Total pages in book: 73
Estimated words: 67991 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 340(@200wpm)___ 272(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 67991 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 340(@200wpm)___ 272(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
“Glad to help,” North says and then faces Tempe. “And nice to meet you officially. That was some great acting.”
She laughs, a light tinkling sound. “I thought I wanted to be a drama major so I’ve got some skills.”
“What changed?” I ask.
“Doesn’t pay enough,” she replies pertly.
“North. Rafferty. Need you in hair and makeup now!” Tansy calls, her irritation clear.
And because Tansy is watching, and it allows me to touch Tempe again, I lean in and brush my lips against her cheek. “You can stand anywhere and watch. Hopefully you won’t be too bored.”
“This is very cool,” she says, looking around at the setup. “I’ll just hang over there.”
Tempe moves off and North and I get the necessary touchups to make sure we don’t shine on camera or some shit like that. We’re doing still photos and videos, plus they even have a few of the community kids in hockey gear to add realism to the messaging.
The shoot progresses with ease, North and I both experts at doing these things. Goes with the territory and we never mind doing it. Tansy hustles around, changing things up, and I have to admit, she is good at her job. When she’s in professional mode, she’s almost bearable.
Until she’s not.
During a break as the photographer looks through the shots he’s already taken to see if he wants anything else, Tansy steps over to me and North. “I still don’t believe you,” she says, eyes pinned on me.
I nod toward North. “You saw it yourself… my buds know all about Tempe.”
“Yeah,” she scoffs. “Because you walked over and told him about this whole charade right before she arrived. You couldn’t get over there fast enough and I saw the look on your face when you saw him walk in. It was panic.” Her eyes then cut over to where Tempe is watching. “And that kiss… it was for show.”
“I don’t owe you any explanation,” I clip out.
“No, you don’t. But that doesn’t mean I won’t keep trying.”
“For fuck’s sake, why?” I say with clear frustration. “I’m not interested.”
“Yes, you are,” she says with so much confidence, I don’t know how someone can be that full of themselves. “We were dynamite together.”
“Can’t you just accept this isn’t going to happen?” I mutter.
“No.” She leans in closer, but North is standing close enough, he can hear. “And I’d really encourage you to give me another shot. I’d hate for Brienne to be made aware of how you tricked me into bed and are now treating me this way.”
“What in the actual fuck?” I growl, my entire body tightening with rage. “You wouldn’t.”
“Wouldn’t I?” she says sweetly. “I’ll be seeing you at Stone and Harlow’s wedding next week.”
Tansy is out of earshot when I snarl under my breath, “Motherfucker.”
“That is one crazy woman,” North says sympathetically. “You think she’d go to Brienne?”
I turn to face him. “Don’t you? Look at the lengths she’s gone to already.” I glance back at Tempe and see a small measure of concern clouding her features, which I’m guessing is in reaction to my own thunderous expression. When I look back to North, I feel lost. “I can’t afford to lose my contract with this team. I only signed a one-year deal and I’m third line. They could send me down.”
“Brienne’s not like that,” North says, but I don’t hear any conviction in his response. We’re both new to this team and while Brienne Norcross seems like a great owner so far, we don’t know her.
Not really.
And Tansy is family.
I rub at the back of my neck, the muscles corded with tension. “What do I do?”
North glances over at Tempe and then back to me. “You ride that fake girlfriend thing all the way.”
“What?” I ask, frowning at the suggestion. “No. I can’t ask that of her, and besides… this didn’t work.”
“Maybe not, but if you keep hammering it home with Tansy, maybe it will. Repeat the lie enough, she’ll have to believe it. Besides, what do you have to lose? I say get Tempe on board with this—and if I’m measuring that kiss earlier, she’ll be on board—and ride it all the way to freedom.”
Another look at Tempe, who cocks her head at me as if to question, “What’s going on?”
“I suppose,” I murmur, calculating all the ways this could go wrong but if North is right, this could work. Keep Tempe glued to my side and Tansy will have to leave me alone. She could be dissuaded from going to her cousin if she actually believes I’m with someone else.
“Yeah… okay. I’ll talk to Tempe.”
♦
I walk Tempe to her car after North took off with a sincere “Good luck” backslap.
“Well…” Turning from her open car door to face me, Tempe asks, “Did it work?”
“No,” I say with a sigh as I nab my wallet from my back pocket and pull out the ten one-hundred-dollar bills I’d stashed in there to pay Tempe for her time. “And she’s threatening to go to the team owner and say I tricked her into bed and now I’m blowing her off.”