Page 5

CHAPTER 5

Rafferty

T he morning of the marketing photo shoot is clear and chilly—a typical winter day in Pittsburgh that turns exhaled breath into white plumes. We’re using a community ice rink on the south side of the city for a promotional event to launch our outreach program, “Titans Together,” aimed at encouraging youth involvement in ice hockey. I was chosen as the face of the program due to my active involvement in community sports programs when I played in Edmonton. It’s a program to bring athletics to underprivileged kids, something I’m passionate about, especially since I saw it firsthand through my dad’s coaching.

I walk into the lobby, trying to ignore the flutter of nerves in my stomach—not about the shoot itself, but about Tempe and Tansy. The place is already bustling with activity, photographers setting up, marketing staff rushing around, and of course, Tansy is in the center of it all. She spots me the moment I step through the door.

“Rafferty, there you are!” Tansy calls out, her tone overly cheerful. She saunters over, her heels clicking sharply on the tiled floor. She looks around, past my shoulder and then back to me with a smirk. “I see you’re here alone. No girlfriend?”

“She’s on her way,” I respond tersely, my jaw tightening. “Had another commitment that ran late.”

Tansy steps closer, her perfume overwhelming, as she places a hand a little too low on my back. “Sure, Rafferty. If you say so. But you know, it’s not too late to grab that drink after.”

Before I can peel her hand off me, the main doors swing open and I look back, expecting Tempe to walk in. She said she had a morning commitment that she couldn’t miss but promised to meet me here. My stomach about bottoms out though when I see my teammate, North Paquette, walking in.

While North is one of my best mates on the team and in ordinary circumstances, I’d be happy to see him, I am not prepared for any of the players to be here because I can’t quite explain my ruse with Tempe, who should be arriving at any time.

“What’s North doing here?” I ask Tansy as I step back from her. North locks eyes with me and raises a hand as he walks our way.

“Oh, didn’t I tell you?” Tansy croons. “We invited him to do the shoot with us. Just one big happy family.”

Fuck.

She set this up to call out my fake girlfriend, knowing that North would be shocked to see her. She set up an embarrassing moment for me. Tansy shoots me a wink as she walks away.

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

I walk toward North to intercept him.

“What’s up, man?” he says, holding out a fist, which I dutifully bump.

My message is urgent and terse, my low, secretive tone furrowing his eyebrows. “I don’t have time to explain, but I’ve got a fake girlfriend coming to this shoot to get Tansy off my back.” North, as well as my other teammates, is well aware of the problems I’ve had with this woman. “Her name is Tempe Martin, we started dating at the beginning of training camp, took a recent break during which I had sex with Tansy and Tempe supposedly had sex with others, and now we’re back together.” The door opens, spilling sunlight in, and Tempe walks through. I turn her way, as does North, and I give one last plea. “Please play along.”

“Got it,” he says, and relief sweeps through me.

Tempe spots me and heads our way. She’s dressed casually yet strikingly in a fitted black leather jacket, dark jeans that accentuate her curves, and a simple white blouse that adds an elegant touch. Her hair is pulled back in a sleek ponytail, sunglasses perched atop her head. She looks every bit the part of a woman who belongs at the side of a professional athlete, at least in my opinion.

I glance back to see that Tansy has spotted Tempe, but she’s stuck in conversation with the photographer. I move to meet Tempe, North on my heels. I don’t have time for a long explanation so I pull her into an all-encompassing hug and put my mouth near her ear. I feel her shiver under my hands as I whisper, “She invited one of my teammates, North Paquette. Big dude behind us. I gave him a brief summary of our ruse, but we’re all going to have to wing it.”

“Understood,” she whispers back, and it’s with such confidence, I have a burst of pride in my fake girlfriend.

Tempe pulls back and moves to North, opening her arms up. He bends down, they hug and Tempe says loud enough that I know Tansy hears as she starts to walk our way, “It’s good to see you again, North.”

He squeezes her, pulls back and puts his hands on her shoulders. His face is filled with genuine delight. “I’m so glad you and Rafferty got back together.”

“Me too.” She looks at me with so much adoration, it actually causes a lump in my throat, and says, “We’re meant to be together.”

I can’t respond because Tansy’s there and I can tell by the look on her face, for the first time, her suspicion has taken a hit. She glances back and forth between me, Tempe and North, but I can see she’s not quite ready to admit defeat.

Tansy moves to my side and puts a proprietary hand on my arm. Looking directly at Tempe, she addresses me. “I’ll need a private word with you, Rafferty, before we begin. So we can go over the generalized script.”

“I assume you want to talk to North too,” Tempe says coolly, and I’m shocked by her calling Tansy on the carpet. “And please, get your hands off my boyfriend,” Tempe says, her tone firm yet light.

