“Nothing! It’s because I’m doing the photography. I’ll be working.”
“And I’ll be a groomsman at Katelyn’s wedding, so it would be fair.” His gaze dropped to watch his fingertip, which was sliding toward her ear. Shannyn’s chest was tight and she licked her lips without meaning to do so. She wanted to lean into his touch and knew that if he speared his fingers into her hair, she’d be powerless to resist. His gaze met hers again. “What’s the worst thing that could happen?”
Shannyn could fall head over heels, again, and be left broken-hearted, again.
“You survived it the last time,” Tyler whispered, as if he’d read her thoughts. “Don’t you think it’s worth taking a chance again?” He leaned closer, his breath against her cheek and his lips touching her ear. “Take the challenge, Shannyn,” he murmured, his words sending a stab of desire through her. “I promise to make it worth your while.”
And Tyler would. She knew that.
But he didn’t wait for her answer.
Maybe he knew she had to think about it.
Maybe he believed her surrender was inevitable.
Tyler pivoted and left the kitchen, walking out of her house and back toward his car. He paused for a moment beside the car, giving her one of those slow surveys as if he wanted to memorize the sight of her. That look sent heat through Shannyn, as well as a yearning for more, far more than she’d already had with him. She knew she could have taken a step toward him and Tyler would have met her halfway, but reminded herself that it was foolish to wish for the moon.
She closed the door and locked it, leaning back against it and fighting unexpected tears. She was right and she knew it, so why did it feel wrong to let Tyler drive away?
Because she’d given him what he’d said he wanted. She’d admitted that she knew he was a nice guy. And he hadn’t disappeared. He’d offered her a chance for more.
Shannyn bit her lip, wondering if she had the nerve to take Tyler’s dare.
Then she did the only reasonable thing: she called and asked Kirsten for advice.
It was shaping up to be another endless week and Ty knew that was only because there was no prospect of him seeing Shannyn before the weekend. She didn’t call Sunday night, the way he’d hoped, and she didn’t call on Monday. He halfway thought she might meet him in the street after work on Monday, but there was no sign of her. He looked. He worked on the books for F5F that evening, then prowled his apartment until he could swim alone.
There was a ray of sunshine when his phone rang Tuesday morning just as he was walking to work.
Shannyn.
“I’m in,” she said when he answered and Tyler grinned at her jubilant tone. “I’ve decided I’ll take your challenge, with Kirsten’s encouragement. Are you still up for it?”
“Of course.”
“And so today, I plan to use my superpowers for good.”
“What has thrifting to do with anything?”
“Are you still planning to help on Saturday?”
“Of course, I am.” Ty’s smile faded. “I gave my word...”
“I thought so,” she said, triumphant. “And I’m going to bet that you do not own either overalls or work boots.”
Ty glanced down the street, wondering where she was. He had a definite suspicion that she might be closer than Brooklyn, and that vastly improved his mood. “You would be right about that,” he agreed.
“Aidan says you’ll need a baseball hat and a bunch of T-shirts but you’ve probably got that covered, all with nice F5F logos on them.”
“You’re right about that, too. Does that make me predictable?”
“Not nearly!” she said and his smile widened. “Since Tuesdays are my lucky day for thrifting, I thought I’d help you out, all in the spirit of partnership.”
“The thrift shops on East 23rd,” Ty guessed, remembering.
“Tell me your sizes, please, and I’ll have a hunt. If I find anything, maybe you could try things on at lunch. Especially the boots.”
“Wait a minute. Used boots?”
Shannyn laughed. “Actually, shoes are one of the best scores. A lot of them are there because people bought them, then didn’t like the fit. It’s amazing how many unworn shoes are just waiting to be taken home at bargain prices.”
Ty was amazed. “Okay. I didn’t think of that.”
“Come on. You’re the man with the plans,” she teased.
Ty took a chance. “I always did have plans and they always worked, until you.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means I try to plan for all eventualities, but you turn the best plans inside out and me upside down. It’s the ultimate challenge.”
She didn’t say anything for a moment. “I don’t need to be fixed,” she said then, her tone a little defensive.
“No, you don’t. I like you just the way you are, but I like fixing things, and I like fixing things for you. Is that a crime?”
“No. It’s kind of sweet, actually.” Shannyn sighed. “Even nice.”
Ty smiled. “Am I going to need to carry a sewing machine?” he teased back, liking that she laughed.
“Not this time. I’m focused.” She spoke with resolve but Ty didn’t believe it for a moment. If she spotted a gem, she’d grab it—and he’d deal with whatever complications it brought. “Sizes, please.”
“Lunch,” he countered.
“Just how long of a break do you get?”
“As long as I take. There’s a market with food trucks right around the corner. We can eat quickly there.”
“Okay,” Shannyn said as if it was a huge concession. “But only if I find something. I’ll let you know.”
And just like that, Ty’s day looked a thousand times better.
In two hours, Shannyn had it all arranged. She’d found two pairs of heavy overalls, both in good shape, both in the same store. There were three pairs of boots, but she thought the ones with steel toes that were in the same thrift shop as the overalls were the best deal. She wheedled to have her best choices held for two hours, then called Tyler.
