Page 39 of Plus Size Player

But twenty minutes later, I was hiding out in the bathroom, making a call to Russ. He’d sent me a picture of the sunset on the beach in California. I smiled, biting my lip as I waited for him to answer.

“You know I love the sky,” I said as soon as he picked up the phone. “And I do wish I was there, too.”

“The blue in the sky right now is my favorite color.” He sounded sexy and relaxed. “I know you’re at a work event. But if you feel inclined to hop on a plane and spend the next twenty-four with me in LA, let me know.”

“Very, very tempting offer,” I giggled. “But, alas, I have to network.”

“Okay.” He sighed dramatically. “You would be in New York while I’m in California.”

“From the looks of the photo, it seems like you’re working hard over there.”

He chuckled. “Everybody deserves a break. I had a business dinner that got rescheduled for tomorrow, so I came to the beach to relax for a minute.”

“Well, one of us has to work, so I should get back to networking. But hurry your ass back to the East Coast.”

“Oh, you miss me?”

I rolled my eyes, even though he couldn’t see me. “Goodbye, Russ.”

Amusement tinged his words. “I miss you, too. Ain’t nothing to be ashamed of.”

I laughed. “You always take it too far.”

“That’s you! But seriously, have a good time tonight and hit me up when you’re back home.”

“I will. I hope you have a good time, too.”

We ended the conversation, and I couldn’t stop smiling. I was just putting my phone in my bag when I heard three familiar voices.

“I’m tired of losing out on opportunities for diversity hires,” Jess complained. “This body positivity movement has gone too far, and taking opportunities from real models is a problem.”

“Nina is a real model,” Sky corrected her. “And my issue isn’t even that she’s a plus size model. My issue is the fact that Lori has ignored my requests to partner with them, and then when I finally have her in a conversation, she tunes me out and literally hands someone else the job.”

“Well, Nina didn’t get offered the job yet,” Daisy reasoned. “And maybe there is a plus size line they are launching. You’re a size two, Sky. You wouldn’t be a good fit for a plus size job.”

“You’re the size of a model. If they are doing a campaign to celebrate fatness, they went with the right person.” Jess laughed. “Oh, come on, you know that was funny! The industry started rewarding unhealthy, fat, and ugly, so we can joke about it.”

“I’m serious, Jess,” Sky responded, annoyance straining her words. “It’s not about anyone else. I just feel bummed out about not being offered the job.”

“You didn’t get offered the opportunity because brands are trying to include more fat people,” Jess said matter-of-factly. “I didn’t get that shoe store opportunity, and then when they ran the ad, it was with some lard ass. I lost that deal to a fatty. You lost a deal to a fatty. I haven’t had any offers today—hell, I haven’t had any this year, from any fashion brands—and it’s because we’re losing out on opportunities because of this body positivity bullshit. We need to bring modeling back to its roots.”

I flushed the toilet and opened the stall door. “And what does that mean?” I asked on my way to the sink. I looked at all of them, and their shocked expressions, then my eyes lingered on Jess. “What does bring modeling back to its roots mean?”

“Oh my God,” Skylar reacted. “Nina, I’m so sorry.”

I shook my head. “I’m talking to her.” I pointed to Jess. “Stand on the bullshit you were saying and say it to my face.”

“I, um…” She shrugged. “I just meant we work hard to stay inshape for this career, and now we’re losing jobs to people who… aren’t in shape.”

I washed my hands. “I get deals and contracts because I’m qualified. But let me get this straight… you think being thin is the requirement and that fat models are stealing opportunities from thin models?”

“Yes!” Her voice carried with the force of her answer. She lifted her chin up defiantly. “This body positivity bullshit messed everything up for hard-workingrealmodels.”

“Hard-working real models,” I slowly repeated her statement back to her. Grabbing a paper towel, I dried my hands and then cocked my head to the side. “There are a lot of brands out here looking for models and making connections with the people they want.” I narrowed my eyes. “How many of them wanted you?”

Her face turned red, and she started sputtering.

Before she could string together a coherent sentence, I made the number zero with my hand. “Exactly. None.” I walked toward her on my way to the bathroom exit. “Brands that feature straight size models because they only sell straight size clothes saw you and still opted out. That ain’t got nothing to do with me or other plus models. That’s all you, boo. When you’re ugly on the inside, that shit starts to seep through your pores.”

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