As she disappeared into the locker room, I exhaled, glad I’d gotten through the awkward exchange. Jerry, talking to Naomi nearby, gave me a thumbs-up, signaling his approval. After we both showered, we met at a nearby Golden Corral. As we ate, I struggled to start the conversation.
Small talk filled the silence, but I could see she was growing impatient. Finally, I took a deep breath.
“I wanted to talk about that night, you know, when things almost happened.”
She shifted uncomfortably, shaking her head. “You don’t have to explain. It’s fine. It’s not the first time a man hasn’t been attracted to me. I’m used to it. My ex-husband wasn’t either. I’ll get over it.”
I was stunned. “What?”
“Yeah,” she sighed with a sad smile. “He used to call me piggy and poke my stomach, even in front of his friends.”
Tears welled up in her eyes, and she tried to rush to the bathroom, but I gently grabbed her hands.
“Colleen, you’ve got it all wrong.”
She looked up, and my heart broke seeing her pain.
“Your ex was an idiot. I don’t know what his problem was, but that’s not how I feel. I’m attracted to you. You’re sexy, fun, and beautiful.”
“Then why?” she asked.
I took a deep breath and told her everything. My story, my fears, my past. She listened without interrupting. When I finished, her reaction shocked me. She burst into uncontrollable laughter.
“What are you laughing at?” I asked, horrified.
This was exactly what I feared. She managed to stifle her laughter and stop me from leaving.
“I’m not laughing at you,” she said, catching her breath. “I’m laughing at us, this whole situation. Both of our spouses told us we were fat, ugly, and bad in bed.”
“Your ex called you boring, too?” I asked, chuckling.
She nodded, trying to suppress another laugh. Soon we were both laughing so hard we couldn’t stop, ignoring the funny looks from people around us. The conversation turned into a competition of who had the worst insults from their ex. She won, though only because her ex had been at it longer.
At least Paige kept her disdain hidden until the end.
“Well, today turned out differently than I expected,” she said with a smile. “I worried I came on too strong and scared you away. I really liked you and didn’t want you to see me like he did. For once, I wanted to feel sexy, even if just for one night. So, I went all out. When you didn’t, you know, I felt like a failure.”
I smiled back. “I get it. I was so focused on not being what Paige said I was that I ended up proving her right.”
Talking to Colleen felt different. It was comforting to share with someone who had gone through the same rejection. I didn’t feel so alone.
“So, what do two so-called losers who are bad in bed do together?” I joked.