Just One Fake Date: A Contemporary Romance (Flatiron Five Fitness Book 1)

by Deborah Cooke

  “You up for the game?”

  “Absolutely. Is the article going to be a good piece?”

  “Cassie thinks so. The interviewer was obviously ready to put a positive spin on what she found. She called you, right?”

  Theo nodded again. “Yes, after my dad was home. It was good to talk about something other than his medical prognosis. It made me want to get back here.”

  Ty indicated the last item. “Kyle still wants to expand into other markets.”

  “Kyle will always want to expand, but it’s starting to become more feasible, at least to me. Maybe we should target some cities and do some research.”

  “London?” Ty suggested, thinking Theo might want the excuse to be closer to home.

  But Theo shook his head. “I think our aesthetic might be a better fit for California.” Theo checked his watch. “Hey, I’m going to get changed. I want to do some sprints before the game.”

  “See you on the court.”

  Theo gave him a thumbs-up and strode out of the office. Ty heard him laugh with Jax, then checked his own watch.

  If Shannyn wasn’t going to come to him, he’d go to her.

  Eight

  It was amazing. Each partner was more attractive than the last.

  And they were all so photogenic.

  Shannyn found Theo on the track, stretching as he joked with a couple of members. They challenged each other to an impromptu race and she hurried to introduce herself. He was as tall as Tyler and just as fit, black and possessed of a British accent. Shannyn bet he turned knees to butter all over the club when he spoke. There was an elegance about him and a bit of reserve—she wondered if it mattered to him that he was the only person of color on the team, but didn’t think it was her place to ask.

  He was just as agreeable as the others to cooperate but checked with the two club members before giving Shannyn the okay. Once again, she was struck by the sense that there was a concern for the collective good at the club. It was welcoming and nice.

  If she’d lived downtown, she might have joined up.

  She stepped back and got to work, trying to be an invisible observer. Once again, it seemed impossible to take a bad shot. Still, Shannyn took many. She was so absorbed in her work that she jumped when she felt someone’s hand on the back of her waist.

  She caught the scent of a familiar cologne and the bottom dropped out of her stomach. Then Tyler’s thumb traced a little circle at the base of her spine and Shannyn melted. Was he doing that on purpose?

  Bracing herself, she turned to find him right behind her. He was wearing a black T-shirt with an F5F logo that stretched over his pecs, proof that he didn’t spend all his time in the office. She risked an upward glance and the intensity of his gaze made her glad she wasn’t his type. Otherwise, she’d have been incinerated on the spot.

  That mouth.

  “So, what’s the plan?” he asked.

  “I thought you knew. Game at eleven, formal shot at noon...”

  “About Derek and the roof,” Tyler said, interrupting her.

  “I haven’t decided whether to call him or not.” She checked her camera unnecessarily, doubting that he’d let it go that easily.

  “Why not?”

  “I just haven’t.”

  He moved to stand beside her, as if he wanted to loom in her peripheral vision. Maybe he wanted to make sure she couldn’t ignore him, although there was zero chance of that happening. “I could give you a ride, then be there this afternoon when Derek stops by.”

  She regarded him warily. “Why do I sense that you have a plan?”

  “Because I always do. You need a roof. I’m trying to solve that. Then you’ll agree to dinner.” He smiled, but he was watching her closely as if she was unpredictable. “We go tonight.”

  Shannyn decided to tell him the truth. “I hate the sense that I’m being cornered into following anyone else’s plan.”

  “You’re not. We made a deal. We’re making another one.” There was that steel in his tone again and a glint of resolve in his gaze. “That was your idea.”

  “True. Still, I feel managed.”

  “No. You’re not. You’re the one who said everything is a negotiation, so let’s stick to the plan. Roof for you, dinner with me, wedding date and that’s it.”

  And the end of their fake relationship. He wasn’t even opening negotiations on the rehearsal dinner and the hotel.

