She started finding peace within herself after years of trying, and finally felt she was fully recovered by the time she was 25, and now at 30 years old, she was more than proud of the way her body held the curves of a full grown woman, and she noticed now more than ever the amount of male attention she garnered.
Although she was deep in her eating disorder when she was with Tristan, he had told her every chance he could how beautiful she was. Her heart swelled with affection thinking about how much he loved her despite what she now knows she looked like at the time, but then she felt an intense pang of guilt at the fact that he had no idea what she was hiding from him. For all she knew, he thought she was naturally stick skinny, and he loved every part of her anyway.
Now though, the look in his eyes was different. It was feral and hungry, and Tessa’s heart raced imagining him gripping onto her hips, grabbing a handful of her ass that was now soft and round from working out, or running his tongue over the plush hills of her breasts.
She was so lost in thought that she almost got lost on her way to the restroom but eventually found her way and quickly finished her business before heading back to the table.
“Tessa!”
She stopped in her tracks at the sound of her name, the familiarity of the voice making her hair stand on end, and not in a good way.
She felt her cheeks flush and heart skip with anxiety, standing frozen, waiting for the inevitable, silently wishing the busy crowd of the restaurant would just swallow her whole, but she knew it was no use. So she took a deep breath and opened her eyes, squared her shoulders, and turned to face exactly who she knew would be behind her.
“I thought it was you,” he said, finally making his way through the crowd and standing in front of her.
“Hi Joseph,” she said with a sigh.
“Hey,” he said, stuffing one hand in his pocket and holding an old fashioned in the other. “I’ve been calling you, you know.”
“I know. I haven’t been in New York.”
It was a half-truth. The other half is that she simply didn’t want to talk to him, but that was too uncomfortable for her to say, ever the people pleaser.
“Well, where have you been?” he asks, standing up straighter, looking slightly offended.
She squinted at him with annoyed blue eyes and reared her head back.
“I don’t see how that’s any of your business.”
He seemed shocked by her response which was dripping with attitude and disdain and took a step closer to her.
“We’ve been broken up for only a few months, and I think I deserve-”
“Joseph, it’s been like 9 months,” she responds quickly, cutting him off. “And even if it were 9 hours it wouldn’t matter. We ended things; therefore, I have no obligation to answer the numerous phone calls and texts that have bordered on harassment and have no obligation to tell you where I am or what I’m doing.”
“You’re being a little dramatic, don’t you think?” he asks with a haughty laugh, swirling his drink around in the glass before taking a sip, tipping his nose up in the way that always madeher skin crawl. At first, she had viewed it as him being dignified, cultured, and simply, British. But over the years she recognized it as a tick he had whenever he felt less than, and suddenly his measly attempt to assert his dominance became an ick. She much preferred Tristan’s way of asserting dominance, with violence and aggression.Please don’t revoke my feminist card, she whispered to the universe.
“Isn’t that pretty on brand for me?” she asked dryly. “I don’t have time for this, anyway. I’m at dinner and need to get back. I hope you’re doing well.”
Tessa turned on her heel and flipped her blonde hair over her shoulder, but Joseph caught her by the elbow and pulled her back, causing her to stumble over the wedge of her boot and crash into his chest.
“What the fuck!” she hissed, ripping her arm away from him and rubbing the spot that he held onto her way too tight.
“I wasn’t done speaking with you,” he said back, not bothering to mind his volume or the way he was very clearly being an asshole to her. They were definitely attracting some attention.
“Okay, wellI’mdone,” she said forcefully. “And if I need to remind you why I cut things off with you, I’m not in love with you, you’re an asshole, this relationship is going nowhere and I’m wasting my time, and we’re not compatible. Now leave me alone.”
“Does 6 years really seem like we’re not compatible?” he asks, grabbing her arm again, stopping her from leaving.
Tessa goes to answer him, but her words get caught in her throat at the sight of a very familiar andverylarge hand gripping Joseph’s white dress shirt. Tristan’s towering frame moves in front of Tessa, essentially cutting off Joseph’s access to her, and he pushes Joseph back aggressively into the crowd.
“Back up, asshole,” Tristan says, his green eyes shining with satisfaction at the way Joseph stumbled with the force of his shove.
Tessa’s breath caught in her throat when Tristan turned to glance at her over his shoulder, his thick eyebrow cocking in defiance.
“This guy?” he said, pointing an accusatory finger in Joseph’s direction. “Really?”
“Shut up,” Tessa grunted, crossing her arms.
