Page 156 of Curvy Girl Summer

I pulled away from him. “I’m sure. My ride is right outside. You get home safely.”

Our waiter came over with the check, interrupting our conversation. As Ty explained that he’d given the money to someone else, I said a quick goodbye and then darted out of the bar.

I didn’t want Ty to come out and see me crossing the street, so I made a beeline to the first available taxi I saw. I needed to make a quick grocery run anyway, so I went to the store to clear my mind. Forty minutes later, I was being dropped off in front of my building with five bags’ worth of snacks.

“Ayeeeeeeeeeee!” A woman who appeared to be about the same age as me held the door open as I approached. “Okay, outfit! Okay, hair!”

I grinned, nodding toward her dress because my hands were full of bags. “I see you, sis!”

“I seeyou!”

“Thank you,” I told her as I passed her. “Enjoy your night!”

“I sure will. That’s why I’m wearing these heels.”

“And you look good in them!”

The brief interaction with the woman put me in such a positive headspace. I’d spent the last forty-five minutes stewing over my week. In a seven-day period, I’d had a falling-out with Ahmad, a pseudo breakup with Lennox, and a promising date with Ty that ended after I had sex with Ahmad in the middle of it.Is it me? Am I the problem?I wondered as I entered my apartment.Because what is happening?

Pouring a glass of wine, I put the groceries away and concluded that it wasn’t me.

Ahmad pretended to be married… only to tell me that it was adecoy because he wasn’t looking to date… only to fuck me in the back office because he got jealous.

Lennox liked to hear himself talk… and he forgot my birthday.

Ty seemed cool, and I still found myself distracted.

Ahmad was the common denominator. Ahmad was the problem.

He was supposed to look out for me. He was supposed to help me in my dating journey. He was supposed to be my friend.

“I should’ve just left the bar that day,” I muttered as I poured a second glass. “If I would’ve gotten up and left after being stood up, I wouldn’t be dealing with any of this bullshit.”

The longer I thought about that, the madder I got.

But when I looked at the clock, I refused to enter my thirtieth birthday in a bad mood.

I inhaled, filling my lungs with air, and then I exhaled everything that was bothering me. I tried to expel the thought of Ahmad, but the soreness I was experiencing made it difficult. And even acknowledging the soreness made me remember how good he felt and how hard I came. The myriad of emotions he evoked in me made me feel off-kilter.

I needed to center myself.

I put on some music, drew a bubble bath, and lit some candles. Sinking into the water, I didn’t have much room to lounge the way I wanted to. But the bubbles were nice, and the vibe was relaxing. When the clock struck midnight, I was bombarded with text messages and calls. Smiling, I responded to each of them.

“Happy birthday!” Jazmyn and Nina yelled in unison as soon as I answered the phone.

“Thank you!” I told them.

“We had a whole thing we were going to do on your voicemail,” Jazz stated. “We didn’t expect you to answer the phone.”

I lifted my foot and used my big toe to add more hot water. “When have you known me to bring a stranger to my place?” As they agreed, I continued, “Besides, my date ended a couple hours ago.”

“Okay, so details,” Nina insisted. “How was the date with that fine-ass superhero?”

“Superhero?” Jazz laughed. “What did I miss?”

“I saw his picture, and he immediately reminded me of that actor Shaw Lockwood!”

While Jazz reacted and demanded a picture, the mention of Shaw Lockwood made me think of Ahmad.

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