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I don’t hear Carlton’s words, but I’m not about to stay around here and listen for more. I take a deep breath and push my shoulders back, while schooling my expression into one of nonchalance. No way will these freaks see me upset or crying. Then, I stride out of the room and out of the studio without a word or even a glance in their direction, holding my head high until I’m on the sidewalk.
Running quickly, I dart around the corner and lose my grasp on my false bravado. Tears start streaming down my face and I let out a muffled sob of agony. All of the confidence I felt while I was being photographed is crushed, and now, I just feel like this is a repeat of the scenario at the Wilshire. I’m being fat-shamed again, and why? Because I’m a bigger girl with a curvaceous figure.
I break down into sobs, uncaring of passerby who stare at me. I have to get out of here. I can’t face Mason, knowing that the photo shoot was a bust, so I decide to head home. Not to the Manhattan penthouse he owns, but rather my real home: the studio apartment in Atlantic City that Mason’s been paying the rent on for the past three months. Oh god, what’s to become of me?
Luckily, cabs are a dime a dozen, so I suck up my tears and jump into a yellow vehicle. I see the truth now: this photo shoot was a joke, and my boyfriend picked out the tiny bikini so that he’d have dirty pictures of me. Not because he wants to sell G-Raw to his customers, but because I’m his personal pet whom he can command as he sees fit.
But I can’t take it anymore because I’m not his pet, nor his servant; I’m the mother of his child, and it’s time to assess what our relationship really means. With a trembling voice, I tell the cabbie my address, and then look out the window as the car pulls away from the curb. Although my life in Manhattan was grand, as of this moment, I don’t plan to ever come back.
10
Mason
I was disappointed when Mimi texted me to let me know she was going straight home, but at least the day’s over and I’m at the penthouse now. Walking into our apartment, I freeze when I get inside. Why is it dark? My girl said she got home hours ago, so this is strange.
I head to the kitchen expecting her to be there, but curiously, this room too is dark. Weird. The kitchen has had more use in the three months Mimi’s lived here than the five years before that when I lived here alone. After all, my girl loves to cook and adores the chef’s kitchen, so she often putters away, whipping up delicious meals. But today, it’s gloomy and everything’s silent.
“Mimi?” I call out, hoping she’ll appear. But my voice echoes in the large space and I frown. Where could she be?
The master suite seems like the next logical place, so I make my way to our room. But like the living room and kitchen, the bedroom is shuttered. Fortunately, I see a light shining from beneath the en suite door and smile. Loosening my tie, I start undoing the buttons of my shirt. Mimi must be in the bath or shower, and nothing gets me going more than the curvy girl draped only in suds. I could use some bath time with my woman, I think.
But then, I’m about a foot from the door when I hear something and pause. Surely that wasn’t…? The sound comes again, louder this time, and there’s no mistaking what it is. Mimi’s crying, and not just a little, but rather huge, heaving sobs while she gasps for air. Without any hesitation, I throw open the door and Mimi is hunched over in the tub, her curves gleaming wetly. Immediately, I rush over and start rubbing her shoulders. “Baby, what’s wrong?”
She sobs some more before putting her hands down and my heart breaks. Her eyes are red and raw from crying, and her voice is hoarse.
“Me. I’m all wrong.”
“What? No, you aren’t. You are the best thing I’ve got in my life, sweetheart. Why would you say that?”
She shakes her head and meets my gaze again. Her eyes are swollen and so puffy that my heart breaks once more.
“I’m ruining your life, Mason, and I hate myself for it.”
What the fuck? I sit back on my heels because I’m at a complete loss. Everything was going smoothly this morning, and we departed on an affectionate note, so what happened? I look into her eyes and take her hand, which is slick from soap.
“You’re not ruining anything, baby. It’s obvious something happened today, and I want you to tell me what it was so we can talk it out together.”
