Page 11 of 3 Daddies to Go

Traces glances at my meal too, and he laughs, showing off perfectly white teeth.

“I see you like red meat,” he intimates.

I nearly choke. My steak is almost rare, exactly how I like it. You lose all the flavor if you cook it too long.

“Um, yes,” I murmur. Then I take a deep breath. “I know I shouldn’t eat red meat because it’s supposedly bad for your cholesterol and has a lot of fat, but it’s a special occasion, so figured I’d indulge.”

Tag raises an eyebrow. All three guys are looking at me now. Normally I’d hate the attention, but they seem genuinely interested.

“You don’t eat like this all the time?” Tag asks, his eyes dancing.

Embarrassment floods my cheeks. My generous figure makes it obvious that I enjoy food regularly. Ilovefood, and I indulge all the time, not just on special occasions. I’m a big fan of cheese, ice cream, red meat, and all the other things that doctors say not to eat. So what exactly is Tag asking?

I look down and mumble a noncommittal response to my steak.

“Speak up, honey, we can’t hear you,” Tanner growls. “We adore women who eat.”

I wring my hands under the table. I wish they would just let me savor my meal in peace because it’s too embarrassing to admit that I eat like a man. Not just any old man either, but a hungry, starving lumberjack. Right now, my steak is getting cold, and I don’t want it to go to waste. It’s too delicious not to eat the whole thing and yet I can feel the three men watching me.

I take a deep breath and say, “Yes, I eat meat. I eat dairy. I eateverything. I know it’s not popular, but it’s not against the law either, and I enjoy it.”

The words come out quick, but the men seem to understand me. All three of them nod like they get what I’m talking about.

I slice into my steak once again, this time eating a bigger piece. At least if I’m chewing, I’ll have an excuse not to talk. The potatoes are almost as good as the steak, so I shovel those in my mouth as well, enjoying them with gusto. I’ve never been shy about my eating habits, and I’m not the kind of girl who pretends not to eat in public. Food is damn good, and I don’t understand people who can’t enjoy it.

Suddenly, I look up to my plate to find Monica staring at me, disgusted.

“What?” I ask after I swallow. I wipe the steak juices from my face. That could be why she’s looking at me.

“I can’t believe you!” Monica hisses. “I knew you were gross, Kendall, but now you admit you have no concern for our environment?”

I stare right back at her.

“What are you talking about?”

“As if you don’t know! Just think of the poor cow who had to suffer just so you could eat that awful hunk of meat. It’s called murder, Kendall. That cow had to die for you to eat its flesh.”

I look down at the delicious meal. Yes, that’s true, but I really don’t want to get into this debate right now. Unfortunately, Monica has other ideas.

“And everyone knows that eating meat is bad for the environment in general. You’re throwing off the natural order of the universe, Kendall. Seriously, get a clue.”

I look down, my cheeks scarlet. Inside, my soul is screaming. Imagine if Monica found out that animals eateach otherin the wild. I don’t think she could handle it. She probably thinks animals are all vegetarians, and that nothing ever gets killed because all the animals hold hands and sing kumbaya around a campfire. Maybe I’ll send her some nature documentaries to watch. That would ruin her life, for sure. But she’s on a roll.

“It’s not just the cows,” Monica continues haughtily. “All animals are suffering because of meat eaters like you, in addition to the environment. Haven’t you heard of Zero Waste, Zero Tragedy? It’s the newest movement, and I subscribe to it myself.”

Wait a minute. Didn’t Monica brag about the chicken she made and that tasted so good? Why is she all of a sudden a nature freak now?

Suddenly, the answer is obvious. She’s trying to berate me, probably because she’s jealous. Tag, Tanner and Trace have been complimenting me, and paying no attention to her at all. Suddenly, another bridesmaid jumps into the fray.

“Yeah, she’s right,” Leonore chimes in. “You’re basically destroying our ecosystem by eating meat. Shame on you, Kendall.”

“Exactly!” says Monica gleefully. “You have no respect for the animals in our world. You should stop eating meat. It’s disgusting to watch, honestly, and you had juices flowing down your chin like some caveman. And the way you chomp down on the meat, gnawing at it like you’re a starved orphan? Seriously, Kendall. I don’t know why Trudy ever let you out in public. You shouldn’t evenbeat the wedding, let aloneinit.”

I drop my fork to my plate, my heart beating heavily in my chest. Holy shit, is this really happening? Are we having a mean girls moment, right here at Trudy’s wedding?

“Don’t even get me started on you and that bread,” Monica adds loftily. “I mean, seriously, did you really have to make out with those rolls in public? I felt like a voyeur. Do you want a room alone with the steak, too? It’s the only intimacy you’re ever going to get, looking the way you do.”

Suddenly, tears spring to my eyes and I slide my chair back. I don’t need to sit here and take this. Ican’tsit here and take this.