Free Choosing Sides by Carolyn Keene Page B

a key turning in the lock. She looked at Ned in shock. How were they going to explain what they were doing in there—especially with half of Gleason’s desk spilled all over the floor!
    Ned quietly pushed the office door closed. A split second later, Nancy heard the front door swing open and heavy footsteps on the floor. The footsteps were getting closer.
    Nancy looked at Ned and gulped. They were about to get caught red-handed!

Chapter

Ten
    N ANCY GLANCED frantically around the room. She had to think of a way to get them out of this mess—fast!
    Suddenly she had an idea. Planting her hands on her hips, she faced her boyfriend and said in a loud, angry voice, “Ned Nickerson! You’re a real jerk, you know that?”
    Ned looked at her in astonishment. “What?” he said.
    â€œPretend we’re fighting,” she whispered, pointing to the door. Raising her voice to a shout, she said, “First, you tell me you don’t even know the girl, and then you tell me she’s just a friend!”
    Nancy waved her hand at him to respond. Then she hurriedly bent down to pick up the contents of the drawer.
    â€œWell, she is just a friend!” he defended himselfloudly. Stifling a laugh, he helped Nancy return pens and papers to the drawer.
    â€œReally?” Nancy’s voice was icy as she scooped up paper clips. “And are you in the habit of kissing all your friends?”
    They paused and listened: The footsteps had stopped. Good! Nancy thought. Hopefully the person was totally embarrassed and wondering what to do.
    â€œYou know, Nancy,” Ned went on, “I’m getting really sick of your crazy accusations!” He finished putting the last of the items back in the drawer, then slid it into its slot.
    â€œIs that so?” Nancy shot back. “Then maybe I should just leave right now!” She stormed out of the office and slammed the door behind her.
    Their one-man audience, a tall, middle-aged man, was hovering near the office door when Nancy came out. She saw his face switch from fascination to embarrassment at being caught eavesdropping. Nancy faked a gasp of shock at his presence and hurried out the front door. Moments later, after apologizing to the staff member, Ned joined Nancy down the street, where they couldn’t be seen from the headquarters’ windows.
    â€œFights are fun when you don’t mean it,” Ned joked. He pulled Nancy into his arms as he leaned against a parked car.
    â€œAren’t they, though?” Nancy agreed, wrapping her arms around his waist. “Maybe weshould take up acting. We sure had that poor guy convinced!”
    Ned laughed. “Yeah, that was Dave Mitchell, a staff member. I told him I was really sorry for using Gleason’s office for our fight. I acted as embarrassed as he was.” He kissed her hair.
    â€œHey,” Nancy said, looking up into his face. She thought he looked cuter than ever. “How about dinner at my house tonight? I really owe you after all the trouble I keep getting you into. Hannah’s making roast chicken and blueberry cobbler.”
    Ned grinned at her. “You’re on. For tonight, you and I are going to forget about this campaign and your case.”
    He bent to kiss her, and Nancy found that she didn’t have any problem forgetting about everything else in the world but Ned.
    â€¢Â â€¢Â â€¢
    â€œNow, I’m supposed to be Molly Thomas, a photographer at Today’s Times , right?” Bess asked Wednesday morning, as she and Nancy climbed the marble staircase in City Hall.
    â€œThat’s right,” Nancy replied. It was just before nine, the time of the appointment she had made with Mayor Filanowski, pretending to be Brenda. The girls’ heels clicked across the polished hallway as they headed for the mayor’s second-floor office. Bess was carrying a camera bag. “I can’t believe Hector is trusting me withhis best