Jason watched the redhead, Ava, walk away. He didn’t want her to go. He felt an immediate knee-jerk reaction. A jealousy, but not. Not exactly ownership, or based on any kind of understandable logic.
Just instinct.
Jason felt an immediate connection with her, one that surpassed reason.
Primal.
Though he doubted she thought he was anything more than a stammering idiot. He hadn’t stuttered that much in a month.
What the fuck? He let out a sigh.
Tessa noticed where his attention focused, her narrow gaze running over Ava. “You can do better.”
“Excuse me?”
Tessa rolled her eyes. “Who wears red with hair like that? Really, Jason, she’s obviously—”
“St-stop.”
She let out a sigh. “Fine. I’m sorry.” Though she didn’t sound the least bit sorry. “Doesn’t matter anyway.”
Jason raised his eyebrow. “Did you want something, Tessa?”
“Just to say hi. I haven’t seen you in an age.”
He wasn’t buying that for a second. “I know you better than that.”
Her prim and perfect posture slumped a bit. “I suppose you do.”
“So out with it. I have food I’m cooking.” He turned to his grill and started moving the meat around.
“Be my date tonight.”
He about dropped his tongs. “What?”
“I need a date. My ex is here with his latest slut, and I can’t be here alone if he’s got a date.”
“And you assume I’ll do this because…?”
She smiled and batted her eyelashes. “Because friends help one another. And you’re a nice guy.”
I wouldn’t go that far, Jason thought. “What do you need me to do, exactly?”
She shrugged. “The usual stuff. Sit with me during the ceremony. A quick lap of the reception. Light PDA.”
“Light PDA?”
“Public displays of affection?”
“I know what it is.”
“Hold my hand. Kiss on the cheek. Nothing fancy.”
“You do realize I’m working here.”
“I can work with that,” she said.
He didn’t like the idea, but he and Tessa had parted amicably and remained friends. Most of the time, anyway. Their relationship hadn’t been the best—the biggest issue being that she didn’t have a lot of faith in him.
Not that he cheated, or even tried to. It was other levels of faith they lacked.
His knee ached and he shifted positions. He wasn’t sure he wanted to go back to…
“Jason?” Tessa said, her voice soft, and for a second she looked almost worried. And, damn, that was the same look that he’d seen on numerous upset women who really just wanted some help.
And it absolutely kicked him in the gut every time.
“I have a caveat myself,” he finally said.
“Of course. What is it?”
“No digs.”
She blinked and stared at him, like she was going to say something but had stopped herself.
“No digs about being a private investigator or the cooking. Or I’ll tell everyone this is all for show.”
“Of course. I wouldn’t.”
He raised his eyebrow. “You didn’t have a lot of faith in me before.”
She looked at the ground. “Well, everyone makes mistakes.”
“Even you?” Jason asked.
“Especially me.”