Page 10 of Curvy Crush
I opt to throw a frozen pizza into the oven, and I read my book while it cooks. I don’t have a TV in the house. I don’t like the noise or the distraction they provide. I like to come home to peace and quiet, and use my time here to recharge.
I take my pizza and beer to the balcony, where I sit and watch the world move around me while I eat. When I finish, I decide to call it a night by cleaning up and going to bed. Sleep finds me quickly, but it’s not dreamless. No, behind my eyes I see flaming red hair, blue eyes, and red, curvy lips.
Chapter Nine
LOLA
Iwatch Evan walk out with swagger rolling off him, and I can’t help but to feel a little dazed. I think I even stop breathing. I get dizzy and have to sit back down. I don’t know how I can be so attracted to him. Being so close during dinner had my stomach in knots. My heart was racing a mile a minute, and I think I forgot to breathe a total of six times. I’ve never been so nervous around men before, but I’ve never been attracted to one like I am Evan. There’s just something about him that I can’t resist. He’s good-looking, he’s passionate — I know that from looking at his art — and he’s serious, but I have a feeling he can be playful, too. I just wish I could get him to let his guard down. In fact, my only goal for this job is to get him to loosen up… and do my job perfectly, of course.
I’m still feeling a little dizzy so I pull the sampler platter that’s gone untouched over and start picking. The plate is covered in toasted ravioli with dipping sauce, mozzarella cheese sticks, wings, fried pickles, and bread to drip in the olive oil herb mixture.
I can’t believe I got this job. I was sure I had bombed it. I wonder what made him pick me. I also wonder what took him so long to reach out. I hope that my work spoke for itself, but I also hope that his decision is based a little on my personality, too. I hope that we get to know one another on a friendly level, that he can look past this body I’m trapped in and see the real me, the girl who loves having fun, laughing, and catching up with friends. The girl who will do anything for anyone.
I finish my glass of wine, and I pour another. No sense in letting perfectly good wine and appetizers go to waste. I was too nervous to eat during the interview, and I didn’t want to look like a fat pig eating while he just sat across and watched. Now that he’s gone and I’m no longer feeling like I’m going to puke from being so nervous, I can eat. Eating helps with this dizziness. My stomach settles and my blood sugar rises back to normal. My breathing has evened out and my heart rate is back to its usual pace. I feel like a normal person again. Wow, I hope my body doesn’t decide to do that every time I’m around him. It’ll be impossible to do this job if it does.
I finish off the platter and the bottle of wine, and I try to pay the check only to find out it’s already been paid. I leave a nice tip for the waiter and exit the restaurant. I climb behind the wheel and head home. As I’m pulling into the drive, my cell phone rings, and I pull it out to see Stella’s name flashing across the screen.
“Hi, honey,” I answer.
She giggles. “Hi, sweetheart. Whatcha doin'?”
I shrug as I kill the engine. “I just got back from my second and final interview for Evan.”
“And? Did you get the job?”
I laugh. “I did!”
“Yay!” she cheers. “So, what is the job exactly?”
I climb out and make my way inside. “He’s starting a website to sell his paintings and he needs me to take photos of them to upload. It’s not a forever thing. It’s just a two-week gig, but still, more money and more experience.”
“Yeah, because you don’t have enough experience,” she jokes. “You’re like the best photographer ever. Give yourself some credit.”
“Yeah, yeah. No need to flatter me.” I say, dropping my purse on the end table as I flop onto the couch. “Want to hear a secret?”
“Yes!”
“I’m kind of attracted to my boss.”
“Evan?” she asks, and I can hear all the questions in her voice.
“Yes, who else would I be talking about, Stella?”
She giggles. “I don’t know. I just didn’t think he was your type.”
“He’s tall, dark, and handsome. What about that isn’t my type?”
“I don’t know. His personality is just so… business, business, business. And you’re all peace, love, and sunshine. Those two things don’t usually mesh well.”
“Yeah, I know. But I’m determined to get him to loosen up. Not that he’s attracted to me at all…”
“Don’t do that, Lola. Don’t sell yourself short. You’re beautiful, kind, sweet, and funny. If he can’t see that, he’s a loser.”
I roll my eyes, tired of always hearing how great I am. “I know, I know.”
“Stop, go away,” Stella says.
“What?”
