Just One Fake Date: A Contemporary Romance (Flatiron Five Fitness Book 1) Read online

  Just One Fake Date

  A Contemporary Romance

  Deborah Cooke

  Deborah A. Cooke

  Contents

  Just One Fake Date

  Flatiron Five Fitness

  Dear Reader

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Epilogue

  Sign up for My Newsletter, Heroes & Happy Endings

  An Excerpt from Just One More Time

  About the Author

  More Contemporary Romance by Deborah Cooke

  Just One Fake Date

  By Deborah Cooke

  Copyright ©2020 Deborah A. Cooke

  Cover by Elizabeth Mackey

  All rights reserved.

  Without limiting the rights under copyright preserved above, no part of this book may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means, (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without the prior written permission of both the copyright holder and the publisher of this book.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book via the Internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.

  Created with Vellum

  Just One Fake Date

  Flatiron 5 Fitness #1

  Straight out of college, five friends with a dream joined forces to build success. Ten years later, their exclusive fitness club, Flatiron Five Fitness, is the hottest destination in Manhattan. People flock to F5F to get fit, to get lucky, and even, to fall in love. The founding partners have been immune to F5F’s romantic spell—at least, so far...

  Tyler McKay has a plan...

  And it doesn’t include a serious relationship anytime soon. Between his day job and being a partner at Flatiron Five Fitness, he’s busy investing in the future. But Ty knows that going stag to his sister’s wedding will encourage the family matchmakers to intervene: he needs a fake date, fast, in self-defense. When the one woman who hates him walks into F5F, Ty knows he’s found the perfect candidate—that Shannyn doesn’t play by anyone’s rules just leaves Ty wanting more...

  Shannyn Hawke is done with plans and dreams…

  She had her whole life mapped out, but it all went wrong. Now, she’s taking care of number one and living in the moment, with no concern for the future. If her college crush wants to trade a fake wedding date for physical satisfaction, Shannyn is in. But just one night proves that Tyler is everything she believes a guy should be, plus he takes it as a challenge to change her mind about him. Shannyn never wants to have her heart broken again, but she’s falling hard and fast. Can she remember that it’s just for show? Or will Tyler convince Shannyn to take a chance on forever again?

  Flatiron Five Fitness

  Straight out of college, five friends with a dream joined forces to build success. Ten years later, their exclusive fitness club, Flatiron Five Fitness, is the hottest destination in Manhattan. People flock to F5F to get fit, to get lucky, and even, to fall in love. The founding partners have been immune to F5F’s romantic spell—at least, so far...

  1. Just One Fake Date

  Tyler and Shannyn

  2. Just One More Time

  Kyle and Lauren

  3. Just One Night Together

  Damon and Haley

  4. Just One Hometown Hero

  Cassie and Reid

  5. Two Weddings & a Baby

  A Novella

  6. Just One Second Chance

  Theo and Lyssa

  7. Just One Silver Fox

  Jax and Pierce

  Don’t miss the spin-off series, Flatiron Five Tattoo. Each month, on the full moon, Chynna gives away a special tattoo that brings true love to the recipient. These are their stories.

  1. Just One Snowbound Night

  (Olivia and Spencer)

  2. Just One Vacation Night

  (Reyna and Kade)

  3. Just One Unforgettable Night

  (Lexi and Gabe)

  4. Just One Christmas Night

  (Chynna and Trevor)

  Dear Reader

  Welcome to Flatiron Five Fitness!

  In Just One Fake Date, we meet Tyler, the finance guy of Flatiron Five Fitness, along with his friends and partners at the club. Each partner has his or her strength and they’ve been working together as a team to build the best fitness club in Manhattan. Tyler isn’t the only one who’s put his personal life on hold to put more into the club. He’s the only one still working a day job, but when Shannyn Hawke walks back into his life, Tyler realizes what’s missing. I love this story of two people challenging each other and provoking each other to change, falling hard and fast while they do so. I also like second chance romances: Tyler and Shannyn’s story is one, although they didn’t have much of a relationship in college.

  The Flatiron Five Fitness series takes place in real time—this book begins in May 2017. You can find a timeline for the series on my website, along with a list of characters. They’re all under the Flatiron Five Fitness tab.

  In 2020, I commissioned new covers for the Flatiron Five Fitness series, changed the titles, changed the series title slightly and wrote a brand new first book. That’s this one. Tyler originally had a different story called Simply Irresistible, but that book was too different from the other stories in the series: people liked it and not the others, or the other way around. This book, Just One Fake Date, is more consistent with the rest of the series. This change also gave me the opportunity to fix a few continuity errors and to give Tyler a partner who is more involved with the club. The other books in the series have only minor corrections to the content along with their new covers and titles: if you bought them before, you can download the new version as an update. This change also sets me up for more books set in the world of Flatiron Five Fitness, and I find the possibilities exciting. You can check my website for a current list of all of my books, including all available books set in this world.

