Page 9 of Homebody (The Long Road Home #21)

Chapter Eight

T rying not to let her hands shake where she stood next to the pool table, Tessa watched Dean settle in the corner booth with his parents.

Yanking her gaze away before it became obvious, she pretended to be sizing up the plays on the pool table. In reality, she was tracking Dean’s actions in her peripheral vision.

He had barely sat down with his parents before Red and Ruby were both up and out of their chairs. And of course, their destination was obvious. They were rushing directly toward Tessa.

Red handed Tessa the margarita that she had left behind. They’d shoved her toward the pool table the moment they spotted the Sinclair’s car pull into the parking lot.

She rolled her eyes at the ruse. As if them delivering her drink made it less suspicious or less obvious that both Ruby and Red had leapt up to come speak to her the moment Dean had walked away.

Tessa took the glass anyway. She could use a drink after that disastrous first meeting with the man she’d been hired to lure away from his ex and into a date with her. The man who was far more attractive than she’d anticipated.

That had been a surprise. With all the plotting and planning they’d done today, no one had thought to show her a photo.

She certainly hadn’t had time to look him up online or on social media—if he was even on any of the usual platforms. Wasn’t there some sort of rule about military personnel not downloading those kinds of apps onto their cell?

She wasn’t sure. The subject of active-duty military protocols hadn’t been in her purview…

until now. Maybe she needed to bone up on it for this assignment.

It didn’t matter anyway if he was or wasn’t on social media since she wasn’t even sure she could still log into her own accounts. It had been so long since she’d been on them.

She let herself glance over at where he sat, then yanked it away when he raised his eyes and his gaze locked onto hers.

Eep! He’d caught her staring.

She angled away from the table and tried not to look suspicious doing so.

If she could pull any of this off was doubtful. But there was no doubt Dean was attractive.

He was tall. She liked tall.

His muscles were visible even through his long-sleeved shirt, conjuring images in her mind of him without a shirt on. All broad shoulders and narrow waist. Thick arms and defined stomach.

His thick brown hair looked perfect for running her fingers through, but she only got to his hair after she pulled her focus off his classically handsome face.

She slurped down a big swallow of the cold tart liquid… and then coughed from the amount of tequila in it.

The bartender poured a strong drink. But since she was nervous and it was doubtful things could get much worse, Tessa took another sip.

Ruby turned so her back was to the Sinclairs’ table before she said, “You have to go over there and say hello.”

Since the music was too loud for anyone to hear anything, Tessa guessed the subterfuge was so the family couldn’t read Ruby’s lips.

Such intrigue…

Tessa rolled her eyes again. “Yeah, because my almost impaling him in the gut didn’t make enough of a first impression. Let me rush right over and start flirting.”

“No. No flirting.” Obviously ignoring the sarcasm in Tessa’s tone, Ruby shook her head. “You need to play hard to get. Remember, you’re aloof. Above him and all men.”

“Yeah,” Red agreed. “You’re too tough for that flirty stuff. You’re a bad-ass woman who doesn’t need a man.”

“Unless your vibrator runs out of batteries,” Ruby added conspiratorially.

“Ooo, you’re so bad.” Red giggled. “But yes. That. You’re the use-em-and-lose-em bad girl. The love-em-and-leave-em type.”

Tessa’s two fake dating fairy godmothers were having too much fun… and all of it at her expense.

“Yoo hoo! Hellooo!”

Tessa dared to raise her gaze and, exactly as she’d feared, Susan Sinclair was half out of her seat, frantically waving at them.

“Do we have to go over there?” she asked, knowing the answer.

Ruby lifted one perfectly shaped brow. “What do you think?”

“But I already embarrassed myself in front of him.”

“You were adorably clumsy. Guys love that. Trust me. I fell in Cash’s lap, ass up. It was embarrassing as hell, but we were dating like a week later.”

“Great.” Tessa groaned. There was no getting out of this now.

Dragging her feet, literally, she shuffled between Ruby and Red, propelled by Ruby’s hand on her back pushing her forward.

“Susan. Ted. I bet you’re over the moon Dean’s home for a visit.” Red smiled.

“Oh my gosh, yes. Never happier than when my baby boy is home for a visit,” Susan gushed as Dean let out a big breath that had Tessa’s lips twitching with a smile.

Good to see that Dean was no happier about this ambush than she was.

