Page 67 of Pretend Girlfriend

“Pretend you do for a few minutes.” He led me over to the desk, and the woman perked up.

“Hello there! Interested in any hikes or excursions?”

“I don’t think we’re interested,” I began.

“My girlfriend just wants to sit on the beach,” Landon explained. “But I like having fun.”

“That’s great!” the woman said. “We offer a variety of activities around the resort. SCUBA diving, snorkeling, parasailing. And if you’re feeling more adventurous, we have several tours of the entire island, and some inland hikes.”

“Tell me about these hikes,” Landon said.

“They’re made for the true adventurer! They vary from an easy two miles, to our full-day hike, which is twelve miles round trip, and includes a panoramic view from Jamaica’s third-highest peak. The sign-up sheets are here in front of you.”

“That full-day hike is right up my alley.” Landon grabbed a pen and began writing on one of the sheets.

“Seriously?” I asked. “That sounds awful.”

“I think it will be fun.” Landon finished his signature, then tapped the sheet for me to look. The name he had written down was Austin Hedges. “I see here that the expedition leaves the hotel at seven in the morning?”

The woman nodded. “That’s right. We include a wake-up call to your room, to make sure you don’t miss the bus! I should also let you know that these activities are not included in the cost of your room. And once registered, the fee is non-refundable.”

Landon smiled brightly. “Perfect. Isn’t that perfect, dear?”

I grinned back at him. “Whatever makes you happy, darling.”

As we walked away from the activity desk, Austin was leaving the check-in counter. “There’s a pair of shit-eating grins,” he drawled to us from behind his sunglasses.

“We just found out that Danicka booked a surprise expedition for Bradyn and Marisa,” I explained. “The whole wedding party is going, and it leaves in the morning. But don’t say anything, it’s a surprise.”

Austin gave us a half-smirk. “I’m a man who can keep a secret. You two know that better than anyone here. Just tell me where to be, and when.”

“The front desk will give you a wake-up call,” Landon said.

“I think he fell for it,” I whispered as we walked away.

“See?” Landon said, holding out his hand. “This trip is already turning out great.”

I held his hand, and we giggled together on the way to the pool.

29

Joanna

The resort had three separate pool areas, nine bars, and eight restaurants. After taking a walk around the resort, we met Bradyn and Marisa down on the beach. There were rows of chairs nestled under the palm trees; there were plenty of open seats available, too.

A waitress took our drink orders as soon as we sat down. I told her to surprise me, and she returned with a frozen drink in a tall glass. It was layered: red at the bottom, yellow in the middle, and green on top.

“It’s called a Bob Marley,” she told me. “Three different types of rum.”

“This is exactly what I needed!” I said after taking a sip.

Landon handed her a five dollar bill. “I’ll take one too.”

“Shoot, I didn’t bring any cash,” I said. “Is tipping expected?”

“Don’t worry about it. I’ve got you covered. You’re unemployed, after all.”

I smiled sweetly at him. “I’ll happily let you wear the fake pants in this fake relationship.”

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