She waited for him outside the thrift store, easily spotting him as he strode into view. Her pulse went crazy when his gaze locked on her and he smiled that wicked little smile that made her flush to her toes.
Temptation, thy name is Tyler McKay.
What if he was right?
It was a tantalizing possibility.
He caught her close and gave her a triumphant kiss, leaving Shannyn dizzy. “What’s that for?”
“You deserve a reward for taking the challenge,” he said easily. “And I deserved one for not breaking rule number three, two nights in a row.”
He winked and opened the door of the shop for her, then followed her inside. Shannyn could feel his curiosity and saw that he was looking around. More than one shopper checked him out, and Shannyn knew that many of them were assessing that suit. He didn’t try on the overalls, just held them up and compared them, checking seams as diligently as Shannyn had. He was a decisive shopper and she could imagine him cutting his way through a men’s boutique, choosing shirts and ties with lightning speed, then snapping down his gold card.
Maybe he was just motivated about lunch. That usually sped Aidan up.
Tyler tried on the boots, walked a bit and crouched down. “You’re right,” he said to Shannyn. “These will work out great.”
He carried it all to the cashier and did put down his gold card.
“Going slumming?” the cashier teased.
“Helping with my girlfriend’s new roof,” Tyler replied easily, his words startling Shannyn.
The cashier winked at her. “First time roofing?”
“Yes.” He smiled and Shannyn saw the clerk be dazzled. “I’m looking forward to it.”
“You’re going to be sore,” the woman said and Ty laughed.
“Probably. But anything to make her happy.” He smiled at the cashier and picked up the bag, then headed for the door and lunch. The cashier
watched him go, then gave Shannyn a thumbs-up.
Anything to make her happy.
It was just a line, it had to be, just a performance.
And yet, Shannyn did feel happy. Ty extended his hand and she hurried to place hers in his without even thinking about it. He led her to the market, suggesting that they try the banh mi sandwiches so they could compare with hers on the weekend. He made her laugh, just as if she really was his girlfriend, and Shannyn didn’t have it in her to ruin the mood.
Maybe three weeks with this man would be worth a broken heart.
Fifteen
Kyle leaned against the wall of the F5F office as his mom scolded him yet again. It was Friday night and he had a party to heat up at the dance club. He wanted to talk to the DJ about the mix before the club opened.
Instead, he’d been caught by his mother, whose calls he’d been ducking on his cell phone. She knew him well enough to know where to find him on Friday night.
And Cassie was merciless. She hadn’t covered for him at all.
This was what friends were for.
“Your brother is five years younger than you, but he’s married with a son and another baby on the way,” his mom said for the hundredth time that month. “My younger sisters have three grandchildren each. Kyle, I want to have grandchildren while I can enjoy them.”
“Enjoy Dave’s kids.”
“I do! But it’s not just about me. It’s about you, honey. You need to have someone in your life...”
“Mom, I’ll let you know when I meet the right woman.”
“I know, honey, but I’m not at all sure that you’re doing anything about meeting women. Every time I talk to you, you’re at work...”
“It’s a gym, Mom. It’s full of women.” Kyle admired a woman walking past him on her way to yoga class. She cast him a flirtatious smile and he smiled back at her, enjoying the view until she was out of sight.
“But maybe the right kind of women aren’t interested in a fitness instructor. Maybe you need a better job, honey. I mean, this was all fine when you were younger, but women might not find it enticing. I don’t want to insult you, Kyle, but women have to be practical. If they’re going to have children and stay home with them, they need a man who can provide for them...”
“Mom, there are so many assumptions tied up in that sentence, that I don’t even know where to start.”
“Assumptions?”
Kyle winced at his mom’s tone.
Now he’d done it.
“How is it an assumption that the woman you love and marry will want to have children, or that you’ll have lots of children, or that she would naturally want to spend their formative years with them?”
“Well, there’s three assumptions right there, Mom.”
“If you mean that fertility might become an issue when a woman is over thirty, then you’re right, honey, and that’s all the more reason to get serious about finding a wife and partner...”
“Mom, I’ve got to go and teach a class.”
“Liar,” Cassie mouthed as she passed him.
Kyle made a face at her and she grinned.
“Well, think about it, Kyle. I picked up some brochures at the local college about skills improvement that I think might be interesting to you...”
“I make enough money, Mom.”
“Enough money for you is not the same as enough money to support a family, Kyle. Trust me. I know!”
His mother had no idea how much money Kyle made and he wasn’t going to tell her. California wasn’t nearly so far away that she couldn’t inflict herself on him with short notice and meddle in his social life.
“Work, Mom. Gotta go.”
“And that’s another thing. You really need to start thinking about your own health, honey. All this exercise seems excessive at your age...”
“Bye, Mom!”
Kyle ended the call, feeling just as annoyed as he had after every single phone call he’d had with his mother in the past ten years. He exhaled steadily and slowly, using some of the breathing exercises he taught to calm himself down.
“When are you getting married, honey?” Cassie taunted, interrupting his thoughts with her perfect imitation of his mother. “You’re not getting any younger.”
