The Pretend Girlfriend(40)

She smiled. That was a start. A real compliment, even. "Anything else?"

"No. Should I have?"

Gwen's shoulders slumped. "No. I just wanted to make sure the first time wasn't a fluke or anything."

"Good thinking."

Gwen glanced back at the TV, her mind going back to that night with Beatrice. B, believing that men and women couldn't ever be just friends, told her that Gwen had probably left strings of guys in her past who’d felt something for her, but never got any of that feeling back in return because Gwen thought they were just friends. A trail of broken hearts.

Was this, then, some sort of cosmic justice or comeuppance? Was B right, and now Gwen was finally getting a taste of what she gave (or didn't, as was the case) to others?

She watched Aiden pick up the contract and scan down the page. Maybe B was right.

She didn't want to think about this anymore. Her thoughts had been busy with Aiden all day, and she needed a break.

"I think that's enough for now. I really need to get to work on a paper."

"I'll show myself out," Aiden said, bracing against the armrest for the push off the couch. Her thigh felt cold without his touching it.

She leaned back against the cushion and listened to him walk through the apartment. When the door closed behind him, she remembered his jacket on the rack. Gwen got up and went to the door.

He'd forgotten, or left, the jacket behind. Gwen rubbed the cuff between thumb and index finger, feeling the fine threads that made it up. If she smelled it, it would still have his scent, she knew.

Instead, she pressed her forehead against the door and stared down at her toes. She really did have an essay to work on, but she just couldn't. Not with all this confusion swirling around inside her. She needed to work through this if she wanted any chance of making it through this utterly bizarre situation she'd stumbled into.





Chapter 14


Not knowing what else to do, desperately needing someone to talk to, she got in touch with Beatrice. B showed up later that evening, just before 7.

They stood in the kitchen, Gwen watching Beatrice pull the vodka out of the freezer and pour a healthy dose into a glass. She offered Gwen some, but Gwen declined, remembering the trouble that got her into the last time.

"Suit yourself," B said, throwing her head back and downing half of what she'd poured. "So, is this about Aiden, or have you finally decided to accept my offer and come live with me?"

"I'm not moving," Gwen replied. She'd forgotten that B still believed she was in trouble. Well, Gwen thought, I am still in trouble. Just a different kind. She quickly gave B an abbreviated version of the ring story.

"Man, really? That is just incredible! Next time Astor throws a party I'll see if I can get a look," B said.

That just elicited an internal groan on Gwen's part. Why did everything have to be so complicated? "I don't think they'll let you. They're probably super tight with security on it, now. I bet they'd even pretend the thing doesn't exist."

That seemed to satisfy Beatrice, who muttered something about tight-fisted rich people before turning her charm back on Gwen. "So it's about Aiden then, I take it."

"Yeah, things are just... different than I expected," Gwen started.

"You mean in bed? Yeah, rich guys like weird stuff," she said, her tone full of sage wisdom.

A number of images flashed through Gwen's head that she hoped never to experience again.

Gwen opened her mouth, then closed it, not really sure what to say to that. It might have been something like, Is that why you like them so much? but that wasn't somewhere she wanted to go. Not without having any alcohol in her, anyway.

"No, nothing like that. We haven't done anything like that anyway," Gwen said.

"You mean not yet. You haven't done any of that stuff yet."

"You're right, not yet I mean. It's just... I had this dream about him last night. One of those dreams, if you know what I mean."

This just earned her a snort and a rolling of the eyes. "Come on, Gwen, this isn't middle school anymore. It's okay to say 'sex' now. Just say it; you had a sex dream about the guy you're dating last night."

Gwen felt her cheeks burning. Then she realized that B was right. There wasn't anything to be embarrassed about. Or, at least, there wouldn't be if she and Aiden were actually dating. But she couldn't exactly say that to Beatrice. It wasn't like she was a prude or anything. She'd had boyfriends before. She'd had fantasies before (though none quite that vivid). But she'd never pretended to be someone's girlfriend for money. Someone who apparently didn't at all feel the same way about her as she did about him.

And Gwen also wasn't about to let on that Beatrice might be right about the whole men and women debate.