Men Love Curves: BBW Romance

by Ruby Madden

  In an effort to escape his grasp, Bernadette allowed her ankles to wobble and pretended that her right ankle gave way. To her surprise, he didn’t just steady her on her feet, but instead lifted her up into his large muscular arms and carried her off of the dance floor and over to her seat at their communal table.

  Bernadette grinned a wide smile of relief as she saw a familiar face sitting at her table. It was her best friend, Olivia, sitting next to Marketing Mark.

  She waved meekly, embarrassed to be carried across the dance floor. A beautifully adorned Olivia waved back at her excitedly.

  Bernadette smiled and said “thank you” as Blaze brought her to the table and lowered her to the ground, easing her down into her assigned chair.

  Blaze made the introductions.

  “You know Mark and Olivia from your work at BBW Runway magazine. Let me introduce you to my brother and business partner James and his fiancé Stephanie.”

  Blaze frowned as he made the final introduction.

  “Sitting right beside you is my father Gregory James Sparks who appears to be here…unaccompanied tonight.”

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you, I’m Bernadette Michaels.” Bernadette said politely as she smiled at and acknowledged each individual at the table.

  Blaze’s father turned toward her, taking her hand in his and kissing it. “It’s a pleasure to meet you as well Bernadette – or shall I call you Miss Michaels?”

  Before Bernadette could answer for herself, Blaze snapped his face toward his father and answered for her. “Call her Ms. Michaels, dad,” he said making no attempt to hide his displeasure with his father.

  Still facing his father, Blaze reached out and took one of Bernadette’s hands in his cradling it and asked his dad “I thought that you were supposed to be out of the country. What’s brought you back to the Bay Area and here to tonight’s little charity event?”

  “Ha! Ha!” James’ laughter suddenly filled the table. “Let’s not talk about business now. We’re here for charity. And with three of the most beautiful women in the world. Let’s just enjoy ourselves.”

  “I agree,” Blaze’s father said as he took Bernadette’s open hand in his, brought it to his lips and kissed it again.

  With wide eyes Bernadette looked at both of her hands: one hand cradled in the hands of handsome billionaire Blaze Sparks and the other touching the lips of his father, the equally handsome billionaire Gregory James Sparks.

  The two men were obviously engaged in some sort of power struggle, and she was stuck in the middle of it. She knew that she had to extricate herself from their feud as carefully and quickly as possible because the two of them looked like they were about to come to blows.

  “Excuse me, gentlemen,” she spoke up “I need to visit the ladies room,” she said as she withdrew both of her hands towards her body. She’d had to use more force than expected to pull her hands back, as both men seemed intent on strengthening their positions by keeping a piece of her for themselves.

  “I’ll go to the ladies room with you,” Olivia said, also staring at the scene in wide-eyed amazement.

  To Bernadette’s surprise, James’ fiancé Stephanie also said, “I’d like to freshen up as well.” But the svelte Stephanie seemed to say her words with suppressed revulsion instead of shock or amazement.

  Chapter 7

  Bernadette

  Bernadette rushed towards the women’s bathroom on the main floor of the gala, but Stephanie caught her attention and waved her towards a camouflaged employee elevator instead. “I’m a director here,” she said under her breath “let’s go upstairs and use my private bathroom.”

  As soon as the elevator doors had closed behind the three women, Bernadette both laughed and simultaneously shouted the words “What the hell was that?” She felt an enormous release of tension and frustration following her outburst.

  Her best friend Olivia wrapped her arm around her shoulders and huddled close to her as she murmured, “That was so strange. I can’t believe that Mr. Sparks and his father fought over you like that, and in public no less.”

  “You’d better get used to it if you’re going to be a part of this family,” Stephanie said matter of factly as she stared straight ahead at the elevator doors.

  “Wait. What?” Bernadette asked.

  “Not here. Let’s talk about this in my office.” Stephanie replied.

