Chapter 20

"Tell me already, please."

Anderson was keeping me in suspense about what he had to say.

"Sorry for barging into the room like this. It’s just that you’re being discharged today and can finally go home."

"Wow, I can’t believe it. Are you serious?"

"Yes. Dr. Denis will be here shortly to discharge you from the hospital. I found out about it beforehand and decided to tell you."

"Thank you so much, Anderson. I’ll finally be able to go back home."

"Everyone, excuse me. I was on my way out."

"What do you mean? Where are you going, Lucy?"

I asked her because she was leaving the room.

"Did you forget that I have to pick up the cakes? Where are your keys?"

I realized that Lucy wanted to leave me alone in the room with Anderson.

"The keys are in my purse. But wait a little."

"No, no, Candy. I need to leave now to take care of my cats."

Lucy looked at me and winked with her left eye. I couldn’t respond to her the way I wanted to in front of Anderson.

"All right, you can go then. Bring every cake you find, but you don’t need to bring the toppings."

"Okay. I’m leaving now. See you both later."

Lucy closed the door. I continued talking to Anderson.

"She did that on purpose."

"She did? Why?"

"To leave... I mean, nothing."

I was almost giving my friend and myself away. That man left me confused and happy at the same time.

"Go ahead. What were you saying?"

"Nothing. I’m drowning. Do you want to help me?"

After I said that, Anderson rushed from the door to the bed and pressed his chest against mine. He aligned his mouth with mine and kissed me. This time, with tongue.

That passionate kiss ignited a flame inside me that I hadn’t felt in years. It had been so long since I had felt desired like that.

For a brief moment, I forgot that I was fat. Did he like women like me?

Had he not noticed that I was an elephant? I asked myself those questions as the kiss ended, and I became withdrawn because of those uncertain thoughts.

"What is it? What happened?"

Anderson noticed that I was different.

"It’s nothing. I was just thinking too much."

"Were you thinking about your husband? After all, where is this man who has never even shown up here?"

"It’s a long story. I’d rather not talk about it now."

"But is there any problem if I do it again?"

"What? You’re thinking about seeing me again?"

"Yes. Do you think I go around kissing everyone here at the hospital and then never see them again after they’re discharged?"

"I don’t know. A man like you must attract a lot of attention."

"Definitely, especially from old ladies."

"Wow, so you’re very sought after."

"I’m not. I’m just trying to get your attention."

Anderson kissed me again. I no longer remembered my leg or complained about those metal pins.

I felt like a teenager again. My heart was pounding, my mouth was dry, and my hands were sweating.

That man held my body with desire. It seemed like he really liked curvy women like me.

Anderson’s touch was completely different from George’s. When my husband wanted me, it was always the same old-fashioned, face-to-face routine, without much physical contact.

Anderson was only kissing me, but he made it clear that he desired me. I realized I needed to slow things down.

"Wait, let’s take it slow. I have a cast on my leg."

"Sorry, I got carried away. You’re right."

Anderson moved away a little, sat on the couch, and we started talking.

"But tell me. Are you single?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"I haven’t found the right woman yet."

"How old are you?"

"Twenty-five."

"Favorite color?"

"Blue."

"Mine too."

"And what are all these questions for? Are you putting together a dossier on me, Candy?"

"I’m making sure you really are a good man. I’m tired of giving myself to ordinary men."

"Don’t worry. I’m the last romantic."

"Really?"

"Yes. I take women out to dinner, open the car door for them, and even buy flowers."

"Don’t say that. Men like that don’t exist anymore."

"You’re right. I was joking. But if you want, I’ll do all of that for you."

"Wow, if you do that, I’ll completely fall in love with you."

"Let’s take it slow. Are you really that emotional? What’s your zodiac sign?"

"I’m a Cancer. And you?"

"I’m a Scorpio."

"I’m screwed, Anderson."

"That explains why you’re so emotional. Cancers are always crying about something."

