Chapter 7: Chapter 7: Tim
"Raph, as in the heartthrob in university?" Tina, a full-figured woman with a full-figured personality, leaned forward in interest, her huge mass of curly hair bouncing in excitement.
"Wasn't that the guy you had a big crush on but never had the courage to approach?" Jess was the sweet one in their group. She was thin and had straight thin shoulder-length hair.
"Yes!" Dell admitted excitedly. "And I met him again tonight. And he basically told me he liked me in college, too."
"Great!" Max, her artist friend who leaned on the whole bohemian style, exclaimed. "So when are you meeting again? I'd like to eavesdrop."
Dell Santos looked at her three girl friends. They were friends since college. They had made a pact that they would take on the world fearlessly, and so they did. Dell went and became one of the youngest vice presidents of a prestigious bank. Tina was a top executive in an insurance company. Jess might look sweet and pretty, but she was a very successful business woman running her own social media company. Max was a fine artist. But not the penniless kind. Dell always admired how she pulled off dreadlocks, but this girl had had exhibits all over the world. And her paintings were always sold out. She and her friends were all successful and, in her opinion, beautiful women. But they were all single in their thirties.
"We're not meeting again," Dell replied dejectedly. "He's taken."
"What? You sure?" Max asked.
"Yes. To this young and pretty girl he introduced as his partner."
There was one man in their group: Tim. Tim, currently a graphic designer for an ad agency, had been part of their group ever since college. "Maybe he meant business partner," he said. "It was an industry event, after all."
"They were so close," Dell said. "And he even teased her that she loved him."
Tina shook her head.
"No, I bet they're in that weird unclear we're-not-but-we're-kinda type of relationship. You can steal him."
"I don't steal what's taken."
"I don't think he's taken. Not quite anyway."
"Besides, I stand no chance against her. She's pretty and sexy and young. And I... I'm just successful. Which doesn't really do me any good right now."
"You need to up your market value," Max injected.
"How?"
"When was the last time you were in a relationship?" Jess asked.
"I don't know, five maybe six years ago."
"Ah. Tough luck there," Jess said as she picked up her margarita. "You know, relationships are like jobs. When you don't have one, nothing and no one comes. But when you're already in one, that's when the offers start pouring in."
"So you're saying I need a boyfriend first to be able to get a boyfriend."
Max leaned in, seeming to realize something. "Hey, Jess has a point there. Why would you want someone nobody wants, right?"
Tina nodded. "The theory of preferential distribution. Makes sense."
"It does not make sense." Dell picked at the nuts on the table dejectedly. "Stop making me feel worse."
"Makes absolute sense." Max was excited now. "I think we're on to something here."
Even Tim nodded. "It makes sense."
Max leaned in excitedly. "Why don't you get yourself a boyfriend."
Dell threw her a look with an eyebrow up. "If I knew how, I would have done it already."
"No, not a real one. I mean a fake one, a pretend one, just to up your market value. Then flaunt it to Raphael. Make him want you. Then when you break up with your pretend boyfriend, Raph is going to take that window of opportunity to ask you to be his girlfriend. It's a brilliant plan!"
Tim stood up suddenly. "I object! No, it is not a brilliant plan."
Max looked at him. "Hey, I thought you agreed that this makes sense."
"I said it makes sense that a girl in the dating scene would be more attractive to a guy than a girl who isn't. But I do not agree with the whole pretend boyfriend thing. You are messing with destiny. Love is... sacred."
"Who said anything about love?" Tina said. "This is just an agreement for the benefit of the parties involved since it'll up both their market values."
"Listen to you girls!" Tim exclaimed angrily.
"Are you saying this because you still like Dell?" Max asked.
Tim instantly went red. His eyes were wide, like an animal that had been cornered. "W-what?! What are you..."
"Leave him alone, girls," Dell said without much enthusiasm. "That was more than a decade ago. We were in elementary school."
"Y-yeah!" Tim added, still embarrassed. "That's right. I was... young then. Not counted."
"Ooh, how about that colleague of yours," Jess suggested. "William, was it?"
"Doesn't he kinda like you?" Tina asked.
"Does he?" Dell asked "I don't think so. He's just... there. He doesn't ask me out or anything."
"He's probably just shy," Tina suggested.
Dell snorted. "He's the Vice President of International Relations for Kelly Bank. He can't be just shy."
"You never know when it comes to these things."
"Look. I don't think I'm his type. Let's not force it."
Jess shrugged. "It wouldn't hurt to ask."
"Fine!" Tim suddenly shouted as he stood up with an arm raised. "I volunteer."
The three girls looked at him.
"I... I volunteer to be Dell's pretend boyfriend."
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