Curvy Girls Can’t Date Best Friends by Kelsie Stelting

Twenty-Four

CARSON

I had to squeeze Callie’s hand to keep mine from shaking. Everyone in the living room—Callie’s parents, Joe, and the guy she loved—looked back at me expectantly. It felt like all the blood was draining from my face as I prepared to tell them the truth: that I was in love with Callie.

Callie’s dad lifted the remote and paused the show. It was frozen on an old lady with her lips bunched up, clearly tasting something. I would much rather be in her position right now, because my stomach was becoming more and more knotted by the second.

“What's up?” Robert asked. “Everything okay?”

I looked to Callie. Everything was always okay with her at my side. For a moment, I stared into her deep blue eyes and found the courage I needed to tell them. “Callie and I are in a relationship.”

Callie’s eyes slid over to her family, and I followed her gaze to them, holding my breath.

A look of realization crossed Joe’s face, and he immediately burst out laughing. Like loud, obnoxious laughter. He pointed between Callie and me. “Carson has been so deep in the friend zone, he might as well be wearing a dress. And he made it out?”

I squeezed Callie’s hand tighter, if only to keep me upright. This was everything I’d dreamed of—getting out of the friend zone and becoming more. But this alternate reality was what I signed up for instead, and I needed to remember why. Callie deserved better than me for her future. She deserved more.

Callie’s eyebrows came together in that adorable way they did when she was angry. “Why would you say that about Carson?”

Joe’s smile faltered. “It’s not that; it's just... I've seen you put makeup on him.”

I shuddered. Why did he have to bring up that snow day gone wrong? “Come on, man, that was one time in fifth grade.”

“And remember last year when you guys dressed up as Charlie's Angels for Halloween and Callie’s foster dog had to be the third angel?” Joe said. “Carson held her in your purse the entire night!”

“Joe, honey,” Anne warned him.

I gave Callie a look. “I told you that was a bad idea.”

Callie shook her head, then turned back to Joe, speaking forcefully. “Carson is the best friend a girl could ask for, and I'm lucky that he would even consider dating me.”

Her words sent my heart twisting in all sorts of uncomfortable ways, like maybe she should just rip it out of my chest already, but I just held on to her hand for dear life. I would make it through this. I had to.

Joe seemed to sober. “So this is real.”

But it wasn't Joe who Callie was looking at as she answered. She gazed directly at Nick and said, “I'm with Carson.”

Her words found their target, as Nick straightened and forced an unconvincing smile.

“Well then.” Robert stood up and walked over to us, clapping my shoulder. “Guess you two aren't allowed in the same room by yourselves anymore.”

Callie squeezed my hand, like a silent I told you so. She smiled at him and said, “Really, Dad?”

He reached out for a hug and took both of us in his big arms. “No,” he said, “I'm happy for you two!”

Finally, I relaxed.

Callie’s mom came next, wrapping me in a tight hug. Robert’s eyes stayed lovingly on his wife as he said, “Marrying my best friend was the best thing I ever did.”

Anne cleared her throat. “Not that we’re saying you two should get married right now. That can wait a few years.”

My eyes widened, and I looked at Callie, who was also obviously taken aback by her parents’ reactions. But their support almost hurt more. Like they thought I was good enough for their daughter and all I’d done was disappoint them and myself. If they knew who I really was, the curse that I carried, they’d be telling their daughter to run as far and as fast as she could.

“Look at the time,” Nick said. “I better get going home.” He waved at Callie and me. “Congratulations.”

I couldn’t help but grin as he retreated up the stairs and out the door.

As her parents turned back to the couch, I gave Callie a nudge and mouthed, It’s working.

She grinned back at me. “Time for our first date?”

The words gutted me with pain and hope, and all I could do was nod.

Callie said to her parents, “We’re going out to eat. Can you watch Franklin?”

“Sure. Just be back by eleven,” was all her mom said. I could hardly believe it. In all that time I pictured dating Callie, I had never imagined a world in which her parents were this supportive. Part of me wondered what could have happened if Sarah had never pursued me like she did, if I hadn’t agreed to date her. Would I have followed through with my plans to tell Callie the truth of how I felt about her? Or would I have chickened out like I had the last several years?

I didn’t know. All I knew was I had Callie’s hand in mine and we were walking toward the door, toward our first date.

We got in my car, and she asked, “Where do you want to go?”

