Unapologetic Curves (Sample)

Chapter 3 Michelle: Tag Team...

It had been three years since my break up. Since then, I'd taken the time to rebuild my self-esteem. I started from scratch. I cut all my hair off, starting over in my natural hair journey. As hurt as I was at the time, I thanked God every day for lifting the burden off my shoulders. I was more than feeling myself. You couldn't pay me to think of myself as anything other than beautiful. I woke up every morning with a smile on my face. I had a pep to my step, and I paraded on with my head held high.
It had been a long while since I'd felt this secure in myself, and it was amazing. I was proud of the woman I was becoming. I didn't have to depend on the love of a man to feel secure in myself, and I damn sure didn't care what anybody else thought. It had been a long time coming, and it was finally my time. Things were finally looking up for me.
Ebony and I no longer spoke. Can you believe the bitch had the nerve to say it was love? That if I had handled his needs better, she wouldn't have to do it for me. What she didn't know was that he still called me on the regular, trying to squeeze his way back into my bed. That was never going to happen again. I worked too hard to get to where I was. I was not going to jeopardize my new-found happiness. If we were meant to be, it would have worked out, but it didn't, so oh well. I was happy with my life where it was.
I had my girls to help me through it, and I was living my life single and happy. Ashley, Brittany, and Nicole had been the best friends I could ever ask for. Even after I turned my back on them, they still held me down and helped me pick my head back up. Every step of the way, I had my family behind me.

Speaking of which, I was on my way to meet my bestie Ashley right now. She was one of the nurses here at the office. She was the wildest one out of all of us. She was five feet seven, a little shorter than me. She was a big girl, giving you basic bitch vibes, but she was the exact opposite. If anybody knew how to have fun out all of us, it was Ashley. Her dark chocolate skin always had its own natural glow. She never had to wear makeup, because she was naturally beautiful. Lord knows I would kill to have her complexion. If you asked me, Ashley and I were the closest of all the girls. We were roommates in college, and now we worked in the same office together. We spent most of our days with each other, so we always talked on a daily basis. Just about every major milestone of my life, Ashley was there.
"Hey, Ash. Are you enjoying your day so far?"
"Yes, what about you? You all bright and what not. Girl, did you finally use your birthday gift?" She winked at me, being her usual nasty self.
"No! I'm just happy. I can't smile when I come to ask my bestie out to lunch."
"I guess, but if you're not going to use your gift, then give it back because I will."
"Ash, I don't use it, because I don't need it. Why have a toy when you can have the real thing?"
"Oh, so you been holding out. You got a new man and didn't tell us?"
"No, but I can find one if I need to. You know damn well it's impossible to keep anything a secret from y'all."
"About time, girl. I thought you were going to switch teams. Three years without it is too damn long."
"You a mess. Let's go. I think the girls are waiting for us."
"Okay, but you are driving because a bitch got to save gas. You make more than I do. I'm just the nurse. You can spare a few gallons."
"Okay, girl. Damn you act like you don't get paid you make good money as a nurse."
"Okay, and? But you make more as a nurse practitioner."
"And I also have a mortgage to pay and a new car payment," I spoke, unlocking the doors to my Range Rover. This car was my baby. She was red with red and black leather interior— my gift to myself after my break up.
Ten minutes later and after an excruciating conversation with Brittany about me finding a man, we arrived at the restaurant. We got out of the car and made our way inside. There, I saw my other two besties, Brittany and Nicole. Brittany was what I liked to classify as a rare beauty. I was convinced that she had some heritage of some Native American. She had long black hair that cascaded down her back. She was thick in the hips with a nice set of double D's to go with a flat stomach. My favorite thing about her was her eyes. They were a dark blue color, sort of like the waters of the Caribbean.
As for Nicole, she was my sister in law. Her and my brother, Michael, met shortly after I left for college. She was my Latina plus-sized Barbie. Everything about her screamed bad bitch. You would never see her half stepping. She and Brittany looked alike if you asked me. They had the same shape. They both had extremely long hair, only Nicole's hair was honey blonde for the time being.
