Confronting Tessie

"You're telling me you aren't seeing any one?...for a boy like you..."

Tessie gave Billy a once over while raising her brow in amusement.

"It's just...I really don't get any off time...with boxing and..."

"Oh yes!...", Tessie interjected with a gasp, her eyes wide open as if she'd recalled something important.

And recall she did.

​"So, get this," Tessie began, making air quotes, "one of my clients mentioned about your 'boxing shenanigans'."

Intrigued, Billy nodded as a cue for her to continue.

"...long story short, she was upset you had supposedly knocked her friend's son out..."

"I have knocked out a fair share of people...you need to be...specific", Billy replied with an air of cockiness.

He could discern the faint smile on Tessie's face, as if she was secretly proud of him doing so. He immediately called her out.

"I see someone's happy...", Billy said with a smirk on his face.

"Oh c'mon Billy, you know I'm biased...and proud...", Tessie rolled her eyes as she playfully tapped his shoulder.

This is what Billy had been missing since the past few days. Unadulterated motherly love. Someone unabashedly proud of him.

Heather used to be like this.

They had been chatting for over an hour, both sharing anything worth classifying as eventful from their lives. Tessie's voice was therapy for Billy.

Which is why her next question threw him off balance.

"So what brought the young stud here?", Tessie asked, moving the conversation forward.

Billy squirmed, his smile vanishing. Tessie noticed the change in his demeanor as he shifted away from the desk he'd been leaning on. Without a second thought, he blurted out.

"I need help", he spoke in an anguished tone.

He instantly regretted speaking up without thinking this through. The regret sharpened because Tessie's therapeutic smile was replaced by a frown. She stepped closer and palmed his cheek, pleading him to speak.

He yearned to tell her the whole truth. It was, after all, the precise reason for his visit. What he hadn't anticipated, however, was the depth of her motherly affection, and he couldn't risk losing it. What if, by revealing the truth, Tessie saw him as just another pervert? He shuddered at the thought.

For a moment, questions lingered in his mind: Had he truly wanted to share what he'd done, or was this merely a way to fill the void left by Heather?

Billy had to think of something, as blurting out his plea for help had only pushed Tessie's protective instincts into overdrive.

"Just...leave it...", Billy huffed, unable to come up with a decent lie. "I...I don't want to sabotage this...this thing between us..."

"I get it...after all this time...you don't trust me enough...", Tessie spoke, tears swelling in her eyes.

Billy panicked and rushed to embrace her.

"Please Tessie...it's not about trust..."

Billy stopped, sensing any further words would only complicate matters. But the tears streaming down her cheeks quickly changed his mind.

​"It's a me issue...I can't easily open up...especially with people I love...and I know this sounds strange..."

​Tessie snapped her eyes towards his, sadness radiating from her tear-streaked face.

​"I don't want to lose you, Boss..." A faint smile touched Tessie's face, bolstering Billy's confidence. He grabbed her shoulders.

​"...The only thing I can say right now is that you're the most important person in my life. And I'm not saying this to please you—I mean it."

​Tessie looked confused. What did Billy mean?

​"...I'll explain everything later. Just have some faith..."

​Tessie replied with a slight nod.

​Billy now needed to steer her thoughts away from the mess he'd created, and he had just the idea.