Just Pretend (Just… #1)

1. Hallie

CHAPTER 1

HALLIE

My breath catches in my throat as I reach for the conference room door handle.

This is it, Hallie. The moment of truth. You've worked so hard for this. No matter what happens, you should be proud of yourself. You can do this.

I wrap my fingers around the handle and take one last big breath. On the count of three. One, two — BUZZ!

My eyes fly open and I spring awake, frantically scrambling to silence my alarm. I gasp in horror as I see the clock turn to 7:00 AM. Shit! I’m always awake before my alarm. How did this happen? I jump out of bed glancing at my bedroom wall and my anger comes flooding back.

I know exactly how this happened.

James Cole. My oversexed asshole of a neighbor. Even through my earplugs and the mountain of pillows I practically smothered myself with, I could hear the moaning and screaming all night long. If I didn’t know who was on the other side of my bedroom wall, and I wasn’t familiar with his propensity for one-night stands, I would think my neighbor was torturing someone over there. Of course, I wouldn’t put it past him to be into whips and chains. Thanks to him, I got no sleep last night—and I am going to pay dearly for it today.

Any other day, I would already be awake when the alarm on my phone goes off. With a deep sigh, I toss my covers aside and jump out of bed, running for the shower. I could save time if I just wash my body and skip my hair, but I quickly decide against it. I have to look my best at work today, especially if I’m going to show up to the office with the bags that are most certainly under my eyes.

I’m still yawning as I get dressed and dry my hair, applying tiny dabs of some ointment I got as a free sample that is supposed to make my eyes less puffy. It’s never actually made any sort of improvement but at this point I’m willing to try anything. I don’t just look tired; I look completely exhausted. Just staring at my reflection in the mirror produces another yawn. Thank God my amber eyes are naturally bright, because otherwise I’d look even worse than I do this morning.

I tried to stop looking at the clock last night since each glance only made me more enraged, but it was well after 2AM by the time the noise stopped from the apartment next door. Just thinking about James Cole and his revolving door of women makes me bristle. I look back into the mirror and take a deep breath in, letting out slowly, counting to five in my head. I can’t let myself get worked up about the brothel next door, not when my bosses are so close to making a decision about my possible promotion. I’ve been vying for this position ever since it opened and it’s down to just two of us. Today could very well be the day it happens and the last thing I need is to be thinking about my neighbor’s highly enthusiastic sex life.

Leaning into the mirror, I spot a single grey hair poking out from my part.

“Oh, hell no,” I whisper, reaching for the tweezers and plucking it from my scalp. “Not today.”

I used to highlight my light brown hair but recently I’ve been saving every extra penny I can from my paycheck. Expensive hair treatments are not high on my priorities these days. Finally satisfied that I look presentable, I grab my blazer and head into the living room, where my bright red Conure parrot greets me with a friendly squawk.

“Hello!” he chirps.

“What do you think, Fred?” I ask, turning in a quick circle. “Does this outfit say Sales Director of Winter Brothers Vineyards ?”

I look down at my crisply ironed pants and my pointed-toe shoes, then I glance back up at the bird skeptically.

“Or does it scream pathetic, terminally single Hallie Evans, who has a better chance of finding Jacob Elordi waiting for her on her Vespa than she does of getting this promotion?”

I wait for a response, but Fred only flaps his wings, ruffling his feathers along his neck.

“Shit, it’s almost eight already?” I hiss, noticing the time on the microwave. “I need to get moving if I’m going to be the first person in the office.”

“Shit!” Fred repeats, not missing a chance to use one of his favorite words.

All week, I’ve been trying to find little ways to demonstrate my commitment and dedication to my job. The three brothers who own the vineyard are extremely attentive to every last detail of their operation and I know they notice who comes early and stays late. I’m willing to do whatever it takes to get the sales director position—which comes with a big pay bump as well as a bonus—both of which I desperately need. Not for highlights in my hair or any other trivial expense, but for my family.

If I don’t get this promotion, my whole family would be devastated , I think to myself, a familiar, paranoid mantra. Not to mention all the kids who need ?—

“But that’s not going to happen,” I tell Fred, cutting off my own thoughts as I pull a protein bar out of the kitchen cabinet. “I’m going to get this promotion and use my bonus to help my family. Period. Wish me luck!”

