Page 3 of The Status Situation

“But I’m not,” I snap defensively, yanking my hand away. “And most men aren’t either, so here I am.”

Darius mumbles something under his breath that I can’t quite catch, shakes his head, and then goes to bus a table.

At the same time, Chase finishes what remains of his drink and stands himself. “Well, I think you’re beautiful.”

“Thanks, Chase. Truly,” I tell him softly before forcing a small smile. “Are you sure you don’t want to take me on a date?”

I know that I’m hiding behind humor, but it’s what I’m good at. Talking about my weight makes me uncomfortable, and I don’t like showing people how much it bothers me because I don’t want it to be used against me later. I didn’t mean to snap, which is why I’m trying to lighten the mood with teasing and jokes.

“Don’t worry, you’ll find someone.” He picks his hat up off the stool next to him and puts it on his head. “I’ve got to jet, but you be good, you hear? Don’t get into any trouble while I’m gone.”

I am silently chastising myself for the comment that has sent them both scattering. “I’ll try. Same time tomorrow?”

The smile he gives me in return is warm but sad, and I hate that I’ve upset him so much. “Of course.”

My stomach twists with guilt as I watch him leave the cafe and step out into the afternoon sun.

Pulling my bottom lip between my teeth, I take his now-empty mug to the sink and set it inside to be washed later. Naturally, my mind decides that now is the perfect time to reflect on all my self-image issues, and I’m so lost in my own thoughts that I don’t hear Darius approach me.

When he taps me on the shoulder to get my attention, I nearly jump out of my own skin. I whirl around, my hand moving over my now racing heart. “Jesus, Darius. You scared the hell out of me. Someone needs to put a bell on you or something.”

Despite my dramatic response, Darius’ face remains somber. “He’s right, you know. You are going to find someone.”

“Sure,” I reply.

With his hands on his hips, he tilts his head to the side and studies me through narrowed eyes. “You don’t believe us, do you?”

“Nope,” I admit.

“Well, you’re wrong. And I’m going to prove it to you.”

I push a strand of my hair back behind my ear before folding my arms across my chest, intrigued. “Oh yeah? How?”

He’s quiet for a bit as he thinks it over, twisting his lips and chewing on the inside of his cheek as he does. Then, all of a sudden, his eyes brighten as his lips curl up into a smile. “Let’s start by looking at your friends.”

“I barely have any friends, Darius,” I remind him. “You’re my best friend and the only guy friend I have. So, how is that going to help?”

“Will you just trust me on this?” he pushes. “Open your social media app so we can see what we are working with.”

Reluctantly, I pull my phone out of my back pocket and open the app before going to my friends’ list like he wanted. It only takes a couple of seconds for me to realize that I don’t know who half of these people are anymore. I think I met most of them at parties back in college, but since none of them cared enough to keep in touch with me, I haven’t bothered either.

“What about him?” Darius asks, pointing to the tiny screen, which stops my scrolling.

I quickly shake my head. “Do you see that nose?”

Darius points again, a row down and two pictures over. “And him?”

“He’s shorter than I am!” I laugh. “And that’s saying something.”

He looks up at me with a surprised yet exasperated expression. “Short guys are a problem now?”

I shrug. “I just don’t want to have to bend down to kiss my guy. I already have weight issues. I don’t need height issues too. Besides, what if I want to wear heels?”

“You don’t own a pair of heels,” he deadpans.

He’s right; I’m a dress and flats kind of girl, but that’s totally not the point.

“But what if I decide someday that I want to? I will not have that option taken away from me for a guy who’s shorter than I am. No.”