“What if?” Tyler asked, interrupting her in turn.
What was he up to? How could he possibly fix her roof? Maybe he had secret carpentry skills she knew nothing about. That idea made her smile, although the mental image of him on her roof without his shirt did give her a little glow.
“Is this about the dinner to make our wedding date more plausible?” She knew she sounded suspicious and she didn’t care.
“Yes, that is what I would like in exchange for solving the issue of your new roof.”
“Without any cash infusion from you?”
“None.”
Shannyn thought about it for four seconds. She couldn’t see a catch. Two hours of conversation over dinner with Tyler wouldn’t exactly be painful, and if it meant she could get the roof done, it would be worth it. “Okay,” she said and heard relief in his voice when he replied.
Had he really thought she’d decline?
“Okay,” he agreed and it sounded portentous to Shannyn.
“What are you going to do?”
But Tyler was gone. Shannyn stared at her phone, wondering what he could possible do about her roof at two on a Wednesday morning. Giselle didn’t look as if she would have the right connections to influence the result, if he hadn’t lied to her and if she was still there.
Shannyn was not jealous. No. There was no reason to be jealous of anything when all they had was a fake date. She certainly wasn’t going to think that he’d given her free financial advice to be nice. No, it had been part of a plan to make a new deal.
Hadn’t it?
Spoils of war.
Divorced, separated or otherwise no longer living with partner.
Shannyn had gotten the house and her ex had taken everything else, including the paycheck that had allowed them to qualify for the mortgage. Ty would have bet his last buck that this guy, the ex, had also been the one to break Shannyn’s heart.
He badly wanted to straighten out that loser, but that was outside the terms of their deal.
Instead, he would fix the problem of her roof.
Ty called his third sister, Paige, ignoring the hour. His mom had told him repeatedly how their son, Ethan, was so colicky that they were up all night every night. That had to be good for something. Paige’s husband, Derek, was a contractor who specialized in renovations. He mostly worked in the Bronx, but Tyler was hoping he’d make an exception.
He was feeling persuasive.
Derek answered on the second ring. “Hey, Ty. Just in from a fabulous party and need to check how the other half lives?” He sounded weary.
Ty could hear Ethan screaming in the background.
There was a sound to reinforce his desire to stay single and childless.
Maybe forever.
“Still colicky?” he asked, and didn’t have to try to sound sympathetic.
“It never ends. We’ve tried every remedy there is. I’m starting to think he likes it.”
“Maybe he likes running your show.”
“Maybe he just needs less sleep than me. Tomorrow, he’ll be the happiest kid in the world and I’ll be falling asleep in traffic.” Derek yawned. “What’s up?”
“Will you be working Saturday?”
“I’ve got a couple of quotes to do in the morning. Why?”
“A friend of mine needs a new roof.”
Derek laughed. “I don’t work in Manhattan, Tyler. I like my truck too much to take it there.”
“The house is in Flatbush.”
Ty could almost feel Derek’s interest sharpen. “Since when do you know anyone in Brooklyn?”
Predictably, Ty heard his sister’s voice as she approached.
Equally predictably, Paige took the phone and didn’t waste time with chit chat. “Who do you know in Flatbush?”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“Of course, it matters,” she said, her tone dismissive. “You’re calling in the middle of the night to ask Derek to replace a roof in Flatbush. This is improbable on any number of levels, unless—”
“She just needs a roof,” Ty said, interrupting, then realized his mistake in the beat of silence that followed.
“She?” Paige echoed.
Ty winced. He’d been so determined just to get Shannyn’s roof fixed and make a new deal that he hadn’t thought of the obvious implications. He was off his game.
On the upside, he and Shannyn were getting a relationship history, right this minute.
On the downside, he knew what Shannyn’s opinion of that would be.
“So, it’s a woman who needs a new roof, specifically a new girlfriend you haven’t told us about. Because Giselle is from Paris, not Brooklyn, which is way too far for Derek to bid on her roof.” Paige’s tone revealed that she was expecting a confession.
Well, they had a deal for the wedding. Ty conceded the inevitable. “Her name’s Shannyn,” he said. “She needs a new roof and the best price she’s gotten is too high for her.”
“What’s the address?” Derek asked, apparently leaning in on the call again. “Maybe I know the house.”
“I think it would be better if you talked to Shannyn. I can give her your number.”
“Ask her if she wants to talk about the roof before the weekend,” Paige demanded and Ty realized they thought he was with Shannyn.
Maybe even at her house.
In her kitchen or even her bed.
He was glad he didn’t know Shannyn’s address. Paige’s curiosity was legendary in the family and he wouldn’t have put it past her to load a screaming baby into the truck and demand that Derek drive past Shannyn’s house.
Then she’d knock on the door and ask to be introduced.
“I’ll get her to call you,” he countered. “Will you be around Saturday?”
“Absolutely,” Paige said with a decisiveness that revealed she was on the hunt for news.
Derek spoke then. “Do me a favor, Tyler, and tell me the high number. Let me know what I’m up against.”
