The Pretend Girlfriend

Chapter Eleven~ Visit, Visit, Another Visit

Gwen forced herself up out of bed and into the shower, and from there into some clean clothes. The hamper in one corner of her room was getting pretty full. She needed to get down to the coin laundry soon. Yet another aspect of real life she didn't feel particularly fond about. A steaming cup of instant coffee in one hand, she sat down at her desk.

From one drawer she pulled out the contract. It was thicker than she remembered it being, and a tickle of trepidation started in her stomach as she wondered just what she'd put her signature to. She wanted to be mad at Beatrice. But that would be too easy, blaming her friend for making her sign so hastily. No one had forced her to sign it. She had done it of her own free will, and lied about the contents to her best friend as well.

That ate at her. From another drawer, she pulled out a glasses case, flipped it open, and put her glasses on. She didn't use them very often, but her eyes still felt a little blurry from sleep and they would help her puzzle out what was doubtlessly page after page of small-print and legalese.

The first thing she did was lick her index finger and start leafing through it to find out the duration of this sham, the pages making a whisking sound against each other. The sooner this ended, the sooner she could get the weight of this lie off her chest and tell her friend. She scanned the pages quickly, running her fingertip down the middle of each to keep from getting lost.

"Ah!" she said, tapping the page. She read the line.

-------- The Undersigned acknowledges that their obligation shall continue until the instigating party discharges them from the duties outlined herein, or until the Undersigned states in a written notice that they wish to terminate the agreement with no less than two weeks' notice... --------

It went on like that, tying words into evil little knots that left her brain reeling as it tried to untie them. So basically, she thought, it goes as long as he wants it to go. Or as long as I want it to. Now that was interesting. For some reason, she'd been feeling like she was stuck in this agreement with no way out. Of course, there was the whole two weeks of notice part. Like it was a job or something.

But still, better than no way out at all. Another flipped page revealed her list of expectations with regards to the phony relationship. She read these while chewing on her bottom lip. She was indeed required to basically drop whatever she was doing to go out with him on "social engagements."

Wow, lawyers could even make dates sound boring. There was a minimum amount of public displays of affection like hand holding, hugging. No arguments were permitted in the presence of others, "Except in the case whereby a verbal altercation could be construed by any observers in question as a relationship-strengthening exercise."

What did that even mean? Were they supposed to stand at opposing sides of a restaurant and scream , "I love you more!" and "No, I love you more!" at each other?

Speaking of the L-word, there was even a clause about that. Apparently, should the relationship persist for two months or more, she was required to tell him she loved him at the end of phone conversations, when parting in public, things like that. When possible, it was to be preceded by, as the contract stated, "A physical display of affection."

Gwen pushed her glasses up her nose so that she could rub at her eyes. What have I gotten myself into? There were more stipulations, but she moved onto the next page. This one pleased her more. It was about Aiden's obligations and restrictions regarding her. Everything she'd specified was laid down there in that overblown legal language, from no open-mouthed kissing to absolutely no sexual contact. Reading that one actually left her somewhat disappointed. Even the powerfully boring word choices of the lawyer who'd written the contract couldn't quite wipe that incredibly vivid dream from her mind.