The Pretend Boyfriend novel Chapter 9

Brian says, "So let me guess. You want to stick it up to your sister and her friends who are going to be there. And you need a good-looking guy who will suck up and play loving boyfriend to your adoring audience."

How did he ever get so conceited?

She says, "I guess I'll have to look elsewhere then because I don't see any good-looking guys at this table." She cranes her neck to Caleb. "No offense intended."

Caleb whoops with delight. "None taken. You tell him, Jaws."

"Shut up." Cassie shoots him a glance that can vaporize concrete walls.

Brian says, "Well then, I guess this discussion is at an end. Samantha doesn't need a 'boyfriend' and I don't need to be here when I can be out there fucking somebody who doesn't sock me in the chin."

He rubs his jaw as he says this even though it is clearly unmarked.

"Good, it's a done deal then," Sam says.

"No, no, no, no. This is not over," Cassie interjects. "Sam ... a word, please. In private."

She drags Sam out of the dining berth. Brian lights a cigarette as he watches her amusedly. Oooh, if only she can wipe that smirk off his face.

They go outside into the cold.

"Brrrr," Sam says, shuffling her feet, "whatever you're going to say, you'd better say it before I lose a toe to frostbite."

"You're not going to get frostbite. Don't be a drama queen. Now listen to me. This is an opportunity to kill two birds with one slingshot. You get to - "

" - I know, I know, sock it up my sister - "

"Yes, and - " Cassie grabs her shoulders and stares deep into her eyes, and continues very slowly, as though to a child who is soft in the head " - take your revenge on Brian Morton. As he deserves."

"You mean spend a whole weekend with him?"

"Yes ... with him as your slave. You heard the terms of his bet. He has to do anything you want."

"Ewww, I don't want to sleep with him."

The moment Sam says it, she knows it's not true. Brian Morton possesses an extremely masculine sexuality that leaps out at you, even if you're utterly blind and sworn to the nunnery.

"Who says you have to? No." Cassie's features turn crafty. "But you can make his weekend a living hell." She grins. "I'll help you."

"I don't know. I don't have that ... " Sam struggles for the word.

Brian groans. "I remember everything, OK? You like Zumba. We met at the gym. You were wearing this two-piece outfit and I thought you were hot."

She is hot, but he'd rather eat thumbtacks than to ever admit that.

"Go on," Sam says tersely.

"So ... I asked you out. And we found out ... during our ridiculously romantic date - "

Christ, he doesn't even do dates.

" - that we went to the same school together."

Cassie interrupts, "I still can't believe you never told your Mom about Brian."

"What's there to tell? It was hideously embarrassing."

Brian sighs. OK, so he was a handful as a kid. So his folks had to pull him out before he got expelled. But he did get expelled from two schools anyway and he had to have psychological counseling.

"Look, I was a kid, OK?" he says in a conciliatory tone. Semi-conciliatory, since he doesn't do full-out conciliatory. "We were all kids. We did things. Stuff kids do. You've just got to let all that stuff go or you'd be a nutcase."