Curvy Girls Can’t Date Soldiers by Kelsie Stelting

Fifty-Eight

Apollo

My heart beatfast as she walked with me down the sidewalk. I couldn’t believe I was holding Nadira’s hand. That I was getting to take her on a real date.

She’d worn this adorable dress that I knew would be soft under my fingertips and leggings that clung to all the curves of her legs. They should be outlawed, the way she wore them. And then her shoes—white sneakers—added sass to her outfit that was so her it made me want to burst.

I reached for the handle on the passenger side of the car and opened it for her.

She smiled up at me, saying, “Thanks,” before getting in.

God, her smile made my insides melt. The fact that I’d been the one to put it there made it even better.

“Are you in?” I asked.

She nodded, and I shut the door before walking to my side of the car. I could feel her eyes on me. It made me feel bolder, braver than I’d felt before, and I got in my side of the car.

“So are you going to tell me what we’re doing?” she asked.

I chuckled. “What if I want it to be a surprise?”

“I can be surprised now,” she argued, making me laugh more.

“First, I’m hungry,” I said. “Can I take you to dinner?”

“Sure?” She shifted in her seat, seeming uncomfortable.

My hand fell from the gear shift. “You don’t want to eat?”

“That’s not it. It’s just—” She shook her head, clearly warring with herself. “Eating is fine. Where are we going?”

I turned toward her in the seat, not giving up. “What is it?”

She looked up as if rolling her eyes at herself. “It’s going to sound pathetic.”

“Try me,” I argued.

“Fine.” She let out a sigh. “I don’t like eating in front of people. It makes me feel fat.”

“You are fat,” I said.

Her mouth fell open, and she reached for the handle. “Seriously? All this effort just to insult me?”

“Wait! Wait, I just... you say ‘fat’ like it’s a bad thing?”

She slowed, her hand still on the handle. “It is, according to ninety-nine percent of the human population.” She stared petulantly at me, ready for a fight. But I wasn’t backing down.

“Why?” I demanded. “I love your curves. Why be ashamed of them?”

Her mouth opened and closed.

“Exactly,” I said. “There’s no reason.”

She glanced at her lap, unconvinced.

I reached for her hand, wanting her to understand how serious I was. “I understand why you kept the secret—but if we want our relationship to work, we have to be the real us, always.”

She bit her lip, nodding, then squeezed my hand. “I want you to know. I was always myself with you.”

My eyebrows drew together, my body rebelling against what seemed like a lie. “How?”

“It was like the photo gave me the courage to show you who I was underneath it all. I didn’t have to compensate for my looks or make up for my brains.” Her words were quiet. “In some ways, it’s the most me I’ve ever been.”

At her admission, I found myself wanting to protect her all over again. I reached out and cupped her cheek with my hand. She leaned into it slightly, closing her eyes.

I smiled softly at her. “No more hiding.”

Blinking her big eyes open at me, she said, “I promise.”

“Good.” I shifted the car into gear. “We’re eating.”

She snorted. “And here I thought I was the stubborn one.”

I glanced over at her, grinning. “Maybe you’ve met your match.”

She smiled at that, another win for me, and I took off down the road, heading toward my favorite restaurant in the area, Seaton Bakery. I’d even talked to Gayle and Chris, and they agreed to decorate a table with a votive candle and a flower just for us.

It was a little cheesy and over the top, but when you meet a girl like Nadira, you pull out all the stops.

Sitting this close to her in the car was hard, because all I wanted to do was recreate our kiss from yesterday, but I held her hand instead. Our intertwined fingers rested in her full lap. I loved how the softness of her body met the firmness of mine. Loved how her shape molded to mine.

“How was Parents’ Weekend?” she asked.

“It was great.” I smiled over at her. “Thanks for that, by the way.” Just another thing to love about her—how she’d brought my mom and me back together. Who knew how long it would have taken without Nadira. I rubbed my thumb over the back of her hand, facing the road again. “We got a good visit in with Aunt Tilly, I got to take her to my favorite restaurants, and we had breakfast this morning before she had to get to the airport.”

“That’s awesome,” she said happily. “Will your dad get to come visit sometime?”

I shrugged. “Maybe. He has a business retreat later in the year a few hours away from here. You should meet him—I think he’d like you.”

Her small smile warmed my heart from the inside out. “That sounds fun.”

“I hope your parents liked me,” I said. I couldn’t imagine how difficult dating Nadira would be if her mom and dad didn’t approve.

“Of course they did,” she said. “Did you see the way my mom was grinning at you? And if my dad saw you open the door for me, he’s already head over heels.”

I chuckled. “I didn’t do it to impress him. I did it because that’s what you deserve.”

“Oh, stop it,” she said, rolling her head toward me.

“Stop what?” I asked.

Her smile was soft as she said, “Being so perfect.”

“For you?” I smiled back at her. “I’ll never stop.”