“Do you all know my new employee Tessa?” Ruby asked, giving Tessa a little shove forward.

She stumbled but righted herself before she face-planted on the table. Once she had her balance, she wiggled her fingers in a little wave. “Hi.”

“Yes, I think I saw you today when I was getting my hair done,” Susan said in an over-the-top performance to convince Dean they didn’t know each other.

That they weren’t in cahoots together in this grand scheme to control his love life by using Tessa as bait.

“This is my husband Ted. And my son Dean. He’s home visiting from the Navy. ”

“Nice to meet you, Mr. Sinclair. Dean.” Tessa nodded to them both in turn, then felt the blood drain from her face as she realized she might have made a huge error.

Was she supposed to know their surname was Sinclair? Red had only called them Susan and Tim. No last name. Crap.

But no, if Susan had an appointment at Ruby’s she would have been in the appointment book under her last name. And Tessa as an employee of the salon could have seen or heard the name.

Phew . Crisis averted, hopefully not too late. If her face looked anything like it felt, Dean would see right through her lies and straight to her panic.

She was terrible at this. She seriously would be lucky if she didn’t end up owing Susan the money back, plus some to make up for her terribleness.

But maybe her performance—good or bad—didn’t matter because Dean’s gaze was pinned on something past her, proving she wasn’t even interesting enough for him to pay attention to her while she was standing right in front of him.

Yup, she sucked at this. Not a femme fatale. Not a vamp. Just a nerd.

“Hey, Tessa. How about a game?” Dean asked, tipping his head toward the pool table and knocking the air out of Tessa’s lungs.

The shock of the question had her speechless, but not Red who said, “She’d love to play.”

At the same time Ruby physically turned her toward the table. “What a great idea.”

Ignoring or not noticing she hadn’t actually answered for herself, Dean stood. “Mom, order me a draft and teriyaki wings when the waitress comes by.”

“Sure thing. Have a good game.” Susan beamed.

Red and Ruby looked equally thrilled while Ted looked like he’d rather be anywhere but here for what he no doubt had figured out was a fix-up.

“Stripes or solids?” Dean asked, grabbing a pool stick out of the rack on the wall.

“Huh?” She was too lost in the gold and green of his hazel eyes, on full display beneath the light hanging low over the pool table, to comprehend what he’d said.

With a smile, he laid one hand on her shoulder and leaned a little lower. “Sorry, it’s loud in here. I asked if you’re stripes or solids. Or did you want to break again and start a new game?”

“Oh, uh, yeah. No. I’m stripes. You’re solids. I, uh, missed just before so it’s your turn.” She hadn’t missed and it wasn’t his turn but she was shaking too hard to take a shot right now anyway.

In the grand scheme of things, that little white lie was the least of the lying she’d done and would be doing in this scenario.

Hopefully, Dean would run the table and then have to break for the next game and she wouldn’t have to do anything but try not to faint from the stress of this whole night. The lies. His eyes. All of it.

He tipped his head in response with the pool cue gripped in hands that looked strong and capable. “Sounds good.”

Dean lined up his shot as Tessa tried to ignore the many eyes trained upon them. Ruby, Red, the Sinclairs, not to mention quite a few of the patrons seated around them.

She couldn’t blame them all for staring. Dean with his chiseled features, and equally chiseled body, was a thing of beauty. She’d be watching him too even if she wasn’t being paid to do so.

That was saying something. Lately if it wasn’t related to her thesis she paid no attention at all—that included men and her non-existent social life.

But there was no doubt, she wasn’t cut out for this kind of public scrutiny. Her nerves couldn’t take it. She felt the flop sweat dampening her armpits in spite of the deodorant she’d applied, twice, before leaving tonight.

Her mouth went dry. Her stomach fluttered.

There was a reason she’d chosen the field of research. Behind the scenes. That was where she was most comfortable. Not this … this circus performance she’d been talked into.

The warmth of his hand on her lower back startled her. She whipped her head around to find Dean standing close. Very close.

“Sorry. Can I get in there?” he asked lifting his chin to indicate the pool table.

She realized she was standing in front of the cue ball, right where he’d have to be to take the next shot. “Oh. Of course. My bad.”

“No worries. Just a friendly game. Right?” He smiled.

“Right.” She forced a smile in return.

Just a friendly game . Little did Dean know that this whole night—him, her, them —was one big game. And the game masters were all right here watching her play it.