Ty did and was ending the call when Paige grabbed the phone again. “Say hi to Shannyn for us,” she said. “Tell her I’m so looking forward to meeting her.”
“When are you going to meet her?” Ty asked, his panic rising. “It’s Derek who’s going to look at the roof.”
But Paige was gone.
Ty called back but the call went to voice mail. He didn’t leave a message, because he had to talk to Paige directly to change her mind. She was probably already calling another of the women in the family to share the news. His mom would be first. Ty fought against the sense that his perfect plan was unraveling, and insisted to himself that this was all good. It was laying the groundwork for him to introduce Shannyn at the wedding. It was making the relationship look real. That wasn’t why he’d called Derek, but it would be fine.
Just fine.
Probably.
He threw back the rest of his Scotch and headed for bed, knowing that all the laps he’d swum weren’t going to help him sleep at all.
Their fake date was happening, for better or for worse.
Six
On the stroke of seven Wednesday morning, Ty’s phone rang.
He was already awake.
In fact, he’d barely slept.
Colleen McKay had a rule about not calling anyone before seven in the morning, unless it was an emergency or a weekend. (On the weekend, she waited until eight.) Ty could imagine that his mom had been standing in her kitchen, impatient to make the call, for at least two hours, tapping her toe as the minute hand on the big clock made slow progress.
Paige would have called her immediately, independent of the hour.
“Hi Mom.” He sounded weary and didn’t care.
“Tyler! I’m so glad I caught you.”
“It’s seven in the morning, Mom. Where would I be that you wouldn’t be able to catch me?”
“Never mind that. I want to know about Shannyn!” His mom’s voice rose with excitement and anticipation. “Who is she? Where did you meet? How l
ong have you been seeing each other? And what happened to Giselle?”
“Giselle and I broke up a while ago, Mom. It just didn’t work out.”
“You should have told me!”
“I knew you liked her.” Ty tried to sound sad. “I didn’t want to disappoint you.” That part was true.
“You’re so sweet. But think of the lost opportunities, Tyler. Just two weeks ago, Geraldine Wright’s daughter came home from veterinary school and Geraldine was saying that she’d asked about you...”
“Oh well, Mom. What will be will be.”
His mom became stern. “You’re very cavalier about this, Tyler, but you’re not getting any younger...”
“Shannyn,” Ty said, interrupting his mom with a distraction.
It worked.
“Shannyn! How did you meet?”
Ty kept it simple and as close to the truth as possible. “We had a class together in college. An English Lit class. And we just ran into each other again here in the city.”
“What does she do?”
“She’s a freelance photographer.”
“A photographer! How wonderful—and creative. That’s a good balance for you. But how did you run into her in Manhattan? Were you at a social function?” His mom’s voice rose with the hope that he was out mingling.
“She came here to the club to take some pictures of us for an article in the alumni magazine.”
“Destiny,” his mother breathed. “Even when you work all the time, Cupid comes through.”
Ty rolled his eyes and refrained from commenting on that.
“A photographer,” his mom mused. “You should take her to Katelyn and Jared’s little show.” Katelyn and Jared were having a small art show in their loft in Soho on the Friday night before the bridal shower. “After all, we can’t all be there, and it would be good to show support. Plus, she might convince you to buy something.”
“I don’t know if I’ll be going to their show,” Ty said, because he had no plans to attend. “I might be working.”
“Tyler!” his mom chided. “Well, is Shannyn coming to the shower?”
He tried to put the brakes on his mom’s planning. “She might be working. She has some big jobs right now.”
“But you have to convince Shannyn to come to the shower. We’re all dying to meet her.”
“That’s not enticing, Mom. Very few people look forward to being interrogated.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. We’re welcoming.”
“You’re overwhelming, not just in numbers but in enthusiasm.”
“We’re supportive.”
Ty left that one alone, but his mom didn’t notice.
“I can’t wait to hear what Paige has to say when they meet. You know, she’s just a good judge of character and I’m so curious about the house in Flatbush. Is it a new house?”
Ty straightened at the implication of his mom’s words. “Paige is not coming with Derek to the house,” he said with finality, hoping he could ensure his sister didn’t.
“Well, why not?” His mom laughed as Ty’s lips set. “It’s a perfect opportunity...”
“No, it’s not. That would be a really really bad idea.”
“Tyler, you are too protective of the women in your life. I’m sure Shannyn will be thrilled to meet Paige and Ethan...”
“Shannyn might request a quote on her roof from Derek,” Ty said, interrupting his mother. “If she does, it’s business. It is not social.”
“Well, it could be social, dear.”
Ty realized he would have to play hardball. “If Paige tags along with Derek, if and when Shannyn asks him for a quote on her roof, I won’t even tell Shannyn about the bridal shower.”
His mom was startled to momentary silence. “But she must already know.”
“No. We haven’t talked about it, because I know how busy she is. I don’t want her to feel like she’s letting me down and I don’t want to give her any stress about my family. I had this crazy idea that we could just see each other for a while.”
His mom missed his sarcasm. She sighed. “But it would be so nice if Paige met her first.”
