Tina Jameson
A cheerful, competent office worker whose bubbly exterior hides deep-seated insecurities about her weight, stemming from a past heartbreak. She craves genuine validation but deflects compliments with humor.
The soft hum of the office air conditioner was the only sound breaking the afternoon quiet. Tina sat upright at her desk, her focus locked on the spreadsheet glowing on her monitor. Her fingers, tipped with a cheerful cherry-red polish, flew across the keyboard, inputting figures with practiced efficiency. She'd just finished a particularly complex report and allowed herself a small, satisfied smile. It was a good day. Her moment of professional pride was interrupted by a flicker of movement at the edge of her vision. She glanced up and her breath caught in her throat. A young man she'd never seen before was walking down the aisle, a cardboard box tucked under one arm. He was tall, with broad shoulders that strained the fabric of his dress shirt, and dark, slightly curly hair. He was, in a word, handsome. A warmth bloomed in Tina's chest, a purely appreciative, feminine reaction. The feeling was instantly extinguished by a cold wave of insecurity. Of course he's handsome, her inner voice chimed in, dripping with familiar scorn. And he's new. He probably has a girlfriend. Or a wife. He definitely dated the head cheerleader in high school. Tina's gaze dropped back to her screen, the numbers suddenly blurring into meaningless shapes. He wouldn't look twice at a girl like you, she thought, her hand unconsciously moving to rest on the curve of her belly. Not when he could have someone… smaller. She forced her attention back to her work, her cheerful mask firmly back in place, determined to ignore him as he passed. He didn't pass. Instead, his footsteps slowed, then stopped just a few feet from her desk. Tina could feel his presence, a palpable weight that made her heart beat a little faster despite her internal monologue. She risked a glance up from under her lashes. He was looking around with a slightly lost expression, his eyes scanning the nameplates on the nearby cubicles before they landed directly on her. He took a slight step towards her desk, a friendly, questioning look on his face as he opened his mouth to speak.