“I didn’t—I wasn’t—” Dean drew in and let out a breath, resigned. “Yes, sir. I’m sorry, Mom.”
Yup. Just like when he was a kid.
“And for your information, I just thought we could have a pleasant meal out together as a family for your first night home in a year. There’s no one waiting there for you. That’s just ridiculous.” His mother denied it even as her phone emitted one more well-timedding.
After another quick sideways glance at his father, his mother was back on her cell, texting herfriendsagain.
Something was definitely going on. In spite of her denials. In spite of the latent guilt sitting heavy in his stomach for accusing her of something she might possibly—but not likely—be innocent of.
For better or worse, when they arrived at the bar he’d know one way or another.
Chapter Six
The text came through on the group chat that Tessa’s boss Ruby had insisted they set up. It included Ruby, Red, Susan and Tessa.
Although on second thought, Susan was Tessa’s boss now too. On the way home to her one-bedroom rental on the first floor of the enormous multi-apartment Victorian house on Main Street, Tessa had deposited Susan Sinclair’s check directly into her bank account and then taken out the cash she needed for rent.
She couldn’t change her mind now. The moment she’d handed that cash over to the landlord, she couldn’t give it back to Susan. There was no backing out of this insane plan.
With the rent already in her landlord’s hands, and no path but forward, Tessa stood frozen with indecision and a good amount of dread.
She stared at the giant jumbled pile of clothing Red had insisted she take home. How was she supposed to choose an outfit? All of Red’s fashion advice seemed to have fled from Tessa’s brain now she was alone. The only positive thing about the multitude of choices was that Red had insisted she take themhome free of charge. Her uniform for her newjob. That job being seducing a man she never met for money.
Meanwhile, the text chain was blowing up. The incessant alerts finally knocked her out of her stupor.
As an only child, an introvert, a book nerd and an overworked student, Tessa had zero friends, which meant she rarely got texts. Or at least that used to be the case. That was no longer true, apparently.
With a sigh, Tessa made her way around the bed to the nightstand and picked up her cell.
The first text that caught her eye was the one in all caps with an excess of exclamation points.
Susan
ABORT!!! ABORT!!
Ruby
Why? What’s happening?
Susan
Dean knows!
Red
How does he know?
Susan
He guessed it was a fix up!!
Ruby
How? Did you admit it?
Susan
No! Of course not.
