Beast

Chapter 3: SHALLOW

Lance spotted her first as she entered the dimly lit club and he waved her over to where they were waiting just inside the main entrance. Her eyes didn't know what to take in first. Certainly she'd seen her friends dressed for a night out on the town, but Lance and Kendra both looked really hot and sophisticated, not to mention Kendra's husband Jeffery. He was an athlete turned business owner. He had several properties that he rented out for commercial use. He and Kendra both had deep mocha complexions with exotic looks like they'd come over from the Caribbean. Lance was extremely good-looking and never had trouble getting men…just keeping them.

But her eyes were riveted to the two men that watched her approach. Her eyes met those of a man so gorgeous that he almost made DeAngelo look like dog food. Kendra knew just what she liked. He had to have been over six feet with muscles that were evident even beneath his expensive yet casual jacket. He was dark; so dark that she could only think of midnight and when he smiled he had a dimple just like…

She smiled back. Her friends greeted her enthusiastically and she apologized for being late all while never removing her eyes from the sight of Mr. Wonderful.

Kendra smiled broadly. "Let me do the introductions again." She gripped Ashleigh's arm in a strangely possessive manner.

"Ashleigh, meet Ivan." But Kendra was not looking at Mr. Wonderful. Ashleigh's eyes landed on the person that Kendra was gesturing to. Well…he wasn't tall. This new man; Mr. Not-so-wonderful was…different.

Ashleigh plastered on a smile and held out her hand. Ivan was probably a bit over 5'10" and was almost as light-skinned as she was. He wasn't bad looking with a neatly shaved face and reddish brown hair that had a nice curly texture—either due to Mother Nature or a visit to a hair salon. Ivan had light brown eyes and a few freckles on his face; a black man with freckles and big Bugs Bunny Teeth.

"Nice to meet you, Ivan." He took her hand and shook it while giving her a pleasant smile.

"I heard a lot about you, Ashleigh. I'm happy to finally meet you," he said.

All Ashleigh could think is that they looked like the number 10 standing together. He was thin. Could he even do the things in bed that—?

She put that thought out of her mind. "It's nice to meet you too."

"Ivan is a doctor of pediatrics at General Hospital," Kendra said while giving her a meaningful look. Kendra smiled awkwardly before glancing at the other man and then introduced him quickly as a new Rookie recruit for the Bengals.

Ashleigh almost collapsed. Lance gave her a discreetly apologetic look before Mr. Wonderful placed his hand on the small of Lance's back and led him into the club. She almost groaned in disappointment before giving Ivan another smile.

Later, in the restroom, Kendra began talking even though Ashleigh hadn't said a negative word. "I chose Ivan for you because you both have so much in common. You both like sappy romance movies and he likes his women…large."

Ashleigh hid her discomfort.

"And, girl, he's a DOCTOR. He's never been married and he's a really good guy."

Ashleigh bit her lip. "But…don't you have another friend that looks like Rick? I mean…I think he's really attractive."

Kendra hesitated. "But Rick's gay."

"I get that. But I'm talking about another friend."

Ashleigh thought she caught the shadow of a grimace on her friend's pretty face. "Ashleigh…when I hook you up with a friend…" Kendra seemed to search her mind, "I have to make sure that the attraction is a two-way street-"

"Oh." Ashleigh said in realization and her cheeks flamed.

"No no no! You know I think you're beautiful. I mean, you have a gorgeous face and Ivan is really taken with you. But, you know…I have to make sure the guy is into big girls because I would never want to put you out there like that."

Ashleigh smiled and nodded. "It's fine."

Kendra closed her eyes and when she opened them she placed her hand on her friend's shoulders. "Ashleigh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean that to sound the way it did. Match making isn't easy. It is a two-way street. But if you're not attracted to Ivan…"

"Ivan is perfectly okay. It's just—"

"You're more attracted to Rick."

"Guys like Rick." Ashleigh swiped at the wetness that had crept beneath her eyes as she chuckled to herself. "I know that guys that look like Rick want girls that look like you—and b***h, if you say that I have a pretty face one more time I actually will cut you!" Kendra looked down in embarrassment and then they both laughed.

"Ivan is perfectly alright. I enjoy talking to him-"

Kendra was already shaking her head. "But he's not right for you. Ashleigh, my friend, you are through with settling. Do you hear me?"

Ashleigh nodded. I am not good enough. I am a selfish, shallow, slut, b***h.

In the sub-basement of the Federal Building where Ashleigh, Kendra and Lance worked, is a tunnel system used to transport prisoners from the Federal Courthouse that sat directly across the street, to the Justice Center. She wasn't exactly sure why the sub-basement went beneath the street and why the transportation of prisoners had anything to do with their building but for these questions there were no answers. All Ashleigh knew is that the gym was also located in the sub-basement.

Federal employees got to use it for a small fee. It wasn't the money, or even how good the facility was—which actually was just so-so compared to the expensive gyms. But it was all about the quiet. She'd been to big gyms before where really toned people worked out damn near every day. They would pound away on the treadmill at a sprint for nearly an hour and then look at you with a friendly smile and say s**t like, 'Hi, how's it going?' And you just wanted to say, 'b***h, shut up,' while you're panting after ten minutes of brisk walking.

It just wasn't for her. Good intentions failed at the sight of so much perfection. She needed a small place where it didn't seem that people were there for the purpose of making a hook-up. She could deal with a handful of perfect people, but not fifty of them.