Page 48 of Just One Fake Date

“Yes. Kirsten. She’s getting married next week—”

“Don’t you need a fake date?” Tyler asked, interrupting her smoothly.

“No, I’ll go stag. I can defend myself.” She let him think about that for a second, then continued. “They’re having the ceremony and reception at a new restaurant and I’m excited about it. Good company, a fun celebration, and I’ll get culinary ideas.”

“You cook?” There was definite interest in Tyler’s tone.

“I cook.” She replied firmly. “And you don’t. Go on, tell me you don’t have time.”

“I don’t.”

Shannyn made a disgusted sound. “Keep your money, Tyler. I’d rather have a life.”

He seemed to be startled by that. “What about your roof?”

“That was a neat circle back to the subject at hand. Another point to you.”

“Who’s keeping score?” he murmured.

“Not me. Go on, tell me. You are officially admitting defeat on the challenge of the roof.” Shannyn sighed. “Oh well. No dinner date. Boo hoo.”

“I’m not doing any such thing.”

“Really?”

“Wait. You didn’t think I could solve it?”

“I didn’t think you’d be sufficiently motivated to bother,” she said and heard Tyler’s sharp intake of breath. “You don’t have to step out of your comfort zone to prove anything to me. It’s not about competence...”

He interrupted her crisply. “No, it’s about your conviction that people will let you down.”

Shannyn fell silent, surprised.

“You expect it,” Tyler continued. “Youwaitfor it.”

“Point to you. Call it a learned response.” She heard how tight her voice was.

“Well, learn to make an exception,” he replied, his tone stern. “I’m not going to let you down, and I haven’t.”

“If you think you’ve fixed the roof, you should know that it’s still leaking.”

He took a breath. “There’s good news and bad news about that.”

“I’ll take the good news first, Alex, for five hundred dollars.”

Tyler didn’t laugh. “My brother-in-law is a contractor. He might be able to give you a deal.” He gave her Derek’s contact information.

“Why would he do that?”

“Because I told him that we’re seeing each other. It would be kind of a family discount thing.” He cleared his throat when she didn’t say anything. “I said to him that you might be able to meet him on Saturday, after you finish at Flatiron Five Fitness.”

Shannyn fought her sense that she was being managed, which was one of the things she hated most in the whole world. “I might,” she said carefully. “That’s a good contact. Thank you.” She waited a moment. “And the bad news?”

“The fake date thing is out there.

It took Shannyn a moment to accept what Tyler was saying.

“Because we exist as a fictional couple at least for Derek and his wife, who is your sister.” She wasn’t quite sure how to feel about that, or even if she should feel about it. She definitely shouldn’t be having flutters.

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