Reunion (Plus Size Loving): BBW Erotic Romance (2 page)

There shouldn’t have been
anything special about her. Though her brown hair gleamed in the sunlight and
had a slight curl to it, it was fairly ordinary. She was a bit on the chubby
side, with rounded cheeks and a thicker waistline than most of the other girls
he hung around—but she also some nice curves. If it were anyone else, he
wouldn’t have given
them
a second thought.

But this was Melissa.
His childhood friend.
In many ways she was much more real to
her than the popular cliques of girls always flirting with him, always vying to
see who would be the next to get on his arm, to make out with him in the back
of a crowded movie theater, to be the center of attention at school dances.
Melissa had never cared about any of that. She had always been content to be
herself.

She looked up to see him staring
at her, and their eyes locked for a moment. Her grey eyes always seemed to have
something indefinable in them, something he couldn’t put his finger on, but it
called out to him. It amazed him every time that even after all this time he
still wanted her.

But rather than blush and
giggle, or give him a smoky, suggestive look as most of the other girls did,
she simply gave him a small smile and went back to what she was doing.

As if they were mere
acquaintances, rather than two people who had once known each other as well as
the back of their hands. He wasn’t sure when it had happened, but sometime
during the tail end of Junior High they had drifted apart. He had become a
football star and had been accepted into the clique of the jocks, the popular.
Admittedly it was a place he felt right at home in—he wasn’t much for
subterfuge or singling people out or anything like that, but he got along well
enough with just about everyone, and being at the center of attention very
rarely bothered him. It was just all water of a duck’s back to him, as long as
he was having fun.

He considered stopping next to
her locker to say hi, then thought better of it. It was obvious to him that she
had moved on from that chapter in their lives. It was time for him to do the
same.

With a little sigh, he walked
right past her, and melted into the moving crowds.

The
memory faded, and Scott stared off into the distance. He wondered if Melissa’s
favorite flavor was still mint-chocolate chip, and if she still considered Johnny
Depp a heartthrob, and if she’d ever gotten over her fear of roller coasters.
Would she still remember him if she saw him? And if she did, what would she
say? Would she welcome him with open arms? Or simply give him a smile and dismiss
him as she’d done before?

“Oh,
stop waffling,” he muttered to himself. He knew he wanted to see Melissa again
regardless of the reception she gave him. It was simply not possible for him to
deny it. Since he’d left high school and had resigned himself to not having
her, he had been looking for in the women he dated that spark in her eyes, that
indefinable quality that so drew her to him. He had never found it, and was
beginning to suspect he never would.

This
would be his chance to see if anything could ever come of his attraction to
her. And even if it didn’t, at least he would see her again. That was enough
for him.

He
pressed a button on his phone and instructed his secretary to send an RSVP for
him.

****

Melissa
parked her Nissan Sentra on the street, two blocks from The Fork—a café
that had long since stood as a prime hangout for teenagers attending Rochester
High. It had been decided by the Committee putting together the reunion that it
would be held there, and from what she understood when she had called to RSVP,
it had been closed to the public for the night. They were to have it completely
to themselves.

“This
is going to be so fun,” Annie said, practically skipping along the sidewalk.
Melissa had no idea how she managed it in three inch heels. “I can feel the
excitement in the air!”

Melissa
couldn’t help but grin at her enthusiasm. The butterflies in her stomach
settled slightly. “I sure hope so.”

They
were met at the front door by one of the Committee members with a clipboard
wedged tightly against her chest. Melissa was surprised to find out it was
Sarah, one of her old high school friends.

“Melissa!”
she squealed, enveloping her in a hug, clipboard and all. “So glad you could
make it! Come on inside. We’ve got some great food.”

She
was given a nametag with her yearbook picture attached to the bottom so that
others would be able to recognize her more easily.

Smiling
at the younger version of
herself
, her hair pinned up
in a banana clip, and dark blue eye shadow highlighted by thick black mascara.

“Wow.”
Annie
giggle
. “You sure had the whole bad girl rock
thing going on.” She winked as she watched Melissa pin her nametag onto the
breast of her blouse. Melissa had wanted to wear something that would make her
stand out, so she’d paired the top with red hoops earrings and matching flats.
To soften the look she’d added black leggings. Her hair had been curled into
ringlets and framed her face softly. Annie had insisted on doing her makeup,
giving her lashes extra length, her cheeks a gentle blush, and making her lips
appear even plumper than normal.

The
lights inside the café were dim, just the way she remembered it. Lamps set on
small tables scattered between leather couches and chairs added to the
illumination provided by the wall sconces, the bar and the stage, so that one
could see well enough to know where everything was, but not so clearly
everything could be picked out at a distance. A Fleetwood Mac tribute band was
onstage, warming up. Already a good number of people were inside, many of whom
she recognized without having to look at
their
name
tags.

“Let’s
go and get something to drink,” Annie said, pushing Melissa toward the
barstools.

“They
don’t serve alcohol here, you know.”

“Oh?
Then why is the bartender pouring that guy a shot of vodka?”

Melissa
blinked. Sure enough, the bartender was pouring Grey Goose into a shot glass.
Looking around, she saw margaritas, mojitos and beers being held aloft as
people chattered and drank.

“I
guess they’ve changed things up for the night.”

“I’m
certainly not complaining.” Annie quickly hopped up on one of the stools and
ordered a Corona. Melissa joined her and asked for a White Russian. She sipped
at the creamy drink as she looked around.

Various
people recognized her—some old friends, some she hardly remembered, and
even some from the popular cliques paused to say hello. They asked how she’d
been, what she was doing now, and who her friend was.

