Free Sweet for You: A BBW Billionaire Romance by Harper Ashe Page B

ladies room was empty before sneaking out, slinking through the crowd, and slipping into the stairwell that led to the parking garage. Once she was safely out of the lobby, tears fell anew as she descended the flight of stairs and pushed open the heavy door to the garage. She was so lost in despair that she didn’t see the cloaked figure standing in the shadows until the menacing figure darted in front of her, blocking the way to her car.
    “Tom!” she cried out in recognition. “What are you doing here?”
    “Hello, Abby. You didn’t think I would miss the launch party, did you? Even though I’m not welcome inside, I wasn’t about to let the night pass by without making an appearance.”
    “Don’t try anything funny, Tom, or I swear I’ll scream loud enough to bring the entire crowd rushing into the garage.”
    “Try anything? With you? Ha!” He laughed humorlessly. “Your fat rolls are repulsive. I wouldn’t try anything with you if you were the last woman on earth.”
    “Go to hell, Tom,” Abby said as she started to walk away.
    “You’re not his type, you know. He only used you to get what he wanted,” Tom said, stopping Abby in her tracks. “Now that the desserts line has been launched, he’ll toss you aside, just like he did with me. I wouldn’t be surprised if he already has a tall, thin model lined up to suck his billionaire dick when he gets home tonight.”
    Abby’s stomach churned at Tom’s crude yet accurate remark. Silently, she counted to ten while taking corresponding deep breaths, a technique she learned from the BBW support group to avoid being baited by fat haters.
    When her nerves were as calm as possible, she smiled as sweetly as her upset stomach would allow and winked at Tom. “Mr. Blake and I are colleagues. Nothing more, nothing less. With the successful launch of Sweet for You, I wouldn’t be surprised if he promotes me to head of new product development. I think that used to be your title, right Tom?”
    Turning her back on him, she walked away with her head held high and tears streaming down her face.
    ~~~
    O nce she got home, Abby changed out of her party dress and into comfortable clothes, threw a few essentials into a duffel bag, and called her sister.
    “Hi Claire. It’s Abby.”
    “Hey sis. Is everything okay? It sounds like you’re crying.”
    “I am. Remember when Robbie Halliday broke your heart in tenth grade?”
    “Like it was yesterday,” Claire responded.
    “What did you do to get over it?” Abby asked.
    “I’m not sure I ever did,” Claire said. “But drowning my sorrows in a pint of Ben and Jerry’s helped, at least temporarily. Nowadays, I’d add a Lifetime movie marathon as a kicker.”
    “Will you let mom and dad know that I’m coming home for the weekend? I’ll bring the ice cream if you scope out a few movies to watch and make sure the On Demand is working.”
    “You got it. Even though I can tell you’re upset, it will be great to see you, Abby. I’ve missed you.”
    “I’ve missed you too, Claire,” she said through another wave of tears. “Maybe we can pull a sister’s all-nighter. It’ll be like old times.”
    “Yeah, except you’ve now got a great career in the city and I’m still living in our parents’ basement.”
    Abby tried to laugh, but the sound came out more like a strangled sob. “Glad to see you haven’t lost your self-deprecating sense of humor.”
    “Well, the Branson sisters are known for both their curves and comedic timing.”
    “I still have curves, but seemed to have lost my ability to laugh, at least temporarily,” Abby confessed.
    “I’ll do my best to be funny enough for both of us,” Claire replied. “Drive safe, sis. I’ll see you soon.”

Chapter 12
    S tephen’s phone rang. The caller ID was Unavailable and he answered without a greeting.
    “She’s home,” the voice on the other ended stated before ending the call with a click.
    His cheek twitched. He wasn’t sure why Abby had left