  ***

  First Bernadette, then Olivia and finally Stephanie took the opportunity to use the clean and well-appointed bathroom in Stephanie’s office. While Stephanie stood in the bathroom re-applying her makeup Bernadette and Olivia sat next to each other at Stephanie’s desk, both of them peering into a small display case filled with adorably cute animal figurines which seemed to clash with the rest of the sophisticated modern décor in Stephanie’s office.

  After she had finished applying her makeup, instead of taking the seat behind her desk, the slender and graceful Stephanie pulled her chair around and sat down right next to Bernadette and Olivia as she explained what she had meant by her earlier comment in the elevator.

  “Sorry for my terse remark in the elevator. I was just frustrated with the lascivious antics of James’ and Blaze’s father Gregory.

  That man’s a cad and a scoundrel, and we all prefer to keep as far away from him as possible, but somehow he tricked his way into a seat at our table tonight.

  Bernadette, I want you to know that you’re very important to Blaze…and to us. James and I were hoping that you would never have to meet his horrible father. We don’t want his behavior to reflect poorly on Blaze. None of the craziness that went on upstairs was Blaze’s fault.

  Let me share some family history with you so that you understand what I’m trying to tell you.

  Gregory enjoys making a sport out of seducing and bedding the women that his sons love. According to James, his father has stolen and bedded the majority of both his and Blaze’s previous girlfriends. The elder Mr. Sparks even had sex with Blaze’s nanny when he was a teenager, simply because Blaze had a crush on her.

  His father’s actions have traumatized Blaze to the point that he’s afraid to pursue new romantic relationships for fear of rejection.”

  “That’s all horrible…but what does any of that have to do with me?” Bernadette said narrowing her eyes in confusion.

  “I’m just a reporter here to interview Mr. Sparks for a magazine article.”

  “That’s not what I’ve heard,” Stephanie said with a determined grin. “James tells me that Blaze has quite the schoolboy crush on you.”

  Bernadette blushed.

  “I’ve heard it too,” Olivia said, gently rubbing Bernadette’s arm for comfort. She spoke sweetly with none of the usual smirk in her voice. “James explained Blaze’s romantic interest in you to Mark, and arranged for Mark and me to attend this charity gala at the last moment so that you could have some friendly faces here to support you through what he knew would be a difficult evening.”

  “Yes,” Stephanie added. “We wanted the beautiful woman with the crush on Blaze to feel as comfortable as possible this evening.”

  Bernadette stared daggers into Olivia’s eyes and shook her head.

  “Don’t be too tough on your best friend,” Stephanie said. “Yes, she slipped up in revealing your crush to Mark, but if she hadn’t James would never have been able to set up this date for you and Blaze. Don’t worry. We haven’t told Blaze about your crush. He still has no idea that you have feelings for him.”

  Olivia put on a half-smirk, nodded and said, “I did it for your own good Bernadette.”

  Bernadette’s eyes softened as she saw the brash sincerity in Olivia’s expression.

  “This entire situation is crazy making and confusing,” Bernadette lamented, throwing up her hands in exasperation as she recounted her grievances concerning the day.

  My arm’s sore from the blood draw Blaze made me take this morning. My feelings are still hurt by th
e way he ignored me, not speaking to me once during the car ride over here. And I’m not sure how I feel about him getting handsy outside at the photography stations…and then indoors on the dance floor. Now to top it all off, he’s fighting with his father over who’s going to get me into bed first in some crazy father-son contest!”

  Bernadette pulled up the jeweled sleeve of her gown revealing to Olivia and Stephanie the bright purple bruising on her inner arm to demonstrate her point… and perhaps to rouse some sorely needed sympathy as well.

  “Ouch! That looks painful!” Olivia said as she inspected Bernadette’s arm.

  “Nasty,” Stephanie said in agreement.

  “I don’t want you to get the wrong idea about Blaze” Stephanie offered. “He is quite literally the sweetest man in the world, but James has incorrectly convinced him that he has to act like some bad boy lothario for you to like him.”

