Page 46 of The Hook Up
“Some other time,” Ty murmured, knowing there’d never be a time he’d be the kind of guy Ellie deserved.
* * *
Ellie didher best to tread carefully with Ty as they worked together in the studio over the next week. She was the ultimate professional while recording voiceovers and shooting footage for her new web videos, making sure not to do anything to suggest she wanted more than the fling they’d agreed to.
Shedidn’t,obviously, so that part was easy. Mostly, anyway.
Okay, so once or twice she caught herself wondering what it would be like to have something with Ty that went beyond a casual hookup. What it would be like to go out on dates together, or to spend time just the three of them, her and Henry and Ty.
But that’s not what she wanted.Please.After the way things ended with Chuck, there was no way she wanted to start down that path again. Not even with a guy like Ty.
Ty.
Her heart somersaulted, but she fought off the feeling. He didn’t want a relationship any more than she did. It was better this way, especially with life as busy as it had been lately. Her Madame Butterfly parties were booked solid for the next three months, and things were crazy-busy with Henry’s school stuff and the studio work with Ty. They were easy and friendly with each other, and not awkward at all, which was a relief.
“What are you up to tonight?”
Ty’s question at the end of their recording session on Friday caught her by surprise, and it took her a second to formulate a response.
“Henry and I are making homemade corndogs for dinner,” she said. “Maybe going for a walk to the park.”
She waited, wondering why he’d asked. Was he wanting another hookup, or just being polite? Part of her hoped for the former. Henry had been begging for a sleepover at Jason and Miriam’s, excited about practicing the new tent pitching skills Uncle Jason had taught him on their campout.
“I have tickets to see the Hillsboro Hops baseball game,” Ty said. “Thought maybe you guys would like to go.”
You guys. Ellie studied him.“You mean Henry and me?”
“Yeah. I asked Miriam and Jason, too, plus a couple other folks on staff. I just did a big video project for the team, and the manager gave me a dozen tickets for tonight’s game.”
Was it like a date, or more of a professional engagement? Either way, the guy was offering to take her whole damn family to a ball game. She’d be an idiot to question it too much.
“I’d love to,” she said. “What time should we meet you there?”
“I can come get you,” he said. “That way we can head out there at the same time as Miriam and Jason.”
“Henry will be thrilled. When should we be ready?”
“How about six? We can grab corndogs at the game.”
“That sounds nice.”
And it did sound nice, even if she wasn’t entirely sure what she’d agreed to.
Miriam was no help when Ellie jogged down the street to their place that evening to borrow a baseball cap.
“We have several hundred employees between First Impressions and Speak Up,” Miriam pointed out as she threaded Ellie’s ponytail through the back of the Hillsboro Hops ball cap. “He could have invited any of them, but he didn’t.”
“Well, he invited you, too,” Ellie pointed out.
“It’s a ruse,” Miriam insisted. “Know what else is a ruse?”
“What?”
Miriam grinned. “The fact that Jason invited Henry over after the game to set up the tent in our backyard and practice their camping skills. It’s all a sneaky scheme to give you a night alone with lover boy.”
“Miriam.” Ellie rolled her eyes, not sure whether to thank her or smack her.
“Hey, I remember what it’s like in the early stages of a relationship when you can’t think about anything but shagging each other silly,” she said. “I wanted to help out.”
