Elsa served as the center’s overall manager and for the most part, she loved her job. She loved the fact that she had her own office and could do pretty much anything she wanted in it. Coming and going as she liked and that she could order other people around under the guise of delegation. She didn’t even have to come to work when she didn’t want to because there were two managers working under her who could run the place even in her absence.
It was the sweet life, especially since she was just 24. But she supposed this was the downside. Because she had so much time on her hands and little work to do, she often found herself bored, like right now. And it wasn’t good because when she was bored, she wanted to eat.
Already, Elsa’s eyes had wandered over to her jar of candy bars, which she kept for whenever she needed a sugar boost, her mouth watering as she imagined the taste of one. She didn’t give in to the temptation, though, shaking her head as she told herself she shouldn’t gain more weight. As it was, she was already plump and if she grew any larger, she was afraid she wouldn’t fit in a go-kart.
Hmm. Maybe she would put a treadmill in her office so that she could fight boredom and lose weight at the same time.
Just then, the door opened and one of the managers, Caitlyn, entered, with a flash drive that she handed to Elsa.
“Here are the pictures you asked for,” she said.
“Thanks.” Elsa smiled.
“Oh, and Mr. Peterson was looking for you.”
“Again?” Elsa frowned.
Mr. Peterson was one of the regulars at the center. He was a man in his early forties, a rich widower with two sons and for some reason, he had developed an attraction to her.
“I think he really likes you,” Caitlyn said.
“Yeah, right.”
He only liked her boobs. He had been staring at them since they had first met. Not that she blamed him. She liked her firm, plus-sized breasts, after all, and flaunted them as much as she could. But for him to want to go out with her just because of them?
No freaking way.
Douglas Peterson wasn’t the first jerk she’d managed to attract, though. So far, all of the guys she’d dated turned out to be jerks or losers who only wanted to get her to bed for bragging rights or for the novelty of it, as if she was some exotic freak from another planet. Some of them had even led her on only to let her down and make fun of her while one only asked her out because of some stupid wager. Seriously, what did they think of her? Did they think she was some toy that didn’t have any feelings?
Because of her experience with men, Elsa had ended up hating the whole lot of them, losing hope that there was a decent man out there who would fall in love with her and sweep her off her feet. Such stuff only happened in fairytales, and to skinny princesses no less, probably because a prince couldn’t sweep a 179-pound woman off her feet. And if that was impossible even in faraway worlds where magic existed, what chances did it have of happening to her in the real world?
“He told me to give you these, by the way.” Caitlyn handed her a chocolate bar.
Elsa looked at it, frowning even more. What? Did he think he could bribe her with food? What was she, a dog?
Then she saw the label. Fat-free. Low Calorie.
As if she wasn’t already aware of the fact that she didn’t need any more fat or calories.
“Give it back,” she ordered. “And next time, don’t accept gifts from any of the customers. It’s not right.”
Caitlyn nodded. “I understand.”
After the older woman left, Elsa sighed. She was still bored but now, she was also annoyed.
When her phone rang, she answered it lazily.
“Hello.”
“Elsie.” It was her older brother.
Elsa rolled her eyes. “How many times have I told you not to call me that? I’m not a baby anymore.”
Eric chuckled. “You’ll always be my little sister, remember?”
She snorted. “Little? I’m practically a whale.”
“Then you’re a killer whale, the most graceful and cunning of them all.”
In spite of herself, Elsa smiled, her mood instantly lighter. Eric had always managed to have that effect on her, which was one of the reasons she adored him. The other reason? Well, Eric had pretty much raised her, being her father figure since she never knew hers and even filling the shoes of the doting mother since their mother was always busy with work. It was he who taught her how to tie her shoelaces, helped her with her homework, gave her medicine when she was sick and defended her against bullies. And there had been a lot of bullies.
If all the other men were jerks and losers, Eric was a saint, her savior. There was nothing she wouldn’t do for him.
