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asleep, and if she dreamed, she didn’t know it.

Chapter Four
     
    Saturday proved to be just as busy as Friday had been. Tessa felt as if she’d run a marathon and had the aching feet to prove it. By the time she left Heavy Trinkets, it was nearly four, almost an hour later than normal. For once she didn’t have the spare energy to hurry home when she really needed to. At least by being so busy she hadn’t worried herself crazy about her date that night.
    The walk home went by fast as well. She worried that she’d be late getting ready and stepped up her pace despite how tired she was. Later, as she was pulling off her work clothes, it dawned on her that she didn’t really remember the walk home, which meant she hadn’t been paying close enough attention to her surroundings. That was a very dangerous thing when walking alone in that part of town. She vowed to be more aware from now on and not let anything else take precedence over her safety. The fact that it wasn’t something she normally did only hammered home just how much the two men affected her that she became distracted when her safety was at stake.
    A quick shower later, Tessa dried off and worried over her lack of dressy clothes.
    Hell. Who am I kidding? Forget dressy, I just wish I had something other than faded jeans and T-shirts.
    She had a few sweaters that weren’t as worn looking as the shirts, but it was too hot to wear them. Maybe she should have used a little of her savings to update her wardrobe. She huffed out a breath in disgust. It was too late now. Even if she’d given in and decided to go shopping, she really hadn’t had time.
    Tessa had a little make up, but she rarely wore it. Tonight, though, she decided to add a little bit to make up for her decidedly not dressy outfit. She had no idea where they would go, but she hoped it would be the diner or maybe a bar and grill. That, she thought, she could handle without feeling completely self-conscious over her outfit. Having never been one to fuss over clothes, purses, or hairstyles, Tessa wasn’t sure if she’d be able to pick out something stylish or not.
    Face it, Tessa. You’re not a girly girl and will never win any beauty or fashion contest. They’ll take one look at you tonight and realize just how big of a mistake they were making. I won’t have to push them away. After tonight, I’ll probably never see them again.
    When she felt that she’d done the best she could with her appearance, Tessa poured a glass of iced tea and plopped down in the only chair she had outside of the one barstool where she ate her meals. According to the clock on the stove in the kitchen, she had a good forty minutes until they arrived to pick her up. If she didn’t find some way to distract herself, she’d chew her nails off and add ragged fingernails to the list of marks against her appearance.
    One of the perks of working at Heavy Trinkets was the discount she received on the merchandise. Most of it she wasn’t the least bit interested in other than some of Kelly’s jewelry and the collection of erotic romance books they kept in stock. She now had a nice collection that she often found herself rereading. Tessa picked up the one she was reading now off of the plastic box she used as a makeshift end table. It was a new release from Heather Rainier and was proving to be hard to put down.
    To her surprise, she lost herself in the book instead of worrying about the night ahead. When she heard someone knocking on her door, it took her a second to remember where she was and what she was doing.
    Tessa shoved a bookmark in the book and set it back on the plastic bin before she jumped up and nearly ran to the door. How long had they been knocking? She prayed she’d heard them the first time. Without checking to see who it was, she unlocked the deadbolts and flung open the door. Both men stood right outside wearing nice jeans and new-looking T-shirts. Tag’s shirt was a warm maroon that complimented his