Decoy Date

by Mira Lyn Kelly

  Before she could protest, Brody went on. “Second, there won’t be anything sudden about what happens between us. We’ll lay the groundwork and build slowly. Anything less, and Ted’s going to think I’m just borrowing his blanket for the night. And I’m sorry, Gwen, but he’s not going to try to stop me.”

  Her mouth opened like a goldfish, but as much as she’d like to throw evidence to the contrary in his face, she knew it was true.

  “And third…” Brody ducked his head before looking up at her through the thickest, longest lashes she’d ever seen on a man. His already deep voice went even lower, dropping to a conspiratorial whisper as he reached up and brushed the corner of her mouth with his thumb. “Baby, you were talking about me?”

  Her breath caught. That barely there bit of contact surprised her, all the more so because of the way he watched her as he did it.

  She was a hugger by nature, and Brody was the touchy type, always throwing an arm around her, clapping friends on the back, and bumping fists. But that? What he’d just done was different.

  Brody’s grin went wide as satisfaction lit his eyes. “Surprised you, huh? That’s good. It tells anyone watching that something just changed between us.”

  Anyone watching?

  “Ah, ah, ah, Miss Danes. Eyes on me.”

  Her heart skipped a beat. “Why? Did Ted see?”

  Brody shook his head, leaning that much closer. “No. But your friends did. And I’m betting they noticed that we’ve been here two hours and still haven’t made it over to sit with them.”

  “Like maybe we just want to be alone?” she whispered, and Brody grinned.

  “Or like we got caught up in whatever we were talking about and didn’t even realize the time had passed.”

  She nodded. “I like that one. It’s true. And you know how I don’t like to lie.”

  “I know,” he assured her. “It’s one of my favorite things about you.” Then straightening, he added, “As for Ted… This is going to be hard for you, but you’ve got to stop tracking him every time you guys are out together. For this to work, you can’t always be checking where he is, what he’s doing, if he’s looking at you, or whether he’s into the girl he was talking to earlier. Every time he catches you looking at him, it tells him you’re his blanket…if he wants it, when he wants it, how he wants it.”

  Rather than let Brody see how close to home he’d hit with that summary, Gwen took another sip of her drink, letting the decadent chocolate and toasted marshmallow sweeten her tongue and warm her insides before she met his eyes again. And when she did, she blinked. Because there was something different about the way Brody was looking at her. Something a little less casual. Not quite as easy. Something just the other side of friendly.

  “Wow.” She swallowed. “Are you doing that on purpose?”

  The corner of his mouth quirked up, and then he was reaching across the bar to catch a bit of her hair between his thick fingers. “What? Acting like a guy who’s been thinking about how soft this silk would be for months and finally decided to find out?”

  Heat pushed into her cheeks. “So this is what all the girls were talking about.”

  Brody had skills.

  Rocking forward on his elbows in a motion that widened those crazy broad shoulders even more, he ducked his head, then peered up at her with a smile that made her blush. “What girls?”

  A giggle she didn’t have a chance against slipped past her lips, because seriously, that look! She had butterflies, and she knew exactly what game he was playing. She knew that sexy man-smolder was pure fiction, but—cripes—it worked.

  “That’s great, by the way,” he added with one of those guy nods that really weren’t anything but somehow seemed so sexy.

  “What?” she asked, sounding a little breathless.

  “The way you’re looking at me. With that perfect blend of confusion and nerves.” He leaned closer and tucked a length of hair behind her ear, his touch setting loose a wave of goose bumps. “A little curious.”

  Well, yeah. After that look, how could she not be?

  A shoulder bumped into her from the back, and she turned to find Tina bouncing behind her. “Time for shots, chica. We’ve got a round of slippery nipples back at the table. Let’s go.” Then looking across to Brody, she added, “Come on, you do one too.”

