Splendor (Inevitable #2) (8 page)

And for some reason, her crush seemed to have magnified tenfold ever since Peter had left last month. Perhaps it was the subliminal knowledge that she was now truly alone that was the cause of several erotic dreams she’d had in recent weeks about her very compelling boss. The most recent one had occurred just two nights ago, and recalling the specifics of it made her cheeks grow hot and her panties grow damp.

She’d been nude, laid out on the huge conference room table, her arms and legs spread wide. It was as though invisible bonds had been tied around her limbs, holding her in place. Ian had still been fully clothed, except for his jacket and tie, his crisp white shirt partially unbuttoned to reveal a ribbon of dark hair bisecting his muscular chest. His hands and mouth had been everywhere, it seemed – kissing her lips, cupping her breasts, sliding between her eagerly parted legs. He’d kissed his way down her body, licking her nipples until she’d squirmed with arousal, and then his head had ventured between her thighs.

Her dream had ended rather abruptly at that point, and she’d woken to find herself wet, her nipples taut, her full breasts even heavier and swollen. She had tentatively touched herself – one hand on her breast, tweaking a nipple, and the other between her legs, stimulating her clit. She had been startled at the swiftness and strength of her orgasm, how easily it had happened.

She’d groaned then, burying her face in her pillow, and trying not to feel ashamed. During their infrequent sexual encounters, Peter had never once been able to bring her to climax and had never wanted to give or receive oral sex. That she should dream about Ian Gregson going down on her was probably telling in some way, but Tessa didn’t have a clue as to why. Sex was something she continued to be rather naïve about and definitely inexperienced, despite the fact that she and Peter had been together for a long time.

Tessa found the quaint little bakery/café easily and saw right away why Julia’s boyfriend might not care for it. The outside awning was pink and the ruffled curtains at every window a floral print. Julia was just arriving, too, and Tessa marveled at how fluidly she could walk in her towering pale pink stilettos. She looked amazing in a form fitting sheath dress of gray lace, and drew admiring stares from every man she passed.

Julia’s smile lit up her gorgeous face when she spied Tessa, and she gave her hand a little squeeze. “I’m so glad you were able to come. I’ve been wanting to have lunch with you for ages but work has been so crazy all summer. Let’s go inside, shall we?”

The café was cozy and charming, with small tables draped in pink floral cloths, each with a vase of pastel flowers as a centerpiece, and attractively set with white dishes and gleaming flatware. It wasn’t in the least bit stuffy or pretentious, and Tessa felt a sense of relief. She seldom went out to lunch with her co-workers except on special occasions like someone’s birthday, and the others all seemed to favor trendy, upscale restaurants where the atmosphere wasn’t nearly as relaxed and comfortable as this place.

Tessa continued to glance around the small interior as they were seated before smiling at Julia gratefully. “This is so lovely. It feels like someone’s home instead of a restaurant.”

Julie nodded enthusiastically. “It does, right? I thought the same thing the first time I ate here. But Nathan thinks it’s too girly, reminds him of his grandmother’s house.”

Tessa laughed softly. “I must say I can’t see him being comfortable here with so much pink and lace. Even the menu is printed in fancy pink script.”

She didn’t add that she had no real idea of what a grandmother’s house might look like, since she’d never known either of her grandmothers. Or her father, for that matter. It had always been just Tessa and her mother, until there had only been Tessa.

Forcing herself to stop thinking about sad things and enjoy this rare opportunity to actually get out and do something fun, she studied the menu carefully. Fortunately, the café specialized in comfort food, nothing too fancy or exotic.

“Everything is delicious here,” Julia offered helpfully. “Sandwiches, quiche, crepes. You can’t go wrong no matter what you order.”

Tessa grinned at the enthusiasm in her companion’s voice. “Sounds like you eat here a lot.”

“Quite a bit. My boss Travis loves it, too, and especially his partner Anton.
They
don’t mind all the girly touches.”

Tessa ordered the chicken salad croissant and Julia the smoked salmon quiche, along with a tall glass of sparkling French lemonade for both of them. They ate hungrily, and Tessa reflected on how many meals she’d been skipping lately. Her sadness and depression over Peter had contributed to most of that, but she’d also had to trim her already lean budget even further. She’d lost a few pounds as a result.

