The Pretend Boyfriend novel Chapter 5

"I'll fold," the dealer says.

"Fold," the black man says.

It's now between Brian and Caleb. They face each other from opposing sides of the table.

"Care to call?" the dealer says to Caleb.

Brian scrutinizes Caleb's face. His best friend's expression is simultaneously beatific and wary. It means he's got a very good hand, Brian thinks.

Caleb raises his eyes.

"I know what you're trying to do," he says in a low voice.

Brian bares his teeth. "You don't know anything."

A glimmer of uncertainty passes through Caleb's face. He's calibrating the situation, as he always does.

He says, "I don't have twenty thousand dollars."

"I know."

"So I should just fold."

"But you don't want to do that. You think you've got a winning hand ... but you don't know for sure."

Caleb visibly swallows.

"What if I can't pay up?"

"It doesn't have to be just money. If you win this round, the pot money's all yours fair and square. But if I win, you'll have to come to work for me at the salary we agreed upon."

Caleb stares at him for a long, long while. "Why, you sneaky bastard."

"Sorry to disappoint you but my Mom was married to my Dad when she had me."

"You can't keep bailing me out like this."

"I'm not bailing you out. I need an accounts manager to handle all the money I'm making and you're a damned good one."

"I work at Q-Tip. I don't know anything about advertising."

"Bullshit. You know everything there is about accounting. And you're honest. People respond to that."

They glare at each other. The side of Brian's sensuous mouth twitches.

"Excuse me," Sam says to the brunette, "I couldn't help overhearing you. Brian Morton is here?"

"Yeah. What's that to you?" The brunette sizes her up as though she's competition.

"Brian Morton." Cassie cackles. "Oh come on, Sam, there are plenty of Brian Mortons in Chicago."

"And we were just talking about one of them," Sam says. It's just too uncanny. But Cassie is right. Brian Morton is probably a common name, like John Smith. "I went to school with him. He was the most awful eighth grader in the state."

"Oh really?" The brunette leans over interestedly. "Same guy, do you think?"

Caleb says, "OK, I'll bet on one condition. Twenty thousand dollars is chump change to you."

"That's why atonement starts with you doing a good deed." Caleb's grin is infectious. "You're going to have to be a slave to some lucky woman whom I'll pick - out of my personal magician's hat - for the weekend. You're going to have to do anything she wants."

Brian starts to laugh. "Boy, you're rich. What if she wants nothing but sex?"

"What if she doesn't?"

"They all want sex."

"Then it's your lucky weekend."

"A whole weekend with some random woman? No way. No one's gonna fall for that."

"Hey, give her some credit. You're gonna have to be her slave, that's enticing enough ... "

"Sex slave." Brian hasn't stopped laughing.

" ... to the first lucky woman I'll pick." Caleb jerks his chin at the door of the poker room. "Do you have the balls to take this one on?"

"Balls? You're talking to me about balls?"

"There's only one way to find out," Cassie says, grinning. "Go see for yourself. I'll come with you."

The brunette holds out her hand. "I'm Melanie."

Sam gives it a shake. "Samantha. And this is Cassandra."

"Cassie and she's Sam." Cassie rolls her eyes and elbows Sam. "What's with the formality?"