“That’s what I hear,” Kyle said. “She thinks I need to make more money to improve my appeal to women.”
Cassie laughed so hard that a tear worked its way free. “Poor Kyle. Slumming in the big city for minimum wage when you could retrain to be a”—she cast around for a suitable occupation for him—“a licensed plumber!”
“Did you see the bills from the trades? Don’t under-estimate their earning power.”
“I just can’t imagine you getting mucky. It might mess up your hair.”
Kyle laughed despite himself. “She never gives it up.”
“She probably wants grandchildren. Mine does.”
“She has grandchildren. Dave is working that angle.”
“Mine doesn’t,” Cassie said with a sigh and a shake of her head.
“What do you tell her anyway?”
“About what?”
“Your job.”
“I work in a private gym, teaching exercise classes for executives.”
“Well, that’s kind of true. It’s pretty much what I say, but she acts like I’m still teaching summer lifeguard classes at the Y.”
“I’m guessing you didn’t do that for the money.”
“I would have paid them.” Kyle put a fist over his heart. “Teaching mouth-to-mouth resuscitation to a dozen pretty girls at a time. Those were the days.”
Cassie laughed again. “Funny how things don’t change, isn’t it?”
Damon paused on his way out. He had his jacket on, and Kyle was surprised he was still in the club. It was almost six, after all. “Is the joke good enough to share?”
“We’re whining about our mothers,” Cassie said and Damon’s mouth tightened. “What do you tell yours?”
“About what?” Damon was always hard to read, but he seemed a particularly wary to Kyle. He also seemed to be in a hurry.
Natasha must be waiting.
“About love and romance, marriage, and grandbabies,” Kyle said, turning it into a joke.
“I told her years ago that I was gay.”
Kyle was astonished.
“No!” Cassie protested in shock. “Who would believe that?”
“My mom, evidently,” Damon said.
“Seriously?” Kyle asked. “You let even your mom think that?”
“Well, she was halfway there. She had some magazine with an article ‘is your son gay?’ and she’d left it out on the coffee table. The quiet type with few friends in school was one of the possibilities.” Damon shrugged. “I just went with it. It seemed easiest.”
Kyle shoved a hand through his hair. “I don’t think it’s worth it. I don’t think I could tell anyone that I was gay.”
Cassie rolled her eyes at that.
“She doesn’t ask about grandbabies anymore,” Damon noted. “And nobody in her circle of friends tries to fix me up.”
“That’s not a small thing,” Cassie said. “The people they pick when they fix me up.” She shook her head. “It’s scary sometimes.”
“Deeply scary,” Damon agreed. “I was motivated to find another solution.”
If Kyle went home at Christmas without bringing a date, they’d all move into action. “What was the name of that magazine again?” he asked, already thinking of offering to work through the holidays.
Cassie and Damon cracked up.
“Theo’s working with you tonight, right,” Cassie said to Kyle and he nodded.
“Thank goodness there are two of us. Are you coming?” Kyle asked Damon, who shook his head. “Of course not,” he continued, answering his own question. “You always say you have a date on Friday night and I think it’s crap. You’re just leaving all the work to me.”
“It’s all the work you want,” Cassie noted.
“Jealous?” Damon teased.
“No, skeptical. You probably just say that because it gets you out of working a weekend shift, leaving more for me to do while you’re with Natasha.”
“You are jealous,” Damon replied.
“But isn’t it going to blow your perfect cover story when you tell your mom about Natasha?”
His partner turned away. “Maybe, maybe not. See you in the morning.” He waved and headed out with purpose, Cassie matching steps with him. Ty was crossing the lobby, looking so purposeful that Kyle knew better than to ask him doing a shift at the club. He spoke to Damon and Cassie as they passed, then went straight to Jax in the office, asking her for some summary.
“All work and no play,” Kyle taunted as Ty headed into the conference room, obviously intending to work, but Ty just gave him a look and shut the door behind himself.
Kyle and Theo were on their own.
And the DJ would be waiting for those mix suggestions. The best kind of work, in Kyle’s opinion, was work that felt like play, and with the club, he had plenty of that.
Ty arrived early at Shannyn’s place on Saturday. There was a Dumpster beside the driveway and two skids of new shingles beside the porch. There was also a canopy set up beside the garage, with some lawn chairs and a table. Ty guessed that was their break zone. He waved to Aidan, who was surveying the house with a mug of coffee in hand, and got out to put on his new-to-him boots.
Derek pulled in behind him and parked, then eyed the Porsche. “Next job is to fix the garage?”
Ty laughed. “I’m not the one defining priorities.”
“Yet,” Derek concluded and Ty didn’t argue. Derek introduced Paul, a lanky teenager who apparently didn’t talk much. “You won’t recognize Ty if you ever see him again,” he told Paul. “He’s a suit-and-tie guy. In fact, we should document this moment.” He took a couple of pictures with his phone, then Shannyn came out of the house.
She looked so happy that Ty couldn’t help but smile.
Just One Fake Date: A Contemporary Romance (Flatiron Five Fitness Book 1) Page 27