Blood Games

    Helen stared at Vivian, frowning. ‘Are you kidding? Why on earth would you want to trade with anyone? My God, you’ve gotta be joking.’

    ‘Oh, yeah. I’ve got the world on a string.’ She set down the uneaten remains of her hot dog, and raised her left hand toward Helen. ‘What do you think of my lovely ring?’

    Her hand was bare.

    ‘What ring?’

    ‘That’s the point.’

    ‘You’re upset because you’re not married?’ Helen sounded astonished.

    ‘Wouldn’t you be? God, I’m twenty-five.’

    ‘Enjoy your freedom while you’ve got it,’ Cora told her.

    ‘It isn’t freedom, it’s loneliness.’

    ‘You could take your pick of men,’ Helen said. ‘I mean, look at you. You’re… stunning.’

    ‘It’s not all it’s cracked up to be.’

    ‘I’m gonna start weeping,’ Finley said. ‘It must be so tough on you, being gorgeous.’

    ‘You’ll never know,’ Abilene told her.

    ‘You’re no cover girl, yourself, Hickok.’

    ‘Guys treat me funny,’ Vivian said. ‘You’ve all seen how they act. It’s like I’m not a person. Hell, look at the stunt those Sigs pulled.’

    ‘Look at the stunt we pulled,’ Finley said.

    ‘Man, oh man.’ Cora grinned as she shook her head.

    ‘They do act strange around her,’ Abilene said.

    ‘They do, and it’s… I’m tired of it. I’m really tired of it. All I ever attract are weirdos and slick bastards who think they’re God’s gift to women. All the normal, nice guys just run the other way. They don’t even give me a chance. It’s like they’re scared of me.’

    ‘If it bothers you so much,’ Finley said, ‘put on a hundred pounds.’

    ‘I’ve thought about it.’

    ‘Are you kidding?’ Abilene said.

    ‘There’d go your career,’ Cora said.

    ‘Hey, she could model tents.’

    ‘If you think you’ve got troubles now,’ Helen said, ‘just try being a tub.’ With a glance at Finley, she added, ‘You get stuff like tent jokes. You get people crapping on you from every direction.’

    ‘Geez,’ Finley said, ‘I didn’t mean anything.’

    ‘Yeah. They never do.’

    ‘At least you’ve got a man, Helen.’

    ‘Yeah, Viv, I sure do. And he never lets up on me. All I ever hear about is how fat and gross I am. If I looked like you… I’d be the happiest person in the world.’

    ‘I doubt it.’

    ‘Has anybody ever called you “Poiky”? ’ How would you like to have a husband who won’t take you out of the house because he’s ashamed to be seen with you?’ Helen’s voice began to tremble. ‘How would you like a husband who won’t even sleep in the same bed because he says you might roll over and squish him?’

    ‘Jesus H. Christ,’ Finley muttered.

    Abilene felt sick.

    ‘Does Frank really act that way?’ Vivian asked.

    ‘The bastard,’ Cora said.

    Starting to sob, Helen stammered, ‘He… he says… says I’m repulsive.’

    ‘He’s the repulsive one,’ Cora snapped. ‘Why’d the bastard marry you if he felt that way?’

    ‘I don’t know. I wasn’t so… heavy when we started going together.’

    ‘You were never exactly svelte,’ Finley said.

    ‘But I got bigger. After we were married. If you wanta know the truth, I think he was… mostly interested in my money.’

    ‘You think he married you because of your inheritance?’ Abilene asked.

    Helen nodded, sniffed, and wiped her nose. ‘He just… pretended to love me.’

    ‘You don’t know that for sure,’ Vivian said.

    ‘No. But… he doesn’t love me. Not any more. Probably never did. If he loved me, it shouldn’t have made any difference when I… put on more weight. I think he just got tired of faking it. He moooos at me. Like I’m a cow.’

    ‘Bastard,’ Cora said.

    ‘You oughta dump him,’ Finley suggested.

    ‘Oh, sure.’

    ‘I mean it.’

    ‘Yeah,’ Cora said, if somebody treated me like that…’

    ‘I don’t wanta… be alone.’

    ‘There are other men,’ Abilene told her.

    ‘Oh, sure. Not when you look like me.’

    Abilene reached out and rubbed her shoulder. ‘Hey, there are plenty of guys out there. They’re not all creeps.’

    ‘Only ninety per cent of them,’ Vivian said.

    ‘Those aren’t such bad odds,’ Abilene said. ‘That’d mean a hundred out of a thousand are okay.’

    ‘I’ll never find anybody,’ Helen muttered, I’d… rather have Frank than no one.’

    ‘There are guys out there,’ Abilene repeated. ‘All you’ve got to do is find the right one.’

    ‘Yeah,’ Finley said. ‘Remember what’s-his-face? The poet?’

    ‘Maxwell?’

    ‘Right, Maxwell Charron.’

    ‘Max,’ Cora said. ‘I wonder what he’s up to, these days.’

    ‘He wouldn’t even remember me,’ Helen said.

    ‘That’s ridiculous,’ Abilene told her. ‘You two were in love. He’d remember you.’

    ‘He dumped me, remember?’

    ‘He didn’t dump you. He transferred to USC because his mother was sick.’

    ‘Yeah, but… he didn’t keep in touch.’

    ‘I bet we could find him,’ Cora said.

    ‘What’s the use.’

    ‘You never know. Maybe he’s available.’

    ‘Whether he is or isn’t,’ Abilene said, ‘the important thing is that there are guys like him around. You don’t have to be stuck with Frank forever. It’s not a question of him or no one.’

    ‘I don’t know,’ Helen muttered.

    ‘Do you still love him?’

    She nodded. ‘That’s what makes it… so awful.’

    ‘Get skinny,’ Finley said.

    ‘Do you think I haven’t tried? The more I try, the heavier I get.’

    ‘Then you just aren’t trying hard enough,’ Finley said. ‘All you’ve gotta do is eat less.’

    ‘Sure. That’s all.’