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Mr. Peters arrived, and Andy took him through to the consultant room.
Aria made a quick dash to the staff room. The fridge looked appealing, but she wasn’t going to just eat anything. She hadn’t taken time for breakfast. How was she going to lose weight when she constantly thought about food? There was no way for her to survive without food.
She grabbed her cell phone from her back pocket, did a quick search, and poured herself another black coffee. There was not much time for her to read, as the phone began to ring and customers arrived for their appointments. Phil made it in an hour later. He didn’t look like he’d been awake all night, but the moment he entered, he greeted her and got stuck in. There was no lull until lunchtime.
Phil and Andy always insisted she take an hour for lunch, so she headed into town toward the diner. Carl and Beatrice were a lovely pair who ran the diner. The food was always to die for. Stepping inside, the guilt ate at her. She would have loved a cheeseburger with fries, but the calories were already adding up.
She stepped up to the counter, ordered a plain salad, no dressing, and a black coffee again, then quickly changed it to water. She took a seat at the back of the diner. It was already busy, so finding a small table was a miracle.
Pulling out her cell phone again, she began to read through the websites on losing weight. Cutting out all fats and carbs was the answer. Drinking more water. Eating fiber and grains. More exercise. The list went on and on. She knew there was a gym in town. Her mother had purchased a year’s subscription for her, which she could use at any time. It was at the back of her purse. All she had to do to activate it was to go in and use it.
Beatrice brought over her salad. “Hey, sweetie,” she said.
“Hi, Beatrice.”
“Are you okay?” the other woman asked.
Aria smiled. “Yes, thank you. Did you have a good Halloween?”
“Business was booming. I don’t mean to pry but it’s not like you to order a salad.”
Glancing down at her plate, she avoided wrinkling her nose. “I’m not very hungry today.” The lie fell easily from her lips. She was starving.
“Ah, okay. Well, I’ll let you enjoy it.”
Aria nodded and watched Beatrice go.
She hated salad. Another meal she was going to have to love. Leafy vegetables, salads, they were everything she needed to eat.
All the diets she’d been on before were because of her mother. Aria didn’t have a goal weight. She didn’t have any goals when it came to fitness. The truth was, all she wanted was for her mother and everyone to leave her alone. All her life, people had judged her because of her weight.
“You’d be so beautiful if you just lost some weight.”
“It’s a shame you’re so … big.”
Picking up her fork, she stabbed it through the leaves and then shoved it into her mouth. Was it so wrong for her to be happy being herself? Yes, she knew she was big, but she was happy.
No!She yelled at herself inside her head. This was the problem. This was why her mother was the way she was, why people like Sean did what they did.
There was no excuse.
She couldn’t be happy with herself. That was the problem. Her body was the issue.
Her body was disgusting. She had to stop thinking how happy she was with herself. Something had to change.
Aria looked down at her plate, and when she couldn’t eat another piece of leafy lettuce, she got up and carried her used plates to the counter. She thanked Beatrice, as she had already paid her bill. She left the diner and stepped out into the cold.
The gym wasn’t too far from the diner. She had to wonder if there was a reason they had placed the gym there. Enjoy Carl’s amazing food, step out, and see the guilt sign that if you don’t do something, you’ll be gaining pounds.
Aria walked down the street, and she had already seen the sign.
She opened her bag, pulled out her purse, and found the gift card for the gym. One year of membership already paid for. This was the gift her mother had been excited about. The moment she stepped through those doors, she’d be making her mother happy.
She thought about those wedding photos, as well as Sean’s cruel comments. The only way for this to work was if she took that giant step. Going to work out. Exercise.
Nibbling her lip, she looked at the gym, and then stepped inside the building. She expected to step inside the doors and have people point at her and laugh. Instead, there was no one around.
There was a main reception desk with a man at the front. He was on the phone. He looked up as she entered and any chance of escaping disappeared. She made her way toward the main desk and waited. He held up a hand. She saw his badge read “Jase,” and she waited.
