Reunion (Plus Size Loving): BBW Erotic Romance (3 page)

“Well…
I…” he shook his head. “I guess I just never really expected to see you again.
We haven’t really spent much time together since we were little kids, and after
high school we all went our separate ways. I know this is a reunion and
everything, I just… I really wasn’t sure you’d be here.”

“You
wanted to see me?” she asked, part of her hoping he’d say yes, the other part
of her cringing for even asking the question.

“Yes,”
he said quietly. “I miss the carefree relationship we had. You were the only
girl I ever felt I could just be myself around, without feeling like I had to
meet expectations or demands. Letting us drift apart in high school was the
worst mistake I’ve ever made.”

Melissa
stared up in astonishment. “Really?”

“Yes,
really.”

They
came close to the stage, and the light shining reflecting from his eyes allowed
her to see how vulnerable he felt. “I mean… I don’t expect you to feel the
same… but…”

She
silenced him with a finger to his lips. “I’ve had the same regret.”

They
just stood there, grinning for a moment, until another couple nearly rammed
into them and they were forced into motion again. As the song drew to a close
he led her off to a quiet side of the room, away from the prying eyes.

“Would
you like to go to dinner with me?” he asked, a slight hesitation in his eyes.
Him. Scott Parker.
Former high school football star and advertising
tycoon.
Nervous. The very notion was enough to make her grin again. “You
know, to catch up?”

“I’d
love to, Scott.”

“Do
you like Le Cirque?”

Melissa
laughed. “I wouldn’t know. Plebeians like me can’t afford to go to those kinds
of places.”

“Well
then it will be my pleasure to take you. How about tomorrow at six o’clock?”

Tomorrow
was Saturday, and she was sure the place would be packed. “Are you sure we can
get in?”

He
grinned. “They know me. Do you know how to get to The Palace?”

She
nodded—The Palace was a hotel on Madison Avenue. They exchanged numbers,
and then hesitantly parted ways, forced to mingle with others who were anxious
to reclaim their former friendship with the high school all-star.

A
smile came over her face when she found Annie sitting on one of the loveseats
next to Jason, one of the former jocks. By the looks of things she already had
him wrapped around her finger—Annie was a shameless flirt. Melissa wished
she had half her friend’s confidence around men.

“There
you are!” Annie jumped up, completely forgetting about Jason. Melissa thought
the man looked slightly put out. “I was wondering if you were ever going to
come back, or if you’d gotten lost in Scott’s arms.”

Melissa
blushed, pulling her off to the side and out of earshot of the other people in
the area. “He asked me out to dinner.”

“On
a date?” Annie squealed, so loudly that a few heads swiveled in their
direction. When they saw it was just two women gossiping, they turned around
again. Melissa was thankful this wasn’t high school—if it had been all
the girls who were now women would have converged, demanding to know what was
happening. Teen girls had thrived on gossip in her school.

“Well,
not exactly. He said that he wanted to catch up.”

“Oh,
pshaw,” Annie said, waving a hand. “He just wants to get you alone. Soon you
two will be all over each other.”

“Annie!”

“What,
you don’t want that?” she turned her head to look back at where Scott was
standing, near the bar, talking to another old classmate. “Because if you’re
not interested, I wouldn’t mind sinking my teeth into a piece of that fine,
prime—”

“Don’t
you dare,” Melissa growled. “He’s mine.”

Annie
laughed and patted her on the shoulder. “That’s my girl.”

They
spent the rest of the night mingling, and Melissa found she was actually
enjoying catching up with her old classmates. There were camera’s placed on
tables throughout the café so people could take candid shots of each other, and
Melissa found herself not only being the victim, but also snatching one up
several times to take photos of various people she knew, but also of Annie. She
even surreptitiously managed a few of Scott, when he thought she wasn’t
looking.

Actually,
she
stole
surreptitious glances at
him when she thought she could get away with it, and from the few times she
caught his eye she had the feeling he was doing the same thing. It gave her a
warm feeling inside that he could possibly be feeling the same way she did.
Maybe Annie was right, after all. Maybe he did have feelings for her beyond
just childhood friendship.

After
it was all over, and they were driving home, Annie asked, “So where is he
taking you?”

“Le Cirque, at The Palace.”

Annie
sat up straight. “Seriously? I don’t care what he says about ‘just catching
up’. This is definitely a date.”

Melissa
frowned. “I don’t know. I think he’s just used to the luxury lifestyle. He is a
billionaire, you know.”

Annie
shook her head. “Maybe, but from what I saw of him tonight he’s not really
afraid of slumming, either. If he just wanted to catch up he might’ve asked you
out for drinks or something. The fact that he’s asking you out to dinner, at a
very exclusive restaurant, tells me he’s in the mood for something special.”

Melissa
smiled at Annie’s suggestive eyebrow waggling. “I hope you’re right, and at the
same time the idea makes me incredibly nervous.”

“You
wouldn’t be human if you weren’t nervous,” Annie said. “It’s only natural.
We’re going shopping again tomorrow.”

Melissa
was taken aback at the abrupt change of topic. “But we just went shopping the
other day.”

Annie
arched an eyebrow. “You have something suitable to wear in an exclusive
restaurant at The Palace Hotel on a date with a billionaire who is probably
going to show up in a ten-thousand dollar suit?”

Melissa
thought back to her collection of sundresses hanging in her closet. “Well… no.”

“Then
we’re going shopping.”

***

A
limo pulled up outside Melissa’s apartment at exactly five o’clock. Scott had
texted her and told her he would be arranging transportation for her so that
she wouldn’t have to worry about fighting Manhattan traffic. Shaking her head
with a smile, she grabbed her purse and headed down the steps. She had thought
he might send a simple town car or something, not a full-sized stretch limo.

