Page 19 of Bodybuilders for the BBW

He steered me over to the front door of the place, his hand light on my shoulders, but the people inside didn’t know that. They looked up, and some frowned at the sight of us together. Rhys was in his gym gear, but that had him fitting in with the other cool kids seated at the tables. The walls had been painted black, with a massive graffiti mural on one side, loud rap music playing through the PA system. Me? I glanced down and for once agreed with my sister that it was time to retire this particularly ancient band t-shirt. It was one of Dad’s old ones, so it was soft as hell from frequent washing, but not something I really wore outside the house except for the gym.

“Here.” Rhys found us an empty table, and I took a seat gladly, conscious of the looks we were getting. “So cheeseburgers, obviously, but what about fries?” When I looked sideways, I caught the couple next to us staring. They looked away as soon as I met their gaze, but I was pretty sure they’d go back to staring the moment my focus returned to Rhys. “And a milkshake? They do freaking amazing ones here.”

For a moment, I just stared. Sometimes I felt like making healthy food choices was the rent I had to pay for existing as a plus sized woman. Rhys didn’t seem to share that view at all, just looking at me expectantly. I shook my head, smiling despite myself and that just seemed to make him even happier.

“Sure,” I replied, “that sounds amazing.”

Chapter10

Rhys

Katie was here. I’d seen the hesitation, knew she was thinking twice about my offer and shit, I might’ve too if I had to deal with Steve’s shit, but… I looked back over my shoulder from where I was leaning against the counter, watching her scroll through her phone. She came, and if this wasn’t a date, then I had to make a good showing and hope she’d be down for a real one later.

“My man.” Kosta was the owner of the burger bar and he knew me well. This place was my cheat meal go to. He held out his hand and I gave it a shake. “What can I get you this fine evening?”

I rattled off our orders, and he wrote them down, unconsciously shifting in time with the beat of the music. I remembered when he first set this place up and it looked amazing now.

“And to drink?” he asked.

“Two of your best chocolate milkshakes,” I replied.

“Coming right up.”

I paid for everything and turned around, my eyes instantly drawn to Katie. Of course, looking at her had me noticing the couple beside her. Were they giving her the stink eye…? My fingers dug into the counter, scratching at the black lacquer, but by the time I pushed myself away from it, Kosta had returned.

“Here you go, two chocolate shakes.” He glanced out on the floor. “Who you here with?” Before I could answer, he followed my gaze to Katie. “Damn, that’s a whole lotta woman.” I was spinning around to face him, straightening up, but he held his hands up to ward me off. “Ain’t making a big deal of it. She’s hot, but… you reckon you can handle her? Because if you can’t.” He straightened the seams of his t-shirt. “I’ll shoot my shot.”

“I’m just about ready to shove these drinks right down your throat,” I told him in a perfectly even tone. “And have you shitting chocolate milkshake for days.”

“Like that, huh?” Kosta grinned. “Well, alright, hope this pans out for you.” He winked at me. “Then I’ll cater your wedding.”

I gripped the shakes way too tightly, the plastic cups crinkling, but I turned and carried them over to the table.

“See me carrying drinks and not dropping them?” I said as Katie looked up. “Very mindful, very demure.”

“Oh my god!” she huffed and that was a mistake. If she thought that was going to put me off, she had another thing coming. It put a sparkle in her eyes, some colour in her cheeks, and that just had me wanting to pull her pigtails for more. “I’m never going to live that down, am I?” She threw her arms wide. “Toss the milkshake at me and then we’ll be even.” I wasn’t listening to what she was saying right now, because that baggy t-shirt was stretching tightly across her breasts. “Go on, throw it, and then we’ll be even.”

“These shakes are too good to use as projectiles.” I sat down and placed hers before her. “They put so much ice cream in them that drinking is like trying to suck a golf ball through a garden hose.”

“So you promise to never ever bring up smoothiegate again?” she asked, tentatively stabbing her straw into the drink. “I need to know that you’ve recovered from the emotional damage.”

I hadn’t. She could douse me with a million smoothies if she kept staring at me. I’d replayed that moment in the gym over and over in my head, turning the memory into something bigger, grander, with each recollection. It’d been so long since a girl held my attention for more than two seconds. It felt like I was coming home to something I hadn’t realised I’d missed. Maybe that’s why I pulled my straw out, still dripping with milk and ice cream and dabbed her on the end of that cute little nose.

“There.” She looked so cute as she blinked and spluttered. “Now we’re even.”

That determined look, the way her jaw muscle popped as her eyes narrowed. Yeah, I was in fucking trouble. That last time I felt like this… Now, be here, I told my mind. This is where I need to be. That meant I caught the moment when she worked the straw around in her drink and then took a defiant sip.

“Oh my god…”

Shit, that groan of hers had me shifting in my seat. My brain was in overdrive, imagining what I could do to inspire the same sound. I’d pull that damn shirt off, then every other piece of clothing, before kissing every inch?—

“Two cheeseburgers.” Kosta appeared with a knowing smirk, placing each one of them before us, and I shot him a dark look. “Let me know what you think…” He looked expectantly at my girl.

“Oh, it’s Katie.”

Her hand went to her chest, and we both followed that movement, glad for an excuse to look at those tits.

“Lovely to meet you, Katie.”

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