Page 66 of Curvy Girl Summer

He was a good-looking firefighter with a decent bio page. But it was his opening message to me that caught my attention.

Mike:Aaliyah, I run into burning buildings for complete strangers. Imagine what I would do for you.

Aaliyah:Nice line.

Mike:Nice? That’s all I get? That was my best line!

Aaliyah:Oh, so that must be the one you use on all the women you contact. Let me get another one.

Mike:You promise not to block me?

Aaliyah:I can’t make that promise. It depends on how bad it is.

Mike:I can’t risk it!

Aaliyah:Fine, I won’t block you.

Mike:In my line of work, I put out fires. But say the word and we can start one.

Aaliyah: Ha! That one actually made me laugh a little bit.

Mike:Just a little? You’re tough.

Aaliyah:I am.

Mike:Well, it’s a good thing I like tough.

I spent the next few days getting to know Mike. We had a great rapport. He said he liked to dance, and the first thing I thought of was my Cinderella moment on the dance floor at my party. Wedidn’t exchange numbers, so we alternated between texting and video chatting through the app. It didn’t bother me that he didn’t ask me for my number. But after the incident with Brayden being married, I was a little cautious. When he asked me for a date, I suggested Friday at Onyx. And even though my hopes weren’t high, and I didn’t even feel that excited about the date, I still took the time to get cute.

Wearing a sundress and a pair of sexy sandals, I entered Onyx almost an hour before my date. There were a few people already in the bar, and Ahmad was taking an order when I sat down on the barstool that had become my favorite.

“Hey!” I greeted the woman with the cute Afro puffs. “Asia, right?”

She gave me a beaming smile. “Hey! Welcome back. What can I get you?” She glanced down the bar to Ahmad, who was looking our way as he prepared drinks. “Or are you waiting for my brother?”

“Oh, wow, wait… Ahmad is your real brother?”

I assumed when they saidbroandsis, they meant it colloquially. I had no idea they were actually siblings.

She laughed. “Yeah. He looks like our dad. I look like our mom.”

“So, gorgeousness just runs in the family, huh?”

She giggled. “Thank you. You need anything while you wait?”

I twisted my lips. “I’m good for right now. Thank you, though. And I’m not waiting for him. He’s just watching my back and helping me out.”

“So, you two are just friends?” she asked, a curious smile played on her lips.

“Yes,” I assured her. “I don’t date married men.”

“I think last week determined that was a lie,” Ahmad quipped, hearing the latter part of my statement.

Asia laughed, patting Ahmad’s shoulder and walking to the other end of the bar.

“Why must you always have something to say?” I wondered, staring up at him. “You’re an asshole, you know that?”

He flashed me a smile. “Come on. You know that was funny.”

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