Fred flaps his wings again, bobbing his head down and back up.

“Luck!” he tells me, sounding pretty confident for a bird who has no idea what I’m talking about. Still, I smile at him, feeling comforted by his presence.

“Why are you the only man who gets me?” I laugh.

Reaching into the refrigerator, I grab a glass container filled with leftovers from last night’s dinner and then I head out of the door, stopping to lock up behind me. It’s still early enough to be cool out, but I can tell from the warm breeze in the air that it’s going to be another hot day in California wine country.

Along the walkway to the stairwell, there’s a railing that looks down to the communal pool in the center of the complex’s courtyard. I only have to take one glance at the couple by the gate down below to know that James Cole is sending off his flavor of the night. I turn my head away immediately, not wanting to gawk at the way he has her pressed up against the gate, his fingers in her bright blonde hair and his tongue down her throat. Something inside of me stirs and I try not to think about how long it’s been since I’ve had sex. I’ve been putting all my energy into work and dating has been an even lower priority than my hair.

When I come out of the stairwell, I let out a low groan, realizing that James and his blond bombshell are blocking the exit. I thought I might be able to avoid this all-too-familiar scene, hoping they would sleep in after last night’s sex-a-thon, but there they are, right in my way, totally oblivious to the world around them.

I pause for a moment, hoping they will notice me, but when the kissing and groping only intensifies, I clear my throat to get their attention. James opens his eyes and glances over at me, but it’s a few more seconds of kissing before he finally comes up for air. I seriously can’t believe I have to go through this every morning. If I weren’t saving my money, I would move just to get away from James and his smug, satisfied smile.

“Call me,” the woman purrs in his ear before licking his neck with the tip of her tongue. All I can do is roll my eyes, knowing there is no way he’s going to call her. I’ve never seen James with the same woman twice.

When the blonde is gone, I let out a long breath, finally able to pass through the gate to my Vespa parked at the curb. I walk by James without a word, but as I start to put on my helmet, I see him moving towards me.

“You sure I can’t give you a lift?” he says, his hands in the pockets of his relaxed-fit jeans, his t-shirt clinging to his chest and biceps. “You don’t want to mess up your new suit.”

I can’t help my eyebrow from twitching, wondering how he knows my suit is new.

“No, thanks,” I mumble, clipping my helmet under my chin. “Do we really have to go through this every morning?”

James flashes me a smile, showing just enough of his white teeth to make my stomach do a flip.

“Only until you finally say yes,” he replies with a wink before he turns and walks off with a cool confidence.

My eyes slip to his ass, admiring the way his jeans fit, though I quickly give my head a shake and look away. While I can’t deny he’s hot with his mahogany hair and dark chocolate eyes, the man is a total womanizer, and his personality kills any attraction I could possibly feel for him.

“Never gonna happen,” I mutter under my breath as I pull away from the curb.

Fall has always been my favorite time of year in Napa Valley, when the days are still hot but once the sun goes down, the air feels crisp and clean. It’s already heating up on my ride to work, but the benefit of the Vespa is feeling the breeze on my body as I zip down the road. The leaves are just beginning to change to bright yellow and orange and for a little while, I forget all about the promotion, saving my family’s summer camp, and even James Cole, and I just enjoy the beautiful scenery all around me.

As I drive through the gates of the vineyard, I’m greeted by acres and acres of grapes on the vines in long rows that stretch as far as I can see. It doesn’t matter that I get to take in this stunning view every day; it still hits me the same way each time I see it. Despite the other challenges in my life, I feel so lucky to have a job I love in a place that’s consumed by natural beauty. I could never work in some high-rise office building, crammed into a tiny cubicle, overlooking another high-rise.

After parking my Vespa on the edge of the gravel lot, I take off my helmet and wave to the agricultural team, already heading out to the vines for the day.

“You’re the only one who gets here as early as we do,” one of them, an older man with greying black hair and a cleft in his chin, says with a laugh. “You should join us sometime in the vineyard.”

“I’d love to,” I smile back. “But you’d have to work my desk, making sales calls and sending out samples.”

“Pass,” the man replies, shaking his head at me.