  Next in the Flatiron Five Fitness series is Kyle’s book, Just One More Time, and there’s an excerpt from it included in the back of this book. Find out why Tyler’s sister Lauren dislikes Kyle so much—or does she? Is it even possible for Kyle to fall in love? I enjoy that when these two meet again, it’s Lauren who doesn’t want to make a commitment and maybe that’s part of what draws Kyle closer.

  You can keep up to date with my contemporary romances by subscribing to my Heroes & Happy Endings newsletter.

  Until next time, I hope you have plenty of good books to read.

  All my best,

  Deborah

  http://deborahcooke.com

  One

  Tuesday, May 9—Manhattan

  Shannyn Hawke checked tha
t her camera was safe and dry before she pulled up the hood of her jacket. She was on the steps outside the Metropolitan Museum and the clouds gathering overhead were dark, threatening rain. The weather couldn’t dampen her mood, though. She was another day closer to finishing this assignment, her biggest one yet. Starting a freelance business wasn’t for the faint of heart, but Shannyn had scored this big assignment from the Met. It would pay well and, with any luck, it would open more doors, too.

  She hurried down the stairs, heading for the subway and a long evening of work. She’d go through her photographs from the day, sort the great from the mediocre, crop and filter the keepers as necessary, and check them against the list of required images. She had two full days of shooting left, then had saved Friday and Monday free for any stragglers or retakes. She was in good shape so far.

  Thunder rumbled in the distance and the first big drops began to fall. Umbrellas were opened and people began to walk more quickly, Shannyn included. She was crossing 78th when her phone rang and she was surprised to see the name of the caller. Deanna was the editor of the alumni magazine at her college, a potential source of work, but she’d blown Shannyn off the last time they’d talked.

  Shannyn ducked under the scaffolding on a building on the opposite side of Fifth Avenue as the rain fell harder. “Shannyn Hawke. Hi Deanna.”

  “Shannyn! I don’t suppose you have time to do a quick job for me?” Deanna spoke with characteristic speed. The woman raced from deadline to deadline. “Time is tight and I’m out of options. I know I wasn’t encouraging when we talked before...”

  “That’s okay. What’s the job?”

  “I need a dozen pictures to go with an interview in the next issue, which goes to press Monday morning. The guy I hired has done a disappearing act and is ghosting me. I’m in a major jam.” Deanna sounded frazzled.

  “Pictures of what?”

  “It’s an article on four grads who started a gym called Flatiron Five Fitness.”

  “I’ve heard of it.” Shannyn couldn’t remember exactly where the club was. Somewhere in Manhattan. She thought they used good images in their ads. Beyond that, she was drawing a blank. “Wait. Four grads? Why is it called Flatiron Five Fitness?”

  Deanna laughed. “One of the partners isn’t an alumnus. The interview is done, but I need pictures. I thought since you were in the city, maybe you’d be able to squeeze it in.” There was hope in her tone.

  Of course, it had to be this week.

  “When do you need them by?” Shannyn didn’t want to turn down the work, but the job for the Met was due Tuesday. Maybe she could do this job on Saturday.

  “Friday?” There was a question in Deanna’s voice, indicating some flexibility.

  “Saturday night?” Shannyn countered and Deanna exhaled.

  “If I have them by midnight and they’re perfect.”

  “They will be,” Shannyn reassured her. “Any preferences in terms of shots?”

  “Well, obviously I need some of the partners, then some shots of the facility would be great. I remember you had some terrific candid work in your portfolio, and I’d love that for this piece. They all sound really serious in the article, so it would be good to have a few shots of lighter moments. Maybe thirty images I can choose from.”

  “Okay.” Shannyn suggested a price, slightly inflated from her usual rates due to the rush nature of the job. Deanna agreed so quickly that she knew she should have asked for more. Live and learn. She scribbled down the details, her pen stopping when Deanna named the four partners.

  Shannyn didn’t know Cassie Wilson or Theo Tremblay, but she certainly remembered Kyle Stuyvesant.

  And Tyler McKay.

  It had to be him, didn’t it? Shannyn felt herself blushing just a little bit in memory of the last time she’d seen him and the only time she’d actually talked to him. It had been at an end-of-term party with schnapps shooters and the result hadn’t been pretty. She didn’t remember everything she’d said and done that night, but Kirsten had filled her in.

