Xtra Curvy
A Kindle World Novella
By K. Lyn
CONTENTS
Don the Adonis was what my best friend called him. But I didn't know my best friend had an ulterior motive. Let's just say it involved Don taking orders from me. Men like Don don't obey the rules, and they don’t take orders, especially from women like me. Believe me when I say I wasn’t what he expected.
When I entered the club that Friday night, I didn't expect to be hit by a tsunami of attraction so strong it would knock me off my feet. The man who blew me away stood a few feet from me, holding a glass of rose colored liquid in his hand and smirking as if he owned the place, which he did. As my stomach squelched, I tried to catch my breath. It was hard to do when I was sucking in the musky cigarette smoke of the dark haired man directly in front of me.
As I gazed at the attractive man, a hand on my arm made me jump. When I turned around to see who had grabbed me, I saw that it was the friend I had come to meet… Connie. Connie had brown hair and blue eyes and what I considered to be a perfect figure. She was much more the type of woman Mr. Hunky would like. He most likely had never had any urge to go after a big woman like me. I was one hundred percent comfortable with my womanly curves, but they had a tendency to send many men running. It was good riddance, though. I had to believe that, and I also had to believe that there was someone out there just for me.
"Are you okay?" Connie raised an eyebrow at me. "You're looking a little flushed."
"Yeah." I grinned and shrugged. "Just checking out the potential of the men at the bar. Mr. Tall, Dark, and Handsome at the counter has some potential, but he's probably either gay or vain."
With a curious frown, Connie peered over her shoulder, feigning nonchalance. Connie was way better at doing things like that than I was.
"Maybe he left," Connie said. "I don't see him."
I whirled around, searching the bar for Mr. Hunky. Sure enough, he had disappeared. The place at the counter where he had sat was vacant, and all that remained was a half empty glass and a crumbled lavender napkin. My stomach sunk at the sight. Sure, I hadn't thought anything would come of having Mr. Sexy situated just a few feet from me, but it sure beat staring at the grungy portrait hanging on the wall beside me. I shrugged my shoulders. I would visit Mr. Hunky in my dreams tonight, anyway.
"Want to go find a seat?" Connie asked, pulling me from my thoughts.
"Yeah." I shrugged. "Directing all day has me beat. And I really need a beer. My main actor thinks he has Academy Award potential and tries to tell me what to do. He showed up an hour late today. I told him if he does it one more time, I'm letting him go. I don't care if we have to re-shoot a bunch of scenes. It'll be worth it. On top of that, I need a new man to help carry the heavy equipment on set. The old guy quit without giving notice. I asked Bartender Joe to look around for any big, strong guys who need a job."
"I think it's so funny that the bartender works on set with you too."
"Everybody has a secret desire to be the next big actor." I shrugged. "Including you, your neighbor, and probably your neighbor's cat."
With a laugh, Connie led her over to a booth in the corner. "Is this okay? Then you can tell me all of your woes about the independent movie industry."
"This is perfect." It was far away from the guy who smoked like a chimney. "Though I think I want to go to the bathroom before we order anything to drink or eat. I came here right from the set. It'll be nice to be someplace with a real toilet and not a port-a-potty."
Connie winced, still managing to appear perfect even as she did so. For just one second I was envious.
"I would hate having to use port-a-potties," Connie said. "Luckily for me, I have a boring desk job with boring toilets, so I don't have to go. I'll order us some house brews."
"Great." I nodded, and then turned around, waving my hand over my shoulder. "Be right back."
Swinging my bag over my arm, I walked toward the dimly lit hallway in the back of the bar. When I reached it, I spotted the women's bathroom at the very end that was a part of a T-hallway. It was hooded in shadow and gave me the chills because of its bleakness. Still, I didn't think anybody would mess with me, even if they saw me. I had a couple of good pounds on the average male. That was one good thing about being a voluptuous woman in New York City. Men usually wanted the one hundred and ten pound girls they could toss around like rag dolls.
With that thought in mind, I quickened my pace to the bathroom, my high heels clicking on the floor. I was almost there when somebody touching my shoulder caused me to jump for the second time that night. Swearing like a sailor, I hit the nearest body part I could reach. It turned out to be a man's hard stomach. I stepped back, my bag over my shoulder, prepared to do what every city woman would do… hit the man who had grabbed her in the head with her handbag.
As I was poised to strike, recognition occurred. Mr. Hunky stood before me in his business suit that was now significantly more wrinkled than before I had touched him. I was shocked. Just because moments before I had day dreamed about peeling the man's clothes off didn't mean I was going to be easy or allow myself to be tackled in the backroom hallway of a bar. No way, no how. A scowl crossed my face.
"What do you think you are doing, grabbing a woman like that?" My voice was a growl.
"You dropped your cell phone." The man pointed behind me. "I was going to point it out to you."
Silence fell. I felt around inside the pocket of my green leather jacket and froze. No cell phone. Heat filled my face. No. No way. There is no freaking way I could have been that stupid. Slowly, I turned around and spotted my cell phone sitting in the middle of the hallway. I gulped as my stomach slithered around like a snake. All of a sudden I felt icky on the inside. Of course, there was no way Mr. Hunky had planned to ransack me in the dark hallway of the bar. He could have had the panties of any woman in the place at a single command.
With a groan, I grabbed a strand of curly auburn hair and twirled it around my finger in nervousness. The fact that Mr. Hunky was grinning at me, his green eyes sparkling, did not make matters easier to digest. I felt as if I had eaten a boxful of onions and my stomach was having an internal war. Maybe I would have been less embarrassed if Mr. Hunky wasn't… well… so damn hunky.
"I am so sorry I punched you," I whispered. "I thought you were a rapist."
"Well, it is New York." Mr. Hunky shrugged. "You never can be too careful."
"Are you hurt?" I bit my bottom lip.
Mr. Hunky shook his head. "Nope. I'm just fine."
With a frown, Mr. Hunky stared at me in a way that suggested I was the one who should be careful. Not that I could blame him. I had proven myself to be as mentally stable as a woman in a psychiatric facility with no hope of release. I have never even been attacked. There truly was no reason behind my paranoia, beyond idiocy.
