Upping the Ante

When I gave up my days as a pro poker player for academia, I never imagined it would bring her into my life...or set me up for the biggest gamble of all.

My focus needs to be on establishing myself as a professor of game theory-not on romance. I have no time for a relationship, let alone interest in one. So when the girl in the bar needs someone to pretend to be her boyfriend in a pinch, I'm happy to step in-as long as she realizes it's just a one-time thing.

When I find out she works down the hall from me, though, a new plan starts to form: one that could help us both, as long as we stick to the rules and keep real feelings out of it. Game theory only works if all the players have the same information and strategy, after all.

The more time we spend together pretending to be in a relationship, the harder it's getting to walk away from her. But I haven't told her everything about me. I'll need to come clean if this is going to turn into something real-but when she finds out the truth, she might be the one walking away from me.