Book Boyfriends Wanted 1: His Curvy Friend

I was already staring at the ceiling when my alarm blared. The sun hadn’t woken up yet, but I had. I’d been up for over an hour and dreading the day for months. I would get through it, but it wasn’t going to be a good day.

I tied my hair up into a ponytail and added a touch of mascara and a little lipgloss. Not that I was trying to impress anyone, but it helped me feel a little more prepared to face the day. When I admitted to myself I couldn’t delay any longer, I took a deep breath and left my house.

The walk to Cracked only took a few minutes. Even a curvy girl like me made the trip quickly, but when the heat of summer finally moved in, it would take me a little longer if I wanted to avoid being drenched in sweat all day.

Megan, one of my coworkers, was coming from the other direction when I walked down Caroline Street. We met in front of Cracked and hugged. It was going to be a tough day for all of us.

Lights were on inside, and the kitchen was already bustling. We had an hour before we opened, but biscuits were going in the oven, batter was being mixed, and coffee was brewing.

“Hey,” Jean, another coworker, said, giving Megan and I both hugs. “This day sucks.”

We nodded in agreement. Of all the things Georgia asked us to do before she died, none of us thought celebrating her sixtieth birthday with a celebration of her life would be hard, but now that the day had arrived, it was almost impossible.

Earl, the owner of Cracked and our boss, called out from the kitchen and waved with his spatula. We waved back and set to helping Jean while Earl cooked breakfast. We’d all agreed to have breakfast together this morning. It was a chance to share the start of the day with the people who saw Georgia daily.

Earl came out of the kitchen with a plate of pancakes, Georgia’s favorite, and lots of bacon and sausage. We grabbed one of the full pots of coffee and sat down.

We held hands and all said a private prayer or blessing or whatever. I asked Georgia to give me strength to be there for Karissa, her daughter and my friend, and to hold out for the kind of love she had with Eddie.

We squeezed hands and dug in to the food. Customers would be knocking on the door right at six if we didn’t open on time, so we ate quickly, sharing stories about Georgia.

“Did you ever hear about her first day here?” Earl asked.

I turned to look at him and shook my head. “Were you here?”

He nodded. “I’ve been here forever, baby girl. I hadn’t bought the place yet, but I was in the kitchen. Ms. Georgia was a new mom the day she walked in here. She had that sweet baby girl of hers strapped to her chest and she marched in that door and demanded she talk to the manager.”

“No,” I breathed. Georgia was always confident, but even I struggled to imagine her having that kind of gall.

Earl chuckled, his teeth bright against his dark brown skin. His shaved head and face made him look younger than he was. I guessed he was pushing seventy, but I really had no idea.

“Oh, she did. She said that she was going crazy at home with a new baby and she needed to work. Kathy was our manager then and she asked if Georgia had any experience. She said no, but she would learn quickly as long as she was given a shot and plenty of breaks so she could nurse her new baby,” Earl said with a laugh.

“She demanded breaks and to bring Rissa with her?” I asked.

Earl nodded. “She was always a pistol. I never thought she’d be gone from here before me.”

The overwhelming sadness slapped me across the face. It stole my breath and had me closing my eyes.

“None of us ever thought we’d be here without Georgia,” Jean said. “It’s not the same without her.”

I forced a smile and tried to fake that I felt it. “You guys are all coming to the party Saturday night, right?”

They all nodded back. “Wouldn’t miss it,” Jean answered for everyone.

“Thanks. You know it’ll mean a lot to Rissa to have as many people there as possible.”

“How is she doing?” Megan asked. Megan was a few years older than me, but we’d become friends over the last year. She started working at Cracked when Georgia got sick and had to back off her hours. When Georgia found out she wouldn’t be back, Megan agreed to take the job full time and got to know the woman she was replacing. It wasn’t easy to have someone else step into Georgia’s shoes, but Megan honored Georgia with everything she did.

I shrugged. “I haven’t talked to her in a couple days. She’s been working on a new app and is really busy. I don’t know if she’s trying not to think about today or if she’s just under a deadline.”

