Although it goes against my better judgment, and I'm usually adamantly apposed to sequels, I couldn't resist. Thanks to all who reviewed "How to end a first date" (feedback is better than beer). This works as a standalone, but its probably more fun if you read the first one, and I had so much fun with it, keep your eyes pealed for a third

How to Snag a Secret Boyfriend

f.f. lindy

Jim showed up back at her door less than ten hours after their first date had come to a close. He realized that he looked like he was trying to hard. With the new haircut Karen had talked him into getting it was hard not to, but the polo shirt probably didn't help a lot either. He tried his best to tool his hair to make it look more normal before he knocked.

The door flung open the moment his knuckles left it. He grinned when he saw her. In her little white cotton skirt and strappy sandals, she looked like she was trying to hard. "Hey," he said.

"What happened to your hair?" she looked a little shocked.

He felt a blush creep across his face and he walked inside, catching his reflection in the mirror in her entryway. Rather than casually disheveled like he typically kept it, it looked like he had been attacked by something. He quickly used his hands to try to get it back to some semblance of normal.

"That's a little better," she said.

"Should we get going?" he asked, trying to save face as best he could.

"Yeah," she smiled, and followed him towards the door. Her keys were poised in her hands to avoid a repeat of the previous evenings ten minute long scour for them. She locked the door swiftly behind them.

"So," he began as they made their way out into the crisp morning air, "we have about 47 hours before we go back to the office and the hyenas we work with spoil this simple, blissful thing we have going. What do you want to do with them?"

"Well, we could start by walking to the bagel place down the street," she pointed in the direction for him to follow, "but I was actually thinking that maybe we shouldn't tell everyone at the office. We could just keep this blissful, simple thing we have going to ourselves."

"Why Ms. Beesly, are you asking me to be your secret boyfriend?" he asked wiggling his eyebrows.

She giggled. "Maybe."

"I hope you know that there are stipulations that come with a secret boyfriend. And certain privileges I'd require."

"Oh yeah? Like what?"

"Well it would mean clandestine meetings, and we would probably need a secret code of some sort to speak in around everyone else."

"I think I could handle that."

"Oh no, I'm just getting started," he explained playfully. "We're talking full boyfriend privileges on the weekends, so dates, and movies- the whole works, and secret boyfriend stuff during the week. You'll have to sit with me at the table in the lunch room and pretend we're not playing footsie under the table. Oh, and hand-holding, there will have to be a lot of non-work function hand-holding. It's not something to take lightly."

She smiled up at him. "Well, it does sounds pretty rough, but I really want a secret boyfriend."

"Okay then," he said cautiously, "but you asked for it." He immediately took her hand in his own and held it protectively as they made their way up the street.

"I have to ask you a very important secret girlfriend question," she whispered, as they neared her favorite bagel shop. "Do we get to hold hands in restaurants, even though we might know someone?"

"It's a chance we'll have to take," he said soberly, eliciting a tiny laugh from Pam.

"Well," he said, as they finished up their breakfast, "I had planned to just walk you home after breakfast. But now that I'm your secret boyfriend—"

"You're really going to milk this for all it's worth aren't you?"

"Hey, I told you it wasn't something to take lightly. As my secret girlfriend you are going to have to help me pick out a christening gift for my niece."

"Oh am I?"

"Hey I don't make up the rules," he teased.

"Why do I get the feeling you're using this to your advantage?"

"Because I couldn't pick out a christening gift without help, and you know that." He cleared the dishes off their little table then held out a hand for her to take.

"There's a little store a few blocks up that might have something," she said, happily linking her hand with his.

"Perfect."

"This secret boyfriend stuff is kind of fun," she observed.

"I'm glad you're enjoying it." They walked along hand in hand, enjoying one of the first sunny Saturday mornings of the season.

"Is this it?" he asked, looking up at a sign and curling his nose. "How did you even know we had a Christian store?"

"Well I've been living in that tiny apartment all alone for eight months and my best friend moved to Stamford. I know every store within a mile of home."

"And you think we'll find something here?" He looked hesitant to enter the store.

"I've never been inside. I thought it was weird."

