Page 47 of Pretend Girlfriend

“If I say yes, will you promise to stick around for the rest of the reception without causing any drama?”

“Sure, why not?”

“Then ask away.”

He squinted at me. “Landon seems like a good guy. Why run around on him? Why not break up with him first?”

It was a good question, and he wasn’t out of line for asking it. If the roles were reversed, I would have wondered the same thing. I hated the idea of being a cheater, even if the only person who thought so was this stranger I had only just met yesterday. And after he’d been vulnerable with me, I felt like throwing him a bone.

I looked around before answering. “Here’s the truth: I’m not cheating on Landon.”

He raised his brow. “Now, I know I saw you and—”

“Don’t say it out loud!” I hissed. “I’ll tell you why, but you have to promise to take the secret to your grave.”

Austin leaned back and spread his arms. “Why, Joanna. We’re good friends now. If there’s one thing you should know about me, it’s that I know how to keep a secret.”

“I just met you last night!”

“Counterpoint: tell me anyways,” he replied.

“Fine.” I looked around again to make sure nobody was within earshot. Then I leaned toward Austin. He leaned in too, his breath smelling faintly of tequila. “Landon and I aren’t really dating. I’m his fake girlfriend for the wedding, to keep people like his mom from giving him shit about being single.”

Austin stared at me for a few moments.

Then he roared with laughter.

“What?” I asked. “You don’t believe me?”

“Oh, I believe you. It’s just the most idiotic plan I’ve ever heard of.”

“I don’t disagree. It wasn’t exactly my idea.”

“Why the hell are you going along with it, then?”

“Because Landon is going to get me a job at his company,” I explained.

“Ah, the motivation for anyone in a late-stage capitalist society. Money.”

“A girl’s got to eat,” I said.

“So that story at the rehearsal dinner about being a paralegal? That was all bullshit?”

“Sadly, it’s the truth,” I said with a sigh. “I hate my current job. The partners at my firm are basically ambulance chasers who run around suing everyone. The work isn’t satisfying. And I get low-key sexually harassed all day, every day.”

“Want me to take care of them?” Austin asked. “I’ll challenge them to a duel. Fight for your honor.” He made a finger-guns motion with both hands.

“Tempting, but I can handle this myself,” I replied. “I’ll be rid of them when I get this new job. Although even if that fell through, I should probably quit my job.”

Austin cocked his head. “What’s stopping you?”

“Cowardice. Just because I know what to do, doesn’t make it easy.”

“Cheers to that.” Austin raised his glass, realized it was empty, and then put it back down. “So Theo is your actual boyfriend?”

“We went on a single date a week ago.”

“Must’ve been a good date,” Austin muttered.

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