I got off and walked away while I was still able.
But now what was I going to do? I still wanted to tackle the treadmill, so I guess I would just have to wait. And wait. And wait. Until someone finally got off of one of them. It was amazing how some of the patrons were walking at least three to four miles per hour, yet they were watching television or reading a book. Some of them were even chatting and, get this, laughing with their workout partners. They actually looked like they were having a good time. Oh, how I wished I could be in their shoes. How I wish I could do any exercise for more than a half hour and leave this place feeling good.
After more waiting, I turned and went over to the water fountain, but when I arrived some guy blocked my path and smiled at me.
“Want a drink?” he said.
“Well, that was the plan,” I responded. I spoke in a salty manner, but it was only because I was self-conscious and didn’t want him seeing me this way. The man was breathtaking and I wanted him to 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 I’d made a huge mistake. I wondered if maybe he might have been the man of my dreams and not at all like the rest.
I strode for ten minutes without any real difficulty, but only because I’d set the speed fairly low. I took one determined step after another, occasionally looking toward the water fountain, but there was no Rico. I could have kicked myself for not taking him up on his offer. I’d been worried about being hurt again, but now I wished I’d given him a chance.
Although now it was too late and it was best just to forget about him.
Back in the locker room, I didn’t have the courage to remove every stitch of clothing and jump into the shower. Not in front of so many women. As a matter of fact, I didn’t even have the nerve to change back into the outfit I’d worn here. So, I gathered everything together, stuffed it inside my bag, and headed out to the parking lot.
The night air whipped a sharp chill right through me and now I hurried to my car. But then I heard someone yelling my name.
I turned around and saw Rico standing near the building. Apparently I’d walked right past him without paying any attention, but I was glad that he’d stopped me.
“I thought you’d left,” I said.
“Not without saying good-bye to you.”
His smile was making me crazy.
“So, are you still not interested?” he asked.
“Actually, I never said that.”
“No, but you don’t wanna go out with me.”
“I never said that either.”
“Maybe not in those exact words, but that’s what you meant.”
“You’re right. I did. But now I’ve had some time to think.”
“About?”
“Going out with you.”
“Then my offer still stands.”
“And I would gladly take you up on it except I didn’t take a shower.”
“Oh,” he said, and we both laughed.
“It’s not that I’m a filthy person or anything like that, but I knew I was going straight home to do it there.”
“That’s understandable.”
“But what about tomorrow or the next day?”
“That would work, too, but I guess I was still hoping to see you tonight.”
“Well, the only thing is, I live in Covington Park, and it’ll take me twenty minutes just to get home.”
“And I live in Chicago Heights, so that’s only one suburb over.”
“But by the time I get cleaned up, it’ll be almost nine-thirty.”
“This is true. So, I’ll tell you what, why don’t I just follow you home?”
&nbs
p; Uh-oh. I’d been hoping he wouldn’t ask me that. Partly because I wasn’t in the habit of bringing men home the first night I met them, and partly because I didn’t trust myself being around Rico—not when there would be a bed in close proximity. As it was, it was nine weeks and counting since the last time I’d been with a man.
“I don’t know,” I said for lack of a better response.
“I won’t stay long. I promise.”
“Right.”
“I’m serious. I won’t stay any longer than you want me to.”
I repositioned my duffel bag and grabbed both of my arms. The cold air was causing me to shiver.
“I know I’m going to regret this,” I said, “but fine. You can come by. Only for a short while, though.”
“Lead the way,” he said, and walked over to his Range Rover.
I couldn’t believe I was doing this. Allowing a complete stranger to come home with me, knowing that he might be Rico the Ripper. Knowing that I might wind up raped, stabbed to death, and plastered across the front page of the Tribune. But for some reason I wasn’t afraid. It was true that I didn’t know anything about this man, but there was a certain pleasantness that I sensed about him. He was straightforward the way he had explained, and I could tell he was a gentleman.
And I was glad to have someone to spend time with. Someone other than Taylor, Charisse, and my coworkers.
What I hoped was that Rico would still be coming around, at least until my class reunion was over.
Chapter 13
WHITNEY
HAVE A SEAT,” I said after disarming the security system. Rico and I had just walked into my house and I was glad there wasn’t anything lying around. While I was growing up, my mother had always been a stickler for keeping every room in order at all times, and it was the one good trait I had inherited from her.
“You have a very nice home,” he said.
“Thank you.”
“And the decorating is straight, too. You got skills, girl.”
“Thanks,” I said, walking into the kitchen. “Can I get you anything to drink? Soda? Juice? La Croix?”
“I never do soda. But I’ll take bottled water if you have it.”
I opened the cupboard above the sink, pulled out a crystal glass, and grabbed a bottle of water from the refrigerator.
“Can I get you something to eat?” I asked when I came back into the family room.
“No, I’m fine. I’ll probably pick up something on the way home.”
Rico was sitting on the sofa, so I sat across from him on the love seat.
He took a sip of his water and looked at me. “Why are you sitting all the way over there?”
“No special reason,” I said, although I was still thinking about the shower I hadn’t taken yet.
And he must have figured the same thing because he didn’t force the issue.
“How long have you lived here?” he said, admiring the surroundings.
“Almost ten years.”
“That’s a long time.”
“Yeah, I guess it is.”
“I just purchased my first home two years ago and it’s a great feeling.”
“You said you live in Chicago Heights, right?”
“Yeah. I’ve lived in a couple of other suburbs, too, but Chicago Heights is where I grew up. Plus, my parents and my sisters are still there.”
“It’s good when you can live close to family.”
“For sure,” he agreed, and drank some of his water. “So, what about you?”