He chuckled and walked closer to the store, swinging her hand in his. A man on a bench just in front of the store caught his eye and he quickly threw her hand back at her and jumped to put an extra foot of space between them. She looked up at him in confusion then followed his eyes as he shifted his gaze to a very uncomfortable Dwight sitting on a worn wooden bench in front of the store. "Dwight!" Pam said loudly, failing all attempts at seeming inconspicuous.

"I was just sitting here," he said. "There is no particular reason."

"Oh," Pam said just as uncomfortably.

"Pam was just helping me pick out a gift for my niece. I needed a girl's opinion."

He tried to keep Pam walking without touching her so they could get past Dwight and into the store. As soon as the door swung closed behind them Jim pinched her playfully. "You suck at secret boyfriends."

She brought a finger to her lips and shushed him then pointed silently to a rack of figurines. A thin blond woman lifted one carefully and looked at the price on the bottom.

"Angela?" Jim mouthed, his eyes widening.

Pam snapped her finger back up to her mouth. They exchanged grins and tried not to make the other laugh.

"Okay," Pam said, getting herself back under control, "focus. We need a gift for your niece. What does she like?"

"She's three months old," he said, "she likes sleep and her fist."

Pam snickered. "Then what does her mom like?"

"Cookware, broadway musicals…"

"Jim," she cut him off.

"I don't know! All I know is that when they baptized Dylan I brought a little Yankees jersey and that, according to my mom, was an 'insensitive gift.'"

Pam laughed again. "What about something like this?" Pam pointed at a small wall mirror surrounded by angels and cherubs.

"It's kind of—"

"Gaudy?"

"Yeah."

"Maybe Angela would help," Pam said tersely.

"No, this is good, there must be something in here."

"Can I help you?" The older woman behind the counter offered when she noticed their confusion.

"We're trying to pick out a christening gift," Jim offered.

Before the saleswoman could even respond Angela butted in. "I like to give a holy card and," she spun around and saw Jim and Pam, then stopped shortly. "Oh." She went back to her browsing without another word, leaving the shop uncomfortably quiet.

"How about this?" Pam picked up a fuzzy toy sheep holding a sign that said, "I am the lamb and You are my shepherd."

"Perfect," Jim said, handing the animal to the sales clerk.

"So this is it?" she asked awkwardly.

"That's all." Jim paid for the toy and carried the bag outside, walking past Dwight without saying a word. As soon as they were out of earshot Pam all but pounced him.

"Oh my God. Can you believe that?"

"I cannot," Jim said letting out a chuckle. "I wish that I could tell everyone, but I think I will have a lot more fun just reminding Dwight from time to time that we know."

"Oh it's going to be amazing! And I was totally right all along."

"I thought you gave up on that theory."

"I just stopped talking about it. Sometimes it's better to respect the fact that people want to have a secret boyfriend instead of a real one."

"A real one?" Jim balked. "Are you calling your secret boyfriend a fake boyfriend?"

"You know what I mean," she gave his hand a tug.

"Nope," he said obstinately, "you're going to have to do something to prove to me that you know I'm your real, albeit secret, boyfriend."

"Like what?" she said smugly.

"Hmm," he made a pensive face. "We could share an ice cream cone, or go roller skating, or we could take kissy pictures in one of those photo booths at the mall."

She shook her head with a chuckle.

"Oh, I've got it!" he said stopping her in her tracks. "You could come with me to Amy's christening and meet the family."

She bobbed her head, but didn't look at him as she started walking again. "Well that certainly is a very girlfriend-like thing to do."

"Yep, but you owe me one," he teased, trying to ease the awkwardness out of the conversation.

"Okay," she nodded again, clearly still slightly uncertain. "I'll go."

"Cool. It'll be fun, I promise."

"Can we share and ice cream cone anyway."

Jim smiled and looked over at her. "It's not even noon, you really want ice cream?"

"Yep," she said, "I really want ice cream. And I think as my real, albeit secret, boyfriend, you have to buy it." She smiled mischievously at him.

He sighed and swung their clasped hands between them. "You lead the way, Beesly."