table on top of his desk and stroked it seductively with her finger
,
the bright polish on her nails twinkling in the light.  This was going so well.  It would happen soon
,
she just knew it—her life was about to begin.

Dr. Flicker looked up from her chart and smiled at Angie
,
causing her to beam at him in return. 
“
You
’
ve done just great.  Not a single backslide
,
even another pound gone since last week.  I wish all my patients were just like you.
”

Angie leaned forward even more
,
although it began to feel a little precarious on the edge of the chair.  She said
,
“
I just decided to trust my instincts.  Never taste anything.  Just cook.
”

Dr. Flicker looked up and seemed quite perplexed. 
“
Aren
’
t you a caterer
?
  Can you really do that
?
  Must be hard.
”

Angie flirtatiously lowered her chin and raised her eyes
,
gazing coyly at Kevin. 
“
I like hard things
,”
she said
,
smiling. 
“
Come back with me to my restaurant.  I
’
ll make you a fabulous lunch.
”
  She gazed into his eyes
,
attempting to ignite a fire in him to match what she was feeling. 
“
Your tongue will thank you.
”

“
Your blouse is unbuttoned
,”
he said with what she was certain was veiled passion.

Angie leaned in even further.  Closer and closer she wanted to get but the giant desk was in the way.  Her breast was brushing against those dangling balls
,
causing them to clank.  But look—he was leaning in too.  It was working!  Angie rose
,
moving swiftly toward Kevin
,
who reached for her.

And then another doctor leaned in the room and Angie had to snap back to attention and so did Kevin.  What horrid luck.

“
I
’
m taking your wife to lunch
,”
Bill said.

“
Glad somebody
’
s taking her
,”
said Kevin in a way that made Angie certain he would soon be bound for the divorce courts.  But why had Dr. Flicker resumed sitting behind the giant desk
?
  It was like a barricade between them.

When the other doctor had gone
,
Angie tried to recapture the moment.  She said softly
,
“
Come to my deli for lunch.
”
 

As Kevin rose and walked around the desk
,
Angie
’
s heart nearly stopped beating.  He reached for her and took her hand
,
rather gently she thought—how sweet.  But then he said
,
“
What sort of doctor would I be….
”

Oh no!  Everything was devolving
,
swirling into a curdling mass of goo.  But she wouldn
’
t
,
couldn
’
t let it.  She had to regain the moment
,
recapture his ardor
,
which Angie knew simmered there below the surface.  Maybe he just didn
’
t realize how strong it was. 
“
I know you feel it
,
Dr. Flicker
,”
she said
,
pausing
,
then
,
more intimately
,
“
Kevin.
”

He smiled at her in a kindly way which she took as a horrible sign. 
“
You
’
re a beautiful girl
,”
he said
,
“
What man wouldn
’
t want you
?
  Who could blame me
?
  If not for this
,
I
’
d grab you and never let go.
”

Kevin had extended his naked left hand toward Angie
,
who regarded it and looked up at him quizzically.  Determinedly he pointed toward his ringless ring finger. 
“
This
,”
he said adamantly.

Lowering her voice a bit
,
Angie purred
,
“
I could be your mid-life crisis.
”

Smiling deeply at Angie
,
Kevin rose to his feet.  Angie was groping inside her purse and finally extracted a business card.  Reaching forward seductively while trying to avoid setting those dangling balls aclatter
,
Angie grabbed a pen from his desk and scribbled on the back of the card. 
“
Work number on front
,
home on back.  Any time Kevin
,
day or night.  I mean it.
”

Swaggering noticeably
,
Kevin walked Angie out the door of his office.  What a great day.  Maybe he could take a bite out of this little cupcake one day.  Why not
?
  She was begging for it and how could he be so cruel as to deny her
?

Bill enjoyed the smooth ride his Mercedes provided and he thought of little on his way to meet Laura at a popular lunch place where he could have a good meal with no recriminations.  Eating at home had become unpleasant
,
something else he should deal with but didn
’
t have the heart to confront. 

Most of the major east-west boulevards now were littered with a collection of electronic billboards like giant televisions
,
and there to his left was a rather spectacular anti-smoking billboard that he knew had come from Laura and her organization.  It depicted a cemetery
,
and the image was so pristine
,
it was almost three-D.  A casket sat open with a young corpse inside
,
and floating over the body was a human-sized lit cigarette
,
producing very realistic smoke.  The caption said
Smoke Now
,
Die Later
,
but the word
Later
was crossed out and above it was the word
Sooner.
  Bill thought the campaign was very impressive.  He also thought it wouldn
’
t work because people who wanted to smoke didn
’
t even respond to medical logic let alone billboards.  Smokers had the strongest system of disbelief of most of the addicts he
’
d confronted.  It was a shame.

Thinking with some degree of guilt about how little time recently he
’
d had to devote to the anti-smoking coalition
,
he almost drove right by Spago
,
where he was meeting Laura.  Bill came to a quick stop and a valet whisked the car away while he entered Wolfgang Puck
’
s celebrated eatery. 

He stopped briefly at the desk and spoke to a host who greeted him warmly
,
seemed to remember and recognize him although he hadn
’
t dined there in way too long
,
and courteously led him to Laura
,
who was already seated at one of their charming patio tables.  She waved as she saw him
,
and she seemed to be smiling happily
,
so perhaps he
’
d been too sensitive assuming she
’
d been angry at him.

Laura was still radiant
,
a healthy looking blonde who didn
’
t seem ever to have food issues.  She had never been overweight
,
but was the sort of solid
,
relatively athletic person who could help you lift a table if necessary.  How JoEllen would laugh at that description.  It was Laura who had introduced them
,
way back in college
,
and they
’
d all remained best friends ever after.  He noted she still carried everywhere that giant bag
,
more briefcase than purse
,
and he assumed her habit of handing out anti-smoking paraphernalia hadn
’
t changed.  It took a lot of nerve to do that
,
and Bill gave her credit for moxxy.