Sammy's Big Plan! (Single Wide Female #0.5) Read online

  Contents

  Title Page

  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

  Other Titles

  Legal Notice

  Single Wide Female

  Sammy’s Big Plan!

  By

  Lillianna Blake

  Copyright © 2015 Lillianna Blake

  Cover design by Beetiful Book Covers

  All rights reserved.

  LilliannaBlake.com

  Chapter 1

  My scale and I had come to a difficult understanding. At one time we were completely at odds. I’d even attempted to throw the torture device out the window. Luckily the window screen stopped me.

  Our problems stemmed from a failure to communicate. I wanted the scale to say a certain number, and the scale stubbornly refused, no matter how much I begged and pleaded.

  I had been working for over a year to get that scale to say a number less than the big two hundred. It had played with my emotions quite a few times. One day it would say two hundred and one, the next it would say two hundred and three. But never would it dip below two hundred.

  I realized that in order to remain sane, we’d have to find a way to work together. So, over time I was courteous to the scale and learned to say “Okay, better luck tomorrow.”

  Then the morning finally came.

  I walked into the bathroom. I stepped on the scale. I waited for the two to show up. When I saw a one instead, I could barely take a breath. It might seem silly to some to be so stunned by a number on a scale, but it had been my one goal for so long that it felt like winning the lottery. The one was followed by two nines. I knew that I had just made it under, but that was all it took to make my spirit soar. I cried out with happiness and clapped my hands.

  “Yes!” I shouted so loud that my neighbors probably heard me through the wall. Of course they would have no idea what I was so overjoyed about. It didn’t matter to me. I was so excited that I felt like I could shoot right through the roof. I was officially out of the two hundred club. I had finally made it to that elusive number that I’d been searching for, for so very long.

  I have to admit I danced with joy. I shook my rear end. I even double-checked to make sure that the number was still the same. I might have snapped a few cell phone pictures. I was very proud of myself.

  With such exciting news, there was only one person that I could call. It was not something that I could share with just anyone. I dialed his number while dancing through the bedroom into the living room.

  “Morning, gorgeous.” Max’s voice was bright when he answered the phone.

  “Morning! I have some great news!”

  “What is it?”

  “I finally did it, Max! I finally got under two hundred!”

  “Oh wow, that’s great, Sammy! I know how hard you’ve been working at that.”

  “I just can’t believe it finally happened.”

  “Sounds like a reason to celebrate.”

  “You know what? You’re right! It’s a great reason to celebrate!” I smiled at the thought. “I can’t just let this day slip by. It’s a great day in history! Do you want to come over?”

  “I wouldn’t miss it for the world.” I could hear the pride in Max’s voice. “I’ll meet you after work.”

  “Sounds good.”

  I smiled as I hung up the phone. I was so glad that I had someone I could share my numbers with. Max and I had been best friends for so long, and he had comforted me through the highs and lows. He had been there when I started on some new fad diet, and he had been there when I crashed off that diet. He understood how important it was to me to lose weight. But he had also been my balancing force, someone who warned me when I was getting too close to crazy about dropping pounds.

  Max was my best friend without question, but if I was honest with myself, I wanted him to be much more than that.

  As soon as I hung up the phone, I headed straight for my closet. I wanted to try on the next size of jeans that had been hanging there waiting for a few months. I always made sure I had some motivation clothes. They were clothes in the next size down from what I was currently wearing. I could try them on and feel the difference in the way they fit. Eventually I knew that one day I would put them on and they would fit perfectly.

  I grabbed the jeans and danced around my bedroom with them. I knew that they might still not fit just right, but it was fun to have the chance to try. I tossed off my pajama pants and tugged on the jeans.

  Tugged was right. Of course I was only a few pounds lighter than the last time I’d tried them, but I was a little annoyed that they hadn’t really gotten any looser on me. Still, when I went to button them, I was pleasantly surprised. Not only did they button, but I could zip them up as well. They were not comfortable enough to wear quite yet, but I was getting closer.

  I smiled at the way the snug jeans shaped my rear end. I left the jeans on for as long as I could stand them, then I dressed for the day. It was always amazing to me how much a little weight loss could affect my confidence level. Now that I could honestly say that I was under two hundred pounds, I felt like I had joined a new club. It was a club of women that weren’t quite two hundred pounds. It was the One-derland club.

  I sighed with relief as I walked into the kitchen. My shelves were stocked with healthy low-calorie foods. When I opened the refrigerator, I was greeted by fresh fruit and vegetables. As I swept my gaze over the nourishing food, I felt a sudden panic. I had absolutely nothing that I could call party food.

  Max was going to come over after work and accuse me of having nothing other than bunny food. I didn’t want to lose my footing on my weight loss, but I had been waiting for a long time for a chance to have a little treat. One of my vices that I’d not been able to let go of was wine. But I was currently out of it. I decided to head down to the corner store and stock up on supplies. It was only one night and I was determined to enjoy it.

  Chapter 2

  As I opened the door of my apartment, I noticed that it was quite cloudy outside. The weather had been iffy the past couple of days. I grabbed my umbrella from beside the door before stepping out. I paused to lock the door. I lived in a fairly safe apartment complex, but as a single woman in the city I could never be too cautious.

