Five Minutes to Love

by Jennifer Wilck

  Table of Contents

  Excerpt

  Five Minutes to Love

  Copyright

  Dedication

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  A word about the author…

  Thank you for purchasing this publication of The Wild Rose Press, Inc.

  Aviva grabbed her ball, patted his arm,

  and aimed at the pins. Strike. She didn’t move. Jacob couldn’t figure out why she stood still, until her shoulders began to shake.

  She was laughing. At him.

  She turned around. Tears ran down her face. She inhaled. “I’m sorry. I swear I have no idea how it happened.”

  “Sure you don’t.” As his grin widened, he bit the insides of his cheeks, folded his arms and did his best to look sad. “What a way to get a guy when he’s down.”

  “You’re not down. You just challenged the bowling gods. They don’t like human challengers.”

  “Bowling gods?”

  “Of course. How else do you think we recreational bowlers manage it?” She stepped toward him. Her green eyes were wide with fake innocence.

  “Bowling gods.”

  “Exactly. You challenged them.” At this point, they were toe-to-toe. Her floral scent wafted around him. He refocused on her words.

  “As you like to say, Aviva, technically, I challenged you.”

  “Yes, but with bowling skill, so you actually challenged them too.”

  She looked supremely satisfied with her circuitous bowling logic. Jacob had an urge to kiss her. Her lips were full and pink and tantalizingly close.

  Five Minutes to Love

  by

  Jennifer Wilck

  Serendipity, Book 2

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales, is entirely coincidental.

  Five Minutes to Love

  COPYRIGHT © 2018 by Jennifer Wilck

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission of the author or The Wild Rose Press, Inc. except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

  Contact Information: info@thewildrosepress.com

  Cover Art by RJ Morris

  The Wild Rose Press, Inc.

  PO Box 708

  Adams Basin, NY 14410-0708

  Visit us at www.thewildrosepress.com

  Publishing History

  First Champagne Rose Edition, 2018

  Print ISBN 978-1-5092-1954-4

  Digital ISBN 978-1-5092-1955-1

  Serendipity, Book 2

  Published in the United States of America

  Dedication

  To Lisa Kanner and Michelle Mena

  for entertaining me/helping me

  with speed-dating stories.

  It was fun and informative

  and I couldn’t have written this

  without your help.

  Chapter One

  “Mom, he didn’t stop talking about himself the entire time.”

  Aviva Shulman sank onto her bed, phone to her ear. She kicked off her patent leather heels. The fluffy down comforter enveloped her. For the first time all evening, she heaved a sigh of relief.

  “Oh, honey, maybe he was just nervous.”

  Aviva snorted. “Him? According to his credentials, which he presented to me in writing when we sat at the bar, he closes multimillion-dollar real-estate deals with the über-wealthy on a regular basis.”

  “He does sound pretty bad.”

  She put on sweats and a T-shirt, juggling the phone against her shoulder. Noise filtered in from other twenty-somethings on their pub-crawl up and down Washington Street in Hoboken. She turned away in disgust. She’d had enough. “Yeah, well, tonight’s date wasn’t even the worst. Last weekend I was set up with Mr. Helmethead. I’m not sure there was even hair under the gel. The weekend before, Mr. Grabbyhands wouldn’t let go of my boobs. I think he thought they were squeaky toys.”

  “Aviva, honey, I don’t think I want to hear this.”

  She laughed, turned off the light, and snuggled into the covers. “Don’t worry, Mom, I’ll keep it PG for your sake. I promise. But I’m getting tired of all these professional types. They remind me too much of…” She winced as she edited what she was about to say to her mother.

  “Dad works hard and tries his best for us, honey. Don’t be discouraged. I’m sure it will get better. You’ll find your Prince Charming someday.”

  Relieved her mom let her comment go, she relaxed once again. “That’s not saying much. These days, my job makes me feel like Cinderella minus her Fairy Godmother.”

  “Don’t disparage yourself, Aviva. You’ve worked hard for your position. You’re good at PR. I’m not just saying that because I’m your mother. Not everyone gets a promotion after only six months, or a handwritten thank you note from a client.”

  Aviva felt a suspicious prickle behind her eyes. Her chest swelled. “Oh, Mom, I love you.”

  “I love you too.”

  “I think I need a break from dating, though. I haven’t met anyone even halfway decent in months. I’d be better off alone than with these peacocks.”

  “Then take a break, honey. Just don’t get a cat.”

  The next evening, Aviva slipped her key into the lock. In slow motion, she turned it to the right. The tumbler clicked. She held her breath. When no one called out or made a sound, she eased the door open and tiptoed inside. She shut the door, removed her shoes, and padded through the living room toward her bedroom.

  “Aviva, you’re home! I was waiting for you.”

  She froze at the sound of Erica’s voice. Her stomach rolled. After spending extra time in her office, taking a later PATH train than usual, and eating out at a bar down the street to avoid cooking at home, she’d come so close to sneaking into the apartment without Erica knowing. With a sigh, she faced her roommate. Maybe she’d luck out and Erica would want to discuss global warming or politics.

