Total pages in book: 25
Estimated words: 23316 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 117(@200wpm)___ 93(@250wpm)___ 78(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 23316 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 117(@200wpm)___ 93(@250wpm)___ 78(@300wpm)
I try to contain my unladylike snort because please, girl. Vinnie has saved someone from a bad case of dry eye at best. Meanwhile, my boyfriend continues to preen.
“Thank you, sweetheart. That means a lot because it’s a difficult job but hearing people say things like that makes it all worth it,” he smiles. Then, Vinnie looks around for a few moments before his eyes finally land on me. With a small sigh, he sends her an apologetic smile before beginning to make his way over toward our usual table. “If you’ll excuse me, my dinner companion is waiting.”
He wends his way to where I wait, his thin, reedy form clad in a too-big suit. I put on a small smile and try to pretend that I didn’t just witness any of that.
“Hey baby, how are you?” I ask. Meanwhile, Vinnie snaps his finger to get the attention of a server as he sits down.
“I’m okay,” he sighs. “So hungry though! It’s been a long day.”
I nod, feigning sympathy. At that moment, the waiter appears, and Vinnie nods.
“I’ll have the garden vegetable pasta, please. Please make sure the pasta’s cooked to perfection because sometimes it comes out dry and hard. And I’d like gluten-free pasta, actually, because it settles better on my stomach. And instead of basil, I’d like parsley. No zucchini—I hate zucchini—just put extra squash in the pasta. Did you hear that? I said extra squash. There should be plenty in there to replace the zucchini. Don’t be stingy! And last, no onion. I’m allergic to that stuff and I’ll probably go into anaphylactic shock if I even consume a tiny sliver of it.”
“Of course sir,” the waiter murmurs before turning to look at me. I wear an embarrassed smile as I nod.
“I’ll just have the chicken cutlet with mashed potatoes. Thank you so much—”
But then Vinnie cuts me off with a frown. His eyes land on my stomach and stay there long enough for me to start squirming uncomfortably while trying to suck it in. I already know what he’s thinking because I’m a bigger girl. Not too big, but certainly not small or skinny. Sure enough, the commentary begins.
“You shouldn’t be eating the chicken cutlet, Janelle. You know it’ll make you fat,” he says in an exasperated tone. “And mashed potatoes? Please!” he scoffs. “Those things are full of butter. Just completely unhealthy all around—I should know because I’m a doctor.”
For the billionth time, I think to myself that Vinnie has a Doctor of Optometry, not a medical degree, so he’s not exactly an expert on nutrition. But I know better than to contradict him in public and I don’t feel like dealing with his mood if I say something to piss him off, so instead of voicing my thoughts, I simply put on a smile and turn to look at the waiter.
“I suppose he’s right. He is a doctor after all,” I say through a fake smile. “I’ll just have the garden salad.”
The waiter nods, his expression masked.
“Of course.”
“And dressing on the side,” Vinnie adds. “Vinaigrette, diluted. None of that Thousand Island or Blue Cheese.”
The waiter nods again, and I can’t imagine what’s whirling through his mind.
“Yes sir, certainly. The food will be out shortly.” Then the waiter strides away, and I try not to feel embarrassed. I know Vinnie comes off as controlling, but I remind myself that my boyfriend just wants what’s best for me. With that, I lean forward, trying to show my breasts off to their best advantage.
“Guess what?” I say in a bright voice.
He already looks bored.
“What?”
I ignore his tone and put on an even bigger smile. “I have something super special planned for our anniversary this weekend!”
Vinnie looks confused. “What anniversary? What are you talking about?”
I bite the inside of my cheek and try to control my facial expressions because I know this is a little weird, but it’s not that weird.
“It’s going to be our three-month anniversary,” I clarify.
Vinnie looks utterly mystified, his black brows beetling.
“Really? Haven’t we known each other for way longer than three months? It definitely seems like we’ve known each other forever.”
“No, I mean it’s been three months since we started dating, Vinnie. We’ve worked together at Four Eyes for ages, but we only started dating three months ago.”
Realization dawns as his brow clears.
“Oh right,” he murmurs, nodding slowly. “I didn’t realize it was such a big deal. Okay then. Go on.”
I choose to ignore his comment and merely offer a smile. “You know our coworker from Four Eyes? Addy?”
He blinks, looking completely mystified again.
“No, should I?”
I contain my sigh because Vinnie really only notices pretty girls, and Addy’s like me – we’re attractive, but bigger, so she probably hasn’t registered on his radar.
“Adelaide Crenshaw,” I say pointedly. “You know, curly brown hair, brown eyes, a big smile? She’s one of our only other coworkers in the entire store.”