"Do you work directly under Aaron Hale?" Cameron's near-accident at the stoplight – he'd hit the gas instead of the brakes – was a testament to his surprise.

"Yeah, I do," he admitted. "But not many people guess that. They think I'm much lower down the ladder. How did you know?"

Jennica shrugged. "I met him once. Your description matched him perfectly."

Her deduction was impressive, but when had she met Aaron? He rarely left the office unless it involved Keeley, and he'd never introduce her to his roommates. "Where? He's a hermit!"

She laughed, revealing a brilliant smile. "Wow, way to insult the man you owe your career to."

"Hey, I respect him, but as one of his only friends, I'm allowed to insult him occasionally."

"You're funny," Jennica said, still chuckling. "You know Aiden Quinn? He's my neighbor. A few months ago, he asked me to do a favor – be his fake date at a cocktail party. It paid well, so I did it."

That sounded exactly like Aaron. He couldn't ask the woman he wanted, so he paid someone else to avoid the hassle of someone who might actually like him.

Cameron wouldn't have been jealous of Jennica's fake date with his boss if he hadn't known a) Aaron was obsessed with Keeley, leaving no room for others, and b) Aaron wasn't her type.

"Did you meet Alistair Hale?" he asked curiously, wanting to know her impression of his boss's enemy.

Jennica shook her head. "No, just his wife and some crazy girl who was probably why Aaron hired me. I got rid of her quickly!"

Leaning in conspiratorially, she whispered, "I called him 'Aar-Bear.' You should have seen his face!"

Cameron burst out laughing. She'd dared to give the "Ice King" a corny nickname? Priceless. "That's amazing!"

She grinned. "I know, right? It was the only fun part. Do you have to attend those parties? They're so stuffy."

"Nah, that's for upper management. My kind of party involves a beautiful girl on roller skates falling into my arms," he said charmingly.

Jennica blushed, spared further response by their arrival at the diner. While waiting to order, they discussed Jennica's auditions. She hadn't gotten a callback for last week's audition, but was trying out for a dinner theater and some commercials.

Cameron's closest experience with theater was his sister's sixth-grade play (she was a talking tree). He didn't know much about theater, but enjoyed listening to Jennica; her passion was evident.

"If you could play any role, who would it be?"

Her eyes lit up. "Elphaba in Wicked! I've memorized all her songs, but it's a hard role to get on Broadway. Being an understudy Off-Broadway was my best role so far. My resume isn't strong enough for the actors' union, but someday…"

Cameron's gaze softened. She was especially beautiful when talking about her dreams.

"I wish I'd seen your show. We met too late."

She smiled warmly, squeezing his hand across the table. "There's always the next one. If I can find one."

"You will," he encouraged.

"It's discouraging auditioning full-time and still struggling to make ends meet. My mom—" she stopped, embarrassed. "Never mind."

"I don't mind. What about your mom?"

Jennica sighed. "My twin's coming home for Thanksgiving after eight months at sea, and Mom expects me to be there but won't pay for my ticket. Even a bus would cost a hundred dollars I don't have. She keeps saying I wouldn't have this problem with a 'real job.'"

"I didn't know you had a twin," Cameron said, a little stupidly. His parents had always supported his business aspirations.

"Fraternal. Brian's six minutes older, married with a kid. Another thing Mom nags me about," she complained, blushing. "Sorry! I'm a terrible date."

Cameron didn't think so. "Don't apologize. Why don't you 'pull an Aaron'?"

"Huh?"

"Get a fake boyfriend for Thanksgiving. Isn't that what he did?"

"I don't have the money!"

"You don't need to – I volunteer," he said matter-of-factly.

Their food arrived. He let her think. His absence at his parents' Thanksgiving would barely be noticed; he'd be home for Christmas anyway. This would give him more time with Jennica. He liked what he saw.

She picked at her fries. "Don't you have plans?"

"My mom will forgive me if I get her an extra nice Christmas gift. I'll get the plane tickets."

Jennica frowned. "Why would you help me?"

Cameron decided on honesty. "I like you. Spending Thanksgiving with you would be fun."

Her confused expression turned into a dazzling smile. "You like me?"

"I wouldn't have brought you a mug from a different continent if I didn't," he said simply.

"Alright then," she giggled. "This should be fun. I can't wait to see Mom's face."

They clinked their Coke glasses conspiratorially. With any luck, by the end of Thanksgiving, she'd be his real girlfriend.