"I should probably get my phone." I awkwardly shifted from foot to foot.
"Yeah, that would be good." Mr. Hunky's grin widened. "Good luck. Try not to knock anybody out on the way to the bathroom. I think the workers come out here for break."
Because I didn't have the mental capability to speak after what I had done, I just stared at Mr. Hunky, blank-faced. He shrugged his broad shoulders, turned, then headed down the hallway and back into the main bar, likely to tell everybody what I had just done. I began to wonder whether it was possible to drown in the toilet, because right now even guzzling somebody's bodily leftovers sounded more appealing than going back out and viewing Mr. Hunky's smirking face again.
***
I stared at the floor and didn't even bother to check to see if Mr. Hunky was hanging around the bar. Don't look, don't look, don't look. Keeping an eye out only for chairs and table legs, I made my way back to my table and slid into the space across from Connie. Afterward, I released a shaky sigh of relief. Golden beer must have been deposited by the waiter sometime while I was gone, because a giant mug sat in front of me. With a grimace, I reached forward and guzzled a gulp of the foamy liquid. After I had chugged a few mouthfuls, I exhaled a sigh of relief. Nothing like beer to help make me feel better.
"What happened to you?" Connie raised an eyebrow. "You look as pale as a sheet."
"I made an ass out of myself." My brow furrowed. "I should probably go hide in a corner and never leave."
"Well, I have something that may cheer you up." Connie's perfect smile broadened. "There's a guy at the bar who has eyes only for you. He hasn't stopped staring since you came in here."
With a groan, I let my head land on the table with a "thunk." My beer mug vibrated.
"What's wrong?" Connie asked.
"Does the man who is staring have curly brown hair and green eyes?" I asked.
"Uh-huh." Connie sounded shocked that I knew that with my head on the table.
"And does the man have a smirk like something is really funny?" I balled my fists.
"I guess he is smirking…"
After that, I groaned and hit my head on the table again. Tonight I was ordering a double chocolate lava cake to ease my stress, no guilt about it.
That Monday, I had to admit that I still had not recovered from my run-in with Mr. Hunky. I had spent all night tossing and turning, trying to figure out how to build a time machine so that way I could erase what I had done in the back hallway. Einstein may have been a genius and never figured out how to make a time machine work, but I was a woman with mortal embarrassment on my side, so I guessed I had something on him. As I ran a hand through my hair, my eyes swam as I fought off the tiredness from my sleepless night. I almost ran into one of my cast members who had a fake piece of flesh hanging from her face and blood made from syrup and food coloring dribbling down her neck. The woman was one of their mutant zombies.
"You okay, Candace?" the cast member asked.
"Sure. I'm fine." I forced a grin on my face. "What can I do for you?"
"There's a man here about a job posting over by the main trailer. Joe sent him." The girl had a large grin on her face. "I think you should hire him. I could get used to having a guy who looks like that around all day."
For reasons I could not explain, the hair on the back of my neck stood up. I didn't like the way the girl had said, "I could get used to having a guy who looks like that around all day." After I shook off my unease, I nodded at the girl and walked past her. I passed by hordes of actors and actresses all dressed up in zombie outfits. Blood drenched clothes and fake skin hung from pale faces. Dark eyes stared out at me. I grinned at the cover artists' creation as I headed toward the large silver trailer set up in the middle of the square. The large trailer was surrounded by thick, fat pine trees. Bartender Joe, a thin man with a large mustache, stood by the wall of the trailer talking to somebody animatedly. I could not see who he was speaking to.
When I had walked by the patch of grass, I got my first sight of the man who Joe had spoken to. And he was familiar to me. It was Mr. Hunky, the man from the bar. Today he wore an ivy green sweater that snuggled up to his muscles just like any rational woman would want to do. The color brought out Mr. Hunky's luminous green eyes, making him even more irresistible than usual. Oh no. Oh no. Oh no. When Mr. Hunky turned around and met my eyes, his grin widened.
"Hey, got your cell phone on you this time?" Mr. Hunky asked teasingly.
I responded with a jumbled, "Well… I… ugh…"
Joe looked from me to Mr. Hunky and back again. One chestnut, bushy eyebrow rose.
"You two know each other?" Joe asked. "Don, you didn't tell me you knew Director Candace."
"Oh, we know each other, all right." Don winked at me. "We met the other night at the bar. Of course, we don't know each other by name, so I didn't realize it at the time."
"That's great then." Joe's mouth split into a wide, yellow-toothed grin. "It'll make this a lot easier. Candace, I think Don here would be a great replacement for Mr. Thompson. He isn't the type to run out, and he has good muscles on him. I think he'll do a fine job."
My heart pounded a samba in my chest as the parts of my mind battled with one another. They really did need somebody who could help move the equipment as fast as possible. Their loading truck threatened an avalanche. Last week their tiny lead had almost gotten slaughtered by a rainfall of boxes. Plus, Don would look great laboring sweaty and hot with his muscles glistening. The problem was, every time I looked at Don's face, I was certain I would be reminded by the horrifying and overwhelming embarrassment of the cell phone memory. Also, my female cast was sure to be distracted by his body. Heck, I was going to be distracted by his body. If my casting pool wasn't already full and I hadn't mortally embarrassed myself in front of him, then I would have asked if he had any interest in being in the movie. Females would travel from miles around to see him.
"Earth to Candace." Don waved his hand in front of my face as if checking my vision. "You okay there?"
Once again, he stared at me as if he was debating whether I had the mental capability of the goldfish. Heat filled my face again. I was the director here. I was in charge. Now was not the time to fall apart like an upside down puzzle. It was the time to stand tall and be strong.
I gathered my wits and then said the first words that came to mind. "When can you start?"
Don's face broke into a grin, revealing pure white pearls the polar opposite of Joe's teeth. "I got the job? That's great. I thought I would at least get interviewed."
"Well, we're desperate." Damn it, I should have at least thought this over a little more. Why does this guy always turn my head to mush? I've worked with other gorgeous men, and this has never happened to me before. "You seem to be in pretty good shape, anyway."