  As I walked down the sidewalk, the sky rumbled. I smiled up at the thick clouds. It didn’t matter to me that it was a rainy day, I felt like I was filled with sunshine. As I walked past the bakery, I caught a whiff of the fresh-baked muffins inside. My mouth watered. It had been so long since I’d given myself permission to even look in the bakery window, let alone step inside the shop.

  I stole a glance in the direction of the large front window. The girl who ran the front counter was just putting a tray of fresh-baked muffins in the window. I groaned at the sight of them. Yes, food could become that tantalizing. Especially when I hadn’t felt that light and fluffy texture across my tongue in so very long.

  It was just one muffin. It wasn’t going to make my entire weight loss go into a tailspin. At least that was what I told myself as I pulled open the door of the bakery. My heart pounded as I was overwhelmed by the scent of the fresh muffins—blueberry, apple cinnamon, chocolate chip. I closed my eyes and breathed deeply, taking in the fullness of what I smelled.

  At one time I went on a scent diet. I bought candles in all of my favorite food scents and then l
it them whenever I had a craving. I believed that just by breathing the scent, I could satiate my desire for the food. Needless to say, I came very close to gnawing on a few candles. That plan had not worked out very well.

  I followed my nose to the counter. There was a man in front of me in line. I recognized him from the magazine stand on the corner.

  “I’ll take a blueberry. No wait—maybe a cheese danish. Huh, is that a cranberry muffin?”

  He had a million questions. I found myself wiggling impatiently behind him. I’d finally decided that I was going to indulge, and he was standing between me and that delectable taste. It was not a very safe place to be.

  “Alright, yes. I’ll have the blueberry.”

  I sighed with relief that he had finally made his decision. However, when he went to pay for the muffin he began to mumble.

  “Oh darn, I think I left my wallet.” He searched through his pockets once more.

  “Are you sure? Maybe it’s in your jacket pocket?” The girl behind the counter frowned.

  I was now so inundated by the scent of heavenly muffins that I could barely think straight.

  “I’ll buy it!” I tossed some cash down on the counter. “It’s on me, Sal!”

  Sal looked at me with surprise. “Why, thank you, young lady. What a generous thing to do.”

  “It’s not a problem. Really.” I smiled at him, but really I was gritting my teeth impatiently.

  I was going to take the coffee crumble muffin—or maybe I would go for the caramel crunch. My stomach flipped in anticipation. If only Sal would take his muffin and move along.

  “Thanks again.” Sal picked up his muffin and then nodded at me. “If you ever need a free paper, you know where to find me.”

  “Thanks.” I forced another smile.

  My toes curled in my shoes. I was so looking forward to that first bite of hot steaming muffin. As Sal walked out of the bakery, I opened my mouth to order my muffin. My voice got stuck in my throat.

  “I’ll take the chocolate chunk explosion!” I spoke each word very carefully so that there would be no mistakes.

  Cindy smiled and nodded. She rang me up for the muffin. I reached into my purse and pulled out enough cash to cover the purchase. It felt so good to finally be having a treat, knowing that I had the self-control to let it be just one.

  She turned around to get the muffin. I watched as she picked up the tongs and prepared to lift the muffin from the shelf. Just as she was about to grab it, a loud alarm began blaring. I thought at first that it was in my own head. I thought it was my better self trying to convince me that I should not eat that muffin—well, it was more like a cupcake, if I was being honest.

  But Cindy dropped the tongs and gasped. Lights began flashing throughout the bakery.

  “Oh no, there must be a fire in the kitchen!” Cindy rushed to the back.

  I realized that I was not going to get my muffin. I simply couldn’t walk out without it. I had already paid for the muffin. I was within my rights to get it myself. I started to walk around the counter, but the moment that I did, the sprinkler system kicked on. All of the muffins were instantly soaked.

  “No!” I moaned.

  I turned toward the door to find a hunk of a fireman making his way inside.

  “What are you doing in here?” He spoke in a cross tone. “Didn’t you hear the alarms?”

  I stared at this pile of muscles and handsomeness and thought about how to explain that I absolutely had to have a chocolate chunk muffin.

  Instead, I hung my head and moved out the door past him. I shook out my umbrella once I was outside. I lingered a few moments to make sure that the fire was not too serious.

  The firemen left, and Cindy stepped out behind them.

  “Is everything okay?” I asked.

  “I just forgot about a batch of muffins.” Cindy grimaced. “There wasn’t a fire. It was all smoke. But now all of the muffins from this morning are ruined.”

  I frowned. I had been so preoccupied with my treat that I had barely thought about the trouble that Cindy was facing.

  “I’m sorry.”

  “I’ll get you a refund for that muffin.” Cindy offered.

  “No, it’s fine. Don’t worry about it.”

  Chapter 3

  As I walked away from the bakery, I felt as if one disaster had saved me from my own personal disaster. It had taken alarms, a sprinkler system, and a judgmental fireman to bring the point home.

