Chapter 5 #2
Was it something he said to every woman he encountered to let himself off the hook if they were to develop feelings?
Had he noticed the effect he had on her?
She was usually a good judge of character, but so far she couldn’t quite read him, even though this was the third time they’d met.
Not that I’m counting. On the one hand, he’d seemed so genuine, but he was so quick to shut down, so quick to turn on the charm. It made her head spin.
They’d been standing and walking shoulder-to-shoulder, occasionally brushing each other’s side, and Avery took a step to the side, creating some air between them.
At least now she knew for certain that she had to play it cool around him and bury her little crush, since he would probably be annoyed to learn he had yet another starry-eyed admirer.
“I get it,” she answered in a confident tone, trying not to hint at the twinge of disappointment she felt.
“I know it’s nothing like being in a car going 200 miles per hour, but the pressure I feel for the Silver Foundation gala is similar.
So many organizations are counting on me to raise money.
And I have to find a date for the event to please my mother, who unlike your mom, couldn’t care less about my work.
Instead, she’s obsessed with my love life. ”
Her stomach quivered. She’d said too much.
But Teddy chuckled. “Your mom is obsessed with your love life? I haven’t had the pleasure of meeting her yet. Does she come to many races?”
“Her social calendar is too full to travel this much, but you’ll definitely meet her at one of the US races,” Avery shook her head and smiled wryly. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
“She can’t be that bad, can she? I’m sure I can handle her. Didn’t you see how I handled those girls back there? Or that waitress at the bar the other night?” Teddy smirked.
Avery smiled back but shook her head at him. He may be charming, but he’d never met Sharon Silver.
“She’s about as judgey and easy to win over as those swans over there,” Avery pointed to the unaffected creatures gliding along the water, completely ignoring the paddleboats and the kids splashing and wading at the water’s edge.
“Then you better come up with a really fantastic date to please her, huh?” Teddy asked.
“You don’t happen to know any fabulously successful, 25-30-ish celebrities willing to publicly date me and come to the gala?” Avery laughed. “Bonus points if they are Jewish or willing to convert.”
She looked up at Teddy, and her breath hitched. He wasn’t laughing back, he looked at her seriously, as if he were contemplating something.
It had been so easy to talk to him, but it had probably been inappropriate to talk that way with someone she worked with. That must be why he wasn’t laughing anymore.
“Thanks for the cool-down walk, Avery. I should head back and shower before my strategy briefing. Are you headed back to the hotel too?” he asked, and Avery detected a note of hopefulness in his voice. Maybe he didn’t want to end their conversation either.
“Yes. Are you staying at the hotel with the team?” she asked. Somehow it hadn’t occurred to her that Teddy might be staying there too, given that he lived in London.
“Yes, I didn’t want to change up my race week routine, even for my home race,” he said. “And there are too many distractions at my flat.”
“That makes sense,” Avery said.
The light turned green.
“Now we only have to make it two more blocks back to the hotel without me getting recognized.”
“Sounds like you need a decoy date as much as I do. Maybe teenage girls and waitresses would leave you alone if they thought you were in a real relationship,” Avery joked.
Teddy looked at her again with that contemplative look. “That’s brilliant,” his hazel eyes twinkled with hope. “The public benefits of being attached without the commitment of an actual relationship.”
“Have James post a few pictures of you with someone - surely he can make anything seem real on social media,” Avery continued, only half joking now.
Teddy pushed the large glass doors to the hotel’s lobby open, and a burst of refreshing air-conditioned air hit Avery, giving her goosebumps, as Teddy held the door open for her.
“All the other guys’ wives and girlfriends come to nearly every race and post photos, so my ‘girlfriend’ would need to do the same for it to be at all believable,” he said, following her into a light-filled lobby atrium.
This was starting to sound less like a joke, and more like the beginning of a real plan?
She felt bristly at the idea of a faux-girlfriend following Teddy around at every race.
She was really enjoying spending time with him, even if it was always going to stay in the friend zone.
And some woman hanging around posing as his girlfriend would just be annoying.
“I don’t really want some hanger-on following me around the globe for a few pics. That would be almost as bad as a desperate fan waiting for a selfie,” Teddy continued as if he had read her mind, “But it would really help me out, more than you know.”
“Well, then find someone who is more convenient. There are twenty teams and a traveling circus each week. Certainly, there's someone around here who could play the part,” Avery suggested.
“There are hardly any women engineers or execs in this sport, and even fewer who are unattached. And I don’t imagine anyone from another team would be interested in helping me out so that I can focus on beating their driver to the finish line each week.”
“I guess that leaves me or Stacey,” she offered up.
No we couldn’t…could we?
“Would you consider doing it?” Teddy looked at her, daring her to say yes.
Avery’s heart began beating so violently it nearly leapt out of her chest. She could barely squeak out a response. Was this actually happening? “Me? You want me to pretend to be your girlfriend?”
“Sure. It makes perfect sense, if you think about it,” Teddy continued, his voice getting louder. “You are already invested in the team’s success. You travel with us most weeks anyway, and I want to get to know you. Plus - we did already get our first photo together.”
Avery began to play-out the scenario in her head – she’d do almost anything that was in the best interest of the team, and it’s not like spending a little more time with Teddy would be torture. Pretending to be Teddy’s girlfriend might be strategic too, if she could get him to help with the gala.
“Well, it does make sense, ya know, for the sake of the team. But I need something from you in return,” she counter-offered, tugging on her curls. “Would you attend the end-of-season gala as my date? And would you and James help promote it in the weeks leading up to it?”
“Sure. That’s easy. I just need one more thing. We have to let James tip-off a reporter that we are dating before we post anything on social media.”
“A particular reporter?” she asked, her eyes wide. Was this what James had been referring to?
Teddy ran his hands through his hair. “I’m in a bit of a pickle, and yes, I really need to let it play out that way…that is, if we have a deal?”
Avery wanted to ask more, but Teddy was looking around the lobby to see who was in ear shot, so she knew not to push it, at least not now. “Deal,” she agreed, sticking her hand out to shake his.
“If we are going to make this believable, I don’t think a handshake will do.”
He leaned in for a hug, wrapping his strong arms fully around her body. Avery leaned into him for a beat longer than was strictly necessary, enjoying the warmth of his strong chest and arms, before he gave her a peck on the cheek.
She tried to ignore the tiny itch of disappointment she felt that his kiss hadn’t reached her lips.
“This is going to be fun,” he whispered into her ear before removing his face away from hers.
Her ears felt hot from his breath, and his words.
And without so much as another look back at her, he bounded toward the elevator, rendering Avery completely speechless.
What have I done? It was the most impulsive decision she could remember making in her entire life.
On one hand, she was positively giddy – what was better than having an excuse to get close to one the most handsome men she’d ever met?
But on the other hand she was keenly aware that this had the potential to end badly. Very badly.