Suddenly,
they heard a voice above the crowd. “Hey, well look who’s here!”

Heads
swiveled, and the crowd shifted to allow him entry. Melissa’s heart pounded as
Scott Parker stepped in, the fading sunlight backlighting his muscular,
six-foot two
frame
. He flashed a smile at the crowd of
people that came up to greet him with slaps on the back and offers to buy him drinks.

“How
the hell are
ya
?” Brad, one of the former linebackers
asked. From the conversation she’d had with him earlier she knew he’d gone on
to play professionally.

“And
what have you been up to?” Jenny, one of the popular girls, asked him, her
eyelids batting heavily.
Some things
never change.

“I
heard you’d gone off to Harvard and then built up some billion-dollar
advertising company,” someone else said, plucking at his sleeve.

“Close
your mouth, honey,” Annie said, playfully tapping a finger underneath Melissa’s
chin. Chagrined, she did as asked. “I’m guessing that’s your guy?”

“That’s
him.” Melissa sighed. “And he’s even better looking now than he was back then.”

Suddenly,
his eyes swung in her direction, and they locked gazes across the room. Melissa
forgot to breathe as those arresting green eyes held her as if they’d never let
her go.

****

Scott
was swarmed with greetings as soon as he entered the room. He grinned and
laughed and returned handshakes and answered questions, but his eyes flitted around
the room, looking for Melissa. She was the one he’d come to see. He wondered if
she had even come at all. He remembered that she didn’t always like parties—certainly
she’d missed quite a few school dances. He knew because he always looked for
her.

His
eyes alighted on a woman sitting at the bar. She was absolutely stunning, with
curly brown hair, dressed in a flowing top and leggings that accentuated her
curvy figure. When her grey eyes locked with his, a jolt rooted him to the
ground.
Melissa.

Ignoring
the questions and chatter surrounding him, he made his way through the crowd,
heading straight for her. Her eyes widened and a blush spread across her round
cheeks—not the indifference he had feared. A grin overtook him
helplessly.

“Hello,
Melissa,” he smiled, plopping down on the bar stool next to her. “It’s sure been
a long time.”

She
gave him a warm smile. “Scott!” She turned to her friend. “Annie, this is
Scott. We grew up together. Scott, this is Annie, my best friend.”

Annie
extended a graceful hand toward him. From the gleam in her eye he had a feeling
she’d already known who he was. Interesting. So Annie had talked about him to
her. Did that mean she still thought about him as he thought about her?

“A
pleasure to meet you, Scott.” They shook,
then
she
returned her hand to her beer bottle and took a swig.

“Likewise.”
He turned back to Melissa. “I was hoping you would be here.”

“You
were?” She blinked.

“Yeah.”
He stopped himself from charging in and telling her he couldn’t stop thinking
about her—he didn’t want to be too forward and scare her off. “We grew up
together. Why wouldn’t I want to see you?”

“Oh,
yes.” Melissa smiled as her heart sank in disappointment. She’d been secretly harboring
some foolish notion that he might sweep her off her feet and carry her off into
the night. Just like the fairy tale. And she thought Annie was the foolish
romantic.

“Well
it’s really great to see you again. It looks like you’ve survived these last
ten years quite well. You haven’t aged a bit.”

He
laughed. “You’re too kind. You,
however look fantastic. So, what have you been up to all of these years?”

“Annie
and I both work in the marketing department of a publishing house.”

He
sat back. “Really? Good for you! It
sounds exciting.”

“It
is,” Melissa grinned. “I’m heading up concept design, and Annie is one who works
on promotions.”

They
slipped into conversation, and Melissa was surprised at how easy it was to talk
to him. It was as if they hadn’t lost touch for so many years. She couldn’t
help but notice how age had only refined him, like a fine wine—his
features were more rugged, his shiny blond hair a bit darker, his green eyes
less wholesome with a sensual gleam that only heightened her awareness of him.
He had a day’s growth of beard on his face that only added to his masculinity.

The
band started up with Tusk to resounding cheers, and people started moving to
the dance floor. Scott held his
hand out to her.

“Care
to dance?”

She
stared up at him with wide eyes, her heart pounding. Scott had never asked her
to dance before. Unable to help herself, she grinned. He had no idea how long
she had waited for him to ask her, so many years ago. The number of times that she had
carefully gotten ready for a school dance, hopeful that he’d ask her to dance,
only to find him distracted by friends or other girls, well, it was the very
reason she stopped attending in the first place.

“I’d
love to.”

He
took her hand and led her out onto the dance floor. The beat was wild and
demanded that people dance accordingly—they whirled and spun through the
crowd, feet flying. She lost herself in the music, in the sheer fun as they
moved, changing hands with other partners constantly, but always coming back to
meet again. The band was amazing, including the vocalist, who captured the pitch
of the song perfectly. It had been one of her favorites growing up—she
still had the album, she thought.

All
too soon it was over, giving way to a more mellow, slow song. Scott took her in
his arms, one hand on her waist, the other clasping her hand. He smiled at her,
not a polite smile that a friend or an acquaintance might give, but the kind of
smile a man might give a woman he that has captured him. That deep long, the sudden pause in the
way he held her, and the tightness of his warm hand cupped over hers was enough
to steal her breath away and Melissa struggled to regain her composure.

“It’s
been so long. I almost can’t believe we’re standing here together.” There was a
note of wonder in his voice.

“What
do you mean?” She didn’t expect any of this from him, and was caught off guard.