Ty’s disappointment must have shown because Shannyn laughed at him as she reached for her robe. She blew him a kiss, then went to the kitchen, Fitzwilliam padding confidently behind her. Ty stared at the ceiling for a long moment, which did just about nothing to curb his reaction to her touch, given that the sheets smelled like Shannyn’s skin.
She pushed him. She provoked him and she challenged him. Maybe it was strategically time to push back. Ty had made his opinion clear, he’d suggested the challenge, but Shannyn still hadn’t invited him to Kirsten’s wedding. If she just wanted sex and a new roof, then they were done. Ty wanted more. So much more.
He wanted what only she could give, but their relationship couldn’t become real if Shannyn didn’t want more, too.
It was time to challenge her to make a move.
He had the day to plan just how best to do that.
It was late Sunday afternoon when Shannyn took pictures of the tired crew and their handiwork. The roof looked amazing. Paul cleaned up the yard as Aidan helped Derek load up the ladders. She paid Derek for the shingles, sneaking glances at Tyler. Something was going on and she wanted to know what it was. He’d been cool but polite all day, as if he was waiting for something. Shannyn went to him and ran a hand up his arm, watching as he turned to smile down at her.
“What’s wrong?”
“I don’t have a wedding invitation yet,” he said, bending to kiss her as if nothing was wrong at all.
“I’m thinking it’s a bad idea.”
“I’m thinking you’re not entering the spirit of this challenge,” he replied. “If all I wanted was sex, I could get it without killing myself to help with a roof.” He pulled back a bit to study her. “But maybe a roof really is all that you wanted from me. Ta da. All fixed.” He held her gaze for a moment in challenge and Shannyn didn’t know what to say.
“Don’t you think we’re too different?”
“You keep saying that, as if you’re trying to convince yourself that it’s true.” He bent closer, his gaze still simmering. “I’m already persuaded that we have everything important in common.”
“Like?”
“We’re both romantics. We’re both idealists. We both take our time to commit, but are all-in when we do. We both protect those we love, no matter what it costs. How am I doing so far?”
“You’re just taking it as a challenge to change my mind.”
“Why would you be so worried about it, if you were sure I couldn’t succeed?” Tyler asked softly, his gaze piercing.
Shannyn expressed her worst fear. “What happens when you’ve aced all the challenges? No challenge means no interest.”
“What if we lose the opportunity for something special because you won’t take a chance?” he countered in an undertone. “I’m not fooled. You’re scared, Shannyn, because I’m challenging you to take a chance on me, on this, and you won’t. So much for living in the moment and following impulse.”
“I meant that!” she protested although his accusation made treacherous sense.
“Only within certain parameters. You’re more risk-averse than I am, ironically because I’ve been listening to you.”
Before she could reply, Tyler went to start loading the furniture into Derek’s truck. It took Derek three trips this time, because Shannyn insisted on packing it all more carefully. She’d already photographed the refurbished pieces to show her mom. She went along with Derek and Paul, and took some pictures of Paige’s delight as the guys unloaded the first pieces. Paul left for the day then, and Derek drove back to her place. Tyler returned with him this time, then Derek went back alone to get the last load.
They arranged the furniture and concluded the deal, leaving Paige in raptures. She was well aware of Tyler’s silence beside her when Derek drove them back to her place, and knew their discussion wasn’t over. She fully expected Aidan to have gone for a beer by the time they got back, but he was sitting on the porch, waiting.
Instead of having a chance to talk to Tyler—or thank him in a very earthy way—she watched as he grabbed his stuff and packed his car. He shook hands with Aidan, then turned to leave without even touching her. “See you Wednesday,” he said to Shannyn, his gaze intense. “And I promise to act like we’re strangers.”
Seemed like he was already doing that. Shannyn couldn’t think of what to say to turn things around, and Tyler wasn’t waiting to find out.
“Smooth, Taz,” Aidan said when Tyler backed out his car. “Really smooth.”
“I thought he was staying.”
“Did you ask him?”
“No, but...”
“He’s a nice guy, Taz. You could do worse, and hey, you have.”
“Thank you for that. I suppose you’re hungry again.”
But Aidan stood up with purpose. “I am, but I’m going for a beer.”
“You couldn’t have done that an hour ago?” Shannyn asked but he just waved her off and strode down the driveway.
And she was alone one more time, apparently triumphant with no one to celebrate.
But Tyler was wrong. She was not risk-averse.
Ty was stuck in traffic heading back into the city when his phone rang. His mom. He wasn’t in the mood to be diplomatic, but he supposed it was time to get the inevitable behind him.
“Yes, Mom.” Ty knew he sounded impatient, but his mom was having that effect on him.
“Tyler, Derek has sent us some pictures of you all working on Shannyn’s house this weekend and I’m shocked by the difference in your appearance.”
“Are you?”
“This girl is changing you, dear, and you don’t see it...”
“I don’t think trying something new is that dire, Mom.”
“Well, I don’t agree. Shannyn is an inappropriate choice, dear. You may be infatuated with her, but she won’t be able to make you happy.”
“She does make me happy,” he insisted even as he acknowledged that this particular moment was an exception.