  “The blood draw and the accompanying letter were both James’ ideas. Not speaking to you during the car ride...that was James’ idea as well. Getting handsy on the red carpet and the dance floor? As far as I know, that was all Blaze. But, maybe he was just overwhelmed by your beauty and couldn’t control himself? You’ll have to ask him about it later,” Stephanie explained.

  “Give Blaze a chance girlfriend,” Olivia added. “From what I’ve learned about him, he’s not a bad man. He’s just a nice guy who happens to have a big crush on you. That’s what you’ve wanted for, well, forever, isn’t it?”

  Bernadette stood up and paced the room as she listened to both ladies speak.

  “If you’re worried about how you’re going to fend off Gregory’s advances, don’t. You won’t have to do it alone. I’ll stand by you.” Stephanie said. “You’re not the only one here he’s made a pass at. He also tried to seduce me when I first started dating James. I had to rebuff him several times before he realized that I wasn’t giving into his seductions.”

  Bernadette stood in front of Olivia and Stephanie and gave each of the strong women sitting before her one of her hands to hold. “Thanks,” she muttered as she gripped their fingers, took a deep breath and prepared for her next move.

  Chapter 8

  Blaze

  A few minutes after the ladies had left the floor Blaze, James and Gregory all stood up and left as well, leaving Mark sitting in the large circular gala table by himself.

  “I’ll stay here and make sure no one steals your chairs!” Mark shouted after them nervously, as the three tall men walked away and left him sitting all alone.

  Blaze made no attempt to hide his disgust with his lecherous father as they entered the private elevator together.

  “You’re lucky I don’t knock you on your ass right here!” He growled as James stood between him and their father.

  “Stop this!” James scolded. “We’re not going to do this in the elevator with the camera watching us. You two can wait until we walk into my office to pummel each other.”

  Blaze turned his body straight ahead to face the elevator door, but he could still see his father’s douchebag smirk out of the corner of his eye, and it infuriated him.

  James instructed the two men to stand body length apart as they exited the elevator and then walked into his office which just happened to share a thin wall with Stephanie’s office.

  Gregory struck first.

  He looked up into Blaze’s angry blue iceberg eyes and scowled.

  “Blazey boy, you’re still the same selfish sissy boy I remember. Still too big and famous to share your latest piece of ass with dear ol’ dad? Huh?”

  Gregory walked dangerously close to Blaze, and James blocked him with his body, holding him back and keeping the two men from getting within brawling distance of each other.

  Gregory continued his verbal assault on Blaze.

  “How many fat sluts have you stuck that huge dick of yours into this week? C’mon, stop being a selfish douchebag and share your newest green-eyed, fat slut with me. You know she’s my type. She looks just like your green-eyed fat slut nanny Bridget. Remember her… the one you had a crush on… the one that I got to first and poked and pleased inside your closet eleven years ago—?”

  “Stop talking about Bernadette…and nanny Bridget with your disgusting mouth!” Blaze shouted, interrupting his father’s tirade with a rage all his own.

  Blaze pushed James aside and wrapped his hand around his father’s throat, forcefully pinning him to the wall.

  He stared his father in the eye and spoke to him with fierce resolve.

  “I’ve heard the last of your insults and lies. It’s time for you to leave here and go back to your new home in Ireland to be with your latest gold digger wife. You aren’t welcome here anymore. Now get out of here before I call Mr. Bishop, Mr. Todd, and Mr. Carter and tell them that the man who slept with their wives is here in the building.”

  Blaze watched his father struggle in his grip for a few more seconds before he released his neck and allowed him to stumble, gasping for air towards the door.

  James called to out to his father as the defeated man turned the doorknob to leave the office.

  “Say hello to your new wife Ashlynn once you’re back in Ireland… and give her my condolences for marrying a douchebag like you!”

