Page 89 of Curvy Girl Summer

“Very interesting.” I leaned forward. “I need an example of the adult you playing it cool.”

“Well…” He took a sip of his drink. “I was passed over for a promotion, and I acted like it didn’t bother me. Whole time, I’m hitting the gym twice a day for a week because I’m pissed. I’m online looking for new jobs because they had me fucked up.”

I snickered a little. “I feel you, though!” Cocking my head to the side, I watched him. “Why do you think you were passed over?”

“I honestly don’t know. That’s the part that fucked with me. There’s no good reason they could give me.”

I shook my head. “That is some bullshit, and I understand why you’d feel a way about it. Is this at the job you’re at now or was this in the past?”

“This was in June,” he laughed. “I’m still looking to get out of there. But yeah, I played it cool with everyone in my life. Pretended I didn’t care when I did.” He made a face. “Now, you’re the only person who knows the truth.”

I felt special.

My lips parted, and air rushed out. I wasn’t sure why words weren’t forming, but the longer we stared at each other in silence, the louder my heart pounded in my chest. Warmth crept up my neck and flushed my face.

I was so focused on the man across the table from me, I didn’t notice the waiter sliding two baskets between us until the scent hit my nostrils. Breaking eye contact, I looked at my food, over at the waiter who was halfway back to the bar, and then back up at Ahmad.

I cleared my throat. “If you ever need someone to not be cool or calm around, I’m here for you. I already don’t think you’re cool, so no harm, no foul.”

“Yooooooo.” He chuckled. “You’re an asshole for real.”

I grabbed a fry and winked at him.

“And you didn’t finish answering the question,” he continued. “Best advice you’ve gotten?”

I finished chewing. “To never let anyone get in the way of me being me.”

“That sounds like something I’d tell you.”

“No, that wasn’t you,” I informed him. “That was something my sister would tell me.”

“That’s good advice.”

“It is.” I looked into my glass and then took another sip. “She always had good advice.”

“Are you taking that advice?”

“I live by that advice.” I felt his eyes boring into me, and I felt myself wanting to say more. Instead, I shifted the focus to him. “What’s the best advice you’ve received?”

“The best advice I was ever given was from my father. It was simple, but he basically said to keep going.”

“Look at us with our basic advice.” I lifted my glass and waited for him to clink his against mine. “Cheers to us.”

“Cheers.” He took a sip. “It was basic, but it was powerful. For a long time, that kept me going. Those two words from my father put the battery in my back, and I didn’t give up on anything I wanted. Life happens, and you can kind of lose yourself, lose that momentum. Just as long as you don’t stop. So day by day, I push myself forward. I keep going.”

“I like that,” I murmured thoughtfully. “That type of mindset keeps you from being stuck.”

A look flashed across his face. Instead of responding, he picked up his glass and took a gulp.

“I’m glad you like the tea,” he said, his expression back to normal.

“Wait, what was on your mind?” I wondered, eating another fry. “You looked like you wanted to say something.”

He shook his head. “Nah, it’s nothing.”

“Ahmad.” My firm tone and twisted lips reiterated my skepticism. “First of all, I don’t believe you. Second, how do you expect me to keep telling you all my business and you don’t tell methe realness of yours?” I gestured between us. “There should be an equal exchange of information.”

It looked like he was about to argue, but then he exhaled. “I was just thinking about how the other day someone said something about if my motto is really to keep going, I wouldn’t currently be stuck, so it kind of tripped me out that you said that. That’s all.”

---