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He set up dinner at the table, and we ate while he gave me all the details and quirks I might need to know about his family. He said his brother Rhett would flirt with me, his sister would probably want to take me horseback riding (which sounded like a ton of fun), and his brother Gage would probably spend way too much money on whatever we did. But then he said his mom would love me, and I already felt more at ease. He loved his mom more than anyone in the world, and if I passed her test, I had no doubt this relationship would be something that would last.
With dinner done and Tyler doing what was left of his dishes, I excused myself to take a shower. The water pressure here was incredible. I took my time, shaving my legs, brushing out my hair, and then rubbing coconut oil all over my body. I loved using it as a natural moisturizer, and it smelled amazing. Plus, I knew Tyler liked it too.
I walked to his bedroom and reached into his closet for the oversized T-shirts he kept especially for me because he thought they were sexy. I slipped one over my head, no underwear or bra underneath, and walked to the living room.
Where Janessa was edging her way into the apartment.
My mouth fell open, and I quickly turned to leave, but it was too late. We’d been caught.
51
Tyler
I clenched my jaw, mentally cussing Janessa for being so damn pushy. She’d literally invited herself into my apartment to “make sure it was up to par”, even though I’d said, multiple times, that I wasn’t feeling well.
Of course, now I was caught in the lie, and Henrietta had been caught half naked.
Janessa’s eyes widened as she looked between Henrietta and me, processing what she saw, and then her gaze narrowed with recognition. “What do we have here?” she asked.
Henrietta chirped, “I’ll be right back.” She pulled the hem of her shirt down and hurried to the bedroom, leaving Janessa and me standing alone.
“Well, now I know why you’ve been turning me down,” Janessa said. “Not that I understand the allure.”
Protective rage quickly rose in my chest, spewing out my mouth. “Watch it.”
She lifted her eyebrows, an amused smile on her lips. “Look at those claws coming out.”
My jaw twitched with bitten-back words. If she uttered one more negative comment about my girl, she’d regret it.
But her smile fell back into place, and she said, “Henrietta, how nice to see you in your clothes.”
I looked over my shoulder to see Henrietta walking down the hallway toward us. Her hair was still wet, but now she had on a cotton dress and house shoes.
“Janessa, I wasn’t expecting to see you here,” Hen said, a smile on her face that didn’t reach her eyes.
“I could say the same.” She stepped farther into the apartment, brushing her fingers along the back of my couch and thumbing away the dust. “I thought we had a talk about dating Tyler being against the rules.”
The audacity of this woman, pushing her way into my home and then shaming Henrietta for doing the same thing she had wanted. My voice was tight as I said, “I informed Henrietta of your very direct, and failed, attempts at flirting with me.”
Janessa’s smile only faltered for a minute. “That was only banter, Tyler.”
Henrietta narrowed her gaze. “I called Frannie. She told me the truth—she was fired for coming to work latebecause she had morning sickness, not for hooking up with Jeremy.”
“Same difference,” Janessa said as if her lies were no big deal.
Henrietta said, “I’m sure the shareholders wouldn’t be happy that Blue Bird only hired Crenshaw Construction for your own selfish crush on Tyler.”
“That wasn’t at all the plan,” Janessa sputtered.
Henrietta lifted her chin. “You met with Tyler and his boss prior to hiring. I doubt your denial will prove anything.”
Changing tactics, Janessa stepped between Hen and me. “Henrietta, I thought we were friends. Are you really going to let some guy come between us?”
My gut sank, waiting to hear Hen’s answer.
“I thought we were friends too,” Hen said, a quiver in her voice. “We’ve worked together for eight years, and you had no problem lying to me because I told you he was cute. That’snotwhat friends do. You are no friend of mine.”
Any hint of Janessa’s fake smile was gone. “Fine. Enjoy each other. Although I have no idea how that’s possible.”