Perfect Curves

by Lanee Lane

  "Alright, I'll go."

  "You will?" His eyes were bright, and that smile got even bigger.

  I nodded my head in confirmation. Before I knew what was happening, he had my body in a tight embrace and my feet were several inches off of the ground. My hands went to his shoulders. He placed several light kisses on my mouth.

  "I was so nervous to ask you. I felt like a sixteen-year-old boy asking the head cheerleader to prom."

  I laughed at that. "I'm far from the head cheerleader, bud."

  He placed me back on the ground but still held me in his arms. His eyes were locked on mine.

  "No, you're better than anything I ever expected."

  I removed my hands from his shoulders. "We better get back. I have to work in the morning."

  "Yeah, ok," he said releasing me from his hold. We walked back to my place in silence.

  I called Noel that night and let her know about the ball. She insisted that we had to go and shop for dresses. I wasn't particularly happy about buying a new dress and tried to persuade her into agreeing that I had something in my closet that would do the trick. She wasn't buying it and gave me the time and location to meet for our shopping extravaganza.

  Since we had such a short time frame to get our shopping done between work and life, we decided to take a half day at our jobs the Friday before the ball. Noel insisted the short time frame would force me to choose something. She said otherwise I'd be too wishy-washy. Dang her for knowing me so well.

  We went to several big name department stores with no luck before trying a local boutique that a friend from Noel's job told her about. They specialized in plus-size clothing and according to her co-worker the women that worked there really had great eyes for fashion.

  "Hi ladies, welcome to Finesse & Flare. My name's Mel. Is there anything I can help you find?"

  The woman that greeted us was beautiful. Her body was full figure much like my own. Her smile was kind and inviting. I immediately felt at ease with her.

  "I need a dress."

  "You've stopped at the right place then. What's the occasion?"

  "It's a ball, so I guess I'm looking for something more formal."

  The other woman clapped her hands together and smiled at me like I'd just told her she won the lottery.

  "Awesome, formal gowns are some of my favorite things to shop for. We just got a few new ones in this week. Do you have a particular style or color you're looking for?"

  "No, I just want something that I'm comfortable in."

  Noel, my oh so helpful best friend piped in. "She needs something that shows off the twins. Maybe something that also hugs her booty. She has a man that needs to know how good he could have it."

  I shot Noel a glare, but she just smiled at Mel.

  "Oh yay, I'm excited. I have a few dresses that I think will look wonderful on you. That man will have heart palpitations when he sees you by the time we're done."

  The sales associate brought out five dresses for me to start out with. The first two were absolute nos. I looked like a sack of potatoes in the first one. The second one was too tight for my comfort although Noel argued that it was perfect.

  "Try the purple one on next. I've always thought you looked great in purple."

  I looked at the dress Noel wanted me to try on. It didn't look like it would fit. I was sure that it would be too tight and my boobs would be spilling over. She wouldn't shut-up unless I tried it on, so I hauled it into the dressing room, set on getting it over with quickly.

  I pulled the dress up over my hips and slid the straps over my arms. I reached back and zipped it as much as I could but I needed help to get it the rest of the way. I looked at my reflection in the mirror before exiting the fitting room. I was shocked by what I saw. The deep purple was fitting for my skin tone. The straps were gold and went up and around my neck and criss crossed in the back. The back of the dress dipped to mid back exposing a portion of my upper back.

  "What's taking so long," Noel said from the other side of the curtain. Before I could answer she pulled back the curtain and appeared behind me in the small fitting room.

  "Penny, that is the dress. You look beautiful."

  "You think so?"

  "Psh, I know so. Reed is going to want to jump your bones as soon as you open the door."

  We exited the dressing room to see what Mel thought of the dress.

  "You look lovely. I think Noel is right, this is the dress. Hold on just a second."

  I twirled in the mirror trying to see the dress from all angles. In just a few minutes Mel returned with a shoe box and some earrings.

  "Here, try these on."

  Both the shoes and the earrings were a perfect addition to the dress.

  "Okay, I guess I'll take it all." I mentally tried to calculate how much this was going to set me back.

  Mel’s excitement matched Noel’s "I'm so excited for you. You are definitely going to be the bell of the ball."

  When we went to pay Noel pulled a card out of her purse.

  "You can't pay for my things," I said pulling out my own.

  "I'm not, Reed is. This shopping spree is in him."

  My mouth dropped open at that admission. "What? How?"

  "I still go to that gym silly. He stopped me the other day when he found out I was going with you to shop. He gave me his card and told me to make sure you got everything you needed. You don't argue with a man that gives you his credit card sweetie."

  "I can't let him do that."

  "Oh you can, and you will." She handed the card over to Mel who happily swiped the card.

  "She's right if a man wants to treat you let him. My fiance spoils me and I sure do let him."

  We walked out of the store with my gown and accessories in hand. I still couldn't believe that Reed had footed the bill. The dress wasn't cheap either.

  Noel interrupted my thoughts with what she saw as far more pressing matters."So, now that that's over. Do you want to have dinner on Reed's dime?"

  Ever the opportunist.

