The Pretend Girlfriend (31 page)

"Did you sign anything?" Aiden said, worry plain in his voice as he strode over to stand beside Gwen. He quickly scanned the contract, confirming for himself that she hadn’t yet signed it.

Gwen replied anyway, "No."
Why was Aiden here?
She hadn't told him she would be here. A sort of numbness pervaded her mind. Confusion. She was shell-shocked. She'd spent all morning convincing herself that this was the right thing to do, that it was what was best for the both of them. Couldn't he see that?

Aiden's hand on her elbow snapped her at least partially from her stupor. "We should go," he said, urging her away from the desk.

"You'd best be careful with this one, boy," Henry said, walking over to the bay window, hands shoved into his pockets, and looking out across the New York skyline as though he were a world-weary emperor suffering under the weight of his crown. "She drove quite the hard bargain."

"I'm sure," Aiden said, trying not to pay any attention to his father as he led Gwen from the office. She looked over her shoulder at the contract, sitting open and unsigned on the desk. Would Henry still courier the amended one to her later?

Would she sign it, if he did?

With Aiden with her again, she didn't know. Maybe this was a sign, like the horse race. Maybe all that intense concentration on her phone earlier, trying to make him call and set her at ease, worked. Maybe it had just been delayed.

The secretary glared at them as Aiden pulled her from the waiting room into the hallway with its bank of elevators. He kept shooting glances at her, and Gwen got the impression that he wanted to tell her something. Why did he wait?

The building, of course, Gwen figured. Who knew how good those security cameras staring down at them from the corners of the lobby were, how much they could hear.

She could also sense apprehension coming from him in waves, nervous energy that set her heart racing.

"I didn't think you would come," she said as they got into the elevator. Aiden jabbed the button for the ground floor, glanced at her, then fixed his attention on the countdown as the elevator started its descent.

"Well, I did," he said, giving the security camera a meaningful look. They couldn't talk yet.

So Gwen and Aiden spent the ride down in silence. She examined him, stealing looks when she figured he couldn't see. Hair perfect. Suit not wrinkled. No scuffs on his shiny black shoes. His smooth cheeks and the hint of aftershave she caught, along with everything else, told her that Aiden was fully composed. Did he not ache, too?

It wasn't until they reached the sidewalk that he turned and confronted her. The growing number of pedestrians parted around them like a river around an outcropping of rocks, and the tall buildings hid them from the low morning sun.

"Why are you giving up?" he asked.

He definitely didn't sound pleased at the prospect. Couldn't he see why she'd tried to make everything just go away? Her first intended words were to ask him why he'd come, and how he'd found out, but his question demanded and answer. "Because it's the right thing to do."

Worry flashed across his face, and he took one of her hands. His fingers were cold. Gwen wondered why. He leaned in as though one of the passersby might stop and try to listen in. "Is this because of last night? Because of what happened? Because if it is, I don't regret it. Do you?"

"No, no, not at all. It's just that, after I told you about Beatrice knowing about..." It was Gwen's turn to feel paranoid. She glanced at a briefcase-toting businessman as he passed by. It didn't look like anyone spied on them, but she leaned in anyway, lowering her voice, "About telling Beatrice about the you-know-what. You got all cold and distant, and I thought you were mad."

"Oh," Aiden said, his face unable to fix on any one expression, changing from relief, to worry, to irritation. "Well, I wasn't mad, per se. Just confused, and surprised..." then fear won out, and he squeezed Gwen's hand, "You didn't tell Henry about that, did you?"

"What? No, of course not. Why would I tell him that?"

The fear drained away from him. "Good. If he found out about that, there would be trouble."

Gwen began feeling like her old self again. It had been a really bad idea to spend all that time alone with her thoughts and fears that morning. Her own mind had served as a sort of thought echo chamber, amplifying her worries, concerns, and insecurities until they'd overwhelmed her and forced her to this course of action.

Although, she couldn't shake the notion that signing that new contract would at least have simplified things for all involved. Plus, she'd also somehow been able to get some nice concessions for Aiden.

