Full Figured 4: Carl Weber Presents

by Weber, Natalie

  “Yeah, it was, but–”

  “And it was you that I saw plastered all over the Internet and the newspaper when you announced our breakup to Media Take Out, right?”

  “Yes, but I was just trying—”

  “And it was you that took the liberty of packing my things and sitting them outside of our house after changing the locks and the pass code, correct?”

  “Valencia, I was just trying—”

  “Trying what? To piss me off? You certainly succeeded.”

  “All I was trying to do—”

  “Was end our marriage, and it’s done. All of this because I gained a few pounds?”

  “To be fair, you didn’t just gain a few pounds.”

  All of the air was sucked out of the room at that moment. Sean realized his mistake immediately, and it showed on his face. Surprisingly, I wasn’t even mad. The new me didn’t give a damn what he thought. I was on my way to a healthier me, and it would be too bad for him that he didn’t stick around to see the end results.

  “To be fair, don’t ever come back here again. Have a good night.”

  And with that said, I got up from my seat and made my way up the stairs. I would not let him see how much what he said hurt me. At the end of the day it didn’t even matter. He wouldn’t have to worry about me or how many pounds I gained. It was over.

  “Valencia, if I could just get a word in edgewise ...”

  “Don’t let the edge of the door hit you in the ass on the way out.”

  Standing at the top of the landing, I waited for him to leave. I didn’t sign up for this bullshit. People married for better or for worse. All he did was replace me with a younger, thinner model, and I wouldn’t even try to compete with that. He made his decision, and that was how we were going to move from here on out.

  “Valencia, I need you in my life. I was bugging out and didn’t realize what I had at home. I thought I needed to fit into a certain image, and I’m over it now. I’m willing to stay through the weight loss. I’ll pay for gastric bypass, or whatever it is you want to do. Just tell me you’ll think about it. You don’t have to answer today.”

  I thought that if he came correct, I might want to make it work. But I felt absolutely nothing and just wanted him out of my house. I was standing there, looking at him, wondering what I ever saw in him. Both of us had been in our prime when we met, and we weren’t prepared for times like this when things were crazy. I loved Sean, but I wasn’t totally convinced anymore that I was in love with him. In my heart there was a big difference between the two.

  “Valencia,” Sean said as he walked closer to the steps, “please come home.”

  Was this fool crying? I wanted to laugh, but I didn’t even have the energy for that. How many times had I sat up crying, wondering why things were the way they were between us? Sean must have bumped his head along the way or something. After what he said to me, he wanted it to work? Yeah, right!

  “Sean, we don’t have a home. As a matter of fact, you offered to send me the deed to our house, and you confessed that you were tired of hiding your relationship with Carla from me. That means you had been sleeping with her for a while. The very first time you stuck your dick in her ended our marriage. There’s nothing I can do for you now.”

  “But Valencia, I just want to—”

  “Sean, I want you to leave.”

  He looked defeated. The crazy shit was, as badly as I wanted to take joy in his misery, I just couldn’t do it. I almost felt bad for him. It was like I was looking at him the same way I had when we first met, and even if I wanted to try it again, we were in different places in our lives now. I thought I would be cool with him doing his thing, because I was pretty busy myself, but apparently, I was too busy to handle my business, and I left his happiness in the hands of other women. There was no backtracking on that. I would never have another good night’s sleep as long as we were together. That was the conclusion I came to.

  He turned to leave, looking back at me one last time. I could see it all in his eyes.... He realized that he might have messed up on the best thing that had ever happened to him. That wasn’t my problem now. Once the door closed, I walked back down to lock it and resisted the urge to look out the window to watch him go. By the time I got upstairs, I could hear his car start and then pull out of the driveway. Lying back down in the bed, I pulled the covers up under my chin and smiled. I was strong enough to get through this. I was ready for change, and I was ready to move on. I just had to convince my heart of the same thing.

  Sometimes I Cry

  I can sleep at night. I don’t reach for you when

  I wake up, but it’s taken some time. I can live my

  life without praying that we could make up... .

  ~Eric Benét

  Eight months later

  I was excited today. My appointment with my therapist was right after my workout, and I had a full book of clients ready to go. A few months ago I didn’t think that I would ever get over Sean. He didn’t really give me any breathing room at first. That night after he left my house, he just kept coming back. He even went as far as selling our other house and depositing the money into my bank account. Then his simple ass got mad because I withdrew the money and put the shit back in his. When I said I wanted nothing from him, I was dead serious. I wanted to be done with it all.

  It took me a while, but I eventually went down to a see a lawyer who was recommended to me by my therapist. There was no use in trying to salvage the un-salvageable. I wasn’t interested in doing so anymore. Besides, I finally had someone that loved this size sixteen for what it was. Yep, I said a size sixteen, and still counting down. Once I got into the rhythm of getting my life back on track and following the checklists that I made for myself on a weekly basis, I was in there. Why was I still seeking therapy? Honestly, I felt like I still wasn’t ready to stand on my own and needed help staying focused. I didn’t go as many times a week as I used to, but I was making progress a day at a time.