Brittany was always representing or all the BBW baddies of our community, reaching out to all the big names in the big girl take over. I was extremely proud of Nicole for making a name for herself in the fashion industry. My sister was making big moves out here, and I was proud to tell everyone I knew. My sister was a self-made born hustler running her very own blog and online store all from the comfort of her home. She managed to make sure my niece, Denise, was always taken care of. Hell, she even stood by Michael's side when he lost his job. She and Brittany were all about the married life. They were lucky enough to find their soulmates early on in life, so they tended to hang out with each other a little more often.
"Hey, besties."
"Hello." They spoke to us at the same time, smiling brightly.
"Girl, did you cut your hair again?" Brittany asked me as I took my seat. She was staring at me extra hard today.
"Yes, I did. I switched up the color too, if you were wondering." I laughed as she squinted to see. We all knew damn well she wouldn't be able to see without her glasses.
"I thought so. It brings out your skin tone. I love that color on you." She reached over and took it upon herself to fluff out my hair a bit.
"Brit, please get your damn hands out my hair. Damn, I know you love my natural, but you know I can't stand that."
"I can't help it. It's so soft. When are you coming to the shop so I can give you a silk blow out?"
I laughed and smiled at her with a goofy grin plastered on my face.
"Brittany, you too damn grown to be that goofy, and I don't want to straighten my hair anymore. It's easier to maintain like this." We both laughed at each other while the rest of the girls just looked at me. I watched as Ashley and Cecile looked at me smiling.
"What's up with y'all smiling at me?"
"Well, Ash told us the news about you wanting to start dating, so—" Nicole spoke slowly, taking her time to get to the point.
"So, we think we all should go out tonight and just to get you out there," Ashley spoke, finishing Brittany's statement.
"Well damn, Ash. You spread the news that damn fast? I said I could find a man if I need one. Nothing about dating left my mouth."
"I know, and you need one. Like you and I both know how you procrastinate. Hell, I work with you. I know. I feel like this is an opportunity for the both of us to get back out on the market, and while we're at it, Brittany and Nicole get the chance to have a night out."
"So y'all were just going to tag team my ass with this idea?"
"No, girl. I had no part in this." Brittany shook her head while she sipped on her drink.
"Hell yeah!" Ash and Nicole exclaimed.
"Girl, think about how long it's been since we all actually went out to a club," Brittany stated. "And if you're not feeling the vibe, then you always have me to sit at the bar and get drunk with."
"Yeah, Michelle. We all need this. Don't get me wrong. I love the married life, but I miss my girls. Shit, Michael getting on my nerves," Nicole spoke.
"I guess so." Rolling my eyes, I picked up the menu, trying to decide what I wanted.
"No, Michelle. We know what you're going to say. It's not an option. You're going. Wait, what did you just say?"
"I said I guess if I'm going to put myself out there, I would like you guys to be with me. Besides, I miss partying."
"Okay, it's set. We will go out tonight. Brittany and Nicole, y'all need to talk to y'all men. We can meet up at Michelle's house around seven to get ready. Just so you know, Michelle, I'm picking out your outfit tonight. No playing it safe."
"Okay," we all agreed.
"So y'all... guess who I saw yesterday," Ashley said.
"Who, girl?" Nicole asked eagerly.
"Girl, captain of the thot team. Y'all, can you believe this bitch had the nerve to speak to me, talking about hey Ash. Like bitch, you can't call me that no more. Girl, I started to hit that bitch."
"Girl, you should have speed dialed my ass. Girl, I would have been all up in that bitch and superman that hoe. You know I didn't get to beat that hoe ass like I wanted the first time because of Michael's ass talking about being classy!" Nicole exclaimed.
"Well, I'm glad he did. That was three years ago, and we too cute for that. Besides, we already beat his ass, and Michelle is moving on," Brittany spoke up.
"Yes, I am. Now can we change the subject?"
Lord, help me. What did I just get myself into, I thought to myself as Ash went on about what struggle she was going to put me through later. We enjoyed lunch and talked about our plans for tonight. Once we were set, we all headed back to work so we could finish our day.
***
I was packing my things up in my office in a rush. I had to hurry and get home, being that I had stayed at least two hours over at work trying to finish up my charts and last-minute check up on my patients. The girls were probably already at the house. I was walking to the car, struggling trying to find my phone in my extremely oversized Michael Kors purse. Once I found it, I looked to see Ashley calling me.
