A Bunny Tale (Single Wide Female) Read online

  Contents

  Title Page

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  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  A note from the author

  Preview: Single Wide Female: The Bucket List #1 (FREE book))

  Preview: Alex in Onederland (Free Book)

  Preview: To Love Again (a sweet romance)

  Preview: Lifeguards and Liars (a cozy mystery)

  Other Titles

  Legal Notice

  Single Wide Female

  A Bunny Tale

  By

  Lillianna Blake

  Copyright © 2015 Lillianna Blake

  Cover design by Beetiful Book Covers

  All rights reserved.

  LilliannaBlake.com

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  Wanna know what inspired Sammy to write her bucket list? Visit my website below and get your complimentary copy of “Sammy’s Big Plan!”

  LilliannaBlake.com

  Enjoy!

  Sincerely,

  Lillianna

  P.S. Also be sure to see the previews at the end of this book for introductions to additional series by Lillianna Blake.

  Chapter 1

  The slosh of the washer spinning woke me out of my daydream. I’d been thinking about all of the new activities I’d engaged in over the past few months. Ever since I started my bucket list, I’d really broadened my horizons. Of course I had gotten myself into some strange situations too. But, all in all, I felt it was worth it.

  The bucket list was an idea that I’d come up with to motivate me on my weight loss journey. I had compiled a list of things I felt my weight had prevented me from doing. As fast as I’d been crossing things off the list, I’d also been adding a lot of new ideas.

  I’d also created a blog so that I could share my adventures with others.

  Lately, I’d hit a bit of a lull in my activities, and I wasn’t ready for the next item on my list just yet.

  As I waited for the washer’s cycle to end so that I could switch the clothes to the dryer, I heard the door swing open. I looked up to see one of Fluff and Stuff’s new customers, Becky. She was looking gorgeous as usual, with a slender frame and legs that went on forever. She could have been arrogant about her beauty if she wanted to be, but she wasn’t. Not at all. She was always kind to me every time she came in and we’d struck up a bit of a friendship.

  “Hi, Becky.” I stood up and walked over to her. “Do you have something to drop off?”

  “Yes.” She dropped a sack of clothes on to the counter and sighed. “I keep telling myself that I’m going to start doing my own laundry, but you do such a good job.” She smiled sweetly.

  Her smile lit up her face and showed off her dimples. There were very few women that I could honestly say I found stunning, but Becky was one of them. That was to be expected, since she was a model.

  “I enjoy doing it.” I brought up her account on the computer and began a new transaction. “Do you need this load ready by any certain time?”

  “Not really. In fact I probably won’t be able to pick it up today or tomorrow, because I’m going to a party tonight. Is that okay?”

  “Sure. It’s no problem. I’ll just make a note.” I indicated in her file that it might be two days before pickup.

  “Sounds like you’re planning on having a good time.” I smiled at her.

  “I am. It’s always fun. A friend of mine hosts this party every year. It’s not technically an Easter party, but really it is.” She laughed and shook her head. “We even wear these silly little get-ups.”

  “I’m sure you’ll have a great time.” I picked up the bag of laundry, carrying it over to the sorting table.

  “You know what, Sammy? I had invited a friend of mine to be my plus one, but she isn’t going to be able to make it. Would you be interested in going to the party with me?” Becky followed after me.

  “Me?” I turned to look at her with surprise. Becky and I had hung out a time or two at the nearby bar but we hadn’t really gotten to know each other very well. It was surprising to me that she would want to invite me to a party.

  “Sure, why not?” She shrugged. “I think you would have fun. Besides, it would be nice to have someone at the party who isn’t in the business.” She rolled her eyes.

  “Okay.” I heard myself answer Becky without really thinking it through.

  That was one of the nice benefits of my bucket list. I had more confidence and no longer had to overanalyze everything. Most of the time.

  “Great!” She reached into her oversized purse. “Here’s the invitation. It has all of the details on it. Just send me a text if you don’t think that you’ll be coming. The host is absolutely livid if all of her guests don’t show up.”

  “Thanks, Becky.” I smiled a little wider. I was getting excited. I hadn’t been to a real party in a long time.

  “We’ll have a great time.”

  After Becky left I tried to keep from jumping up and down. Not only was I going to a real adult party, I was going to get to mingle with people in the business. I wasn’t sure if that meant models or something else, but whatever it was sounded very important.

  I read over the invitation eagerly. The party started at nine, which would give me plenty of time to close up the laundromat and get home to change. There was a special note on the invitation.

  Ladies, don’t forget to wear your bunny fluff!

  I remembered what Becky had said about the get-ups they would wear. It was an Easter party that required bunny fluff. I could only guess that it was a costume party—which was absolutely perfect because I had a bunny costume tucked away in the back of my closet. I was even more excited because I hadn’t worn it since I started college—since I’d decided to turn over a new leaf and really began working at losing the extra weight I had been carrying for so long. I had dropped a few sizes already and I looked forward to seeing if it would fit me after so much hard work.

