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me, it’s frosting. You know, like birthday cake or cupcake frosting. When I’ve had a really bad day, I’ll actually eat it right out of the can. It’s gross, I know, but that sweet taste just makes me forget about whatever is going wrong. Until later. Then I feel really terrible for eating it. I keep saying that I want to become a deputy and I know I have the brains for it, but until I can control myself, I’ll never have the body for it. And every time I even think about passing any kind of physical, I feel so lousy that I might actually go back and eat more frosting.” She sighed. “It’s a pretty vicious cycle.”
    Everyone bobbed his or her head in agreement. They all knew the feelings of pleasure followed by guilt that Lucy described.
    “I have an issue with peanut butter cups,” Gillian whispered. “I sit there, trying to meditate . . .” She turned to James to explain. “I do a lot of yoga. Anyway, I’m trying to get to my state of Zen but instead of visualizing emptiness, I’m picturing peanut butter cups! I’ll never achieve enlightenment at this rate.” Gillian was being serious, but the other four people around the table chuckled and then tried to hide their amused grins.
    “So we have two items to cover today,” Lindy redirected the conversation to more proactive territory. “We must choose a diet plan and then decide where to meet for our first official supper club. Gillian and I want Weight Watchers. Bennett and Lucy want to try a low-carb diet. I’m afraid it’s up to you to choose for us, James.”
    James shifted in his chair. He had been feeling entirely comfortable a moment ago but now he had suddenly been put on the spot. He really didn’t have a preference as to which diet, he just wanted to be involved with a group that he felt he had something in common with. James looked at each expectant face. When he gazed at Lucy across the table, he noticed that she had a faint peppering of freckles across the bridge of her nose. She gave him a shy smile as he looked at her and then turned away to take a few more potato chips out of the bag.
    James decided to pick the low-carb diet, as he didn’t think he had the discipline to count points or calories. He assumed from listening to commercials that he would need to keep track of his food on a Weight Watchers type of diet. Plus, he had an inexplicable desire to please his new friend Lucy, and if choosing the diet would make him look good in her eyes, then that was reason enough for him.
    “I think I vote for low carb,” he said hesitantly.
    Lucy and Bennett happily exchanged high-fives and then Bennett clamped James on the shoulder. “You’re all right , my friend.”
    “Since I’m thrilled with this choice, we can meet at my place for the first supper next week,” Lucy offered.
    “Just as long as you put those dogs of yours outside ,” Bennett grumbled and both Lindy and Gillian laughed.
    “I can’t even get near her mailbox,” Bennett explained to James wryly. “She’s got three of the most terrifying German shepherds known to humankind, and I am not afraid of dogs.”
    “This is so exciting!” Lindy exclaimed. “We are going to have so much fun helping one another lose weight!”
    “But how do we know what to eat?” Gillian complained.
    No one said anything for a moment and then James spoke up, feeling more confident now that his decision had been given and accepted. “We’ve got several diet books at the library. And I’m sure I could look some menus up on the Internet, so I volunteer to figure out what meal we should eat on Sunday. I’ll give everyone an idea for an item to bring.”
    Lindy got up and retrieved a pad of paper and a pen from one of her kitchen drawers. “Why don’t we exchange e-mails and phone numbers, and then James can tell us what to bring? Is that okay with everyone?” They all agreed and thanked James for his initiative. “And I think that whoever offers their house shouldn’t have to