Page 47 of Spin The Bottle
I force a smile on my face, hoping it somehow kills her instead. “Like I said, we’re just friends.” I turn my head back around before she can say anything else, and I hear heels tap on the floor in the opposite direction.
“You were right.” I shoot Max a smile when I approach him. “That was the best wine I have ever had.”
He laughs, clutching a hand to his chest. “I told you. Did you share it with your friends at least?” he asks, lifting himself off the floor.
My lips twitch. The bottle of wine he gave me last time we worked together was gone in a day. Rosie twisted her nose at it, Madi had two glasses, and Gabi and I devoured the rest. “Barely.”
He nods, lips twitching. “Marcel was adamant France had the best wine, but as soon as he tasted real Italian wine, that shut him right up.”
“How is Marcel?”
He groans, waving a hand. “Good. Busy with Macy.” My eyes soften at the mention of Max’s adorable baby. God, just looking at her makes my ovaries cry. “I see the look on your face,” he says pointing a finger at me. “Don’t get any ideas. Changing diapers is not fun.”
A laugh bubbles out of me. “Got it.” I take a step back onto the backdrop. “Where do you want me?” I ask.
He shuffles his hand, directing me to the left and then calls in the other girls. They all line up, adjusting themselves where Max tells them to go.
I feel a nudge to my elbow. “Is it true?” Amina asks, her dark brown eyes widening as she looks up at me. “You’re dating Lucas Silva?”
Good god. “Who told you that?”
She gestures with her head to Jennifer who’s standing front and center. “You’ve got to be kidding me,” I mutter to myself.
“So, is it true?” Amina asks again once the flash has gone off. “It’s not like you to keep this from me.”
I sigh, taking a minute to adjust to the next pose. “No,” I mutter, trying not to move my head. “She saw us hugging and apparently ran with it.”
Amina laughs. “That girl is dripping in jealousy.”
“Beautiful,” Max shouts at us, the flash going off once again.
“He’s a close friend,” I tell her. “Nothing more.”
She scoffs. “That man is so fine. Can’t really judge her for being jealous.”
“That’s a wrap.”
I exhale all the air in my body, smiling at Amina when the shoot is over. “You ready?” she asks. “Next shoot is the big one.”
I swallow down the urge to puke, forcing a smile. “Of course.”
Her eyes hood. “You don’t have to lie to me,” she says. “We’re the only big girls here.” A laugh escapes me at how bluntly she puts it. “I know how you’re feeling but you can’t let it stop you.”
I sigh. “I don’t know how I feel about it all.”
She nods. “I get it, I mean when I told my boyfriend, he was worried about what people would say but do you know what I told him?”
“What?”
“I said why do I have to feel anxious about showing my body when they do it every day?” She waves a hand. “So they’re skinny.” She shrugs. “We’re hotter.”
I give her a push, a laugh bubbling out of me. “You’re not nervous at all?” I ask her, admiring how at ease she is with all of this. People expect me to be confident every single day of the week and act like all the negativity doesn’t affect me, but it’s not that easy.
I have spent the better part of my life hating my body and spending every birthday wish on being skinny. It’s hard to just let it go overnight, it takes time.
Sometimes I wonder if I’m ever going to get there. If one day I’m going to wake up and be completely in love with myself, if every time I look in the mirror, I don’t scan for imperfections and things I wish I could change. I hope so.
She grabs a handful of chips, dropping one by one in her mouth. My stomach cries at me. Shit, when was the last time I ate? I make myself look away from the food and focus on Amina.