"I was a construction worker in Germany before this." Don shrugged his shoulders. "I spent all day using my body. And I would be happy to start whenever. To be honest, I didn't come to New York with much."
More heat rose to my cheeks at the thought of "using his body." I could think of over a hundred uses for his body, and none of those involved boxes. At least, not lifting them.
"Okay." I took a deep breath. "Then we could use some help today. Starting rate is ten dollars an hour, time and a half for overtime. Is that okay?"
"Believe me, it's heaven sent."
Don appeared so relieved that I realized he really must have been hard up for money. Ten dollars wasn't much per New York standards, where the cost of living had the ability to strip you bare to your underclothes. I nodded my head, and then headed toward the trailer where they kept supplies. I waved Don along with me. Joe stayed behind, grinning wickedly for reasons I didn't know, as Don sped up his pace to match mine, his hands buried in his pockets. Having him that close made my heart pound. He smelled of masculine cologne and sweat, a heavenly combination. The only thing that kept me from sinking my teeth into his luscious ass was the heavy wall of embarrassment which hovered between us like some sort of invisible force field.
Since Don appeared more than happy to be quiet, I didn't speak for a few minutes as we walked. Soon, though, even the twittering of happy birds amongst green trees couldn’t fill up the awkwardness in the air. I scrambled to find something to talk about that didn't involve carnivorous butt munching or cell phones. There should have been a wide variety of topics to choose from, but for some reason, those two things were all I could think about.
"So what brought you to New York City?" I asked. "You don't have a German accent."
"I was only in Germany for three months." He shrugged as his grin faded. "I loved it there. Unfortunately, my dad had a stroke and he's in the hospital. I'm an only child, and my mom is living in a big house all alone. I had to come back. It was the right thing to do. I'll go back to Germany someday."
This time, all embarrassment faded for good. I could tell by Don's serious expression and tense body that he was serious. I could also tell how much he had sacrificed to come here. Despite his teasing, he was a decent guy. I reached over and jostled his shoulder, trying to comfort him.
"Is your dad going to be okay?" I asked.
"Yeah, he should be." Don's grin returned, but it was not as big. "He's still recovering in the hospital. He should get to come home in a couple of weeks, but I want to stick around. To be honest, I got the impression that my dad doesn't have much time left. He has always been a heavy set guy, and he has been having a lot of trouble with his heart too. I want to spend as much time with him as possible."
My eyes widened. "Family is important. My sister is all I have left. I lost both of my parents when I was twenty-two, about ten years ago. I wish I had been nicer to them while they were still here. To be honest, we never saw things eye to eye, and I regret it now."
Don stopped walking and stared up at the blue sky. "I think they loved you anyway."
With a frown, I stopped too. "What makes you say that? We had a pretty messed up family dynamic. Most days, I was sure they wanted to throw me out our fifth floor window. I was a headstrong child."
"That's easy." He locked eyes with me. "I've only met you twice, but you seem to be the type of person who's impossible not to care about."
It took me a second of stunned silence to understand his words. Neither of them spoke, and the only sound that could be heard was the distant twittering of excited robins arguing over worms. After Don's words, I couldn't figure out what to say. I wished I could say something witty or charming or mysterious. I knew that if I opened my mouth, though, the only thing that would come out would be, "Duh, duh, duh."
But the magic was broken when Don ran his hand through his hair and murmured, "So where is this trailer you were going to show me? We've walked around the same tree at least six times before we finally stopped."
Gaping, I froze. He was right. I had led him multiple times around the same part of the set like a dog chasing its own tail.
"This way," I said, scrambling to keep my head on straight this time. "To the right. Come on."
***
Darkness crept over the set, a blackened blanket with a glowing moon in the sky. Trickling actors and actresses left the set, laughing about the scenes or grousing about the blood stuck to their hair which would take days of washing to get out. I ignored it all. Normally, I was the last one to leave. I liked to run over tomorrow's scenes in private before I got in my car and went to supper. In the silence of the set, I would be able to capture how I wanted my actors and actresses to sound and how I wanted the situation to feel. I glanced down at the next day's script and stepped into a wide clearing where I intended for my actors to say the words. I glanced down and rehearsed the lines in my head, and then, like usual, I began to act.
"We're never going to be able to get out of here," I said, reading the protagonist's line.
The script called for tears, so I imagined the day my parents had died in the car crash. That day, the police had come to the door, appearing somber. I imagined standing by their caskets, knowing they were empty because their bodies had been seared to ashes by the fiery inferno the crash had caused. Soon I felt my throat grow hot and scratchy as tears overwhelmed my eyes. The tears began to pour down my cheeks and dribbled down my chin.
"No. Don't tell me to have hope." My voice quavered as I read the lines. "Don't tell me to keep my head up. We are going to die. I'm never going to see my son again. You don't have any kids. You don't know how it feels to love somebody so much you would be willing to die a thousand times if only to have them live."
With a final sob, I fell to my knees, clutching the script to my chest. As my lungs heaved, I heard the sound of loud clapping. My eyes flew up and I stared straight into two bright green irises. It was Don. Gasping in horror, I scrambled to my feet and started to wipe away the tears hurriedly. I couldn't believe that he had seen me during my secret directing regimen. It was like finding out somebody was watching me when I went to the bathroom. It was private.
"You are amazing," Don said, stepping forward with his eyes serious and smoldering in the darkness. Sweat drenched his t-shirt. "Really. You should act."
I sniffled, and then wiped my smudged eyes again. "I don't normally show people this. It's private."
He frowned at her, quizzical. "Why?"
"I don't know." I gazed at his feet. "For me, acting is just different. It's just a way for me to get a feel of the movie I'm working on."
"Well, you managed it well." He touched my shoulder, causing my eyes to once again find his face. "I can see now why you're a director. You not only manage others well, but you can act too."
The words warmed my heart, almost causing the embarrassment that I had previously felt to disappear. When I stared into Don's gorgeous eyes, I felt as if I was swimming in them. In fact, I loved staring into his eyes so much that I wanted to crawl inside him and remain there. But there was no way he was interested in me. I had to choke down my feelings. Even if I did have the looks of Marilyn Monroe, which I didn't, I had embarrassed myself twice in his presence. I was shocked that he didn't question my mental capabilities as a human being.
