Page 80 of Just One Fake Date

“Aidan?”

“Went out for beer and came back at two.”

“That is not my fault. You never agreed to have dinner with me.”

Those eyes danced. “If I had said yes instead of maybe, would you still have left?”

Ty had to tease her back. “You’ll never know now, will you?”

“You are an infuriating man.”

“Trust me. I have a lot to learn about being infuriating.”

Shannyn flung out her hands. “What difference would it have made to go for dinner together, even if Aidan wasn’t my brother? We have a deal, a rational exchange based on no emotional engagement whatsoever. Right?”

“It’s the principle.”

“Aidan said you would say that!”

Ty had a newfound respect for her brother. “Why is that incomprehensible?”

“I don’t see why principle matters when it comes to fake dates. I mean, the fake date in and of itself is a kind of a lie.”

“No cheating,” Ty said firmly. “Period. It’s non-negotiable, no matter what the situation. And if you were seeing someone, even if he was in Tashkent, being with me would be cheating. It’s just wrong.”

“I wish you’d tell me how you really feel about it,” she teased and then studied him. “You’re serious.”

“Absolutely. It’s a deal-breaker.”

“Which is why you left.”

He nodded, then realized Shannyn apparently didn’t agree with him. “Don’t you agree?”

“In real life, sure. If we were dating, married or otherwise involved, I’d totally agree.” She shrugged. “But we have a fake date. That’s it.”

He fixed her with a look. “Tuesday night was more than a fake date.”

“Mutual satisfaction then. It doesn’t mean we’re opening a joint checking account.”

How interesting that she chose a money metaphor instead of a more emotional one, like selecting a wedding venue or picking baby names.

There was still a lot about Shannyn he didn’t understand.

And he wanted to know, more than anything.

“You left Tuesday when Giselle arrived, because you thought I was seeing her,” he reminded her.

“No. I thought and still think that three’s a crowd,” she insisted. “That’s about logistics not principles. I mean, how do people manage threesomes? It seems as if there’d be too many legs.” She frowned. “Maybe not too many hands.”

Ty had no answer for that. He suddenly realized he’d been standing and talking instead of getting to work. “I’m sorry but I have to get going. I’m late for our weekly meeting.”

“My fault?”

“Of course not. I chose to stop and talk to you, and I’m glad I did. The fault is all mine.”

“That sounds gracious.”

“It’s just true. Don’t let anyone ever blame you for their own choices.”

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