“I’m sorry if I said something to upset you earlier today,” Julia told her quietly as they waited for their dessert to be served. “Maybe it was my imagination but you looked like you were going to collapse when I made that comment about being married. Is – is everything all right?”

Tessa nervously twisted the pale pink linen napkin between her fingers. “Um, it’s – not something I -”

Julia placed a hand on her forearm. “God, I’m sorry. I don’t mean to butt in. I was just worried about you, that’s all.”

Tears welled up in Tessa’s eyes, touched at Julia’s kindness. “No, it’s okay. It’s just – hard for me to talk about, you know? I haven’t told anyone else – there really isn’t anyone else to talk to.” She bit her bottom lip to keep it from trembling. “My husband – we’re getting a divorce. We, um – broke up about a month ago.”

Julia gasped. “Oh, Tessa. I’m so sorry, honey. What an idiot I am, putting my foot in my mouth that way. Are you okay?”

Tessa shook her head, unable to stop the tears spilling down her cheeks. “No, not really. It’s been so hard, Julia. I miss him a lot. He’s – well, he was all I had. I don’t have any family at all, haven’t for years, so I’m all by myself now.”

“You were close then – you and your husband?”

“Yes, very,” replied Tessa tearfully. “Peter was my best friend as well as my husband. My only friend, really. I hardly even know anyone else here in San Francisco.”

Julia looked aghast. “That’s awful, honey. I had no idea, no idea at all. God, I can’t even imagine not having my family or friends. Don’t you have friends back in – was it Tucson or Phoenix you were from?”

“Tucson. And no, I really didn’t have any close friends back there, either. For so long it was always just Peter and me.”

“How long were you married?” asked Julia curiously.

Tessa hesitated before replying, knowing the answer would be startling. “Seven years.”

Julia stared at her in disbelief. “Seven? How old are you anyway? I always thought you were a little younger than I was.”

The subject of her marriage was always an awkward one for Tessa to discuss, and now was no exception. “I’m, um, twenty-four. I was seventeen when Peter married me.”

“Seventeen!” Julia was visibly shocked. “God, you were just a child. Is that why – Jesus, never mind. I can’t believe I’m asking you stuff like this.”

“It’s okay. And no, it wasn’t because I got pregnant. It’s – complicated.”

“And none of my business,” declared Julia. “I really don’t mean to pry, Tessa. I’m just concerned is all. And it sounds like you could really use a friend right now, so please know that I’m here for you whenever you need me, okay?”

Tessa forced a teary smile. “You’re so nice, Julia. I can see why Mr. Atwood fell in love with you.”

Julia gave her a wink. “Well, it was definitely mutual – love at first sight and all that mushy stuff. Ah, here’s our dessert. Nothing like a big old sugar rush to make you feel better.”

The desserts came in huge portions so they had agreed to split the towering slice of black forest torte. Julia dug into the cake with gusto while Tessa merely picked at it, her appetite having waned abruptly after the discussion about her impeding divorce.

“Come on, don’t make me be a pig and eat all of this myself,” urged Julia. “Nathan already teases me about my ass getting bigger.”

Tessa gave her a small smile and obediently ate a forkful. “It’s really good. Thanks for this. Not just lunch but, - well, for being so kind to me.”

“It’s easy to be nice to nice people,” assured Julia. “And you’ve always been so sweet to me every time I’m over for a meeting. Not like those bitches you work with. I’m not sure which one I dislike more – Gina or Alicia.”

Tessa sipped her tea. “They’re practically joined at the hip so take your pick. And they’re roommates to boot.”

“Figures. Though if I had to pick the nastier one it would be that sneaky little witch Gina. She tries to flirt with Nathan every time we’re in the office, even though it’s very obvious he’s with me now. At least Alicia keeps her distance.”

“That’s because she’s got her sights fixed on Mr. Gregson instead,” Tessa blurted out. “But he never dates employees so she’s out of luck.”

Julia smiled mysteriously. “Hmm, bet I know of one employee he’d be willing to bend that rule for. Does Ian know you’re getting a divorce?”

Tessa shook her head, frowning. “No, of course not. I haven’t told anyone in the office yet. My co-workers tend to gossip a lot so I try not to discuss my personal life with them.”

“Wise move. I wouldn’t trust those two evil bitches for twenty seconds. And I know how fast office gossip can spread. My boss is a huge blabbermouth, I can’t tell him anything really confidential or it would be all over the place within five minutes.”

