Page 83 of The Even Odder Couple

ChapterTwenty-Five

TESS

I’m going to lose my job.

That’s it. Done deal. Boom. Over.

There’s absolutely no way Mrs. Lockhart can’t sense the vibes passing between Spencer and me. So she’ll definitely pull us aside after the movie and fire me. Then fire Spencer. She could totally hire Maddie Devlin and Clive Pendergast to be the new head directors, right? Or maybe she and Mr. Dudley could sleep in the cabins and—ha, ha, HA! I start to snicker, even though there’s zero humor in my heart. No, this laughter is all from the nerves buzzing around my uncertain future, not to mention my overall reputation as an employee.

Am I about to be forced to pivot to yet another career path?

The thought of it makes me shiver. So does the fact that Spencer is so close to me, the heat is practically rippling off his body. He smells so good, and the quirk of his mouth is so tempting, I kind of want to climb him like a tree. Like the bigleaf maple over on the hill.

What is even happening to me?

NOT THIS, TESS.

So. Not. This.

Still, I can’t seem to pull away. Instead I keep my eyes glued to the screen. And in the cover of darkness, with everyone else focused on the movie, I surrender to the deliciousness of believing someone wants to be this near to me. On purpose. Even though I know the proximity won’t last. It can’t last. For sooooo many reasons.

First of all, Spencer is my friend—and eventhatconnection’s tenuous. We’re total opposites with less than nothing in common. Not to mention, I’ve been setting him up to be with Kayla. Sure, she sat with Clive tonight, but she might not have had a choice. She very well could be wishing she were sitting with Spencer instead.And also—HELLO, TESS—you decided a long time ago not to go the route of relationships.

Oh yeah, that. Right.

These are the thoughts swirling in my head as the scene shifts on the screen, andI flash back to the day Nash had to take me to ’Til Death Do Us Part to try on bridesmaid’s dresses. That was for Brooke and Mac’s wedding. It seems like ages ago. I told him that morning exactly where I stood on the subject of marriage. That I had no intention of ever being someone else’s spouse. And Nash felt the same way. We commiserated.

Yes, Tess. You sure did. Both of you.

Until he fell for Emi. Hard.

Because people change, right? MaybeI’vebeen changing too. But can I risk that kind of shift? What if Spencer rejects me? And what if he doesn’t, and Mrs. Lockhart discovers there’s something going on between us? I could lose my job. I could ruin the one good thing in my life that’sjust mine. I can’t face my family and let them know Tess the Mess let yet another opportunity slip through her fumbling fingers.

So before the credits even start rolling, I hop up and dash to the front of the stage. The audience seems happy, which is a good thing. Low murmurs spread throughout the crowd. There’s a bit of yawning, standing, stretching. Families with young children—some of whom are sleeping on shoulders and others who are in costumes like Mrs. Dodd—are already gathering themselves to file out of the ranch. Parents of the kids staying here at camp begin hugging their children goodbye.

I almost feel silly interrupting them. But I have to appear busy until I can escape up to the cabins.

Escape Spencer.

Save our jobs.

“Thanks for coming, everyone,” I say into the microphone. “I hope you enjoyed our first-ever movie night, and that you’ll be back again next week forEncanto. Also, in case you missed the many,manyfliers posted all around town, not to mention the emails from the town, and the messages on our websites, we’ll be hosting a community barbecue tomorrow. Here at the ranch.” I swallow hard as Spencer’s gaze locks with mine. “Our own brilliant camp chef, Clive, will be grilling up the best hamburgers this side of … ummm…” My voice trails off, and my tongue tangles on itself. This foggy brain is too distracted by Spencer. His eyes are still like lasers searing into me.

“This side of …” I repeat.

What place in America is known for their hamburgers?

A few of the people still standing around begin to chuckle, and I can’t blame them. My mouth’s hanging open, and my face is so hot you could roast marshmallows on my cheeks. That’s when Spencer comes to the rescue, stepping up and grabbing the mic.

“Let’s just say Chef Clive’s food is truly out of this world.”

“Right. Yes. Exactly,” I stammer, as the rest of the stragglers turn to leave. “Chef Clive is out of this world. Thanks for that, Spencer. My apologies to the chef for my words failing me.”

My gaze shifts to Clive who’s heading off with Kayla, their heads bent close. They’re completely ignoring me. So much for my excellent matchmaking abilities.

From an objective standpoint, I don’t mind. They’re actually kind of cute together. But Clive and Kayla flirting with each other isn’t going to help me reach my goals. I’d hoped pairing Kayla up with Spencer would prevent Mrs. Lockhart from being suspicious about Spencer and me.

And evenmoreselfish than that? I might’ve been protecting myself. From hope.

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