"Hey, Ash. I'm getting in the car now."
"Mmm hmm, you better. I specifically told you not to stay over. I know you love your job, but you got to have some time to yourself."
"I know you know I had to check on my favorite patient, Mrs. Casey, before I left, not to mention I had to finish my charts. I'm sorry."
"It's fine. Me and the girls are almost ready. I already got out your attire for tonight. When you get here, jump straight in the shower. Brittany and Cecilia should be done getting dressed by now."
"Don't bet on it, girl. You know how they are." I knew all too well that they were going to take forever to get dressed. Ever since we were in college, they always took the longest to get dressed.
"Yeah, you right, but I'm going to go ahead and jump in your shower. Did you change your room again?"
Shaking my head, I was starting to regret giving Ashley a key to the house. We practically lived together. She was there so much.
"No, I just changed the color. Why you got to take a shower in my bathroom? There are three other bathrooms you can use."
"Because, trick, I like your shower. Hurry up and get here."
"I will get there when I please. You forget I'm a grown ass woman. I'm here. I'm pulling into the driveway now."
"That was fast. You mean to tell me you were speeding and on the phone with me, and police didn't stop you?"
"Yep, because I got it like that."
"Whatever! I'm getting in the shower, so see you when you get in here. Okay?"
"Alright." Walking into my house, I took in its appearance.
My pride and joy was this house. I worked very hard for it. Even though I had some terrible experiences in this house, I couldn't bring myself to part with this house. I worked too hard just to let it go because of him. I knew it may have seemed unrealistic, all these rooms and it's just me, but I loved everything about this house. I still planned on making it one for myself and my future family. Hearing a knock on the door, I made my way to the door.
"I'm coming." Opening the door, in walked Brittany and Cecilia, and just as I suspected, neither one of them were dressed.
"Okay, we have a problem," Nicole stated.
"What's the problem?"
"Well, when I got home this afternoon after picking up Denise from pre-school, I told your brother that we were having a girls' night out."
"Okay, what's wrong with that?"
"Well, you know how he is. He was like cool, but somewhere in between there, I mentioned we were going to the club, and now—"
She was cut off by Brittany.
"And now they want to come out too."
"So, you mean y'all niggas are going to come out too." Shaking my head, I knew Michael wasn't letting Nicole out of his sight.
"Yeah, them and their stupid ass friends. So that means that Eric is going to be there, most likely with Ebony—"
"Y'all, I don't care. I'm still going. Just don't tell Ashley. Y'all know how she is," I said, cutting her off. If Ashley knew Ebony was going to be coming out tonight, she was likely to show her ass, and I didn't want any drama tonight.
"Don't tell me what?"
"Nothing important, Ash."
"I'm not letting this go, but for now, it will have to wait. Y'all bitches need to get in the shower while I get dressed and do my hair. That way I will be dressed, and I can help y'all."
"Okay, mama," we all said at once. For Ashley to be the youngest out of all of us, she swore she was running shit. I headed up the stairs a little pissed that I was finally about to move on and have some fun, but he must be there.
The feeling left as soon as it came as I stepped into the shower, letting the hot water wash away all my problems. I started to wash my body. Twenty minutes later, I stepped out of the shower to dry off. While I was drying off, Ashley walked into the bathroom with a black peplum top that had a low V cut that showed off her breast. The V cut was covered with a black sheer material. She also had on a black pencil skirt that stopped mid-thigh. My girl was looking good. I had to give her props. She must have been excited to go out if she was showing all the goodies off.
"You look good, Ash. You are showing off your girls. Yass, we about to turn up."
"Yes, girl. Wait until you see the dress I picked out for you." We walked out of the bathroom. The clothes were displayed on the bed. I was speechless staring at the dress. I'd been wanting to buy this dress for the last three months, but every time I tried to purchase it online, they were sold out. The Elliot bodycon dress from Addiction Luxe was made for my figure, and I finally got my hands on it.
"Ashley, where did you find it!"
I wanted to cry. I was so happy.
