Page 28 of Curvy Girl Summer

I got off my barstool. “Yeah, I’m leaving. And then you’ll be down to nine people in here.”

He chuckled. “Go home and swipe. I’ll see you Friday.”

“You might. There might not be anyone on the app.”

“Well, there wasn’t anyone here either, so it’s worth a try.”

My jaw dropped. “I think I hate you, Ahmad.”

With a grin, he winked at me. “Back at you.”

Laughing, I adjusted my cross-body bag. “I can’t believe you said that.” I looked around dramatically. “Where’s the owner?”

“My father is at home.”

“Ah, I see how you got the job. It all makes sense.” I nodded. “Nepotism.”

Snickering, he shook his head. “Just try out the app and see. Report back on Friday.”

“I might,” I replied, turning on my heel and walking toward the exit. “Goodbye.”

“What’s the worst that could happen?” he called to my back as I left Onyx Bar.

“Famous last words…” I muttered as I walked across the street to my building.

5

“I can’t believe you waited almost twenty-four hours to start swiping on this app,” Nina stated in awe. “I would’ve started swiping the moment I created an account.”

“This is stressful. I needed wine, popcorn, and moral support.”

She laughed, folding her leg underneath her on the couch. “But weren’t you curious?”

“Of course, but I felt like I needed an old pro by my side as I ventured into this. So, I spent the day cleaning, and now here we are.”

She put her hand to her chest, feigning shock. “Did you call me an old pro? As in a professional?” She leaned forward. “Did you just call me a ho?”

I snickered. “That’s not what I meant, and you know it! I just mean that you’ve been in these dating streets for a while, and you know the lay of the land. You could give me some pointers and help me get the hang of things.”

“I mean, you’re not wrong. I’ve been in the streets my entire adult life.” With a smile, she closed her eyes. “These are my streets now.”

“You are a problem,” I cackled.

“For them, yes.” She nodded. “I’ll own that.”

After a brief overview and the directive to swipe left to say no and swipe right to say yes, I was ready to begin. After a refill of wine, I started swiping through my app with Nina’s guidance. We made a game of it, discussing each profile that came up.

“There’s no way the type of man I’m looking for is on this app,” I speculated. “I want someone who gets me, not someone who is out to get me.”

Nina choked on her wine and coughed through a chuckle. “Liyah, please!”

“I’m serious!” I giggled.

“Just keep swiping and be for real.”

“Oh my God,” I gasped.

“What?”

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