But even as I tried to fight down my emotions with swords and screaming, Don stepped forward and cupped my cheek, making my pulse race even more than it had before. He glanced down at the script that I clutched in my hand and let out a hoarse chuckle as sultry as any sensuous whisper.
"It looks like this scene was meant to have a romantic edge to it," he said.
I shrugged. "If I tried to act romantic with myself, I would look ridiculous."
"You aren't by yourself now," he said.
Then he grinned and hauled me against him, clutching me close. His lips crashed down on mine, filling me with warmth. My pulse pounded so hard in my chest that I was shocked it didn't fly out and smack Don in the face. He must have eaten something sweet before he came to me because his lips tasted sugary and his breath was fragrant.
As Don stepped forward and deepened the kiss, I groaned and opened my lips a crack. He must have taken that as an invitation and slipped his tongue into my mouth. He explored me, running his tongue everywhere and then doing battle with my own. Unlike some guys, he didn't overdo it with his tongue and didn't jam it down my throat. He found the line between too much and not enough and danced the line perfectly. He was a kissing expert. For just a second, I wondered how many girls he had kissed in the past, but then the thought was driven away by his lips yet again.
While he kissed me, he tangled his fingers in my hair. I ran my hand down his strong back, touching his sweat dampened shirt which only managed to turn me on more. I felt his hard cock brush against my leg, eager for more. He's hard for me, I realized. I was so shocked that I exhaled sharply against his lips. The fact that he could be attracted to a woman without a model figure who had crooked teeth stunned me.
Finally, he pulled away, leaving me breathless and my heart pounding. Neither of us spoke. I wondered what he was thinking.
"That kiss wasn't in the script," I stuttered stupidly.
"I improvised." Don's grin widened. His lips were still damp and red from the kiss we had shared. "Actors do that sometimes, don't they?"
"I don't normally approve of improvising." I put my hands on my hips.
"Next time I'll be sure to ask you before adding my own moves." Don winked at me.
Next time? There is going to be a next time? I paused, surprised, happy, and confused at the same time. First off, I had always prided myself on being the type of woman who didn't need a relationship to complete me, so I had never gone out of my way to seek romance. Secondly, I couldn't be around Don without blushing and stumbling like an idiot. And what did he want with a woman like me anyway? I felt so blindsided that I wasn't sure how to piece together my thoughts.
"Are you okay?" he asked. "Your face got red… well, redder."
"Okay, enough with the flirting." I went rigid. "Why did you really kiss me?"
He shook his head and frowned at me, as if his reasons should be obvious. "Why? Because I like you. That's why. You're an amazing woman."
"I'm not amazing. I'm just…" What was I exactly? Smart, yes. Tough, yes. Successful, yes. "Me. I'm just me."
"And I happen to like you." He stared me down. "I like that you're smart and know how to get your actors and actresses to do exactly what you want. I like the look you get when you make a scene just right. It's something greater than a smile. It's pure triumph. I like that you punch out men you don't know in random hallways."
"Don…"
"I like your eyes. They're such a bright green they glow even at night." Don stared at me with such intensity that I had no choice but to believe his words. "Your hair shines so much it looks like you belong in a commercial. I wish I could spend all day kissing you. Need I go on?"
Never before had someone given me such a long line of compliments. My face reddened as I sputtered. I had a handful of boyfriends in high school and in college, but none of them made me feel as Don had. Don made me glow. But I still didn't know what to say to him.
"Don… I…" Candace exhaled sharply.
"It's obvious that I shocked you." He ran his hand through his hair. "I just thought it was pretty obvious how I felt that night at the bar. I was attracted to you since the moment I first saw you."
He was? The only thing I could remember about that night at the bar was humiliating me beyond words. I had to think. I had no idea what to do with this confession. It was like winning the lottery when I hadn't bought a ticket.
"You look like I just announced that I want to sacrifice you to the mythological gods at midnight," he said solemnly.
"I just don't get it." I shook my head. "I didn't see this coming. Why is somebody like you interested in somebody like me?"
"Somebody like me?" He raised an eyebrow. "I'm afraid I don't understand."
"You're gorgeous. You look like you belong on the cover of a magazine. You're the perfect size with the perfect muscles and the perfect hair." I glanced down at myself, examining my black slacks and sleek pink shirt. "I, on the other hand, will never, ever hope to fit in a size two – or even a size ten or eight. I am quick to anger and when I get out of bed in the morning, I look like Karl Marx."
"Karl must be a pretty attractive man." Don said that as if he were fighting down a laugh. "And I love your curves. Who cares what size you are? When I look at you, I see the most attractive woman I've ever met. That's all that matters to me and all that will ever matter to me."
Silence fell between them. Once again, I was sucked into Don's gorgeous eyes. He means it. I can see that he really means it. I bit my bottom lip.
"Can I have time to think about this before we decide what to do?" I asked. "Like I said, I'm more than a little shocked."
"Hell yeah, I'll give you time." Don nodded. "I'll give you something else to think about too."
"What's that?"
After only a moment's hesitation, he stepped forward and wrapped his arm around my waist. His fingers pressed into my back, pushing my hips against his and causing the two of us to grind together. I could feel his hard cock brushing against my thigh and I shivered with want. Yes, he felt so good. I wanted to reach forward and touch his body. I didn't want to think. I wanted him right in this clearing on the ground amongst the pine needles, not caring about who might walk in on us. But then he pulled his tongue from my mouth and stepped back. I longed to drag him back into my arms again, but I fought down the urge because it was the only thing I could do.
But I knew one thing for certain… I had a lot to think about.
I placed my head against the bar table as Connie leaned across the table, her brows furrowed. Connie tucked a brunette hair behind her ear as she shook her head. Two large beers sat in front of us, though I was the only one who had drunk mine. The bar was filled with cigarette smoke and the odor of alcohol and sour vomit. Bartender Joe stood behind the counter, wiping dirty glasses.
"So the hottest guy that ever lived pronounces his devotion to you, and you tell him you have to think about it?" Connie shook her head. "That's like winning a free vacation to Hawaii and not taking it. You're single. He's single. He's smart. You're smart. What's the problem?"
