“Then do it. Absolutely do it. For now, let’s get you as unpacked as possible. I know it sucks, but hey – once it’s done it will feel so amazing to have everything sorted out.”
“I agree. Thanks for helping me, I really appreciate it,” Tess said.
“Any word from Vicki?” Elizabeth asked, waving away Tess’s thanks as friends of years and years do.
“Ah, no, unfortunately. I was allowed to go say goodbye to my nephew, but that was only after going through Chad.”
“Honestly, she sucks.” Elizabeth snapped a towel fiercely as she folded it. “She has never been supportive of you. It’s either fall in line with what she wants or she’s competing with you. I’m telling you, she’s toxic for you.”
“I did have a revelation recently,” Tess admitted, smiling as Red raced into the house, knowing his dinner time was near. He danced at her feet, and she wondered once again how it was that her dogs knew what time of the day it was.
“What’s that?”
“Just that I’m in this pattern of doing what they want and even when something goes wrong, it’s on me to make things right. It was the same way with Gabe as it is with Vicki. This cycle of ‘do it my way’ and when I don’t, somehow I still have to be the one to apologize. It’s really frustrating.”
“It’s toxic,” Elizabeth insisted. “People don’t withhold love or give you the silent treatment if you don’t divorce the way they want you to, or follow the career they think is best for you, or any of the other million little things they’ve pushed you into. Their way is not the right way, at least not for you, and obviously Gabe couldn’t handle that so he went off and found someone who would only agree with him. And Vicki? Well, she’s so mad at you for not acting the way she wants you to, that instead of listening or apologizing, she’s stamping her foot like a two-year-old and refusing to speak to you. I hate to say it, Tess, but you’re the adult in this situation. Ugh, I can’t stand emotional manipulation, it drives me crazy.” Elizabeth shuddered. She’d dealt with her fair share with her ex-husband.
“It makes me question my instincts, you know? Like I’m legit questioning who I am and if I’m doing the right thing. But when I step back, it’s like, duh, yes – I am doing the right thing. This man didn’t love me enough to work on the marriage before he had multiple affairs and lied for months and months. Leaving that situation is allowed. Period. And how I handle it is my choice. Period. Not Vicki’s or anyone else’s choice. I honestly wonder when Vicki will stop treating me like a child. Except for the moments when she does treat me like a sister, and then she’s in competition with me.”
“She’s jealous of you,” Elizabeth said, and Tess looked at her in shock.
“Jealous? How so? She’s got the perfect life.”
“No, she doesn’t. She’s obviously unfulfilled. She keeps striving for perfection with family, job, perfect house, and so on – and for what? None of it is giving her the happiness she so desperately craves. She’s following what she thinks is the dream because she’s too scared to step outside the mold. While you are out here living your own life, building your own career, traveling, and not being afraid to leave your cheating husband. You’re an anomaly to her – you’ve gone rogue. And when people like you go rogue, it makes the people who crave the norm wary of you.”
“Huh, that’s an interesting take. Gabe keeps calling me a bitch for it, and I think Vicki secretly agrees. But I don’t think it’s being a bitch to stand up for myself and protect my boundaries and choices.”
“Absolutely not,” Elizabeth agreed. “You scare them – and what they fear, they attack. Remember that.”
“I just wish she’d try to understand me and realize that I have no need or desire to compete with her. I want her to be my sister, my family, my friend.”
“She may never realize that. And will you keep submitting yourself to her judgments and her expectations? Why does she get to set the rules of the relationship? Aren’t you allowed to have your own boundaries too?”
“I absolutely am,” Tess agreed and turned to see that her living room and kitchen were essentially unpacked but for a few bits and pieces to be hung on the wall. “Damn, girl, you’re right. It does feel good to be unpacked.”
“Welcome home,” Elizabeth said as she hugged her. Tess smiled, feeling – for the first time in ages – a sense of peace with her new life. Even if it was only a ten-month lease, this was home for now and she planned to make the best of it.