"Stop it. Do you really think I’m like that? I didn’t even cry from pain, imagine crying over love."

I said that as if I hadn’t shed a single tear over George in the past few days. In the game of seduction, we always leave something out and exaggerate something else, as if it were a way of showing the other person our best qualities.

"I don’t know about that..."

"And you know that much about zodiac signs?"

"I do. Actually, I have a secret to tell you."

"Wait, everything was going too well to be true. Tell me."

"It’s nothing major. I’m a fortune teller outside this hospital. I do it as a way to make some extra money."

"That’s cool. So you see clients online?"

"Yes. I also have a place where I can receive clients."

"I never imagined that about you."

"I know. A lot of people say that. If you want, I can read the cards for you."

"Oh, great. I guess I’m becoming your client then."

"That would be great. And you can pay me in cake. That’s fine."

"Perfect. Deal."

Anderson stood up from the couch and walked toward my bed. He started kissing me and holding me again.

"I can already tell you like curvy women."

"Like? No, I love them. I have a fetish."

"But I’m not anyone’s sex toy."

"Calm down, princess. That’s not what I meant. I meant that I always choose curvier women when I go out. I’ve been that way since I was a teenager."

Hearing that sounded a little strange, but it was comforting. Anderson liked me exactly the way I was, something completely different from George.

He was giving me a new perspective on life. I could be exactly who I was. I didn’t need to change anything to please him, and that was comforting.

Deep down, looking into his eyes, it felt like I was falling in love. For a good Cancer, that was just another sign that I was surrendering to that nurse.

The kisses continued. The atmosphere between us heated up once again.

"Wait, wait... Anderson, let’s take it slow."

"I know, sorry. You’re so hot."

Hot. It had been years since I had heard that word directed at me.

Suddenly, my phone started ringing. I picked it up and saw that it was George.

This time, I was the one who didn’t answer.

I went back to kissing Anderson as if that were my answer to the call.

I could no longer think about my husband, and I didn’t feel any remorse about it.

In that man’s arms, any woman would forget her husband after the very first kiss.

I was still trying to process the fact that this man had a fetish for fat women.

At the same time, that was turning into a conflict inside me.

If Anderson liked overweight women like me, how could I believe he would stay with me forever if I was on a diet?

Would Anderson still be with me when I became thin?

Before I knew it, I was already creating possible endings for my story with that nurse.

I came back to my senses, and he was looking at me without saying a word.

"What is it? Are you going to keep looking at me like that?"

"I don’t know if I want to kiss you or just keep looking at you."

"Kiss me now."

Anderson grabbed me tightly and gave me a long kiss. If it weren’t for my broken leg, I wouldn’t have been able to hold myself back.

The smell of that man was intoxicating. A mixture of masculinity and a woody fragrance.

We stopped for a moment. He sat back down on the couch.

"Dr. Denis is taking a while. He still hasn’t come by to discharge you. And we should take it slow."

"Yeah. Imagine if he caught you kissing me. You could lose your job."

"Oh, no. Don’t worry. You wouldn’t be the first."

"Wow, Casanova. So you do this with all your patients?"

"Look at you. You’re jealous of me. I only said that to see your reaction."

"Wow, I can’t believe this. I’m so mad. You got me."

"Let’s continue this after you’re discharged."

"But I won’t be at the hospital anymore."

"And you don’t want to see me again? I already told you, I’ll come to your house."

"I don’t know."

"What’s that supposed to mean? You were jealous of me just a moment ago."

"Of course I want to see you, but I don’t know if I can bring you to my house."

My phone started ringing again, and Anderson reached for it.

"No, don’t pick it up. I don’t want to answer."

"Is it your husband calling?"

"It must be. Please, just leave the phone there."

Anderson ignored me and picked up the phone. He looked at the screen and saw who was calling.

"No, not him. It’s Lucy."

"Friend, I just got here to your house. I already picked up all the cakes, but it looks like something is wrong. Everything is dark. There’s no power."