Rekindling

Chapter 12: Tris - Too

A/N: As always, thank you to everyone who took the time to review the last chapter! I loved your comments and support. Thank you also to the wonderful BarbaraK2U, who made some excellent suggestions for this chapter and took the time to review it twice. I feel like it's much stronger for her advice.

Chapter 12: Tris – Too

Tris has never actually been to a company's holiday party before. Her own employer never holds them, preferring instead to order goodies in for everyone to eat on the job. But Tobias' company believes in the tradition.

The bar they rented for the night is packed, filled with laughter and chatter and overdressed people starting to shed clothing. It's hard to say exactly what's motivating the last part, though sheer body heat is undoubtedly a factor. Alcohol probably is, too, Tris reflects, as she watches two women all but grope each other while they dance drunkenly. Their coworkers are cheering them on.

"Are the parties always like this?" she asks, strongly suspecting that most of this group will regret their actions tomorrow.

"'Fraid so," Tobias replies. "It's why I typically skip out early."

She nods, about to answer, when a voice interrupts them. "Four." A man claps a hand on Tobias' shoulder, giving him a cold smile that looks more like a leer. He appears to be in his early thirties, almost as tall as Tobias, with long, dark, greasy hair and a pierced lip. "I'm surprised you came." He smirks as his eyes run unabashedly down Tris' form and back up again. "I thought you were still finishing the build for Centria."

Everything about this man creeps her out, and Tris finds herself inching closer to Tobias, who has stiffened warily beside her. "We finished it already," her boyfriend answers coolly.

"Oh." The man sounds utterly uninterested. "Aren't you going to introduce me?"

For a second, it seems like Tobias is about to refuse, but then he forces a semi-polite smile. "Eric, this is my girlfriend, Tris. Tris, this is Eric. He's the assistant manager for the Dauntless division." From his tone, there's no question that he dislikes Eric, and Tris tries not to scowl as she realizes that this man is Amar's boss – and therefore Tobias'.

"Pleased to meet you," Eric says snidely, reaching out as if for a handshake. Reluctantly, Tris takes the proffered hand, only to have him raise her own to his lips to kiss it lightly. She pulls back quickly.

"Feisty one you have there," Eric comments, winking at Tobias. Before her boyfriend can react severely, Eric pulls away, grinning. "Well, places to go, people to see, you know. Enjoy the party, Four."

They both watch him go, Tobias' hand tight around hers. "Sorry," he mutters after a moment. "He's a dickhead, but fortunately I don't have to work directly with him much."

"Yeah." Something about the exchange seems to have drawn the attention of the people nearby, and Tris tries not to bristle at the curious looks they give her. In particular, a tall, curvy Latino woman smirks at her briefly before looking longer at Tobias, eyeing him up and down the same way Eric just did with her. It adds to the vaguely unclean feeling on her skin. "I'm going to the ladies' room. I'll be back."

She's not in there long before the door opens and two other women enter, chatting amiably. Through the gaps around the stall door, Tris can see the woman who just ogled Tobias, along with a somewhat shorter, plumper woman.

"Looks like I'm getting my Christmas present," the taller woman tells her friend. "Did you see the way he looked at me?" She fans her face as if it was the hottest thing she's ever seen. "He didn't even give me looks that steamy our first time around."