"He's too perfect," I groaned.
With a frown, Connie raised an eyebrow. "That isn't something to complain about. Most women in the bar settle for halfway perfect. Why don't you admit to yourself that you got the real package and take it for a test ride?"
I rolled my eyes. "Everything's about sex with you. The thing about Don is that he's so amazing. He is smart and sexy and strong. I love the idea of being with him, but…"
"But?" Connie stirred the foam of her beer with her pinky.
"But I find myself getting so flustered around him that I can't even think straight. I say moronic things and he turns me into a complete fool, when I'm normally calm and collected." I shuddered at the thought of what I had done in the hallway of this very bar. "Plus, when I picture myself being naked with him, I feel self-conscious. He's hard as a rock, and I'm soft. Plus, I have to admit that I have more than a little cellulite on my ass."
"Okay, first off, even stick women like me have cellulite. I do. And I would kill for your figure anyway. I have a surfboard for a chest while you have a mountain." Connie scowled at her as if she had stolen her breasts. "And regarding the moronic thing… I think I've gotten you figured out. You like him, which is what turns you into a gibbering idiot. All people get like that. Your problem is that you don't believe you deserve him, which is without a doubt not true at all. You're amazing. You should embrace that."
"He is too good for me," I admitted, "though that's not why I'm considering saying no."
"What is the reason, then?" Connie stared at me expectantly as I tried to find the words. "See. Look at that. You can't think of a reason because you know what I said is true. In college, you got asked out by the basketball stud and you turned him down for the same reason. You may pretend to be Ms. Independent, but the truth is you want somebody to love you and give you emotional support just as much as the rest of us regular women. You don't think you deserve love from the people you care about most, so you push them away. But you shouldn't. Not this time. What if you're missing out on 'the one'?"
"Connie…" I sighed. "It isn't that easy. He seems so far out of my league that I almost wonder whether he's playing a joke on me."
The amused expression on Connie's face faded into pity and sadness. "He isn't, Candace. He's a guy who really likes you. Think about all you'll be missing out on if you let him go."
As silence fell across the table, I took a long drink of beer. The beer tasted foamy in my mouth and caused me to shudder from the chill when I put my cup down on the table. Connie was right. I was being ridiculous about this. I really did like Don and didn't know what to do about it. I guessed that while I was mature in most areas of my life, relationships switched me back into a pre-teen all over again. Plus, the lack of control frightened me. What if I found myself really liking Don, but then one day he changed his mind and realized he would rather have a twenty-two year old woman with large breasts and long blonde hair? The idea frightened me.
But was that really a reason not to try?
***
Frowning, I stood before a massive white door with a copper knocker. A row of thin glass was beside the door. A single happy welcome mat with chickens on it was beneath my high heels. The house was especially large for being so close to New York City where real estate prices made the Average Joe have to sell their organs for even a hope of a chance of affording a place. Don's parents must be well off, I thought, and then grinned drunkenly. It was a wonder that Don needed a job at all, with his parents having a nice house like this.
I didn’t utilize the normal methods of knocking, but pressed my face up against the side window and got my first glance of the inside of the house. At the end of the hallway I saw the dull light of a TV reflecting on a green table and chairs set. Somebody was home. Maybe it was Don. Boy, did I want to talk to him. I had decided somewhere between my fourth and fifth drink of beer that going home was a bad idea. I wanted to do what I should have done this afternoon and strip him of his clothes and ride him like a wild stallion. Or maybe he could ride me. My breasts were pretty large. It wouldn't be too shocking if they could smother a man. I would have to be careful.
At the thought of myself astride a bare-assed Don, a grin crossed my face and I let out a delirious giggle. It was hard to imagine that just earlier today I had been so nervous about him. Now, at two o'clock in the morning, he seemed more delicious than a slice of pie. But where was he? Was it him watching the TV? Probably. He should know I was out here. It didn't matter whether I hadn't rung the doorbell or that I hadn't phoned him first. He should have been able to take part in drunken telepathy.
"Don," I sang. "Don, Don, I want to touch your long… Oh, Don."
At the end of the hallway, I saw a dark shadow as somebody moved. A figure darkened the threshold. It was Don. A big grin lit up my face as he came closer and closer, his face mixed with confusion and a bit of irritation. When he opened the door, his face contorted in shock.
"Candace?" He raised an eyebrow. "It's two o'clock in the morning. What are you doing here?"
I laughed. "What are you doing here?"
"I live here."
"Then that's why I'm here." I shrugged my shoulders. "And two o'clock in the morning is a fine time, isn't it? And look. I made up a song about you. Don, Don, I want to touch your long… Oh, Don. Oh, Don. Pretty catchy, huh?"
The neighbor's light turned on and I glanced over my shoulder at the window. Don grabbed my arm and pulled me into the house, appearing torn between amusement and irritation. He shut the door behind me.
"You're drunk," he said. "And you should keep your voice down. My mom's trying to sleep. Unlike me and the rest of the natural world, she doesn't have a problem with insomnia."
"Okay," I whispered, then giggled hysterically. "What I want to do doesn't involve talking, anyway."
"And what do you want to do?" Don cocked his head.
It was so cute that I almost came. But I didn't. Instead, I grabbed him by his shoulders and pushed him against the stairwell wall. Who said being a large woman wasn't useful? Afterward, I pressed my lips against his, enjoying his sweet flavor. As I kissed him, I ran my hands down his hard, muscular chest and felt every inch of his hot skin beneath my fingers. God, he felt good. I could have spent all night just feeling up his abs. I broke away from him and, still grinning, placed my hand on top of his fly, which I was pleased to notice bulged because his hard cock pressed against it.
"That's what I want to do," Candace said. "Comprende?"
Don groaned against his hand, and then slid down the wall away from me. "Oh, the things you do to me. One second you push me away, and the next second you press yourself against me when I can't have you."
His words frustrated me. "Why? Why can't you have me? You're here, you have a bedroom. We're both consenting adults."