"Everything okay?" Aiden said.

"Yes, much better now."

"Good. You were staring off into space for a bit there..." Aiden glanced up at the Carbide Solutions building, squinting at the brightness from the top level as the sun caught in the windows. "What do you say to getting out of here?"

Gwen followed his line of sight. She wondered if Henry was up there at the top in his office, glaring down at the street, somehow able to pick them out of the crowd. The thought gave her the shivers. Though that pity for the older man still lingered. Could Henry be like his son, armoring himself against the outside world?

"Yes," she said, "Let's go."

Aiden hailed a cab, one of them detaching from the ever-increasing traffic and pulling up to the curb. She didn't complain when he opened the door so she could climb in. He asked her where she might like to go, but she just shrugged. There were too many things on her mind she needed to process.

"You know what?" Aiden said, glancing out the window up at the sky, "It's supposed to be a nice day. I haven't been to the park in a while."

T
he cab dropped them at the park. When they got out of the car, Aiden offered her his hand in helping her climb out. She accepted, and when they started walking, they didn't stop holding hands.

Without all the huge buildings to block out the sun, it really did look like the start of a nice day. There were a few traces of silky clouds very high in the sky, adding some texture to the blue. And the sunlight felt nice on her face.

They started walking down the broad paved path, past the various statues and displays. They couldn't be far from Strawberry Fields, which Gwen had yet to visit. She hadn't really come to the park much, despite having wanted to visit it when she first came to the city.

They passed joggers and dog walkers and little old men and women feeding the birds from brown paper bags filled with breadcrumbs. The fresh air, still cool with the morning breeze, coupled with the sunlight, rejuvenated her.

"You know, you still haven't told me how you knew where I was," Gwen said.

The scent of hotdogs wafted towards her from a nearby cart and her mouth started watering. When Aiden noticed, he took her over and bought her one, and one for himself. He liked ketchup only, where Gwen put both mustard and ketchup on hers.

They began their stroll again, enjoying the scenery as well as the food.

"It was Beatrice," Aiden said after swallowing a mouthful. A little dollop of ketchup lingered in the corner of his mouth. He started to dab at it with his fingers, but Gwen stopped him. He hadn't grabbed any napkins. Lucky for him, Gwen had noticed and gotten one for him, too. She wiped the ketchup away from him.

This felt nice. Nice and normal, like what a real couple would do. Again, Gwen experienced that comfortable familiarity around him that she didn't get with some people she'd known her whole life.

"What do you mean?" Gwen said.

"Beatrice called me this morning. She told me how you were going to, and I quote, 'give up and spill your guts' to Henry."

So she is getting my messages!
Gwen thought. She dared to hope that maybe things weren't so dire after all. If Aiden would show up to save her even after she'd broken his trust, maybe she could win Beatrice back, too. She took another bite of her hotdog, which was now mostly devoured.

"And you decided to come rescue me from myself?" Gwen said.

Aiden nodded, "Something like that. She kept going on about how much you like me, and how stupid I would be if I let you go..." he grinned, "And she also told me that if I hurt you, she'd... uh... 'take care' of me. What does that even mean?"

"With B? Who knows. Probably something you'd rather not experience, though, I bet."

Gwen couldn't help grinning. Yes, there was definitely hope left.

"Well then, I guess I'd better avoid hurting you," Aiden said.

"B may not be the biggest person, but it's the little ones you have to look out for," Gwen said, happy that she could joke again. For a while there, especially in Henry's office, it seemed as though all the humor had left the world.

They took a left and started going deeper into the park. They passed one of the large greens, pausing briefly to watch an emerging game of ultimate Frisbee before carrying on.

"So what's going on with you two? Anything I can help with?" Aiden said.

"It's complicated," Gwen replied, wondering if she should get that as a tattoo or something. It had clearly become her catchphrase. "I said some things to her. Things I shouldn't have. And now I don't know if things will get better between us."