Tessa paused before asking her next question. “What did you mean about Mr. Gregson? The part about him making an exception to his rule.”

“You really have no idea?” Julia regarded her curiously. “Well, our Mr. Gregson would deny it, of course, being that he’s so prim and proper and always plays by the rules. But I’ve caught him more than a few times looking your way when you didn’t notice and – well, let’s just say I think he’d be
very
interested to know you’re going to be a single lady soon.”

Tessa stared at Julia in shock, her mouth hanging open in surprise. Slowly, she shook her head. “You’ve got to be mistaken. Badly. Mr. Gregson barely even speaks to me. And he is definitely not attracted to me.”

Julia took a sip of her coffee and grinned wickedly. “If you say so. But I’d be willing to bet he’d speak to you a whole lot more if he got wind of your impending divorce.”

“Please don’t tell him,” pleaded Tessa. “Not just him but anyone in the office. I’ll tell them when the time is right but – well, it’s just hard for me to confide in people. And even harder to talk about something as painful as this.”

“I get it. And I won’t say anything, even to Nathan. I swear, sometimes I think men are even worse gossips than women.”

Tessa offered to split the check but Julia was adamant that this was her treat, plunking down a credit card casually.

“Thank you, Julia. Not just for lunch but for letting me cry on your shoulder. Not literally, of course,” added Tessa with a little smile.

“But pretty close, huh? It was my pleasure. Look, I want to give you my cell number, okay? And I really do want you to call me if you ever need to talk or want to hang out. We can go have coffee or get a drink or just take a long walk. Do you like yoga?”

Tessa took the business card Julia handed her, the cell number written on the back. “I love yoga. I can’t really afford it, though, so I mostly look for places that offer free or demo classes. What about you?”

“Yeah, it’s kind of my obsession. I go to class almost every day. You should come to my studio with me some weekend soon. My weekend teacher Sasha is awesome. She kicks my ass every single time I take her class. I can get you a complimentary pass if you’d like.”

“I’d love that,” beamed Tessa. “I, um, don’t really have any girlfriends so I appreciate your offer to – you, know, hang out.”

“Well, I don’t have very many myself,” confessed Julia. “So I’d really, really like to call you my friend. Okay?”

Tessa felt just a little bit less lonely as she smiled at her new friend. “Okay.”

Chapter Five

November

Despite the fact that her abs were already quivering in protest, Tessa forced herself to do another set of crunches on top of the hundred she’d already completed. She was using the slant board today, which was always tougher for her than the fitness ball, and thus had to push herself hard to finish the grueling workout. Besides the core work, she’d done an hour of cardio, split between the stationary bike and the elliptical machine, then lifted weights, focusing today on her biceps and shoulders.

She’d always liked to exercise in some form or another, even though her mother had never been able to afford the various fees and equipment involved in playing organized sports like soccer or softball. Not to mention the fact that she couldn’t be counted on to remember to actually pick Tessa up from practices or take her to games. From the time she had been a small girl, Tessa had more or less been responsible for getting herself to and from school, in addition to all of the other daily tasks she’d had to perform for herself.

At least she’d had the good fortune to attend some highly rated public schools over the years, all of which had offered excellent physical education classes and facilities. P.E. had always been one of her favorite classes, perhaps because it was one that she excelled at, and didn’t feel far behind all the other students in class. Whether it was swimming, tennis, basketball, modern dance, or running, Tessa had looked forward to that class every day.

She’d been thrilled to discover the small but well equipped employee fitness room here at the San Francisco offices. Back at the Gregson resort in Tucson, employees had been allowed use of the expansive fitness facilities, so long as it was during off-peak hours when the hotel guests weren’t availing themselves. Tessa was very disciplined about her workouts, rarely missing a day. Five days a week she exercised here at the office, always doing some sort of cardio – bike, elliptical, treadmill or stair climber – plus weight training and core work. She couldn’t afford to belong to an outside gym, so she was extremely thankful to have use of this room. On weekends, she scoured the Internet to find the free or demo yoga classes she’d told Julia about, and also took long walks and hikes around the city. Peter had often accompanied her on these excursions when he’d been in town, and Tessa figured they had explored nearly every trail or pathway in San Francisco.