Page 97 of The Fiancée Farce
“Gemmantha?” Tansy snickered. “Where the heck did you get that from?”
“Teddy’s a mess.”
“Ah, but I’m your mess. Your mess now, too, Tansy.” Teddy shot her a cheeky wink, grin all kinds of saucy. He screwed up his face. “Let’s see... Gemmaline, Gelly-bean, Gem—mima!”
A snort escaped Gemma. “Gemma isn’t short for anything, Teddy-bear. But points for ingenuity.”
“Aw, shucks.” Teddy snapped, paper bag crinkling in his lap. “Thought I was onto something with that last one. How about you, Tansy? What’s your name short for?”
She opened her mouth—
“Wait! I’ve got it! Tanzania! Am I right? I’m right, aren’t I?”
She made a sound like a buzzer, earning a snort from everyone in the car. “Wrong.”
“Hmm, tricky. Tamsen?”
Tansy could see the game for what it was: a means of distracting her, soothing her nerves. She couldn’t bring herself to care, not when it was working beautifully. Definitely not when she was actually having a good time.
“Wrong again.”
“You should give up.” Gemma squeezed Tansy’s fingers and shared with her a secret smile.
“Give up? Have you met me?” He snapped his fingers together; his nails were painted neon green. “I’ve got it. Tansy is short for Rumpelstiltskin. Ah? Ah? I’m right, aren’t I?”
“Congratulations,” Tansy said, doing her level best to keep her voice even, the desire to laugh almost winning out. “My mother and father chose to name me after a scheming imp who lived in the woods and spun straw into gold.”
“Not to mince words,” Teddy said, “but initially, youdidspin quite the yarn that, in the end, might as well be gold.”
“You know what, Teddy.” Tansy leaned forward and smiled at him. “That’s actually extremely astute of you.”
“Don’t need to sound so surprised.” He beamed.
Gemma laughed. “I’d apologize for my friends’ antics, but—”
“Hey now,” Teddy protested. “Your friends’ antics, my left arse cheek. Tansy’s our friend, too.” He tossed a wink at her over his shoulder. “In case you hadn’t realized, we’ve adopted you. Like it or not, you’re one of us now.”
A giddy sort of levity replaced her earlier nerves.Friends.With Samina several states away, married with kids and a life of herown—none of which Tansy begrudged her for—Tansy didn’t have many friends. She could always use more, especially friends who seemed as loyal as these, ready to rally around her when she was upset, friends who grew incensed on her behalf. Friends who may or may not be willing to commit questionable acts of retribution to bolster her confidence.
“I’d love that.”
Max kept left at the fork on I-5 S, following the signs to I-90 E for Bellevue.
Tucker and Madison lived in Bellevue, downtown in some fancy high-rise. Tansy’s stomach knotted, those nerves that had abated returning, getting the best of her.
“If you don’t want to do this, you can stay in the car.” Gemma’s hand rode high on Tansy’s thigh, fingers flirting with that curve, that crease of denim where her thigh met her hip. Beneath the smell of leather and new car, she caught a whiff of Gemma’s bergamot bodywash. Whether it was coming from Gemma or clinging to her own skin from her quick shower, she couldn’t say. Which she liked. Smelling like Gemma, not knowing where Gemma ended and she began, if only via the smell of her soap. “But I think it could be good for you. Cathartic.”
“I never said I didn’t want to be a part of this, only that I wanted to know whatthisis.” Tansy rested her hand atop Gemma’s. “Anytime any of you want to fill me in would be fantastic.”
“Fill you in.” She nodded. “Okay. “It’s not destructive, I swear. Not—”
“Unless we boff it up and it goes horribly wrong. Which it won’t, of course.” Teddy grinned. “Most likely.”
Most likely.“You alldoknowcloseonly counts in horseshoes and hand grenades, don’t you?”
Gemma and Teddy exchanged another look.
“Fine.” Gemma sighed. “It’s not strictly aboveboard. Technically, it involves a little B and E. A little subterfuge. It’s notnotillegal, but as long as all goes according to plan, no one will be the wiser that we were ever there.”