Karissa was a brilliant programmer and had a knack for developing apps that quickly went viral. She’d been secretive about her latest project, but she was close to finishing it last I heard.

“If today is this hard for us, I can’t imagine how she’s feeling,” Jean said.

I nodded in agreement.

We finished our breakfast and cleaned up our seats. Earl went back into the kitchen while Jean, Megan, and I set the dining room up and refilled our own coffee cups.

Megan opened the door just before six to let in the customers waiting for breakfast. All the regulars knew it was Georgia’s birthday and walked in with solemn faces and little fanfare.

I took orders and shared Georgia stories. For the first hour, it was hard to keep it together as everyone wanted to talk about her. A few of the guys who’d been her regulars for years got choked up.

By the time the early morning group headed out, I was ready for my five-hour shift to be over so I could hide under my covers and cry instead of having to smile. I cleared tables and stocked creamer, sugar, and jelly. When the door opened again, I turned to tell the new guest to sit wherever they wanted and saw Ian Jameson.

Ian’s sister had been my best friend forever, and Ian was…he was Ian. We were friends, too, but he’d become more in the months since we lost Georgia. I’d known him forever, and he was sort of like a brother to me also.

Except for the fact that he starred in some of my fantasies lately. Okay, all of my fantasies.

“What are you doing here so early?” I asked him with a teasing grin.

Ian didn’t get up before ten most days. When he did, it was major. For him to be walking into Cracked just after seven in the morning was a shock.

“I wanted to check on you,” he said softly once he reached my side. He kissed my cheek and lingered, pulling me into a hug.

I wrapped my arms around his neck, enjoying the embrace almost as much as I enjoyed the strength I got from him. “I’m okay,” I said.

He pulled back and studied me carefully. I tried not to think about what he saw. My ponytail was likely messy by now, maybe even with something in it. My shirt had been clean two hours ago, but it had a smear of butter at my waist where my belly brushed over a plate without me realizing it and something sticky on my right breast that was probably syrup. And I was sweaty, because chubby girls were sweaty girls.

“Are you sure?”

I nodded. “Yeah. It’s not easy, but I’m okay. Why are you really here?”

He shrugged. “I hear breakfast is the most important meal of the day.”

I laughed and rolled my eyes at him. “Are you staying or are you on your way somewhere?”

“I’m staying. If that’s okay.”

“Of course. You can sit wherever you want.”

“Where’s your section?” he asked.

I pointed. “Any of those tables and the counter is mine.”

He squeezed my hand and winked. “I’ll grab a seat at the counter.”

I nodded and finished what I was doing then went back to where he sat. I didn’t want to appear too excited to see him, but it wasn’t every day Ian stopped in when I was working. Still, I knew his order without asking.

“The usual?” I asked him when I made my way over. He already had a cup of coffee with one creamer and his menu was closed next to him.

He nodded. “Always. Thanks, babe.”

I smiled, put his order in with Earl, grabbed plates from the window for another table, and checked in with customers who’d finished eating. When I made it back to Ian, he was watching me.

“What?”

He shook his head. “Just impressed with how you do this.”

“What?”

“Talk to people all day. I couldn’t do it.”

“You talk to people,” I argued.

He shook his head. “I talk to one customer at a time, then they go away and I work on their boat for a few weeks. You’re dealing with multiple groups at once and always have a smile for everyone.”

I shrugged. “I’m used to it, I guess. I don’t really think about it.”

The door opened and I glanced up with an automatic smile. I froze, my eyes going to Ian before going back to the man at the door as he walked closer.

I dated William Hogan for almost five years. It had been almost nine months since he dumped me, all because he thought I slept with the man he was about to take a seat next to.

“Hey, Blake. Can I get a coffee?” William asked, sliding onto the stool one away from Ian.

I nodded, turning away from Ian to grab the coffee.

“Willie,” Ian said, using the nickname he’d given William, even though he knew William hated it.