  Slow Dance -Reed

  I unlocked the door to my house. I'd been at the gym since seven a.m. helping prepare for the ball. The gym really went all out for the event, but after all, it wasn't just a celebration. The gym was using their ten-year celebration ball as a fundraiser. The members of the gym were able to donate different tiers of money to participate in the ball. All proceeds were going to Healthy Heart Beats, an organization that raised awareness about heart disease and prevention.

  I only had an hour and a half to get ready and get over to pick Penny up. I couldn't shake the anxious feeling that had been plaguing me since I woke up that morning. This was more than a ball to me and my mind wouldn't let me forget it.

  I made quick work of showering. I added product to my hair and styled it in a way I'd seen some of the guys in GQ magazine do. I'd sprung for a new suit and a purple tie. Noel told me the color of Penny's dress so we could match. I gave myself a once over in the mirror and noticed the hint of a smile was there. I was taking Penny, my love, to the ball. I was a lucky bastard and I knew it.

  Standing in front of Penelope's door I straightened my tie. I brought my hand up to my hair to be sure that it was still in place. Really, I was wasting time. My nerves were at an all-time high. Reaching my hand up I knocked before I had any more time to sit and contemplate. There were footsteps scurrying around on the other side of the door. Then the door was being opened and my breath was stolen.

  My heart didn't know what hit it. Penny's curves were covered in a purple dress that hugged her in all the right places. Her hair was straight and flowing past her shoulder blades. Her eyes were accentuated by the makeup she'd chosen to wear. She was beautiful.

  "Hey, everything ok?" I heard her say.

  I blinked my eyes to clear my mind enough to answer. "Y-yeah, everything's great. More than great. You look so gorgeous."

  She looked up at me through thick lashes and said, "Thank you. You look very handsome as well."


  I stepped toward her needing to touch her. I bent down to place a kiss on her cheek. To my surprise, she turned her head and my lips landed on hers. Unable to stop myself I deepened the kiss. She wrapped her hands around my waist and hugged me to her body. Just as quickly as it started it was over. She pulled back and looked up at me.

  "We better get going. Let me grab my bag."

  A few seconds later she returned bag in tow. She locked up, and I escorted her to my car.

  When we arrived at the ball, there were already quite a few people there. I offered her my elbow and led her into the building. Penelope gasped when she took in the gym that had been turned into a ballroom. Her eyes darted around the space taking it all in.

  "Wow, they really transformed this space. I can't believe they were able to do all of this with a gym."

  "Trust me, it took hours. I was here at seven a.m. helping set stuff up."

  Penelope turned toward me and placed her hands on my chest.

  "Well, you did a fabulous job. Maybe you have a future career in party planning?" She giggled at that.

  "Heck no, the lady who coordinated most of this was running around like a mad woman barking orders saying that everything had to be perfect. Too much stress. I was mostly here for the heavy lifting." I said winking at her.

  "I bet you were."

  Most everyone had drinks in their hands and were mingling. There were trays with Hors d’oeuvres going around.

  "Would you like to get a drink?" I leaned down and asked in her ear. I felt a subtle shiver run through her body.

  "Sure."

  I grabbed her hand and led her to the bar.

  "What would you like, sweetheart?"

  "I'll take a glass of wine, please."

  We walked around and spoke with some of my coworkers and clients until dinner started. We sat at a table full of my co-workers. Penelope fit right in. She was animated when speaking with some of them about their websites and ideas they could incorporate. She even gave a few of them her business cards and bagged them as potential clients.

  After the dinner plates were cleared, music began to play over the speakers that had been set up around the gym. It sounded like a slow folk song. I didn't care what it was just that it was slow. Penelope was in the middle of a conversation with one of the female trainers at the gym when I lightly grabbed her hand. She looked over her shoulder at me and smiled.

  "Would you like to dance?"

  Her smile widened, and she nodded her head yes. She turned back to the other woman to let her know she was going to dance, and that it was a pleasure to speak to her. Then she turned back to me. I helped her from her chair and guided her to the dance floor. She placed her hands on my shoulders as I wrapped my arms around her waist.

  She rested her head against my chest as we swayed to the music When I looked down at her, her eyes were closed. She looked peaceful. Like that was the only place she wanted to be. I wanted her to always feel that way with me from now until forever. I loved her more than I knew was possible.

  I rested my head on top of hers enjoying the smell of her.

  "I love you," I whispered.

  We stayed like that in each other's arms swaying to the music. For just a while it felt like we were in our own little world. There were no outside problems or interferences. Just the two of us, together.

  Far too quickly the music died down and someone started speaking over the microphone. My heart started beating quickly in my chest. I counted slowly to ten and then back down to on in an attempt to calm my nerves. This was the portion of the night where the top donors would be recognized and speeches would be given. That also meant it was almost my turn. I'd prepared over and over in my head but that didn't change the fact that I was scared out of my mind.

  We took our seats and listened to the line of speakers. The fundraiser was a success and a nice amount of donations had been raised. I zoned out for much of the speeches. I was too distracted by my own speech to focus on anything else. Penny reached over to start rubbing my back and asked if I was ok. She must have sensed my anxiety. I gave her a weak smile and a nodded.

