Chapter Nine
F riday morning, Samuel had too many thoughts running around his head to consider staying and working in his apartment, so he headed to the subway, following the directions to Liam’s new apartment.
He and Leah had kissed under the stars.
He’d call it something, but it was exciting, surprising and so much more than he’d ever expected.
Which was why he’d been lucky Liam had texted him.
“Come on in,” Liam said when he arrived. “Oliver and I are playing with ideas. And you have been moving and shaking.”
“I have?”
Liam nodded, gesturing to his phone. “You won’t believe the text I got last night from a very giddy Evan Lefkowitz who wanted to congratulate me, for getting me to persuade you to agree to the logo, and for him to congratulate himself for meeting you.”
“You met Evan Lefkowitz last night?” Oliver asked.
Samuel nodded. “I went to a party with my girlfriend.”
“I was wondering about that girlfriend of yours,” Oliver said.
Samuel smiled, slowly getting over the fact that Oliver Goldsmith had gone from being an inspiration to a guy who was asking about his girlfriend.
The fake girlfriend he wanted to make real.
“Yeah,” he managed. “It was nice to spend a night watching her shine at one of her professional events.”
“He’s not telling you the details,” Liam said. “The party he’s so casually referring to is that sports party…the sports agent who invites a select number of movers and shakers? So your girlfriend…”
“Is a sports agent,” Samuel confirmed with more than a little pride. “And works with the guy who hosts the party. Bruck? I think.”
“Yeah,” Liam said. “That’s the guy. Anyway, you’re bringing this girl to the party I’m hosting for Oliver over here.”
Samuel nodded. “I am. I’m also bringing her to Comic Con.”
“You’re doing Comic Con?” Oliver asked. “Very cool. Me too.”
“Yeah. Signing posters for MoviePix.”
“Soon you’ll be signing other things,” Oliver said, before giving Liam a look that made Samuel nervous.
“If I have my way,” Liam said, breaking through the thoughts running through Samuel’s head, and gesturing toward the kitchen table. “But we’ll keep you posted. But for now, give me a few ideas in terms of letter design for this logo.”
Letters. Logo. It was as if a light went off over his head. “Right. When do we need this by?”
“Why?”
“Because my girlfriend is getting me into a Unicorns practice this weekend.”
“Excellent,” Liam said. “Let’s start working and we’ll conference on Monday so we can get this done.”
And as Samuel took out his pens and sat down next to Liam, he let himself prepare, and maybe get a little more excited, about what his future held.
*
Leah was still slightly off kilter when she arrived at the office on Friday morning, but she was ready to tackle most everything that came her way.
As she sorted through her schedule, there was a knock at the door. “Come in,” she managed before catching a glance at the individual who had requested entry.
Of course it was Bruck. Casual, shirt-sleeves folded up to his elbows, the hazards of white dress shirts in this part of the summer.
“Morning, Leah,” he said.
“Bruck. Hi…I’m sorry…”
Bruck raised an eyebrow as he walked into the office. “Why are you sorry?”
“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 liked nobody . 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 got back 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?”
“I guess we needed that extension?”
Vindication was great, he decided. But more importantly. “Tomorrow?”
“Four at the JCC, okay?”
He nodded. “Right. And then do you want a ride back to Manhattan?”
He waited, wondering what she’d say.
“You know what, yes. Which means I can take the train with my cousin tonight.”
He nodded. “So see you tomorrow at four?”
“Tomorrow at four. Looking forward to it.”
And when he ended the call, he was more excited than he’d been before.
*
Leah was exhausted. Catching the train back to Briarwood was a pain, and finding two seats together during rush hour was a minor miracle. But she and Naomi managed it and were headed back to Briarwood. “So what’s up?” she asked her cousin.
“Livvy’s talking about a family trip but I noped out of that conversation so fast.”
“Why?”
“Because I’d rather not waste my time planning something that is actually not going to happen.”
Leah snorted. “Your parents would want a family trip this close to Judith’s wedding?”
“And then there’s the Livvy factor of it all,” Naomi confirmed. “Like it’s actually going to happen, knowing my sister is the worst workaholic in the world, which is saying something coming from me.”
“I wasn’t going to say anything,” Leah said with a laugh.
“Which is good, because I was going to ask you for an update on the boyfriend situation.”
Leah considered her cousin. This wasn’t Naomi’s style. If Naomi wanted to ask her something, she’d do it, not…like this. Which meant someone had asked Naomi for information. “Who’s sniffing?” Leah asked.
Naomi gave a long sigh. “You’re going to find out this weekend anyway, but Judith was sniffing around for info.”
Of course she was. Why was she not surprised Judith was trying to get information? Judith was an incurable busybody when it came to the matters of Leah’s life.
“But meanwhile, your sister-in-law is trying to keep everybody patient, but nobody knows impatience like Nachmans.”
And suddenly, Leah had a brand-new respect for Shayna. “Which is wonderful,” Leah replied, “because I’m taking him to Ramona’s hockey practice on Saturday afternoon.”
“Very interesting soft launch to the relationship.” Naomi paused. “If that’s what this is.”
Leah raised an eyebrow. “Excuse me? I…”
Naomi shook her head as the train pulled into the station. “I’m the last person in the world who should be judging this or you,” she said. “But you need to figure out what you want from this relationship, and what you’re willing to give.”
And as she pondered what she was going to do, Leah was even less sure of herself than she’d been before. But more importantly, she wondered how she was going to survive the weekend.