Full Figured 18

by Monica Walters, Treasure Hernandez

Genres: African American Urban

Synopsis

In the latest installment of the Full Figured series, Monica Walters and Treasure Hernandez introduce readers to two full-figured beauties who are as different as night and day. One is a good girl who’s swept off her feet with an unexpected romance. The other is a vivacious diva looking for a sexy adventure.
"Love Won’t Let Me Wait" by Monica Walters: Giánni’s past is riddled with failed relationships and broken hearts, so she has chosen to focus on her self-worth instead. However, when she finds herself just going through the motions in her job, she feels the need for some entertainment. A new
customer’s flirtatious advances might just offer her a new way to occupy her downtime.
When Ford decided to skip out on a four-year degree to become a truck driver, his parents were sorely disappointed, but Ford believes there is potential in trucking, so he isn’t giving up on his dream. When he heads to a local bank for financial assistance, he isn’t prepared for the curveball life throws at
him. This ball of curves is professional, fiery, and gorgeous, and Ford is determined to make her his no matter the cost.
Giánni isn’t prepared for what having Ford in her life can lead to, and she’s taken aback by how fast it progresses. Will Ford be able to convince her that he can meet her exactly where she is, or will his aggressive attempts at loving her prove to be too much for her to handle?
"Plus One" by Treasure Hernandez: In Bae’s world, there’s only room for onevoluptuous, sexy diva. Well, at least in her circle of friends, anyway. Then her friend Giselle brings a “plus one” to Bae’s book release party and invites her on their all-girl getaway to Saint Martin.
Bae might think there’s no room for another thick and curvy member in her clique, but does the same go for her bed? Five vivacious women go on an allexpenses-paid luxury vacation in the Caribbean. It’s a trip full of sisterhood, shenanigans, and plenty of full-figured sexiness. Open your mind and throw
caution to the wind as you experience one of the most memorable FullFigured tales yet.

Release date: February 21, 2023

Publisher: Urban Books

Print pages: 288

Sample

“You know, it’s really pitiful that you’re so insecure. You already a big bitch. You should be happy anybody wants to be with you at all.”

My eyebrows shot up in shock as Jermaine spit his words of venom. I’d just accused him of fucking around on me, but it wasn’t without evidence. I almost let the tears fall from my eyes. Instead, I allowed my anger to step to the forefront and take control of the situation. I grabbed his phone from the countertop and threw it right at his head. He quickly ducked to avoid impact.

“You are a pitiful excuse for a man. I mirrored your phone, Maine. I’ve seen every text message you’ve sent every slut for the past few days. Why do you think I’ve been at my parents’ house instead of coming home?”

This was all my fault. The signs had been there from the beginning. However, the words he spit at me hurt because they were my own thoughts that he was mirroring. I’d told myself countless times, at least you have a man. That was the most toxic shit I could have ever said to myself. Toxicity wasn’t just someone making excuses for their fraud attitude and actions. It was also downing yourself to believe you didn’t deserve better.

We’d been together for a little over a year, and I allowed him to move in with me three months ago—like a dummy. In my mind, I thought I could be there for him more if we lived together. Despite my parents’ warnings, I let him persuade me to do all sorts of things, starting with taking out a personal loan for five grand. He needed a new transmission for his truck and didn’t have all the money. I was stuck paying the loan back because he had no intentions of ever paying the monthly note, knowing that it could ruin my credit and put my job at Community Bank at risk.

And still, I accepted him and his toxic behaviors . . .

As I walked to our bedroom, he grabbed my arm and slung me against the wall. “Don’t you ever in your life do no shit like that again. If that had hit me, I would’ve beat yo’ ass in here.”

That was one thing he had never done before. Jermaine had never put his hands on me. This was escalating into dangerous territory. I needed to get him out of my house. If nothing else had moved me toward that decision, this did. I refused to let a man hit me. My dad and my brother would murder to protect and defend me.

I continued to our bedroom as I mouthed off, “You have to go. I can’t take any more. You’ve sucked me dry of all my confidence, self-worth, and self-esteem. I can do so much better than you.”

