Breaking The Ice Queen

Chapter one

The heaviest a woman can weight is in the mindset, and usually, that doesn't come with numbers. That comes with words. Words carry more weight sometimes than what you would see on a scale. That's why I established "All Beauty"
A business where even the heaviest woman can strike a pose and be on the cover of a magazine or an older woman in her eightees can model in leather and heels. The outside appearance shouldn't limit the inward desires.
My name is Rose-Ann, but everyone calls me Rose. I appear to be hard and stubborn, but deep down, I'm someone who wants to see the change in the world.

"You don't need someone else to tell you how beautiful you are. You don't need to look in the mirror to see if you are good enough. You should feel it when you walk down the street and the air brushes through your hair," my voice travels through the building as I enter it. I never planned that this business should take off so successfully as it did, but it did. "Embrace yourself and look for your own inner beauty."

I get the first elevator to the top floor so that I can get to my office. Today, we are focusing on getting the perfect fit for women losing weight. Just as an idea what to wear when all your jeans are sagged and all your shirts are baggy. Do you have clothes that are too big for you? No problem! Make it fit by making it work.

"Mrs. Kendall, we have a slight bit of a problem," my assistant, Jasmine says, rushing towards me as soon as the elevator doors open. "Tina never turned up this morning. The outfits never came, and someone dropped the eyeshadowcase."

"Relax, Jasmine," I tell her and inhale myself. "Now, order new eyeshadow. I prefer the same brand as ever. Reschedule the photoshoot to tomorrow, but if she doesn't turn up, find somebody else. We only have until Friday."

I walked straight to my office and shut my door behind me before anyone could follow me. I'm at my second marriage now, and this is not going great for me. My first husband ran off with one of my models. My current husband is a drunkard and lazy. I have a beautiful daughter with my first husband, and she's doing remarkably well. Tony, my current husband, is what you can say, absent in the mind. He's there, but at the same time, he's not.
I rest my handbag on my desk and look out the window at the busy street. There's a new café that opened across the street, and people are flocking to it. Perhaps I can pop in there later before going home. I like to take little breaks after work just to be alone before I face my unhappy life at home.
It's not that I'm deliberately unhappy, but there are things I wish were different. I love coming home to my daughter, but I would've liked it more to come home to a loving husband who understands and is willing to push with me through the rest of the evening until we go to bed no matter how tired we are. I'd like to go to bed knowing that I'm having that encounter with someone who wants me and not just the sex. Tony and I barely touch each other. It's like we're roommates.
I must admit that I'm very tired and would like to go to sleep, but I feel so numb that I don't even want to go home. I can just stay away from home forever, especially since Ariana is with her dad tonight. I enter the café and look around. It's very modern and nicely decorated.

"Oh my gosh."
I look at a young girl who smiles surprised at me. She doesn't seme to be going crazily off her mind at all. Perhaps she's just trying to control her excitement as well.
"Mrs. Kendall," her voice is firm and gentle. She approaches me and gives her hand. "Hi, I'm Tania."

"Hello, Tania," I smile nicely at her and shake her hand.

"I'll be your waitress for the night. Would you like a table for three?" She asks. I glare at her and shake my head slowly. "Two?"

"No, for one," I reply. She nods with a sweet smile and leads me through. Unjudgingly, she escorted me to my seat and made sure I was settled with a menu. I stare at all the options, happy that I'm not counting all the carbs. I can pick up weight as fast as I can drive and struggle to lose it, but truthfully, I won't regret any of that. I raise my hand to Tania, who kept looking at me to see if I'm ready to order yet. She walks to me and takes out her little notebook. "Can I just have a hot chocolate, please?"

"Anything to eat?" She asks, writing it down quickly. I shake my head with an awkward smile. "We have some lovely sugar-coated donuts."

"No thanks," I reply and swing my hand above my head, showing her to leave. She leaves a little uncertain. I don't usually treat people like this, but I hate it when someone tries to persuade me into trying things.

"Rose-Ann Kendall," a girl speaks all of a sudden. I turn my head to look at this girl sitting forward at her desk with a few friends looking surprised at me. I wave awkwardly at them. "Hi, my name is Jessica, and I have to admit that I'm such a fan."

"Well, thank you," I nod with a little giggle and look down at the table in front of me. Don't blame me for trying to avoid her.

"What do I need to do to become part of All Beauty?" She asks. I inhale deeply and look at her. I have to answer, don't I? "Do I need to apply or..."

"You can drop your resume off at the reception. We have people that will go through it and phone you," I tell her and inhale deeply, hoping there won't be any further questions.

"Do I have to be a certain size or weight?" She asks. I shake my head and look at Tania, which brings me my cup of hot chocolate on a tray. She puts it down in front of me along with my choice of sugars and sweetener. "May I have a picture with you?"

"No," I reply to them and look at Tania, who stood up, looking over at them and then back at me.

"Are you okay? Would you like to change tables?" She asks.

"No, sweetie. I'm okay," I wink at her and take my cup. "This was quite fast, though."

"We serve how we want to be served," she giggles. I raise an eyebrow at her and smile. There's something about this girl. She seems like that type that speaks before she thinks and would say silly things and end up regretting it. She inhales deeply and turns to the other girls. "Excuse me, but Mrs. Kendall would like some privacy."

"I'm trying to get me a job, okay?" Jessica says cheekily. I take a sip from my cup listening carefully to them. "Unlike you, I have plans other than becoming a useless waitress."

I raise an eyebrow and put my cup down. Tania awkwardly turns back to me, hugging her tray. I put my cup down and looked at the girls that giggled underneath each other, making fun of her.

"Just call me if there's anything else I can do for you," Tania says and turns around. Poor girl, she's only trying to keep her job.

"Uh, Tania, is it?" I ask, getting her attention. She looks at me and nods with a smile. I scan her face and get up from my seat. "Can you bring me the invoice, please? Also, I expect to see you tomorrow at nine, okay?"

"Uhm, at nine?" She asks, scared. I nod and make sure I have everything.

"For a job interview," I say and look at the girls who looked horrified at me. I smile at Jessica and clear my throat. "It's not what's on the outside that counts, girls. It's the inside. You get served the way you serve."

I wink at Jessica and start walking to the reception. Tania follows me anxiously all the way to the reception. I take out my wallet, looking around me, then at Tania.

"It's okay. I've got you," she smiles at me. "Besides, you didn't really drink your hot chocolate."

"You did a good job there," I smiled at her and placed cash on the counter, pushing it towards her. Usually, I'd be asking the manager or whoever serves me to tell people to respect my privacy, but she did it out of her own. "See you tomorrow at nine."

"Okay," she giggles nervously.

I spend another few minutes in the car in front of the house. I don't want to come home to this anymore. I don't love Tony. Why am I even with him? Perhaps I just don't know how to leave him or how to be alone.