Page 41 of His Curvy Distraction

For a minute, I waited, straining to hear anything in the bar. Pool balls clacked together, people talked, music played. And then I felt her behind me.

She slid onto the stool next to me, the scent of strawberries hitting me before I glanced over.

“Natalie?” I blurted.

“Oh, no.”

“What are you doing here?”

She made a move to get off the stool. “This was a bad idea. I knew it was a bad idea. I never should have come here.”

“Are you ThisIsAwkward?” I blurted.

She froze. Realization slammed her eyes closed. She shook her head, a breath of a laugh escaping from her nose. “Wow.”

“Is that a yes?”

She opened her hazel eyes and looked straight at me. “Yeah. Which means you’re…”

“BigCityConvert,” I said, knowing the confirmation was easier with me revealing information.

“Of course you are.”

“And you’re not happy.”

“Are you, Mr. Mayor?”

“I asked you to call me Omar.”

“Why? We both know this isn’t going to work. I never should have come here. I knew I shouldn’t have come. Hell, that’s why I’m late.”

“You didn’t want to come?”

“These things always go poorly for me. Men take one look at me and decide I’m not who they were hoping would show up. I’m…” She sucked in a sharp breath. “I’m not the same person.”

“Someone else was messaging me?”

“No! That’s not… That’s not what I meant. I meant I’m not quick on my feet. I’m not beautiful and fun and outgoing and all the things men want in a woman. I’m… well, I’m awkward.”

“And that means you can’t date?”

“No, it means no one wants to date me. And you already know all those things about me, so I know you don’t have to stick around and find them out. Have a good night, Mr. Mayor.”

“Natalie, wait!”

“Isn’t that interesting,” a man said from not far away. “And here I thought that was a one-time thing between you two.”

I looked at him and found the photographer from the night months ago. The man who refused to bury the picture he took of Natalie and I. “What the hell do you want?”

He smirked. “Not a thing. Have a good night, Mr. Mayor.”

“That didn’t go well,” Hudson said, pulling my attention from the man.

I looked back, and the man was gone. “Do you know who that was?”

“Uh, Natalie?” Hudson said.

“No. The man…” I shook my head. “Never mind.”

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