I already knew. I’d planned my first date with Callie a million and one times, and now was my chance. The only problem was I hadn’t been able to plan it long enough in advance for it all to fall into place. “Hold on,” I told her and opened up my car door again.

“Where are you going?” she asked.

I held up my phone. “Gotta make a call.”

She gave me a curious look but settled on fiddling with the radio. I shut my door and stepped away from the car, calling the place I wanted to take her.

They were open!

I turned away from the car and pumped my fist. Even if this wasn’t a “real” date, I still knew Callie would love it.

When I got back in, she gave me a curious smile. “Where are we going?”

“You’ll see,” I said and put the car in gear. This place was a little bit of a drive, but we jammed out on the way like we usually did in the car. She was a terrible dancer, but seeing her move her body and do corny moves made my heart feel lighter than it had all week.

We were getting closer to our destination, and I peered out the window until I saw the sign that said Brentwood Puppy Rescue.

Callie’s mouth fell open as she took it in. “The puppy rescue?”

The joy was so obvious in her voice; it brought an excited smile to my lips. “You’ve heard of it?”

“Of course!” she cried. “They rescue at least a hundred puppies a year, they perform pro bono spay and neuter clinics, they—”

“Okay, you’re starting to sound like a brochure,” I chuckled.

“But what are we doing here?”

This was the good part. “The owner agreed to let us come in and play with the puppies!”

Her eyes brightened like a kid on Christmas morning, and she fumbled with her seatbelt, rushing to get out of the car. “Let’s go! Let’s go!”

Chuckling, I got out of the car myself and followed her to the front door. I rang the bell, since it was after hours, and someone dressed in a Brentwood Puppy Rescue polo answered the door.

“Carson?” he asked, making his beard wobble.

I nodded, trying not to laugh.

“Come on back.”

We followed him into a brightly lit room with several kennels setting out. There were multiple families of puppies and even a few mother dogs who had been brought in with their litters. Some looked like they had just been born, but he led us back to a kennel that had what looked like a dozen spotted puppies inside.

“Healers?” Callie squealed.

The guy grinned at her and opened the gate. “Good eye.”

The puppies crashed out of the kennel, romping with each other and coming up to lick our feet. Callie sat on the ground, holding them and snuggling them, so much love in their eyes. “I feel like I’m cheating on Franklin.”

“I think he’ll forgive you,” I said with a chuckle.

“I’ll leave you two to it,” the guy said. “Call me when you’re ready to go.”

I slipped him a twenty. “Thanks again.”

He left us in the room, and I sat next to Callie, rubbing a puppy with red and white spots. “They’re so cute.”

“They’re perfect!” she squealed, hugging two to her cheeks. “Best first date ever.”

“And it’s not even over yet.” I scratched the puppy’s soft, squishy belly, and it rolled on its back, blissfully flopping its leg back and forth.

“There’s more?” she asked.

“Of course. I’m going to be the best fake boyfriend you ever had.”

For the next hour, we played with the puppies, seeing how many we could hold at one time, giving each of them silly voices and personalities, and talking about what kind of dog we wanted when we were out on our own.

“You have to have a golden,” Callie said.

“Really?” I asked, frowning.

“Why is that such a bad thing?”

I shrugged, keeping my eyes on the puppy in my arms. “Golden retrievers are just so... typical.”

She rolled her eyes. “What kind do you think I should have?”

“Poodle, obviously.” I nudged her. “So high maintenance.”

Giggling, she said, “No, really. What kind of dog am I?”

“A human one?”

She gave me a playful shove.

“I don’t think it matters what kind of dog you have because you have a habit of giving everything more love than it could ever imagine.”

Her lips pulled up in a slow smile, and she nuzzled her cheek against the puppy. “Thanks, Carson.”

I smiled and nodded. “Any time. But we should probably get going so we don’t break curfew.”

With a nod, she began picking up the puppies and putting them back in the kennel. At first, it was kind of like herding cats, but she did it with impressive skill. I shut the gate behind them, and we stood up, brushing puppy hair off of us.

We found the guy in an office, and he let us out the door before locking it behind us.

“Where to next?” Callie asked. “Heaven?”

I opened the car door for her. “Almost,” I said. “Waldo’s.”

Her eyes lit up as she sat inside. “Strawberry milkshake?”

“Could you imagine anything better?” I teased.

“Nope.” She buckled herself into her seat and smiled contentedly.

“Good,” I said and shut her door. The first date was going exactly how I had planned, and it wasn’t even over yet.