The Doctor & the Curves

by J J Loraine

  I feel like crying.

  Max is almost immediately at my side with a handful of napkins. He tries to wash away the wine, but I know better.

  “I’m so sorry, ma’am,” I hear the waitress say. Her voice is monotone and uncaring. I spot a hint a malice in her tone.

  She did that on purpose.

  I feel rage for a split second, and then sadness.

  Why can’t these bullies just leave me alone? I’ve never done anything to them.

  Even in my happiest moment, they find a way to push me back down.

  Well, I’ve had enough. I abandon trying to save my ruined dress. I stomp my foot down and stare daggers at the stone-faced waitress.

  I’m usually very reserved, but I feel like shouting at her.

  Before I can get a word out, though, Max steps in-between us.

  “Why did you do that?” I hear his booming voice command.

  “It was an accident, sir,” she squeaks back. Her voice is so small and frail compared to his.

  “Nonsense. What’s your problem with my girlfriend? You’ve been giving her dirty looks since I sat down.”

  Before the waitress can respond, Bill and Mary rush forward.

  The couple are old and frail but dressed elegantly and with an air of power. This is their restaurant, after all.

  “Max, Emma. How good to see you! Sorry, we’re late. What seems to be the problem here?”

  “This waitress has been exceedingly rude to Emma... and she just poured wine all over her brand-new dress!”

  Mary gasps.

  Bill turns to the waitress. “Is this true, Amber?”

  Amber just shrugs.

  “She deserved it...” she mumbles. Her voice betrays no hint of regret. She almost seems proud of her cruelty.

  “Excuse me!?” booms Max.

  “I’ll have you know, young lady, that Emma is a personal friend. I know her to be very sweet and kind. What did she do to deserve such treatment from you?” asks Bill.

  Amber doesn’t respond, instead she just glares at me.

  “Pig...” she mutters under her breath, with pure contempt.

  “That’s it!” shouts Bill. “You’re fired! Get out of my restaurant!”

  Amber’s eyes go wide with shock.

  She wasn’t expecting that.

  “What!?... But... But...”

  “No but’s, young lady,” chimes in Mary. “You’re not welcome here anymore. We do not tolerate such rude behavior to anyone, let alone our honored guests.”

  Bill has his arm pointed straight for the exit door. He stands strong and stoic. Amber’s eyes dart between the four of us.

  Finally, she accepts her fate. Tears well up in her eyes. She unties her apron and throws it on the floor.

  “It’s not fair,” she yells. “She doesn’t deserve him! She doesn’t deserve anybody! What about me!?”

  “OUT, young lady!” commands Bill, still pointing to the exit. “Don’t make us call the police!”

  Amber bites her lip to hold back the tears, but she’s not strong enough. The waterworks start and she runs out of the restaurant, crying.

  The restaurant is abuzz.

  All the customers are staring in murmured shock. It makes me feel like a circus act. I just want to shrink away into myself. I’m so embarrassed.

  Max turns back around to me and holds me by the shoulders. His giant, gentle hands already make me feel better.

  “Are you OK?” he asks. His voice is so full of concern and care that I can’t help but be overcome with my love for him.

  “Yeah,” I say, shaking the sadness from my heart for the final time. I hug him and he holds me tight. I let my face sink into his warm, muscular chest. The heat of his body calms my pounding heart.

  I listen to his heartbeat and nearly fall asleep to its soothing rhythm.

  “I’m so sorry about that dear,” I hear Mary say.

  Max and I pull away from each other but we keep our hands clasped together.

  “It’s not your fault,” I assure her. “I really appreciate you inviting us out tonight.”

  “Why don’t you come join us in the private suite?” offers Bill. “We were just about to sit down for dinner ourselves. We’d dearly enjoy your company.”

  Max looks down on me and I look up at him. I can tell he’s waiting for my approval. It makes me feel special; it makes feel powerful again – like I finally have some agency.

  I nod.

  I don’t want to give that rude waitress the power to ruin our first date.

  We’re going to enjoy ourselves, if it’s the last thing we do!

  “We’d be honored to join you,” says Max.

  “Very good,” says Bill. “Right this way.

  We follow the older couple through the murmuring restaurant. I can’t help but imagine Max and I in their place, some 30 years down the line, still as close as ever. I want to grow old with this man. I love him so much.

  Bill stops at every table to offer his sincerest apologies for the commotion. “Drink are on me tonight!” he shouts.

  The crowd behind us cheers. Mary opens the doors to the private suite and Max and I walk through the threshold to a round of raucous applause.

  It almost feels as though everyone’s clapping in celebration of Max and I’s new life together.

  I can’t help but smile.

  Not bad for a first date...

  19

  Max

  Epilogue...

  It’s been about four months since our first date and I just can’t wait a moment later.

  I’ve been scouring the jewelry shops in town for the past month, looking for the perfect engagement ring.

  I finally found the right one last week. It’s shaped like a diamond embedded heart – it looks almost exactly like the very first necklace I ever bought for her.

  I’ve been busy at work for the past few weeks, but I’ve been thinking about settling into an early retirement. I have so much in savings, as well as a motherload from some very smart and lucky investments I’ve made over the years, that I could stop working this year and still live in complete luxury with Emma for the rest of our lives.

