The Pretend Boyfriend novel Chapter 17

OK, OK. He's holding on to the script. Please let him follow the script.

"She has never mentioned you once, has she, Lori? When she was growing up?" Adele says, amazed.

"Nope, not once."

"We didn't really know each other in school," Sam interjects hastily.

"But you're both twenty-seven. Surely you must have taken the same classes," Lori points out.

"Er, we sat at different ends of the class. And he was always cutting class, so we rarely saw him."

Brian looks amused. "It's true. I was an awful kid - never doing my homework, always in detention. I even got expelled twice."

"Oh my goodness." Adele's hand flutters at her neck. "You must have been quite a bad boy."

"The worst. Anyway, I fell for Sam immediately. We became inseparable. But don't worry, Mrs. Fox, we're practicing safe sex. Sam insists upon it. 'Can't be too careful about getting pregnant before time,' she always says."

"I didn't know you even had sex," Lori says to Sam, deadpan.

Sam is blushing too hard to make a face at her sister.

"And here we are, happily together," Brian finishes with a flourish. "Never a quarrel or harsh word between us. It's the perfect relationship. Isn't that right, sweetheart?"

He grabs her suddenly before she can protest and kisses her full on the lips, right in front of everybody. It's a head tilted backwards, swooning kind of kiss. The type she always dreamed of having. Once again, he takes her breath away. She almost forgets everyone around them. Almost loses herself in him again.

"Oh my," she hears her mother say.

When they part for air, her eyes are locked on Brian's face. He has such an interesting face. One she can study forever. Why has she never noticed the little dimple in his chin?

"Oh well," Lori cuts in, her voice shrill, "it's time for you to meet Lance."

Sam finally notices the nervous young man standing beside Lori. He must have been watching them kissing ... and is that a look of mild envy on his features?

They shake hands and exchange pleasantries all round. Then Lori claps her hands.

"It's time for the reception. Come on, everyone."

Dinner is one protracted affair. Brian finds himself seated in between Mr. and Mrs. Buchner, who quiz him on everything from business to the planet Saturn. ("Are the rings around it really made of ice?") Lori keeps giving him glances from lowered eyelids and Lance Buchner turns out to have a stutter.

Brian figures out that Lori is marrying Lance for his money, since there is nothing remotely interesting about him. Or his stutter. Either that or the sex has to be fantabulous.

He finds himself studying Sam now and again. She is really beautiful when she laughs, and she does this often when Cassie and Caleb say something funny. Her teeth - which he remembers in braces during middle school, and which had been a constant source of amusement for him - are now perfect and pearly white. Kudos to her orthodontist, whoever he is.

After dessert, the band strikes up a lively tune from the sixties. It is clearly meant for ballroom dancing.

He mock bows. "May I have this dance, milady?"

She takes his proffered hand and gets up, clearly unnerved.

"You are going to embarrass me, aren't you?" she hisses.

"Why do you always think the worst of me? Just follow my lead, and you'll be all right."

"Your lead?"

"Yes. Didn't you know? I took ballroom dancing lessons when I was in juvie."

"You were in juvie?" she says, aghast.

"No, but it's a good story."

They take to the dance floor amidst claps, whistles and cheers. Brian spies the cunning look on Lori's pert features. On Sammie baby, you've got one helluva bitch for a sister. And in that instant, both pity and resolve strengthen his spine.

"Put your hand on my shoulder," he says.

She obeys, and he lifts her other hand.