She grabs my hand and pulls me back onto the dance floor, my shoes sticking to the floor with each step.Wild Sideby Mötley Crüe fills the room, and we lose ourselves to the beat. Harper’s bronze skin glistens under the lights, her raven hair cascading over her shoulders. Our arms entwine and we howl out the lyrics as the chorus approaches.
This is just what I fucking needed: my best friend, good music, and some suspiciously over-poured drinks. I feel the warm, fuzzy feeling beginning in my stomach; it’s going to be a good night. We bump and sway and twirl for what seems like forever.
“God, I love this place!” I slurp some of my drink and a small hiccup bursts free.
Fuck. I knew this wasn’t going to be a quiet night out.
“We should come here every night of the fucking week,” Harper shouts back, spinning on her heels with her hands in the air. Her empty mojito glass sparkles under the spotlights.
“Give me a kidney, and you have a deal!” I reply while gulping down the rest of my drink, the warmth seeping into my muscles, slowly working its way to my head.
But despite how loose and lost we are to the music, I don’t miss the behemoth of a man stalking towards us through the crowd, his eyes fixed on Harper.
“Muscled meathead incoming,” I warn her, my eyes darting over her shoulder.
Her head whips around so fast, I don’t know how she doesn’t get whiplash.
“Hey, beautiful,” he says, his greedy eyes roaming over her body.
I bite my cheek to keep from laughing. The timbre of his voice definitely doesn’t match his appearance.
“Hey,” Harper replies, swirling her tongue around the rim of her empty glass. I may not have known Harper long, but I know when she wants some dick.
“Do you wanna dance?” he asks, his eyebrows rising at the question.
Harper gives him a dramatic eyeroll and says, “This isn’t 1934, you don’t have to ask.”
He smiles at her directness as she takes his hand. I grab her other hand and give her a look that says, are you sure? Shenods and kisses my hand before letting it fall. I smile to myself and return to the booth where I can keep a close eye on them. I watch Harper with him. His hands are all over her; they’re moving as if they’re one.
I exhale, feeling the full extent of my dating failures. Since I’ve been in Bridgeport, it’s not like I’ve been celibate by choice. But being a curvy woman, I’m bigger than a lot of men. They either fetishize me or try to change me. Dating sites are tough enough without the added pressure of my body. I can’t count the number of profiles I’ve had to block. If it’s not dick pics, it’s mediocre men calling me fat.How original. On the one date I’ve been on, he told me I should go to the fucking gym with him. Is it so unbelievable that a woman can be plus size and happy? It’s not that I’mnotcomfortable with my body, I am. But men making remarks about my size, whether positive or negative, brings me back to a time where I wasn’t.
I shake my head, trying to rid the bad memories. Maybe I’m just better off alone with my trusty wand.
“Hey, girl.” Harper appears beside me, sweat casting a beautiful sheen on her skin.
“How’s it going?” I ask, wiggling my eyebrows and giving her a playful nudge.
“Really well,” she giggles. “Nathan’s so… nice. And I don’t just mean nice to look at, he seems kind.”
“And you want to go home with him?” I finish for her.
She looks down at the table, sheepish.
“Harper,” I say, taking her hands in mine. “I will not stand in the way between you and getting some dick. I was just going to catch an Uber home, anyway.”
“Really?” she asks, her eyes meeting mine.
“Of course! Now go, at least one of us deserves to be fucked tonight. Just keep your location on, and send me some photos of him in case you go missing,” I say with a playful wink.
Harper throws her arms around me, squeezing me so tight that I think I might have a crick in my neck in the morning.
“You’re the best, Kat. I’ll text you first thing.” She kisses my cheek.
“You owe me!” I tease as she leaves the table.
I watch him grab her ass as they walk towards the exit. Rolling my eyes and laughing to myself, I slide my phone out of my pocket and request my Uber.
Twenty minutes? Okay, I have time for one more drink.
