Happy Mother's Day: Ready for Romance / Ready for Marriage

“What about you and Damian?”

“I don’t know what to think,” Jessica admitted again. “I wish I did. If he’s interested in me, then surely it’s his place to say or do something. Regardless of how he thinks I feel about Evan.”

“Oh, come on, Jess!”

“I know Damian.”

“Huh. You thought you knew Evan, too.”

“I do, or rather, I did,” she argued. The conversation was frustrating her more by the minute. “Besides, like I said earlier, I’m not interested in making a fool of myself over another Dryden. I learned my lesson the last time. Good grief, that was years ago and my parents and his still talk about it. Just this past weekend my own mother said how pleased she’d be if I married Evan!”

“I have an idea,” Cathy said slowly as though the scheme was taking shape in her mind as she spoke. “Introduce me to Damian.”

“What possible reason do you have to meet him?” Jessica didn’t like the idea of this.

“I just want to. Things aren’t going well with David….”

“David?” Jessica cried. “Who’s David?”

“The director for Guys and Dolls. Now listen, I know this sounds crazy, but trust me, it could work.”

“What could work?” Jessica was fast losing what remained of her patience.

“Our meeting. I’ll turn on the charm, do what I can to enchant him, and—”

“Just a minute, Cath, you’re talking about the man I’m interested in.”

“I know,” she said as if all of this was perfectly logical. “But don’t you want to know how serious he is about you? Also, maybe watching him with another woman will help you sort out your feelings for him.

“Yes, but—”

“Come on, Jess. You said yourself you weren’t willing to make a fool of yourself a second time. This way you’ll know.”

“This strikes me as pretty darn silly.”

“Not only that,” Cathy went on as though Jessica hadn’t spoken, “it’ll give me a chance to practice my acting. Just introduce us, and I promise I won’t do anything to embarrass you.”

“All right,” she agreed without any real enthusiasm. “How do you propose we do this?”

“I could stop by the office one day soon and suggest lunch. It’d be natural for you to introduce me around, wouldn’t it?”

“I … suppose, but doesn’t that seem a bit obvious?”

“Perhaps. Do you have a better idea?”

“No.” She sighed. “Okay. Do you want me to invite Damian to join us? I’m coming into the office this Saturday to catch up on a few things, before Evan’s big court case starts next week. My guess is that Damian will be there, as well.”

“All the better, then. I’ll see you Saturday around noon.”

“You’re sure about this?”

“Absolutely! I have ways of getting a man to talk.”

“That sounds like something out of a movie,” Jessica muttered.

Cathy laughed. “It is.”

“That’s what I was afraid of.”

Precisely at noon Cathy arrived at the office. Jessica envied her petite friend her pixie good looks, short dark hair and big blue eyes. Cathy was adorable in her pants, which were black with huge white dots, and multicolored striped suspenders. Her blouse was white with small black dots and she was wearing black high heels. One thing was certain—no one would miss seeing her walk down the street. If Evan had been in the office, he doubtless would have begged an introduction.

“You must’ve forgotten about our lunch,” Cathy said more loudly than necessary, standing outside Jessica’s office. Loudly enough for Damian to hear.

Her friend’s ploy worked because a minute later he wandered out of his office.

“Damian, this is my friend Cathy Hudson,” Jessica said. “I might have mentioned her before.”

Damian and Cathy shook hands. “Jessica forgot we were supposed to meet for lunch toda,” Cathy said.

“It isn’t a good idea for Jessica to skip meals,” Damian said. His eyes twinkled and the effort to suppress a smile caused the corners of his mouth to quiver.

“So you’ve seen what happens when Jessica’s stomach growls. Wounded bears are easier to reason with than Jess when she’s hungry.”

“Hey, that’s not true!” Jessica flared. They were speaking as if she wasn’t there. She placed her hands on her hips and glared at the two of them. She hadn’t been keen on this idea of Cathy’s from the first and her instincts were proving to be right.

Her former roommate eased closer to Damian and was staring soulfully into his eyes. He didn’t seem to mind in the least; in fact, he seemed to lap it up.

“I’ll get my purse,” Jessica said stiffly, leaving Cathy and Damian gazing at each other while she went behind her desk and dug her purse out of the bottom drawer. The whole charade irritated her, and she was furious she’d allowed herself to be talked into it.

Cathy managed to tear her eyes away from Damian long enough to throw visual spikes at her friend. It took Jessica a moment to understand what was being signaled. Oh, yes—she was supposed to invite him to tag along.

“Would you care to join us for lunch?” she asked Damian, managing to sound polite, if unenthusiastic.

“Please do,” Cathy said, her words like warm honey.

Damian looked at Jessica as if seeking her confirmation, and to her credit, she did produce a smile. She didn’t know why she’d gone along with this. No doubt it was due to Cathy’s persuasive talents.

“I’ll be happy to join you,” Damian shocked her by saying. She’d never dreamed he would. The man was full of surprises.

“Great, just great,” Jessica muttered under her breath.

“Fabulous,” came Cathy’s melodious response.

Jessica rolled her eyes, and together the three of them headed out of the office. Damian suggested a well-known expensive restaurant, and before Jessica could comment one way or the other, Cathy had agreed. Jessica snapped her mouth closed before she could say something she’d regret. It irked her that Damian would so easily fall into Cathy’s snare. It might be just a charade, but she was left more than a little confused.

Outside the building, Damian waved down a cab, and Cathy managed to sit in the backseat with Damian. Jessica sat in the front while her best friend giggled her way through the streets of Boston. They drove past the Boston Common and the Freedom Trail, the winding path that led history buffs and tourists from one historic monument to another.

She was acting like a jealous fool, Jessica realized with a start. Jealous of Damian and Cathy? The fog that had clouded her thinking for the past few days cleared.