Page 1 of The Dating Contract

Chapter One

The bright sunlightof a June morning reflected against the large expanse of the Manhattan convention center. The building, as per usual during a convention, was wrapped in signs and draped in lights.

But this was different.

This time, the signs and the lights all said, ‘The New York Wedding Extravaganza’ and all of it—the building, the signs, the lights and the convention it signified—was the bane of Leah Nachman’s existence.

She didn’t have a problem with weddings so to speak. What she did have a problem with, was the vibe emanating from the building she was about to enter. Even the air in the parking lot was nervous, excited, high-strung and tied so tightly she could barely breathe.

Not to mention the sheer numbers of people preparing to fill the facility, packed so closely she could barely lift an arm to adjust her sunglasses. And they were all dressed in various shades of white and pink and black and blue, bright enough to burn her eyeballs behind her sunglasses.

Only for her beloved older sister would Leah brave this disaster. “Why, again, isn’t Naomi here?”

Her sister lifted her gaze from the engagement ring occupying real estate on her left hand. “She’s not just our cousin, she’s a paid event planner working with clients who aren’t us. And she figured, as my sister and maid of honor, that you’d be able to walk me through my agenda.”

The agenda.

Settled into a three-hole blue ombré plastic binder were thick stapled packets filled with maps, schedules and notes about the vendors that only a project manager, like her sister, would love.

“So,” Judith continued, touching her phone screen before lifting it up so Leah could see it. “You have an email now with calendar entries and their corresponding alarms that will go off for events I want to see if possible.”

Leah’s phone confirmed the receipt of the email with a buzz. “Got it,” she said, aware the agenda had also found its way onto her phone.

For a second, Judith looked up, and Leah could see a question in her sister’s eyes. “Fine?”

Leah knew that no matter what she said, Judith wouldn’t pull the plug on this adventure. If this was a normal situation, Leah would even be thrilled her sister was focused on somethingshewanted.

But this wasn’t normal. And all she could say was “Fine.”

Judith nodded and Leah once again saw the flash of a question in her sister’s eyes before it dissipated. “Let’s do this.”

Feeling pulled by the inevitable, Leah squared her shoulders, adjusted her entry tag and followed her sister into the building.

*

Samuel Levine wasunder the impression that without bad luck, he’d have none. Because otherwise, he never would have gotten the call from his older brother and business manager that morning, telling him his presence was needed.

“Even without your facial hair, you’re still the face of your business.”

Samuel sighed. Not every young single male sofer writing ketubahs and mezuzahs was searching for an opportunity to write one for himself. “I thought they came to me for my calligraphy.”

Aaron shook his head. “Nope. Your jawline is sharper than any z you’ve ever written, and those brown eyes are more magnetic than your ink.”

Samuel let that pass without comment; the whole ‘hot sofer’ thing had been Aaron’s idea after all. But soon enough, the booth was set up in the usual manner. Aaron would station himself at the side, speaking to the people who approached and organizing business, and he’d be a bit further inside behind a table with pens, quills, ink, sheets of paper and a task list.

Not that he’d get anything done. It was just always better to look like he was busy, or have something there that would allow himtobe busy. Just in case.

“Ready?”

He settled into the chair and nodded. “Yep.”

And as the clock struck ten, the hall was full of the sound of chatter, and the clatteof footsteps, which signified the rapid formation of lines.

“Hi,” said the first woman in the queue. “I want a mezuzah and a date.”

Somehow he managed to convince her and three other women that he wasn’t interested, and told a man that he didn’t want to make his future husband jealous no matter how many items he purchased.

The next customer came up to him with a big smile on her face. “Do you know Melanie Gould?”

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