Page 41 of Homebody
Ruby wanted to know about the romance. And as to that, Tessa didn’t have much to report. She opened her mouth to say that when Ruby held up her hand.
“Wait. Is it good? Do I need to get Red over here first to hear it too? Or Susan?”
Tessa let out a snort. “No. No need for that.”
Ruby screwed up her mouth. “So you’re saying there’s no hot sex to report?”
Tessa’s eyes widened. “No. There’s not.” And if she’d had hot sex with Dean, she wouldn’t report it to her boss or Dean’s mother. That was for certain.
“That’s too bad.”
“Wait. You don’t think Susan expects me to havesexwith Dean, do you? I was hired to keep Juniper away from him.”
“Girl, you are the smartest clueless woman I’ve ever met. Do you really think Susan hired you just to keep Dean and Juniper away from each other for these ten days?”
“Yes. That’s what she said.”
Ruby shook her head. “She’s hoping Dean falls for you.”
“What?”
“You’re genuinely nice. You’re hardworking. You’re smart… Well,booksmart, at least. People smart, not so much. But after all the bad apples he’s dated, of course she wants the two of you to get serious. Hell, you’re exactly the kind of woman she wants him to settle down with. For good.”
Tessa felt off-kilter by that realization. “I—I didn’t know.”
Unfortunately for Susan, Tessa knew something about Dean his mother didn’t know. Dean was only fake dating her to keep Juniper away. Not because he really liked her.
Tessa swallowed hard and tried to wrap her head around this new information. The knowledge didn’t help the growing attraction, both physical and emotional, that she felt. That she was trying to squelch.
Ruby, done with the conversation apparently, glanced at the front of the shop. “Where’s that damn girl I hired to answer the phones and handle appointments? We’ve been open for ten minutes already.”
“I can do that until she gets here,” Tessa offered.
“Thanks. I’m going to grab a cup of coffee quick. Watch the front?”
“Sure thing.” That she could do. Pretending she was a receptionist would be easy compared to playing a seductress.
Faced for the first time with the responsibility of the reservation book at the front desk, Tessa decided she’d better familiarize herself with the system.
Completely engrossed in the reading, which seemed to happen to her whether it was a reservation book or the latest Journal of the American Medical Association, she barely registered that the front door of the shop had opened and closed.
“Tessa. Hi.”
The sound of a male voice—not Dean’s voice—saying her name yanked Tessa out of her own head.
Her eyes widened when she recognized Dean’s friend from the day before.
She wasn’t great at remembering people’s names when she met them, but she was very good at remembering what she’d read. And this man’s study had been a big part of her thesis research.
“Doctor Walsh,” she said on a breath.
He treated her to a crooked smile. “Liam, please.”
Giving in to his request, she nodded. “Liam. What are you doing here?”
He glanced around the salon, empty since it was a weekday morning just ten minutes after opening. “I was hoping I’d get lucky and be able to get a quick haircut without there being a line out the door. Turns out I’m doubly lucky today, since I found you here.”
She drew back. “Me?”
