For Rose Colibrì, it begins with a riddle.
Rose encounters the riddle one Sunday morning at an outdoor farmer's market she frequents. A piece of jewelry catches her eye. It's dazzling, a black rose inside a Celtic knot inset with three tiny red stones
The stall she's stopped at has a banner declaring itself "Madame Gémeaux's New Age Jewelry." Necklaces, bracelets, and earrings are on display. Incense burns in the corner, its acrid scent tickling Rose's nostrils.
Signs arrayed in front of the jewelry describe assorted benefits the various designs allegedly bestow. Some help you heal, apparently. Others, they claim, boost confidence or promote patience.
The black rose pendant is part of the assortment labeled "Erotic Energy." Rose smirks.
Of course.
"That one has special meaning," an old woman with long gray hair standing behind the table says.
"And what's that?" Rose asks.
"That symbol is the
rós na draíochta
. The magic rose."
Rose raises an eyebrow. "Magic?"
Madame Gémeaux--Rose assumes that's who it is--glances from side to side and leans forward. "It is an ancient symbol, sacred among the Celts thousands of years ago. It bestows certain unique benefits."
"Is that so?"
Madame Gémeaux lowers her voice to a whisper. "Its owner is granted their deepest erotic desires."
A string of sarcastic remarks pop into Rose's head, but she resists them. Her biting wit, her soon-to-be-ex insists, is one of the reasons for their impending divorce. "Deepest desires, you say?"
Madame Gémeaux nods gravely. "So it is said. But only if you know the riddle of the magic rose."
Do people fall for this?
"I'll bite. What's the riddle?"
"The riddle is 'what is the magic rose'? If you solve it, you unleash its power."
Whatever
. Rose returns to studying the pendant. Silly sales pitch or not, it's a gorgeous piece and matches her style. There's also the affinity she has for roses.
"How much?" Rose asks.
"One hundred and fifty," Madame Gémeaux says.
Why not? It's a reasonable price, especially considering the sex magic included. You'd think people would pay more for getting to realize all their fantasies, though.
One hundred and sixty bucks, at least.
"I'll take it."
Rose pays for the pendant and sticks it in her purse. She browses a few more stalls. One sells artisanal cheeses, another fresh flowers. A younger guy selling gourmet mushrooms can't take his eyes off her as she browses.
It never fails. Rose estimates a tenth of men prefer big girls like her. Maybe less, maybe more.
When it comes to those guys who do, though, she knows what she represents. She's their physical ideal, her size twenty-six curves driving them mad. She has everything the admirer of larger ladies can ask for: Beautiful face, huge tits, round belly, fat ass, and soft, plump thighs. Five feet five inches of pure BBW sex appeal.
Rose wanders into a stall selling locally made jams and jellies. She picks up a jar, examining it.
A man standing nearby looks in her direction. She glances at him, his head turning away.
Another one, huh? I should stop by this market more often.
Hadn't she seen him earlier? She'd noticed him looking her way when she first got to the market.
Rose glances his way again. He's a cute one, that's for sure. Classic features and light brown hair worn closely cropped. In his forties, she guesses, but youthful. Slim. Average height, but his upright bearing makes him seem taller.
He looks familiar.
He glances her way again, this time smiling. He approaches her. "It's Rose, isn't it?"
This is a nice turn of events
. "We've met, I take it?"
"Jason and Rachel's party."
Of course
. It all falls into place. The party was nearly a year ago. They talked for at least a half hour, laughing and vibing. Rose found him handsome and definitely felt a spark between them. But he was there with someone else.
"Patrick," Rose says. "The pilot, right?"
A wide, charming grin crosses his face. "That's me."
God, that smile. What a gorgeous man.
"What've you been up to?"
"The usual," he says. "You know. Work, life, all that. Yourself?"
"I've been well," she says. "How's Diane?"
"I hear she's well," he says. "She moved to Chicago a few months back."
Did she? How interesting.
"Oh. Sorry to hear that."
"These things happen," he says.
They step outside the stall. A litany of small talk topics commence. Their mutual friends, the weather, how awesome the farmers market is. Rose doesn't care about any of it.
Rose looks into his gunmetal gray eyes, somehow both smoldering and bright. She gives him another minute to ask her out or she'll make a move herself.
"You know," he says. "It's funny I ran into you."
Is this the wind up?
"How's that?"
"I was talking to Jason a few weeks ago and asked about you."
"And what did he have to say?"
"He mentioned your divorce was being finalized," Patrick says.
"Yeah, there's that," Rose says. "Time to start the next chapter in my life, and all."
"That's the right attitude," he says. "Say, are you in a rush? There's a stall here with amazing coffee."
"I'd love to," Rose says. "But I'm meeting my mom for lunch."
He hides his disappointment well. "Some other time."
Rose isn't about to let this one get away. Not this time.
"You know what?" she says. "Let's make a point of getting together another time. Do you have your phone on you? Let me give you my number."
Patrick's face brightens. They exchange numbers and go their separate ways. There's a new spring in her step as she heads back to her car.
She doesn't need to turn around to know he's checking out her ass.
***
Olive's Cafe. An offbeat place serving soups, salads, sandwiches, and assorted coffee drinks. Lots of bright, eclectic art on the walls and the waitresses tend to have pink hair and lots of piercings. Rose's kind of place.
That's one reason she chose it for her lunch date with Patrick. Plus, it's five minutes from her house and she knows everyone there. Home turf.
She parks her Outback and checks her makeup in the mirror one last time. She takes a deep breath.
Why the hell is she so nervous? She's done a few guys while her divorce went through the courts. There's Eric, too, whom she's been fucking regularly. Nothing serious, though.
Except now she's officially divorced. Free to date whomever and however.
That's it.
This is a
date
, not a hook-up. Maybe leading to other dates. Emotional attachment.
She makes a decision. There will be no warm, fuzzy feelings. No starry-eyed emotions
.
Friendship and fun? Fine. But nothing more.
Time to dive in.
Rose walks towards the cafe. It's a workday and she's dressed conservatively. Lemon yellow sweater with a white blouse underneath. Black leggings and boots. All chosen to highlight her abundant assets in the best light.
Horn-rimmed glasses matching her sweater, multiple earrings per ear, and a stud nose ring complete the tableaux. Her tattoos are covered. Patrick saw her arm ink at the farmer's market, though, so he's cool with it.
The aroma of fresh coffee hits her nostrils as she enters. Patrick waits at a nearby table.
He stands. His appreciation of her is unmistakable. It's always the same, no matter the BBW admirer. They can't hide it. The hunger in their eyes and the way their gaze locks-in gives it away. Every time.
Patrick mentioned on the phone the other day he was turning fifty next year. Seeing him, it's hard to believe. He looks much younger. His trim physique helps. So does the boyish face and the vigorous aura he projects.