"I know you've been eyeing it for a while, so I went online to find it, but I didn't have any luck. So, I called Nicole, and she pulled some strings and called up a couple of her friends in the industry. They hooked me up."
"Aww! Your cold-hearted ass actually loves me!" I chased her around the room, trying to give her a hug.
"Girl, hush. Stop playing now. That's why I don't show any affection toward your emotional ass. Stop playing, and get dressed." She laughed as she ran across my bed to the other side of the room.
"Okay, I'm done playing. Thank you, best friend."
"Please put on some clothes. As beautiful as you are, I'm tired of talking to you completely naked. It's weird." She smiled and walked out of the room, leaving me to get dressed. Taking my time, I slowly smoothed the lotion into my skin, admiring my body in the mirror body. Never in a million years did I think I would blossom into the woman I was now. My vibrant bronze skin was blemish free and radiated happiness from my pores.
Holding my overly large breast in my hands, I admired my nipples. Taking my time, I admired every part of my body. I took an extra minute or two admiring the rolls on my stomach and my back before guiding my hands down my hips. I giggled to myself as I watched my ass jiggle every time I moved. I was truly happy in the skin that I was in. It may have taken me a while, but I was starting to appreciate the craftsmanship that God had blessed me with.
Once I was done moisturizing, I slipped on my undergarments. Standing in the mirror, I looked at my hair, puzzled. I wasn't sure what to do with my hair for tonight's festivities. I thought about doing a twist out, but I was pressed for time, so I would have to call in the expert, Brittany. Strutting over to my closet, I grabbed my silk robe, throwing it on. Walking out of my room, I followed the loud music down the hall. Stepping into the room, I looked at everybody fully dressed and doing touch ups on their makeup.
"Michelle, what are you doing? Why aren't you dressed?"
"Nicole, calm down. It's only nine o'clock. I have time. I don't know what to do with my hair."
"Say no more!" Brittany jumped up from her seat, twerking. She was finally going to get the chance to play in my head.
"Give me fifteen minutes. I have to go get my slay station." Running out the room, she made her way to her car.
"Jesus, be with me." I shook my head. I loved my best friend, but she was always doing the most.
***
Almost two hours later, I was finally stepping into my dress after fighting to put on my shapewear. I looked in my body-length mirror. I gasped at the sight before me. The dress was clinging to my curves, showing off my hourglass figure. My breasts peeked out through the keyhole neckline. My hair was parted in the middle with two goddess braids braided back about half way. The braids looked like a crown while the rest of my hair was fluffed out. I didn't know what Brittany put on my hair, but my curl pattern was popping. I couldn't stop twirling my curls on my finger. As for my makeup, I did a simple natural beat. I wasn't feeling the idea of having a whole lot of makeup caked up on my face tonight.
I did a once over in the mirror. I was feeling myself tonight. I was ready to head out and hit the scene. I was happy that my girls took the time to plan this night out for me. It had been awhile since I took the time to get all dolled up. I finally peeled my eyes away from the mirror long enough for me to grab my clutch and head downstairs. As soon I reached the bottom of the stairs, I put on my heels. Once I was done putting on my shoes, I looked up to see all the girls staring at me. They stood there looking with their mouths hanging open.
"Damn, girl. Your brother going to kill you when he sees you in that. Girl, you are looking good. You better be glad I'm strictly dickly," Brittany spoke while staring at me.
"Thank you, girl. Ashley, what's wrong? Why are you crying?"
"No, I'm fine. My baby growing up." I just shook my head at her. And they call me emotional!
"Nicole, sit your emotional ass down, acting like a pregnant woman," Ashley spoke.
"Now, Brittany, can you stop texting your nigga long enough to put my hair in a bun?"
"Okay, don't judge me and my ba—"
"No, don't finish that statement. I don't want to hear about that." Lord knows I didn't want to hear about whatever escapade she was planning for later.
"Nicole, what club are we going to?"
"We're going to Club Lennox. Tonight is the grand opening, and one of your brother's friends owns it, so we got the hook up with a booth in the VIP." I looked at Nicole puzzled. Michael didn't have many friends at all, so I could only hope that she wasn't referring to who I thought she was speaking of.