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It was one of those days Jason Manning scrubbed his hands in the stainless-steel sink, then applied oint and prescribing antibiotics for a feisty Persian cat with a bladder infection The usually ill-mannered feline had never been his most cooperative patient, but today she’d taken a particular dislike to Jason

He left the exareeted by Stella, his receptionist, who steered hirin, as if to say "this should be interesting"

"There’s a young lady who’d like a few ive hie didn’t please him any more than the Persian’s blatant distaste for him had

Curious, Jason moved into his book-lined office "Hello," he said in the friendliest voice he could uely falanced nervously in his direction as if he should recognize her When it was obvious he didn’t, she introduced herself "I’ expectantly

"Hello, Carrie," Jason said He’d seen her around, but for the life of him, couldn’t recall where "How can I help you?"

"You don’t remember me, do you?"

"Ah…no" He couldn’t see any point in pretending If a cat could outshbors My mom and I live in the same apartment coh he’d immediately placed her, but he hadn’t He racked his brain trying to recall which apart, Jason didn’t interact much with his tenants He was careful to choose renters who cared about their privacy as much as he cared about his He rarely saw any of them other than to collect the rent, and even then most just slipped their checks under his door around the first of the htly in her lap "I--I’ to talk to you for some time, and…and this see out"

"Your mother?"

"Charlotte Weston We live in 1-A"

Jason nodded The Westons had been in the apartned the rental agree to either the hter

"Is there a probleain and opened her purse, taking out a thin wad of bills, which she leafed through and counted slowly When she’d finished, she looked up at him "It’s my mother," she announced

"Yes?" Jason prompted He didn’t have a clue where this conversation was leading or how long it would take the girl to get there Stella knew he had a terrier waiting, yet she’d purposely routed hi her shoulders

"I beg your pardon?" The girl had his attention now

"My mother needs a man I’m here to offer you one hundred dollars if you’ll take her out on a date You are single, aren’t you?"

"Yes…but…" Jason was so surprised, he answered without thinking Frankly, he didn’t knohether to ask which of his brothers had put her up to this, or siht He couldn’t very well claim he’d never been propositioned before, but this was by far the inal instance he’d encountered in thirty-odd years

"She’s not ugly or anything"

"Ah…I’ at hihtly, Jason realized within seconds it was no joke

"I don’t think ainst the side of his oak desk and crossed his ar her out willYou see, ot divorced when I was little I don’t remember my dad, and apparently he doesn’t remember me, either, because I’ve never heard fro, but it must’ve been bad because she never dates I didn’t care about that before, only now…"

"Only nohat?" Jason asked when she hesitated

"I want to start datingtotally weird onBoy, is she out of it! I’ine anything so ridiculous?"

"Uhh…" Jason wasn’t interested in getting involved in aa father rade dance is coo"

"Your mother won’t allow you to attend the dance?" That sounded a bit harsh to Jason, but as he’d just stated, he wasn’t in a position to know

"Oh, she’ll let o, except she intends to drop me off and pick me up when the dance is over"

"And that’s unacceptable?"