Page 1 of Forbidden Fruit (Sweet Treats 7)

1

Kristy

I stand in front of the mirror, studying myself. Hmm, not bad. My dress is tight but not over the top. It highlights my curves without being obscene, which is important to me. After all, my boyfriend Ryder can be critical about these kinds of things.

Just last week, he shamed me in front of our friends for wearing a too-tight bodysuit.

“Kristy, isn’t that a little much?” he said with a raised eyebrow while staring at my bosom. My outfit wasn’t insane by any means. I was wearing washed denim jeans with a tan, long-sleeved bodysuit from Good American. It’s a brand started by the curvy Khloe Kardashian, and I think she’s a genius entrepreneur. She’s a big girl herself, so she understands what it takes to make things look good when you’re not a size 2. Why not? The average American woman is curvy, and Khloe’s tapping into a huge, underserved market. I hope she makes billions of dollars while leading the charge for bigger women who like to look sexy and confident.

But at the moment, all thoughts of Khloe’s sass and assertiveness fled my mind. I looked down, flustered, as my cheeks flushed pink. We were at lunch in the quad with my friends Kaylee and Britt. The two girls appeared embarrassed for me, but they averted their eyes, pretending not to hear. Suddenly, Kaylee brightened.

“Oh my god, there’s a bird!” she said in a gay voice. “Cool, that’s a good omen for spring right?”

“Yeah!” agreed Britt, shooting me a worried look while desperately trying to change the topic of conversation. “Oh my god, the bird is so pretty! I wonder if it’s a baby bird!”

I smiled, a bit unsure. My friends’ efforts to save me were much appreciated because they know Ryder just as well as I do. We’ve been in school together since junior high, and Ryder’s always been a bit of a pompous ass. It can be attractive sometimes, when it comes off as charismatic and confident. But sometimes, his harsh words just hurt. Especially when they’re directed at me.

Ryder snorted and rolled his eyes.

“Who cares about the bird?” he asked. “Spring is sprung, yada yada yada. Now back to your outfit, Kristy,” he says, focusing that laser-eyed blue stare on me once more. “So what gives? Why would you wear something so tight when you’re a size 14?”

I almost choked on my sandwich. My cheeks flushed red and I shot ashamed looks at my friends, who looked just as embarrassed for me.

“Well, the thing about being a bigger woman is that I need to wear things that squeeze and hold me together,” I say slowly. “If I wear a flowy top that resembles a muumuu, it just makes me look worse. It’s counter-intuitive, but I actually need to find items that help accentuate my curves. Tight spandex materials do that best.”

Ryder snorts and rolls his eyes.

“Yeah but Kristy, let’s get to the basics. Why are you a size 14 to begin with? I mean, that’s huge. It’s scary because big girls only get bigger as they age. If you’re a size fourteen now, imagine how big you’ll be in your twenties. Or your thirties or forties. Shit, by then you might qualify for gastric bypass surgery.”

Britt has had enough and she sets down her hot dog while shooting Ryder a dirty look.

“Might I remind you that we’re all big girls at this table?” she says coldly to Ryder. “What’s your problem anyways? You can’t handle seeing a woman eat like an actual human being?”

Ryder rolls his eyes again and puts down his fork before sighing theatrically. But I know what he’s going to do. My boyfriend has never been able to handle confrontation, especially when he’s being called out on his bad behavior.

“No, I’m not afraid of anyone eating anything. But seriously, you guys eat like dogs. Literally, you’re eating a hot dog right now. What’s wrong with you? Why don’t you eat healthier, like a salad?”

Kaylee gets in on it now too. She’s even bigger than me, but she’s beautiful and bounteous all the same with her sassy figure and long, golden blonde hair.

“For your information, these are kosher beef hot dogs that are made without any preservatives. They’re from a new line called HealthFood, and we got them at the local Whole Foods just last week,” she snaps. “Watch this.”

As if in retribution, Kaylee opens her red lips and takes a huge bite of her hot dog. I almost start giggling because Ryder’s face is going red, but then I stop myself. There’s no sense in aggravating my boyfriend anymore than we’ve already done.

“Ryder, why don’t you see if you can get us some drinks?” I say, giving him an out. “Can you get me a Coke please?”

“And I want a Sprite,” adds Kaylee.

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