  “So, Valencia, what’s new on your plate today?” my therapist asked me. I instantly started blushing. There was so much I wanted to tell him.

  “Well, I have a date tonight, so I’m excited about that. And I have a full book, so I know I’ll have to work fast.”

  “How are you doing with managing your time?” he asked as he looked at me over his glasses and took notes.

  “I’m keeping my schedule pretty tight. I have two new stylists, and I’m thinking about moving to a new location a few spaces down. Business has been really great for a while now.”

  “That’s good to hear. I’m glad things are working out the way you need them to,” he responded, smiling at me. “What about that other thing we talked about?”

  I couldn’t contain the smile that spread across my face. Terrell had been a real help with keeping the salon on track and running when I wasn’t around. I worked only from Wednesday to Saturday, giving myself a three-day weekend to handle shop business, home business, and my personal life, and not necessarily in that order. I needed some direction, and I needed everything to be balanced. Just think, in the beginning I felt like therapy was just for crazy people, when in reality I didn’t realize how off-kilter I really was.

  I was able to accomplish a lot, and eventually I found the balance and the happiness that I was looking for. I heard it said once that a person should go into a relationship already complete. You should not be in search of completion, but of a complement. Your significant other was supposed to add to what you already had; that way, you were both bringing 100 percent to the table. I wasn’t even aware that on a good day the very most I contributed was 65 percent, an eye-opener, for sure.

  “I’m still working on it,” I responded as I tried to hide my blushing face.

  “That’s good to hear. So far we’ve been able to hit consistent targets ... ,” my therapist went on. I kind of daydreamed a little as he talked, and I doodled on my notepad, acting as if I was taking notes. I was ready to get up out of there,
because I had a few more things I had to do, and my new friend was waiting for me in the parking lot.

  “So are there any questions?” my therapist asked me.

  “No, Dr. Matthews, everything is crystal clear.”

  “Good. I’ll see you this time next week. Remember what I told you. You are—”

  “Somebody!” I said, cutting him off and finishing his sentence.

  Thanking him, I gathered my things up, and once I made my next appointment, I rushed out to the parking lot. Alexander got out of his car and made his way around to the passenger side to open the door for me, planting a kiss on my cheek.

  I blushed again for the millionth time that day as I made myself comfortable in the passenger seat and made sure he had room to close the door. I kept my eyes on him up until he got in the car, and then I smiled widely as we moved toward our next destination.

  My life was going exactly the way I had planned it, and thanks to Alexander, I saw things a lot more clearly. After that mess with Sean, Alexander and I became close, and we decided not too long ago that it would be in my best interest to seek help from another professional if we were going to date seriously. It was about morals and keeping business and personal separate. His stance on that just made me like him even more.

  We chatted briefly about our plans for the night as he drove me toward the salon. My car was in the shop for repairs, and he’d volunteered to be my escort so that I wouldn’t have to get a rental, and it would be an opportunity for us to spend more time together. We were taking things slow, though, and one day at a time. Looking over at him, I took in his handsome profile, from his thick lips to his neatly arched eyebrows, back to his distinctive nose. I wasn’t sure how long this thing we had was going to last, but I did wonder from time to time how our children would look if we had any. It was just a fun thought to have, and it made me smile throughout the day.

  “Okay, love, we’re here. I’ll see you around six?” he asked me as he parked the car.

  “I’ll be ready,” I replied as I leaned in to meet him halfway. I swear this man had the softest lips on the planet, which caused all kinds of naughty thoughts to flood my mind, making me blush again.

  “One day you have to tell me what you are thinking about.” He smiled at me. “Every time I look at you, you’re blushing and turning red.”

  “One day I will,” I responded as I thought about the things I would do with him when I had the chance. “Have a good day.”

  “You do the same.” He smiled as he got out of the car and circled around to let me out.

  And people say chivalry is dead. Stepping into his open arms, I snuggled up close to him and enjoyed the warmth of his embrace—something that I had been missing for a long time.

  After sharing another quick kiss, I stepped away from him and reluctantly went into the shop to start my day. I said reluctantly not because I didn’t want to make money, but because I would have loved to just spend the day wrapped around Alexander.

  “Diva!” I heard Terrell call from the back when I entered the shop.

  The shop was on fire, and I was instantly in the mood to work my magic. On my way to the back I noticed a giant bouquet of tiger lilies resting on my station, and a wide smile spread across my face at the pleasant surprise.

  “Hurry and open the card. I need some romance in my life,” Terrell said as he rushed up to my station to be nosy.

  I reached for my phone. I wanted to have it near me so that I could thank Alexander for the pleasant surprise. I had made him promise that he wouldn’t spoil me, but he never listened.

  Searching the bouquet, I found the card tucked neatly off to the side, the aroma of the flowers filling my nostrils in the process. I was smiling wide as I used my nails to gently lift the seal from the back so that I wouldn’t ruin the envelope. I kept all the little mementos that Alexander gave me. I was feeling good at the moment, but all of that came to a screeching halt once I realized that the gorgeous flower arrangement I was admiring was not from Alexander, but from Sean. Annoyance washed over me instantly.

