The Pretend Boyfriend novel Chapter 63

She grabs Delilah's bag and rifles in it. She finds what she's looking for almost immediately - a two-piece set of apartment keys.

Her hands feeling rubbery with what she's about to do, she quickly takes out a piece of wax from her own purse. One she had purchased for just this purpose. She sinks in both of Delilah's keys into the wax, making a lasting impression. Then she returns both the keys and the wax into their rightful compartments and arranges the bag as it was.

Her heart gallops races within her chest.

"Just five recruitments? Five recruitments all day?" Sam is dismayed. With all the shit going on in Brian's life, she really doesn't need for this to happen.

Jolie, the receptionist, winces apologetically. "I'm sorry. It's the new Fitness Worx recruitment drive. They are huge, and they have plenty of advertising muscle. They were doing a blitzkrieg everywhere for ten blocks. They knew we were opening today, and they didn't want us to get off the ground."

Sam swivels around to stare at the balloons, all prettied up in an arc around the double entrance doors. The ribbons, the streamers, the buffet spread. She had thrown a party and no one had come. The trainers stand around, feeling ill at ease. Only a solitary woman is inside the gym at the treadmill. She had been someone who was recruited much earlier, before they opened their doors.

Cassie comes up to her and squeezes her hand. "Oh Sam. It'll get better. These things take time. Word gets out slowly nowadays, you know. If it's any help, I've asked everyone in the office to come over within the next couple of weeks to join."

"Thanks, Cassie." Sam's heart sinks. They were so much in the red. Correction: Brian was so much in the red, and she can't afford to let this happen to him - to bring him down with her probably pointless dream.

Who was she kidding? Did she really think she could take on Fitness Worx, the big guys? They must be laughing at her - rolling on the floor with her pathetic attempts to lure new gym users.

"Where's Brian?" Cassie says tartly.

"Out."

Brian had wanted to stay away from the crowds because he was afraid his presence would be a deterrent. He had been especially quiet when he came in early this morning. He had kissed her absently on the cheek, and then told her that he would be staying away all day.

"You don't have to," she told him. "You're making too big a deal out of it. No one's going to recognize you."

Brian bridled at this, but did not say anything as he pretended to leaf through some brochures.

And now, the wheels in his head are churning furiously.

He may know nothing about running gyms, but he sure as hell knows his way around advertising. The only thing is he's going to need some money.

Lots of it.

He grips the steering wheel of the Ferrari. Where the hell is he going to find the extra injection of cash? Especially now that he's going for therapy again?

The diamond earrings he had bought for Sam lies snugly in its little velvet box, invading his thoughts. She doesn't know about them, and he had been hoping to spring that surprise on her for her birthday.