The Adventures of a Love Investigator, 527 Naked Men & One Woman Read Online Free PDF

picture.” The words fly from his mouth.
    “No pictures.” I don’t want this man to have my picture. Who knows what he’ll do with it.
    “One?” he pleads. There is something edgy in his voice.
    “Just one,” I answer in a low growl as the tiny hairs on the back of my neck stand on end.
    “Of course.” JR works me toward a clump of trees out of view of the road. I step back onto the path. He takes my elbow and guides me near the dark side.
    This is how women get butchered. I break free and charge up the hill to the road. “The light is much better here.”
    Uncertainty flickers in his eyes. I stand poised to deliver a good kick. JR takes my picture. I yell my thanks and race to my car. He follows but I’m quicker.

CHAPTER SEVEN
    “Most men struggle terribly with the whole idea of sharing.”
    ~ Ben, 54, married
    Case 288 / Ben
    My right heel sticks in the snow bank. I yank my foot free and sprint for the warmth of the heated reception room. Inside, a blinding glare of bright colored carpeting, white walls and framed photos of men in jerseys accepting trophies from men in suits hits me. I squint to take in a litter of chairs. A ring of metal racks circling the room proffer pamphlets on Christian lifestyles.
    I’ve come to the corporate offices of one of the hottest sports teams in the country to interview their general manager.
    “Hi!” Ben greets me with practiced enthusiasm.
    At fifty-four, Ben has the kind of energy that sets me on edge. This sports guru wears a navy blazer with gold buttons, tan slacks and a light blue pin stripe shirt. I can’t make out the detail of his shoes, he walks too fast. He herds me double-time into his office. The room is light and bright with very few personal photos and a clean desk top. Oh boy, a clean desk. A bad sign.
    Ben opens up the interview by talking about his career. I keep easing the subject back to love and marriage. On my third try, it takes.
    He settles into his chair, leaning on his elbows. “From the time my wife was a little girl she had these wonderful visions on how marriage would be.” His gaze moves from my face to my neck and downward. Despite the glass wall extending the length of the room, I feel a little uneasy.
    “I sandwiched our wedding in between the games. I was trying to make three trades the night before the ceremony and then get the team on the road.”
    He thinks I’m impressed and smiles a photo-op smile. “Once the rings were exchanged and the marriage had taken place, I was relieved. That little piece of the jigsaw puzzle was in place.”
    I feel sorry for the pretty woman whose picture sits on the credenza behind his desk.
    “For the first ten years of our life, I thought everything was wonderful. Then my wife started to send out these little signals. I would try to deal with it, maybe an evening out or maybe some flowers or a box of candy...anything to try and keep the noise down.”
    He swings into defensive mode.
    “It’s very tough to run a team if there’s a lot of squeaking in the background.” He studies my face to see if I’m with him. “I learned to lubricate the wheels, calm it down and go on.”
    This must be the opposite of love. “You’ve been married for twenty one years?”
    He nods and shrugs it off – a bent puzzle piece.
    “One Sunday afternoon, Patty told me that she didn’t care anymore. She tried everything she could think of and that she was quitting. She didn’t say that she was leaving, but she did say that she didn’t have anything left to give. She said she had died emotionally.”
    I begin to shiver.
    “You have how many children?”
    “Nine.” He answers, proudly. “I had hoped children would give Patty the emotional food she craved. After we had our three, we adopted six more kids.”
    What would the world think of this man, this team manager if they really knew? Ben wined Patty and dined her and wooed her like a player he was trading up for. He placed her on his team and then ignored