  Tyler flicked a glance across the track. “And now Kyle is closing fast, so please pretend this conversation isn’t happening and show me your pictures instead.”

  “What about our fictional relationship history?”

  “We don’t have one with Kyle around.” Tyler’s eyes widened in mock fear. “He’s merciless.”

  “You’re afraid of him.”

  “I respect his ability to make my life miserable.”

  Shannyn couldn’t help smiling. “Maybe I’ll teach you to respect mine.”

  “I already do,” Ty said, almost under his breath. Shannyn glanced up to find his eyes sparkling. “You defy every expectation I have.”

  “Is that a bad thing?”

  “It’s an interesting thing,” he said, as if he meant it, and Shannyn had to turn away from that intense gaze.

  She gave him the camera instead. She showed him how to flick through the images to display them on the viewfinder. Their arms brushed and she was well aware of his muscled strength so deliciously close beside her. She could feel the heat of his skin and wanted to reach out and touch him.

  “These are really great,” he said, as if surprised.

  “It’s what I do.”

  “Well, you’re good at it.” He shot another of those incisive looks at her, the ones that could leave a scar. “Why didn’t you become a teacher? Wasn’t that your plan?”

  Shannyn shouldn’t have been surprised that he remembered but she was. She tried to deflect his interest. “You know what they say about best laid plans.”

  “I do, although it’s not my experience that they go astray.”

  “Oh, it’s totally mine,” she said lightly but Tyler didn’t smile. She retrieved her camera and went back to work then, leaving Tyler to talk to Kyle as she grabbed a few more shots that she didn’t need. She was well aware that Tyler was watching her, but tried to ignore him.

  She pretty much failed.

  Her thoughts were spinning. She had to decide about the new deal.

  Dinner with Tyler.

  Potential savings on her roof.

  By the time she finished with Theo, Shannyn had decided it would be petty to pass up the opportunity to save some money—even though she knew that wasn’t the real reason she’d call Derek. Only time would tell whether Derek did her roof or not, but the price of having his information was just dinner. She was going to the wedding. It did make a kind of sense for her and Tyler to know more about each other.

  She couldn’t pretend she wasn’t interested. The fact was that if this was the sum of the deal, the total of the time they’d spend together, Shannyn wanted every minute of it.

  She was greedy like that. Following impulse might be new to her, but she wanted it all.

  Besides, there was rain in the forecast for the next week. Before going down to the basketball court at eleven, Shannyn would make the call.

  She glanced up, decision made, and found Tyler still watching her. Could he read her thoughts? Probably not. She gave him a thumbs-up and was rewarded with a slow smile that made her simmer to her toes.

  Dinner would definitely not be an endurance test.

  Ty watched Shannyn work and was struck by her quiet effectiveness, as well as her confidence with the camera. The pictures she’d shown him were sharp and tightly composed, and it was hard to believe she could take so many good ones in rapid succession. No doubt about it, Shannyn knew what she was doing.

  He really hoped she applied for the job to take pictures for Meesha’s new initiative, but he already knew her well enough not to push.

/>   It was only when she finished taking her shots of Theo on the track and they all headed down to the basketball court that Ty realized she still hadn’t taken any candid shots of him. Why not?

  Kyle had set up the teams already, with Ty, Cassie and Theo against Kyle and Damon. Sonia had come in on her day off to work out and joined Kyle’s team, plus half a dozen other members who were regulars joined the game. Jax refereed. The game was boisterous and fast, with a lot of chatter and challenges from Kyle, and they had fun with it. Ty was well aware of Shannyn circling the perimeter of the court with her camera.

  Kyle and Damon’s team won by 2 points, and there was a round of applause and fist-bumping all around. The partners then cleaned up and changed for a more formal shot in the lobby. Theo and Ty were in suits, Damon and Kyle in T-shirts and jeans, and Cassie in the same suit and heels that she’d worn to the last weekly meeting. They did as Shannyn directed, joking around as they posed, then Shannyn thanked them for their patience.