“Ian. I guess I should have expected you to be here,” William said.

I poured his coffee and played chicken, carrying the pot around to the rest of the restaurant filling mugs for everyone I spotted with less than a full cup.

By the time I made it back to the counter, William was scowling and Ian looked pissed.

“I’d like to order,” William said.

I nodded and pulled my notepad out of my apron pocket.

“Two poached eggs. Dry rye toast with butter, not margarine, on the side and grape jelly. Four slices of bacon.”

I wrote it all down and looked up. “Is that everything?”

“Yes,” William said.

I nodded and put his order in. Ian’s was ready, so I grabbed his plate and set his food in front of him.

“Looks great, babe. Thanks,” Ian said.

I didn’t think anything of him calling me ‘babe,’ but apparently William did. He grunted and huffed a laugh. A part of me wanted to explain to him that Ian called me that for years, but I didn’t owe William anything anymore. He broke up with me.

I busied myself with other customers until William’s food was ready. I set the plate in front of him and asked if he needed anything else. He looked around and said no, then dug in to his breakfast.

Ian’s plate was empty so I took it and set it in the dish bin and asked if he wanted anything else.

“Another cup of coffee would be great,” he said with a grin.

I nodded and poured him another cup, sliding a creamer in front of him to add to it. I put the pot back and leaned against the counter, watching the mostly empty restaurant.

The low moments were always the moments I talked to Georgia. She was constantly sharing wisdom and advice. She had an encouraging word for everyone and a smile and joke whenever you needed one.

The emotion got to me for a second, and I needed to get away. I tore off the bills for both men and set them on the counter, then left the floor. There was nowhere to hide, but the bathroom was a single stall and, thank God, it was empty.

I stuffed the back of my hand in my mouth to stifle the sob that wrapped around my throat and tried to push its way out. I sucked in a breath through my nose and blew it out again, over and over, until the need to cry passed.

I washed my hands and took a deep breath, then unlocked the door and started to leave.

Only to be pushed right back into the bathroom, the door closed and locked behind us.

“Ian, what are you doing?” I demanded.

“You’re not okay, babe. Come here.” He wrapped his arms around me and tucked my head under his chin.

I wanted to resist him, but he was there and he cared. I slid my arms around his waist and held on tight. Five minutes. I could take five minutes.

I let the emotions run, crying hard. My nose ran and my eyes flooded. The sobs I choked back a minute ago rushed right back to the surface and erupted from me.

Ian just held me, his warm hands gliding up and down my back in smooth, even strokes. I hated that he felt the ripples of my chubby back under his perfect palms. I couldn’t hide my curves, but I did everything I could to mask them.

I pushed all thoughts of my excess of curves away and tried to slow my tears. After a few minutes, I finally calmed enough to pull back from Ian.

He wiped the tears from my lashes and cupped my jaw, tilting my head up to look at him. “Feel better?”

I smiled and nodded.

“Good,” he said, pulling me back in and kissing my forehead. “I wish I could take this pain from you.”

“Me, too.”

He chuckled. “Willie’s gone.”

I laughed softly. “Did you run him off?”

He shook his head. “I didn’t do anything.”

I nodded. It didn’t matter either way. William was a customer, nothing more. I didn’t want him to be more. We were over, and I was okay with it.

Ian finally let us out of the bathroom, and we nearly ran into Jean. Her dark brows went up, but she didn’t make a comment. I would definitely hear about it later, though.

Ian paid for his breakfast and kissed my cheek before he left, putting a huge tip down with his bill. I started to chase him out, but I could give half of it back to him another time. He knew I hated when he gave me a massive tip.

The rest of the morning went by quickly until a dark-skinned woman with wide, excited eyes walked in just after nine. The expensive purse on her shoulder and the MacKellar Cove sweatshirt said she wasn’t a local, but she definitely looked like she knew where she was.

“Are you here for breakfast?” I asked her, holding a menu.

She nodded and gave me a kind smile. “I am. Thanks.”

