Page 31 of Curvy Girl Summer

“Then swipe on men, and let’s get these dates going!” She picked up my phone from my lap and handed it to me. “And for the record, it sounds like he was just looking out. Even if he felt a little bad because you got stood up, it could’ve been like how I felt bad you got stood up. You know damn well I don’t pity you.”

I nodded slowly. “That’s true.”

I was quiet for a moment.

I knew that recognizing that someone else was going through a tough time didn’t always equate to pity. But whenever I was the recipient of the sad eyes and embarrassed look, it made me feel a way. Although it was irrational, the idea of someone pitying me made me feel like they were implying I’m inferior in some way.

“So, maybe you two got off on the wrong foot and he’s actually a good guy,” Nina offered with a shrug. “Bartenders are like therapists. They listen to people’s problems all the time and then provide solutions.”

“Well, he offered something, but I don’t know if this is a solution.” I held up my phone, showing her a man’s bare torso. ‘I am married and looking for something discreet,’ I read before pursing my lips. “If this is a solution, I don’t want it.”

“Okay, real talk—there’s some duds on there. But do you remember that guy I hooked up with around Christmas?”

“Oh yeah…” I nodded, recalling who she was referring to. “I remember that asshole.”

“I met him at work, not on a dating site, and he lied about being single.”

“I’m just glad he posted that Christmas pajama photo with his family, and you were able to find out the truth.”

“Me, too, girl. Me, too. But my point is that if a man is going to cheat and lie and be a hot mess, he’s going to do it regardless of if he’s online or in person. So just swipe no and focus on the good ones that pop up. Honestly, online dating is a marathon, not a race. You’ll have to weed through a lot of bullshit. But when you find what you’re looking for, it’s like you’ve struck gold.”

I smiled at her. “Deep down, I think you’re a romantic.”

She frowned. “Ew, no. Romance is dead. I just want a handful of steady, reliable men to spend my time with.”

I snickered. “I don’t know, Nina. You’ve been saying this for years, but what are you going to do when you meet a man who brings all the things to the table?”

“In my thirty years of life, I’ve never come across one man who has all the things I’m looking for. So, I’m content rotating a few of them in and out to get my needs met. You’re the one obsessed with findingthe one. I want to findthe ones.”

We both laughed and went back to our phones.

“I can’t believe you’re spending your Saturday night inside instead of going out into the world,” Nina said fifteen minutes later. “You know you could come out with me.”

“I don’t want to be a third wheel. And honestly, after last night’s waste of an outfit, I think I just want to chill, watch a movie, and go to bed early,” I explained.

“You can’t let getting stood up shake your confidence. You need to make sure you secure a date for Friday night.” She leaned over and looked at my phone. “You already have ten matches, and we really just got started. So keep swiping, and by the end of the weekend, you’ll triple that. Depending on how picky you are, you may have fifty good matches to sort through. And talk to them all. Weed out and unmatch the ones that won’t work, and then you’ll have a solid handful to date.”

“So out of fifty, I’ll only have a handful of viable candidates?”

“Oh, honey…” She gave me an exaggerated pout as she reached over and patted my thigh. “You’d be lucky to find a handful that you actually want to meet.”

My jaw dropped. “You can’t be serious.”

“You’ll see.” She winked before standing up. “Let’s talk tomorrow. I need to get ready for my date.”

“Okay, have a good time!” I rose to my feet and walked her to the door.

“I plan to.” She gave me a hug and then pointed to my phone. “You have fun, too.”

“I’ll try.”

We said our goodbyes, and then I plopped back down on the couch and continued browsing the single men of Richland and the surrounding areas. At some point, I’d stopped and got sucked into the movie I’d started. And the next thing I knew, I was asleep.

When I woke up at eight o’clock in the morning, my phone had died, and the bowl of popcorn had been knocked onto my freshly cleaned floors.

“Great,” I grumbled as I dropped to my knees and picked up all the kernels.

I washed the dishes, vacuumed the crumbs, and then connected my phone to the charger. Instead of a shower, I decided I wanted a long, hot bubble bath, and I just soaked in the lavender-scented water.

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