  “Guess what I found!”

  She edged forward. This might not be too bad. “What?”

  “There’s a speed dating event at Urban Bistro Friday night. Come with me.”

  No such luck. “What? Why?”

  “Because there will be a lot of guys in one room, obviously, and you didn’t like the date I set you up with last week.”

  Aviva sighed. “Erica, I really appreciate all your efforts, but I think I’d like to take a break for a little while.”

  “Avs, you’re not in mourning. You didn’t just break up with the love of your life. You’re alone. You need a man. There is no take a break for a little while.”

  Aviva cleared her throat and looked around the room. What she needed was a new coffee table, a new window shade, and potentially a new roommate. “I don’t need a man. I’m perfectly fine on my own.”

 
Erica laughed. Aviva cringed until the raspy noise stopped.

  “I didn’t mean it that way. I meant for sex,” Erica said.

  Aviva spluttered.

  “Please tell me you know what sex is,” Erica said, with a look of horror.

  Her other roommate was out, if the darkened bedroom with a wide open door was any indication, but still Aviva lowered her voice. “Of course I know what sex is. I just don’t see why you’re concerned with whether or not I get it.”

  “Well, if you don’t know, it’s even more of a necessity. Girl, you’re coming with me and that’s that.” Erica grabbed Aviva’s hand and dragged her to the sofa. Right in the middle of the beat-up, faux-wood coffee table was a printout from a speed dating website. Erica shoved it at her. Aviva took it with the tips of her fingers.

  “It won’t bite you, Avs. I signed us both up for it. It’s tomorrow at seven.”

  If only she could plead a work engagement. “Uh, I have to work late.”

  “Of course you don’t. It’s a summer Friday. You always get home early on summer Fridays.”

  “Oh, right.” Damn, she’d noticed. “Well, it’s Shabbat. I probably should go to services.”

  Erica reared back. “Since when have you become observant? Come on, it’ll be fun. The targeted ages are twenties and thirties. This company works with young professionals. I’ve done it before. The guys are all lawyers and investment bankers who work on Wall Street. It’ll be great.”

  Yuck. Guys like her dad, devoted to their careers, above all else.

  “You don’t look very excited.”

  Aviva sank onto the blue chenille sofa. “I’m not. I really appreciate your attempt to help me, but speed dating isn’t my thing. Neither are the awful, full-of-themselves professionals I’ve met recently. What’s the point of a relationship with someone who’s more turned on by the money they make than by me? I’m starting to think artists or creative people are more my type. You know, like back in high school.”

  “Oh, come on. You can’t possibly want a starving artist. The goal is to get out of Hoboken and move into an apartment on the Upper West Side, Avs, not the Village. The right guy is out there for you. You’ll never meet him if you stay home. This is an easy way to meet a whole lot of men at one time. No excuses, Avs.”

  She wanted to say no, to flat out refuse to go. But she needed peaceful coexistence with her roommate. Otherwise, their parents would hear about it. While Aviva’s mom was always understanding, her dad and Erica’s parents were less so. So, Aviva usually tried to make as few waves as possible to keep the peace. “Okay, Erica. One last time. But after this, I’m done. Good night.”

  She closed the door to her bedroom and sank onto her bed. Since when was Erica in charge of her sex life? Two hours of pretending to like a whole bunch of professional, single, most likely egotistical men for roommate harmony. She hoped it would be worth it.

  ****

  Jacob Black yawned as he walked into the upstairs lounge of the Urban Bistro. Another late night studying followed by a day of third-year law classes. All he wanted to do was get some sleep. But he’d agreed to come with Adam to this event. He wouldn’t break his word. Even if he had no intention of taking anyone here seriously.

  Dimly lit, the lounge’s purple lighting glinted off gray walls and bathed the black marble tables in a purple glow. Silver patterned carpeting and upholstered chairs lent a disco vibe to the place. Or it should have.

  Unfortunately, the shadowed ambiance made Jacob sleepy. If he sat in one of the comfortable chairs, he’d be conked out in five minutes.

  The hostess of the evening checked his name off the list. She directed him to the black marble bar to get a drink.

  “Scotch and soda.” A pat on the back made him turn. “Hey, Adam. What can I get you?”

  “I’ll have what he’s having,” Adam said to the bartender. He looked out over the slowly filling tables. “So, you ready to find the woman of your dreams?”

  “Here? I doubt it.”

  “That’s what I love about you, Jake. You’re always the optimist.”

  Jacob took a long swallow of his drink. Some of the tension of the day disappeared. “I’m a realist. It’s not possible to find the woman of my dreams in five minutes. Besides, with the Bar exam looming and the long hours we’ll have to put into a job at a law firm, no woman in her right mind will want to get involved with either of us.”

  “We don’t need one in her right mind, Jake, just…” Adam molded his hands into an hourglass. Jacob elbowed him in the ribs. “Ow!”

  “Grow up.”

