Page 62 of Thick

“That’d be fun.”

“I like your dress,” she said. “It’s cute.”

“It’s a LuLaRoe. I’ve got dozens of them. They hide what I want to hide.”

“No need to hide anything with these guys,” she said. “They’re as genuine as it gets, and that’s all they’ll expect of you. If you stick around, you’ll see what I mean.”

I glanced at the men as they laughed at Pee Bee’s story. He offered a boyish grin and then leaned against the building. To many, they were an outlaw motorcycle gang, and a threat to society.

To me, they were simply the men of the books I’d read.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Tate

Bobbi and I had talked to each other every day for several months, but in many respects I felt like I’d just met her. Our previous conversations weren’t forced, but they weren’t leisurely, either. Now that I was out of prison, seeing her was a far more enjoyable occasion. Being at a swanky steakhouse with a candle between us didn’t hurt matters, that was for sure.

She spent a moment looking at the menu, and then picked up her phone. After setting the phone aside, she went back to the menu, only to pick her phone up again. I imagined her messaging her father, explaining how I wasn’t the savage that he suspected I’d be.

After another scan of the menu, she picked up her phone.

Maybe I was wrong. It very well might have been the opposite. She might have been describing what a terrible time she was having on our first date.

I leaned forward. “Is everything okay?”

“I’m sorry,” she said, flipping her blond curls over her shoulder. “This is embarrassing.”

I suspected she was going to tell me that her cat was sick with the flu or that her grandmother had broken her hip. Something that would let her sneak away without telling me what the real problem was.

“What is it?” I asked.

“Weight Watchers. I’ve got to check and see what each item on the menu has for a points value. Everything looks so good, and I don’t want to overdo it.” She set her phone aside. “I’m sorry. I’ll just get the chicken. It’s always a safe bet.”

I looked at her in disbelief. “You’re on a diet?”

“I am.” Her gaze fell to the table.

“Don’t know why,” I said. “You look fantastic.”

“Thank you.” She pushed the menu aside and then looked at me. “But, if I wasn’t on a diet, I’d be twice this size.”

I shrugged. “Okay by me, either way.”

“It doesn’t bother you?”

“What?”

She waved her hands toward her torso. “That I look like this.”

I took a moment to look her over. She looked breathtaking in the black dress she was wearing. Her curves were in all the right places. Being in her presence made me feel fortunate.

“You look like what? Beautiful? Personally, I think you’re one of the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. Hell, ever will see for that matter. I’m not sure what’s supposed to bother me.”

Her mouth curled into a grin. “You’re sweet.”

I gestured toward the menu. “What were you thinking about getting?”

She picked it up, glanced at it, and then peered over the top. “The shrimp scampi. The chicken marsala. The filet with the wine reduction sauce. They all sound so good.”