  I was sure that attending the party and wearing the costume was perfect bucket list material. After all, I had the opportunity to get out there and meet people, as well as show off what a little determination could do for my body.

  I could barely stand waiting through the hours that followed. I was so eager to get to the party that I rushed through several loads of laundry. Soon it was time to close. I went through the routine and locked up the shop. A glance at my watch showed me that it was eight o’clock. I still had plenty of time to change and get to the party, which was about fifteen minutes further into the city.

  I hurried down the block toward my apartment. I didn’t care who saw me as I ran. In the past, I would have been preoccupied with how my body looked as I was running, but things like that no longer slowed me down.

  Chapter 2

  As soon as I reached my apartment I headed straight for my bedroom. I didn’t have a lot of time to get ready if I was going to make it to the party. My closet was a bit like a scrapbook, showing my style throughout the years.

  In the front hung the clothes that I could currently fit into. They were bright and sparkly. I liked to look beautiful when I dressed up, no matter what size I was. Beyond those clothes hung a complete history of my life, right down to the first dress I wore to kindergarten. I had the dresses I wore to high school dances and graduations. I had old uniforms from jobs I had worked. I had several bridesmaid’s dresses in several different sizes.

  It wasn’t that I was a hoarder, it was that I
loved to think about getting back into clothes that I no longer fit into. It was good motivation to have several sizes of clothing to try on so that I could see how close I was getting to my goal.

  Of course there were a few things that I kept because they were too ridiculous not to. At the very back of my closet, beyond everything that populated memory lane, was what I was looking for.

  The bunny costume.

  The bunny costume was pink and very fluffy. It kind of looked like an adult onesie on top, only just a bit sexier—if an adult onesie could be sexy. It was essentially a leotard covered in fluff with white tights to wear under it. Of course there was a pair of perky bunny ears to wear on the top of my head as well. I tugged it out of the closet and tossed it down on the bed. I hadn’t even thought about it in so long. After Becky’s visit to the laundromat, it was all I could think about. Would it fit? I stared down the costume on my bed.

  “Alright, it’s you and me, bunny.”

  I tossed off my clothes and then eyed the costume again. It was hard to tell just from looking at it whether it would fit. Trying on clothes could be very disappointing for me. At least it had been in the past.

  The worst feeling was having to go up size after size while trying to find something new to wear. I had a hard time judging my own size, which made the process even more difficult. But the costume didn’t have a size. I could only put it on and see what happened. I remembered a few years before when I had tried it on as a costume to wear for Halloween. I had looked horrendous and almost had to cut it off me.

  I took a deep breath and picked up the costume. I stepped into the leg holes of the leotard and tugged it up over my legs. As I tugged it higher up over my thighs I found it moved very easily. That was a good sign. If it had gotten stuck on my legs I knew that there would be no chance of its getting up over my hips.

  Almost as easily as with my thighs, it glided up over my hips. I was really getting excited. Then the entire process came to a screeching halt as the bunny seat met my rear end and refused to go any further. I grimaced and wiggled. I hopped up and down and tugged. I groaned and prayed.

  “Just get up there!”

  I was starting to get frustrated. The more I fought with the size of my backside, the later I was going to be to the party. I was almost ready to give up. Then I thought about how kind the invitation was in the first place. I gritted my teeth and gave the bunny costume one last desperate tug while simultaneously hoping that I could shrink. To my surprise it actually slid up an inch or two.

  I wiggled my body and sucked in my gut. I tugged hard on the leotard again. It moved another inch. I was past the point of no return. As long as I could roll it up over my hips I would be good to go. However, I did have to be able to breathe. I took a deep breath, then pulled up as I exhaled. The leotard stretched to its limit and then suddenly swept up over my hips.

  I cheered at my success. I was feeling much more confident as I pulled it up enough to put my arms through the sleeves. It stretched, but it was comfortable enough for me to wear. The fuzzy bunny fur hid a lot of the problem areas that still made me a little uncomfortable to show off.

  I smiled as I reached back to give the big tuft of white fluff on my rear a pat. I thought that I’d be looking pretty good for the party.

  I turned to look in the mirror and found that I looked flat-out ridiculous. I had forgotten just how much like a bunny the costume actually was. I looked like a big cotton ball.

  “Maybe the ears will help.”

  I picked up the long bunny ears that came with the costume. They had a small pink nose with whiskers attached as well. When I pulled it on over my head, the nose snapped hard over mine. I gasped at the pinch. The long whiskers tickled my cheeks no matter how I adjusted the mask. I felt as if I was never going to get it just right.

  When I glanced at the time, I realized that if I didn’t hurry I was going to be late. I tugged on some pretty pink heels. I rarely wore them because of the way they killed my ankles. But tonight had to be an exception. I wanted to look my very best. I wanted to have something to write about on my blog.