“So what’s up?” she asked.
“I’ve got a race this Friday. Do you want to come?”
Elsa tapped her fingers on her desk. “Do you want me to come?”
“You know I do.”
“Then count me in. It isn’t like I’ve got something planned anyway.”
“Great. I’ll see you then.”
He ended the call and she put her phone back on her desk, a smile still on her face. She couldn’t help but wonder, though, why he had asked her to come to the race track. Usually, she just watched his races on television if at all, not liking the noise and dust on the tracks. Plus it was such a male-dominated place, the smell of ego in the air. Still, whatever the reason was, if her brother needed her, then Elsa would be there.
Who knew? Maybe something exciting would happen.
Chapter 2
The race did prove to be exciting. It was a close fight between Eric and the two other top-rated racers, Caleb Johnson and Steve Fleming, keeping Elsa on the edge of her seat, and in the end, Caleb won only by a few milliseconds, Steve in second place and Eric a close third. Elsa felt disappointed that Eric lost, especially since she had hoped she would be her brother’s lucky charm. Still, she put on a smile as she went to greet him after the race.
“My heart almost gave out back there,” she told her brother as she gave him a hug.
He frowned. “Not funny.”
“Seriously, though, it was a great race. It would’ve been better if you had won…”
“It would’ve been.”
“But I’m still glad I came. And I’m still proud to be your sister.”
“Little sister,” Eric teased.
She stuck her tongue out at him playfully then paused, her gaze drifting past him to where Steve Fleming was taking off his helmet, revealing his gold locks, amber eyes, straight-edged nose and thin lips. Elsa held her breath. Who would have thought Steve was such an attractive guy?
“So, you’re Eric’s sister.” Steve spoke as he walked towards them, his eyes going over her. “And here I thought a goddess had come to grace us with her presence.”
To her surprise, Elsa blushed at the compliment.
“Now, now…” Eric gave Steve a warning glance as he nudged him. “You’re not flirting with my sister, are you?”
“It would be a crime not to,” Steve answered, still looking at her. “I’m Steve Fleming by the way.”
“E-Elsa,” she introduced herself.
She was about to shake his hand but suddenly, he withdrew it, taking off his glove first before holding hers. He sure had a big hand.
She liked men with big hands.
“Hey, Myers.” Steve turned to Eric. “Good job today.”
“In the end, I’m still the third wheel, though,” Eric said.
Steve chuckled. “Hey. Third’s not bad. At least you’re not on the bottom and I can tell you’re a guy who doesn’t like being on the bottom.”
“It’s still not first place, though,” Eric said. “No matter what I do, I can’t seem to beat you and Caleb.”
“Is someone talking about me?” Caleb asked as he approached. “No wonder I sneezed just now.”
Elsa’s gaze turned towards him, mesmerized once more. He was another hunk, maybe even more so with his brown cur
ls, manly snub nose, piercing blue eyes and full lips. He had a slightly larger build than Steve, too, his blue and white jumpsuit hugging his well-toned muscles. Elsa swallowed. Who knew that race car drivers could be so hot?
“You probably sneezed because of all of the dust,” Steve answered. “Or maybe because you’re coming down with a cold.”
“Yeah. Even when I’m coming down with a cold, I can still beat you,” Caleb answered.
“You just got lucky,” Steve teased.
“I’ll take good luck any day,” Caleb said. “Speaking of good luck, I do believe I’m in the presence of one very beautiful lady.”
Again, Elsa blushed, though she managed a smile. “I’m Elsa Myers. Congratulations.”
“Thanks.” Caleb smiled at her. “No wonder Eric’s been keeping you hidden. You’d probably steal the spotlight away from all of us.”
“Hey.” Steve nudged him. “I saw her first.”
Caleb looked at him. “What are you? Five? Besides, it’s not how you start that matters. It’s how you finish.”
