Page 97 of Curvy Girl Summer

I glared at him. The expression on his face was comical, but I held firm with my pursed lips. “If you must know, we weren’t compatible because he didn’t have a genuine interest in me.”

“That’s too bad. He was clearly attracted to you. Every time I came down to check on you, he was staring you down.”

“Yeah, well…”

“But he wasn’t here long enough to get to know that behind your beauty, you’re the Grinch.”

I let out a loud, unexpected laugh. “You know what? This is why I don’t talk to you.”

“Come on,” he chuckled. “Now what happened? I thought you two were hitting it off.”

“Yeah, I thought so, too, until he got that liquor in his system, and I realized he was fetishizing me.”

His face froze. “What?”

“His interest was based on stereotypes he has about ‘big girls’”—I did air quotes—“and what we like, how we act, what we’re willing to do.”

“So instead of getting to know you, he was just telling you who he assumed you were?”

“Pretty much.” I chewed my bottom lip for a second. “And it didn’t sit right with me.”

He shook his head. “Well, it looks like you dodged a bullet. Man couldn’t handle his liquor, and he didn’t see what he had in front of him. To hell with him.”

My lips curled into a soft smile. “Thanks.”

“And besides, I think he was smelling you.”

I burst out laughing. “You saw that?”

“Hell yeah! And I saw some shit like that on a documentary about serial killers once, and that just hadn’t sat right with me since. It’s one thing if someone smells good and you catch their scent. It’s a whole other thing when you’re trying to put your nose on somebody you just met.”

“That was wild, right? I’m so glad I have a witness!”

“Even when I’m busy, I keep an eye on you. I told you I got you,” he assured me.

His brown eyes were as kind as his words.

“I appreciate you,” I told him, ignoring the flutter in my belly. I lifted my glass in his direction. “Thanks!”

He grabbed a glass. “And you’re not talking about giving up on dating this time, so that’s a good sign.”

“Yeah, well, my birthday weekend is in a few weeks, so I don’t have much time.” I pulled out my phone. “I’ve been having conversations on the app here and there with this other guy. He asked me out, so I’ll accept his offer.” Typing as I spoke, I said, “For next Friday at seven thirty.”

“That’s my girl,” Ahmad cheered. His eyes flitted over me. “You want to stick around and have a drink?”

I nodded. “Yeah. That’ll be cool.”

The crowd at Onyx grew, and with all the tables packed, every stool at the bar was occupied. Sipping my drink, I busied myself on the app between conversations with Ahmad. When it was time to go, I leaned over the bar and caught his attention.

With a smile, he stopped what he was doing and came to me.

“You’re not leaving, are you?” he asked.

I nodded. “I am. I’m hungry—”

He jerked his thumb toward the kitchen. “I can get someone to make you whatever you want.”

“I took out chicken earlier, so I’m about to make that,” I told him.

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