CHAPTER 7

Jenny laughed, "Not my friend, my sister, Louise. You may not remember her. She is not a partier, a real bookworm. She has a degree in Business Administration from the University here. She wants an MBA not an MRS. She is pretty enough and she would go along with it, if I ask her too." Edgar resigned himself to lying to his mom and Aunt about Louise while earnestly still looking, just for some peace. "Well, will she be at the party tonight? Should I pick her up? How do we do this?" Jenny put her arm over Edgar's shoulder, "You just let me talk to her and I will call you with the details." They had reached the lane where Jenny's parent's house was and they parted ways with Corey and Edgar proceeding to the nearest pub as Edgar was not ready for the grilling he was about to get from his mom and Aunt about his lunch date.

On entering the pub they heard a loud boastful mouth running wide open. "Sig." Edgar and Corey said in unison. The two men slapped an unknowing Sig on the back just as he was about to let the third dart fly and it went wide left nearly giving an unsuspecting patron an unwanted piercing. "Damnit Hansen! The rather robust women yelled. "I can not be held responsible for that one, Miss Riah, it is their fault." She shot all three and evil glare and each apologized quietly with their heads down and turned to find three empty seats at the quiet end of the bar. "So, I hear you had a lunch date. How did it go?" Sig looked up at a very pale Edgar. "That good, huh? Well batter up, which one is next?"

Edgar had told Sig that his clever ruse would never work on this tiny island, and now he was gonna have to tell his big headed brother that he had the perfect pretend girlfriend, he thought. "Well glad to hear you listened to your older, wiser brother," he exclaimed, slapping him on the back. Edgar hung his head down low. "So who is she and how much is it gonna cost ya?" Edgar laughed, "Not sure how much cash but just about all of my pride. It's Jenny's little sister, Louise." Sig took a sip of beer and replied, "Yeah, I remember Jenny had a younger sister, but can't place her face. So, Corey is she a real dog?" "If I didn't know you better Sig Hansen, I would be offended and knock you on your pompous ass. NO! She is not a dog. She is pretty all the time and absolutely gorgeous when you can get a good look at her. I am not so sure she is gonna agree to this Edgar. Jenny did not exaggerate when she said that Louise has other things on her mind besides finding a spouse." Edgar interjected, "Well, at least we have that in common." Corey continued, "She is very shy with men. She has been working full time and going to school full time and plans to come to the states this summer to get her Master's at Washington University this fall. She has been saving her money and wants to do it herself. She is very independent and focused on getting into the University and passing the English exam, as brilliant as she is she struggles with her English. I think it is because she never talks in English or Norwegian. Anyway we just have to see if she agrees first. I don't want her getting her feelings hurt or embarrassed should you meet Mrs. Right during you pretend dating of my sister in law. I will break your neck." Edgar took that to heart as Corey was six inches taller and about 60 pounds heavier and built like he could bench press a Volkswagen.

"Maybe we should rethink this; I mean our families have been friends for years. Not only will I have to lie to my family but she will have to lie to hers. We won't be able to pull this off." Sig ordered another round, "Well let's let that be Louise's decision, and add a little cash to sweeten the pot. I mean she is gonna need money for the move and for school, how much ya got on ya? I can help ya out some." Edgar looked at his brother with a 'screw you' glare and said, "You think I need to get a loan or something? Am I that ugly? How much do you think this will cost me?" Sig leaned back in his barstool and after a long exhale said to the ceiling, "Whatever the market will bare. This is a smart woman, she has plans and I bet the two of you can help each other. See, there is a light at the end of the tunnel." Corey laughed, "Yeah, I see it alright, and it's a train." And he ran his two empty beer mugs together making loud explosion noises. "Behave boys!" said the barkeep and Sig ordered another round earnestly thinking to himself that he may have gotten his little brother into a bad situation. This could get messy and expensive.