  Even if we have kids someday, which I’m hoping for with all my heart, we’ll have more than enough to give them the best life possible.

  I’ve already let Emma know that she never has to work another day in her life. She’s still struggling with the concept. After so many years of working her butt off with both school and a job, all the free time I’m affording her is like an all-inclusive spa.

  It makes me so happy to see her so relaxed and confident. She grows more self-assured every day. We make each other laugh so hard. The sex is only getting better too -- not that it wasn’t anything but amazing the first time.

  I’m so lucky to have finally found someone to open up to. Society expects a certain stoicism from a man of my background and profession. I never knew how much I truly needed someone to be truly be open with until I met Emma.

  We talk about everything. Even though she’s young, she still has so much emotional advice and wisdom to share. I try to pay her in kind with my own knowledge.

  I learn something new every day. My love for her grows deeper every moment we’re together.

  I send her out for groceries early on a Saturday morning and I set up my surprise. I’ve bought hundreds of bouquets. I line the walls of our bedroom with flowers. I make a path of rose pedals that lead from the front door up to our bedroom. I wait at the end of the trail, on one knee.

  I ask her to marry me.

  She jumps up and down and claps her hands and covers her gasping mouth.

  There’s no hesitancy in her response.

  “Yes!” she shouts from the rooftops.

  That answer will forever echo in my head. It’s my mantra now; my reason for being.

  She’s all I care about. All I want is to be together forever.

  I slide the opulent ring onto her finger. She just so happens to be wearing the
matching necklace. She nearly cries when she realizes the similarities.

  “We’ve come so far!” she weeps with happy tears.

  We hug and I kiss the salt from her face.

  Our lips meet as fiancées for the first time. It’s the most wonderful progression in our relationship since the last one.

  I’m completely in love. I can’t imagine living any other way.

  This is my happily-ever-after.

  20

  Emma

  Epilogue...

  We’ve been married for almost a year now.

  Every day I think we lead the perfect life and it can’t possibly get any better. Every day I’m proven wrong. Our happiness rides up an upward curve like a roller-coaster with no drop.

  Today, we’re about to take a giant, wonderful step forward.

  I decide to surprise Max like he surprised me for his proposal. I line the walls of our home with flowers and I make a path of rose pedals that lead to the bedroom.

  He’s in his last month of work. We both decided that since we’re happiest when we’re together and that, since money isn’t a problem, we can live as we please, he can retire and enjoy his wife and his wealth to their fullest extents. He’ll still consult, because his expertise is so in demand, but he’ll do it on his own time.

  For the past two months, then, we’ve traveled all around this wonderful world in complete luxury. We’ve been to private islands in the Caribbean, on cruises down the coasts, through safaris in Africa and to palaces and castles in Europe. We’ve eaten Kobe beef in Japan and snorkeled in the Great Barrier Reef in Australia.

  I’ve seen things far beyond my wildest imagination, but, still, nothing compares to him. Every day I wake up in his arms and I’m tempted to pinch myself to make sure I’m not dreaming. I never am – or at least, I know I’m awake. My life has become the most amazing dream. I sleep peacefully and wake up happy.

  I’ve been sleeping especially well lately, or rather, I’ve been trying to, because I know I won’t get much of it in the coming years.

  Max and I are home for good now.

  I’m pregnant and I have the positive test to show.

  I wait at the end of my path of rose pedals with the positive pregnancy test held in my hand like a ring.

  He comes home to find my wonderful gift.

  I’ve seen the sensitive side of Max many times over by now, but never anything like this.

  Tears well up in his stoic, steely-blue eyes. It makes me want to cry too. I stand up from my knees and we hug in pure happiness.

  “I’m going to be a dad!?” he whispers over and over again, like he can’t quite believe it. “Thank you so much, Em. I love you, so much.”

  We stumble over to our bed and I lay down on my back and lift up my shirt. He runs his wide, open palm along my belly, completely in awe.

  “You’re amazing,” he whispers.

  We kiss and gaze lovingly into each other’s intertwined souls.

  I see my reflection in his glimmering eyes.

  I look so happy.

  Other Titles by J.J. Loraine

  The Personal Trainer & The Curves (Steamy Alpha BBW Romance)

  https://www.amazon.com/Personal-Trainer-Curves-Steamy-Romance-ebook/dp/B08256KWDT/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=the+personal+trainer+%26+the+curves&qid=1575235480&s=digital-text&sr=1-1

  The Mountain Man & The Curves (Steamy Alpha BBW Romance)

  https://www.amazon.com/Mountain-Curves-Steamy-Alpha-Romance-ebook/dp/B0821JGKFT/ref=sr_1_8?keywords=the+mountain+man+%26+the+curves&qid=1575212054&s=digital-text&sr=1-8

  The Country Star & The Curves (Steamy Alpha BBW Romance)

  https://www.amazon.com/Country-Curves-Steamy-Alpha-Romance-ebook/dp/B081F21WR3/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=the+country+star+%26+the+curves&qid=1575146225&s=digital-text&sr=1-2

  The Firefighter & The Curves (Steamy Alpha BBW Romance)

  https://www.amazon.com/Firefighter-Curves-Alpha-Gets-His-ebook/dp/B081NPW7KP/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=the+firefighter+%26+the+curves&qid=1575118377&s=digital-text&sr=1-1