Page 54 of Curvy Girl Summer

“You said Ahmad’s sexy ass asked you to meet him in his section at Lava to see Terra-Cotta’s pop-up show,” she interrupted. “I’m not seeing the downside here.”

“Ahmad is married.”

“Girl, he invited you out with him and his boys. He didn’t invite you to sit on his dick. Go to the damn lounge and stop playing.”

“He’smarried.”

“Maybe his wife will be there. Or maybe he invited you out because he thinks of you as one of the boys. Or maybe he wants you to meet one of his boys. Or maybe he wants to fuck you and he’s just like these other cheating-ass dudes. Either way, you need to focus more on what you want and how to get it. Get out of the house. Go to Lava. See Terra-Cotta. Meet some men.”

Laughing, I shook my head. “Nina!”

“You’re laughing because I’m right. You claim this man is just your friend.”

I readjusted my position on the couch and placed my feet on the floor. “Heisjust my friend.”

“So, I don’t see a downside. Friends hang out.”

I silently pursed my lips.

She was right.

I wanted to go, and if I were being honest with myself, I’d been trying to talk myself out of it. But Nina was absolutely right. Ahmad was a friend who invited me out to do something that was definitely up my alley. There was no legitimate reason for me to not go if I wanted to go.

“Hey, I thought I had a few more minutes,” Nina said suddenly. “I’m touching bases with my girl. I’ll meet you in the shower.”

I knew she wasn’t talking to me, and I heard a deep voice reply in the background. She laughed at something before she came back to the line. “Hey, I’m back.”

“You sound really happy right now. I see the Fun One is treating you right,” I speculated, using the nickname she gave him.

“Absolutely. Details to come. But in the meantime, text me a picture of what you’re wearing to Lava.”

“I didn’t say I was going,” I protested quickly.

“Yeah, but we both know you are. Text me your outfit. Byeeeeeeee!”

I laughed. “Goodbye, Nina!”

We hung up, and I immediately went to my closet to figure out what I was going to wear. After making a final decision and sending a photo to the group chat, I started working on my hair. When I was fully dressed and ready to leave, I admired myself in the mirror.

I look good,I thought as I did a little spin.

I snapped another picture and sent it to the group chat so Nina and Jazmyn could see my finished look. They said I was dressed like I had a hot date. I told them I didn’t know what Ahmad’s friends looked like, and I doubted that one of them could be my next boyfriend. They said I was giving date vibes, and I almost reconsidered my outfit.

Those werenotthe vibes I was trying to give.

I could still hear them teasing me about me trying to seduce Ahmad and his friends as the car I was in pulled up to Lava. I climbed out of the back seat still shaking my head at their jokes. Looking around, I was so glad I didn’t let them get in my head.

I wiggled my toes in my gold strappy sandals before thanking the driver and closing the door behind me.

“I fit right in,” I mused as I flounced out the white minidress.

My outfit had a flowy skirt that showcased my thick thighs and pretty legs. The sweetheart neckline was subtle in the way it brought attention to my cleavage. But the color against my skin was the main reason I wore it. It was a hot, late-July night, and almost every woman I saw in the parking lot and in line was wearing a short dress or short shorts. Legs were out everywhere. Skin was definitely exposed.

I took a picture of the line and sent it to the group chat beforeslipping my phone into my gold bag. When I got to the front, I showed my ID and asked them to point me in the direction of the sections.

“Whoa,” I uttered as I entered the main space.

People were everywhere.

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