Hungry for Love (26 page)

“
Cool idea
,”
said Candy. 
“
I
’
m gonna have this heart
,
right here on my arm.
”
  Bill winced a little as he saw Candy had chosen a blue heart with the word
Mom
in pink in the middle.

Laura touched Bill gently on the arm and both parents stood silently
,
watching their little girls being decorated as the girls oohed and aahed with excitement.  Just as the artist was finishing
,
Laura observed a hippie girl passing
,
holding a young puppy.

“
Oh look
,”
said Laura
,
“
Doesn
’
t he just remind you of….
”
  Laura gazed tenderly at the puppy as the girl stopped and allowed everyone to pat him.  Then she pointed a few steps down
,
toward where the SPCA had set up a table for pet adoptions.

“
Be very gentle
,”
said Laura to the girls
,
who were busy patting the puppies who were corralled in a fenced area on top of a long table.

“
Pat him
,
Mommy
,”
said Julie. 
“
It
’
s okay.  He doesn
’
t mind.
”

Laura reached down and picked up one of the puppies
,
snuggling it tightly under her chin and sighing sweetly. 
“
Ohh you
’
re such a little doll
,
such a little love bug
,”
Laura cooed.

Bill thought of Kevin
,
and said cautiously
,
“
Are you sure
?”

Laura tried to return the puppy to the coral but she just couldn
’
t.  She looked helplessly at Bill
,
who had already made a donation and bought a leash.  Julie and Candy pranced along beside Laura
,
taking turns petting the puppy.

“
Should we call him George II
?”
asked Laura.

Bill took the dog from her arms briefly and lifted it
,
scrutinizing its privates.  He laughed
,
“
Georgette
,”
he said.

“
No!
”
said Laura laughing back at him
,
“
Gracie!
”

They stopped again at a sunglass cart where the girls were busy trying on the most outrageous designs
,
not at all designed for children.  Julie reached out and set some heart shaped
,
diamond trimmed glasses onto Gracie
’
s nose and the dog shook her head but seemed to be smiling. 
“
She needs these
,”
insisted Julie.

“
No
,
she doesn
’
t
,”
said Bill and Laura simultaneously.

Chrissy hadn
’
t felt this good in a long
,
long time.  Her life was actually moving forward.  This morning when she dressed in her favorite tailored suit
,
she was excited to notice how great she looked—and that the suit seemed substantially looser than it had the last time she
’
d worn it.  This was her big day.  She
’
d walked into the diet center like she owned the place and had been hired on the spot.  Now she would have something of her own
,
something great
,
and she
’
d be able to help and inspire other people. 

She glanced around the room.  Everything was in place for her first session.  She
’
d refilled the pamphlets station.  The doctor
’
s scale had been dusted—by someone else of course
,
not by a superstar like herself.  She was here to motivate people
,
not to dust.  It was a huge step up.  The bulletin board was nicely organized
,
thanks to her
,
and it contained all the weight loss information the center offered.  She
’
d even added some material on her own
,
downloaded and printed at home.  A second bulletin board boasted a collection of before and after photos.  Those were the success stories.  Chrissy could just imagine how many success stories she would create and all the grateful people who would walk into their healthier
,
thinner lives
,
thanks to her wisdom
,
knowledge
,
and most of all experience.  Nobody knew more about this subject than she did.  Well
,
of course Bill knew a lot.  But he only knew it from the outside.  She was right here in the trenches.  And she
’
d lived it.  Lived it all her life.

Seated in chairs in the big sharing circle
,
wearing name tags
,
first name only of course
,
were half a dozen fatties.  No
,
Chrissy wouldn
’
t even think of them like that—they were future thin people.  All she had to do was show them the way and the light.  She was ready.  These were people who were like her
,
who wanted what she wanted.  They were going to be her best friends some day
,
she knew it—and she would be their mentor.

Chrissy slipped closer into the room
,
taking a moment to listen to what was being said in the sharing circle.  She just knew it was something right on
,
something inspirational.  But wait….

A woman tagged Glenda was whining almost
,
speaking with resignation
,
“
I couldn
’
t help it.  The kids gave me the candy. It was love
,
not just food.
”

Then someone labeled Jean chimed in and said sympathetically
,
“
It
’
s so hard sometimes because you take care of them
,
but who takes care of you.
”

A gruff looking middle-aged guy called Lou spoke up with a crusty voice
,
“
These pre-packaged dinners are so small.  I like a nice steak….
”

Chrissy was aghast.  They were heathens!  They needed her desperately and where was she
?
  She was right here
,
ready
,
willing and able to charge into the group and get these people in order. 
“
What am I hearing
?”
she said sternly.  She stomped into the circle and walked around
,
stopping briefly in front of each dieter
,
glaring
,
then moving on. 
“
You people are
losers!
  Except where your diets are concerned.
”

She took a full minute for this to penetrate
,
then she marched toward Glenda and stood staring at her
,
making and holding that all-important eye contact. 
“
Is candy important
?”
she sneered angrily
,
and snidely continued
,
“
From the
kids
?
”
  She wagged a finger at Glenda and said sternly
,
“
No!  It isn
’
t!
”

She walked around the circle once again.  Then she zeroed in on Lou. Her eyes narrowed.  Her lips clenched. 
“
Next you
’
re going to be whining you miss your beer.
”

She raised a fist and shook it with passion.  Then
,
looking them all in the eyes
,
she said
,
“
Am I gonna hear next that you don
’
t want to get rid of your size fifty jeans
?”
  Glaring intensely
,
she continued
,
“
What
’
s wrong with you people
?”

Just at that moment
,
Chrissy
’
s supervisor
,
a girl of only twenty-five
,
pretty
,
youthful
,
and naturally slender
,
gazed in the room.  This was exciting.  Chrissy had gotten off to a fabulous start and now Elise could see her in action.  She smelled a promotion coming.  And many newly thin people following her to the ends of the earth.  She knew what to do: amp it up a little.