The Pretend Girlfriend (A Billionaire Love Story #1)(97)

Just imagine the pictures! Gwen thought. And she didn't want to think of what they would say when they saw her wearing the same clothes as the day before. Her parents were going to die of embarrassment and shock.

Sensing her hesitation, Aiden gave her hand a reassuring squeeze.

"Uh, I wouldn't go out there, sir," the doorman said, eying the two of them as they came closer.

"But it's such a beautiful day out! Shame to waste it," Aiden said, smiling at the man until he smiled back.

Aiden looked so calm and relaxed, like he went out to confront mobs of gossip-hungry reporters every day of his life.

Except Gwen knew he wasn't nearly so relaxed at that. His hand shook slightly in her grip, and she knew him well enough by now to see the strain in his jaw.

They could be nervous, Gwen knew, so long as they were nervous together. "I think I see it!" she said, pointing.

The yellow taxi had double parked beside a satellite van, the impetuous driver leafing through a newspaper while a growing line of traffic expressed their frustrations in honks and shouts behind him. Gwen hoped it was him, anyway. Sometimes you couldn't tell with these New York taxi drivers.

"Ready?" Aiden asked.

"No," the doorman answered. Aiden ignored him.

Gwen swallowed the lump back down her throat while she surveyed her adversaries. There was a woman who looked vaguely familiar just to Gwen's left on the other side of the door. Curly black hair hanging in ringlets down to the padded shoulders of her jacket, too much blush and lipstick, and a nose pointy enough to cut glass. She waited idly while berating her slightly overweight cameraman.

The rest of the crowd didn't look any nicer. And Gwen also thought she saw the paparazzo from yesterday, holding his big expensive camera up above the heads of the crowd to snap some candid shots. How much is Henry paying these people? Gwen wondered.

"Yes," she said. She didn't feel ready, but the longer they stood at the lip of the shark tank as it were, the more nervous and anxious she became. Best to just get it over with.

"If you will," Aiden said, nodding to the doorman.

"My condolences," the doorman replied. But he did indeed open the door.

Immediately, the dull murmurs of the conversations outside turned to an indistinguishable roar.

Aiden started forward into the line of microphones and cameras shoved through the doorway, stopping when Gwen stood her ground.

"It will be fine. Don't let him win, Gwen. Don't let him get to you."

Again, those lovely eyes of his did it for her. Aiden was right; this was just what Henry wanted and expected. Wasn't the best way to get revenge to let go of your anger, or something like that? Gwen couldn't remember exactly, but it was the sentiment that counted.

So, straightening her posture and plastering a look on her face that she hoped said, "Yes, I'm not wearing makeup. No, I don't care; don't you see the beautiful man whose arm I'm hanging off?"

This time, when Aiden urged her forward, she followed him into the breach.

"Aiden, how much did you pay? Was it fun?" the curly-haired woman asked, thrusting her mic in his face while the cameraman adjusted his focus.

"However much it was, it wasn't enough," Aiden replied. It left the woman gaping.

Gwen felt shocked at first, but when she saw the amusement on his face, she couldn't help but smile, too.

"Miss? Gwen Browning, do you have any comment?" a greasy-haired guy said, holding up a recorder.

"Nice to meet you. Lovely day, isn't it?" Gwen replied. She kept on walking, saying, "Hi, how are you?" "Lovely weather, isn't it?" and "I hear it's supposed to rain later."

The mob was dumbfounded. Clearly, they'd been expecting something of a media massacre when Aiden and his "escort" showed their faces in public.

They were so confused that they actually parted around the apparently happy and loving couple, giving them the path they needed to get to the taxi.

"Toodles," Gwen said, waving as she swung herself into the back seat of the cab, Aiden holding the door for her.

He slid in beside her and slammed the door shut, telling the driver to just drive and that they would give him more specific directions later.

Gwen couldn't hold it in any longer. She laughed, "That was amazing! I don't even know exactly what happened back there, but wow."

Aiden leaned his head back against the rest and closed his eyes. His performance had been just as admirable, but it had also taken a lot out of him. He smiled. "With the right attitude, you can get into any place. Or out of any place."

"Harvard?" Gwen asked.

"Sex and the City," Aiden replied. When he saw her expression he shrugged, "What? HBO is amazing!"

Their getaway wasn't clean, however. Several of the vans had pulled away from the curb and were following them as closely as they could in the morning rush traffic.

"So what now, genius?" Gwen said.

"Now we wait," Aiden replied, folding his hands behind his head.

"For what?"

"You'll see. Just wait. All things come to those who wait."

And with that maddeningly cryptic comment, the conversation in the car died. Somehow, they'd gotten the only cabbie in New York who didn't want to talk the whole time.