LITMIR.BIZ

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The assistant began clearing away the few things on the table that he assumed would go back to the office. Turning to Teddy, she said, “Your bag is over there.” She pointed toward the wall behind the table. Adam saw a small canvas bag lying there. “We’re all packed and about to head back.”

      “All right,” Teddy said. “I’ll see you on Monday.”

      Renee said goodbye, leaving the two of them alone.

      Teddy turned back to him. “I’m finished now. I guess we should go get the painting, unless you want to dance again.”

      * * *

      Adam drove the SUV expertly through the crowded Manhattan streets. Yellow cabs, buses and New York drivers proved no match for his skill.

      “How was the wedding?” he asked.

      “Do you really want to know?” Teddy remembered his comment on weddings in general. “I thought you didn’t go in for the happily ever after.”

      “I don’t. I was only making conversation.”

      It was a long ride back to Princeton. It would be even longer if they didn’t talk. “The wedding was beautiful. The bride was beautiful. Several of her bridesmaids cried. You saw the church.”

      “How long does it take to plan a wedding?”

      “I thought you were married before. How long did yours take?”

      “We didn’t have all the bells and whistles. We went to the justice of the peace and got married,” Adam said.

      Teddy was surprised. “Your wife didn’t want a big wedding?”

      “She did, but we couldn’t afford it. So we decided to use the money we had for the honeymoon.”

      “Maybe next time,” Teddy said, forgetting his beliefs.

      “There will be no next time,” he said. His voice was final.

      “Then you better stop your mother from setting up blind dates for you.”

      “Oh, it’s on the top of my list of things to do.”

      Teddy laughed. “If you find a solution to that, please send me an email and share it so I can stop my mother.”

      Teddy reached down and opened the small package she’d brought with her. Inside was a pair of shoes, which she traded for the ones she was wearing.

      Adam glanced at her.

      “Different muscles,” she explained.

      “What does that mean?”

      “After a wedding or a long day on my feet, changing my shoes means I use different muscles in my legs and they don’t get as tired.”

      “From the way you were all over the place, you must be tired of running.”

      Teddy sighed. “This one wasn’t that bad. The cathedral was huge, but everything ran rather smoothly. Jessica will be pleased.”

      “Jessica is the bride, I take it?”

      Teddy nodded. “For the fourth time.”

      “Four husbands?” he said.

      “She keeps us in business.”

      He must have mulled that over. Adam lapsed into silence while he maneuvered through the traffic. Teddy realized she’d given him more ammunition to support his impression about weddings and marriage. Thankfully, traffic was clogging and Adam kept his attention on the road.

      Finally they reached the gallery. Adam pulled into a space someone vacated and the two of them went inside. The place was bright with light. Huge windows covered the entire first story. Interior lights were placed strategically toward paintings to give them the best appearance.

      A man came from the back of the small building. He was about six feet tall with gray hair, a potbelly and a welcoming smile. “Ms. Granville?”

      Teddy nodded.

      “I’m Gene Restonson, the gallery owner.”

      “I’m Theresa Granville, Gemma Granville’s daughter, here to pick up a painting you’re holding for her.” Teddy introduced Adam. Gene shook hands with them both.

      “We were just finishing packing it up. Give me a moment,” he said with a smile that took in both her and Adam. “Excuse me.”

      Teddy nodded and he left them to go to the back.

      The huge windows looked out on the afternoon traffic. Teddy moved away from them, going to a painting on a back wall. It was a landscape of the sea and sky. Adam came up behind her. “You know what they’re doing, right?”

      She turned to him. “‘They’?”

      “Our mothers.”

      “What?”

      “They’re going to keep throwing us together in hopes that we finally decide to date.”

      “I’m sure I can handle that,” Teddy told him.

      “I can, too. We’re both very busy, but I think there’s another option that will satisfy us all.”

      Teddy was intrigued. “What is that? You’re not going to propose?” She held her breath. It wasn’t possible, but she was unsure of what he might do. He’d appeared out of the blue today and after their conversation on weddings at dinner, he could be setting her up for anything.

      He shook his head. “No, that’s not it.”

      “You have my attention. What do you think we should do?”

      “I think we should give them what they want.”

      “I thought you weren’t going to propose.” Teddy had no idea where this was going. “They want us to fall in love and get married.”

      “So we pretend to fall in love,” Adam said.

      “What?”

      “It’s not so strange.”

      “Pretend lovers. Those plots don’t work in books, let alone with two people who don’t know each other.”

      “That’s what makes it perfect. We can spend the time getting to know each other. At least, that’s what we’ll tell them.”

      “And how do we get out of this, when my mother starts making appointments for the church, the cake and asking me for the wedding gown design?”

      “It won’t go that far. We’ll keep it up until Christmas. Then we’ll tell them it didn’t work out and we’ll be free of each other.”

      Teddy stared at him. “Free of each other,” she repeated.

      “I didn’t mean that the way it sounded. We’ll have satisfied our parents for the time being. Mine will usually not bother me for a year after a breakup.”

      “And with the new year,” Teddy said. “They’ll be too busy to bother us for several more months. By then, maybe we can convince them that their meddling produced disastrous results and we’re in command of our own love lives.”

      “Giving each of us time to find our own partners, if that’s our intention.”

      Teddy shook her head, indicating that was not her intention.

      “We’ll call it the Marriage Pact,” Adam suggested.

      Teddy glanced up at him skeptically. “You know, you’re way too into this.”

      He smiled, showing his even, white teeth.

      “Shouldn’t it be the Pretend We’re Falling in Love Pact? After all there will be no wedding planning.”

      “Too many words.” He frowned as if he was seriously considering it. “Are you in?”

      “I’m

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