He chuckled as he stared at me. “Girl, I don’t know who lied to you.”

I wanted to cry, but again, I’d brought this on myself. We rarely went anywhere in public together. We’d go to a matinee at the movie theater every now and then, but that was about it. He refused to go to dinner with me because he said I ate like a pig. He made it seem like I was sloppy and unhealthily large. I was a healthy size twenty-two. Granted, I could probably stand to lose a few pounds since I was starting to have pain in my knees, but other than that, I didn’t have any medical issues. Plus, I was always fly when I stepped out. There was nothing sloppy about me.

I began pulling his clothes out of the drawer, showing him I meant business. There was only so much a person could take, and I was at my limit. I pulled my phone from my pocket and stared at him. “I need you to leave. Take all yo’ shit and get out of my house. You can do that voluntarily or involuntarily. I can definitely call for reinforcement.”

I unlocked my screen, ready to hit the emergency call button, then looked up at him as he fumed. “You have five seconds to decide which scenario is gonna play out. Five . . . four . . . three . . . two—”

“A’ight, bitch, a’ight. I’m leaving. You ain’t shit anyway. Big ass can barely fuck. I don’t even know why I was here.”

“I know why, nigga. Because no woman who values herself will put up wit’ yo’ broke ass! You bring nothing to the table but mediocre dick. But I loved the hell out of you, and I was good to you. What did I get in return? Disrespect and chlamydia.”

I slowly shook my head as my lip quivered. I couldn’t believe I’d let myself sink this low. My parents didn’t raise me to accept this type of abuse from a man. I was so much better than this. I deserved better than this shit, and as soon as he was out of my life, I would pamper my-damn-self and restore my confidence in just who the fuck I was . . . a beautiful, black queen.

Two years later ...

I yawned so hard it felt like my mouth was about to come unhinged from my face. I wiped the tears that accumulated in the corners of my eyes, then rested my cheek on my hand. Today had been extremely slow, and had I not had a glass office, I would have taken a power nap. The tellers seemed busy today, but as a loan specialist, I only worked if people came in to apply for a loan or someone applied online. Commercial loans were my specialty.

I worked my ass off to get people approved. That made the bank more money and laced my pockets quite nicely as well. I’d gotten an $11 million loan approved for a megachurch here in Beaumont, and the bonus I received for that had paid off my Toyota Camry two years early. However, I haven’t had a significant loan approval since then, and that was almost a year ago. If I could get another million-dollar approval, that would help me really enjoy my vacation to Jamaica in August.

Since I’d left the toxic situation with Jermaine’s ass, I’d tried to cater to myself more. Besides this solo trip to Jamaica, I’d enrolled in a pole-dancing class and began taking vocal lessons. I loved singing. It gave me such peace, and the lessons taught me breathing techniques that were great for stress relief. The pole-dancing class was my form of exercise. I’d lost a few pounds and had gone down a size in my waist. Instead of a twenty-two, I was now a twenty.

That may not have seemed like a big difference, but I felt just how significant it was in my knees. I felt lighter on my feet. I was healthier because my BMI had gone down as well. That pole-dancing class had me building muscle, and I loved every minute of it. Now, if only I had a man to show my skills to.

Jermaine had ruined me on relationships for a while. However, my family was over the moon happy that I’d finally dropped his loser ass, but now they were worried that I’d sworn off men altogether. It wasn’t that, but the right man would have to find me because I surely wasn’t looking. I was content with enjoying life alone for now. If a man worth my time came along, I would go for the test ride, but this time, I refused to settle for less than everything I wanted.

My desires were simple. He had to have a job and live on his own . . . be stable but still on his grind to improve his life . . . and sweet but rough around the edges. I wasn’t superficial about material possessions or about how he looked. I would be happy if he was clean, smelled good, and I could stand to look him in the face. I mean . . . he couldn’t look like a gremlin.

As I yawned again, my friend Tucora, who I affectionately called CoCo, knocked on the door to my office. “Hey, CoCo. Y’all finally slowed down out there, huh?”

