Hungry for Love (34 page)

“
Okay now Chrissy
,
I want you to listen to me
,”
said Ben calmly
,
also repeating himself for the third time. 
“
Just focus on what I
’
m saying.  Take a deep breath.  C
’
mon now
,
let
’
s get you breathing again.
”

“
I
’
m breathing.  You can hear me breathing
,
can
’
t you
?
  I
’
d be dead otherwise
,
wouldn
’
t I
?
  Most people have to breathe
,
don
’
t they
?”
  Then Chrissy took several slobbery breaths through her nose
,
trying to clear it
,
then Ben heard her blow her nose a couple of times with very loud honks.

“
Good job
,”
he said calmly. 
“
You
’
re already sounding better.  But the thing is this—you
’
re mad at your boyfriend
,
but you
’
ve never once had a conversation with him about this supposed affair
,
am I right
?”

Chrissy began weeping again
,
and Ben could hear her muffled sobs
,
and he knew she was trying to conceal them from him.

“
It
’
s ok to cry
,
Chrissy
,
if you
’
re feeling sad
,
let it out.  I know you
’
re upset.  I
’
m just trying to say that sometimes a conversation makes a big difference when it comes to impressions we have about other people.  Then they can answer for themselves.
”

“
What
’
s he gonna say
?
  He has to date other women so he has someone to stuff his face with
?
  Every time I see them they
’
re eating.  She
’
s a big honking woman
,
too.  Like a size six
,
maybe an eight.  She
’
s a plus sized woman.  He
’
s into the fatties.  Oh my God
,
that
’
s it.  That
’
s
it!
  I never put it together before.  I was a little plump when we met
,
maybe as big as a size four.  He likes fat women.  That
’
s why he won
’
t get me the Koush Koush.
”

“
Didn
’
t you say he
’
s a physician
?”
asked Ben
,
“
A diet doctor
,”
thinking about Angie and this quack she was always talking about.  But no
,
this one
’
s name was Bill
,
not Kevin.

“
Yes!
”
snorted Chrissy. 
“
Well
,
I
’
m going to give him some of his own medicine.  Ha!
”

Ben was concerned enough to ask
,
“
You
’
re not planning to drug his food or anything
,
right
?”

“
If I had the freaking Koush Koush you can bet I
’
d dose him with it
,
then maybe we
’
d be compatible again
,
a normal dieting couple in
Beverly Hills
.  And nobody would have to fly off to
India
,
would they
?”
   Chrissy laughed then and said
,
“
Gotta run.  Thank you so much.  Talk to you soon.  I
’
ll let you know what happens.  Don
’
t worry
,
Ben
,
I
’
m not planning to feed him an arsenic soufflé.  I don
’
t know how to make a soufflé.
”

Before Ben could keep her on the line long enough to be certain he didn
’
t have to call the authorities
,
she was gone
,
leaving him wondering just what she was planning.  At least she sounded calmer at the end of the call than at the beginning
,
so that was hopeful.  And then the doorbell rang and he was face to face with the nice
,
sweet girl.

Admittedly Clint hadn
’
t seen Colette since he broke her older sister
’
s heart in high school
,
and at that time she was what—twelve—but his description of her as a sweet little girl with a smile that lit up the room was still apt
,
but of course he
’
d seen a recent picture on Facebook.  Colette walked in wearing a white sun dress made of some sort of fabric with little stitched holes that laced up the front with a pink ribbon and had a teeny pink belt. She looked like she
’
d just come from a garden party
,
but to Ben that was great.  For a while he
’
d been nervous
,
expecting someone who dressed like an escapee from a hooker emporium
,
but at least it wouldn
’
t feel too scary escorting this nice young woman on a date.

“
Where
’
s Clint
?”
she said a bit too breathlessly.

“
Hmm
,
I
’
m not exactly sure
,”
said Ben honestly. 
“
Can I offer you some wine before we leave for dinner
?”

Colette nodded
,
and sat down on the couch. 
“
Clint will be here soon
,
won
’
t he
?”
she asked.

“
Gosh
,
I doubt it
,”
said Ben
,
walking in from the kitchen with a tray he
’
d prepared with cheese and crackers and a nice bottle of wine. 

“
Oh so this is supposed to be a real date
?”
Colette asked.

“
Oh
,”
sighed Ben
,
suddenly aware of what was going on. 
“
What did Clint tell you
,
anyway
?”

“
He said he had a nice guy for me to meet.  But somehow I thought… oh I
’
m silly
,
you
’
ll hate me
,
I thought….
”

“
Clint
,
you thought Clint
,”
Ben said.

“
Well
,
you know how it is when you have the feeling that someone is just meant for you
?
  I was just this kid in school and Clint was dating my sister
,
and you could just see no way were they suited for each other
,
and I had this sense
,
this little feeling
,
but I was just this kid
,
and everyone laughed
,
said he was like a dress up crush
,
like when you play dress up and pretend you
’
re married
,
and he was just the pretend guy.  But I always thought
,
no
,
he
’
s the guy.
”