But he still was used to having everything go his way, something that Shannyn found absurd. She was more accustomed to things not going her way. She was the queen of contingency plans. She could have been envious of his confidence. Instead, she found herself wanting to prove to him that it wasn’t always so. That was a dangerous impulse, one that would dovetail neatly with his own objective that they get to know each other better, and she wasn’t going there.
After all, he’d probably already forgotten all about her. That would be better than any compare-and-contrast between her getting naked with her plain white cotton sports bra and briefs, and Giselle stripping down to exotic Italian lace lingerie.
What was done was done. Shannyn had a new policy of no regrets.
She was going home to feed the cat and work. She’d go to the club Saturday and finish the job for the alumni magazine. And when she knew the time and date of Tyler’s sister’s wedding, she’d enlist her mom’s help with her dress, show up, keep her part of the deal, and never see Tyler McKay again.
The plan was perfect.
Which only meant it should have been more satisfactory than it was.
Ty couldn’t shake his conviction that nothing with Shannyn was going as planned—and that she had somehow engineered that. He couldn’t recall any date ending so badly, much less one in which his efforts to repair the situation had fallen on deaf ears.
She was the most stubborn woman alive.
It drove Ty crazy when he couldn’t figure something out, and he really couldn’t understand Shannyn. Why would she suggest such a deal when she had such a low opinion of him? How could sex be so great when she didn’t even like him? What had happened to her in the past twelve years?
Who was the asshole who’d broken her heart?
There was no artifice in Shannyn and maybe that was what intrigued Ty the most. She had secrets, but when she confessed something, Ty knew it was true. She didn’t try to manipulate him. She told him what she wanted and that was that.
What he saw was what he got. Ty found that refreshing.
And unusual.
Fascinating.
He was crunching monthly expenses, trying to focus on work, when Kyle appeared. Kyle leaned in the doorway and surveyed Ty with a sad shake of his head. He’d changed into dark jeans and a black T-shirt with the F5F logo, obviously on his way home for the night.
“Always working,” he said with a sigh, as if that was pathetic.
“Problem?” Ty asked. The last thing he was going to admit to Kyle was that he was having trouble concentrating. He spared his partner a glance.
“I came to thank you for dealing with Shannyn, but it looks like you have a problem. Who is she?”
“Who is who?”
“The one who got away.”
Ty put down his pencil and looked up. “What are you talking about?”
“You’ve changed suits. New tie. Clean shirt.” Kyle leaned closer. “Second shave!” His brows rose. “Come on, tell. Who is the amour du jour?”
His use of French wasn’t welcome.
“There isn’t one.” Ty closed a file and opened the next one.
“I heard about Giselle dropping by.”
“She left.”
“I heard that, too.” Kyle leaned on the table. “I even heard you sent her away.”
“Why do we have staff on the front desk?” Ty muttered. “Is this place just one big gossip mill?”
“Of course!” Kyle shook a finger at him. “But that means you intended to be with someone else. Who?”
“Leave it.” Ty used his stern voice, which anyone other than Kyle would have realized was a command to end the conversation.
Kyle sat on the table instead. “You mean she cancelled? She looked upon all that is good in male sartorial flair and declined to partake of the feast?”
“Shut up, Kyle.”
“And you were left with no plans for dinner, despite having expectations. After dismissing the delicious Giselle, too. Who is this paragon of restraint? I want a name. Maybe a number.”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“But I think it does.”
Ty was well aware that Kyle was watching him. He tried to be a little less savage with the files.
“I know you,” Kyle said. “You’re only in a mood when things don’t follow your expectations. Your brilliant plan lies in tatters about your feet because the lady of choice has declined to play along.” He waited for confirmation but Ty didn’t say anything. “You could ask Sonia to the wedding, you know.”
“She’s an employee!” Ty didn’t hide his exasperation.
“Oh, yes, pesky principles.” Kyle stood up then leaned in the doorway again, instead of disappearing through it in the way Ty would have preferred. “Actually, though, you and Sonia wouldn’t be good together. You’re too much the same. All that discipline and temperance. It’s unnatural.” He made a face. “No one would ever have any fun, but maybe you’d like it that way.”
“Don’t you need to be somewhere else? Seattle maybe? Melbourne?”
Kyle continued as if he hadn’t heard Ty. “You need yin for your yang. You need someone who shakes things up, someone who rattles your tidy expectations, someone who makes you work for it. Someone who is your polar opposite. A wild spirit who can astonish you at regular intervals.”
It did absolutely nothing for Ty’s mood to realize that Kyle was describing Shannyn.
“I don’t need anyone,” he insisted. “I don’t have time anyway.”
Kyle nodded wisely as if Ty hadn’t spoken. “Someone with a tattoo. Maybe two.”
“There’s something ironic about you giving matchmaking advice.”
“There is!” Kyle laughed, untroubled. “I think I’m good at it, though.”
“You think you’re good at everything. Remember I’m not listening to your advice ever again.”
“Too bad. You only get lucky when you do.”
“Not true.” Ty looked up from his laptop. “You must have something more interesting to do than harass me.”
“You’re right, I do. I was just thanking you for taking over with Shannyn. I almost didn’t recognize her.”
“This from Mr. Perception.”
“Wasn’t she going to be a teacher?”
Ty had to think about that. “You’re right,” he acknowledged, his curiosity stirring again. “I wonder how she ended up doing freelance photography.”
Kyle shrugged without interest. “Who knows.”
Ty bet the answer had something to do with the jerk who’d broken her heart.
He wondered whether he’d ever know.
“She’ll be back Saturday,” he told Kyle. “She wants candid shots of each of us, then a group shot.”
“When’s Theo back?”
“He’s flying back today and will be in by noon tomorrow.” Ty had gotten an email from Theo earlier in the day. He’d been off for a few weeks, having gone home to the UK because his dad was ill. He was probably in the city now, but jetlagged.
Kyle frowned a little. “Maybe we should play a game of pick-up. Partners and staff vs. a few regulars.”