“Oh yeah? You probably finish so fast girls don’t even know what hit them,” Steve teased. “I, on the other hand, make every moment of the race count.”
He blinked at Elsa and again, she blushed, knowing full well that he was talking about something else.
“Cut it out, will you?” Eric intervened. “I can’t believe the two of you are already hitting on my sister. And in front of me, no less.”
Caleb raised his hands. “I was doing no such indecent thing.”
Steve frowned at him. “What? You’re acting all innocent now?”
“Don’t pay attention to them.” Eric placed an arm around Elsa. “They’re both probably still dizzy from the race.”
“You raced, too, you know,” Steve reminded.
Eric ignored him, leading Elsa away from the two other racers. Elsa went with him, though she couldn’t help but glance back, her heart skipping a beat when she saw Caleb and Steve both smiling at her. What was up with her? Wasn’t she supposed to be a man-hater? Why, then, was her pulse racing like that of a sixteen year-old who’d just met her crush?
“Hey.” Eric squeezed her shoulder. “Are you alright?”
“Yeah,” she answered quickly.
“Good. Because I’ve got a favor to ask you.”
Chapter 3
“You want me to go on a date with Caleb and Steve?”
Elsa couldn’t believe what she had just heard, especially coming from her brother.
“I thought you told me not to pay attention to them,” she added.
“I know what I said,” Eric said. “This is what I’m saying now.”
Elsa’s eyebrows furrowed. “But why?”
It wasn’t that she was completely against the idea. In fact, a part of her was thrilled by it, wanting to get to know both Steve and Caleb more. She was just surprised. Eric had never asked her to go out with a guy before, after all. And now, he was telling her to go out with two? Were Steve and Caleb even his friends? Weren’t they his rivals?
Eric sat beside her and reached for her hand. “You know how I’ve been a third-placer for some time now?”
Elsa nodded.
“Well, I don’t think I can stand that any longer. No matter how hard I try, I just can’t beat Caleb and Steve. I don’t know why. All I know is that I have no choice but to take them out of the race.”
“Take them out of the race?” Now, Elsa felt even more confused. “What do you mean?”
Eric took a deep breath. “Caleb and Steve have a secret.”
“A secret?” Elsa’s confusion turned into curiosity.
“They’re…They’re bisexual.” Eric looked away. “And not just that. They…like to hook up.”
“What?” Elsa was filled with disbelief once more.
It couldn’t be. Caleb and Steve looked so manly when she had met them earlier and they both flirted with her so well that the possibility of them liking the same sex didn’t even remotely cross her mind. Yet, Eric was saying they were.
“How do you know this?” she asked him.
“I saw them once,” he confessed. “They didn’t see me, though. I was planning to expose their secret but then, I don’t really have proof. It’s not like I recorded them or anything. It would’ve been my word against theirs and that would’ve been nasty.”
Elsa nodded, understanding. Without proof, no one would believe Eric. They would just think he was making up a story to get Caleb and Steve out of his way. In the end, it would be Eric’s reputation that would get smeared and he could even lose his job because of his unprofessionalism.
“So you want me to get proof of Steve and Caleb’s…relationship?”
“Exactly,” Eric answered.
“And how am I supposed to do that?” Elsa asked.
“Go out with them. They both seem to like you. Bring them to the center and seduce them there. The security cameras should be able to capture all the action.”
“So you want me to have…a threesome with them? Is that why you introduced me to them?”
It sounded outrageous and yet, Elsa could not think of any other way to accomplish what her brother was asking of her.
Eric nodded, squeezing her hand. “I know it’s a lot to ask. But I really need a first-place finish soon or I might get fired. You don’t want that, do you?”
Elsa shook her head. Still, for her to have a threesome with two famous race car drivers and try to expose their secret? It was a big challenge.
“Please? Won’t you do it for me?”
Elsa looked at him, seeing the plea in his eyes, as well as the pain, the desperation. He didn’t want to do this but he had no choice. This was his only hope. She was his only hope. How could she refuse him in his hour of need after all that he had done for her?
