1476763445 by Liz Fenton

Author:Liz Fenton [Fenton, Liz]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Washington Square Press
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

* * *

Claire had always been a nervous eater. Whenever finals rolled around in college, she’d find herself power eating Tootsie Rolls until her stomach begged her to stop. As she grew older, she was smart enough to realize that even though she couldn’t control her anxiety, she could control what she binged on. When Emily’s dad had left her, her snack of choice became spicy corn nuts, popping them into her mouth, letting them burn her tongue and lips, the momentary pain they inflicted a welcome distraction from her emotional distress. When her mom was diagnosed last time, she’d become obsessed with dried fruits, carrying bags of dehydrated peaches and apricots in her purse, the vigorous chewing required to swallow them absorbing some of the aggression she felt at the universe for taking her mother far too soon. And when Emily dropped out of college, Claire had discovered wasabi peas, obsessively crunching them until she cracked a tooth.

“Beef jerky?” Claire held out the bag to Gabriela. They were on their way to New York City and the flight attendant had just announced it was okay to pull out electronic devices. Gabriela hauled out her heavy computer from under the seat with purpose, but froze as soon as her fingers touched the keyboard. Claire knew Gabriela had downplayed what this trip could mean for her professionally, instead selling it to Claire as a long-overdue girls’ trip, and a chance for Claire to take a break from caring for her mom. But Claire knew Gabriela also wanted her there in case her editor delivered bad news.

Gabriela shook her head. “Too much sodium. Not to mention it’s full of nitrates!”

“More for me then,” Claire replied, and popped a thick piece into her mouth, barely tasting the savory flavor as she tore through it.

“I’ve never understood how you don’t gain a ton of weight, especially when something’s bothering you,” Gabriela said, looking pointedly at the half-empty bag of jerky.

“I think stress increases my metabolism.” Claire paused to chew. “Plus, it’s not like I’m downing M&M’s. This stuff is pure fat-burning protein!”

“Fifty-year-old Claire would be shaking her head at you right now. There’s more salt in that bag than you’re supposed to consume in an entire day!”

“Maybe. But forty-year-old Claire was thrilled to discover they make it in southern barbecue flavor!” Claire laughed.

Gabriela grabbed the bag from Claire’s hands and handed it to the flight attendant, who was passing through the cabin with a trash bag. “Can you throw this away, please?”

“Hey! I wasn’t done with that!”

Gabriela shut her laptop. “You don’t need more jerky. What you need is someone to talk to about what’s really going on.”

“I’m fine. Just a little stressed, but fine,” Claire said, not wanting to burden Gabriela, who was waiting nervously to find out if she was pregnant and worried about her meeting with her publisher. The last thing she needed was for Claire to offload her own problems on her.

Gabriela pointed at Claire’s swollen fingers. “Okay, then. If you can pull that ring off your finger right now, I’ll leave you alone the rest of the flight.

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