Chapter
1
“Are you serious?”
“I’m afraid so.”
Looking across the counter at Connor, Olivia
swallowed her shock, trying to take control of the hurt that was suddenly
raging inside. His round blue eyes were staring at her, filled with the kind of
look that told her he couldn’t understand why he’d gone out with such a loser
in the first place. There wasn’t a hint of guilt or sadness.
Olivia sniffed, her blood beginning to boil. How
could this have happened? What could she have possibly done this time? She
hadn’t mentioned the ‘L’ word. She
hadn’t been needy or clingy. Everything had been going so well.
After a whirlwind romance that began with
their eyes meeting over the organic bananas at the supermarket, Olivia and
Connor had gone on six dates in three weeks. Connor had been the perfect gentleman, in fact so much of a
gentleman, that Olivia became a little concerned when he hadn’t put the hard
word on her. She was beginning to think he might be secretly gay, one of those
poor fellows who couldn’t come out and say it so they went out with untold
amounts of girls to prove themselves wrong in their own minds.
Connor had told her he loved her hair and that
he liked the fact that she had her own business. He’d complemented her sense of
humour and whispered some very dirty little sweet nothings in her ear. And
though he’d balked at meeting her mother well, actually picking her up from her
mother’s place - they’d had a romantic picnic under the willow tree at Apex
Park with a bottle of Moet, for God’s sake. Now he was putting her back onto
the reject pile? What had she done?
“Does this have anything to do with last
night?” It was the only possible reason he could give.
Last night had been the first time she and
Connor had done the deed. Olivia had been so convinced that he was the one; she
hadn’t wanted to have sex until the moment had been exactly right. Having
decided that his cooking dinner for her at his place was probably the right
time, she’d shaved and plucked her body into submission and even bought a new
matching set of lingerie for the occasion. Connor loved red.
Or so he’d said.
Funnily enough, she’d sensed a certain
hesitance on his part after he’d stripped her of her jeans and top. It was as
if his whole demeanor changed when he discovered that she wasn’t the kind of
girl who looked good in a g-string. Which may also have had something to do
with his clamouring to switch out the light. At the time, she’d put it down to
nerves, the newness of the relationship. But now, well…?
Connor shifted uncomfortably and looked at
his feet. He couldn’t even meet
her eyes. “No, not at all. It’s nothing to do with last night. I don’t think
it’s going to work between us, that’s all.”
“Did I suck or something?”
“Of course not.”
She knew she hadn’t. Olivia had certain skills that had been
described as ‘bloody marvellous’ and ‘fucking awesome’ in the past.
Unfortunately, they didn’t appear to be enough of a lure for Connor.
“Then why?”
Connor let out a great big sigh. “Look. I
just don’t find you that attractive with your clothes off, if you really want
to know.”
Olivia’s eyes opened so wide they actually
hurt.
“I beg your pardon?”
“You have cellulite, Livvy. Your bum looks like an unpeeled orange.
You don’t look good naked. In fact, you’re way fatter than you lead me to
believe.”
Olivia blinked. She didn’t know whether to be mad or upset or both. What
drugs was he on? So she wore slimming jeans and a push-up bra. Every girl did. And they didn’t change
the shape of you that much. It was all marketing hype.
“Is that why we had to have the light off?”
“Partly.”
“What was the rest of the reason?”
“I thought you were a natural blonde.
Re-growth is a real turn off for me.”
Oh for God’s sake, nobody was a natural
blonde at their age.
“So let me get this straight, you don’t want
to go out with me anymore because you feel you’ve been misled?”
“Something like that. Look, Livvy, I’m really
sorry.”
“For what? Calling me fat or for the fact
that you’re a complete arsehole? Tell me, was all that wining and dining just
to get me in the sack?”
“NO!”
Which totally meant it was.
“How many other girls have you picked up in
the banana aisle?”
Now he looked sheepish. She’d caught the
sleaze bag out. “Only a couple. But listen, I like you - as a person - and I’d
be totally willing to go out with you again after you drop ten or so kilos.”
“Oh. My. God. You creep. You
absolute creep. Get out! Get out now!”
Shoving him towards the exit, Olivia pushed
him down the two steps that led to the footpath. She was so tempted to kick his
bum on the way out.
“Oh, and Connor?”
He turned back.
“I might be able to lose a few kilos but
you’re not going to be able to hide that bald spot by combing hair over it for
much longer.”
Olivia went back into the shop, shutting the
door in his face. Grabbing her keys, she flipped the sign to ‘Back in 5
minutes’ and bolted down the road to the Maggie’s Bakery. She was well aware that it was two
o’clock in the afternoon, and the lunch trade would have cleaned out her
shelves but if Maggie didn’t have any peppermint slice left there was going to
be hell to pay.
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