Beauty Comes in More Sizes than Zero

Chapter 7

Connor took his card back from the waitress and handed over a couple crumpled up bills as tip. "Thank you so much. Everything was great!"

The waitress smiled back and stuffed the cash in her pocket, walking away as Connor got out and started to help me from my chair.

I felt myself blush as he did so, making me think I was crazy for ever doubting the guy – here he was acting nice and chivalrous and all I was doing was letting my insecurities get in the way.

"I'm going to go wash up, wait by the car for me?" Connor asked as he slipped the chair I had been sitting on back into its place.

I hesitated for a second unsure why he wanted me to wait by myself, but he was quick to see my reluctance and give me a small kiss on my cheek. "I'll be right back; I promise"

I nodded my head and slowly left the restaurant, turning back just once to watch him walk towards the bathroom in the back.

Had I waited just two more seconds I probably would have seen the waitress, the young and beautiful one, walk towards that same bathroom.

*

It was a quick ride home. The streets were empty because of the late hour and Connor's car was able to race down the highway freely.

"You know I really had fun tonight Kelly."

I looked up at Connor, his eyes were staring ahead watching the road as he drove and his face remained emotionless.

"Yeah?" I asked hesitantly, remembering the odd moments from right before we left.

I watched as Connor's lips tugged up into a smile "Yeah, I did. I mean, you're a lot of weird, and your views on life are kind of strange, but, to be honest, that just makes everything about you more exciting!"

I felt myself blush at his words. He found me exciting? "Well I had fun too." I mumbled quietly, taking note of how the vivacious side me quickly vanished when in the presence of this cute guy.

Connor smiled again and rolled the car to a slow stop as a traffic light ahead turned red "Yeah?" he asked, his voice raising pitch to imitate mine.

"Are you mocking me?" I asked in fake disbelief. "Rude!"

Connor placed his hand on my knee, "weren't you ever in elementary school Kelly? Boys mock the girls they like."

I boldly placed my hand over his and grasped his fingers lightly. I didn't need to answer him, just being there with him, holding his hand, that was enough.

*

We held hands the rest of the way home, his fingers grasping tightly at mine. Then when we rolled into the parking area under our building a little while later, Connor reached over to place a small kiss on the side of my mouth. "This is only the beginning Kelly." He whispered, his free hand moving to grasp the back of my neck. "Can I call you tomorrow?"

I was ecstatic, embarrassingly so, it was so bad that I had to wait outside for a good three minutes after Connor left me for his own apartment. I couldn't bring myself to go in and face the girls just yet, if they saw me like that I had no doubt they would make fun of me.

When I finally did gather myself and decided it was time to go in and face the 'rude' music, I found Cassie already waiting for me near the door. As if she had known I was right outside.

"You're back?" She exclaimed, a playful glint in her eye.

I looked up at Cassie, a blue romper covering her body and her hair tied up in a bun. Between that and the fuzzy socks that she was rocking, I was going to assume she was ready for bed.

"I'm back." I answered, slipping my purse off my shoulder. "Disappointed?"

Cassie wrapped one of her arms around my shoulder. "Never"

"What's with the hugging?" We broke apart to find that Alex – who was also in pajamas - had emerged from the kitchen with a bowl of grapes.

"You two need to separate so that Kelly can tell us about Connor." She mumbled as she chewed on a grape, "so stop being so mushy."

I laughed as I grabbed Alex's waist and pulled her in for a hug too, her face being squished between me and Cassie. "Maybe you need to start being mushier!"

Alex struggled against my hold "Let me go Kells, I need to go sit on the couch - you're taking away from my time."

"Your time of couch sitting?" I asked as I picked a grape from her bowl.

"Of couch sitting." Alex confirmed "You got a problem with that?"

I laughed a little as I grabbed another grape off the vine. "No, no."

"Good!" Alex huffed, "now keep your hands off my grapes!

I put my hands up in surrender and watched as a satisfied Alex made her way over to the couch. Sinking in comfortably, and beginning to interrogate me. She asked all kinds of questions, and then took it upon herself to 'rate the answers'. Ten being the best and one being the worst.

I really liked Connor, and I really wanted my friends to like him too. So when Alex asked me who paid, I told her he did, conveniently leaving out the 'next time' comment. Earning him a ten he probably didn't deserve.

And when Cassie asked me what we got, I told her all about the diners amazing pecan pie – so that I could later justify the distance we drove. Another seven points he shouldn't have gotten.

Honestly, I put Connor in the best light possible, and at the end of 'round one' (as Alex called it) he had a shockingly high average of eight.

"Okay, round two." Alex declared,

I shot a glare at Alex "This isn't actually a game."

The Hispanic beauty groaned dramatically, "But he got an eight."

I looked over at my friend confused "So? An eights good!"

"I know," she groaned. "And I'm team Josh!"

My mouth literally fell open as she said this. "Team what?"

Alex smiled "Team Josh!"

"Thankyou0rn