“You’re welcome to sit anywhere you’d like,” I said with a return smile.

She zeroed in on the stools at the counter and sat on one of them. I set her menu in front of her and offered her coffee.

“Oh, yes, please. I left really early this morning to get here. Can I ask you a question?”

I nodded. “Of course.”

She drew a deep breath and smiled. “I was here a year ago, and there was a woman working here. We talked for a while about, well, a lot of things. Her name is Georgia. Is she here by any chance?”

I sucked in a breath and smiled. It wasn’t the first time a customer asked if Georgia was around. Everyone knew her. With visitors, I rarely told them the whole story, though. Just that she wasn’t around.

“I’m sorry, but she’s not here.”

“Oh,” the woman said, her face falling. “She promised me she’d be here today.”

“She did?” I asked. That didn’t sound like Georgia. She loved her customers, but she didn’t usually schedule time to see them again. Even the regulars knew Georgia took a day off once in a while and didn’t work seven days a week.

The woman nodded, her tight curls bouncing with the movement. “Maybe it’s silly, but today’s my birthday. She told me it was hers, too. When I was here a year ago, I told her I’d love to live here. She convinced me I should, and I finally made it happen. I have everything I own in my car outside, and I move into my new condo today. I was really looking forward to telling her I did it. And having a familiar face in town since I don’t know anyone.”

Well, shit. I had to tell her the whole truth after that confession…and it was going to hurt.

I drew a deep breath and smiled. “I’m Blake,” I started.

“Hi, Blake. Trinity.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Trinity. I’m friends with Georgia’s daughter. Her name is Karissa.”

“Oh, would she know where her mom is? I brought her something. Maybe you can give it to Karissa to give to her mom?” She dug into her purse. “It’s a necklace. I make jewelry and she commented on the piece I was wearing last year. I wanted to thank her for talking me into following my heart and living my dreams.”

My breath stuttered as I inhaled. “Trinity, I’m sorry, but Ms. Georgia died a few months ago.”

“What?” she asked, her smile crumpling. “No.”

I nodded. “She had breast cancer. She didn’t know how bad it was until it was too late.”

“No,” she said again.

I nodded, choking back my own tears as Trinity’s raced down her cheeks.

I stepped around the counter and hugged the other woman. Trinity turned into my embrace and held on to me. I hugged her, knowing I couldn’t provide the same comfort Georgia would but doing my best to console the sobbing woman in my arms.

“She okay?” Jean asked softly, stopping behind me.

“Georgia,” I replied, knowing nothing more needed to be said.

Jean patted me on the shoulder and continued on.

Trinity hiccuped and drew in a breath. “I’m so sorry.”

I shook my head as I stepped back. “Trust me, I’ve had more than my share of moments doing the same thing. Georgia never wanted us to cry over her, but she was an amazing woman. It’s impossible not to miss her.”

Trinity smiled. “I only knew her for a few hours, but she was so nice to me. She really made me want to live a better life. To be happier.”

“Georgia had a way of inspiring people to do things they didn’t even know they wanted to do.”

Trinity chuckled. “That’s exactly what she did with me. Now I feel like a fool for moving up here because of a woman I knew for a few hours who isn’t here anymore. I hated the city because I didn’t know anyone, and I’m in a new town and still don’t know anyone.”

“Well, you know me. And a few blocks down is a bar called O’Kelley’s. Have you seen it?”

She nodded. “It’s by my new condo, I think.”

“Oh, you’re moving in to Waterfront Villas? Nice. Karissa and our other friend Finley live in one of those. Anyway, Saturday night, we’re having a party for Ms. Georgia at O’Kelley’s. Starts at seven, but we’ll probably be there until they close. You should come.”

Trinity shook her head. “No, I couldn’t impose.”

I smiled and put a hand on her arm. “I promise you, we’d love to have you join us. Please come.”

Finally, Trinity nodded. “Okay, I will. Thanks, Blake.”

I grinned. “It’s always good to have friends.”