Hungry for Love (22 page)

Ben sighed. 
“
No
,
no…. I meant…. Geeez…. I mean…. Like
,
um.  Well.  Never mind
,
um
,
I mean
,
here
,
open this present.
”
 

To Angie
’
s surprise
,
Ben pulled a nicely wrapped present from his shopping bag and handed it to her.  She carefully removed the paper then read the title out loud. 
“
Off Daddy
’
s Lap—Conquering the Electra Complex.
  Hmm.  This looks….interesting.  Lotta great recipes in here I bet.
”
  Then as he looked bewildered
,
she laughed
,
and said
,
“
You
’
re such a sweetie.
”

Angie reached over to hug Ben
,
and he glowed and hugged her back even more tightly.  She gently kissed his cheek and he could feel the color rising in his face. 

She jumped away from him and said
,
“
Look
,
we
’
re going in.  I
’
ve never seen
Lolita
.  What
’
s it about
?”

Bill was enjoying an evening with the family in front of the television.  Chrissy seemed calm enough and he liked having her nestled in the crook of his arm.  He was thinking vaguely about the party he was planning and hoping that everything was once again back on track.

Will had found a creative use for the Barbie Dream Car and repeatedly he smashed it into the Barbie Dream House as Candy attempted with little success to wrench it away from him.  Bill glanced at them now and then.

Chrissy was attempting to talk about her future
,
about the possibility of her having a career. 
“
What if it isn
’
t enough
?”
she asked Bill sincerely
,
“
Don
’
t you think I should have something to fall back on
?
  I
’
m not ever going back to….
”

Bill smiled at her and said
,
“
I know the kids love having you here when they come home from school.
”

Candy and Will stopped their wrestling briefly to glance at each other and to roll their eyes.

“
But sweetheart
,”
continued Bill
,
“
Sure
,
get a job if you want one.
”

Chrissy didn
’
t know whether to consider this a supportive gesture or one designed to avoid palimony when Bill
’
s affair with his partner
’
s wife came to light and everything crashed and burned. 
“
I just don
’
t know what I
’
d do
,”
she mused.

Bill spoke up and said
“
Maybe you
’
d feel more fulfilled if you
’
d stop….
”

Before he could continue
,
Chrissy interrupted
,
“
How about a Koush Koush distributorship
?”

“
I told you
,”
said Bill far less charitably
,
“
That drug is never coming to the
U.S.
”

Unwilling to hear his excuses yet again but also determined not to set him off
,
Chrissy said congenially
,
“
What about an herbal version
?”

By this time Will had taken one of Candy
’
s Barbies and had wrapped its hair around a rear wheel of the Barbie Dream Car and was dragging the doll behind the car.  Candy began wailing in increasing volume.

“
Stop it!
”
said Bill to Chrissy. 
“
Enough with the Koush Koush!  It
’
s all you ever talk about.  No more
,
please
.  Enough!
”

“
Daddy
,”
screamed Candy.

“
Will
,”
said Bill sternly. 

Candy shoved Will with her shoulder and managed to wrench the Barbie out from the wheel of the car
,
but half of her hair was left wedged into the wheel.  Will began laughing at the half-bald Barbie as Candy screamed and wept.

Chrissy leapt to her feet
,
clearly displeased. 
“
That
’
s enough!
”
she said with authority.  Pointing toward Will
,
she said
,
“
You!  On the Stairmaster.  Now.
”
  Will glanced at his dad
,
who shrugged
,
so he decided uncharacteristically to obey.  Then Chrissy pointed at Candy and said
,
“
You!  On the rowing machine.
”
 

“
Hey!
”
protested Candy
,
“
I
’
m not the criminal here. Look at my Barbie.
”
  She thrust the half-bald doll toward her father. 

Chrissy smiled as though the light had finally dawned. 
“
That
’
s it!
”
she said excitedly. 
“
I
’
ll work at the gym—or one of those diet centers.  Can you imagine a better plan
?”

Bill rose
,
kissed her on the cheek and nodded
,
smiling. 
“
Anyone want ice cream
?”
he asked pleasantly.

Chrissy
,
aghast
,
intoned
,
“
Bill!
”
  But he was already on the way to the kitchen.

–
FIVE –

Angie was engaged in a staring match with Nurse Leona
,
who really seemed to be against her.  She provided such a sober atmosphere in the examining room that it created a wall between herself and Kevin
,
a wall Angie was certain was destined to topple any day now.  She thought if she stared hard and long enough
,
Leona would exit the room
,
leaving her alone when Kevin arrived.  Her focus was so intense that she almost didn
’
t notice when Dr. Masters instead of Dr. Flicker entered the room.

Bill smiled pleasantly at Angie and said
,
“
Hello
,
Ms. Antimangia.  Nice to see you again.
”

Angie didn
’
t bother to hide the shock that registered on her face
,
nor the disappointment. 
“
Where
’
s Kev—Dr. Flicker
?”
she asked with irritation.

“
He
’
s been so swamped lately
,
I
’
ve taken over some of his cases. I hope you don
’
t mind
,”
said Bill
,
again very pleasantly.  Angie was unable to think of a reply as he continued
,
“
I see you
’
re doing great
,
as usual.
”

She sat there
,
frustrated and sad as he went through the motions of listening to her heart
,
checking her pulse
,
and when all the vitals were ascertained
,
he patted her kindly on the shoulder. 
“
Looking great
,
just great.
”