Page 10 of The Dating Contract

“I know the context. But what’s the deal with him being your boyfriend now? Don’t you not like him? Are we not supposed to like him?”

Leah desperately tried to stop herself from killing her cousin. “A one-time public stunt to fix the fact the man doesn’t understand crowd control. Nothing more.”

“Ooooh.” Naomi shook her head as they stopped in front of the gallery. “Too hasty methinks.”

“Sometimes words don’t require much thought.” Leah replied as she followed her cousin into the air-conditioned building.

“Says you who overthink everything,” Naomi snorted. Not that her cousin had any right to judge. “That will be the day—when you say something you haven’t rehearsed.”

“Not me,” Leah said as they headed to the podium holding the guest list.

“Naomi Nachman,” her cousin said.

“Leah Nachman,” Leah said following protocol. “My name may or may not be on the list.”

“Enjoy,” the security guard said as he waved them through.

And as she walked into the exhibit, once again, Leah felt something strange at the pit of her stomach. Once again she hoped the feeling didn’t signify yet another entanglement with someone best left in the past.

*

Sometimes, Samuel foundhimself in awe of his life and his surroundings. Two words to his mentor and there he was in deep conversation with Oliver Goldsmith, who had, by some strange twist of fate, possessed a mezuzah he’d made.

“Your stuff is the rage,” Liam had said.

Which was news to him. He enjoyed himself, and worked as hard as he could. “I guess it shows when I love what I do?”

“And the posters for the Goldstone series,” Oliver said. “The lettering was exquisite.”

That was it. He was done. May his memory be a blessing. Then and there.

But he had to be cool and casual. “Means a lot coming from you.”

Oliver smiled. “You’re one of us,” he said. “An artist on the rise. L’chaim.”

Samuel, still stunned, lifted the glass of club soda Liam had snagged from a passing waiter, and clinked glasses with Liam and Oliver.

As he started to try and participate in the conversation, his brain gradually adjusting to what Oliver had said, he looked up and met Leah Nachman’s eyes. This, he thought was going to be interesting.

Bashert.Fated.

*

The exhibit wasfilled with people of all sorts and framed photographs using different variants of light and scene. They were stunning.

“These are amazing,” Naomi said.

They were. But seeing her jaded cousin amazed by something surprised Leah. “I don’t have words,” she said.

“Why?”

“Because you don’t usually love photography.”

“Photography is part of my makeup case set of skills,” Naomi said, as if she’d given this explanation before. “It’s not my job to take photographs, but I can recognize a good photographer when I see one. However…”

“Yes?”

Leah encouraged the extra commentary because she thought it was about the photography, but the look in Naomi’s eyes should have convinced her otherwise. Mischief. Pure mischief.

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