Kevin had laughed at her outrage. “Sweetie pie, I’ve really got to meet this husband of yours one day soon, because I’m not at all sure that you actually have one. You have got to be the most naïve married woman I’ve ever met. Yes, Jason is definitely married and has three kiddies. Doesn’t seem to stop him from hitting on most anything in a skirt and high heels, though. Too bad he doesn’t play for my team, ‘cause he is awfully cute. Reminds me of David Beckham, minus the tattoos. Though of course he still doesn’t hold a candle to the boss man. Then again, I can’t think of too many men who do.”

The fitness room was nearly empty when she walked inside a few minutes later, occupied only by a couple of women who were using the elliptical trainers. Tessa headed for the Stairmaster, exchanging a polite smile with the other women as she did. She worked out for over an hour, switching over at some point to the stationary bike before using the free weights, slant board, and pull-up bar.

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 Gillian could never be counted on 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 her P.E. class every day.

Having this room at her disposal was a godsend, for there was no way she could have afforded a gym membership with the exceptionally tight budget she and Peter had set for themselves. She was extremely disciplined about working out, rarely missing a day. She planned to research hiking trails and walking paths in her new city so that she’d have someplace to walk or jog on weekends, and was hoping to find a yoga class that wasn’t too exorbitantly expensive.

She took a hot shower after her workout, reveling in the spacious, tiled stalls that were so much bigger and nicer than the ancient one at the apartment. She’d already discovered that the water pressure at their new place was almost nonexistent, and that the water temperature never got much above warm. The office even had dispensers of shampoo, conditioner, and shower gel inside each stall, as well as thick, fluffy towels, and all of it was of a much higher quality than the stuff she had at home.

It was already twilight by the time she got off the bus a block away from the apartment, and she quickened her pace, remaining alert and aware of her surroundings as she did so. It was going to take some time, she realized with a sigh, to get used to her new city and how different it was from anywhere else she’d ever lived. In this neighborhood in particular there were people of numerous different ethnicities, both old and young, some who looked to be working people like herself or even students, but unfortunately quite a few who appeared to be either mentally unstable or vaguely threatening. Peter had cautioned her multiple times so far about not venturing out at night alone, and also about keeping their front door securely locked. The crime statistics in their neighborhood weren’t terrible, but they weren’t the best, either, and she resolved to exercise caution whenever she went out alone.

The apartment itself was dark and silent when she entered, little surprise considering that Peter was half a world away right now. He’d sent her a quick email when his plane had landed in China three days ago, but she hadn’t heard from him since. Tessa told herself it was just because he was so busy, that this was his very first assignment, and he was especially anxious to do a good job. They had already ruled out the possibility of calling each other during his trips, the expense more than they could afford, though Peter had promised to check out the cost of Skype for future trips.

She ate her solitary dinner – a chicken and broccoli casserole that had lasted her three nights already and would likely be enough for one more. Her cooking skills had improved by necessity over the years through a lot of trial and error, though making anything much more complicated than baked chicken or beef stew wasn’t in her repertoire quite yet. After cleaning up the kitchen, she watched TV for a bit, thankful that it was a weeknight with some good programs on the basic cable channels that were all they could afford.

But it was when one of the shows that she usually watched with Peter came on that the loneliness she’d held at bay all day swamped her. Tessa scolded herself, knowing she was being the worst sort of needy, insecure baby, and that she was being selfish for wishing that Peter was here with her right now. He’d already given up so much for her over the years, had postponed following his dreams in order for her to get the sort of job where she could support herself. She was happy for him, truly she was, and hoped that he was enjoying the experience of his first assignment. She would get over this, she decided firmly, wouldn’t let all of her old fears get the better of her. She was in her own apartment, locked in securely, and it wasn’t at all the same as being back in the shelters or sleeping in her car or living in fear that a social worker would pluck her away from Gillian and stick her in some awful foster home. She wasn’t going to give in to her fears, not to mention the depression that always seemed to be hovering in the background of her head.

When the show was over, she fixed her lunch for the next day – a turkey sandwich and an apple – and then began the more difficult task of deciding what to wear to work the next day. Tessa wanted to look extra nice given that she would likely be meeting the daunting Mr. Gregson for the first time. Not to mention the fact that just yesterday she’d overheard Gina mocking the simple cotton skirt and blouse she had been wearing, with Alicia pointing out that Tessa’s well-worn pumps were scuffed.

Tessa told herself firmly that she didn’t care what those two gossipy cats said, laughing out loud as she realized now who Gina and Alicia reminded her of – the sneaky, conniving Siamese cats from Lady and the Tramp. She’d only seen the Disney movie once, probably when she was around five years old, but those two sly, scheming felines had frightened her enough to cause a nightmare or two over the years.