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“By… setting you up with a guy?”
“Exactly. I—well…” She coughs nervously. “I have a person in mind, so you wouldn’t have to start from scratch or anything. It’s the strategy part I can’t seem to master. I need to find a way to ask him out, without seeming too forward. I’d prefer ifheaskedme, but he hasn’t yet…”
“And you want me to… get him to ask you?”
“That would be very nice. I’m available this Saturday morning for coffee, for starters.”
“Oh. Okay… Yeah, I guess I can see what I can do.”
Getting some local guy to a coffee date with Hana doesn’t actually seem that hard. And when it comes to this kind of bargaining, it’s all about perceived value. Shereallywants a relationship. I could hear it in her voice when she talked about Bart and Sue and their baby stroller.
I suppose she has a biological clock, just like me.
The thought of my own darn biology makes me think of how weak-kneed I got around Nick this morning. If I could get my hormones under control, that’d be great.
I get lost in thoughts of Nick as Hana leans forward in her chair and reaches for a yellow legal pad.
“Excellent. That’s really wonderful to hear, Maddison. I look forward to a productive partnership with you—one in which webothget our needs met.”
I barely hear her, because now I’m lost in thoughts of Nick and my friendship with him.
“Now, why don’t you fill me in on a few details of your case,” she says, readying her pen with a click.
“Yeah… yeah, I should do that. But first—can I ask you something?”
“I am now your lawyer, here to serve.”
“Great… um, have you ever helped your clients write up a contract with themselves? I mean, sort of like a promise. Like, ‘I’ll ride my stationary bike once a week, and if I don’t, I’ll give five hundred dollars to charity.’”
“Sure. That’s a basic commitment. Takes two minutes to write up. It’s a self-motivation technique. Why, do you have something of that sort in mind?”
“Yeah. I guess this is going to sound silly, but you and I go way back, so here it goes…”
I bite my lip and wonder if I’m about to admit to my weakness.
I have to.
She’s a lawyer, and I’m lucky enough to be the recipient of her services while we have our little deal going.
“Okay—this is really embarrassing, but… you know how I mentioned Nick? We have a really nice friendship thing going right now and I really,reallydon’t want to screw it up by letting any thoughts of romance muck things up. A contract would help me stay on the straight and narrow.”
Her face goes blank.
I’m great at reading people, but this woman has become an impenetrable stone wall. She moves with lightning-quick speed, twisting to her desktop, clicking the mouse, and starting to type:“I, Maddison Bradshaw, on this date of…”
And then she reads aloud an entire paragraph of legal-sounding jargon as she types. When she pauses for air, it’s while drilling me with an inquisitive look. “So, what is itexactlythat you promise? I need something concrete for this contract.”
“I promise… I promise not to kiss him.”
Yikes. Now I’m actually getting that butterflies-in-the-tummy feeling at the thought of locking lips with Nick again.
“And if you do?” she asks.
“I’ll donate—” I stop myself from saying cash… because I don’t exactly have any.
What do I have?
“I’ll donate my Jetta,” I say, after giving it thought. “I love that car. I’ve named her Myrtle. She has the coolest moonroof. My faithful companion for going on eight years now, without ever breaking down. She’s totally paid off, too. And if I kiss Nick, I’ll donate her to charity.”