  “Tempting,” he murmured, and Gwen could have sworn his voice dropped another octave as their eyes met and held. He pushed off the bar, nodding toward the back hall where he kept his office. “But I’ve got some work to do. You girls enjoy.”

  She turned from the bar to join her friends but stopped when he added, “Have a good night, gorgeous.”

  * * *

  “Oh my God! Who left their freaking oatmeal bowl in the sink again without rinsing it?”

  The clatter of dishes and muttering of expletives sounded from beyond Gwen’s bedroom door. She pulled her pillow over her head and burrowed deeper into the covers. Sunday mornings could be rough. She loved her roommates. Really, she did, and she knew how lucky she’d been when Ted hooked her up with Gail and Sadie in the apartment one floor below his, but one day, it would be nice to wake up like a normal person. Slowly. Nicely. Maybe even not alone.

  Her thoughts drifted back to the night before. To Brody’s outrageous proposal that they could make Ted jealous enough to come around. It was crazy. But still, the corners of her mouth curved as she imagined waking up in Ted’s arms. Soft kisses trailing over her shoulder as he pulled her into his warmth and held her tight.

  They’d been together a handful of times over the years, but the one time they’d fallen asleep together, she’d woken up stiff as a plank at the farthest edge of the bed, the space of a full human’s width between them and Ted cocooned in twelve layers of blankets while she had a corner of the sheet.

  It would be different if they were together. Really together.

  Peeking out from under her pillow, she checked her phone next to the bed. It was after nine, so if Janna had spent the night, she was probably gone. There was something very wrong about knowing Ted’s habits so thoroughly, especially as they related to other women. But Gwen couldn’t help that she noticed things, remembered them. And after all the years they’d been friends, it would be nearly impossible not to.

  She flopped on her back and shoved her hair from her face. Maybe Brody was right, and her feelings for Ted were holding her back. Too bad she didn’t think he was right about being able to bring Ted around.

  With a heavy sigh, she sat up in bed, rubbed her eyes, and crossed her small room to the vanity overflowing with styling and beauty products. A look in the mirror confirmed that her hair was, in fact, every bit as wild as she’d suspected. Even more so after a night of tossing and turning, wondering if Ted had taken Janna home. Wondering what they were doing. Wondering too many things she knew better than to wonder about. After taking a brush to the chaos, she staggered out to the kitchen where Gail was just finishing at the sink, the offending oatmeal bowl now drying on the rack.

  Sadie shuffled into the kitchen next, her brown curls caught in a bun atop her head. “Coffee?”

  “Almost,” Gail answered, leaning a hip to the sink as she watched it brew.

  By the time the pot was half full, they’d woken up enough to figure out whose turn it was to clean the bathroom and renegotiate the distribution of chores around the apartment. And when the pot gave its last sigh, indicating it was done, Gwen retrieved four mugs from the cabinet while Sadie got the fat-free half-and-half and Stevia. Like clockwork, the front door swung open, and Ted walked in. His blond hair was flat against the side of his head with a few rogue spikes sticking up on the other side. He looked pleasant and exhausted. A combination that set off a low churn of unease in Gwen’s stomach.

  “Morning, girls, Gwennie,” he greeted, all smiles as Sadie handed him the fourth mug.

  �
�Morning,” Gwen replied, feeling a pinch of guilt as her oldest friend smiled warmly at her. What was she thinking, planning to manipulate—

  “Have fun with Janna last night?” Gail asked, dropping into the creaky papasan when they got to the living room.

  And that other pinch? It was something else. Something of a greener shade.

  Ted shrugged, an obvious smile on his face. “A gentleman never tells.”

  Whatever bit of hope Gwen had been holding on to died on the spot.

  “You’re such a slut, Ted,” Sadie accused with a laugh as he reached for the TV remote.

  Gail stretched back, arms overhead, mug tilting at a precarious angle as she pointed her big toe at Gwen. “How about you? What was up with Brody last night? Things seemed sort of different with you guys.”

