Page 93 of Curvy Girl Summer

We snickered.

“Who’s up to bat today?” Ahmad asked after taking an order. “You’re the queen of first dates.”

“I don’t know about thequeenof first dates…”

“Well, you for damn sure haven’t lined up a second date yet.”

My jaw dropped. Reaching over and grabbing a napkin from the stack on the corner, I tossed it at him.

“Too far?” he guessed, catching the soft white projectile.

“I hate you,” I told him, pinching my thumb and pointer finger together. “Just a bit. There’s hate there. Growing by the day.”

He pointed at me. “But I keep that smile on your face.”

“It’s a grimace,” I corrected.

“Spellgrimace.”

“You want me to spell the word for ‘snarled-up frown’?” I cocked my head to the side. “A-h-m-a-d.”

He chuckled. “Nah, for real. What’s up with your date tonight?”

“His name is Silas. He seems cool.” I shrugged. “But don’t they all?”

“Nah, not really. That first one looked like he was being interviewed forThe First 48.”

I laughed. “No he didn’t!”

“I’m serious! I know what your type is… random.”

My head fell back, and my shoulders shook. “Shut up!”

“I’m serious. He came in here with a zoot suit and—”

“Ahmad!” Asia called out, pointing to a group who had just gathered.

My amusement slowly dissipated as the minutes ticked by and the conversations I’d had over the week replayed in my mind. Silas was cute and flirty. He seemed both genuinely interesting and interested. But if I was being real with myself, it was his thirst-trap photos that pushed me into conversing with him in the first place.

“So… Silas, huh?” Ahmad pondered as he returned to his post in front of me. “Tell me about him.”

“No, because you’re just going to make jokes.” I put my elbows on the bar and leaned forward. “Tell me about when you were in the streets. You probably didn’t know how to act.”

“Who said I was in the streets?”

My eyes bulged. “You told me to get on this app, so I know you were in the streets.”

“I knew how to act, though.” His lips pulled upward. “I went on a few dates. Met a few women. Had a good time.”

I eyed him suspiciously. “No, no, no. You’ve had a front-row seat to my dating life for the past month, so it’s your turn to spill. What’s your type? What type of dates did you go on?”

“Beautiful women who can keep up with me,” he answered with a shrug. “Spontaneous, crazy—good crazy—and smart. I don’t know how else to explain it. And if I met the woman in person, I’d pick a restaurant to get to know her a little better. If I like her, the second date is something specifically tailored to her. If I met her online, I’d meet her at a bar or coffee shop first, and then the second date would be someplace legit.”

“So basically, what you’re saying is that if you already know there was physical attraction and chemistry, you’ll spring for the meal. If you haven’t seen her in person yet, you’ll pay for a drink.”

He lifted his shoulders. “Pretty much. At the end of the day, if I’m not attracted to her, it’s not going anywhere. And I don’t just mean that physically. I need to be attracted to her conversation just as much as her physical appearance.”

I nodded. “I feel you.”

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