"And you're drunk." Don shrugged. "Sorry, Candace, but I don't think sleeping with a drunken woman is a good idea. If I'm going to sleep with you, it's going to be when you're cold sober. If you beg me for my body, I want to know you mean it."
Suddenly, a wave of nausea overwhelmed me so strong it was staggering… staggering enough that it erased the annoyance from the words he had just spoken. I wobbled forward and pressed my wide-spread palm against his chest. Don's eyes immediately widened.
"I'm sorry." Don put his hand beneath my chin and forced my head upward. "I didn't mean to upset you. I just meant that we'll sleep together when it's right… when we both can appreciate it and each other."
My eyes watered as I attempted to withhold the caldron of vomit that pulsed on my insides. Don't throw up. Don't throw up. Though I tried to step back, Don must have mistaken the tears in my eyes as tears of sadness instead of tears of effort from restraining my bodily functions, because he enveloped me in his arms and held me close. I exhaled sharply, trying to be strong. Already I could taste the sour vomit in my mouth and I shuddered.
"Candace?" he murmured in my hair.
Then I puked all over him and he leapt away, swearing. Suddenly, I remembered why it was a bad idea to solicit sex while drunk.
***
The next morning, I awoke to light streaming through my window. But then I realized it wasn't my window that the light was streaming through. It was Don's window. He slept next to me on the bed, fully clothed and on top of the blankets. I, on the other hand, had somehow stripped off my pants in the middle of the night, though I didn't remember when. What I did remember was staggering over to Don's house in the middle of the night and vomiting all over him when he tried to push away my advances because he was a decent guy. I leaned over the bed and grasped my head.
"I am such an idiot," I groaned.
Don grunted and then opened his eyes. "Apparently, you don't just punch guys in dark hallways, you punch them while you're asleep too. You're a fighter all around."
"You were awake?" I asked.
"Oh, yeah." He sat up, and then ran his hand through my hair. Dark bags were underneath his eyes. "Pretty much all night. I was worried about you. I've seen a lot of people drunk, but I've never had an experience like the one you gave me. One second you were affectionate, and the next second you were throwing up and cranky. What a ride."
If I thought I was embarrassed before, it was nothing compared to how I felt now. I could have stood on top of the tallest building in Times Square and showed the world inside my panties and I wouldn't have felt as humiliated as I did during that moment. Why was it that I only did stupid things around Don? In college and in high school, I had never gotten drunk and/or thrown up on somebody. I had never done anything crazy, period. The moment Don was in my life, I should have put a badge on my back that read, "Walking plague." And it was 100% my fault. He created a milkshake out of my brain. It was a wonder that he didn't walk in the opposite direction when he saw me coming.
"I think I need to go." And never, ever come back.
The tired grin which had been on his face evaporated. With a cry of desperation, he leapt forward and wrapped his arms beneath my ample bosoms and tried to hold me back. In that moment, I became aware that I had almost left his bedroom without pants on, which would have been yet another embarrassing moment to add to a quickly growing list.
"Don't go." Don tightened his grip on me and hauled me back to the bed. "Please. I was just kidding."
I exhaled a sigh and drew my leg up to my chin. Still, Don sat behind me and did not let me go. His arms were warm.
"Why do you like me so much?" I asked. "I threw up all over you last night. It was a miserable time. Every time I'm around you, I do something despicable. I'm surprised you haven't started running in the opposite direction when you see me coming."
"Because I would rather get punched or thrown up on by you than have the perfect date with anybody else." He sighed and balanced his forehead against my shoulder. "I care about you, Candace. And I hope I'm not being too forward, but I see myself long-term with you. Maybe even forever. I've laughed harder and more often with you in a couple of weeks than in entire years before you. Your hi jinks made me forget all about the worries I've been having about my dad and everything else. You're amazing, and I love you for that."
"So you really don't care that I hurled all over you last night?" I asked.
"Well, don't care is a bit strong." Don chuckled. "I would appreciate it if I don't get vomit showers in the near future, but if I do, then at least warn me first."
Neither of us spoke for a minute. I couldn't find the words to say. What had I done to deserve a wonderful, sexy, smart, and understanding man in my life? I couldn't think of a single thing. But I realized then, as he held me close, that I would have been stupid to push him away then. I would have been stupid to do anything but hold him closer.
"You do realize that I'm going to keep doing stupid things if we're together." I winced.
"I'm counting on it." Don nuzzled my hair.
A grin crossed my face, even though my head felt as though it was being smashed repeatedly by a jackhammer.
"So what comes now?" I asked. "What do we do?"
"Well, we can start with you letting me take you on a date." Don winked at me.
"I think I know just where I want to go."
The next day after the shoot, I stood by Don with my arms over my chest, staring at a heavyset, wrinkled man on a hospital bed. It was Don's father, Gabriel. Gabriel's chest rose and fell with each heaving breath, and his dry, cracked lips parted with every wheeze. I reached over and grabbed Don's hand, feeling his hot palm against my own. Holding hands was the only comfort I had in the frigid hospital room.
"I've had dates ask for odd things, but I've never had a date that wanted to go to the hospital." Don said that half-jokingly, half seriously.
"Is it okay that I asked to see your dad?" I asked. "I know it probably doesn't follow the woman's dating handbook, but I wanted to be closer to you and…"
"It's fine," he interrupted, squeezing my hand. "I want you to be a part of my world. If you want to see my dad, then it doesn't bother me."
I nodded, and then stared down at the form that was Don's father. What must it feel like to watch a parent grow sick like this? Terrible, I imagined. My parents had died in a flash and I had never seen them grow ill. Would I have been as loving as Don if this situation had happened to me? Would I have flown from a different country to take care of my mom when my dad was sick? The horrifying truth was that I couldn't be sure that I would have. There was a definite possibility that I would have shrugged it off because of my family problems. Standing there watching Gabriel made me appreciate the man who cared about me even more. Not only did Don care about me despite my flamboyant personality and constant mistakes, but he also loved his family. It said a lot about a man when he was willing to put his parents first. It showed that he was generous and forgiving. I guessed that he would be a generous and forgiving lover as well.