  Gwen’s heart stopped, her coffee threatening to come back up on a cough. This was it. What Brody had said would happen. Her friends had noticed, and now they were talking about it.

  Her every sense honed in on the man beside her, waiting for the reaction to come.

  He turned his head to her, one brow raised, a crooked smile on his face. “Oh yeah? Gwennie getting some action?” he asked with an amused laugh, turning back to the TV before she’d even answered. “Good for you.”

  So much for not wanting to share his blanket.

  * * *

  The bar door swung open, and Brody looked up from the paperwork he’d put off the night before. Gwen stormed into the empty bar, dressed in a fitted black warm-up suit with her hair bound up in a loose knot. No makeup. And a small bag thrown over one shoulder.

  “Back from the gym?” he asked, wondering if that pretty color in her cheeks was from working out or being worked up.

  “The plan is a fail,” Gwen huffed, arms crossed tightly over her chest.

  “Not possible. It’s too early to fail,” he assured her, gathering the documents into a pile he set at the edge of the table. “Kitchen’s not open for another hour, but I could make you something myself. Something to drink?”

  Those stiff arms unraveled, and Gwen dropped her bag into the seat across from his. “The girls asked me about you this morning, and when Ted thought we’d hooked up, he said, ‘Good for you.’”

  What a douche. How was she hung up on this guy? How had she ever been interested in him at all?

  “He doesn’t think he’s got anything to worry about. Which is what you want for right now.”

  “Good for you is what I want?”

  Hell, no one would want that. But for their purposes, it worked.

  “We want him to realize what’s happening gradually. Let it sneak up on him. So when he figures it out, he panics some. Worries about how far it’s gone. We want him to look back and see that the signs were all there. We want him to wonder whether he’s going to be able to get you back. We want him to work for it. And all of that starts with Ted being overconfident and thinking he doesn’t have one damn thing to worry about.”

  There was a small furrow between her brows. Brody wanted to lean across the table and smooth it with his thumb, but instead, he sat back, folding his arms over his chest to mimic her posture.

  Gwen hummed in response, her fingers drumming over her forearm as she looked around the empty bar. “So overconfident is good. Okay.”

  “Come on, I’ll make you something to eat.”

  * * *

  By the time they’d finished, the tables around them were full, a few already having turned over.

  Gwen was relaxed, her arms folded in front of her, her eyes bright as she sighed in that contented way that warmed the center of his chest.

  “Feeling better?”

  “I do. Thanks, Brody.”

  She stood and started to slide the bag over her shoulder as Brody reached for it.

  “I’ll carry it for you. Let’s go.” At her questioning look, he leaned closer. “I’m into you, remember? And being the resourceful guy that I am, I’m taking advantage of any opportunity I can find to spend more time with you.”

  This time when he tugged on the bag, she handed it over, a smile curving her lips.

  “Well, since it’s about you being into me, by all means. And that’s very sweet. You’ve got the makings of a quality boyfriend, Brody. If you were into anyone for real.”

  He caught Jill on his way out and let her know he’d be back in about an hour. It was a courtesy. She’d been with Belfast since the bar opened almost five years before and could probably run the place without him for a month. Longer. But he liked his people to know where he was.

  Outside, the air was cool and crisp. The trees were bare of their leaves, but it was still beautiful. The snow would arrive soon enough, bringing with it the icy sidewalks and slushy streets that accompanied every Chicago winter. He knew it was coming, which made these last days before it did all the more brilliant.

  They passed a few storefronts, and then Gwen looked over at him. Her teeth sinking into the full swell of her bottom lip. Man, she had a spectacular mouth.

  “What?” he asked as they turned the corner, heading toward the residential neighborhood behind the shops and bars.

  “Are you going to put your arm around me or something?” she asked, her brows high.

  He laughed, loving that she was getting into it.

  “Not yet. I’m playing it cool. Still feeling things out.”