“Yep, but you need to walk around the branch a little more. Get out of this office. Ford came in today to make a deposit, and his eyes darted over to you a few times.”

I rolled my eyes as I pushed my curls over my shoulder. She was always trying to hook me up with somebody. It seemed she’d been on this Ford guy kick for a couple of months. “Girl, whatever.”

“Whatever, nothing. He asked for your name today.”

My eyebrows rose. Then I frowned. “Besides my name, what other information did you volunteer?”

“Who, me?” she asked as she laid her hand on her chest and looked around my office like it was full of people.

I chuckled. “You make me sick. I’m not chasing no nigga, so I hope you volunteered that shit.”

She laughed. “I told him you had a major attitude because you needed to get fucked. This drought has lasted long enough, pooh.”

I discreetly shot her the finger as I rolled my eyes yet again. “Shut up, CoCo. Don’t you have some work to do?”

She chuckled and said, “I must be telling the truth. Are we still going to our pole-dancing session tonight?”

“I don’t know. I need to visit my people. I haven’t been there all week, and you know that’s saying a lot. My daddy is going to put out an APB on me in a little bit if I don’t show up.”

“Gi, it’s only been two days.”

“Okay, and you know I normally swing by their house every day after work. It depends on what time it is when I can get away. Don’t hate how much my family loves me. I’m a daddy’s girl ’til the day I die. Period.”

“And on that note, I’m going back to work. Call me and let me know one way or the other.”

“Okay.”

As she sashayed out of my office, I stood from my desk to be nosy and see who was signing in at the help desk and why. CoCo was right. I needed to get out of my office and mingle. That would also help rid me of the sleepiness that had been plaguing me all day.

As I made my way to the gentleman, he spun around and smiled. Jesus Lamont Christ. It was Ford. I’d never really seen him so up close, and I was regretting every moment of missed opportunities.

His gorgeous, white smile had my insides melting under his gaze. I smiled back as I got closer. “Hello. I left my office before I could see whose services you needed today.”

“I think you’re the woman I’m supposed to see, Ms. Giánni.”

Aaah. He’d asked for my name because he needed to handle business. I glanced over at CoCo and visualized myself kicking her in her damn mouth. “The handle isn’t necessary. Giánni is fine, Misteerrr . . .” I questioned, allowing my voice to trail off as I extended my hand.

“Ford. No handle necessary on my name either.”

I nodded, then quickly turned on my heels as I said, “Follow me, please.”

My face was heating up, and I refused to allow this man to see me blushing. Once we’d gotten to my office, I extended my hand toward the chair in front of my desk. “Have a seat, Mr. Ford. Unlike you, I’m at work, and they require me to be professional.”

He smiled as I closed the door, but he didn’t respond to my statement. When I sat behind my desk, I pulled up the login information to mark his name off. Ford Ajani Noel. That was a unique but beautiful name. “Okay, Mr. Noel, I see you wanted to inquire about a business loan. Is this for an existing company, or will it be a start-up?”

“It’s existing. I’ve already paid off my first loan.”

“Great. That gives us something to work with. Let me look at your information.”

As I worked, I could feel his gaze on me. That shit was making me so nervous. Usually, while waiting, people played on their phones. This man was staring at me like he was in a daze. Shit. I was starting to sweat under my breasts, and my scalp was sizzling under this damn wig. When I lifted my eyes to him, he met my gaze. There was no smile this time. It felt like he was looking through to my soul and taking my clothes off simultaneously.

I cleared my throat. His stare made me nervous as hell. “I’m sorry for staring, Ms. Giánni. You’re just so beautiful.”

I wanted to huff. Hopefully, he wasn’t one of “those” guys. The ones that flirted to get in a woman’s panties, then pretended she didn’t exist. Although something told me he wasn’t that guy, I couldn’t stop my mind from going there.

“Thank you, Mr. Noel.”

