Page 30 of The Dating Contract

“I’m a bit of a scatterbrain this morning,” she said with a laugh, gesturing at the papers strewn across her desk and the remnants of her coffee as it sat on the corner. “Trying to organize things at the moment. And it’s a bit of a mess…”

Bruck shook his head, his eyes addressing her as if she’d lost her mind. But all the same, his finger pointed toward the door. “Can I?”

She nodded; even though the potential conversation subject put butterflies in her stomach. What could he want to talk about?

Had she done something?

Bruck reached around to close the door before he settled into a chair in front of her desk. “Your clients set your schedule,” he said. “It is nice to see you in the office semi regularly, but when push comes to shove and your schedule is what it is, it’s yours, not mine.”

She nodded, not sure what to say. “Thank you?”

“The more pressing concern,” Bruck continued, as if she hadn’t said anything, “is that there’s an event I’d like you to attend in my place.”

She nodded. “Okay? Any particular reason?”

“I want to support this organization,” he said. “And you’re the best fit to attend, especially when I can’t go.”

She nodded, as the information sank in. “Oh?” she asked. “What organization is this and what kind of an event?”

“It was supposed to happen a few months ago, and a bunch of people were convinced it wasn’t actually happening. But Tzedakah Exchange—Evan—specifically took over the event, overhauled the whole thing and are putting on a gala.”

“Oh wait…Jessica Weiss and I were talking about this last night.”

“Yes, I saw that you were talking to her.” He smiled. “I have to tell you that my wife took a shine to your young man. She wants him to make a mezuzah for our house in the Hamptons, but that’s another story.”

Which was interesting because Josephine likednobody. Not a soul.

And yet she liked Samuel.

She finished the conversation with Bruck, agreeing to attend the gala, this time not as Samuel’s guest, but in Bruck’s place.

And yet all she could think about was Samuel.

Which was going to be interesting.

*

When he gotback from Liam’s Friday afternoon, Samuel started to prep for the drive to Briarwood. Friday night dinner with his family was the priority and, after that, when he’d usually relax, the rest of the weekend was full. Saturday afternoon he’d go to the Unicorns practice with Leah, and then go back to the city for Sunday’s comic con.

Thoughts of Leah made him wonder how she’d react when he saw her; what she thought of how he’d done at the cocktail party and what that meant for her career…

And the kiss.

But he couldn’t let his mind drift toward any of those things because he needed to focus on packing. He was halfway through when his phone started to buzz.

He picked it up and realized that the person calling him was Leah.

“Hey,” he said. “How are you?”

“Good. I wanted to let you know that not only did I get the official invitation for the gala, but also let you know that you impressed Josephine Brucker.”

“Gala? Which…right.” The information clicked and settled in his head. The logo and the conversation he’d had at the party. “That’s amazing,” he said. “And I’m glad. I was worried.”

“You’re much better at this fake boyfriend stuff than you thought,” she said, her words hitting him hard.

Harder than he wanted them to.

Which was when he reminded himself he had time to convince her. So much time. “So,” he said, as if to remind her, “we’re going to the gala?”

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