  Celebrating weight loss with a calorie-packed muffin was not the way to go.

  I continued down the sidewalk to the corner store. This was another area of temptation for me. There were chips, pretzels, and all kinds of sweet snacks lined up on the shelves. Behind the counter was the same young man that always stood there. He noticed me and smiled.

  “Is it raining already?” Brian asked.

  I knew Brian fairly well, as I visited the corner store often. Most of the time it was for a bottle of wine, sometimes for a gallon of milk. It was a lot easier than driving to the nearby grocery store.

  “No.” I sighed and straightened the damp collar of my shirt. “Let’s just say I got caught in an early squall.”

  “Hm. Your usual?” he asked.

  “Yes, please.”

  While he stepped into the back to retrieve my bottle of wine, I glanced over the candy section. All of the brightly colored packages were calling my attention. I’d decided that I had earned a treat and now all I could think about was what it would be. It was a one-time indulgence, and I didn’t want to waste it on just anything.

  “Here you go.” Brian set the bottle of wine on the counter. “Anything else?”

  “Do you have any graham crackers?”

  “Sure. Aisle three by the pretzels.”

  I walked over to the aisle he pointed to and immediately regretted it. I was suddenly surrounded by everything from cheese puffs to caramel corn. Everything I saw screamed treat. I closed my eyes for a moment and did my best to remember how good it felt when I saw those numbers on the scale that morning.

  One treat and one treat only. I grabbed the graham crackers, a bag of marshmallows, and a few chocolate candy bars. I’d managed to make my one treat a combination desert. S’mores were something that not only were a delicious snack, but also held good memories for me. I always enjoyed being around a campfire as a kid and making a s’more.

  “Wine and s’mores. Looks like a party,” Brian laughed. “Do I get an invite?”

  I raised an eyebrow. Brian was a bit younger than me and quite a bit rounder than most of the men I was attracted to, but that was not the problem. I was surprised that he had inferred he would like an invitation, because he’d never expressed interest in me before.

  “It’s a bit of a party,” I admitted. “I’m having a private celebration.”

  “Your birthday?” he asked. He ran up the items that I had piled up on the counter.

  “No. Just a personal goal I met.”

  I glanced over my shoulder as the fire truck rolled by. I caught sight of the handsome fireman in the passenger seat. I wished I’d been brave enough to speak to him, to even make an attempt at connecting with him. Instead, I’d run off as soon as I could. I could never seem to overcome my fear or shyness.

  Briefly I considered setting a small fire so that I would have the chance to interact with him again—of course that was a crazy idea.

  I came to my senses and paid Brian for the food and wine.

  “So?” he asked.

  “So what?” I blinked.

  “So can I come to the private celebration?” He smiled at me. “I make a mean microwave s’more.”

  “I’m sorry. It’s really just a personal thing.” I could hear the nervousness in my voice.

  “Hey, no problem. I understand. I just see you come in here all of the time and you’re not with anyone. I’m not with anyone. So I thought maybe we could spend some time with each other.” He flashed me a bright smile.

  I wanted to lik
e him. I wanted to say yes, to suggest getting together sometime. But I just couldn’t. Brian just wasn’t someone I felt a connection with. I had a hard time dating just for the fun of it.

  “Actually, I’m seeing someone.” I lied through my teeth. I didn’t want to hurt his feelings. As awkward as I felt, I also felt deeply complimented that he would be interested. It gave me a boost of confidence.

  “Oh, my bad. Sorry. Brenda from 103 told me that she never sees anyone over at your place. She and I hook up now and then, so I thought I’d spread the wealth.”

  My stomach churned with revulsion. Was he seriously offering me a booty call? I narrowed my eyes.

  “No, thanks.”

  I turned and started to walk out of the store. I grew more irritated with every step I took. For just a second I’d thought that a man was interested in a romantic relationship with me. I didn’t consider having a go now and then a romantic relationship. I had promised myself I would never stoop to cheap hook-ups. I wanted to be with a man who valued me for who I was.

  When I reached the door, I heard Brian mutter something under his breath.

  “What’s that?” I turned back to look at him.

  He looked guilty.

  “I didn’t say anything.”

  “I heard you say something.” I glared at him.

  “Fine. I said that you weren’t too good for me. You’re acting kind of snobby.” He shrugged.

  “Really? Well, I think I am too good for you Brian. I think I am far too good for you.”

  I was quite proud of myself for speaking my mind.

  “Sure, just like I’m sure that you’re seeing someone. Whatever. I don’t need any drama.” He laughed.

  His laughter made me even more furious.

  “You know something, Brian? One day you’re going to have to grow up. You’re going to have to realize that a real man knows how to treat a woman.”

  “Show me a woman, and I’ll treat her right.” Brian laughed even louder.

  “Oh, I’ll show you a woman alright!” I started to lunge toward him.

  Chapter 4

  Before I could think about what I was doing, the door to the store swung open. The hunky fireman whom I’d seen only minutes before walked through the door just as I was raising my fist to threaten Brian. The moment was timed so perfectly that my knuckles slammed into the most flawless cheekbone I’d ever laid eyes on.