  Ty went to her as she was tucking her camera into her messenger bag.

  “Got what you need?” he asked.

  She jumped a little, as if she hadn’t expected him to be there, then turned and smiled. “A lot more than I’d expected. I think the magazine will be pleased.”

  “Because you do great work?” Ty asked as Kyle joined them.

  Shannyn’s smile flashed. “Because you all look so great,” she replied. “Talk about being genetically blessed. You must be the best-looking team in Manhattan.” She looked as if she was going to say more, but stopped there.

  “In the world!” Kyle corrected with his usual modesty and they laughed together. The partners drifted away and Shannyn zipped up her coat, then looked at Ty.

  “Thanks for the job posting. I’m going to apply for it, too.” She shook a finger at him. “But only on the condition that you don’t pull any strings.”

  Ty held up his hands. “Not me.”

  She stepped closer. “If I find out that you fixed it, I’ll hurt you,” she said, her tone fierce, and Ty thought it was only natural to wonder if that might be a good thing. Before he could say as much, she continued. “I called Derek,” she confessed in a rush. “I’m meeting him at the house this afternoon.”

  “Does that mean you want a ride?”

  She bit her lip and Ty wished his presence could have been more welcome. “You really think he’ll expect you to be there?”

  “I think Paige will.”

  Shannyn’s eyes widened. “You think she’ll be there?”

  “Not now.”

  She studied him with curiosity. “What did you do?”

  “I convinced my mom to persuade Paige to stay home today.”

  “Why would you do that?”

  “It’s one thing to pretend we have a relationship. It’s another for you to be smothered by my family and their incessant curiosity. You might run screaming into the hills and refuse to even admit you know me.”

  Shannyn bit back a smile but her eyes sparkled. “You really think she would have come?”

  “Absolutely.” Ty had no doubt. “If I had told Derek your address the other night, she would have insisted that he drive her over so she could knock on your door, invite herself in, and ask you five hundred intimate questions.” He held her gaze, liking that smile and wanting another kiss.

  “Good thing you didn’t know my address then.”

  “I wouldn’t have told her either way.”

  “Does it mean something that you’re protecting me even from your family?”

  It did but Ty wasn’t going to admit it. “Just defending our fake wedding date.”

  She shook her head, unconvinced. “Do you try to anticipate everything?”

  Ty couldn’t see any reason to disguise the truth. “I like plans. I like things to progress smoothly along a predictable path.” Even as he said the words, Ty wasn’t sure they were true anymore. He liked being with Shannyn and nothing ever worked out the way he expected with her.

  “And you like to thwart your sister Paige.”

  Tyler’s brows rose. “I think it’s good for someone to say no to the princess.”

  Shannyn laughed. “Aren’t you the crown prince? Who says no to you?”

  “You do.”

  “No one else?”

  Tyler had to think about that for a minute. “Not so consistently.”

  “I’ll take that as a point of pride,” she said, hefting her bag to her shoulder. “Just how badly do your family want you married anyway?”

  “They need a new project. For the last five years, my mom has been organizing weddings. Four sisters married, one each spring.”

  “And this is the last one,” Shannyn said, her eyes sparkling in that way he found so enticing. “Your mom could take up needlepoint. Jujitsu. Skydiving.”

  Tyler grinned at her unlikely suggestions. “Or matchmaking.”

  “You made this deal as an act of self-defense.”

  “Exactly.” He leaned closer, liking her playfulness. “And if you create a showy break-up at the wedding, I’ll be compelled to reconcile with you, right then and there.”

  “As an act of self-defense.”

  “Maybe noisy sex in the middle of the dance floor.”

  “You wouldn’t.” Those eyes were sparkling like a night sky.

  “Self defense. You’ve been warned.” He held up his car keys. “Dinner?”

  Shannyn sobered. “I should work tonight. I have to get the images to the magazine by midnight.”