“You’re up.” He tipped his head toward the table. “Just in time too. My beer’s here.” He grinned again as he leaned toward his parents’ table and snatched the glass up to take a big swallow.

She was too busy watching him to remember to take a shot. He came back and laid a hand on her waist, standing next to her to evaluate the situation before them.

Giving her waist a little squeeze, he glanced down at her as he said, “If I were you, I’d go for the corner pocket. You don’t want to sink that eight-ball by mistake.”

“Uh, right. Definitely don’t want to do that.” Her short, forced laugh sounded too loud, too high pitched, and as nervous as she felt.

Sinking the eight-ball would end this horror show and that’s exactly what she would like to do. But now he’d given her advice, she couldn’t ignore it. She took the shot he suggested and somehow managed to make it in spite of her nerves.

As she was trying to make sense of what was left on the table while her mind was on Dean and his suddenly being so handsy, he moved closer and said, “Hey.”

Swallowing hard, she turned to face him. “Hey.” It came out sounding more like a question but it was the best she could do.

“I wanna apologize. And I want to come clean and be honest with you,” he said leaning low and close.

“Oh—okay.”

Uh oh. Honest? That wasn’t on the table for tonight. At least not for her. And him being so made her feel even worse about her own lies.

Did he know?

He must know. That she was a liar and a horrible person. That she’d accepted money from his mother. That she was play-acting this whole thing?—

“I saw my ex walk in and…” He shook his head.

“It’s been a long day already and I just can’t deal with her right now.

I know her and I know if she thought I was here with you she’d leave me alone.

That’s why I’ve been all over you. And it was truly inappropriate.

I’m really sorry. I feel like absolute shit about it. ”

“Oh!” She let out a genuine laugh of relief. “No. No, it’s fine. I completely understand.”

“Do you?” He lifted a dark brow.

“Yes. Totally.” She understood that somehow, against all odds, the committee’s plan was working. Juniper was here and Tessa’s presence, amazingly, was keeping her away from Dean, just as Susan had hoped.

He tipped his head. “I believe that. You probably have quite a few exes of your own to deal with.”

No. Nerdy girl Tessa did not. But bad girl Tessa totally would. She flicked one hand in response. “Oh, yeah. Tons. They’re such a pain. So clingy. They never give up. Just can’t accept when it’s over.”

“Exactly.” He smiled. “Thanks for understanding.”

She returned his smile as an idea struck. An idea that would solve her problem as well as his. “I’m happy to be your fake date any time you need… to keep the exes at bay. For both of us.”

Tessa didn’t have any ex-boyfriends in town, but she did have three busy-bodies intent on her dating Dean. One of whom was her real boss. Another the woman who’d written her a sizable check to be at her disposal when it came to Dean.

If Dean were in on their fake dating though unwittingly, never knowing it was all part of his mother’s plan, it would make Tessa’s life so much easier.

“Do you mean that?” Dean’s gaze cut to meet hers, the pool cue still gripped in one hand as he leaned his jean-clad ass against the edge of the table.

She swallowed as he took the bait. “One hundred percent.”

He nodded. “I think I might take you up on that offer. Because besides the ex over there currently glaring at me and you , I’m pretty sure my mother’s sole goal in life is to get me fixed up and settled down with a woman.

Any woman. I might need to fake date you just to keep her off my back while I’m home. ”

Thank goodness Ruby had caked on the makeup or Dean would have for sure noticed Tessa had gone from deathly pale to full on red-faced when he guessed their plan almost on the nose.

“Mothers, right?” she said, forcing out some sort of devil may care response worthy of her bad girl persona. “But sure. I’m here when you need me. Fake girlfriend for hire.”

He grinned. “Hey, you could probably make some money doing that.”

Coughing on her surprise, she pressed a hand to her chest and nodded, finally choking out, “Right? Could you imagine actually doing that?”

Wow. She’d somehow impossibly dug her hole of deception even deeper. She was getting paid by his mom to deceive him. Partnering with him to deceive his mother at the same time. And collaborating with both Dean and Susan, separately, to keep away his unsuspecting ex-girlfriend Juniper.

It was a lot. Tessa was like a double agent, working for and against both sides at once.

But looking at Dean leaning casually against the table smiling at her, his lips looking oh so kissable, she was starting to not feel all that sorry about any of it.