The Love Wager by Lynn Painter

            “Too bad I didn’t think to snap a photo of you crawling out of my hotel room,” he said, his eyes on hers as he grabbed the locket again. “Your mom would’ve loved that.”

            Hallie pictured him facedown and asleep in that bed as she looked at him and shook her head. “I still can’t believe you saw that.”

            His eyes raised to hers, and his voice was quiet when he said, “Have I ever told you that I’m dying to know what you remember from that night?”

            She stared into his blue eyes, and her voice came out a little breathy when she said, “What do you remember?”

            “Every fucking thing.” He said it fast and sure, and then his lips turned up. “But perhaps we should discuss this later. When we have time to compare notes.”

            “Yeah,” she said quickly, pushing her hair back. Compare notes. “Later.”

            As they drove to the airport, they went over the details. Hallie thought she was going to have to coach him on stories, but everything about their actual relationship translated into their fake relationship.

            They met at his sister’s wedding, reconnected on a dating app, and had been texting and going on taco dates ever since.

            It was too easy.

            “So as soon as we hit the security line, we become boyfriend and girlfriend.” Hallie wanted to make sure he realized that she needed him to be pretending the whole time. It wouldn’t do for someone to see him chatting up some other girl outside the airport bookstore. “You know, just in case someone is watching and we don’t see them.”

            “The minute we hit security, it is on.”

            “I just wish we didn’t have to sit by all of them,” Hallie said, picturing her aunt Diane’s nosy stare. She loved her family, but they were always up in everyone else’s business.

            “We can upgrade to first class,” he said, following the sign that directed him toward long-term parking.

            “Shut up.” Hallie had never been in first class. She turned toward him in her seat and asked, “Would that cost a lot?”

            “As long as they have availability, it won’t cost me anything.”

            “Because of all those miles you have?”

            “Bingo.”

            “Oh, my God, Jack, you are making it so easy to fall in love with you.”

            He glanced over at her. “Glad to hear it.”



* * *



            • • •

            By the time they headed for security, Hallie was cackling.

            In the shuttle bus, the driver kept yelling at Jack to duck because he was just too tall and the guy couldn’t see out the back. They hadn’t been sure exactly what the driver had been looking for, but his inability to see through Jack and out the back window had really set him off.

            The faces Jack made at her while getting screamed at left her crying with laughter.

            Then, when they got inside the terminal, Jack realized he’d left his keys on the roof of his car, so he’d had to take a cab back to the long-term lot to retrieve his keys. When he walked back in, looking around for Hallie, his face was so full of irritation that it’d cracked her up again.

            “You’re a damn hero, Jack,” she said as they approached the TSA line. “I appreciate you.”

            He looked offended when he said, “You shouldn’t enjoy my suffering so much.”

            “I know. It’s a character flaw.”

            “It really is.”

            When they joined the line, Hallie felt Jack’s fingers slide in between hers. She looked up at his face, but he was looking straight ahead, as if holding her hand was something he was used to doing.

            Ohhh. He’s in character.

            Hallie knew she should be good, but something inside her wanted to mess with him. Or play with this situation. Whatever the reason, she started moving her thumb, letting it stroke over the heat of his big hand.