Page 21 of Under Daddy's Spell

“Yeah, and I could have sworn I saw Thomas Morstead talking to a reporter from Channel 6!” his companion replied.

“If Winston, Kamara, or Thomas show up, I’m getting a fucking lifetime membership!”

Tessa hadn’t a clue who they were going on about but doubted the three people he spoke of could fit in the door. The fire marshal, who was always concerned about the distance between her top shelf of books and the ceiling, would have a fit if he saw this place.

Feeling a little claustrophobic, Tessa turned to fight her way outside, intent on getting some air, when she heard someone call her name. Even in this din, the deep resonating voice told her it wasn’t Angie.

It came from deeper inside the crowded room. Facing the wrong way, Tessa craned her neck around because she sure couldn’t twist her body, and she searched for where she guessed the rumble had originated. Her gaze tracked to Jordan, a mass of bodies away, his arm up as he tried to flag her down.

“Excuse me, could I get by?” she said to the group of men standing in the middle of what she suspected was the center aisle and the main path in and out of the gym. They were massive, one looking like he might burst the seams of his blue, window-pane suit jacket. Laughing and talking as though they weren’t in the middle of a crush of people, none of the four reacted to her request, but the shift in the other bodies was enough for her to turn.

She waved at Jordan. But, having no route to get to him, she put her hands up and shrugged.

Using his size and gruffly uttered “excuse mes” and “let me get bys,” he cleared a path to her in no time. No one seemed offended by his brusqueness. Most stepped aside with a “Hey, Coop!” at least one saying, “Yo, Coop, awesome place!”

Everyone he’d ever met seemed to have shown up for the opening.

“Tessa,” he called when he was in range. “You weren’t leaving, were you?”

“I couldn’t find you. It’s a madhouse in here, Jordan.”

With his hands on his hips, disregarding others nearby who had to dodge elbows, he grinned broadly. “Yeah, it is.”

Despite his cockiness, she returned his grin. He deserved to be smug on a day like today, his opening an undeniable success.

“The turnout is amazing. Congratulations. I’m sure the gym is, too, but I’ll have to reserve judgment until I can actually see it.”

His eyes dipped to hers. “You’ll have to come back for a private tour.”

Heat rose in her cheeks, but she nodded, fully on board with the idea.

“Did you get my message about next Friday? Are you free?”

“I did, and yes, I am.” Other than home, the grocery store, and work, she never had plans.

“Excellent.”

“Hey, Coop, how about a few words for Channel 6 News?”

Tessa saw a reporter with a cameraman trailing close behind, struggling to get through to him. “That’s free advertising. You should talk to them,” she urged.

“Yeah, I probably should.” But he didn’t move, saying instead, “Friday. Don’t forget. I’ll pick you up at 6:30.”

“Oh, but that’s—”

She was going to say it was unnecessary, that they could meet here, but the news team and at least twenty onlookers had encircled him.

Going against the flow of traffic, once again, she tried Jordan’s technique. Her I-need-to-get-bys were nowhere near as successful. Ten minutes later, the teeming mass expelled her and ejected Angie a few seconds later.

“Can you believe that mob?” she asked, out of breath. “I think I was assaulted three times getting my smoothie.”

Tessa shot her an amused look. “You only think you were?”

While slurping her drink, she shrugged. “Does an elbow to the boob count?”

“I’m pretty sure groping requires hands.”

“Then maybe not assault, but it was mostly beefcake in there, so I can’t say for sure.”

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