4. Tessa
4
TESSA
"Ted, Adel, good to see you both again," Madden says, pulling out my chair. He winks as our eyes meet and sits down next to me. "So I guess you're all skiers."
"Not me. I prefer the sun to the snow. Don't you, Tessa?" The smile Ralph gives me is forced.
I wonder if his feathers are ruffled by Madden showing up. "I was born and raised here, so snow and skiing will always be my choice."
Madden grins when I give him a shy look. Ralph mutters under his breath, but I pay no attention. As we eat in silence, I keep sneaking glances at Madden, who does the same with me. By the time dessert is placed in front of me, I'm sure I look as red as the strawberries on the cheesecake.
"Are you going to eat that?" Ralph asks.
I frown. "I ordered it, so yeah?" I give him a curious look.
"Cheesecake is full of fat," he continues as I'm about to shove a nicely proportioned size into my mouth. The spoonful stops halfway between the plate and my mouth. "You'll just gain more weight instead of losing it."
The pig!
"What the hell does that mean?" Madden hisses, his face a mask of rage.
My parents stop and look at Madden, while Ralph does the same, but he has a look on his face I don't like. "You can't eat dessert when you're trying to lose weight."
My fist automatically clenches around the arm of the fork as I wonder about the wisdom of stabbing Ralph in the thigh. Or maybe his hairy hand. Huh! Why have I never noticed how hairy the backs of his hands are?
"Tessa's not on a diet," Madden snarls. "You know why? Because she’s perfect the way she is."
My cheeks burn and I want to hide under the table, even as my heart jumps at the words coming out of Madden's mouth. I'm horrified that Ralph would say what he did, but especially that Madden would hear him.
My heart almost jumps out of my chest when the sudden shrill sound of the fire alarm goes off. I'm about to have a panic attack. I know I should move. The others at the table stand. Ralph is halfway to the exit. My parents turn back to me, both frowning. I still can't move. Fear ricochets through me and I feel my chest tighten.
Madden cups my face in his big hands. "Look at me, Tessa. You need to breathe, okay?" His worried frown softens as I focus on him, and him alone. He's an attractive package to focus on. "Let's get out of here." Madden gets me up and moving, grabbing my coat as he does so. It's not until we're outside that I realize we came out through the back. "I thought we'd get out while we can.” He grins. "Do you want to get a hot chocolate?"
“Sounds good.” I sigh in relief. An embarrassed chuckle comes out of my mouth. "That has to be the worst meal in the history of worst meals."
Once I'm wrapped in my coat, scarf and hat, Madden takes my hand. "It wasn't that bad. No food was thrown." Pause. "Though I was tempted to throw a punch."
"Yeah, I thought about stabbing him with my fork. Too many witnesses."
Madden laughs, loud and delightful. "Oh, sweetheart! I love the way you think."
He pulls me closer and wraps an arm around my neck. My skin flushes at how close we are. I close my eyes briefly and let out a soft sigh. The question on the tip of my tongue stays with me. I'm afraid to ask him why he's here with me . Madden is beautiful and has many followers. Puck bunnies love him. He has the look of a laid-back surfer with his messy hair and sleepy eyes—bedroom eyes.
"What are you thinking so hard about?" He asks in a hoarse voice as we come to a stop near the holiday village.
I turn to face him and find my mouth just inches from his, feeling the electricity between us. His eyes roam over my face and then stop on my lips, making me wonder if he's going to kiss me. I lean in, closing the gap between us. Our lips meet in a soft, tender kiss, the warmth of his touch sending shivers down my spine. My heart flutters with excitement as I realize this is the moment I've been waiting for since we first met. Madden reaches up and tucks a loose strand of hair behind my ear. "I've been thinking about this for a long time," he whispers, his eyes locked on mine with intensity.
I inhale and admit, "Ever since that night in New York," I swallow hard, "I've been nervous about being in public. It takes a lot to be present and not remember that night. I hate myself for not moving on, but I can't shake the fear that it will happen again."
"Tess," he cups my face gently in his big hands and tilts my chin up to look into his eyes. "You are moving on. You went out to dinner with your family...and that asshole. You're not cooped up in your apartment letting fear control you. The chances of that happening again are slim to none. Tell me you know that."
"I do, but it's still hard to let go of the fear completely." I wince. "Loud noises set me off and make me jump out of my skin."
"That's understandable, considering what you've been through." He puts a hand on my neck, making me feel warm. I lean into his touch, finding comfort in his presence. I haven't felt this safe in a long time, not since he came to my aid in New York. "I can't stop thinking about you." He brushes his lips against mine, sending a shiver down my spine. "That's why I'm here. I want and need to spend time with you because nothing else in my life has felt right since I left you with your family in the hospital. It's strange. The feeling of loss that I feel when I'm not with you. It's like a part of me is missing." He exhales and gives an embarrassed chuckle.
Instinctively, I throw myself into his arms and hold on tight.