Suddenly, I was filled with an overwhelming need to touch Don… not in a sexual way, but in a way both innocent and beautiful. I wanted warm skin pressed against warm skin so maybe the two of us could mold into one another and become one being. Maybe, if I soaked him up, he could pass on some of that perfection to me and I would feel less unbalanced by his glorious presence.
I faced him and touched his face. His day-grown on his jaw tickled my soft fingertips. His eyes widened as he gazed into mine, and I could clearly see the burning affection in them, even after everything I had done. He stepped nearer and wrapped his arms around my waist, holding me close. His warm breathing in my ear made me shiver. I could smell his sweet skin and his cologne. Everything about him was amazing. I wished I could kiss him and touch him every day of my life, and the power of that emotion frightened me. If I cared about him this much after just a few days, how would I feel about him in weeks? Or years? And if he left me, then…
But as I clutched onto him, I realized that it was a risk I had to take. I wasn't a betting woman, but I was willing to put all of my stock in the idea that Don and I would be together for the rest of our lives, unbalanced or not. When I leaned away so that I could see into Don's eyes, I realized he may have wanted the same thing. His eyes glowed with love, adoration, and understanding. His eyes glowed with soul. I leaned forward and nuzzled him, and our lips met gently and tenderly.
Don hesitated and then said, "Listen, Candace, I know I really shouldn't ask this… it's too soon…"
"Ask," I urged, hoping and praying about what he wanted to ask.
"Do you want to come home with me?" he asked.
"I thought you would never say that." I grinned. "Of course."
***
When Don and I stood in his cream colored bedroom, my heart thundered in my chest and my pulse quickened. Suddenly, I felt gigantic in the tiny room as he placed his jacket on the bed. I was going to have to be naked in front of an Adonis? The idea made my mouth dry. Yet I wanted to run my fingers down his hot skin. I wanted to taste him and feel him inside of me. I wanted all of the pleasure, carnal and spiritual, that he could bring to me. I released a sigh mixed with want and nerves.
"You sound nervous," he chuckled.
"I feel like a virgin in front of you," I admitted. "I never cared what people thought about me until I met you."
"Well, you don't need to worry about that." He stepped forward and touched my cheek. "I think you're the sexiest, smartest woman on the planet."
My cheeks flushed at his words. I lowered my eyes because I suddenly lost my ability to look at him. With a frown on his face, he placed his finger beneath my chin and tipped it up so that he could stare into my eyes. I was immersed in his irises and felt breathless. It would be so easy to sink into him, to touch him. Reading my thoughts, he stepped forward and pressed his lips to mine. In pleasure, I parted my lips and exhaled with a "woosh." He chuckled against my mouth, and then his tongue probed the inside of me and explored. Our tongues wrestled in pleasure, silk against silk, and I sighed against him and splayed my fingers on his muscular chest. Yes, this felt so good. Yes, I wanted to spend every moment touching him and loving him.
I reached down and grabbed the bottom of his soft t-shirt. When I tugged it up, he broke free from my mouth for only a moment and lifted his arms for me. I brought the shirt over his abs and then his chest, then yanked it up over his shoulders. In the light, his body glistened. He was gorgeous, delicious, and touchable. I ran my fingers down his toned chest and then buried my fingers in his glistening golden chest hair. As I touched his hot skin, I could feel his heart beating hard beneath my palm. With a grin, I stepped forward and pressed my lips against his neck. I trailed kisses downward over the patch of golden hair on his chest. As I lathered his chest with kisses, smelling his sweet skin, Don groaned and entangled his fingers in my thick hair. I straightened up to see the affectionate, pleased expression on his face and smiled. When he saw me smiling at him, he smiled back, then cupped my butt and forced me closer.
After groaning, he leaned down and devoured my lips with his own again. His tongue plunged into my mouth, a fish in the sea, and he explored me. Our tongues tussled again, and this time, I sucked Don's bottom lip into my mouth and nipped at it. He half chuckled, half groaned, filling my body with his vibrations. After I allowed his now swollen lip free from my teeth, he grabbed the front of my lavender blouse and began to unbutton the buttons on the front. Cool air met skin and my flesh bubbled with goose bumps. Beneath my black lace bra, I could feel my large nipples harden.
Don pushed the two sides of my blouse off of my shoulders and allowed it to fall to the ground at my feet. Suddenly, the self-consciousness that I felt returned with a vengeance. I became painfully aware of my plump stomach bulging over my stretch black skirt and my wide thighs. Every part of me was soft, while every part of Don was toned and tight. We were two opposites. It appeared as though Don had exercised every day of his life, and I couldn't even recall the last time I had been on a stair stepper. Somehow I must have shown my self-consciousness because he tucked a stray hair behind my ear and then tenderly stroked my cheek.
"You are the most beautiful woman in the world," he said. "Remember that."
The words choked me up, but I wasn't sure why. Though I had been the victim of cruel criticisms because I would never be tiny, I had always told myself that the words of others didn't bother me. Yet when Don said those words, I felt as though I had always wanted to hear them. I felt as though I had always wanted to be called beautiful, so that way I could believe in myself. A slow smile crossed my face as I pressed my forehead against his.
"Thank you," I whispered.
He responded by kissing my lips gently, then cupping my massive breasts in his hands. Over the fabric of my lacy bra, he massaged my already hardened nipples and kneaded my soft flesh. As I groaned in pleasure and squirmed because of his words as well as his knowing touch, he reached around my body and unlatched the back of my bra. My plump breasts spilled forth from their confines as he tossed my bra to the sides. Murmuring words like "you're so beautiful" and "you're amazing," he kissed his way down my chest and the meat of my breasts, and then took my right nipple into his mouth. As he ran his hot, wet tongue over the sensitive flesh, he pinched my left nipple between his index finger and thumb. Both the tongue bath and the nipple pinching caused my chest to heave in pleasure. His touch on my skin felt euphoric. Already I could feel myself grow wet, and I felt the dampness of my panties.
As Don pulled his mouth off of my right nipple and then sucked the left nipple into his mouth, he let his hands trail down my stomach to the top of my skirt. I sucked in my stomach in self-consciousness, but soon my breath burst out of me again when he slipped his hand into my skirt and panties at the same time. He must have been an expert at finding a woman's clitoris, because even when all of the fabric kept him from seeing all of me, he instantly began to rub the sensitive cleft as he continued to hungrily suck at my nipple.