  She raised a brow at him, looking delighted. “Oh, are you?”

  This was going to be fun. He looked to the sky and shrugged.

  “That’s what I’m telling myself anyway. Pretty sure I’m already in deeper than I’m willing to admit. For now, I’m taking it slow so I don’t scare you off.”

  “I don’t know, Brody. Listening to you narrate a fictional interest is pretty scary. You’re alarmingly good.”

  Brody barked out a laugh. They kept talking and walking until they were on North Kenmore, about a half block down from her place.

  “What if no one sees us?” she asked. “Will you come up to the apartment?”

  “Don’t need to. Someone’s probably seen us already. Looking out a window, driving by. But even if no one did, just hanging out like this is a start.”

  Brody turned around, walking in reverse so that he could look at her. “It’s you and me getting comfortable around each other. Talking. Laughing.”

  Her brow rose. “I thought we were already pretty comfortable around each other.”

  They were, but he liked hearing her say it just the same. “The closer we get, the easier it’ll be to sell this. People will notice the way you light up when they mention my name.”

  She coughed, her eyes going wide. “Ego much?”

  “It can get a bit unruly. But that’s just because everyone keeps feeding the thing. You especially.” The way she was smiling, what did she think was going to happen?

  Her steps came to a halt, her mouth falling open into an astonishingly pretty gape. Brody could see she was ready to demand an explanation, one he’d be glad to give her, but in the end, she just crossed her arms and shook her head. Her smile returned.

  “Look, all I mean is we have fun. We laugh. And the more we hang out, the better friends we become, and the easier it is for me to get away with things like that stunt you still can’t believe I pulled on our walk home…just to get you to laugh.”

  She stopped walking, as he’d known she would.

  “What—” she started to ask, as he answered, “This.”

  He moved fast, tossing her over his shoulder so she draped down his back.

  “Brody!” she shrieked, laughing as she tried to wriggle free. So not happening.

  And then her small fists were beating against his back as she begged him to put her down. He would, but not just yet.

  “Hey, you find a job yet?” he asked, one arm banded over the backs of her
thighs as he strode down the sidewalk. Her long-term subbing contract was coming to an end after winter break, and while he knew she was hopeful they’d offer her a full-time position in the school district next fall, she needed work to fill the gap.

  Her fists stopped, and she craned around, pushing herself up off his belt. “Nothing yet. It’s tricky since I’ve got to keep subbing too.”

  “Think I’ve got a solution for you. One of the girls is moving to Colorado with her boyfriend next month, and if you want the job, you’ve got it.”

  Her breath caught, and he swung her around, setting her on her feet. Crazy, but he almost missed that slight weight of her on his shoulder.

  “Brody, I don’t have any table-waiting experience. Are you sure?”

  He knew she was smart, reliable, and someone he could trust. “Jill can train you. And someone’s always trying to pick up extra shifts, so if you’re booked to work on a day they call you to sub, we’ll be able to cover for you.”

  She launched herself at him, throwing her arms around his neck. His arm closed around her back, holding her against him as she pressed a firm kiss to his jaw, thanking him about a dozen times in the span of thirty seconds.

  That smile beaming up at him was something else. So genuine and wide. Damn, she was gorgeous. Ted was such an idiot.

  “Here I am planning to take things slow,” he said teasingly, “and somehow I’ve managed to get you in my arms twice in the last five minutes.”

  Pinching her lips between her teeth, she ducked her head. A sure sign he ought to let her go.

  Clearing his throat, he set her back and shoved his hands in his pockets. “Here’s the thing, Gwen. No one is going to know that the reason you smile when they mention my name is because you can’t stop laughing at what an unrepentant ass I was that day in front of your place. They’re just going to see you smile, and it’s going to get them thinking…and if we’re lucky, talking.”

  “And what if I roll my eyes when your name comes up?” she challenged.

  “Hell, that might even work better. We’ll have to see how it goes.”