Page 73 of Just One Fake Date

Shannyn was charmed, as usual, but tried to hide it. “I’ll give you a key. How long are you staying anyway?”

“When are you going thrifting?”

“Tuesday or Wednesday.”

“I’ll go with you and get some clothes. Mine are trashed. Then I’ll take the train up to Mom’s.”

Shannyn belatedly realized he’d arrived by taxi. “What happened to your truck?”

“I sold it in Burma.”

“As one does,” she said and Aidan laughed easily.

“As one does.” He winked. “Paid for my ticket home with a little change left over. So, are you going to give me a key or do I need to find alternate accommodations?”

“I’ll make up the couch. Just don’t trip over the cat.”

Aidan nodded and gave her a thumbs-up, striding away with purpose.

“And pick up some milk!” Shannyn called after him.

He waved without looking back, which she knew meant exactly nothing, and kept walking.

“There’s no way he thought we were a couple,” she told Fitzwilliam, as if he was the one who needed convincing. “He wouldn’t just jump to conclusions. If he’d wondered about my relationship with Aidan, he would have asked. Tyler’s direct.”

Fitzwilliam began to groom himself, disinterested in Shannyn since she wasn’t preparing food.

She sighed. “He just has something better to do on a Saturday night. Another Giselle.”

Good thing Shannyn had work to do. There were the pictures from the club to crop and deliver, then a whole lot of furniture to clean.

Funny how her triumph didn’t feel so exciting anymore now that there was no one to celebrate with her.

Ten

Ty wantedto call Shannyn that night more than he’d wanted anything in a long time.

He wanted to hear her voice. He wanted her to confess that she was madly in love with Aidan and had been waiting for his return. He knew that was stupid, because he’d seen how gladly she’d welcomed the other guy and it was obviously true.

But still, he wanted her to say it.

Ty knew that what he really wanted was an explanation that was different from the obvious one.

He paced his apartment, restless.

Four days after Shannyn had unexpectedly walked into his life again, Ty felt that everything had been turned upside down and inside out. Instead of being in control of his universe and all the variables that influenced it, he felt shaken and stirred.

That was new, but definitely not boring. In fact, the change made him feel like he’d just been going through the motions for years.

It made him want more than work in his life.

That made no sense. Ty had a plan and he knew it would work. He was investing in his own future, laying the groundwork, ensuring that the club and his own financial situation were solid. Funny how the explanation that had seemed perfect four days before now sounded like an excuse.

An inadequate excuse, at that.

When his door buzzer sounded, Ty snapped “What?” into the intercom.

But it was his sister Lauren and even over the intercom, she sounded odd. Upset, maybe. She never came by his place unless there was something really wrong. He couldn’t figure out why she’d stop by on a Saturday night. Ty buzzed her in, then cleared her elevator access.

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