“Fine,” she told him. “I’ll do it for you.”
Eric hugged her. “Thanks, sis. I knew I could count on you.”
Elsa hugged him back, smiling at the words. Indeed, it was her turn to show her brother that he could rely on her, too, her turn to help him out. She was his sister, after all, and it was the least she could do to repay him for all the help, care and support he had been giving her through the years.
Surely, compared to all that, a date was not too much to ask.
“You’re going on a date with Caleb Johnson and Steve Fleming?” Elsa’s best friend, Wanda, asked with eyes wide.
The two of them were at a fashion outlet center, Elsa having asked Wanda to help her shop for a dress for her date.
“Shh.” Elsa put a finger to her lips then quickly looked around, sighing relief when she realized that no one had heard what Wanda had said. “Keep it down, will you?”
Wanda covered her mouth. “Sorry.”
“Besides, how do you even know them?” Elsa took out a blue dress from the rack. “I thought you didn’t like watching sports channels.”
“I saw them on a talk show once,” Wanda explained. “I couldn’t help but stare at the screen. They are so hot.”
Elsa raised an eyebrow. “I thought you didn’t like jocks.”
“They’re race car drivers,” Wanda pointed out. “So they belong to a different breed.”
Elsa rolled her eyes. “Whatever.”
“You are so lucky.” Wanda hugged her arm.
“It’s my brother who set me up.”
“That’s why you’re lucky. You have a race car driver for a brother.”
That Elsa couldn’t deny. In many ways, Eric was the best brother one could ask for, which was why she couldn’t turn down his request.
“Wait a sec. I can understand how Eric could have set you up but why with two of them? Correct me if I’m wrong but I thought a date usually just involves one girl and one guy.”
Elsa paused, only realizing Wanda’s point now. Of course, it was strange. Of course, people would wonder. As much as Elsa hated keeping secrets from her best friend, though, she couldn’t bring herself to explain the
reason behind it. The fact that she had agreed to Eric’s plot didn’t mean it was right, after all.
“He said they both like me,” Elsa said simply. “And so they both want to get to know me. So why not go out with both of them at the same time?”
“So they’re rivals not just on the race track but also in love, huh?”
Rivals and lovers, Elsa thought to herself.
Wanda sighed. “I’m so jealous of you right now.”
“Don’t let your boyfriend hear you say that or he’d be jealous, too,” Elsa warned.
Wanda frowned.
“Oh, stop sulking.” She touched her friend’s arm. “I’ll treat you to some gelato later.”
The corners of Wanda’s mouth quickly turned up into a smile. Their love of food was one of the things they had in common, which was probably why they were both plump.
“But first, we have to find a dress,” Elsa reminded.
As she looked around, a floral dress caught her eye and she grabbed it, holding it in front of her.
“How does this look?”
Wanda nodded in approval. “Perfect.”
“I think so, too.” She looked at the tag. “Oh. And it’s just my size.”
That was a stroke of luck for a plus-sized woman like her.
“Then go try it on,” Wanda urged. “I’m sure Ca…I mean your dates will love it.”
Elsa shrugged. She supposed she would find out tonight.
Chapter 4
“Nice dress,” Caleb complimented just moments after he arrived at the restaurant. “It looks good on you.”
“Thanks.” Elsa smiled, glad he approved.
Then again, she had checked her reflection in the mirror several times before she left her apartment so she was sure she looked smashing, the neckline of the black floral dress dipping just low enough to give a glimpse of the top of her breasts. She had worn a stone bleached denim jacket over it to make it more stylish, too, and paired it with sexy, red platform sandals. Her brown hair, made more lustrous by an expensive salon treatment, flowed past her shoulders, her skin smoother from a luxurious bath and her nails coated in glossy red. All in all, she was all dolled up for the ultimate date.
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