see me after I lost my weight.
“Oh,” he said, moving out of the way. “I’m sorry.”
I leaned over and drank at least a gallon of water, hoping he would be gone when I raised up. But no such luck.
“You must be new,” he said.
“Not really. I used to come here a long time ago.”
“Well, I’m glad you decided to come back.”
Wait a minute. Was this Negro making a fat joke? If he was, being tall, chocolate, and beautiful wasn’t going to help him.
“What are you trying to say?” I finally said.
“That I’m glad you came back so I could have this chance to meet you.”
It was obvious that I’d jumped the gun. Either that or he’d seen the perturbed look on my face and was trying to fix what he’d insinuated.
“What did you think I was saying?” he continued.
“I wasn’t sure.”
“Well, I’m sure.”
“About what?”
“How beautiful you are and how I’d like to take you out if you’re not seeing anyone.”
He couldn’t have been serious. Not with me standing here looking like a big blimp. I mean, was his vision impaired or was he simply trying to be funny? And just in case, I looked around for hidden cameras. For all I knew, this random meeting might have been intentional. Worse, he might have been recruiting for some fat girl reality show.
“You don’t even know me,” I said.
“But I can get to know you, right?”
I looked away from him because he was sounding too serious.
“Does that bother you?” he asked.
“What?”
“The fact that I’m attracted to you and that I’m so straightforward?”
“No. Not really.”
“Good. Because this is the way I am. I say what I mean and mean what I say.”
I was starting to feel awkward and I wasn’t sure how to respond to him.
“What’s your name?” he asked.
I paused until I remembered what it was.
“Whitney.”
He reached out his hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Whitney. I’m Rico.”
“It’s nice meeting you, too.”
“So, are you waiting for one of the machines?”
“The treadmill, if it ever becomes available. What about you?”
“Nah. I’ve been here for almost two hours and I’m all worked out.”
“Oh.”
“So, when can we get together?”
I tried to control myself, but I could feel myself blushing.
“I don’t know.”
“What about tonight?”
“No, I don’t think so.”
“Why, because you don’t know me?”
“Yeah, that’s part of it. But it’s also because it’ll be late when I leave here.”
“What if I just wait on you and then we can grab a bite to eat when you finish?”
“Maybe another time,” I said.
“Okay, Whitney, look. I think it’s time for me to explain my intentions. I’m really attracted to you and I don’t care that you’re heavier than you want to be. You’re a beautiful woman and I can tell you have a beautiful personality.”
I was speechless. I had had this happen many times before, men claiming that they didn’t care about the weight and then eventually realizing they couldn’t handle it.
“So, what do you say?” he said.
“I don’t know. And to be honest, I don’t think you know either. I mean have you ever dated a heavy woman before?”
“No, but does that matter?”
“Yeah, sort of. Because at least if you’d dated someone like me before, you would know what to expect.”
“I disagree, because size doesn’t have anything to do with who you are internally.”
I glanced across the room and saw two treadmills opening up.
“Like I said, maybe another time. Maybe I’ll see you again and we can exchange phone numbers or something.”
Rico didn’t say anything but he stared at me in the sweetest way. He leaned his body against the wall and folded his arms, watching me walk away.
I straddled the treadmill, set the speed and time, and began the workout I’d come here for. I tried not to look in Rico’s direction, but I couldn’t help myself and gazed over there. To my disappointment, he was gone.
Now, I wondered if
“Oh,” he said, moving out of the way. “I’m sorry.”
I leaned over and drank at least a gallon of water, hoping he would be gone when I raised up. But no such luck.
“You must be new,” he said.
“Not really. I used to come here a long time ago.”
“Well, I’m glad you decided to come back.”
Wait a minute. Was this Negro making a fat joke? If he was, being tall, chocolate, and beautiful wasn’t going to help him.
“What are you trying to say?” I finally said.
“That I’m glad you came back so I could have this chance to meet you.”
It was obvious that I’d jumped the gun. Either that or he’d seen the perturbed look on my face and was trying to fix what he’d insinuated.
“What did you think I was saying?” he continued.
“I wasn’t sure.”
“Well, I’m sure.”
“About what?”
“How beautiful you are and how I’d like to take you out if you’re not seeing anyone.”
He couldn’t have been serious. Not with me standing here looking like a big blimp. I mean, was his vision impaired or was he simply trying to be funny? And just in case, I looked around for hidden cameras. For all I knew, this random meeting might have been intentional. Worse, he might have been recruiting for some fat girl reality show.
“You don’t even know me,” I said.
“But I can get to know you, right?”
I looked away from him because he was sounding too serious.
“Does that bother you?” he asked.
“What?”
“The fact that I’m attracted to you and that I’m so straightforward?”
“No. Not really.”
“Good. Because this is the way I am. I say what I mean and mean what I say.”
I was starting to feel awkward and I wasn’t sure how to respond to him.
“What’s your name?” he asked.
I paused until I remembered what it was.
“Whitney.”
He reached out his hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Whitney. I’m Rico.”
“It’s nice meeting you, too.”
“So, are you waiting for one of the machines?”
“The treadmill, if it ever becomes available. What about you?”
“Nah. I’ve been here for almost two hours and I’m all worked out.”
“Oh.”
“So, when can we get together?”
I tried to control myself, but I could feel myself blushing.
“I don’t know.”
“What about tonight?”
“No, I don’t think so.”
“Why, because you don’t know me?”
“Yeah, that’s part of it. But it’s also because it’ll be late when I leave here.”
“What if I just wait on you and then we can grab a bite to eat when you finish?”
“Maybe another time,” I said.
“Okay, Whitney, look. I think it’s time for me to explain my intentions. I’m really attracted to you and I don’t care that you’re heavier than you want to be. You’re a beautiful woman and I can tell you have a beautiful personality.”
I was speechless. I had had this happen many times before, men claiming that they didn’t care about the weight and then eventually realizing they couldn’t handle it.
“So, what do you say?” he said.
“I don’t know. And to be honest, I don’t think you know either. I mean have you ever dated a heavy woman before?”
“No, but does that matter?”
“Yeah, sort of. Because at least if you’d dated someone like me before, you would know what to expect.”
“I disagree, because size doesn’t have anything to do with who you are internally.”
I glanced across the room and saw two treadmills opening up.
“Like I said, maybe another time. Maybe I’ll see you again and we can exchange phone numbers or something.”
Rico didn’t say anything but he stared at me in the sweetest way. He leaned his body against the wall and folded his arms, watching me walk away.
I straddled the treadmill, set the speed and time, and began the workout I’d come here for. I tried not to look in Rico’s direction, but I couldn’t help myself and gazed over there. To my disappointment, he was gone.
Now, I wondered if
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