“No. It would be complicated. It might make Shannyn feel as if she had to hire Derek to replace her roof. It’s very early, Mom, and I won’t have you all jumping in to smother Shannyn.”
His mom thought about that for three seconds. “But Tyler...”
If there had ever been a moment in Ty’s life to possess impressive negotiating skills, this was it. He interrupted his mom. “If Paige tags along, I’ll make sure you don’t meet Shannyn until Katelyn’s wedding.”
“Tyler!”
“Your choice, Mom. You’re one of the only people Princess Paige listens to.” He shook his head. “That’s more than three weeks away. I won’t tell you anything more about her either.”
He heard his mom inhale sharply. “If I convince Paige to stay away, will you bring Shannyn to the bridal shower next weekend?” At moments like this, Ty often wondered which parent had given him innate negotiating skills.
“I’ll invite her. I can’t promise more.”
His mom was obviously torn between having Paige’s impressions quickly and the chance to make her own conclusions later. “And Katelyn’s little show?”
“No.”
“You’re not being fair, Tyler.”
“I’m being very fair.”
“It must be serious for you to be so determined to defend Shannyn. How long have you been seeing each other?”
“Not very long.”
“Then it’s getting serious quickly!” his mom cried with delight. “Oh, Tyler, I’m so pleased...”
“Mom!” Once again, Ty had the sense that things were spinning out of control. He had to think that Shannyn would find this funny and was glad she wasn’t witnessing it. “Do not start planning a wedding.”
“Don’t be ridiculous, Tyler. I have Katelyn’s wedding to manage right now. It will be at least six weeks before I can even think about arranging another, although it would be a good time to talk to the pastor...”
“Leave it, Mom.”
To Ty’s relief, she did, but he knew it wouldn’t last. “Do you think it will rain next Sunday? The gardens are so lovely and it would be ideal if people could go outside.”
“I haven’t checked the forecast, Mom.”
His mom chattered on for a few minutes, then took a deep breath. “You’re going to be stubborn about this, aren’t you?”
“It’s not optional.”
“I think you’re being mean...”
“Oh well. I’ve got to get to work, Mom.”
“What does Shannyn think about your work schedule?” his mom demanded.
“Bye, Mom.” Ty stared at his phone, wondering whether he was doomed to always be the one to end calls with his mom. Maybe it would be worth getting married just to have her ease up.
No, there’d always be another quest. He could be married with thirty kids and she’d want to know when the next one was coming.
If nothing else, Ty hoped his mom’s ability to change Paige’s mind held.
Something about this fake date had to get easier.
Shannyn rode the train home on Wednesday, glad she’d gotten a seat. She’d been on the run all day, keeping up with the curator at the Morgan Library and Museum. They were lending some of their collection to the Met for the big exhibit on medieval books of days and it had been arranged for Shannyn to take photos. She hadn’t expected the curator to be so enthused—although she should have known better by now—and to have spent so much time choosing which pages to photograph. She hoped the images were as good as they looked in the viewfinder.
Thursday at the Met, Friday to fill in any gaps, Saturday at Flatiron Five Fitness, and with any luck, she’d still have Monday as a buffer. All good. She was not thinking about the train passing near Flatiron Five Fitness, or the proximity of one Tyler McKay, or of the fact that he hadn’t even texted her all day.
She had no ex
pectations of him. It was official.
She wasn’t disappointed that he hadn’t followed up on the suggestion of making a new deal. Either he couldn’t solve her roof issue—and really, how could he do that?—or he didn’t want to. Shannyn wasn’t going to call and beg for Tyler’s attention.
He got plenty of that from women like Giselle.
Even if she was curious.
Even if it had been a guilty pleasure to talk to him in the middle of the night.
She’d talk to her mom Sunday night about what to wear to the wedding and see him again in June. It didn’t matter if that seemed like ten million years away.
Shannyn had work to do.
She checked her phone again, just to be sure.
And it rang, right in her hand.
Kirsten!
Shannyn was smiling when she answered. There was nothing better than a chat with her best friend.
Cassie thought it was a pretty sad commentary on her life that the weekly meeting for F5F was the highlight of her week. She was partner in a successful fitness club and she loved her work at the club, but the chance of seeing Ty McKay up close and personal put all that in the shade.
That man.
Cassie had always felt a powerful attraction to Ty, but it seemed he’d never even glanced at her—at least not in the way that mattered. He was polite. He acknowledged her abilities and invited her input in all matters related to Flatiron Five Fitness. He complimented her on her successes, but there was always a distance between them.
She was starting to wonder whether she’d been too subtle in showing her interest. Ty was, after all, a perfect gentleman. For all she knew, the interest was mutual but he was too polite to make the first move.
Maybe at this week’s meeting, she’d find out.
Cassie had arranged for a presentation at the partners’ weekly meeting by a member, Meesha, about a trend the younger woman had noticed on social media. She’d come to Cassie with her observations and suggestions, but Cassie’s big takeaway was that a high percentage of members who were inclined to ship paired her with Ty.
Just One Fake Date: A Contemporary Romance (Flatiron Five Fitness Book 1) Page 10