“But Tyler, you can’t have a serious relationship with a woman who doesn’t want children! And she has a tattoo!”
“Actually, she has two.”
“Tyler!”
“Mom, didn’t you always say that the most important thing was for all five of us to be happy?”
“Of course, dear, but I know that you want a family...”
“Would you have been happy with Dad if you hadn’t ended up having children?”
“It’s not the same thing. I just want you to think about the implications, Tyler...”
“And I’d like you to stay in your lane, Mom,” Ty said firmly. “I believe you’ve made your reservations clear, but they actually aren’t that pertinent.” His mother fell silent and he knew she was shocked. “I appreciate your input, but I think I’m a better judge of what will make me happy. Shannyn does, so you need to get used to her.”
Before his mom could argue again, Ty ended the call and tossed his phone onto the passenger seat. No wonder Shannyn believed that people only loved her for what she could do for them.
He was starting to wonder if it was even possible to change her mind about that.
Would Shannyn be the first challenge he lost?
The idea was annoying but he couldn’t shake it once he had it. Ty didn’t like failing. He didn’t like surrendering. He didn’t want to admit that there was anything he couldn’t fix. He saw a chance to move forward and changed lanes, wincing when he heard the crunch of metal.
What he needed was to make a new plan. He gritted his teeth and got out of the car to talk to the other driver and see just how bad the damage was.
Colleen stared at the kitchen phone after she put down the receiver. Her first-born had never spoken to her that way. Tyler had always been a polite and respectful boy—it wasn’t that he never disagreed with her, it was just that he kept it to himself when he did. He’d never challenged her like that before.
It was the fault of that girl...
“You’re looking unhapp
y,” Jeffrey said as he came into the kitchen. “Is it going to rain for the wedding, after all?”
“It’s your son,” she said.
“I seem to recall that you had a part in his conception, too,” he said mildly.
“I was trying to warn Tyler about getting serious with Shannyn and he told me to stay in my lane. What does that even mean?”
“It means it’s too late.”
“What are you talking about?”
Jeffery came to stand beside her as he poured himself a cup of coffee. His leisurely manner was completely at odds with Colleen’s agitation. He topped up her cup as well, as if nothing was wrong at all. “Did you see his expression change when you tormented Shannyn with Ethan?”
“Ethan isn’t a torment. He’s a wonderful baby...”
Jeffrey looked her in the eye and arched a brow.
“I didn’t,” Colleen admitted. “I was watching Shannyn.”
“I was watching for Ty,” Jeffrey admitted, pouring cream into her coffee for her, just the right amount. “And I think, my love, that you need to make your peace with the implications of this particular woman being in his life.”
“Why?”
Jeffrey smiled and clicked his mug against hers, whistling softly as he left the kitchen.
Colleen stared after him as she realized what he meant. “You think he’s in love with her!”
“I know he is. Whether he knows it yet, much less whether she does, is another matter altogether, but if you were a smart woman—” He paused in the doorway to smile at her. “And I know you are, Colleen.”
“Flattery will get you nowhere.”
“It’s not flattery if it’s true.” Jeffrey sobered. “Stay out of this, Colleen. You can’t win it.”
“But you know he’ll only be happy with a family.”
“I don’t know that at all. I suspect he’ll only be happy with Shannyn, if he’s really in love.”
“And she has a tattoo. Two of them, he says!”
“Don’t you recall teaching our kids to look beyond the surface?”
Colleen frowned. “We could...”
“Stay out of it.” Jeffrey’s voice hardened as it seldom did and she knew to pay attention. “You’ll just force him to choose, and no man worth his salt chooses his mother over his beloved.”
“But...”
“Remember when I taught the kids to ride their bikes?” he asked.
“Of course, but I don’t see what this has to do with that.”
“There comes a point, Colleen, that you can’t hold their seats and run behind them anymore. There comes a point that you have to let them go. And maybe they’ll fall, but maybe they won’t. All you can do is teach them as well as you can and be there if they need you to help them get up later. Don’t make Ty choose.” He toasted her with his mug and continued into his office, that whistle echoing through the house.
Colleen sighed and glared at the phone again. Jeffrey’s instincts about Tyler were always exactly right, no matter how much she’d prefer otherwise.
Maybe it would just run its course.
But Tyler, she knew, had been resolute from the cradle. He didn’t hurry to decide, but once he did, his choice might as well be carved in stone.
And maybe, just maybe, time would change Shannyn’s opinion about children—although it wouldn’t do anything for that tattoo.
Colleen decided to stay in her lane and hope for the best.
By the time Ty reached his apartment—and commiserated with Marcus over the state of his back bumper—he was ready to reconsider his priorities. He’d been convinced for years that he didn’t have time for a relationship. What if that had changed? Shannyn had been right—he was financially secure at this point. Maybe he had enough money saved by now.
Maybe Flatiron Five Fitness could afford him.
Maybe it was time to make space for a relationship in his life.
Maybe it was time to shake things up in a bigger way and prove that he wasn’t so predictable as everyone seemed to believe. It was time to shake things up and add some spontaneity to his life. He spent Sunday evening online, looking at tattoos, then found Imagination Ink online and made an appointment with Chynna for Thursday night. It was time to commemorate finding some yin for his yang.
