The Scale (Martha's Way) (23 page)

Her phone vibrated. Minka reached
over and read the message.

Great! I want to meet some
hotties
.

Smiling, she responded.

I have to wear a bathing suit. What am I going to do?
How do I get out of it?

With her lower lip between
her teeth, she waited for her friend to answer. When it didn’t come, Minka rose
and walked over to the bathroom. She spotted the scale at once. Closing her
eyes, she grimaced over the misstep. Jason had to have noticed, yet he said
nothing. Surely he must have concluded she was crazy. What woman in her correct
mindset would travel with a scale? She smirked, but then again the women Jason
frequented probably didn’t even own such a device. They didn’t need to. They
were all perfectly built with curves in all the right places.

Minka was still standing in
the bathroom when she heard Jason calling her. Stepping into the bedroom, she
walked over to meet him.

“Are you okay?”

She nodded. She was sure she
looked like she had just seen a ghost and was forever grateful at the sound of
her phone on the nightstand. With quick steps, she read the text message from
Lily.

So, what’s the problem?

Typical answer from Lily, she
thought. It made sense because her friend, as supportive as she was, also
belonged in the physically perfect category.

“I was texting Lily to advise
her of the change of plans.”

He stood watching her for
what seemed like an eternity. A part of her wanted to run into his arms, strip
herself of her clothing and let him see all of her. Would he reject her? She
didn’t think he would. Jason might have not promised her infinity, but he had
not given her any reason to think he would walk away from her. She met his gaze
and wrapped her arms around herself, feeling vulnerable and safe around him all
at once.

“There’s something I want to
show you.” His voice was strong and determined. He disappeared into the closet.
He returned within seconds with an album in his hands. “Remember I told you I
wanted to show you pictures of my mother?”

Unable to speak, she nodded.

“The picture in the kitchen
is not who she was when she died.” He placed the thick album on the bed. “I
will get us some wine.”

Within minutes, he returned
with two glasses of Sauvignon Blanc. Something told her whatever Jason was
ready to show her had to do with the discovery of the scale, yet she joined him
on the bed.

The first few pictures were
as Minka expected.
Pictures of Victoria during her modeling
years, beautiful and happy.
They chronologically catalogued her life.
There were pictures of his parents’ wedding and pictures of his mother
pregnant. For a brief second, she found herself touching her stomach and
imagined being pregnant with Jason’s child. She quickly brushed the thought
aside. Unlike his mother, who still kept her model figure, Minka imagined she
would become a whale if she were to ever become pregnant.

The pictures that followed
startled her. Gone was the healthy, happy woman. Instead, she stared at saggy,
pale skin with visible bones around her chest and arms. The woman in the
picture was still smiling, but the glow on her skin was no longer prominent.
She looked lethargic and frail due to lack of nutrients.

“Jason…” He looked at her.
His beautiful blue eyes that usually shined were filled with sadness. Minka
reached for him, touched his face. “I’m sorry.”

“She thought she was fat
after giving birth.” There was
a coldness
in his voice
unfamiliar to her.

“She was beautiful,” she
said, thinking of the picture in the kitchen.

“I blamed my father for her
death because he cheated,” he said closing the album. “But I never asked him
for his side of the story. I never cared. I just know he cheated on her and she
couldn’t take it.”

His stance wasn’t fair to his
father but she understood. Instead of interrogating her over the scale, he
chose to share his mother’s personal struggle with her. Grateful for the
approach, she leaned over and kissed him as passionately as she could. She
wasn’t anorexic, but her obsession with her weight had handicapped her most of
her life.

“I’m a little self-conscious
about my weight,” she whispered over his lips. “And I have a stupid scale in
your bathroom.”

He chuckled. “I think I know
that.”

“I’m trying to lose weight.”

“You don’t need to lose
weight.” He kissed her again. His fingers found her blouse, and she felt him
fiddle with the buttons before tearing the blouse open. “I will buy you new
clothes,” he promised.

She chuckled. “I’m not built
like a model.”

He tore himself away from her
to meet her gaze. “I don’t want a model, Minka. I want you. How can I convince
you of that?”

She believed him. But in the
end, she had to convince herself she was good enough for Jason Montgomery. Only
she couldn’t force herself to reach a place she wasn’t ready to be. Besides, to
let go of this demon would mean she had to deal with her feelings toward Blake.
Part of her insecurities were tied to Blake choosing the thinner, prettier
twin, something she had decided she didn’t want to think about, not yet. She
had a lifetime for that whereas she had only days left with Jason. And being
with him fulfilled her in ways she didn’t imagine were possible.

Chapter Sixteen

“Take note of the
number then get off the scale and live your life.”

Steve Maraboli

“How about these?”

Rifling through the selection of clothing, Minka raised her
head in Jason’s direction. He stood next to a scantily-clad mannequin in what
was supposed to be a bikini. She thought the pieces would work best as dental
floss. He raised his hands to show her the two pieces he thought she should try
on. To give him credit, the bikini had a lot of material compared to most of the
bathing suits in the store. She grimaced and shook her head, wishing he had
taken her up on her offer to go bathing suit shopping alone.

He pouted his lips with chagrin, then put what he thought
was a perfect choice away. As he did so, a tiny blonde with extra-perky breasts
in a tightly fitted tank approached him. Minka focused her attention back on
her search. Since entering the store, the woman had barely made eye contact
with her and made no attempts to assist her. However, she noticed Jason and
made a bee line to him.

“Hello, Jason. Shopping?” the clerk asked.

Minka winced at the woman’s voice. She had a faint accent
she couldn’t quite place, but guessed it was Eastern European since many
students spent the summer on The Vineyard working. Though this woman was no
student, she was fully grown with everything in all the right places. And her
tone was too inviting.

