Page 11 of Rafferty

“Me too.” She looks at me with so much adoration, it actually causes a lump in my throat, and says, “We’re meant to be together.”

I can’t respond because Tansy’s there and I can tell by the look on her face, for the first time, her suspicion has taken a hit. She glances back and forth between me, Tempe and North, but I can see she’s not quite ready to admit defeat.

Tansy moves to my side and puts a proprietary hand on my arm. Looking directly at Tempe, she addresses me. “I’ll need a private word with you, Rafferty, before we begin. So we can go over the generalized script.”

“I assume you want to talk to North too,” Tempe says coolly, and I’m shocked by her calling Tansy on the carpet. “And please, get your hands off my boyfriend,” Tempe says, her tone firm yet light.

Tansy’s mouth drops open and North snickers low, but not low enough he’s not heard. Tansy glares at him.

Without missing a beat, Tempe closes the distance between us and pulls me down for a kiss. It’s meant to be a show, a statement, but the moment her lips touch mine, something shifts. The world tilts slightly on its axis, and I’m no longer in this just for appearances. I’ve got a beautiful, smart, spunky woman with her mouth on mine, so I kiss her back, my hands finding her waist, pulling her closer. The room and its occupants fade away—it’s just Tempe and the surprisingly perfect fit of her body against mine.

When we finally break apart, Tempe keeps her hands on my cheeks, smiling up at me. “I missed you, baby,” she murmurs, loud enough for Tansy and anyone else paying attention.

“Missed you more,” I reply instinctively, a low rumble that matches the sincerity flooding through me.

Tansy huffs and stomps away, calling over her shoulder, “We’re shooting in twenty minutes. I need you guys in hair and makeup.”

Once she’s gone, North bursts into laughter. “That might be the most fun thing I’ve seen in a long time.”

I can’t speak for North, but that kiss was the absolute best thing I’ve done in forever. My heart is still racing and I see that Tempe looks completely happy with herself.

Punching North lightly on the arm, I say, “Thanks, man. Had you not played along, Tansy would have known this was fake. I’m thinking that just officially got this woman off my back.”

“Glad to help,” North says and then faces Tempe. “And nice to meet you officially. That was some great acting.”

She laughs, a light tinkling sound. “I thought I wanted to be a drama major so I’ve got some skills.”

“What changed?” I ask.

“Doesn’t pay enough,” she replies pertly.

“North. Rafferty. Need you in hair and makeupnow!” Tansy calls, her irritation clear.

And because Tansy is watching, and it allows me to touch Tempe again, I lean in and brush my lips against her cheek. “You can stand anywhere and watch. Hopefully you won’t be too bored.”

“This is very cool,” she says, looking around at the setup. “I’ll just hang over there.”

Tempe moves off and North and I get the necessary touchups to make sure we don’t shine on camera or some shit like that. We’re doing still photos and videos, plus they even have a few of the community kids in hockey gear to add realism to the messaging.

The shoot progresses with ease, North and I both experts at doing these things. Goes with the territory and we never mind doing it. Tansy hustles around, changing things up, and I have to admit, she is good at her job. When she’s in professional mode, she’s almost bearable.

Until she’s not.

During a break as the photographer looks through the shots he’s already taken to see if he wants anything else, Tansy steps over to me and North. “I still don’t believe you,” she says, eyes pinned on me.

I nod toward North. “You saw it yourself… my buds know all about Tempe.”

“Yeah,” she scoffs. “Because you walked over and told him about this whole charade right before she arrived. You couldn’t get over there fast enough and I saw the look on your face when you saw him walk in. It was panic.” Her eyes then cut over to where Tempe is watching. “And that kiss… it was for show.”

“I don’t owe you any explanation,” I clip out.

“No, you don’t. But that doesn’t mean I won’t keep trying.”

“For fuck’s sake, why?” I say with clear frustration. “I’m not interested.”

“Yes, you are,” she says with so much confidence, I don’t know how someone can be that full of themselves. “We were dynamite together.”

“Can’t you just accept this isn’t going to happen?” I mutter.

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