“I grew up in Aurora, but when my two best friends bought homes out here, I decided to do the same thing.”
“Nothin’ wrong with that. So, have the three of you been friends for a long time?”
“Charisse and I have been friends since we were in seventh grade, and we met Taylor while we were in college.”
“What school did you go to?”
“Northwestern.”
“Man, you were practically right at home then.”
“I know, but that’s where the partial scholarship and grants came from, so…”
“Is that why your friends went there, too?”
“Charisse had a partial like I did, plus her mother refused to pay out-of-state tuition. But Taylor got a free ride all four years.”
“Wow. Did she play sports?”
“Nope. It was strictly academic. And then she went to Yale for law school.”
“Well, if I ever need an attorney, let her know that I’ll definitely be calling her.”
We both laughed.
“Yeah, that is my girl of girls. And she’s extremely intelligent. She scored in the top five percent nationally on her SAT exam.”
“Those are the kinds of stories that make you feel proud.”
“I know.”
“So, what do you do for a living?” he asked, pouring more water into his glass.
“I’m a manager for Telecom Wireless.”
“Then you’ve done pretty well yourself.”
“I can’t complain.”
Rico leaned back on the sofa, making himself more comfortable. I picked up the selector and switched on the television, but I turned the volume down to a murmur.
“So, what about you?” I said. “Where did you graduate from?”
“Howard.”
“Great school. What did you major in?”
“Accounting.”
“Oh, okay.”
“And I work for AIC Healthcare.”
“Is that one of the PPOs?”
“It is. And there’s a lot of room for advancement if I can ever pass the CPA exam.”
“I’ll bet.”
“I took it two times right after college and then I sort of gave up on it. But my plan is to start back studying so that I can take it again next year or the following.”
“I don’t blame you, because I’ve been thinking about going back for my M.B.A. There’s this accelerated program that I’ve been researching, so at some point I’m definitely wanting to do it.”
“It’s never too late.”
“I turned thirty-eight this year, so a part of me was thinking that it was, but now I’m planning to just go for it.”
“And I’m thirty-five, so I do know the feeling.”
I’d been hoping that we were at least the same age, because my history with men who were younger than me wasn’t good. Either they proved to be immature or they eventually realized that they didn’t want to be with an older woman.
I glanced over at the television, unable to look at Rico.
“Does that bother you?” he asked.
“What?”
“Our age difference.”
“Somewhat.”
“Well, please don’t let it, because I date women of all ages.”
“And you don’t prefer one over the other?”
“No. I don’t. As long as a woman is good to me, I don’t care if she’s twenty or fifty.”
“I feel the same way.”
“You know,” he said. “The more I sit here, I am getting a little hungry. Do you have any fruit?”
“I’ve got apples, but that’s pretty much it. I started this low-carb diet today, so I can’t have a lot of fruit in the beginning. Do you want me to grab you one?”
“Please.”
“I’ve got some cheese, too, if you want it. My grandmother used to eat them together, so I kinda picked up on it.”
“Get outta here. My parents do the same thing. What kind do you have?”
“A block of cheddar.”
“Then I’ll take it.”
I stood and walked back into the kitchen. When I returned I passed Rico a plate with a sliced Rome apple and a wedge of cheese.
“Can I ask you something?” I said.
“What’s that?”
“And please don’t be offended. But are you part Puerto Rican?”
He laughed. “It’s my name that has you curious, right?”
“Well, actually, yes.”
; “No. My parents went to Puerto Rico on their honeymoon and my mother swears that I was conceived there, so she named me Rico.”
“That’s neat.”
“From time to time I ask her how she knows for sure and she says because she was a virgin until the day she got married and six weeks later the doctor told her she was six weeks pregnant.”
“Then it must be true.”
“It is, but I like giving her a hard time.”
I thought about sitting back down but I was starting to feel more and more sticky. I didn’t think I smelled bad, but I’d learned years ago that women my size needed to shower and bathe more often than everyone else. There were so many creases and crevices that needed to be dealt with, and I made sure to pay careful attention to them.
“If you don’t mind, I’m gonna take a shower.”
“No problem. Go ahead. I’ll just flip through the channels to see what’s on.”
“I won’t be a minute, and if you want anything else to drink, just help yourself.”
“I will.”
I turned and walked down the hallway to my bedroom. When I closed the door, I leaned the back of my body against it. Just thinking about how fine Rico was made me breathless. The man looked good. And his personality was so in tune with mine. It was already apparent that I could sit and talk with him for hours. He was noticeably outgoing and all I could pray was that he wasn’t trying to run any games on me. Such as robbing me blind as soon as he heard the shower running. But if he did, I knew I deserved it because the truth was still staring me in the face—the same as it had been at the health club. I didn’t know a single thing about Rico.
I removed all of my clothing, slipped on a silk robe, and went into the bathroom. I started the shower and scanned the top of my vanity, which was filled with body products. The vanilla collection was my favorite, the scrub, shower gel, mist, and lotion.
I lined everything up, preparing to take it into the shower, but when I shed my robe I became depressed. It was the image I saw in the mirror that saddened me. I’d made it through an entire day, monitoring what I ate, but eight weeks was a long time. And then after my reunion, I would have to continue this same process if I wanted to lose the other fifty.
But the advantage I had this time was that my normal manner of thinking was different. In the past, I would diet when I knew there was an upcoming event and then hold a bingefest as soon as it was over. But now I realized that good eating habits would have to become a new way of life for me. And I wouldn’t stick to simply eliminating carbohydrates either. I was doing this early on because it was a quick way to lose weight, but I would eventually learn to eat more healthily. No red meat, if any meat at all. More fruits and vegetables. A lot of water and a lot less refined sugar.
Changing Faces Page 9