  “Sean strikes again,” Terrell commented the moment my face changed, and then he turned to address the shop. “Which one of you lucky ladies will get to take home this beautiful bouquet of flowers this week? Everyone, put your name on a Post-it note and drop it in the bag. The person’s name I pull out gets to leave with it today.”

  Sean irritated me to the soul. It had been a while since I’d gotten a gift from him, and I still wasn’t impressed. Every week he would send flowers or jewelry, and every week I would give it away to one lucky client. A month or so ago Terrell’s client Dynetta lucked out and walked out with a two-karat diamond tennis bracelet. I didn’t want a thing from him. Every card he sent requested that I call him to talk over our relationship. I would throw each card in the trash every time.

  I was finally free from Sean, after having to go through extra measures to have the divorce executed because he wouldn’t sign the divorce papers. It was a mess. It didn’t matter to me, because at the end of the day I was free to do me and be me, flaws and all.

  “Ms. Bryant, you can have a seat in my chair,” I said to my first client as I prepared my station for the day.

  Once everyone’s name was in the basket, Terrell called out the winner, and we went on with business like we always did. I loved my team, and whether we laughed or cried, discussed Wendy’s hot topics or a topic from Oprah, or fought with each other one minute, and then hugged the next, we had each other. At the end of the day I had my health, my business, and my man. Everything a woman could ask for.

  Three the Hard Way

  by Natalie Weber

  Chapter 1

  Amber Couture was a woman whose five-foot-four-inch body had plenty of curves. Her long, black, straight hair was almost doll like, and she had her mother’s hazel eyes. Her complexion was light, which gave the impression that she was of Caucasian descent. But her origins were more exotic than that. Amber’s mother was from Brazil. Her hair was naturally jet-black and straight, but she loved to dye it a bronze color, which made it look different shades of red and amber all meshed into one. Her hazel eyes were her first feature to be noticed, before her body. Her father was a Southern man born in North Carolina, whose parents moved to New York when he was a year old. Amber hadn’t got many of her father’s features, but her attitude was all him. She had his drive and ambition, along with his smarts.

  Amber was the only child of Ray and Emily Couture. When she was only six, her mother died of a sudden brain aneurysm. A year later her father’s parents died in a car accident caused by a drunk driver. After such devastation, Ray worked even harder to provide Amber with a loving home. She missed her mother dearly, but her father filled her life with such joy and happiness that his role of being both a mother and father to her seemed to come naturally. Her father doted on her, and she was a true daddy’s girl even now, as a grown woman. Fortunately, her father owned a thriving car business in Long Island, New York, that allowed her all the luxuries a child could ever want. And, when his parents died, he relocated his business to sunny Miami, Florida.

  When she became of an age to learn about her father’s business, she did her very best to absorb everything he did. She’d been interested in cars from a young age, especially how they worked. Her father sent her to the best schools and even had her working as a car salesman when she was eighteen years old. From that point on there was no stopping her from becoming her father’s overachiever, in more ways than one.

  She arrived at her office at quarter past ten Monday morning. She adored her job. It gave her great pride to know she had control over so many men. But what she most enjoyed was when anyone tried to make a fool out of her, she quickly made them wish that they had never tested the waters. Her knowledge about luxury cars was vast. Amber could tell by the sound of the car if there was a problem with any vehicle on the lot. Her knowledge of and love for cars put her on a high with lots of benefits.

  As she opened the sid
e door to enter her office, she glanced over to the right and noticed how cute Trevor looked today. His incredibly ripped body was so profound, she would have been a fool to pass up that eye candy every day. All the salesladies came into her office just to see him. The front wall in her office was made of glass; she had a great view of the garage.

  Amber sat at her desk, waiting for her computer to connect with the Internet. She peered over her computer screen, looking at Trevor’s bulky biceps under his T-shirt. His skin tone was smooth as chocolate, an even tone throughout. His hair lay neatly in a circular motion around his head, forming waves like on the ocean. By looks alone, he could part any legs he wanted—including hers. She’d never understood why her father had employed Trevor. She often tried to ask her father where he came from and why he had a job at their dealership, but her father never enlightened her on that subject. All she knew was he could fix any car on the lot, and he never went to school and didn’t have a college degree. Amber’s daydream was quickly interrupted by the phone buzzing. Startled, she quickly picked it up, hoping no one had seen her staring. “Amber Couture speaking. How may I help you?”

  “Good morning, baby girl. How you doing this morning?” Her father, Ray Couture, spoke with a distinctive Southern accent.

  “Oh, am doing just fine. What’s up?”

  “Umm, can you make lunch today? I have someone I would like you to meet.”

  “What time? And it better be a good spot,” Amber said with a hearty laugh.

  “Wherever you like, sweetie. I need you to be on board because you are going to be his boss.” Ray laughed.