“The night before we met at the art studio, I was fired. I was a showgirl at the Wilshire Hotel, and while I was getting ready to go on for that night’s performance, the manager, Jewel, called me over and fired me in front of all the other performers. I think she’d been planning it for a while because she already had someone hired, and the new girl literally popped out, already in costume, to take my place for that night’s show.”
Mason frowns.
“It sounds like your manager was very unprofessional. Even when there’s just cause for termination, those conversations should always take place behind closed doors. Nothing like that should be done in front of other staff members.”
I swallow, staring at the table cloth, my eyes hot.
“I know Jewel shouldn’t have done it the way she did, but it was my fault.” I pause, wiping away a stray tear running down my cheek. “I’ve gained about ten pounds in the last six months, and I knew it would be a problem because being a showgirl involves lots of tiny costumes, and showing off our bodies is a part of the job. I even had some trouble getting into my costume that night because I’d gotten too fat, and that’s why Jewel fired me. She said there was no reason she should wait for me to lose the weight when there are plenty of fit, skinny girls who’d love to take my place. Evidently, she already had one right there to jump in.”
Mason snorts derisively and I look up through the tears in my eyes. Then, he’s dragging his chair to my side of the table. Sitting next to me, he takes my chin between his thumb and forefinger in a firm grasp.
“Look at me, Mimi.” I know it isn’t really a request, so I meet his eyes, and I swear there’s a storm raging in that blue gaze. “You are not too fat for anything. I adore your curves, honey, and I’m going to pound this Jewel person into the ground for giving you a hard time about your weight.”
I force a small smile. “That’s nice of you to say, but the reality is what it is. Showgirls can’t get fat.”
“No.” He shakes his head fiercely. “Your body is perfect, and you’re so sexy I can barely keep my hands off you, honey. I think about you all day while I’m at work and end up hiding my erection behind my desk. I’m not trying to be crude, but I want to make sure you know I’m telling you the truth.”
Now, I can’t stop staring at him. “You really like my curves, just the way I am?”
He nods sharply, blue gaze bright.
“Yes. I adore them. We met at OnDemand, but I didn’t randomly choose that figure painting class. I do enjoy painting from time to time, but there’s a reason I always look for figure painting classes with female models and that’s because in the art world, the female form is appreciated in all its different forms. Figure painting models are usually voluptuous women, and I enjoy looking at them and recreating their gorgeous curves in my paintings. I don’t go for fashion magazines and the ridiculous notion that women are only beautiful if they’re a size zero. I prefer models like the full-figured ones in Rubenesque paintings.”
Everything he’s saying sounds good, except, “Wait a minute. So you just go to art classes to ogle naked women?”
Mason laughs, shaking his head before winking at me. “No, of course not. It’s a definite plus, but I do actually enjoy being creative.” Then, he takes my hands in his and looks me in the eye, a seriousness coming over those handsome features. “Mimi, I want you to hear me when I tell you that your body is gorgeous. You don’t have to lose weight, and you certainly don’t need to try to conform to some hateful woman’s view of what a showgirl should look like. I would even go so far as to say you could gain another twenty pounds to be even sexier.”
I gasp, my eyes going round.
“Gain twenty pounds? Are you serious?”
He nods before squeezing my hand.
“Yeah definitely, because it would fill out your curves even more. I’d have more to hold when I’m deep inside you.”
I shake my head with surprise.
“I’d love to think like that. I’d adore feeling free to be me and not constantly worrying whether everything I eat is going to make me gain weight. But not everyone thinks like you, Mason. Unfortunately, my old job doesn’t have that world view, so I’ve got to lose some pounds fast so I can try to get my job back.”
Mason shakes his head adamantly. “The Wilshire doesn’t deserve you. Never go back to an employer that has treated you with such disrespect. They’ll only take advantage of you even more.”