No matter what lay ahead.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
True to her word, Tess spent the next few days puttering around the yard and spending hours sitting out on the wide front porch that ran the length of the house. Set slightly up on a hill, she had a great view of the street and enjoyed people-watching as neighbors strolled past to visit the shops on the corner. It was nice living somewhere she could walk for a coffee, grab some groceries, or browse the local bookstore. It was a great little neighborhood, and Tess was enjoying the easygoing vibe of Denver and how smiley everyone was. Perhaps it was the sunshine, she thought, as back in Chicago snow had already begun to fall. But here? The weather was holding at a moderately comfortable temperature and the sun shone every damn day.
She’d noticed her neighbors to the right a few times – two handsome men with a small daughter – and she couldn’t decide if it was the delicious scents that wafted from their kitchen or the booming laugh and distinct accent of one of the men that intrigued her more. When Tess was ready to come out of her self-imposed cocoon, she planned to stop by their house and introduce herself. For now, she curled up on a rocking bench on the front porch, her feet tucked into cozy slippers, and indulged in reading another Highlander romance, something of a recent addiction since she’d met Aiden.
When she saw her neighbor coming down the walk with his daughter in his arms, she waved, and was going to return to her book until she saw his face. The man looked positively traumatized.
“Hi,” Tess said, coming to stand at their shared fence line. “Are you okay?”
“No, I’m really not,” the man said, tears streaking down his face. “I’m just back from the emergency room with her.”
“Oh no,” Tess breathed, reaching up to pat his daughter’s arm. She was tucked into his shoulder and looked sleepy, but otherwise okay. “What happened? Is she hurt?”
“She took a hard tumble and hit her head on the side of the concrete step outside. I just have to monitor her. Teddy met me at the hospital – he works there. Everything will be okay, but it was really scary,” he said.
“Oh, I’m so sorry, I can imagine it was.” Going with instinct, she gave him a big hug.
“I’m Daniel, by the way, and this is Delia.” Tess smiled at Delia.
“I’m Tess, it’s nice to meet you.”
“Are you living here now? Or are you the new girlfriend?” Daniel bounced back and forth as he rocked Delia. She detected a slight British accent.
“No, I’m renting it. I wouldn’t date my landlord. He kind of skeezed me out.” Tess laughed.
Daniel shook his head emphatically. “Yes! Total creep. But the house is gorgeous. Listen, I need to get her inside, but come by for a martini tomorrow? We’d love to get to know you better.”
“Oh, I don’t want to intrude,” Tess protested.
“It’s not. I love entertaining. Please, come by tomorrow,” Daniel insisted and Tess agreed to go. It couldn’t hurt to have one drink and meet her new neighbors. She suspected they would be friends. Or at the very least, she’d score some of the deliciousness that was emanating from that kitchen into her living room every day. Smiling, she returned to her book and decided that tomorrow would be as good a day as any to start on a new routine – find a new gym, outline a new book, and make some new friends.
The next day she crossed the yard with a bottle of red wine in hand, excited to meet her new neighbors. It would be nice to have friends next door, Tess thought, and maybe they’d be able to offer some advice on a
reas to explore around town.
Daniel opened the door with a big smile on his face, Delia at his hip, and their big black lab at his feet.
“Hi! This is Elliot, who I’m sure you’ve seen around the yard.”
“Hi, buddy.” Tess bent to pat the dog who immediately leaned all of his substantial weight into her, begging for attention. “Aww, he’s a lover, isn’t he?”
“He’s just the best,” Daniel agreed and ushered her into their home. A stunning open layout spread before her with a large kitchen to the right, a massive dining table in the middle, and a funky living room just beyond with glass doors that showcased the backyard. Something that smelled heavenly bubbled on the stove. “This is my husband, Teddy.”
“Hi Teddy, it’s so nice to meet you. Thank you for having me over.” Tess smiled at the handsome man who greeted her, a wisp of the South in his accent.
“Hi, Tess, welcome. We’ve been wondering who had moved in next door. Where are you from?”
“Let me get you a drink. How about a Manhattan?” Daniel asked, popping into a small room that showcased a bar and more types of glasses than she would know what to do with.