  "Next we have a word from one of our personal trainers here at the gym, Reed Colston."

  Hearing my name pulled me from my thoughts. I looked at Penny and she quirked an eyebrow at me. I mouthed I love you to her before getting up and going to the podium. I focused on taking slow and steady breaths as I approached. This would by far be the most important speech of my life.

  My Forever

  My eyes followed Reed as he made his way to the front. He hadn't mentioned being a speaker, but maybe it wasn't a big deal since he was an employee. There was a slight sheen on his forehead. Maybe he didn’t like public speaking. I didn't take him for the type to be afraid to talk in front of people considering he instructed fitness classes.

  The microphone screeched when Reed adjusted it to his height, he winced. His eyes landed on me and he smiled before starting his speech.

  "Hello everyone, my name's Reed. It's great to see you all here to celebrate our ten-year anniversary, but also such a great cause. At our gym, we focus on more than weight-loss and physiques. We focus on helping people live healthier lifestyles."

  Reed took a sip of the bottle of water that was given to him at the beginning of the speech.

  "This year I had the opportunity to help someone very special. When I met this client, I knew that she was different. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate all my clients and put my best foot forward when it comes to helping them. It's just this particular client captivated me from the first time I saw her. She was the most beautiful woman I'd ever set eyes on. So much so that for the first time I risked my professional integrity and gave her my number."

  Reed's eyes bore into mine. I couldn't blink, couldn't think, I wasn't even sure how I was breathing.

  "That client turned into more than that. She turned into my best friend, my confidant, the best thing that ever happened to me. My love."

  Reed broke eye contact with me and looked down on the ground. His shoulder slumped as he continued.

  "Being a stupid man, I pushed her away. I didn't trust her when she was truly one of the few people in the world that were looking out for me and wanted what was best for me. She only ever wanted me to be safe and happy. I was too blinded by my insecurities and past to see it and I pushed her away."

  The room was silent. The room was hanging on his every word just as much as I was. His coworkers kept glancing at me gauging my reaction. Mine had to be a mix of shock and bewilderment. This was certainly not the speech I had been expecting.

  "Then by the higher powers that be or by some miracle, she agreed to spend time with me as friends again. I've even been so lucky that she agreed to join me at this ball tonight. Penelope, I hate to put you on the spot, but can you please come up here a second?"

  One of the girls that Reed worked with nudged me because apparently, my feet had decided they didn't know how to move. I shook my head no, not wanting all that attention on me, but he made a 'come here' gesture with his hands. He looked vulnerable. A man came over and took my elbow helping me up and escorting me to the podium.

  When we reached the front Reed reached his hand out to me. My hand was trembling as I placed it in his. His smile was so sweet. I was too nervous to return it. I chanced a glance around the room and all eyes were on us. I wouldn't consider myself a shy person, but all those eyes on us had my legs feeling weak. Reed turned his whole body to face me.

  "Penelope I was a complete idiot. I chose to ignore your affection and kindness. I was too blinded by pain and the need to save someone that wasn't ready to be saved. In the process, I hurt you. You are the first woman I've ever opened up to about my past. You are the first woman that I've ever imagined what my future could be like with. You are the first woman I've truly allowed myself to love. I know sorry isn't enough to make up for the hurt I caused you, but I am so sorry. I'm committed to spending each and every day showing you how sorry I am and
how much I love you. How much I really need you."

  The emotions of the whole situation took over. I hated crying in front of people, but the tears were flowing freely. Someone placed a tissue in my free hand. I dabbed at my eyes knowing it was no use.

  "I know that I said I'd try to just be your friend, but I can't do that anymore. I want to be your lover, your friend, your everything. Penelope, I know I don't deserve it but please give me another chance to prove my devotion to us."

  Reed placed the microphone back on the podium. He grabbed my free hand with his and pulled me into him.

  "Do you think you can ever forgive me Penny and move forward together?"

  I buried my head into his chest overwhelmed by emotions. I did love him so much. He'd hurt me, but unlike Alec, he thought he was doing what was right for his family. Alec had just been a jerk that wanted his cake and to eat it too. The time we were apart had truly sucked. No matter how much I tried to get him out of my system he was still always there. I imagined he always would be.

  I nodded my head against his chest. His hands captured the sides of my face and he lifted my face to look at his.

  "Is that a yes?"

  "Yes," I replied barely able to get the word out.

  His arms encased my body, and he began to kiss me as he spun me around. Much to my surprise, I giggled. When he placed me firmly back on the ground, his smile was magnificent.

  "I love you so much, Penny. Thank you so much for not giving up on me. You are the single greatest gift that has ever come into my life. I'm so thankful for you."

  "I love you too Reed. Don't blow it this time. I'll be holding you to your word."

  "I'd expect nothing less. Let's get out of here, yeah?"

  "Don't you need to stay until the end since it's your work event?"

  He dipped his forehead to touch mine.

  "Somehow I think they will understand if I leave early."

  “Good, because I’m done being the center of attention for one day. I should have made you sweat before giving you my answer after that stunt you just pulled.”