The Girlfriend Contract Read Online Free PDF Page B

outside, a BMW or Audi or some other expensive import. She had a nice condo to go back to every day. Lots of money in the bank. Maybe a handsome young groundskeeper to help keep her grounds.
    It was a nice escape, a nice fantasy. But it was just a fantasy, and no matter how hard she tried, it kept crumbling around her.
    And she tried pretty hard. So hard, actually, that she didn't at first notice the attention she received from the line of people standing and waiting for their drink orders as the milk frother hissed.
    How long have I been sitting here? she wondered, digging her phone out and checking. She sighed; Beatrice was supposed to meet her nearly twenty minutes ago. She sent her punctuality-deprived friend a quick text, but got no reply.
    Leaving her phone on the table, well out of reach of that growing pool of condensation around the bottom of her cup, Gwen rested her chin in her hands and sighed. How was she supposed to continue the hard job of procrastinating with no one to help her?
    When she glanced around the coffee shop again, she saw him. At first, she thought it was someone else. What excuse could he possibly have for being out here, rather than back in Manhattan?
    But no, Aiden Manning sat at the other side of the Starbucks, sipping at a grande something or other without a lid on, steam rising from the cup, while he checked something on his phone.
    Then he looked up, and their eyes met. A spark shot up through Gwen's spine, and her heart sped up. Did he see me? she thought, quickly breaking the stare and looking down at her own phone.
    Of course he saw you! she continued. You practically leered at him!
    Why he was there didn't really matter. Just that he was, in fact, there. Just to make sure, she slowly, carefully looked up again.
    He was still looking right at her. Gwen turned and pretended to watch the foot traffic outside the window, meanwhile putting all her focus on her peripheral vision. Aiden watched her for a few moments longer, then dropped his stare.
    Maybe he doesn't recognize me, she thought, maybe he thought I looked familiar, but then decided he doesn't actually know me.
    It was a reasonable excuse. And also disconcerting. It offended her that they met just last night and he couldn't remember her. Though she knew that this shouldn't bother her; she wasn't on the market for a man. Especially not one who Beatrice had specifically warned her to stay away from.
    Then she thought about it. How could he remember me? She'd been wearing a dress, rather than these street clothes. Her hair had been done differently. She probably did look like a completely different person now.
    Yeah, a boring, frumpy looking one, she thought, looking down at the shirt she'd chosen for comfort over looks. It's no wonder he doesn't recognize me.
    But then he looked at her again. She sat there, frozen in her chair, wondering what to do, wondering why Beatrice couldn't walk through the door and save her right at that moment.
    Still, she couldn't just sit there all day, waiting Aiden out so that she might make her escape.
    If he really didn't recognize her, she should just be able to walk right out the door, right?
    Right, she thought. Decision made, she stood. His eyes followed her, but she pretended not to notice.
    Grabbing up her phone, she made it almost to the door, her heart hammering as the prospect of getting away loomed close.
    "It's Gwen, right?"
    Aiden stood up from his table, waving. He bumped against his table, sending some of his latte sloshing over the rim.
    "Yes," Gwen said, standing in front of the door. She moved over when a woman in a pantsuit brushed by. Meanwhile, she kept thinking: What do I do? What do I do?
    Aiden came over to her. "Nice to see you again. Why don't you come sit down with me?"
    The small smile that graced his lips did it for her. She agreed, and they sat back down at his table, but not before he grabbed some tissues and mopped up the spilled latte.
    "So do you live around here, then?"