Page 54 of Homebody
“No. You cannot run out of here after being evasive all morning.” Ruby stood in the doorway of the salon, blocking Tessa’s exit on the one day she really had to get out of work on time.
“What do you mean? I’ve been busy. You’ve been busy. I’m not being evasive,” Tessa denied.
Okay, maybe she had skimmed over really answering how things were going with Dean when Ruby had asked. But what was she supposed to say? That they’d spent hours last night in her bed together. That her first-floor neighbor had given her the side-eye this morning when they ran into each other on the sidewalk because, as she’d feared, they’d gotten too loud. That she was sore in unmentionable places because she hadn’t had sex in so long that Dean’s enthusiastic lovemaking had been a real work-out.
Nope. She wasn’t going to share any of that with her boss. Even if Ruby was a large part of the reason she’d been with Dean to begin with.
Ruby shook her head. “You have a hickey.”
Tessa’s eyes flew wide. She covered her throat with her hand as she remembered Dean’s mouth on her neck.
“No, I don’t,” she denied.
Ruby laughed. “Okay, Liar-Liar-Pants-On-Fire. Have it your way. But I’m glad things are going well.”
Cheeks hot and no doubt bright red, Tessa admitted, “They are.”
“Good. I’ll text Susan and Red.”
The burning in her cheeks increased. She opened her mouth to protest but knew it would do no good, so she said, “May I go now?”
“Yes. See you tomorrow. And say hi to Dean for me.” Ruby smirked.
Ignoring it all, Tessa skirted around Ruby and pushed open the door. Compared to this, her afternoon job would be a pleasure. There was no way Liam was going to interrogate her about Dean. They had more important things to do than chat about her love life. But she did stop by her apartment quick to cover her hickey before heading to the lab.
Thank goodness Ruby and Red had left make-up at her place. She located some cover-up and powder and managed to disguise the bruise enough that Liam wouldn’t notice.
While she was there she should grab her notebook and a pen too. Wherever she’d left it last night before Dean had interrupted her work in the most wonderful way. She had no regrets about that, but she did have to find it now.
Finally, she located the notebook, pen stuck in the page where she’d left it, under her new old sofa. She smiled. She loved the stupid old thing, so ugly it was cute, mostly because it was from him. The most thoughtful gift ever from the most amazing guy.
Still grinning like a fool over her hand-me-down sofa, she was about to open the door to head for the lab when there was a knock.
Dean maybe? Crap. It would be very hard to leave and go to work if he was here tempting her. Of course, having to choose between her dream job and her dream man was a good problem to have.
Pulling the door open she came face-to-face with a giant arrangement of flowers in a cobalt blue glass vase. So big and so beautiful it was gasp-worthy. Roses, hydrangeas and sunflowers mixed with some other flowers and foliage she couldn’t name but loved all the same.
The delivery lady peeked around the bouquet. “Tessa Hawthorne?”
“Yes.” Grinning like a fool, she took the arrangement, thanked the woman and turned back inside to put the flowers on her new old coffee table that Dean had delivered with the sofa.
She had no doubt the flowers too were from Dean but still, she was over the moon to find the little white envelope stuck amid the blooms. Tearing into it, she read the note inside.
See you tonight?
D
It was only a few simple words but she loved every one of them.
Reaching for the phone in her pocket she typed in a text.
Yes! Tonight! Thank you for the flowers.
Then she added a second one.
And for the vase. I didn’t have one.
Dean hearted the first message and replied to the second.