  She was glad she didn’t remember telling off Tyler McKay, although the idea of it still made her cringe.

  Smug entitled asshole...

  Shannyn winced. He wouldn’t remember her, though. She’d never been worthy of his interest. That night, he’d probably wondered who the hell she was, then forgotten all about her. And it had been twelve years.

  But there was a nervous flutter in Shannyn’s stomach all the same when she ended the call.

  Bright side: she’d gotten the job. She could squeeze it in and add the money to the fund for her new roof.

  She wouldn’t think about the downside. All work was good.

  One thing Shannyn had learned was to check out any location in advance. There was no telling what complications might pop up. She checked her watch, then the address of the club. She could get the 4, 5 or 6 at Lexington, instead of continuing to 72nd and 2nd Ave for the Q, and stop at the fitness club on the way home. She stepped out into the rain and turned her steps in that direction, moving through the crowds with purpose.

  Tyler McKay.

  He probably wouldn’t even be there.

  She might not see him at all.

  Shannyn had a moment to feel both relief and disappointment, then realized how crazy that was. She’d have to hunt Tyler down for the picture of the partners, which meant she would see him. And he would see her, even if she was behind the camera.

  Even if he hadn’t forgotten her, maybe he wouldn’t recognize her. She’d changed her style in a big way. And twelve years. It had been one drunken night at a party almost a lifetime ago.

  Shannyn crossed her fingers and hoped.

  “And will we be seeing Giselle at the wedding? You haven’t told me, Tyler.”

  Ty frowned, hearing a thousand shades of expectation in his mother’s question. He was walking uptown toward the fitness club that he partly owned, hoping to get a few hours of work done in the evening. It was pouring rain, but he had the advantages of having an umbrella and being tall. He lifted it overhead, keeping himself and anyone in his vicinity dry. His briefcase was slung over his shoulder, his Italian leather shoes were getting wet, and his phone was against his ear.

  Being the only partner with a day job meant that Ty worked pretty much all the time but he was good with that. He liked being a financial adviser at Fleming Financial and the security of a regular check, just as much as he liked being a partner at F5F. It was a lot to juggle but he enjoyed both sets of responsibilities. He’d worry about having a personal life later, after F5F was solid. He saw it as investing in his future.

  But his mom had a different agenda. It was easy to guess what project she would take up once the last of his four sisters was married. Everything in Colleen McKay’s life had been about weddings for five years and it would take a dumber guy than Tyler to miss the natural progression.

  He was next, no matter what he thought of that.

  He needed a better plan than the fiction of Giselle.

  “I really have to go, Mom...” Ty tried to duck the question again, guessing it wouldn’t work.

  “But I just wondered, dear. You know that we’re finalizing the table settings.”

  “You can’t be doing that yet,” he protested and let his tone turn teasing. It was better than having his mom guess the truth. “You just want to know.”

  “Of course, I want to know,” Colleen McKay huffed. “You’re not getting any younger, Tyler, and I want to see some grandchildren one of these days.”

  “You have one.”

  “I want more.”

  “Ask the girls.” To Ty’s thinking, the question of grandchildren was resolved with his sisters’ marriages.

  His mom apparently believed otherwise. “A son of a son, Ty. You know it would make your father happy. And Giselle is just lovely. So glamorous and charming...”

  “But French, Mom. You said that before. And living in Paris.” Ty interrupted the list of Giselle’s attributes. He’d made a serious
mistake letting Giselle survive in his mother’s imagination after their single date, although it had seemed like a good idea at the time.

  That’s what he got for taking advice from his friend and partner, Kyle.

  “But now that I’ve had time to think about it, and you’ve been seeing her so regularly, I want to support your choice. Will she be coming to the shower?”

  “No,” Ty said flatly.

  “Oh, it didn’t coordinate with her flights? That’s too bad, dear. Are you sure she couldn’t change them around?”

  It seemed that Giselle was in league with his mom, because she also refused to take no for an answer. As he walked, he got a text from Giselle that she was in town, asking what he was doing for dinner. Ty was feeling a little harassed by women and their expectations.

  He tried to change the subject. “Are you seeing Aunt Maureen any time soon?”

  “She’s coming to the shower next Sunday, of course, but I would love to be able to tell her about your plans before then.” Ty was well aware that his mom and her sisters were competitive about their kids’ marriages and birth rate. “You know that poor Maxine probably won’t have a date at all, and inevitably, someone will suggest that you two are paired off for the seating at the wedding, but you’re cousins and Giselle would be a far more appropriate choice...”