The
reason for the limo was immediately revealed the moment that she stepped inside
and saw Scott reclining on one of the seats, a glass of wine in hand. He
smiled, his eyes roaming appreciatively over her curvy body.

Annie
had helped her pick out her evening attire—she wore a dark red dress with
sparkling rhinestones studded in swirling patterns around the bodice and skirt.
The A-line cut flattered and slimmed her plus-sized frame, making her feel like
a princess. They’d matched the dress with a pair of faux ruby earrings and
ring. A real ruby pendant rested against her cleavage—it had been a gift
from her grandmother a long time ago. She’d rarely worn it, finding little use
for extravagant jewelry since she always dressed down, but was profoundly
thankful for the gift tonight—it went perfectly with what she was
wearing.

Annie
had insisted on helping her with her hair as well, curling it and then sweeping
it into an up-do, which she had secured with a variety of pins. Each one had a
rhinestone or a faux ruby on the end so that her hair seemed to glitter with
jewels. Her makeup was flawless. It almost disguised the fact that without the
glitz and glamour, she was just a Plain Jane.

Almost.

“Wow.
You look stunning,” Scott whispered, as she sat down in the seat opposite him.

“Thank
you.” She smiled, feeling suddenly awkward. “You look very handsome in that
suit.”

He
wore a grey two-piece with a matching tie—probably Armani or Calvin
Klein. His blond hair was swept neatly off to the side so as not to detract
from his startling green eyes or his chiseled, masculine features.

“You
know, you didn’t have to go through all this trouble for me.”

He
arched a brow. “Taking you out to dinner is nothing but a pleasure. I’ve been anxious
to see you all day.”

She
didn’t know what to say—the idea of him taking an interest in her
romantically was somehow too much to comprehend, even if it had been a fantasy
for many years.

They
rode mostly in silence, a tension growing between them. Melissa realized from
the glances he sent her way that it was sexual tension—neither of them
could help but notice the affect they had on one another.

The
limo arrived at their destination, and Melissa stepped out onto the sidewalk.
From the outside, The Palace didn’t look so much like its namesake as it
resembled some old-world mansion, perhaps like the one in The Secret Garden.
The entrance was guarded by an iron-wrought and stone gate, and directly beyond
towered two tall pines dressed up with white Christmas lights that stayed there
year-round.

To
stand beyond the gates was like standing in a square—you were surrounded
on all three sides by the Palace’s walls, with the eyes of its arched windows
staring down at you. The lamps lighting up the square threw warm light on
the stonewalls
so that they appeared welcome, rather than
threatening.

Inside
was a different matter. They were greeted warmly by lemon-yellow walls, red and
gold carpeting, honey-oak furniture and palm fronds. Scott led her past the
check-in desk and into the restaurant, where they were seated at a small round
table next to soaring windows providing a spectacular view of the city.

They
started off with lobster risotto and
foie
gras
accompanied with a white wine. Scott smiled at the
flush of pleasure in Melissa’s cheeks as she sampled the food.

“
Mmm
. This is divine.” She licked her red lips, and suddenly
his jacket was too hot. He didn’t take it off though—to do so would be
unseemly for more than one reason; it would show that he was uncomfortable, and
also Le Cirque demanded that men dressed appropriately with dinner jackets.

“I
know. And those are just the appetizers. Wait until we get to the main course.”
He winked and brought a bite of risotto to his mouth. “I remember you telling
me you were the head of concept design. What exactly does that mean?”

As
she launched into an explanation, he soaked her in, her beauty, the sheer
pleasure of just being with her again. Many of the women he’d taken out to
dinner either were incredibly picky about what they ate or hardly ate at all,
wanting to maintain their figures.

Melissa
ate with relish, truly enjoying the food and not at all worrying about what it
would do to her body. Certainly she might not have the svelte figures of the
other women he dated, but as a result her disposition was far more pleasant
than theirs could ever be.

He
couldn’t believe how much she’d matured. Back when they’d graduated she’d still
seemed like she was trying to find her footing. But now she was a woman grown,
with a life of her own, clearly comfortable living it without the assistance of
anyone else. He imagined that after ten years such a thing was to be expected…
but still. To him, at that moment, that span of time seemed to pass in the
blink of an eye, as if it were only yesterday they were still walking the halls
of Rochester High.

Melissa
blinked those bewitching grey eyes of hers. “Is something wrong?”

He
shook his head, a smile coming to his lips. “Absolutely not. In fact, nothing
could be more right than right…now. It’s great to be here with you, Melissa. Normally women are always after
something when they go out with me—whether it’s sex, money, or power.
You… you don’t come across as anything other than yourself. For a while I’d
forgotten women like you existed.”

“Women
like me?” she replied, wrinkling her nose the way she always had when she was
confused. He remembered how he used to think it cute, and realized that he
still did.

“Yes.
Women who don’t compromise the core of who they are just to impress someone
else —” he waved a hand to indicate himself and their surroundings —
“You’re not trying to act all poised and sophisticated and high-brow. You’re
just being who you always have been—sweet, wholesome, lovely Melissa.”

A
blush spread across Melissa’s cheeks as a warm feeling engulfed her. The
compliment didn’t exactly embarrass her—it took her a moment to realize
that what she felt was pride. Unconsciously she found herself sitting up
straighter, holding her head higher.

Scott
sighed. “I, on the other hand, did exactly the opposite when I chose to mesh in
with the popular clique.”

Melissa
opened her mouth to object, but just then the waiter came by with their
entrees. A platter of Scottish salmon was set before her, and an herb-encrusted
rack of lamb before Scott. Both being fairly hungry despite the appetizers, she
set aside what she was about to say for the moment and dug in.