I was sure I was going to come. My knees clattered together like two bells and my heart pounded hard in my chest. Don's touch was firm, but not rough. He found the perfect balance of force without overpowering me, and I loved him for it. After I groaned, he stopped rubbing my clit and gazed up at me with adoring eyes.
"Lay on the bed," he demanded.
Though I raised an eyebrow, I lay down on the bed. Don overcame me and began to pull down both my stretchy skirt and my panties in one swoop. Once he had the skirt and panties off of my body, I was laid bare before him. Suddenly, I wished I had insisted he turn off the light, but it was too late now.
Soon he chased away all of my self-consciousness with his tongue, but not through speaking. Instead, he lay down between my spread legs and buried his face into my wetness. He devoured me as he forced his tongue inside me, pumping into me with everything he had. He ploughed so deep into me with his tongue that I knew his cheeks would be wet from her juices. The thought made me squirm even more with pleasure. I wanted him inside of me forever. I wanted him to touch and kiss my skin until I careened into the valley of ecstasy.
As I began to groan to the beat of his tongue, he used his finger to fondle my clitoris. I gripped the bedspread with tight fists as pleasure whirled through me. I arched my back and spread my legs wide, longing for him to go as deeply as it was possible to go. Just when I was mere seconds from coming, though, Don pulled out of me, denying me the most explosive orgasm I had ever had. I shuddered and whimpered in disappointment, but I was enthralled because I knew what was coming and that my fun was not over.
Don crawled up along my body and to my mouth where he kissed my lips deeply. With a groan, he inserted his tongue into my mouth, and I could taste myself on him. It was tangy, a different flavor than I had ever tasted before. None of my ex-boyfriends had enjoyed going down on a woman and had never kissed me afterward if they had bothered to engage in the act. After he pulled away, I gazed into his eyes and shivered as his hard cock brushed against my inner thigh. Soon he would be inside of me. Soon he would be thrusting, and the hot friction inside of me would make me come. But first I wanted to pleasure him.
With my right hand, I pushed Don's shoulder and he rolled over so that he was on his back on the bed. I clambered over him and straddled him while being certain to keep my weight on my knees. I sucked at his neck and nibbled at the hot skin. He groaned and once again entangled his fingers in my hair. Grinning, I began to kiss down his chest where the patch of chest hair dusted his golden, toned pecks and then trailed downward and lingered where his pants met his abs.
I groaned eagerly as I pushed the button through the hole of his fly and then unzipped his pants. His cock straining his navy blue briefs was just as glorious as the rest of his body. Leaning down, I kissed the head of his cock and felt the heat of his body through the navy fabric. I then seized both Don's briefs and pants and began to tug them down his legs. After I had pulled his pants off, I realized how long his legs were. They were all muscle… a runner's legs. But then my eyes wandered upward from his legs to his most private regions.
Don's cock was hard and long, with a bead of pre-cum glistening on the tip. Two fat balls lay at the base. They had been shaved clean. After licking my lips, I leaned forward and took the entire shaft into my mouth. The first thing I tasted was the salty flavor of pre-cum on my tongue, reminding me of what was to come. It had been so long since I tasted cum that I had forgotten how good the flavor was. It was salty and delicious. After groaning at the refreshed memory, I began to run my mouth up and down the throbbing shaft as I gently kneaded the soft balls with my fingers.
As I moved up and down Don's cock, making it glisten with my spit, his back arched and he let out desperate, wanting cries. The fact that I managed to please him so much made me even wetter. I loved pleasing him, loved knowing that I was able to turn him on. As I became hornier, I pumped his cock harder with my mouth. He reached down and squeezed my massive breast as I pumped, then tweaked my nipple that swiftly rose to meet his thumb.
Since I sensed that Don was about to come because I felt his cock throb, I pulled off of him. He draped his sweaty arm over his eyes and glanced to the right, panting. A dribble of sweat ran down his forehead, and his chest was a pool of perspiration. He glanced at me from over his arm, and electricity flew between us. The next thing I knew, he pressed me down onto the bed with his hands gripping my arms.
"Are you ready?" he asked, running his fingers over my pussy and fingering my damp lips.
I nodded eagerly and spread my legs wider. Panting and desperate, he pushed the head of his cock against my hole and then eased his hips forward as my pussy spread for him. It was tight at first, and I gasped as I raised my hips to make entering me easier for him. It was only when Don groaned and a spasm of hot pleasure and fullness overwhelmed me that I knew he was inside me all the way.
With a large thrust, he pounded into me, driving his spear between my lips and causing me to gasp. I had either forgotten how good sex felt or had never truly experienced it before, but every thrust from Don made my voice carry louder and louder because I could not contain my pleasure. Before him, I had always thought sex was a boring affair. With Don staring into my eyes and touching my face, though, it was magical. I was not only receiving endless pleasure from his body meeting mine, but I also got to stare into his eyes, which was sex of the mind all on its own.
Soon the pleasure was too great to even allow me to think. I buried my fingernails into Don's back and thrust back against him, trying to get him as far inside of me as I could. The pleasure continued to build, and soon I knew that I would erupt. With a mighty cry, pleasure crashed inside of me and my mind went gloriously blank as I arched my back and accepted him inside of me. He groaned, cried out, and then shot his load straight into me. After he had his orgasm, he lay on top of me, embracing me. We were both sweaty and panting.
After Don had recovered, he rolled off of me, but still remained as close to me as possible. He gathered me into his arms and drew me into a spoon position. His arms around my body were almost as good as the sex we had just shared, and that had been magical. As the two of us lay together, he placed butterfly kisses along my head and cheek.
"You're my beautiful woman," he whispered in my ear seductively, and I couldn't help myself. I laughed a pleased laugh… a gentle laugh.
***
Six months later Don was cast as the lead in my movie. I'm sure he will be great at it. People would no doubt pay to see him in any role, though. He and I are now engaged, and I can't wait to become his wife. Our wedding is set for two months from Saturday.
We hope you'll be there!