As if sensing my slight attitude, he voiced, “I apologize again. I’m extremely forward, and it’s something my father once told me could get me in a world of trouble. But I figured it was better to let someone know how I felt. It could make their day or knock them down a peg, whichever was needed. Please, don’t let me take up too much of your day. What do I need to do?”

“No apology needed. I just need to put in your financials and more information on how much money you’re trying to borrow.”

He proceeded to explain to me how he was trying to expand his trucking business. He owned an eighteen-wheeler and a dump truck and was trying to purchase another one of each. He set a business proposal on my desk along with his financial records. I was thoroughly impressed. He was way more prepared than a lot of people. “This looks great. Let me input some of the information. How did you get into driving trucks?”

He smiled. “Honestly? I didn’t want to go to school, and a friend told me about classes he was taking to get his CDL to drive trucks. It was only a six-week course. My parents told me I had three choices: school, the military, or getting a job. I didn’t know why they gave me choices because they ultimately wanted me to go to a university to get a four-year degree like my brother. So instead, I went to truck driving school and got my CDL to enter the workforce. While the job has little prestige, I make a decent living.”

Yes, you do. He was right about that. He profited nearly three hundred grand last year. His total earnings before taxes and expenses were almost twice as much. “Well, they’re probably proud of you.”

“Naw. They hate that I drive trucks. My dad is a retired attorney, and my mother is a retired nurse. My older brother is the mayor of San Antonio. So I was the rebellious, spoiled one.”

I gave him a soft smile, then turned my attention back to the computer. My parents were the total opposite. They didn’t care what we did as long as it was legal and provided us with an income that would be sufficient for us to take care of ourselves. But of course, our happiness mattered to them as well.

As I continued to process his loan request, I had to also factor in his monthly bills to calculate his debt-to-income ratio and pull his credit score. He finally looked away from me and began playing on his phone. I took that opportunity to scan his vanilla latte complexion. His bald head and beard were sexy as hell, but his dimples when he smiled were warm and inviting. However, he frowned while he stared at his phone, and I nearly creamed my panties.

His rough side could be seen in that frown, and I was mesmerized. I started sweating when he looked up from his phone and caught me staring at him. He smiled slightly as his head tilted. I quickly averted my gaze to my computer. “Ms. Giánni, I have some business to handle. How much longer will this take?”

“I apologize. Only another five minutes or so. I’ll have you sign your paperwork, and then we can call or inform you by email to let you know if your request is approved.”

“Okay.”

His brows furrowed once again as he stared at me and nodded in acceptance. After taking a deep breath, I hurriedly inputted the rest of his information instead of stealing glances at him. That shit was so unprofessional. I turned the screen to him and handed him the stylus from the electronic device so he could initial and sign. Once I went over the details, and he confirmed them by initialing them, he signed the final document.

“Thank you, Mr. Noel. You should have an answer by tomorrow. If not tomorrow, then Friday.”

He stood from his seat, and I did as well. He extended his hand to me, so I placed my hand in his. He gently shook it and said, “Thank you. I would prefer that you be the one to call me.”

I smiled somewhat and nodded. “I will be since I’m the officer on the paperwork. Enjoy the rest of your day, Mr. Noel, and thank you for doing business with Community Bank.”

He tucked his bottom lip into his mouth as his thumb caressed the top of my hand. “Thank you for giving me a reason to do my business here.”

He winked at me, then exited my office, leaving me with conflicted feelings. CoCo was practically running in my direction when he exited the bank. “Girl,” she whispered harshly when she reached my doorway.

I licked my lips and tried to gather my composure. His aura was still in my office, suffocating the hell out of me. She walked inside and closed the door behind her, and the lingering scent of his cologne wafted its way to my nose. Closing my eyes and taking a deep breath, I said, “That man is dangerous.”

“What? What are you talking about?”

“He could have me acting like the dumb bitch I was with Jermaine. If I’m not careful, that man could have me losing myself again. But he’s just that fine . . . and charming. Jesus.”

