The Naked Truth

I have a problem with taking my clothes off in public. Deep inside, I’m a shy girl. I know I’m not the only one. I’ve seen other girls at the gym shielding themselves with towels as they change into or out of their gym clothes. However, there are those girls who takes it all off and march to the shower room in their birthday suits.

I stood in the change room watching these two groups of women after my difficult session at the gym. I really wanted to take a shower, but the thought of being naked in front of all these strangers made my skin crawl.

To make matters worse was that most of these women had perfect bodies, there was no way I would strip my imperfect body in front of them.

I decided to go to a stall and changed there. I wrapped myself in my large towel and went to shower.

While I was having my shower woes, Thando was enjoying caviar with her soon to be boyfriend. She told us about the date later that day when she returned. I was sitting with my feet up, eating a salad.

Ed came out of the kitchen carrying a large burger. Cruel.

‘You’re back,’ he said, as Thando walked in. ‘What happened?’

Thando placed her bag on the floor next to the couch. ‘I don’t know what you mean.’ She sat down next to me and scowled at my salad. ‘Back on the diet, I see.’

‘Shut up,’ I said.

‘I thought you were going to spend the night with Mr Right,’ Ed said.

Thando let out a sarcastic laugh. ‘After only one date?’

‘You’ve done it before,’ I commented.

Thando shrugged. ‘Well, this time it’s different. I really think he could be the one. I really like him.’ She smiled.

‘So how loaded is he?’ Ed asked.

‘Very. He’s an entrepreneur. His business is doing great and he has a few tenders from the government.’

Ed nodded, impressed.

‘He has a yacht at the coast. I can’t wait to visit the coast with him. Fly first class…’ She looked at a distance, as if daydreaming.

‘It seems like you’ve hit a jackpot this time,’ Ed said.

I kicked him playfully on the leg. Ed had a habit of speaking his mind. But what he said didn’t bother Thando. She couldn’t care less what Ed thought of her or what anyone thought of her, for that matter.

‘I’m the luckiest girl alive. And out of the three of us, I’m the only one with a boyfriend.’

Ed frowned, clearly unhappy to be single. I didn’t care. I wasn’t desperate to have a man.

My stomach growled. Ed handed me half of his burger. I shook my head.

‘Eat. You’re starving.’ He shoved the burger in my face.

Starving, I was. But a burger? A burger had so many calories. My stomach growled again. I reached for the burger and stuffed my face. So much for the hour I spent at the gym.