All The Best Men

Realizing there was nothing I could do, I dug into my steak and quietly ate. The other bridesmaids ordered salads for their meal, but trust me to buck the trend. As a magazine editor, I make good money, but unfortunately, steak isn’t on my menu most nights, or even most weeks. It’s a treat to be savored, and I wasn’t gonna let this opportunity pass me by.

So with my fork poised, I was just about to savor another bite when Tyler rumbled.

“I see you like red meat.”

My face flushed. It was true. The meat was really red, even a little bloody. A lot of people would find this gross and even barbaric.

“Yes,” I muttered, putting my fork down. “Yes, I eat red meat.”

But the voice inside spoke again. No more dithering! it scolded. You’re a grown woman, act like it! Be proud of who you are and your choices.

So I straightened my shoulders and looked up, eyes direct.

“I know I shouldn’t eat red meat because it’s supposedly bad for your cholesterol with a lot of fat. But it’s a special occasion, so I figured I’d indulge.”

Mason raised a brow at my straightforward words.

“Do you eat like this all the time?”

Embarrassed, I mumbled something incoherent again. Because maybe I didn’t eat red meat all the time, but the larger question was obvious: Do I love to eat, in general? And the answer was a resounding yes. Indulgence is my middle name. I love ice cream, pastries, cheese, and anything with a lot of calories. Even worse, I love the things that girls aren’t supposed to love. Burgers. Steak. Onion rings and fries with ketchup all over. I love it all, and dropped my head shamefaced at the admission.

But the men weren’t letting me get away with it.

“Speak up honey, we can’t hear you,” growled the third groomsman named Kane.

So taking a deep breath, I forced myself to buck up. It was too late to hide, and my gaze met his directly.

“Yes, I eat meat, dairy, and just about everything. I know it’s not popular, but it’s not against the law either. I enjoy it,” I said simply. “Food is something to be savored and treasured, eating’s not a chore or a drag.”

Around the table a hushed gasp arose as the other girls stared at me in shock. Every single one of them was stick thin and had ordered only salad, with dressing on the side. Their plates looked so miserable with a couple scraggly piece of lettuce and saggy-looking tomatoes, limp and unappetizing.

Within seconds, Stacy started to berate me.

“Katie, you shouldn’t eat like that,” she scolded. “It’s totally bad for you and damaging to the environment too. Plus, those poor cows suffer when they are slaughtered, didn’t you know? They cry. They cry big, fat tears just like a human.”

Rachelle jumped in then.

“Not to mention what it does to your body,” she said snidely, eyeing my curvaceous frame. “Eating all that shit makes you put on weight, didn’t you know? Look at yourself. You’ve got to know. Plus, it’s weight you can never get off, permanent poundage.”

That was a lie. There’s no such thing as permanent poundage, it was a fictitious term coined by snake oil salesmen trying to sell diet products.

So I shook my head.

“No, I don’t think so,” came my reply, voice coming from far away. “Everything in moderation is my motto. I try to maintain a healthy diet that’s balanced, which includes all the food groups. And that means meat, fat and sugar, too.”

A horrified gasp rose from the ladies at the table. I swear, they could be a Greek chorus, it was so predictable.

“Meat? Like slaughtered animals?”

“Fat? Like cellulite fat?”

“Sugar? That’s the devil!”

I sighed, trying not to roll my eyes. There’s been a crusade against sugar recently, all the health gurus swearing that sugar basically destroys your body. But I don’t believe it. There’s sugar in everything, even the most mundane foods like milk and fruit. Or are those bad for you now as well?

But the girl clique just wouldn’t let up.

“You need to stop,” hissed Annette, a freckly redhead. “You don’t know the damage you’re causing.”

“To your body and to the environment,” chimed Olivia, her twin. “It’s permanent damage, the kind that can’t be reversed.”

And Stacy went for the jugular then.

“Besides, look at you,” she scoffed, eyes going up and down my frame rudely. “Anyone can see you’re out of shape, that dress is practically busting its seams. Ladies, don’t touch what Katie’s eating, and you’re guaranteed a good life!” she added snidely.

The other girls dissolved into giggles like this was junior high again. And to my shame, tears started rising in my eyes, my vision blurring, chest going tight.

But I wasn’t gonna let them see me cry. This wasn’t going to be gym class again, where I was the fat girl picked last for sports. So instead, I stood up hastily, tossing my napkin on the table.