Free My Fake Summer Boyfriend by Ann Herrick Page A

store, I had managed to shove Nicole into a closet in the far corner of my mind and close the door on her. I would talk to Alex, we would explain our true feelings for each other, and Nicole wouldn't be able to interfere.
    I almost broke into a run as soon as Little 's was within sight. As I approached the front door, I saw that the giggling girls were all atwitter, whispering behind their hands and glancing from the door to me and back to the store. I tried to ignore them as I shooed Jason and Hailey inside.
    As soon as I saw Alex, my heart nearly stopped. Leaning over the counter, looking up at Alex with her big blue eyes, was Nicole Kendall. Jason and Hailey ran to the back of the store to get their customary ice cream sandwiches, but I hung back in the doorway. Alex seemed to be enjoying his conversation with Nicole. He must have caught a glimpse of me out of the corner of his eye, because all of a sudden he turned in my direction.
    " Katie! I don't think you've met Nicole. Nicole, this is Katie Price."
    "Well, hello, Katie. Pleased to meet you." Nicole said quickly, turning immediately back to Alex, leaving me with my hand outstretched in midair, poised for a handshake.
    I dropped my arm to my side. I decided to answer Nicole even if she was ignoring me. "Nice to meet you too, Nicole."
    She gave me another quick glance.
    I met her deceptively bored look, which didn't quite mask the scrutiny hidden behind her eyes, and flashed a big smile at her. Maybe I didn't have Nicole's dazzling beauty, but I was attractive enough in my own way and hadn't Alex just said that the past few weeks with me had been the most fun he'd ever had? I wasn't going to give up on him just because of Nicole. Not yet, certainly.
    Jason and Hailey ran up to the counter with their ice cream sandwiches. I paid for them as I introduced Jason to Nicole. Nicole uttered a quick hello, then grabbed Hailey and hugged her.
    " Hailey, sweetie," Nicole said. "Great to see you again."
    "Hi, Nicole." Hailey squirmed free. "Would you like some of my ice cream sandwich?" She held it up to Nicole.
    Nicole shook her head and wrinkled her nose. "No, thanks. I have to watch my figure."
    You 'd better watch it , I thought meanly. "Well, kids," I said to Jason and Hailey. "Time to go." I hoped Alex would take the hint.
    Alex checked the time. "Ah, I'm off duty." He caught my eye. "Wait. I'll go with you."
    "I 'd love to see where you're staying, Alex." Nicole slipped her arm through his. "I'll go with you."
    I wished there was a button I could push that would open a trapdoor in the floor for Nicole to fall through. Instead, I took Alex's other arm. Two could play Nicole's game.
    It looked like a caravan leaving Little 's as we snaked our way through the bastion of giggling girls who were momentarily standing in shocked silence.
    "What a cute cottage," Nicole said, when Alex put the key in the door. She didn't wait to be invited. She just stepped inside. She looked around the one-room downstairs and mumbled, "It's so … so cozy."
    I could see it would be impossible to have a private conversation as long as Nicole was around, and it looked as if Nicole planned on being there for a while. I wasn't about to stand around twiddling my thumbs waiting for her to leave. "I've got to go," I said to Alex. "Talk to you later."
    Alex leaned toward me, but Nicole grabbed his arm and pulled him back.
    "I 'd like a tour of the cottage," she said.
    "Uh, sure." Alex shrugged his shoulders as he said to me, "See you later, Katie."
    "Yeah." I stormed out of the cottage and seethed all the way back to my room and for most of the rest of the afternoon. Here I was, all set to have this wonderful talk with Alex, where I was going to tell him how much he meant to me and what a good time I'd had the past few weeks with him and how I wanted to kiss him now that I felt he really cared about me—and was not just looking for a good time for the summer.
    So what happens? Along comes Nicole, who was