Total pages in book: 101
Estimated words: 98255 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 491(@200wpm)___ 393(@250wpm)___ 328(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 98255 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 491(@200wpm)___ 393(@250wpm)___ 328(@300wpm)
Andy sighed. “He did invite you over for Halloween, you do know that.”
“No, it was a passing comment. It wasn’t an invite.” Aria didn’t want to talk about Grant Reynolds.
He was an interesting man. Older than her by six years, but she had recognized him around town. He was a player. Most of the women had taken him out for a test drive.
“Grant likes to sleep around. He’s just being nice. He’s a flirt.”
Andy snorted. “That man is not flirting with you in the way you think.”
“Can we drop it?” Aria asked.
“Fine. Fine. Phil called. He’s on his way. The cow thing was a birthing that was a bit difficult, but cow and calf are now fine.”
“That’s good news,” Aria said.
They both looked toward the parking lot as the sound of a car arrived.
“Is that Phil?” Aria asked.
“Nope, that’s Mr. Peters, come to collect Billie.” Andy smiled. “We’ll take a rain check on this. We’ll talk more.”
“It’s nothing.”
“Come on, are you telling me you’re not attracted to Grant?”
“No, I’m not. I don’t know anything about him.” She didn’t want to get into Grant’s reputation. Instead, she kept a smile on her lips and tried to ignore the hunger that had started to build.
Mr. Peters arrived, and Andy took him through to the consultant room.
Aria made a quick dash to the staff room. The fridge looked appealing, but she wasn’t going to just eat anything. She hadn’t taken time for breakfast. How was she going to lose weight when she constantly thought about food? There was no way for her to survive without food.
She grabbed her cell phone from her back pocket, did a quick search, and poured herself another black coffee. There was not much time for her to read, as the phone began to ring and customers arrived for their appointments. Phil made it in an hour later. He didn’t look like he’d been awake all night, but the moment he entered, he greeted her and got stuck in. There was no lull until lunchtime.
Phil and Andy always insisted she take an hour for lunch, so she headed into town toward the diner. Carl and Beatrice were a lovely pair who ran the diner. The food was always to die for. Stepping inside, the guilt ate at her. She would have loved a cheeseburger with fries, but the calories were already adding up.
She stepped up to the counter, ordered a plain salad, no dressing, and a black coffee again, then quickly changed it to water. She took a seat at the back of the diner. It was already busy, so finding a small table was a miracle.
Pulling out her cell phone again, she began to read through the websites on losing weight. Cutting out all fats and carbs was the answer. Drinking more water. Eating fiber and grains. More exercise. The list went on and on. She knew there was a gym in town. Her mother had purchased a year’s subscription for her, which she could use at any time. It was at the back of her purse. All she had to do to activate it was to go in and use it.
Beatrice brought over her salad. “Hey, sweetie,” she said.
“Hi, Beatrice.”
“Are you okay?” the other woman asked.
Aria smiled. “Yes, thank you. Did you have a good Halloween?”
“Business was booming. I don’t mean to pry but it’s not like you to order a salad.”
Glancing down at her plate, she avoided wrinkling her nose. “I’m not very hungry today.” The lie fell easily from her lips. She was starving.
“Ah, okay. Well, I’ll let you enjoy it.”
Aria nodded and watched Beatrice go.
She hated salad. Another meal she was going to have to love. Leafy vegetables, salads, they were everything she needed to eat.
All the diets she’d been on before were because of her mother. Aria didn’t have a goal weight. She didn’t have any goals when it came to fitness. The truth was, all she wanted was for her mother and everyone to leave her alone. All her life, people had judged her because of her weight.
“You’d be so beautiful if you just lost some weight.”
“It’s a shame you’re so … big.”
Picking up her fork, she stabbed it through the leaves and then shoved it into her mouth. Was it so wrong for her to be happy being herself? Yes, she knew she was big, but she was happy.
No! She yelled at herself inside her head. This was the problem. This was why her mother was the way she was, why people like Sean did what they did.
There was no excuse.
She couldn’t be happy with herself. That was the problem. Her body was the issue.
Her body was disgusting. She had to stop thinking how happy she was with herself. Something had to change.
Aria looked down at her plate, and when she couldn’t eat another piece of leafy lettuce, she got up and carried her used plates to the counter. She thanked Beatrice, as she had already paid her bill. She left the diner and stepped out into the cold.