“Yeah, I thought so,” I laugh. “Have a great day.”

Heading into the administrative offices, I walk through the tasting room, picturing it filled with tourists. Even though the vineyard is closed during the week, I can still hear the buzz of approval as happy visitors taste the Winter Brother Vineyards wine. Each bottle is pure perfection and I’m lucky to sell such a quality product—it makes my job easy.

I stop in my tracks on my way to my office when I notice there’s a light under the door marked “Staff Only.” My stomach tightens as I wonder who could have gotten in earlier than me. I can already feel the answer in my gut, and I don’t like it. Sure enough, as I push the door open and head into the offices, I can see that the light is on in Chase Andrews’s office down the hall.

“Unbelievable,” I mutter, shaking my head.

I don’t think Chase has been early for work a day in his life—he usually wanders in ten, fifteen minutes late—and yet, it doesn’t surprise me that he beat me in today, given that he’s my only competition for the sales director promotion. I guess I can’t blame him; I would do whatever it takes to get this job, too. It just rubs me the wrong way that he’s acting like the model employee now, while I’ve been giving this job my all for years.

“Hallie!” Chase calls out as I start past his office. “A little late today, huh? You know what they say, the early bird gets the worm.”

Not that you would know , I scowl inside my head even as I force a smile to my lips.

“What a coincidence, Chase,” I say mildly, peering into his office from the hallway. “The day you arrive early just happens to be the day we are meeting about the promotion.”

Chase’s smile twitches slightly, but he laughs to cover it up, sitting back in his chair.

“May the best man win, Evans,” he says.

I shake my head as I continue down the hallway.

“Or woman,” I reply.

“You busy?”

I have my nose buried in my calendar, trying to find time to get out to a distributor by the end of the month with some new varietals the Winter brothers are testing out, but when I look up and see Jasmine smiling in my doorway, I immediately feel my shoulders relax. Working with my best friend is just another perk of the job I love, especially given that Jas is the Office Manager for the vineyard and excellent source of company information—which is a more professional way of referring to office gossip.

“I could use a break,” I tell her. “The new red blend is amazing and complex, but it’s going to require a lot of in-person meetings to get it on the shelves.”

“Well, I’m sure you’ll outsell the rest of the department, just like you always do,” Jasmine says, lowering her voice. “Especially once you’re the new sales director. Which is why I’m here—Scott wants to meet with you and Chase in the conference room.”

Right away, I feel my eyebrows shoot up and I take a deep breath in. This is it. Scott Winter rarely gets involved with the day-to-day operations of the office staff—he’s more likely to be found outside in the vineyard or else concentrating on the big picture of the company. If he wants to meet with us, it has to be about the promotion.

“Okay, thanks,” I say, standing up and taking my blazer off the back of my chair.

As I pass by Jasmine in the doorway, she gives my hand a quick squeeze, leaning in close.

“We are all rooting for you,” she whispers.

I flash a smile and give a quick nod in acknowledgement before making my way down to the conference room. A sense of deja vu washes over me. This feels just like my dream. I can hear Chase’s obnoxious laugh before I even step inside and I hesitate in the hallway for a moment. You’ve got this, I tell myself as I walk into the room.

“It took ten minutes before I could coax the snake away from my ball,” Chase laughs. “But once he slithered away, I tapped it right in for a birdie.”

“Wow, that’s crazy,” Scott laughs along, nodding his head. “Truly unbelievable.”

Probably because the story isn’t true, I think to myself as I smile and take a seat at the conference table.

Working for three men has never bothered me, but seeing Scott and Chase acting like old friends has me feeling a bit insecure. I know that I can’t let myself go there, though. Chase might have that one advantage over me, but I know I’m the superior salesperson and better suited for management.

“Hey there, Hallie,” Scott warmly welcomes me, turning away from Chase. “I’m sorry I haven’t been in the office to catch up in a while. How is your family? How’s the camp doing? Did they have a good summer?”

“It’s great, thanks for asking. They had a wonderful summer, as always,” I reply with a grin, thinking about my weekends helping out whenever I could, getting to know the kids and spending time with my sister.

