The Pretend Boyfriend novel Chapter 30

Like he says - they are just 'hanging out'.

"He threatened to retrench me if I didn't get him the Moody account," Sam says with a sigh. She spoons another big dollop of ice-cream into her mouth. Nothing like ice-cream as a balm for pain management.

"Uh ... " Brian indicates his own mouth. She's so cute when she has fudge-smeared lips.

"What? Am I dripping?"

"Not yet, but I can practically see your double chin forming."

She flashes him a murderous glare. Still, she hastily puts down her spoon.

"Aw, come on, don't stop on my account. I like love handles."

She picks up her chocolate-covered spoon and flicks spatters onto him. Milky droplets get onto his face and hair. He laughs as he holds up his hands in mock surrender.

"Hey, watch it, will ya? This is a two thousand dollar leather jacket."

"Then you can afford a two hundred dollar laundry bill." She plunges the spoon into her ice-cream again and morosely scoops in another mouthful. "I'm depressed, and therefore, I'm allowed to get fat."

"I've always been partial to whoopee cushions."

"I'll whoop your ass if you make one more snide remark. Anyway, I have to land Moody ... or it's hasta la vista, new apartment."

She looks so glum that he wishes he were on her side of the table so that he can put his arm around her.

"You know, Sam, if it's money you need - "

"Nope, nope, nope. Caleb warned me you'd be doing this - "

"Oh, so Caleb has been talking about me behind my back. What else has he done? Sold my ass to the highest bidder without my stamp of sordid approval?"

"He was just trying to warn me about you."

"Think of it as a loan. You can pay me back ... with interest."

"You're already thinking I'm going to fail to get Moody," she accuses, waving her dangerous spoon around.

He ducks his head under the table. "I'm just making allowances. It's not about failure. It's about contingency. And don't wave that weapon around."

She makes a face at him. "Anyway, I'm up against slutty Kathy."

He pricks his ears up. "Slutty Kathy?"

"If you sleep with her, I'll do more than wave this spoon around. I'll positively shove it up your - "

"OK, OK, I get the drift. Any way I can help with Kathy? I mean Moody?"

"No, I've got to this on my own." She sighs. "I can't get you to bail me out every time I run into a spot of trouble. What will happen when you're no longer around? I'll have to learn to fend for myself."

He indicates her empty ice-cream tray. "End of your calorie binge? Say, have you ever thought of doing something else?"

She frowns as she puts down her clean spoon. "You mean like eating frozen yoghurt instead of ice-cream?"

"No, I mean literally doing something else other than account management." He shrugs. "Like, you know, coming to work for an advertising agency, for example."

"You mean work for you?" She tosses off a laugh. "No way."

He puts his elbows on the table and leans over in earnest. "What is it that you really, really want to do?"

She hesitates. Her pretty face is scrunched up, the way it always is when she's in deep thought. He finds himself noticing things like these about her.

She says shyly, "For the last couple of years ... since I got into it ... I've kind of, like, wanted to open a gym."

"A gym?"

"Yeah. You know, where people go to 'hang out'."

"You mean to hook up."

"Same thing."

To you, he catches her hidden meaning.