Page 55 of Pretend Girlfriend

“The other hockey obsessed families in the neighborhood. Duh.”

“How many Chicagoland families have six kids that all play hockey?”

“It’s possible that my fantasy involved moving to Canada,” I admitted. “I wonder how the Blackhawks are doing right now.” My phone was on the table.

“They’re up one-nothing in the first period,” Landon said without hesitation. He held up his phone to show me the score, then shoved it back in his pocket. “Bedard scored on a power play.”

“Finally,” I muttered. “First time they’ve scored on a power play all postseason. Theo must be happy about Bedard.”

Landon tilted his head at me. “What do you mean?”

Shit. I let my guard down for a minute and was almost fucking it all up. “Um, I overheard Theo telling someone last night that he bet a hundred bucks that Bedard would score.”

“Easy money,” Landon said. “I didn’t realize you were such a big hockey fan.”

“Really? I bragged about liking hockey and football at the family dinner last week.”

“I thought you were just making stuff up to get them to like you.”

I shook my head. “I bleed red, white, and black. I even own a game-worn Bedard jersey with his blood all over it.”

“How’d you snag that piece of merchandise?” Landon asked.

I winced internally. There I went again, getting sloppy. “Long story. Suffice to say I’m a huge fan.” Then, to change the subject, I said, “I’m looking forward to starting at DefTec. I’m sick of my current job, you have no idea.”

“It’s a great company.”

“Will we work together at all?” I asked.

“Probably not. We’ll be on different teams in different buildings. Maybe we’ll run into each other during the yearly office party. But otherwise, no, you never have to see me again.”

He meant it as a reward for doing a good job here, but the comment made me strangely sad. I was finally getting to know the softer side of Landon, the side that wasn’t blackmailing me. And after tomorrow morning, I would never see him again.

The song ended and a faster-paced one began to play. “We’d better have lots of fun tonight, then!” I said.

“That’s the right answer!” Carol said, appearing with a handful of shots. “I owe you a huge thank-you for rescuing me during my speech!”

We took shots of whiskey, then resumed our dancing. I took off my heels and threw them across the room, which led to Marisa and the other bridesmaids all doing the same. Then Theo was passing out shots for the entire wedding party to take. The second shot went down a lot smoother than the first.

“Bradyn Cozart!” Theo roared over the music. He extended a hand to point at the groom from across the dance floor. “Do you remember the bet we made during the fall semester our freshman year?”

“Um, no?”

“You bet me fifty bucks I couldn’t do The Worm,” Theo announced. Everyone was watching, now. “And at the time, you won, and I paid up. But you didn’t put a time limit on the bet. I’m here to collect my money.”

The dance floor parted like the Red Sea as Theo started doing The Running Man in time with the thumping bass. Then he practically threw himself at the floor, arching his back in just the right way to roll like a rocking horse. He continued seamlessly, doing The Worm all the way across the dance floor.

When he popped up at the other end, the rest of us went nuts.

“More shots!” Theo declared. “And then you’re going to pay up!”

It was freeing, letting loose a little bit. I didn’t have to pretend to be someone I wasn’t; all I had to do was dance. All the pressure was gone. It felt like a victory lap at the end of this ridiculous charade of a fake relationship.

And then I blacked out.

24

Austin

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