“Let me let you in on a little secret.”
“Okay,” she said with an unsure chuckle.
“Guys don’t ask girls for help with school unless they simply want to get her attention. I assume you were shy, and that was one reason you hung out in the library. So if a guy wanted to get your attention, he’d ask for help with school. The other girls saw this and knew deep down you were beautiful and had the type of body most guys want. So that’s why they teased you. Made fun of the one thing they all most likely wanted.”
“They wanted to be chubby?”
I leaned back in my chair. “Do you think you’re chubby?”
Emma looked down at her body, then back up. “No. But I’m not thin either. I have wide hips, a big butt, and large breasts.”
“Did you think you were chubby in high school?”
She shrugged. “I guess I did. I looked the same then as I do now, but I guess back then at that age…”
Pausing, she sighed. “I’m lying to myself. I do sometimes think I’m chubby.”
“My father had a man cave. I wasn’t allowed in there until I was older. Do you know what he had hanging up on his walls?”
“What?” she asked as she leaned in a bit, curious at what the answer was going to be.
“Pin-up girls. Rita Hayworth, Veronica Lake, Lana Turner, Jane Russell, Marilyn Monroe. And you know what you have in common with all those women?”
She slowly shook her head. “You’re not a stick, Em. You have curves and a body any man would want to put his hands on and explore.”
Swallowing slowly, Emma sat back. “Then I must attract the wrong kind of men. The last few guys I dated made it clear they thought I could lose a bit of weight. One even downloaded a weight loss app on my phone.”
Anger filled my entire body. “Then they’re stupid assholes. Or they knew what they had and didn’t want any other man to look at you.”
Emma blinked a few times. “It took me a long time to feel comfortable in my skin. I’m healthy, I’m happy, and I finally feel…”
Her words faded while she tried to decide if she wanted to share her thoughts with me.
“You feel what?”
“Nothing.”
Every part of me wanted to know what she was going to say. What did she feel?
“Tell me. Please.”
When her teeth dug into her lower lip, she whispered, “Sexy.”
I instantly went hard. “You are. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve walked into the library and nearly tripped over myself at the sight of you.”
Her eyes widened. “What? Me?”
I laughed. “Don’t sound so surprised, Emma. I just told you only seconds ago you were beautiful, and you said you feel sexy in your own skin. Why wouldn’t I be attracted to you?”
With her hand, she said, “Because look at you.”
She looked away and exhaled before focusing back on me. “Most men say those types of things when they want to sleep with you.”
“They do. And I would be lying if I didn’t tell you I was attracted to you. But your body and beautiful face isn’t what makes me long to catch a glimpse of you when I bring Noel to story time.”
Her lips parted slightly as she whispered, “What does?”
“It’s your smile. The way you get a crinkle between your brows when you see me. Like you’re annoyed, yet your eyes say something completely different.”
