Page 64 of Just One Fake Date

“Guy I know with a van. He’d want a share, though, and this needs to stay together to have the maximum value.” She scrolled on. “I could ask Tim,” she mused. “He has a truck.”

“Aren’t you going to have to pay him to pick it up?”

“Of course. We barter. He doesn’t care about furniture.”

“What’s his price?”

“Last time, it was a blow job.” She spoke lightly, as if she was just saying something outrageous to annoy Ty. If that was her plan, it worked beautifully. His reaction must have shown because she glanced up and laughed aloud. “Don’t look so shocked. Cash isn’t the only currency. I made a different deal, one with someone else. Don’t worry about my virtue. I’ve got it covered.”

Ty had enough. “What if I fix this?”

“Do you want to fix everything?”

“If it keeps you from trading blow jobs for furniture transport, yes.”

“I’m not yours to defend, remember.”

“I’m well aware of that. I’m just trying to benice.” He bit off the last word, his patience wearing thin. All the women in his life would have taken warning at that, but not Shannyn.

“Ah, that’s what fooled me,” she said with a snap of her fingers. “Do you have a truck, too, hidden amongst your many assets?”

“Of course not.” He called Derek, who answered on speakerphone. “Derek! Hey, we’re running late.”

“Derek has a truck,” Shannyn whispered with delight as she understood. She seized his arm, her grip tight in her excitement. She was practically vibrating beside him.

Ty nodded then mouthed ‘big truck.’

She did a little happy dance, pretending to scream with joy, even though she made no sound. Ty couldn’t keep himself from smiling at her.

She was infuriating, unpredictable, but a lot of fun.

When had he last enjoyed himself so much? Not recently.

“Me, too,” Derek said. “What’s going on? The traffic sucks today.”

“I don’t know. Any chance you could do me a favor and stop downtown on your way to Brooklyn?” Ty walked away from Shannyn, suspecting he’d have to sweeten the deal.

“Are you kidding me? I told you. I don’t drive downtown.”

“But Shannyn found some furniture at the curb that she wants really badly.”

“Regretting that Porsche, are you?” Derek asked with a chuckle.

“Never.”

“But you need a truck.”

“Soon. The vultures are circling, as she says.” He dropped his voice so Shannyn couldn’t hear. “Fifty bucks?”

“A hundred,” Derek countered, as if he could smell Shannyn’s enthusiasm from a distance. “You won’t be able to get a rental on Saturday afternoon.”

Ty obviously didn’t have to teach his brother-in-law anything about negotiation.

“You want me to break my one rule,” Derek said when Ty didn’t immediately agree. “That costs.”

“A hundred bucks,” Ty agreed and told him the intersection. He couldn’t regret the price when he pivoted to find Shannyn watching him avidly. It was as if she hadn’t dared to breathe. He nodded and she flung herself at him with joy. Ty staggered backward at the force of her impact, then caught her close and swung her around as she laughed.

“That’s brilliant. You’re so good at fixing things.”

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