  James smiled and patted his brother Blaze on the back as he waved goodbye to his father who was now down the hallway stumbling his way into the elevator, still holding his hand protectively around his neck.

  James picked up his office phone and called security.

  “My father Gregory James Sparks is entering private elevator number four now. Make sure that he leaves the building and does not return.”

  The rage in Blaze’s icy blue eyes subsided, and he turned to face James.

  “Sorry, I pushed you out of the way brother. I couldn’t stand by and let him say all of those awful things. I had to shut him up. Are you injured?”

  James shrugged his shoulders.

  “My arm’s bruised, but I’ll be fine. Thanks for doing what I should have done years ago.”

  Blaze’s eyes widened, and he took out his cell phone and called Bernadette.

  She answered almost immediately.

  “Hi Blaze,” she said in a gentle and pleasant tone.

  He was surprised to hear her speak so kindly to him. He had been certain she would be furious with him for leaving her alone at the gala for so long.

  He gathered his inner strength before he addressed her.

  “Bernadette, I want to apologize for keeping you waiting for so long. I had to deal with a problem concerning my father…but I understand that my family problems are no excuse for my behavior. I will be downstairs momentarily. Please, allow me to make this up to you.”

  “You take as long as you need,” Bernadette replied almost cheerfully. “I’ve been enjoying myself here with Olivia and Stephanie. I’ll be waiting for you down at our table when you’re ready.”

  Blaze took a deep breath and crossed his fingers as he addressed her again. This night had been his chance to impress her both personally and professionally. He didn’t want to waste any more time on fancy dinner parties. He wanted to get to know her intimately, and he wanted her to know him intimately as well.

  Blaze lifted up one muscular arm and ran his fingers through his thick hair as he spoke.

  “Would you mind if we skipped the fancy dinner and headed back to my beach house instead? I’d like to dive right into the interview and studio tour I promised you.”

  Still surprising him Bernadette responded with a simple and agreeable “I would like that very much, Blaze.”

  Blaze turned to James and gave him the thumbs up sign. James enthusiastically responded in kind.

  “I’ll ask my driver to bring the car around,” he told Bernadette with an excited and boyish lilt in his voice.

  Blaze hung up the phone, but then almost immediately called Bernadette back as he thought of her needs.

  “Yes B
laze?” she answered

  “I won’t let you go hungry Bernadette. I promise,” he blurted out. “I’ll have my private chef service deliver us a delicious meal. What do you like? Italian? Moroccan? Japanese? Swedish?”

  “Oh – Swedish. Swedish sounds good. I haven’t had that in months.”

  “Swedish it is. I’ll make the call,” he said to his date, feeling a surge of energy rise in his chest as he anticipated spending an entire evening alone with her in his beach house.

  Chapter 9

  Bernadette

  Bernadette first started to trust Blaze when she heard him defending her honor, and his own, against his lecherous father’s cruel remarks back at the charity gala.

  She’d heard his entire confrontation with his father through the thin walls of Stephanie’s office and wanted to let him know that she’d heard everything, but instead decided against it. Blaze’s father had said some vicious things to him, and she didn’t want to embarrass him by letting him know that she’d listened to the entire awful scene.

  Dinner had been delicious. She’d eaten the expected Swedish meatballs with gravy, potatoes, cucumbers and lingonberry sauce. She’d also eaten something unexpected in an equally delicious fish stew and berry tart with ice cream dessert.

  Bernadette’s trust in Blaze strengthened during their interview which went even better than she anticipated it would.

  He opened up to her about his love of swimming and photography. He also shared his plans for a new Blaze Sparks signature line of crystal sprinkled shoes based on the Cinderella fairytale. When she asked what he thought about his reputation as the “Reigning King of BBW Fashion Photography,” he laughed and said that he enjoyed being called the “King.”

  On a sadder note, he also talked about the pain of being abandoned as a young boy by his gold-digging mother and living in the less than loving shadow of his billionaire father.