CoCo sat in the seat he once occupied. “Well . . . I mean . . . shit. I don’t know what I want to say to that. Losing yourself is never good, but fireworks were in this office when he was here. I couldn’t quite make out your facial expressions, but I could clearly see his. His eyes barely left you, girl.”

I huffed and leaned back in my chair for a moment as I stared at his request for five hundred grand. His loan history was short, and he’d only borrowed one hundred grand the first time. He had excellent credit and the income to cover it, though. “I could see him staring at me. I’m wet all underneath my titties. I gotta go clean myself up.”

CoCo laughed, then made her way back to her station as I headed to the bathroom. It had been a long time since a man affected me that way. I’d seen some attractive men, but Ford Ajani Noel could get it all. I couldn’t be a fool again . . . I refused to be a fool again. Going into the stall, I silently cursed myself because I knew I would have to put toilet paper in my panties or forego wearing them altogether. They were soaked.

I only had an hour left of work, but I knew I would be thinking about him almost the entire time. Opting to use toilet paper, I stuffed it in my panties, then pulled my pants back up. After washing my hands and wetting a paper towel, I dabbed under my breasts, sighing at the coolness I felt. I slowly shook my head, condemning myself to hell for my devilish thoughts, then headed back to my office.

I was sure of one thing: I would do everything I could to ensure his loan request would be approved.

“You had one job, my dude. Pick up a load of 60/40 dirt and bring it to a residence. Where the hell are you?”

I was beyond pissed. My reputation preceded me in my business, and people expected professionalism when they called F.A.N. Transport Service. Chris was MIA, and I couldn’t understand why. He should have delivered this load two hours ago.

“I’m sorry, boss man. I’m on my way.”

“Naw. Where are you?”

“I stopped to get something to eat.”

“Bring it back to the yard.”

I ended the call. Now I would have to deliver this load of dirt to the customer for free. Losing money always puts me in a fucked-up mood. Had it not been for fine-ass Giánni Judice, I would have called him right then and fucking went off. I’d been watching her beautiful ass for months, not wanting to approach her for fear of how she would receive me.

I really had to control my mouth in her presence. I was overly forward, and everything in me wanted to tell her how fine she was and how I’d fantasized about making love to all her curves. Her thickness caught my attention and wouldn’t let it go. Whenever I was in the bank, I looked for her. I could have easily done what I needed to do from the drive-thru, but I couldn’t see her if I didn’t go inside.

When I looked at the bank’s website and saw she was in commercial lending, I knew I would see her soon. I was trying to expand my business, but with workers like Chris, that would be damn near impossible. I still drove the eighteen-wheeler, but I took off today to handle business. Chris had been driving my dump truck for a month, and he’d already missed two delivery times. Today would be his last day working for F.A.N.

I felt like twenty-three dollars an hour was decent pay for a new employee with little experience. His insurance would have gone into effect next week, but oh well. He missed out on that and the five hundred thousand dollar sign-on bonus. He would have been eligible for the bonus after working without incident for ninety days. Five grand. How does a person fuck up an easy five grand over stupidness like this?

Allowing my mind to go back to my thoughts of Giánni, I couldn’t help but bite my bottom lip. I knew she was feeling me as much as I was feeling her. I’d caught her teller friend eyeing me several times, then calling her. Giánni was the perfect representation of the word “woman.” When God took the rib from Adam, that was who he came up with. She was so beautiful, and her smile somewhat mirrored mine. She had dimples just like me.

Her round face, thick lips, big titties, and phat ass called out to my soul. When she wore a shorter skirt, and I saw those thick-ass legs, I knew I was all in. She would have to be able to maintain a serious rejection of me for me to stop trying to be with her . . . like threaten to file a restraining order on a nigga. She didn’t overdo the makeup, either. I could tell I wouldn’t discover a different person once she wiped it off.

I closed my eyes for a moment, visualizing how intense her gaze was when she thought I wasn’t paying attention to her. She’d soon learn that whenever she was near where I was, my attention would always be on her, even when she thought it wasn’t. I tried to remain professional, but looking at her fine ass wouldn’t allow me to. I had to verbalize something. While it seemed . . .