CARA

Much of the U of T campus is picturesque and ivy-covered, but the building that houses my faculty is a tall, modern, glass-and-concrete structure. I’ve had three offices—all shared—in the year that I’ve been here, and now I’m moving into yet another. For the summer, I’ll use the empty office next door to my advisor so I can help with a big research project she’s just received a grant for.

And in return, she’s put her name on my grant applications for the fall, although those are now in peril, thanks to my grandmother.

I shake my head. Nana doesn’t really understand how my world works—although to be fair, she has more reach than most grandmothers do.

I’m just packing up the last of my things when my officemate arrives for the day. I like Helena well enough as a colleague, but our work schedules and practices never aligned, so I’m secretly happy about heading upstairs.

I’m careful not to show that, though. Nobody likes a bragger.

She gives me a polite nod, then pulls out her headphones and crawls into her work. Okay, then. Not like I was going to offer to meet up at the grad pub anyway, but…

See ya, Helena.

The usual prick of disappointment I feel after an awkward encounter like that fades when I get an unexpected text as I’m settling into my new space.

And I do have a good work week. So busy, my plan to find a fake fiancé stalls out as my advisor’s big project for me grows in scope.

Adding a pretend wedding on top of all that work would be ridiculous, I admit to myself mid-week.

So I let it slide until the Friday afternoon, when I find a white envelope in the mail slot at my apartment building. The paper is smooth and thick, and smacks of a limited run done by a high-end New York paperie. I don’t need to look at the return address, written in flowing script, to know the letter is from Nana.

I wait until the ancient elevator has carried me up to my sixth-floor unit before opening the embossed envelope. An honest-to-God, gilded stationery piece of correspondence. This can’t be good. My panic returns to the top of the To-Do-Or-Die list even before I read her careful handwriting.

The letter falls out of my hand and flutters to the floor as my fingers immediately slick with sweat.

Oh, no. No, no, no…

I spin around grab for my phone. Toby’s number is in my Fav List. I stab at his name, then press the phone to my ear. My hand is shaking, and that just gets worse when he doesn’t answer.

Shit.

I huff out a breath and stare down at the letter. Might as well read the rest of it before totally freaking out.

Nope, too late.

I lean over and grab it.

The right man isn’t answering his phone. Also, he’s off-limits. And way older than me. And Ben’s best friend. And he lives in California…

Wait.

My heart pounds in my chest. No, Toby isn’t the right man. Not for me.

But that mouth…

Well, yeah, anyone who’d been kissed like that would think they might like another taste. That’s normal.

My phone rings, surprising me. I squeak and jump and die a little inside as I flop to the floor. Toby’s name is flashing on the screen.

“Hi,” I say as I answer it.

“What’s wrong?” Oh God, he’s all sleepy. His voice is warm and rough and sounds like sex.

Did I interrupt sex?

Did he call me back after I interrupted sex?

Except the sleepy… That doesn’t make any sense. “Where are you?”

“Tokyo,” he mumbles. “It’s almost five in the morning.”

“Shit. I’m sorry. I forgot.”

“It’s okay.” His words slur together before he takes a long, slow inhale, then grunts. “I’m up. I’d have to get up in half an hour anyway, I have a breakfast meeting with Sony people.”

“Fancy.”

He laughs and I picture him stretching. What does he sleep in when he’s traveling the world? Pajama pants that hang low on his hips? Boxer briefs? Nothing?

I suddenly want more of that picture. Not just the X-rated, Toby-is-built-like-an-Olympic-swimmer picture, but all of it. “Where are you staying?”

“The Park Hyatt. They know how I like my bacon.”

“That’s what you’re having for breakfast?”

“Always. But they’ll have these little Japanese pastries, too, and tea.”

“I’ve had the tea there. Elana took me with her on a trip once, and we did the high tea service. And then we went to a shrine…”

“I should have brought you with me, you probably know more about being a tourist here than I do.”

“How many times have you been to Japan?”

“Half a dozen at least. Always whirlwind trips.”

I shake my head and smile. “That’s no fun.”

“This is what I’m saying. You need to teach me the way, Cara-san. Now why did you wake me up in the middle of the night?” he asks gently.

“Ah, it’s…nothing. Doesn’t matter.”

“Is this about your need for a groom?”

“Maybe.”

“I wasn’t sure if you’d dropped it.”

“I kinda had. And then Nana sent me a letter.”

“An email?”

“No, an honest-to-God letter. Nice stationery and all.”

“Sounds serious.”

“She’s hired a matchmaking service to find me a mate.”

“Huh.” His single-syllable sound is short, clipped, and hard.

“This can’t happen, Toby.”

“Right.”

“I should just tell her to back off.”

“Yes, you should. But you won’t.”

“I can’t,” I whisper.

He sighs. “Then tell her you’ve met a guy.”

My breath catches in my throat.

“Plan 2.0,” he murmurs more gently than I deserve. “Time to kick it into action. Whirlwind love affair in three, two, one…”

“What’s his name? I haven’t even thought of that.”

“Ralph.”

I snort. “No.”

“Blake.”

I wrinkle my nose. “No. How about Alex?”

There’s a pause at his end, then he clears his throat. “Sure.”

“I hope the actor I find looks like an Alex. I’m doing this all backwards.”

“Actor?”

“You had a good point. I probably can’t risk hiring an escort. An actor might be more money, but—”

“I’ll hire the escort for you. I mean, it’s important that it be someone who understands the role. An actor sounds…risky.”

“I can’t ask you to do that.” I chew on the corner of my lip. “I probably shouldn’t involve you in this at all.”

“And yet here I am, waiting for the sun to rise on the other side of the globe, happily involved. Don’t worry about that.”

“Okay.” I take a deep breath. “I’m sorry, Nana, but I actually met a guy this week. Sounds good?”

“Sounds great. Keep it simple. The best lies are as close to the truth as possible.”

“I met him on the plane back to Toronto. He called me later in the week, and we’re having coffee this weekend. I can’t, in good conscience, agree to start seeing other people when he’s all I can think about.” I can feel my mouth curving into a smile as the story blooms to life.

“Alex sounds like a great guy,” Toby says gruffly.

“Don’t worry, he’s going to break my heart. He’ll refuse to move to Australia with me.”

“And that’ll be the end of that.”

“Yep.”

“Go call your grandmother.”

“And you kick butt with your meeting with Sony.”

He laughs. “They’re trying to impress me, troublemaker.”

“Right. I should know that, shouldn’t I?”

“Nah. It’s refreshing that you don’t.”

When we hang up, I pick up the letter again. Talking to Toby did the trick. I’m not stressed anymore. It’s going to be just fine. I take a deep breath, and dial my grandmother’s phone number.