“I’d love one, thank you,” Tess said and smiled at Teddy, who gestured toward a chair at the table. “I’m from Chicago, and rented the house next door for the next year.”
“That’s great! We weren’t particularly fond of the owner, I have to admit,” Teddy said.
Tess grinned. “So I hear.”
“He yelled at us for having outdoor lights in our backyard. Can you believe that? Something about how it’s impossible to sleep with the lights shining in his room. They don’t even shine up at the room, just down into our yard.”
“I haven’t noticed them at all.” Tess accepted the Manhattan that Daniel handed to her. “Plus, there are shades in the bedroom, so I don’t see what the issue would be.”
“Nasty man,” Daniel said, bouncing Delia.
“How is she today?”
“All good, it seems. I might have been a bit overdramatic with the fall, but it sounded like she’d hit her head so hard and I was just so worried,” Daniel admitted, a sheepish grin on his handsome face.
“Better safe than sorry,” Tess said.
“That’s what I said,” Daniel said, shooting a look at Teddy, who just smiled and rolled his eyes. “Teddy works at the hospital, so he’s probably less hysterical than I am.”
“Just a tad,” Teddy said, laughing into his drink.
“Are you a doctor?”
“No, I’m in operations. I oversee the staff and manage the financials, that kind of thing.”
“And what do you do, Daniel?”
“I’m a realtor here, though I used to be a chef.” Daniel checked the pot on the stove.
“That would explain all the delicious smells that waft into my house. I honestly thought I lived behind a restaurant!”
“That’s our kitchen fan; it vents toward your yard.”
“Well, keep on venting. It all smells divine.”
“So what brings you to Denver?” Teddy asked.
“Ah, well, divorce does, I suppose, though my ex-husband and I had planned to move here at some point. Now it’s just me and the dogs.”
“Oh, I’m sorry. Was it rough?” Daniel asked.
Before she knew it, they were several Manhattans deep, full of delicious pasta, and shaking their heads in disgust over lying asshole men.
“You’re better off without him, honey. Plus, there’s so many yummy men here,” Daniel exclaimed from where he lounged on the couch. They’d moved to the living room after they’d put Delia to bed, and Tess worried she was overstaying her welcome.
“I honestly wouldn’t know. I haven’t really dipped my toe in that pond yet,” Tess admitted.
“What?” Teddy exclaimed, leaning forward excitedly. “You’re not on Tinder yet?”
“Um, well, I did open a Tinder profile a while ago, but haven’t really used it.”
“Give us your phone,” Daniel demanded and Tess laughed, shaking her head.
“No, really, I don’t even know how to use the app.”
“We do. We do this all the time for our friend Kristina. Tell us what you like,” Daniel said, as Tess handed her phone over.
“It doesn’t matter what she likes. She’s just divorced, she needs to like all the men,” Teddy insisted. They hovered over her phone, shaking their heads no or yes as they swiped delightedly through the profiles.
“No, he looks like he lives in his mom’s basement,” Teddy protested.
“He could just be the sensitive type,” Daniel argued. “Look, he writes poetry. She’s a writer, too.”
They both looked at her in question and Tess shook her head no, giggling despite herself.
“That’s a no. Too sensitive, got it,” Teddy said, moving on, “Oh, he’s cute. Hey, look – it’s a match!”
“What? Who? How?” Tess asked, moving to look over their shoulders at a cute guy with a scruffy beard.
“Because Tinder is based on your location. So they’ve already seen your profile and said yes. Now it’s on you to decide if you want to chat,” Daniel explained.
“Oh jeez, I don’t know if I’m ready for this.” Tess felt nerves bubble up in her stomach. “I don’t know if I can handle all that judgment online. Like what if I’m not skinny enough for some guys, or they see me and don’t like me?”
“Honey, you’re beautiful. You’ve got a full body shot in here so guys can see exactly what they’re getting. Don’t worry about it,” Daniel insisted.
“Ugh, this feels so weird. I’ve never online dated before,” Tess admitted. Her phone started pinging, making her curious. “Oh my gosh. Now what? Do I start messaging him?”