That’s not the whole story, of course, but I don’t want to get into it with my boss. While it was a wonderful summer at the camp, I know that it could very well be the last summer if we don’t come up with the money to keep the land. After years of using the property, my family has to find a way to buy out the other owner now that the lease is up. Maybe alternative arrangements could be made—a continuation of the lease, a reasonable buyout period, anything—except that the co-owner of the land is my father’s old business partner, Rupert Sinclair. Since the two of them haven’t been on speaking terms for years, it’s an impossible situation to rectify.

The camp is actually the source of the rift between the two men. They worked as partners for many years, and together they were successful land developers. That partnership quickly came to an abrupt halt, however, when they purchased the lakefront camp property to build a resort. Rupert’s partner was hungry to develop the waterside property, but when Dad saw it was a camp for kids on the spectrum, he couldn’t move forward with the plan. He could see right away how special the camp was, having an autistic daughter himself, my sister, Sadie.

When my father said that he wanted to keep the camp open rather than bulldoze it to the ground, his partner was incredulous. Rupert couldn’t believe my dad would give up the chance to make millions off the land. Unable to see eye-to-eye, the two men dissolved their partnership. They fought over the lakeside property for months in court and finally they came to an agreement that my father would lease the land from his former partner for a set amount of time. I don’t know what he thought would happen when the lease was up, but now that the time has come, there doesn’t seem to be many options. Either he comes up with the money to buy the land at current market price, or he loses the camp. And while the camp is very popular and has helped so many kids, including my sister, it’s not a particularly lucrative business. I know for a fact that my father doesn’t have the money to buy his former partner out.

Just thinking about the situation makes my heart hurt. The camp means so much to my family because it has given my sister a community where she can grow and thrive. Sadie is now a counselor each summer, able to earn her own income and feel a sense of purpose and achievement. It would kill me to see the place close down, which is why this promotion has been so heavy on my mind. With the salary increase and the bonus that comes with it, I might be able to help my family keep the camp after all.

“I won’t beat around the bush,” Scott says authoritatively, the friendly tone of his voice fading as he looks back and forth between me and Chase. “I want to talk to you both about this promotion.”

I had a sense that Scott and his brothers were getting close to making up their minds, mostly because of Jasmine’s gossip, but now that the moment has arrived, I feel totally unprepared. I hold my breath, praying that it’s me, knowing how much it will mean to my family.

Ever since the former Sales Director announced his upcoming retirement, I knew I had a shot at the position. Winter Brother Vineyards is a family company and they’ve always been adamant about promoting from within. They consider every member of the staff to be a part of the Winter family, another part of the job that I love and respect. While the department is made up of a dozen successful and loyal salespeople, it soon became obvious that the brothers narrowed their consideration down to me and Chase. We have the highest numbers, the largest territories, and the longest seniority. While I can’t stand Chase personally, I can’t deny he’s a shark when it comes to sales. Our methods may be different, but we both get results.

“As you both know,” Scott begins, “my brothers and I are preparing to fill the sales director role soon.”

It’s about time , I think in my head while keeping a placid smile on my face.

“We are looking for the perfect candidate to represent the values of the vineyard,” Scott continues. “We wanted to make the final decision quickly, but over the last couple of weeks, my brothers and I have found that it’s too important to rush. So, we have decided to wait until after this year’s company retreat in Wyoming to decide. We want to spend some more time with you both outside of work first.”

I nod as if agreeing with this move, but I feel my stomach drop. I’ve been with the company for four years and this will be my fifth team building retreat. It’s always a different location, but it’s been the same dismal situation for me, year after year. Everyone in the company has a spouse or a partner to bring with them, and every year I’m the only single person on the trip. While I’ve dated guys on and off, I haven’t been in a serious, long-term relationship in years. These trips are awkward enough for me without the added pressure of competing with Chase for this promotion.

I can’t believe I’m going to have to prove to the Winter brothers that I’m the right person for the job while at the same time not coming off as a total loser for being at the retreat by myself. Why is it so hard to meet a decent guy, anyway? The only man I see outside of work on a regular basis these days is my scummy neighbor—and he’s the least decent guy I know. If James Cole is all the universe has to offer, then I’m doomed.