When he got to Fleming Financial on Monday morning, Ty opened a new spreadsheet, He began tallying costs and comparing scenarios, doing the math and calculating the possibilities—which was what he did best.
The math, though, didn’t cooperate with his goals this time. The club would be a little too strapped for cash if he transitioned to full-time there, and he couldn’t see their sales and profits growing quickly enough to cover that anytime soon. They needed to grow to the next level, but Ty wasn’t sure how. He spent two days wrestling with the numbers, dreaming of them, thinking of other possibilities, knowing that he was missing one last piece of the puzzle.
In the end, he found it in the most unlikely of places.
Shannyn presented it to him on Wednesday night.
Sixteen
Shannyn had never been so nervous in her life as when she found herself waiting in the offices of Flatiron Five Fitness at five to six on Wednesday night. She’d never liked public speaking and she hated auditioning or asking for work. The fact that Tyler would be watching her—sitting in judgment on her performance—didn’t help one bit.
Would he keep his promise not to fix this for her? Shannyn hoped so, even though she knew she could probably use all the help she could get.
Lisa had knocked on Shannyn’s door that morning to give her notice. She and Mrs. P. were moving to Florida at the end of July, where her brother and his wife lived. They were expecting another baby and Mrs. P. wanted to be closer to her only grandchildren. Lisa had gotten a teaching job down there, so they were on their way. Shannyn was happy for them both, but didn’t love that she no longer would have a reliable tenant.
First issues first. She had to nail this presentation.
Tyler strode into the office at one minute to six and barely spared her a glance, which Shannyn figured was a confirmation that he was staying out of it. He was impassive, polite, and as remote as the moon. She wished she could have possessed just a bit of his easy confidence. He was wearing a different suit—this one was navy—and its dark color made him seem more stern. Sonia indicated that Shannyn was waiting and Tyler nodded to her, all business, and gestured to the board room.
“You’re first on tonight’s agenda,” he said so coolly that they might have been perfect strangers.
“Great. Thanks.” Shannyn stood up and forced herself to take a steadying breath. She knew she was good. She knew the idea was excellent. She also knew there was nothing to stop the partners from thanking her, then going ahead and using her idea without her being involved.
Too bad she stunk at trusting people.
She stepped past Tyler, chin high, and plugged her laptop into the projector on the conference table. Tyler introduced her and the partners and Meesha, who was joining them for her presentation.
The lights were dimmed at her request and Shannyn felt as if she’d stepped into freefall.
Here went nothing.
The thumb ring was new.
Cassie eyed Ty’s new ring with suspicion. She’d noticed it the week before and still couldn’t reconcile it with his usual style. It wasn’t going away, though, which meant there was probably a woman behind his choice. Previously, he’d indicated that he knew a photographer, and now Shannyn Hawke was making a presentation to the partners. She was a photographer and Ty had been the one to add her to the agenda.
He was also treating Shannyn with extreme politeness, like they’d never met.
Cassie would have bet good money that he was hiding something.
Hmm.
Because Shannyn had applied for the job working for Meesha on the social media imagery, Cassie had asked Meesha to sit in on Shannyn’s presentation. The newest addition to their staff sat beside Cassi
e, so alert and excited that she was almost vibrating. She’d hit the ground running and had already made great strides in her new job. Cassie was already glad they’d hired her on.
When Shannyn had taken the pictures for the alumni magazine, she’d looked like an artist. It had been hard to tell her gender, which had been just fine by Cassie. On this evening, though, she was wearing a tailored black suit and a bit of make-up. She was surprisingly pretty, at least to Cassie, and clearly very nervous.
“Thanks for listening to my idea,” she began. “As you know, I was here to take pictures for the alumni magazine, but that gave me an idea that I hope you might find interesting. You’ll need a photographer for that idea, if you decide to use it, and I’m officially applying.”
The guys chuckled.
Shannyn cleared her throat a little. “I’m sure there are rules and expectations for presentations like this, and I’m probably going to break most if not all of them.”
Ty lifted a brow at that, and the other guys smiled.
“But I can only explain this to you the way I thought of it, so I’m asking for your patience.” Shannyn turned to the screen when the partners nodded agreement. She clicked through some images of the current advertising for the club. “I’ve always admired your advertising and the images that you choose for them.”
The images were crisp and the slogans short and to the point. Cassie felt a surge of pride at how well their marketing material looked and performed.
If Shannyn meant to change that, she’d have a fight on her hands.
“The black and white or sepia images are really striking, plus they show off the muscle definition of the models. They’re really well curated. They’re elegant and sexy and the slogans are memorable.”
“Thank you,” Cassie said, curious as to where this was headed.
“But I did wonder why you’re licensing stock images,” Shannyn said. “Given the success of the club, exclusive images would make it harder for the competition to mimic your branding.” She showed some ads which were clearly copies of the F5F campaigns. The ones that used the same photographs she showed side by side.
Just One Fake Date: A Contemporary Romance (Flatiron Five Fitness Book 1) Page 29