“Hell yes, you do! And come over to try on first date outfits. We love this stuff,” Daniel said.
“My phone keeps pinging, what is all that pinging?” Tess said, nerves trickling through her.
“Matches. And messages. Girl, you’re going to be busy.” Teddy laughed, handing her phone back and Tess looked down in awe at the messages that poured in.
“Ew, this guy wants to put it in my butt,” Tess said, gasping at the first message she opened.
“That’s a bit forward for a hello, wouldn’t you say?” Daniel laughed.
“Yeah, at least make him take you to dinner first,” Teddy said.
Tess looked at the ceiling and took deep breaths. “Is this seriously how people date now? Like, let’s meet up and have sex? That would freak me out! I could never just let some strange guy into my house for sex in the middle of the night,” Tess exclaimed.
“Understandably so,” Teddy agreed, leaning back into the cushions.
“Ew, this guy says he’s divorced too, and just wants to pleasure women, no attachments.” Tess held the phone out.
Daniel took it from her. “Is that what you want? No attachments?”
“I don’t know what I want. I know I’m a bit shaky with all this stuff, that’s for sure,” Tess admitted, smiling when Daniel got up and crossed to make her another drink. “But I’m used to being in a relationship, so I’ll have to learn to just date again, I suppose.”
“You gotta start somewhere, girl,” Teddy said.
“Not with the in-the-butt guy,” Daniel ordered from across the room, and Tess snickered.
“Who’s Aiden?” Teddy asked, looking at her phone curiously.
Tess lunged for it.
“Ohhhh, my my, does Miss Tess already have someone on the horizon?”
“He’s not… he lives in Mexico.” Tess wanted to open his message, but decided to save it for later. “I met him when I went scuba diving. He’s Scottish and teaches diving there.”
“A Scottish scuba instructor?” Daniel pretended to swoon as he carried their drinks back over. “Yum, yum, that sounds like just what the doctor ordered.”
“I wish.” Tess laughed, accepting the Manhattan from him and sipping it, glad she only had to walk next
door after all these cocktails. “But it’s not likely I’ll see him again anytime soon.”
“Why not? With your job you can fly down there anytime,” Daniel pointed out, snuggling in next to Teddy on the couch.
“It’s just… I guess I don’t know. I’ve had so many big changes recently. I need to get my head on straight and start my new life here.” Her phone beeped incessantly with messages and Tess flushed.
“Well, my dear, this looks like an excellent place to start. I can’t wait to live vicariously through you.”
“You guys! How many men did you swipe on?”
“Pretty much all of them.” Teddy shrugged and Tess groaned, falling back into the cushions of the couch as her phone flooded with messages.
“Don’t worry, you’re about to have yourself a world of fun, honey. We’ve got your back,” Daniel promised.
“I certainly hope so,” Tess said and laughed, holding her drink up to them. “To new beginnings.”
“To new beginnings!” they crowed.
“And to in the butt…” Daniel added and Tess almost choked on her drink.
At home later that night, more than comfortably buzzed and ensconced in her bed, Tess pulled out her phone and started responding to messages. It quickly became clear that this was a hook-up app, and she doubted she would find anyone actually interested in dating. Still, she had fun messaging with a few of the guys. It wasn’t hard to weed out the jerks or unmatch with those that she didn’t find desirable, and soon she’d narrowed it down to a few who seemed okay to have a bit of a chat with over a drink someday. Finally, she opened the message from Aiden.
Did you make it out to Colorado?
I did, and I am loving the new house and the location is great. I met my new neighbors tonight.
Are they nice?
Yeah, they are two great guys with a young daughter. One of them used to be a yacht chef and I predict many a delicious meal in my future.
That’s awesome. I’m glad you’re making friends.
They hijacked my Tinder account.
Tess paused and almost hit herself on the forehead. Now, why was she telling Aiden about her Tinder account? It wasn’t exactly the flirtiest of topics to discuss with a guy she thought was cute. She should be asking about his day and trying to engage him, not talk about other men.
Ms. Bitch: Finding happiness is the best revenge. Page 16