“Good to see you, Elsa. When did you arrive on The
Vineyard?”

“Last night. I believe you owe me a drink.”

Unable to stand through the slow torture, Minka took a step
away, putting some distance between Jason and his Elsa. But, the shop was small
and didn’t grant her enough room to miss his chuckle.

“That was last summer,” she heard him say. “The offer
expired, unfortunately.”

“Ah,” the pretty blonde with the perfect breasts sighed. “I’ll
make you change your mind. You like these still, no?”

Minka’s skin crawled with disgust. If only she had the
confidence and was as vulgar as her sister, she would have walked over, slapped
the both of them and screamed at Jason until she turned blue, or at least until
she ceased to breathe. So he liked her breasts; Minka couldn’t blame him. Any
man who preferred to be in the company of the opposite sex would enjoy them.
Brushing a mass of curls away from her face, she peeked at the woman’s
beautiful waves of blond hair. Minka’s teeth clenched and, if it had been
possible, her eyes would have seared holes through the other woman. She was
perfect with impeccable breasts, a bright smile and a flawless face. Minka
disliked her right off the bat.

Anger swirled like a red tide within her, rising to choke
her. Her hands automatically curled into fists at her sides, itching to swing
out and put a dent in both of their beautiful faces. She was jealous, she
realized. The reality stung her. She had no right to latch on to such a
feeling. They were temporary with a fast-approaching deadline. The weekend was
advancing and then the countdown to their impending goodbyes would soon arrive.

She must have stared at them too long because Jason raised
his head and glanced at her. Minka quickly turned her attention to the bathing
suits in front of her. With blind eyes, she snagged a handful of swimwear and
made her way to the fitting room.

“Minka,” he called out to her.

Head
high,
she marched on, too
furious and shaken to even look at him.

“You are with her,” she heard the other woman purr. “Ah, I
apologize but…” her voice trailed. “She’s not your typical…uh…”

Minka didn’t need to hear the rest. The words stung. Pulling
the curtains for privacy, she inhaled a deep breath and exhaled slowly to
stabilize herself. The reflection in the mirror gaped at her, a reminder of all
her flaws.

The curtain swung open and Jason stepped inside. Motionless,
she tried to gather herself and appear as unruffled as possible. Her breath
caught, and the already tight room became cramped with someone who had such a
large presence.

She looked down, shifting her weight from one leg to the
next, refusing to meet his gaze.

“She didn’t realize we were together.”

She smirked. That was obvious.
“Of course.
I’m not…how did she say it…your
typical
.”

As he often did, his fingers came to rest on her chin and
forced her to meet his gaze. She wanted to defy him, to prove to herself he
couldn’t affect her and had no hold on her emotionally. Slowly, she raised her
head. His bright blue eyes now seemed a shade darker.
A
shade of blue so intense she couldn’t describe it, but was now familiar with
during the throes of passion.

“I don’t have a
typical
,”
he stressed on the word.

“I’ve seen pictures of women you’ve been with.” She snorted.
“I’ve met Rita.” Whether Jason wanted to admit it or not, he had a type.
Tall, small-framed women, with breasts that could fit in his palm.
Hers spilled over. “I’m not tall, not small-framed and my skin is not white.
Have you ever dated a woman like me?” Her hands gestured over her body.

“Do you think those are the things I see when I look at you?
All the things you’re not,” he said, his voice strained and controlled. He rubbed
his brows as if to ward off a headache. “For the record, I’ve dated many women;
whites, blacks, Hispanics, I don’t care. But right now I want you, all that you
are. Does the fact that I have tattoos bother you?”

Hell no. They were an added bonus. “No,” she whispered.

A relaxed smile touched the corner of his lips. “I’ve never
invited a woman to stay at my house before.”

“Why me?”
What made her different?

His lips brushed hers. A short breath escaped from Minka’s
lips. The fact that her knees were getting weaker by the second didn’t sit well
with her. No man should have that much physical hold over someone.

“I don’t know,” he admitted. “It feels right so I’m going
with it.”

“Just like that.”

The corners of his eyes crinkled
as his smile broadened.
“Just like that.
I
didn’t realize Elsa was here,” he continued in a softer tone. “I would not have
brought you here had I known.”

“Is there a woman you haven’t slept with on this island?”

The question seemed to catch him off-guard. His brows rose
with surprise, then he smiled.
The same crooked smile that
always managed to melt her away.

“She doesn’t live here.”

She crossed her arms and stepped back. “You know what I
mean.”

He reached for her hands. “You’re jealous.”

“I’m not.” Oh, but she was.

“Have I ever told you that you’re a terrible liar?”

She rolled her eyes, hating that he could always tell when
she was telling a fib. “I need to try these things on.”

His eyes followed hers to the bathing suits hanging against
the wall. “I think you should have gone for that bikini, but,” he shrugged,
“I’m just a man who thinks you’re stunning.”

Putting her hands on his chest, she tried to shove him out
of the room. “Flattery can only get you so far. I’m still mad.”

He let out a throaty laugh. “You’re jealous,” he corrected.
“But don’t worry. She knows I belong to you and only you, Minka Greene.” He
leaned forward to place a light kiss on her lips. Despite her anger, she parted
her lips, accepting him. His arms came to wrap around her waist, pulling her
into him. “You’re delicious.”

“I bet you say that to all the girls.”

His free hand reached to brush the curls away from her face.
His gaze held hers. “There are a lot of things I find myself doing with you I
haven’t done with any other woman.” His voice held an amount of intensity and
candor. The magnitude of his admission caused her to shiver in his arms. “Do I
scare you, Minka?”