Scott stands and shakes both our hands before leaving the room, smiling as if he has no idea how anxious we are to find out who will be the next sales director. I try to take a few deep breaths to loosen the knot in my stomach, but when I see Chase smirking at me from across the table, I feel my whole body tense up.

“What?” I spit at him, annoyed by the know-it-all expression on his face.

“Nothing,” he says, giving his head a shake.

I roll my eyes and start to head for the door, but I stop when I hear Chase behind me.

“You know Scott’s just being nice, right?” he says.

Don’t take the bait, Hallie. Don’t do it.

Ignoring my better sense, I spin around, narrowing my eyes at him.

“What is that supposed to mean?” I ask.

“Well, it makes sense for the brothers to consider you for optics,” he says, gesturing with air quotes when he says consider you. “But we both know how this is going to go.”

I cross my arms over my chest, swallowing down the disdain I feel.

“You seem pretty confident about that,” I bristle.

“It’s so obvious,” Chase laughs. “One, I’ve been here longer?—”

“Not by much,” I interject.

“And two, I fit the vineyard profile better than you do.”

“The vineyard profile?” I repeat dubiously. “Because you’re a man?”

“Oh, please,” Chase scoffs. “Don’t make this a glass ceiling initiative. I mean because I have a wife and kids.”

“What does that have to do with anything?” I ask.

“This is a family-owned business that puts great pride in the values and history that have been passed down for generations. The Winters want their senior staff to reflect those values, so obviously that’s something they’re going to be looking at when promoting a new director.”

“And you think your values are closer in line with the Winters than mine?” I ask. “I work hard, show up early, stay late, and give this job everything I have.”

“I’m talking about family values,” Chase clarifies. “As in—I have a family, and you don’t.”

All at once, I feel like the wind has been knocked out of me. This goes way beyond my being awkward for being the only single person at the retreat. I’ve never considered that Scott, Clay, and Lucas would promote someone because they have a spouse and a couple of kids.

That’s insane , I think to myself. Could it really all boil down to that? Is that really the deciding factor here?

I try to shake off the thought, but I suddenly feel like I’ve been na?ve to believe that hard work and consistent results would be enough to put me ahead.

“That’s ridiculous,” I shake my head, though at the same time I’m still entertaining the horrible, nagging thought that Chase could be right. Are the Winter brothers really looking for someone with a family in their leadership roles?

“Is it?” Chase asks, knowing that he’s getting under my skin. “Or does it make sense now why they are waiting until after the retreat to make the announcement?”

“What are you talking about?”

“They’re looking to see how our family values align with theirs,” Chase says confidently. “I’m going to show them what a loving, devoted husband I am—just like the three of them are—whereas it’s going to be glaringly apparent that you live alone with a parrot. How is old Fred doing, anyway?”

His words are a slap across my face, and I feel stung as I absorb the impact.

“It’s great you have a family, Chase,” I say calmly, “but I am free to travel and work late because I don’t have anyone relying on me at home except for Fred, who is thriving, thank you very much.”

Chase laughs at this, shaking his head condescendingly.

“That would be a good point if you worked somewhere else,” he says, “but you know how Scott and his brothers are. Family is most important to them, and you don’t seem to have one.”

Without giving me a chance to respond, Chase turns and walks out of the conference room. I’m still frozen with shock as I hear him calling out for Jasmine down the hall.

Could Chase be right? Is it possible that the Winters are looking to promote someone like them—someone with a partner and a family? I’ve never gotten that impression from them before, but when I look back at the past retreats, every activity is set up with couples in mind. Every holiday party invitation includes a plus one and the summer staff party is always a family affair with a petting zoo and clowns twisting balloons into animals. I don’t know why I didn’t see it sooner.

The more I think about it, the more I wonder if Chase could be right. It’s entirely possible that I might lose this promotion because I don’t have a partner or kids. The thought makes me feel queasy as I hurry back down the hall to my office, keeping my head down so no one can see how rattled I am.

Once I’m safely behind my desk, I take a few breaths and list out all the ways I’m more qualified than Chase for the job. He may have a slight edge on seniority, but not by much, and my numbers are consistently better than his. I put in longer hours, and I travel further to meet with clients. I don’t take long family vacations…even though Clay Winter often has to encourage me to use up my personal time. Crap. Have I been blind to the reality of this family-owned company this whole time? Maybe they’re not looking for a workaholic, but someone with work/life balance.

