Hungry for Love (15 page)

Finally the workout ended
,
and Chrissy climbed into bed without even having broken a sweat.  She grabbed Bill in some sort of wrestler
’
s hold and began kissing his neck so strenuously he began to wonder had she somehow converted to vampirism during the day.  Kindly he encircled her shoulders and gave them a squeeze
,
hoping to calm her a bit.

“
We need to talk
,”
he said softly.

Chrissy lurched to a sitting position and gazed all about the room
,
clearly growing more and more frantic. 
“
I knew it. I knew it
,”
she said repeatedly.

“
I
’
m worried about you
,”
said Bill in a concerned voice that gave new meaning to the term bedside manner. 
“
You
’
re overdoing the diet.  You
’
re not yourself.  Laura told me you forgot to pick up Candy.
”

Hearing that name drove Chrissy into an even deeper frenzy.  She was nearly beyond words and could only say
“
Laura!
”
with a tone normally reserved for the names of traitors in cinematic thrillers.

“
You
’
re half hysterical all the time lately
,”
said Bill.

“
It
’
s the Koush Koush
,”
she replied
,
unable to devise any other line of response. 
“
I can
’
t believe you won
’
t get it for me.  If I were your patient
,
you would.  What
’
s the point of living with a doctor if he won
’
t….
”

Bill tensed and his face grew stormy. 
“
This nonsense has got to end.
”

End!  Chrissy had heard the word
end
and was terrified. 
“
Okay
,
okay
,”
she said
,
climbing on top of Bill and wriggling a bit.

Bill responded to her kisses for only a few moments
,
realized he didn
’
t have the energy for anything more
,
then gently maneuvered her off of him. 
“
Honey
,
I
’
m just too beat.  I got up at six.  Here
,
c
’
mere.
”
  Thinking they could snuggle down beneath the covers and drift off peacefully to sleep
,
Bill turned off the light and took Chrissy in his arms.

She lay there
,
wide awake and clenched within his embrace
,
her heart pounding with stress
,
her face worried and suspicious
,
but of course by then he was asleep.

Kevin observed with some small degree of scorn Bill busily scribbling notes on a collection of patients
’
charts.  He was always such a boy scout. 
“
Hey
,
buddy!
”
said Kevin
,
a touch too effusively
,
causing Bill to gaze up only moderately perplexed.  Unfazed
,
Kevin continued
,
“
Playing in the softball game on Sunday
?”

Bill pondered the idea briefly then shook his head and said
,
“
Nah
,
think I
’
ll take the family to the zoo or something.
”

Ever so nonchalantly Kevin extended his hand toward Bill and handed him Angie
’
s card. 
“
Thought you might want this.  For the party I mean.
”

Bill accepted the card and observed Kevin as he continued his coolly delivered speech.

“
Don
’
t think Laura knows her. She
’
s a patient and apparently a fabulous caterer
,”
  said Kevin
,
maintaining his rehearsed level of nonchalance.
“
She
’
s hot too.  Likes older men.  If I weren
’
t married….
”

“
That was the kid who was hanging all over you yesterday
?”
asked Bill.

In his most sincere voice Kevin said
,
“
Yeah.  Actually a bit of a problem for me.  Maybe you should take over her case.  Doesn
’
t have much weight left to lose.
”

Bill nodded. 
“
No problem.  We don
’
t want any more trouble around here.
”

Kevin was preparing for a clean getaway
,
but then Bill said something that provoked an intense response.

“
Ever thought of getting another dog
?”

Kevin
’
s face cycled through a range of emotions as Bill watched bemused.  There was disgust
,
consternation
,
jealousy
,
fear
,
and apprehension.  All he wanted to do was exit Bill
’
s office but he couldn
’
t resist turning to answer his partner before moving back to his own domain. 
“
That damn movable rug was the cause of everything.
”
His voice grew more and more heated. 
“
That incident. With you-know-who.  George
’
s fault.
”

Bill laughed incredulously.  How remarkable that Kevin was blaming his infidelity on a dog. 
“
Oh come on
,”
said Bill.

Kevin quickly grew enraged.  He strode right up to Bill
’
s desk and though they were inches from each other
,
his voice grew louder. 
“
He was always in the middle.  He understood her.  He was a soulmate.  And what was I
?
  What was I
?
  I
’
ll tell you what I was.  I
’
ll tell you.  Yes siree.  I was just the chopped liver in the bed on the other side of George.  That
’
s what I was.  And we all knew it.  And he loved it that way.
”

“
Go on—that
’
s nuts
,”
said Bill gazing almost clinically at Kevin.  What could possibly be the genuine source of this insane rivalry
?
  He had no clue.

“
I come in here to do you a favor
,”
said Kevin
,
his blue eyes flashing
,
“
And this is how you treat me
,
deliberately plunging a dagger into my heart and twisting it.  Some friend you are.
”

“
Kevin
,
you
’
re starting to scare me.  Can you hear yourself
?”

“
Oh I hear myself all right.  But do you
?
  Do you hear me
?
  If you knew everything you pretended to you wouldn
’
t know half of what you should.  Get it
?”

“
Not even a little bit
,”
said Bill. 

Muttering to himself
,
his comments an inaudible but clearly cranky rumble
,
Kevin strode back and forth in the office
,
now and then raising a warning finger toward Bill
,
who watched him as an adult observes a child mid-tantrum.  Eventually Kevin decided to return to work
,
but as he exited Bill
’
s office
,
he turned one more time and wagged the warning finger at Bill
,
who just looked perplexed. 

Leaning into the office once more
,
Kevin said
,
“
You know I
’
m allergic to dogs.
”