Pretty Hurts (Left 1.50)

“Did you eat?” I ask as we settle in.

“No. I’m totally using my cheat day for this.”

“Your what?” I ask.

“Cheat day. The one day out of the week when you can pig out and feel guilt free.”

I laugh and pat my less than perfect belly. “Can’t say I’m familiar with that.”

She smiles. “You don’t need to be. What you’ve got going works just fine.”

Does that mean she finds me attractive? The lights dim, saving me from making a fool of myself. The opening sequence begins to roll as the waiters start to make their way down the aisles.

“So what high-calorie meal does the lady wish to partake in?”

She giggles. The light and airy sound pulls me deeper under her spell. “I’m not sure.” She flips the menu over. “Decisions, decisions,” she mumbles as she looks over the items listed. “Definitely the loaded fries. Oh, shake or beer?”

I force my attention onto my own menu and decide to go with a cheeseburger, fries, and a Shiner Bock. We order and I relax, growing comfortable as the movie starts. The best thing about movies is you don’t have to be on the entire time.

We enjoy our food and the awesomely horrible movie. I whistle as the lights go up and someone comes down on stage with a microphone.

“I know you all enjoyed that just as much as I did. Now we’ll get the cast up here for a Q&A session. Afterward, there will be time for the meet and greet, and photo ops.”

“Are you going to ask a question?” she asks.

I shake my head. “No, but I’ll be entertained by the ones who do.” The crowd is an interesting mix of people. Some have dressed like the main characters; others look like they came straight from work in an office. The ages vary as well. We laugh our way through the questions and get into line to have our pictures taken. She whips out her camera, and I admire the concentration on her face as she captures the fan interactions and costumes with rapid clicks of the lens.

“Can you take a picture of us?” she asks the hosts as we pose with the cast.

“Of course.”

I wrap my arm around her waist and enjoy her warmth and the way her body fits against mine. It’s over sooner than I’d like, and we make our way out of the theater.

“That was so much fun. Thank you for inviting me,” she says as we step out of the building.

“Any time. You make great company. Let me walk you to your car?”

“Sure. Such a gentleman.”

“My mama taught me well.” I smile thinking of the petite, dark-haired, Mexican-American woman who raised me with manners, the Catholic faith, and the knowledge that family came above all.

“I’ve noticed. Well, this is me,” she says as she comes to a halt beside her car.

I shove my hands in my pockets. “Guess I’ll see you in a week or so?”

“Definitely. Thanks again for tonight.”

“My pleasure,” I say as she unlocks her door and slips into the driver seat. I close the door behind her, pat the hood, and step away to watch her pull out of the parking space. A few hours with her is long enough to know I might be in trouble.

Chapter Three

Efia

“How are you doing?” Liv asks.

We’re enjoying a cup of coffee … well, tea for the mommy-to-be as we prepare to go out to shop for her upcoming baby reveal. I cup my warm mug and look out the window at the people walking by completely unaware that at any moment their body could choose to rebel against them. I take a moment to think before I answer.

“I’m good? I don’t know, it’s odd. I don’t quite feel like myself. It’s not a bad thing, just different.” I touch the white head wrap on my head. “I wonder if I’m hiding by wearing this, you know?”