“Hey,” Jasmine whispers, hurrying into my office and closing the door behind her.

“Isn’t Chase demanding something of you right now?” I mumble in reply, shaking my mouse to wake up my desktop.

“Eh, he just wants his lunch,” Jasmine waves it off. “I’ve got ten minutes before I have to pick it up. In the meantime—how did the meeting with Scott go?”

I press my forehead to the desk and let out a long sigh of resignation.

“Hal?” Jasmine asks. “Are you okay?”

Sitting up straight again, I feel the full weight of this promotion pushing down on my shoulders.

“Scott said they decided not to make the announcement until after the retreat,” I tell her. “I guess they want to spend more time with us outside of work.”

“You’re kidding,” Jasmine replies, her eyes widening.

“It gets worse,” I moan. “Chase is certain he’s going to get the promotion because he fits the vineyard’s family culture more than I do.”

“Family culture?” Jasmine questions with a raised eyebrow.

“As in, he has a family, just like the Winters all do, and I don’t even have a boyfriend.”

“What? That’s insane,” Jasmine says. “I’ve never heard any of the brothers mention wanting to hire or promote people with families. Do you think Chase is just trying to shake your confidence?”

“I’m sure Chase will do and say anything to get under my skin,” I shrug, “but at the same time you know how the brothers are about family—it’s a huge deal to them. Everything they do around here for their employees, the kids’ Halloween party, Thanksgiving morning at the food shelter, bringing in Santa to give gifts to all the kids at the family holiday party… It’s undeniable that they want the business to have a family first atmosphere. How many times has Clay been on my case about not taking a full week off in the summer to help out at the camp?”

“But you’re swamped all summer long at work,” Jasmine points out. “It’s our busiest season.”

“I know, but they’re always talking about work/life balance…” I trail off, feeling more and more convinced that Chase is right.

“It doesn’t matter,” Jasmine says firmly. “You are way better at your job than Chase and the idea that you could lose a promotion because you aren’t married is totally ridiculous. That’s some kind of Handmaid’s Tale shit. I just don’t buy it.”

“Me either…” I agree, wishing I felt as sure as Jasmine seems. “But I don’t know, Jas. Chase’s numbers are good. Mine are a little better, but we are still neck and neck. What if this is the deciding factor?”

“It can’t be,” Jasmine shakes her head. “It’s not even legal.”

“But the guys might not even be aware of it,” I point out. “It could be some kind of implicit bias, something affecting their decision making without them knowing it. Either way, can I really take that chance? I need this promotion. I need to help my family or else they’re going to lose the summer camp.”

“Do the Winters know about that?” Jasmine asks.

“No, and I don’t feel right about telling them,” I reply right away. “It feels icky and manipulative. Using my sister’s autism and my family’s financial struggle to help get a promotion…I’m not going there.”

“Chase would,” Jasmine points out.

“Probably,” I groan, “But that’s not me. I don’t want to get the promotion that way.”

Jasmine sighs, leaning back against the door.

“Are there any dating prospects out there for you?” she asks hopefully.

“I wish,” I mutter.

“Have you tried any of the apps?”

“Please,” I scoff. “They’re worse than singles’ bars. Besides, the retreat is only a week away. Anyone I could find that fast who’d be willing to go on my work trip would be desperate or a serial killer—maybe both.”

Jasmine laughs for a second, nodding in agreement before her expression turns serious.

“Look, don't let Chase make you second guess yourself,” she says. “I still think Winter brothers probably don’t care if you don’t have a partner or kids.”

I look at her from across the room, feeling a lump inside of me.

“But what if they do?”

I sit on my Vespa for a moment after parking on the curb, trying to let go of the terrible day I had at work. After the meeting with Scott and Chase, I spent the rest of the afternoon wondering how I can possibly compete with someone who has a wife and kids—the perfect nuclear family—if that’s what the Winter brothers are really looking for in a sales director. How in the world am I going to find a boyfriend by next week, let alone a family? It’s an impossible task. I might as well just hand the promotion over to Chase right now.