Tansy’s mouth drops open and North snickers low, but not low enough he’s not heard. Tansy glares at him.

Without missing a beat, Tempe closes the distance between us and pulls me down for a kiss. It’s meant to be a show, a statement, but the moment her lips touch mine, something shifts. The world tilts slightly on its axis, and I’m no longer in this just for appearances. I’ve got a beautiful, smart, spunky woman with her mouth on mine, so I kiss her back, my hands finding her waist, pulling her closer. The room and its occupants fade away—it’s just Tempe and the surprisingly perfect fit of her body against mine.

When we finally break apart, Tempe keeps her hands on my cheeks, smiling up at me. “I missed you, baby,” she murmurs, loud enough for Tansy and anyone else paying attention.

“Missed you more,” I reply instinctively, a low rumble that matches the sincerity flooding through me.

Tansy huffs and stomps away, calling over her shoulder, “We’re shooting in twenty minutes. I need you guys in hair and makeup.”

Once she’s gone, North bursts into laughter. “That might be the most fun thing I’ve seen in a long time.”

I can’t speak for North, but that kiss was the absolute best thing I’ve done in forever. My heart is still racing and I see that Tempe looks completely happy with herself.

Punching North lightly on the arm, I say, “Thanks, man. Had you not played along, Tansy would have known this was fake. I’m thinking that just officially got this woman off my back.”

“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.”

“What a bitch,” Tempe murmurs as she accepts the money, tucking it into her own back pocket. “Will you get in trouble?”

I shrug. “No clue, but I can’t risk it. Coming to this team is what’s going to set up my career for the rest of my playing time. I can’t afford to lose this.”

“I’m sorry,” she says, her hand on my arm. “That’s a shitty thing for her to do. I wish there was some way I could help.”

“Actually,” I say, relief slamming through me that she offered. Sort of. “Would you continue to be my fake girlfriend? North seems to think if Tansy sees you and me together, it will dissuade her from going to Brienne. That it will cause enough doubt to keep her buttoned up.”

Tempe’s brows knit together, a worried look on her face. “I don’t know, Rafferty. What are we talking about?”

“Come to any team appearances with me so Tansy can see us together. I’m guessing for a few weeks and that’s all. It won’t be too much of your time.”

“And how do you explain me to the team? Are they all going to get on board with this?”

“My closest friends will.”

“They’ll all lie for you?” she asks dubiously.

“Yeah, they will.”

Tempe looks off into the distance, then back to me. “My life is a bit hectic right now. I’m trying to pick up extra shifts at the store, so I’d probably have to give those up.” Her eyes narrow their focus. “I’ll do it for five thousand dollars to compensate me for what I’ll be missing.”

I can’t quite figure out why her request for money bothers me, but maybe I hoped she was as moved by that kiss as I was and would simply want to do this.

To spend time with me.

I can tell you, I would absolutely treat this genuinely because what I’ve come to learn about Tempe in this short time is that she’s the type of woman, in circumstances outside of this debacle I’m caught up in, I’d like to continue to see.

“I can tell by the look on your face that you find it distasteful I’m asking for money,” she says quietly.

“No,” I exclaim. “No, not at all. I realize I’m asking you to spend your own time to do this and that’s worth something. The five thousand is no problem.”

“It’s for my family,” she says. “To pay bills.”

I’m stunned silent for a moment, not by the words, but by the heaviness in her tone. “What’s going on?” I ask.

“My mom was in a horrible accident, severe injuries. She’s out of a rehab hospital and at home recuperating. It’s why I dropped out this semester, to take care of her and Cooper. But she’s not working and what they pay at the grocery store is barely enough to cover the mortgage and utilities and then the medical expenses are still pouring in. The money will get put to good use and give us some breathing room.”

“Do you need more than five grand? I can do more.” I give her a cheeky smile. “I am a multimillionaire, after all.”

Tempe grins but shakes her head. “No, I’m not sure my time is worth more than five thousand, especially if you think it’s only a few weeks. I don’t take advantage of people. But I might have some limitations because of my mom. I’ll have to make sure I have coverage, and I can’t afford to miss work.”

“Understood,” I say solemnly. “The next event is in three days. My teammate Stone is getting married. I’d need you to be my date that night.”

Tempe tilts her head. “He’s getting married on a Thursday night?”

“Odd, I know, but when you’re a professional hockey player, you have to take what few days are available. They wanted a Christmas-themed wedding and it falls right before a road trip down to Florida, so they’re going to sneak in a short honeymoon in the Keys as well.”

“Makes sense,” she says. “But yes… I’ll be your date for that evening. Your job is to get your teammates on board.”

“It’s a plan.”