Afterwards: An "After" Fanfiction

Chapter 4: Little Black Dress

Chapter 4: Little Black Dress

Feeling lonely and unsure of any of her past decisions, Tessa made another mistake and reached out to her friend Stephanie.

"I just don't think I'm ready to jump into a relationship with Hardin," Tessa sighed, cradling her phone against her shoulder as she folded a stack of laundry.

Steph scoffed on the other line. "Who said anything about a relationship? Let me tell you a little secret. Promise you won't tell?"

The other's fingers slowed, placing the infamous white dress on a hanger before laying it flat on the couch. "Depends how good the gossip is."

"Oh my God, shut up. So you know how I've been friends with Hardin for a while? Well, I used to have a crush on him. It was before I met Tristan." She paused only for a moment, hearing her friend gasp. "I'm just telling you because I'm letting you know, he doesn't do relationships. You're better off with someone like Zed."

The proposition resonated with Tessa for a moment, and she considered giving the bass player a call before another thought came to mind. "Are you just trying to throw me off track so you can have your chance with Hardin?"

Laughter echoed through the phone. "Are you kidding? I'm over him, I have Tristan. Also...I kind of have someone new I've been seeing."

"Are you kidding? How does your girlfriend feel about that?"

Steph seemed to deliberate before rewarding her friend with a reply. "She's all for it. If you met him you'd see why. He's...a bit unconventional. As a matter of fact, I have a great idea—I'm going to dinner with him this Friday. Why don't you come along? You say you've been lonely, I'll ask him to bring a friend."

"Hmm I'm not so sure." In the back of her mind, Tessa held on to the possibility of convincing Hardin to go on a real date with her. "Even if he doesn't want a relationship, I'm sure he wouldn't mind hooking up a few times," she joked. "Any secrets to tell me about that one, Steph?"

"Not even close," the other girl confessed. "Look, it's a good way to get your mind off of both Noah and Hardin. You don't have to marry the guy, just meet him and see what you think. We can get ready at my place, I'll even drive."

With a groan of defeat, Tessa gave in. "Alright. But you're dressing me, I can't stand when you make fun of my outfits."

Steph clapped, feeling victorious. "Finally. I have the perfect thing for you to wear."

"I'm trusting you Stephanie." Tessa hung the white dress in the back of her closet with a small frown.

"Don't worry about a thing, okay? Just keep an open mind and everything will be fine."

The line disconnected, and Tessa hung up feeling more apprehensive than she had before. Something about the phone call planted an inkling of mistrust deep within her core, and she was sure Steph was hiding something important. Nonetheless, she added the dinner to her phone calendar, hoping that she would be proven wrong when the time came.

-------------------------------------------------------

"You want me to wear this?" The vinyl black dress on Steph's hanger looked more like a dominatrix costume than a dinner date outfit. "I said you can dress me, not humiliate me."

Steph's dark eyes narrowed as she brushed her friend off. "Trust me it's a lot better than whatever you were planning to show up in. And I mean that as a friend. Just try it on."

"I don't know why I keep saying yes to you," Tessa snatched the dress from its perch, shaking her head as she removed her jeans and tank top. "I'm not a size two, you know. There's no way that this will..."