Page 23 of Curvy Girl Summer

“Anytime. And I’ll call you later tonight if I can.”

“I’ll be up,” I promised before we said our goodbyes.

With a sigh, I dropped my phone back into my bag. I looked down the bar for Ahmad so I could pay for my drink.

His tall, muscular frame stood at the far end of the bar. It was clear he was engaged in a conversation with a woman who was clearly flirting with him. She was laughing hysterically, sticking her tongue out a lot, and pushing her breasts up every chance she got. He was admittedly handsome, and some of the jokes he’d made were moderately funny, but nothing was as funny as that woman was making it out to be. I couldn’t see his face, so I just stared at the back of his sponge-curl fade. And as if he could feel my eyes boring into him, he turned to look at me.

With a quick word to the woman, he seemed to conclude their conversation. As he headed toward me, he rubbed his hands down the front of his shirt, and I noticed the black band on his left hand.

“Is that a wedding ring?” I blurted out.

He gave me a look. “Uh, yeah, it is.”

I drew back, surprised. “Oh!”

He appeared to be thirtysomething, so I shouldn’t have been shocked he was married. A lot of people were married by thirty. My lips turned downward as my mother’s and uncle’s words infiltrated my thoughts, reminding me of how I was not in that percentage.

“Why was that your reaction?” he wondered.

“It’s… Never mind.” I paused for a second, shaking my head. “It’s a long story. But I’m ready to pay my tab.”

He took the large bill from me and held it up to the light, inspecting it. Once he verified it was real, he brought me my change. “You want a little advice?”

“No,” I answered, putting my money back in my wallet.

“I don’t know why you got stood up, but I do know why you didn’t get approached while you were in here.”

“Because there are no people here?” I guessed.

“And you called me the asshole?” He let out a chuckle under his breath. “No, Aaliyah. It’s because you don’t look approachable.”

“I don’t take advice from random men,” I informed him. But I didn’t get up and leave. Something about the way his brown eyes pierced mine held me in place. “What do you mean I don’t look approachable?”

“You’re a beautiful woman—an asshole, but a beautiful woman.” He moved out of the way so I could see my reflection in the mirror wall. “But look at the way you’re sitting. You look like you’ll knock the head off anyone who talks to you.”

“And I will.”

His eyes danced with amusement. “I believe it.”

“It’s not safe for women to be alone or inviting or approachable.” I shook my head. “But I wasn’t trying to look inviting or approachable, because I was supposed to be on a blind date.”

He clapped his hands together. “I knew it!” he exclaimed loudly. “I fucking knew you got stood up!”

I stared at him, my mouth agape. “Wow.”

“Oh nah, my bad. I just…” He nodded. “You’re right. That was fucked up.” His lips turned downward in a contemplative manner, and he tried to look serious. “Maybe he’ll show up in the next few minutes.”

“I don’t like for my time to be wasted, so it doesn’t matter if he does show up now. He’s almost an hour late.”

“Oh, shit, an hour? Yeah, he ain’t coming.”

I curled my lip in disgust. “Glad to know this is the place to come to when I want to be kicked while I’m down.”

“If it makes you feel any better, I’ll kick you while you’re up, too.”

Begrudgingly, my lips turned upward. “You’re not funny.”

He pinched his pointer and thumb together. “I am. A little bit.”

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