Shane found Beverly on the outside balcony of the dining area, quietly sipping a mimosa as the sun set over the glassy water. Her hair was down, gently waving over her shoulders and swaying in the soft wind.
"Hey."
She turned and gave him a tentative smile. "Hi."
"You sitting out here by yourself?"
"Yeah."
"Want some company?"
"Uh, sure." Beverly was surprised that the handsome young man would want to sit with her, she wasn't sure of how to act. "Pull up a chair."
"Thanks." Shane sat down and ordered a beer from the hovering waiter. "So what do you think?"
"It's very beautiful."
"No," He laughed, running a hand through his dishwater blond hair. "I meant about this. The scavenger hunt."
"Oh!" She giggled. "Honestly, I don't know what to think. It's all too surreal."
"Yeah, I'll have to agree with you on that." Shane took a slug from his beer. "Are you married?"
Fear and shame struck Beverly's heart. "Why do you ask?"
"Oh, I'm sorry, Bev. I didn't mean to pry. I just wanted to know what your other half thought of it." He paused a moment. "My friend Jaime thought it was a hoot. He wanted to come along."
"Why didn't he?"
"Because he didn't get an invite, of course."
"He couldn't come without an invitation?"
"Nope. Nathan didn't ask to see mine but he knew who I was by name." Shane stared at her for a moment. "Did you get an invitation?"
"Yes, but my mother burned it."
"What?"
Beverly sighed, her heavy breasts lifting and falling. "I'm not married, Shane. I live with my mother."
"That's cool. So do I."
"But you're not thirty-seven years old!"
Shane nearly choked. "You're thirty-seven?"
"Why, is that a problem?"
"Not at all. I … I just never would have guessed you were that old."
For a moment, Beverly forgot to breathe. He had just paid her a compliment! "H-How old did you think I was?"
"Around my age. Twenty-four, twenty-five."
"Wow."
"You know, Bev, you have a beautiful face. You should be a model."
She laughed at that. "A model? Shane, if you hadn't noticed, I'm not exactly a size six."
"No, but neither is Emme."
"Emme? Who's that?"
"You've never heard of Emme?" Beverly shook her head. "Emme is a model but she's like a size 24 or something."
"What?"
"Yeah. She's, no offense, fat! She's a big girl!"
"They have fat models?"
"Oh, yeah! Didn't I hear you say that you own a dress boutique?"
"Yes."
"Have you ever seen a Lane Bryant catalog?"
Beverly thought for a moment. Her mother got that catalog but she had never allowed her to see it. "No."
"Hold on a minute. I'll be right back." Shane jumped up and disappeared inside the hotel, leaving just as James was arriving.
"Hey, how are you?"
"Fine." She was feeling strange. First, Shane, now James, seeking out her company? Maybe they were both horny and pegged her for the easy fat girl who was desperate for attention. They didn't know it, but she'd accept their attention, desperate or not. She hadn't told Shane that she was a thirty-seven year oldvirgin.
"Where's Shane running off to?"
"I don't know. He just said that he'd be right back."
"Oh." James straightened his tie. "Do you mind if I sit down?"
"Not at all."
He had no idea what had come over him. Every woman in James Weathers' life had been skinny. Not rack of bones skinny, but thin, athletic or both. He had always hated fat women. They were disgusting blobs of stinking flesh, often with unkempt, stringy hair and dirty clothes. They were always eating, spilling food on themselves and talking with mouths full of food. And their bodies … he couldn't bear to think about that.
But Beverly was different. She was fat but somehow, she was elegant. When they had first met in the limousine, she had been wearing a one-piece jumpsuit, an orange piece that reminded him of something that Pam Grier might have worn in one of her old movies. It hugged her big hips and thighs and accentuated her huge breasts but that wasn't what caught his attention. It was her attitude. Beverly Johansson didn't give a damn that she was fat.
And then at dinner last night, with her hair down, she had looked like a chocolate angel. Her deep brown eyes had a decidedly Asian tilt to them which made her all the more exotic and desirable and the dress … that dress was made for her.
"Want a drink?"
"Huh?"
"I need another drink. Do you want one?"
"Sure." He watched as she turned and caught the waiter's attention, then ordered their drinks, including one for Shane. "You really like those mimosas, eh?"
"I can't help it. They're really good."
"Well, let me order something else for you." James caught the waiter before he walked away. When the waiter returned, James took the drink and set it in front of her. "This is called a melon ball."
"It's green."
"Yes. It's made with orange juice and Midori liquor."
"James, it's green!"
"I know it is. That's the Midori. It's honeydew liquor."
Beverly's beautiful eyes widened. "Honeydew? Really? How did they do that?"
"I don't know how it's made, but I know how it tastes. And it's pretty darned good!" She bent to sip from the straw but James stopped her. "You have to stir it up first." He mixed the green liquor into the orange juice. "Okay. Now try it."
Beverly took a long sip and let the liquid bathe her tongue. The flavor was like nothing she'd ever experienced. Sweet and cold like a honeydew melon and paired with the sweet acidity of orange juice, the drink made her think of a cool mountain morning on a farm. "Oh, James!"
James felt his heart slam in his chest.Jesus, what the hell is happening to me? No woman had ever affected him like this. Just his name on her lips had his cock hard.That was unheard of. "You like it?"
"It's wonderful!"
"Okay, why don't we do this? Each day that we are on this hunt, I'll pick a new drink for you to try and you can let me know what you think."
Her smile warmed him through. "That sounds good."
Shane came striding back, a goofy grin on his face. "Took me a little while but one of the desk assistants was able to find this." He dropped a glossy catalog in front of Beverly. "Take a look."
Beverly took another sip of her melon ball and gazed at the catalog. A large woman with a pretty face adorned the cover, dressed in a tasteful ensemble. The breath caught in Beverly's throat as she opened the magazine and started leafing through the pages. Each sheet was covered with fat, beautiful women in wonderful outfits, lingerie and evening gowns. She had no idea that there was something like this. These women were fat and loving it. Fat and getting paid for it. Fat and being accepted for it.
Her bottom lip started to quiver and tears welled and spilled over her thick black lashes and onto her smooth brown skin. Shane's large hands on her shoulders gave her warmth and a measure of comfort. James slid the catalog from under her fingers and turned to a picture of a black woman in a stunning indigo blue evening gown. He swiveled the magazine back to her.
"That could easily be you."
His words touched her heart as did the sincerity in his and Shane's eyes. She wanted to run back to her room and cry her eyes out. Her mother had never let her know about this. She had always harped on her weight. Yet here were large women flaunting their weight and being accepted for it!
"You have a lifetime ahead of you, Beverly. This is just one night." Shane's soft voice filled her ears. "I know that you're upset but we're in Atlantic City and we have some cash and I, for one, would like to go see the city with a beautiful woman on my arm. Whaddya say, James? Wanna tag along?"
"Most definitely." James stood and offered his arm to her. Shane stood on the other side and offered his arm. Beverly found herself giggling through her tears. James held out a handkerchief for her and she giggled even more. "Shall we?"
Putting thoughts of her mother firmly behind her, Beverly arose and took their arms, a brilliant smile on her face. "Yes. Let's."