  Chapter 3

  What I didn’t know about the beautiful evening when I stepped outside was that the neighborhood was having an Easter Egg hunt.

  As I was walking down the sidewalk, the wind kicked up my coat. I smiled at the children that passed by me with colorful plastic baskets clutched in their hands. I could tell that they were having a great time. I continued to walk down the sidewalk. All of a sudden I heard a little girl squeal.

  “A tail! I see a tail!”

  I raised an eyebrow at that comment. It wasn’t the sort of thing that you expected a child to be excited about. Then I realized my coat had blown up and gotten caught above my fluffy tail. I began to tug it back down, when I was startled by an army of children with colorful plastic baskets charging straight for me.

  I yelped and tried to walk faster. The shoes I was wearing were not designed for running, or even walking quickly—at least not when I was wearing them. I tried to get farther ahead of the kids, but they were gaining on me fast.

  “She must have all of the eggs!” a boy yelled out.

  “She must have all of the good eggs!” another child agreed.

  “No, I don’t have any eggs!” I tried to shoo them away, but a herd of children could be like a tidal wave that refused to stop rushing to the shore.

  I couldn’t get any of them to hear me over their squeals and shouts. What I thought was adorable a few moments before was now absolutely terrifying. I didn’t think I was going to escape them. I had to move faster. As I teetered on my heels down the sidewalk I heard a few plaintive calls from parents. The children didn’t even slow down.

  “She has the eggs!” they were shouting as they ran after me.

  I took a corner hard and nearly landed inside a newspaper stand. All of a sudden the children stopped.

  “Get her!” a little girl insisted.

  “We can’t go off the block.”

  “I don’t have any eggs!” I shouted at them. “I’m not the Easter Bunny!”

  “You sure look like the Easter Bunny from behind.” The man running the newspaper stand cackled.

  I growled and tugged down my coat. Some of the parents had caught up with the children. Despite the fact that their kids had been the ones terrorizing me, they were giving me dirty looks.

  I did my best to shrug off the entire experience. I didn’t want anything to put a damper on the fun that I was going to have at the party. I only had to walk a few more blocks to get to the luxury apartment building where the party was being held, but they were painful ones. I might have made it without a blister if I hadn’t had to run so fast.

  Finally, I was in front of the building. It was one of the tallest in my section of the city. It was well known for its posh apartments. The party was taking place in the penthouse. Several guests were arriving just as I was. Valets took their cars. I wondered if it was a bad choice to walk. Because the evening was crisp, everyone I saw had coats on. I followed them into the lobby. Each person walked up to the front desk and showed their invitation. I frowned as I wondered if Becky was already inside.

  “A plus one?” the clerk behind the desk asked.

  “Yes. I’m not sure if the invited guest is here yet.”

  He scanned the list in front of him. “No, she hasn’t come through here.” He lifted his eyes to my face and studied me for a moment. “Just take the elevator all the way to the top floor.”

  “Thank you.”

  He nodded and pointed to the nearby elevator.

  As I walked toward the elevator I noticed a huge difference between the majority of the guests I saw and myself. I felt enormous surrounded by their slender frames.

  I waited until the elevator full of people went up. I didn’t want to be stuck making conversation with people whom I didn’t know.

  I was alone on the next elevator. I watched the numbers tick upward. As they did, my excitement mounted
. Soon I was going to be in the middle of an amazing party. I was fairly certain it would be the best night of my life.

  When the elevator doors opened I was in the foyer of the penthouse. A few guests had just moved past. The butler was turning back to greet me. I stepped off of the elevator and smiled at him. I could feel the whiskers of my mask tickle my cheeks when I smiled.

  “Uh.” The butler looked at me blankly.

  I held out my invitation to him. “I’m here for the party.” I smiled again.

  “I see.” He looked at me again. Then he looked down at the invitation that he was holding in his hand.

  I could tell that he was confused by something.

  “Oh, I am the plus one. The invited guest hasn’t arrived yet.”

  “Is that so?” The butler looked up at me again.

  This time I was sure I detected a glimmer of something in his eyes. Was he trying not to laugh at me? My cheeks flushed at the thought. I pushed it away. You’re just being insecure, Sammy, I told myself. There’s nothing for him to be laughing about. Yet, I couldn’t mistake that gleam in his eyes. He certainly was amused by something. I wondered if maybe my bunny nose was a little over-the-top. The invitation had said to bring my bunny fluff, but maybe whiskers were pushing it.

  “May I take your coat?” The butler smiled as he held out his hand.

  Suddenly I felt a little nervous. Walking to the party in my coat hadn’t been nearly as daunting as actually giving it to him to put away now. I would have nothing to cover myself up with if I started to get shy. But maybe that wasn’t such a bad thing. Maybe this was the push I needed to get past the idea of hiding myself from others. Slowly I unbuttoned the coat.