  The hostess began her instructions, and the chatter died down. “Okay, ladies, you’re going to stay seated while the men move from table to table at five-minute intervals. Make sure to write down the name of each person you meet. Circle the name of anyone you’re interested in. At the end of the evening, turn your program in to me. I’ll provide you with the contact info of anyone for whom there is a mutual interest. That’s it. Have fun. If you have any questions, ask.”

  The bell rang. Jacob sat at a table across from a petite blonde.

  “Hi, I’m Samantha.”

  “Hi, Samantha, I’m Jacob.”

  “Nice to meet you, Jacob. I’m a dietician. Do you know how much weight you can gain from alcohol?”

  “Uh, no, hadn’t thought about it.” He pushed his glass to the side.

  She sipped from her bottle of water. “Most people don’t. That’s why I only drink water. What do you do?”

  “I’m a law student at Seton Hall.”

  “Oh, student diets are the worst. You should make sure to get lots of fiber and vitamin C in your diet. Potassium, like from bananas, is also important.”

  As she continued her list of essential ingredients, Jacob stared blindly into space. Just when he thought he couldn’t stand any more of her advice, the bell rang.

  “Well, it was nice to meet you, Jacob.”

  He moved on to the next table where another blonde bounced in her seat. She rose and their heads banged together. Jacob rubbed his forehead as the first threads of a headache formed.

  “Oh, I’m sorry. Are you okay? Do you need ice?” she asked.

  “No, I’m fine. I’m Jacob, by the way.”

  “Oh, I’m Marcy. Do you like animals? I love animals.”

  “Yeah, I like them.” Okay, maybe she was normal, if a little clumsy.

  “If you could be any animal, what would it be?”

  Or not. Was this woman serious? He coughed as he tried to think. Why was he bothering? But he didn’t want to be rude so he said the first animal to come to mind. “I guess I’d want to be an elephant.”

  “Really? That’s cool. I’d want to be a gazelle. They’re so graceful.”

  He clenched his jaw to keep from smiling at the irony.

  It was the last time he wanted to smile. The next five speed dates consisted of a woman who spent the entire time listing every place she’d traveled, another who complained about New York City for the entire time, a third who talked about her medical conditions, and a fourth who discussed how soon she wanted to get pregnant. The icing on the cake was the drunken redhead who spilled her drink on him.

  At the next bell, he sank into a seat, his only desire to make it through the rest of the evening with as little pain as possible so he could forget about this experience.

  “You look about as happy to be here as I am,” the petite woman across from him said, a merry sparkle in her green eyes. “I’m Aviva.” She held out her hand and offered him her napkin at the same time.

  “Thanks.” He shook her hand and used the napkin to blot his shirt. “I’m Jacob. I didn’t know my dislike was so obvious.”

  “Takes one to know one, I guess.” She leaned forward with a conspiratorial wink. “So, who dragged you here?”

  He laughed—the first real one all evening—balled up the napkin and placed it on the side of the table. With his arms folded on the table, he leaned forward. “My law school
buddy. You?”

  “Roommate.” She pointed to a woman across the room that he hadn’t yet met. Her movement released a faint floral scent, not overpowering.

  “You can’t say no to a roommate without messing with the living arrangements.”

  “Exactly! Our families have a long history together, so it’s even more complicated.” She pushed a lock of hair behind her ear. Her brown hair was cut in a pixie style, but longer in front. If asked, he’d say he preferred long hair, but this style suited her. What was her name again? He studied his sheet. Right, Aviva. The lights glinted off her sparkling Chai necklace, the Hebrew letter meaning “life,” and drew his attention to her creamy neck.

  “So, do you have a lot of experience with roommates?” she asked.

  He grinned. “I do. Adam”—he searched until he spotted his friend and pointed so Aviva would see him—“is the one with the dirty blond hair. He’s been mine throughout law school.”

  She scanned her pamphlet. “I haven’t met him yet.”

  “He’s a nice guy out for a good time.” He winced. “Sorry, I didn’t mean it that way. He’s a nice guy.”

  “What about you?”

  Jacob thrust his fingers through his hair. “I hope I’m a nice guy. As for a good time, I’d be more into it if I wasn’t so tired.”

  She looked around the room with a furtive glance. “Want to escape?”

  “Yes.”

  At the bell, they strode to the door, ignoring the voice of the hostess behind them. The chilly night air was in stark contrast to the warmth of the crowded lounge, but Jacob didn’t mind. Free from the mélange of perfume and vapid chatter, he took a deep breath for the first time all evening. He turned toward Aviva, then waited for her to finish texting. Her fingers were long and supple. She looked up from her phone. “Sorry, just letting my roommate know where I am, in case you turn out to be an axe murderer.” Her careless shrug made Jacob smile.

  He patted his pants pockets. “Drat, must have left my axe in my other pair of pants. Guess you’re safe with me.”

  She laughed. They walked toward the corner together. The top of her head barely reached his shoulder in the flat shoes she wore. Once again her floral perfume wafted toward his nose. Unlike the other perfumes he’d smelled earlier, this one was appealing.