As I make my way through the gate into the apartment courtyard, I think about James Cole and the blonde he was with last night. I should have known how this day would turn out by the way it started. I went directly from dealing with his smug face to Chase’s.

You can’t let them win. I try to give myself a pep talk as I walk around the pool to the mailbox bank by the stairwell. At least not without a fight, I think as I open my mailbox and mindlessly sift through the endless advertisements inside. I know how much Chase will change the culture if he’s in charge of the whole sales department. It will be practically unbearable to continue working at the vineyard—not that I can afford to be out of work. I climb the stairs slowly, feeling weighed down by how overwhelmed I am. I just want to get upstairs and have a big glass of wine and a hot bath. Maybe once I’m a little more relaxed, I can figure out where I’m going to find a boyfriend in less than a week.

Just as I’m turning the corner from the stairwell, I bump right into the broad chest of someone coming at me from the other direction—naturally, my mail goes flying. I stagger backwards before looking up, momentarily getting lost in James Cole’s deep brown eyes before I see the smirk on his face. Taking a slow breath in, I try not to lose my cool, but could this day get any worse?

“You’re home early,” James says with a raised eyebrow.

“I didn’t know you kept tabs on me,” I huff, straightening my blouse before crouching to gather my mail.

“I don’t,” James laughs. “You just usually spend all your time at work. Do you have a hot date tonight? Here, let me help you.”

I do a quick double take as he crouches, wondering why he’s asking.

“I’ve got it, thanks,” I say, ripping an envelope from his hand. “And that’s none of your business.”

“I’ll take that as a no,” James says with a one deep laugh, standing upright. “You really should get out more. Work isn’t everything, you know.”

“Says the guy who seems to have nothing but free time on his hands,” I reply pointedly.

“That’s the joy of working for myself,” James winks at me.

I try to recall ever knowing what James does for a living, but nothing comes to mind.

“What is it you do again?” I ask, needling him slightly. “Did you find a way to turn a revolving door of women into a career?”

“I’m an entrepreneur,” James replies, looking amused.

“Is that a euphemism for an escort?”

“Why, are you interested?” James fires back at me. “What’s the matter? Can’t get a date without paying for it?”

I bite my lip for a moment, embarrassed that even my skanky neighbor knows about my sad dating life.

“You should stop by sometime,” James says, taking a business card out of his wallet. “If you’re lucky, I’ll throw the escort part in for free.”

The smirk is back on his face as James moves past me. I can hear his footsteps echoing down the stairwell until he reaches the bottom and only when the front gate squeaks open and then slams shut do I look down at the card he gave me. James Cole Woodworking on St. Helena Street. Despite myself, I can’t help but be impressed by the tony address. He must be really good at whatever it is he does with that wood.

As I continue on my way, I hear voices at the front gate, and I lean over the railing to see James talking to Sheryl from upstairs and her ten-year-old son.

“Are we on for the batting cages this weekend?” Trevor asks, looking excited.

“Yes, but only if you promise not to show me up again,” James replies, ruffling the boy’s hair. “You’re really getting good.”

“Thanks for all the help you’ve given me lately,” Sheryl says to James. “Trevor loves spending time with you. You’ve really been a godsend.”

“It’s my pleasure,” James replies. “He’s a great kid. And when he’s playing first base for the Giants, maybe he’ll get me tickets to the World Series.”

I glance down at James’s card again, wondering what else I don’t know about my neighbor. It seems that besides being a total playboy, he also has some kind of successful store and is helping a single mom with her son. Maybe he’s not so bad after all. I guess it’s possible.

As Sheryl and Trevor head out, James glances up and catches me staring back at him. Instead of looking away and pretending I wasn’t watching, I lean over the railing a little further.

“That was really sweet,” I say to him.

James shrugs nonchalantly, as if helping out a single mother and her kid was no big deal.

“The kid’s mom is a total MILF,” he says, winking up at me from down below.

Right away I feel my smile fade and my back go stuff.

“Whatever,” I groan, shaking my head and taking my mail to my apartment.

I can’t believe that for about thirty seconds, James almost had me thinking he was a nice guy. I certainly won’t let him fool me twice. Besides, I have bigger problems than my womanizing neighbor. I still have to find a boyfriend in a matter of days or risk losing the promotion I’ve worked so hard for.