They started the winding maze of narrow trails, passing by the first guidepost with its map. Gwen had never been through this part before, and it had always intrigued her. The trees and brush pressed in pretty close, and it felt as though the entire metropolis surrounding the park had dropped away and she was on a nature hike. Wasn't there a castle hidden there somewhere, too? Gwen couldn't remember for sure.

"It can't be so bad as that," Aiden said. He kept guiding them forward, giving the impression that he knew exactly where he headed. He didn't even pause to look at the next guidepost, picking the left path when they came to a fork.

"Oh, you weren't there. Trust me. It was pretty bad." Just thinking about that night at the bar left Gwen cringing, wishing there was some way to go back in time and erase particularly embarrassing or awful moments.

They paused for a moment as a cyclist wearing one of those bullet-shaped helmets sped out from around a curve in the path, barely avoiding them. It shattered Gwen's illusion of their being alone.

"If it was so bad, why did she get in touch with me so that I could stop you? And that reminds me: how did she get my cell number in the first place?" Aiden said.

"I don't know... Lingering affection? Also, you'd be surprised at who Beatrice knows in this town. How she knows them, I don't have a clue. Probably best not to ask."

Their walk continued. Swarms of sparrows and other small birds chirped from the trees while squirrels skittered about, and below all that the rustle of the breeze through the branches.

When they came to another fork, they took the path to the right, again passing another signpost. Gwen couldn't tell for certain, but she thought they headed deeper into the miniature forest. They also hadn't encountered another person since that biker.

The isolation relaxed her. She could pretend for these few precious moments that she and Aiden were entirely alone with each other, no outside pressures trying to force them apart. Only the enjoyment of the other's company. Real life lurked on the outside, however, just waiting for its chance to intrude and drop the next crisis on their lap. What would Henry try next? A hit man?

"So where are we going?" Gwen said, trying to forget about Henry and real life.

Aiden shrugged, "I don't know; I've been following you since we got in here. I've never been before. It's pretty nice. Quiet."

Gwen stopped dead. Aiden carried on another step until the slack in their arms tightened and he realized what happened. "What?" he said, looking around, trying to figure out why they'd halted.

"You don't know where you're going?" Gwen said, "But I've been following you!"

Aiden started to speak, but it turned into a laugh. Gwen tried to look annoyed with him, but couldn't help joining in. "So we're lost?" she said. That didn't actually sound so bad.

"I suppose so," he replied.

"Hey, don't people get mugged in here?" Gwen said.

Aiden faked a frightened glance over his shoulder, "I think so. Don't worry, if anyone comes at us, I'll hide behind you."

Gwen rolled her eyes, "My gallant knight." That would be quite the picture: a strapping young man cowering behind a girl. She prodded him in the stomach.

"Hey!" he said, poking her in return. It tickled.

This situation quickly escalated to a full-on tickle fight, Aiden chasing her down the path. Gwen shrieked in mock fright. When she realized she was actually putting distance between the two of them, she slowed down. All the giggling and mock yells quickly exhausted her lungs, anyway.

The object of this game wasn't escape, after all.

Aiden broke from the path when they reached a curve while Gwen stayed the course. His little shortcut, dried twigs and old leaves crackling beneath the soles of his expensive shoes, paid dividends. He jumped out in front of her and pulled her close. Gwen gave his chest a couple of weak punches as a token resistance. But then he squeezed her closer, pinning her arms between their bodies.

Again, Gwen felt the isolation of that quiet path, no one around to see them but the sparrows and the squirrels.

"Caught you," Aiden said.

The chase had tired them both out, and they both panted for air.

"I can see that. But the question is... What are you going to do with me? I'm afraid I left all my money at home," Gwen said, playing up the highwayman fantasy currently under construction in her mind.

Aiden grinned, the expression taking on a wolfish cast that sent a shiver down Gwen's spine. Certain areas of her body began getting quite warm, to put it in more polite terms. Her thoughts kept straying back to the previous night's escapades, when their bodies had been similarly pressed together.

Aiden caught on quickly. "Well, I'm sure there's something you have of value..." His hands slid down, coming to rest at the small of her back. Gwen's mouth went dry, and she needed to work up some saliva before she could continue.