  Ty had the definite sense that if he let her slip away today, he might never find her again. There was something elusive about Shannyn. “I’ll give you a ride to meet Derek. That’ll save you time over the subway. I found a tapas bar in Brooklyn, maybe it’s near your place...”

  “You already checked out restaurants?”

  “I like to plan ahead,” he reminded her. He told her the name of the restaurant and saw that she was tempted.

  “It’s supposed to be good,” she ceded.

  Ty hadn’t nearly won this one so he pressed on. “What if I promise to have you home by nine?”

  Her smile flashed. “You really do want to make this happen.”

  “I really do.”

  “Why did you choose a tapas place?”

  “Because it takes a while, and that encourages conversation. We could go across the street and grab a hot dog but we’d be done in fifteen minutes and would still know almost nothing about each other.”

  “Plus hot dogs.” She made a face.

  “Plus hot dogs,” Ty agreed.

  “And so, the diabolical plan becomes clear.”

  “It’s not diabolical!”

  “I know, but you do like to manage things. I consider it my duty to all womankind to mess with your schemes.”

  “They’re not schemes.”

  “I could argue that we know things about each other already.”

  “I don’t think the trick to making you come with enthusiasm would be good dinner conversation at the wedding.”

  Her cheeks turned pink. “Wait. Did you make a reservation already?”

  Ty was wary. “No. Should I?”

  To his surprise, she laughed. “You’re learning. How about I mix things up this time and say maybe instead of no?”

  “Works for me.”

  “You’re being easy to get along with. That makes me suspicious.”

  “I’m just content with some incremental victory.”

  She laughed again. “Where’s your car?”

  “There’s a guy with a garage next door.” Ty knew it would be a bad idea to let his relief show, but he felt triumphant. No doubt about it: winning was sweeter when he had to work for it. “I just have to call and he’ll have it at the door in five.”

  “Then let’s do it,” Shannyn said and Ty couldn’t stop himself from tossing his keys in the air and catching them.

  Finally, things were on track.

  “This is your car?” Shannyn asked, surv
eying the silver Porsche idling at the curb. It was polished to a gleam, so shiny that it could have just arrived from the dealer’s lot. She could see her reflection in the windows. Tyler’s pride in it was obvious but it couldn’t have been a more potent indication of how perfectly they didn’t fit together.

  It was a timely reminder, too. He was charming her way too easily. She’d be dragging him home after dinner for wild sex if this kept up. When he smiled at her, it was hard to remember why that was a bad thing—and that self-defense was a noble plan.

  “Yes.” Ty opened the passenger door with a flourish. The interior was spotless. It had black leather upholstery and even smelled like a new car.

  “How long have you had it?”

  “Two years.”

  Shannyn was shocked. “And it has five miles on it now?”

  The older man who had brought the car snorted. He was standing beside the idling car and Ty tossed him the set of keys he had.

  “Very funny.”

  “It looks like no one has ever driven it.”

  “I take care of it.” Tyler smiled at the guy. “Actually, Marcus takes care of it.”

  “Like it was my very own,” that man acknowledged. “What a car.”

  Shannyn saw Tyler pass Marcus a tip. He rounded the car and got in, then cast her a sparkling glance. His cockiness reminded her of her brother, Aidan, with his first car, a heap but one that had been all his own. “Like it?”

  The right answer was obvious.

  But to Shannyn’s thinking, a car should be useful.

  She decided to tell Tyler so.

  “I don’t see the point of it,” she admitted. She twisted to look at the back seat. “I mean, can you even pick up groceries with it?”

  “I don’t pick up groceries.” His tone was temperate but with that little sizzle beneath it, the one that made her feel tingly.

  He turned onto Bowery and Shannyn winced at the massive traffic jam. There was gridlock as far as she could see.

  It looked like they’d have that chance to talk.

  She had to make sure Tyler didn’t wear down her crumbling defenses.

  The best way to guarantee that was to piss him off.

  “But this car would suck for a road trip,” Shannyn said. “No room for luggage. And it’s so low that you can’t see over the car ahead.”