Sophia Lauron stood in front of her Florida ceiling windows staring at the city lights twenty stories below and seriously contemplated faking food poisoning to get out of this date. Because honestly, the last thing she needed right now was to sit across from some stranger making small talk while her entire company was three months away from completely falling apart. Her phone buzzed for the millionth time with another email from the investors, and she wanted to throw the damn thing out the window except it cost eight hundred dollars and she was about to be broke. So probably not the best financial decision.
Her best friend Mia came bursting through the door without knocking because that’s just what Mia did. Took one look at Sophia’s face and shook her head like a disappointed mother. “Oh no, you’re not backing out. I can see it written all over your face.” Sophia turned around in her designer dress that cost more than most people’s rent and tried to look innocent. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m totally going.”
Mia crossed her arms. “You’ve been married to that company for two years straight. You need this. You need to remember what it feels like to be a human being instead of a CEO robot.” “My company is dying, Mia,” Sophia said, and hearing the words out loud made them feel way too real. “The investors want an answer by January fifteenth. We need to expand or they’re pulling every penny, and I’ve got two hundred employees who are going to lose their jobs if I screw this up.”
Mia walked over and grabbed both of Sophia’s shoulders. “Which is exactly why you need one night where you’re not thinking about quarterly reports and market projections. One date. If he’s awful, you never see him again. If he’s great, maybe you get something good in your life for once.”
Across town in a cramped apartment above an auto repair shop that smelled like motor oil and Christmas cookies, Jake Morrison was having the exact same conversation except his sister Emma was on FaceTime and his six-year-old daughter Lily was physically blocking the door. “Daddy, you promised Aunt Emma you’d go, and Morrisons don’t break promises.” Lily had her hands on her hips doing her best impression of a tiny drill sergeant, and Jake had to bite back a smile because she looked exactly like her mother used to when she was being stubborn about something.
“I know I promised, Pumpkin, but this really isn’t a good idea.” Jake adjusted his tie for the fifth time, the only tie he owned because he literally never wore ties, and it felt like it was strangling him. Emma’s voice came through the phone speaker. “Jake,