Free The Curve Ball by J. S. Scott Page A

finished, "I owe you, Maggie."
     
    Maggie put her hands on her ample hips as she glared at her friend. "You already owe me."
     
    Maggie almost smiled at Lisa's cheeky grin. "I owe you another favor then. Don't worry Mags, I plan on returning the favors."
     
    Maggie did smile then. Lisa was good friend that was always there for her. "What time can I leave the ball."
     
    "Why? Will your carriage turn into a pumpkin at midnight?," Lisa remarked dryly.
     
    Maggie sighed. "I just wanted to know how long I have to stay."
     
    "Did it ever occur to you that you might end up having a good time?," Lisa asked, her tone exasperated.
     
    "Nope." Maggie answered with a humorless laugh. It was an event that was sure to bring humiliation and discomfort. She didn't expect to have a good time. It would be about as fun as a visit to the dentist and she wanted it over with as soon as possible.
     
    "You can leave whenever you want to, Mags. Just stay for dinner and at least part of the ball." She continued enthusiastically as she headed to the door. "There will be lots of great single guys there. I'm hoping you’ll end up dancing the night away with the man of your dreams." Lisa scurried out the door"Probably trying to escape before I can change my mind," Maggie grumbled to herself, flinching as the door slammed. If Lisa hadn't left Maggie might have found another excuse.
     
    Maggie blew out a hard breath, sending the curly blonde tendrils that had escaped her ponytail fluttering in the breeze. She tried to tuck them behind her ears, but they would soon escape. She started every day with her hair in a tight ponytail, but by the end of the day half of it was curling around her face.
     
    She glanced up at the clock. Two o'clock. Her heart skipped a beat, wondering if he would show up today.
     
    Jake Rawlins came in almost every day at this time. Although her business was almost entirely take out, she did have a few small tables for people that wanted to sit and enjoy a confection or coffee. Jake always stayed and chatted with her. Since this was her slowest time, she generally had time to talk.
     
    As far as Maggie was concerned, Jake was the biggest hunk in town and the epitome of tall, dark and handsome. He was a huge guy that towered over her own five foot five height. With his own office for his contracting business was just a few doors down, she got the delight of seeing his gorgeous, muscular body and smiling face nearly every day. She was grateful that the man had a sweet tooth.
     
    He had jokingly asked her out several times in the last year and she had turned him down with a nervous laugh. Really? Men like Jake probably flirted with any available woman and she definitely wasn’t his type. He was built, handsome, successful and one of the nicest guys she had ever met. She didn't think he was after a plus sized girl that ate more chocolate than she should.
     
    Her mom had started the shop as a bakery thirty years ago. When Maggie had lost her mom five years ago to cancer she took over the shop, going to pastry and chocolatier school to perfect her skills. She loved nothing more than creating new pastries and being a chocolatier was her specialty. She could do anything from cupcakes to fancy pastries, but creating specialty chocolates was her passion. Really, it was the only passion she had in her life so she nurtured the ability. She hadn’t had a date in three years and didn’t try to do anything about her lonely state. It was safer to avoid intimacy than to end up hurt and still alone. Better to just stay a lonely spinster chocolatier than to end up lonely with a broken heart.
     
    She molded her hands over her size eighteen body. She was in her usual jeans and large t-shirt that she used to try to hide her jelly rolls. She had been a solid size eighteen since high school. At the age of twenty-six she was still the same size. Maggie’s bookcases at home were groaning with the weight of every new diet book that was