The Cupid Contract

By Susan Warner

I'm not looking for a relationship, just a fake Valentine. What do you say?

Nora Tanner used to be known as the marshmallow girl, with a good personality.
Nora conquered her weight problem and even opened a gym to show them all she had changed.
While her outward problem was fixed her confidence was low and she thought love was gone for her.
Would any man get to know the real her?

Julian Kosh is a widower with a 5 year old daughter. He moved to Sweet Blooms as his wife's last request
that their child should grow up in her home town. He's been a resident for 3 years and the town
keeps suggesting he should have a work life balance. Valentines day is coming and he has deadlines to meet.
The polite suggestions from women are coming fast and furious and some of them aren't so polite
about his current relationship status. To get his projects done on time he needs a fake romantic interest to fend them off.

Julian and Nora agree to a fake relationship thinking they know what they're getting in to, but they'll discover
that love doesn't care about the rules or plans, it happens when it happens.

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• Language: English
• Publisher: EG Publishing
• Release date: Jan 24, 2021
• ISBN: 9781948377980

Susan Warner

Susan Warner (1819–1885) was an American writer of multiple genres including religious fiction. She was born in New York City but grew up in a farmhouse after her father lost their family’s fortune. She began writing to generate income, starting with her first novel, The Wide, Wide World. After it was published in 1850, Warner’s career began to flourish with the addition of Queechy (1852) and The Hills of the Shatemuc (1856). She became known for her vivid descriptions of American life with faith-based themes.

Book preview

Chapter One

Julian Kosh just wanted to be left alone with his five-year-old daughter, Daphne.  He understood that he had moved to a small town and that he had a nice house that was a duplex, also known as a mother daughter house. The house practically screamed I’m looking for a family.  He also knew that he made a decent salary and that his job, which he did primarily from his home, would seem intriguing to some. Despite all of those things, he just wanted to be left alone.

He had moved here from Texas. His wife Marianne had been born in Sweet Blooms and one of the things she asked him to do was to bring Daphne back so she could grow up in a small, close-knit town. He had been here for two years and during that time Daphne had flourished. She had friends and play dates. The play dates were dodging mine fields for him. If single women weren’t asking him what was wrong with him, mothers were extolling the virtues of their daughters. All because he was single and the whole town knew it.

Things were about to get worse. It was two weeks to Valentine’s Day. They might as well say its hunting season for single males. Julian got ready for his zoom call with his sister, Janet, in Texas.

Good morning little brother, she said looking all chipper.

Good morning to you. Hey, did you color your hair?

I’m glad you noticed.

How could I not, yesterday it was blond and today it looks like you streaked it with gray, like from one of those horror movies, he said jokingly.

It’s called frosting and highlights. It’s not my problem that you live in a cave and don’t understand this is the latest rage, she said laughing.

Well, keep the rage over there.

Janet smiled and wagged her finger at him.

Just wait little brother, soon enough my niece is going to want to do things with her hair, as well.

Don’t remind me. I’m hoping I can get her to believe in the theory that outer beauty is passing and that a person needs to see your inner soul.

Janet looked shocked.

That’s really nice Julian, I’m shocked you think that.

Julian nodded his head.

I certainly do and because of that, she should dress in the most unattractive clothing keeping the boys away from her indefinitely.

Why do I try with you? she joked.

Because you love me?

Okay, okay. We just spoke to each other so I was surprised that you wanted to call again before next week, what happened?

I need your advice Janet, he said desperately.  You know it’s that time of the year and it started already.

What happened?

I went into the store to buy tissues and one of the older ladies said her daughter knew how to make flowers out of tissue paper. That arts and crafts are an important skill set for a step mother to have.

Janet covered her mouth but Julian could see she was still laughing.

This is no laughing matter. Valentine’s Day is coming and I have deadlines I have to meet.

Have you tried being anti-social, in a polite way?

Not really but as much as I can. I mean Daphne is with me most of the time and I don’t want to act the wrong way in front of her. The times I’ve been alone, I’ve discouraged attention saying things like I like to be alone or I’m not looking because I’m still grieving.

Oh that’s a good one!

Well, you are the only one who thought so.

Okay, so maybe what you need is to have a housekeeper who is closer to your age and then you can use her as a shield.

Having someone in the house with Daphne?

I’m saying there has to be someone who feels the same as you, I’m sure the two of you can come to some kind of arrangement, Janet said.

A woman who doesn’t like Valentine’s Day? Yeah she will be standing next to the unicorn that she rides around on all day long.

Julian, don’t be so negative. I mean Valentine’s Day is important to a lot of people.

I get it. I get it but I think it’s weird that you care for someone but you can only go out of your way to show it on one day. I think Valentine’s is a day that you show the rest of the world that you care for that person. It’s not for me.

I’ll put some feelers out for a day housekeeper through an online service that could come in clean and take Daphne to events and do the shopping. That way it would limit the amount of time you would be exposed. How does that sound Mr. Hermit?

As long as Daphne is okay with her, yes, it sounds great.

Okay let me look and I’ll text if I find something.

I didn’t expect an answer, but I’m glad you had a possibility of one, he said.

Off with you, I need to call out to my contacts. I’m going to do this clandestine search for you so no one will know you are searching in the town, she said in a dramatically spooky voice.

Thanks and Jan?

Yes, Ju- leee- anne?

I love you.

Ditto. I’m out.

The screen went dark and he heard movement upstairs. Daphne was up. It was Saturday and they would go get croissants from the bakery Sweet Blooms. He knew it was a risk but those croissants were worth it.

Daphne? Are you almost ready?

Coming dad.

Julian had it all planned. He would go into the bakery before the rush and get in and out. He had already placed the order and paid for it. He just needed to pick it up. What could go wrong?

Nora was a very merry, round person in a trim body. Today she was going to indulge her inner foodie person. Nora had struggled with her weight all through junior high years. She didn’t have a physical problem, it was worse. She ate food when she was nervous. The only child of two brilliant teachers, Nora never felt like she made the cut.  Her parents were amazing and she still missed them to this day. They had been deeply and truly in love. When her mother had passed, her father followed not five days later.

She was a late child, so her parents were already in their late fifties when she was born. Her mother had called her the miracle baby. They showered her with love and attention but it wasn’t until college that she was able to focus that nervous energy into working out. Now at the age of twenty-nine, she was the owner of the Sweet Bodies gym. She had been running it for the last six years and she never regretted it.

Nora saw people of all shapes and sizes and she went around and encouraged them all. She understood what it was like to think it would never be them that could lose weight and she wanted to help everyone. It was one of the reasons she ran a class called ‘I am beautiful.’ A class for women who needed some extra help and encouragement.

However, today was not a day she was feeling upbeat and happy. In fact, it was one of those days she was going to indulge in a sweet even though she knew she shouldn’t. It was the upcoming holiday, the holiday she dreaded the most. Valentine’s Day. Nora didn’t dislike Valentine’s Day per se, it was just when people saw her and asked what was she doing for Valentine’s Day, she would say she wasn’t involved with anyone, it then became awkward. She usually closed the gym around Valentine’s Day. It wasn’t like gym classes or memberships were high on the gift list, after all.

Nora had already put her order in at the Sweet Blooms bakery. She was going to pick up some croissants. Sweet Blooms croissants just melted on the tongue and it had to be very close to a spiritual experience having them with coffee in the morning. The gym was closed until noon. She had enough time to go and come back. Her apartment was in the gym, so eating in peace could only happen before it opened.

She pulled on her hot pink sneakers with butterflies on them and got ready. If she hurried, she would beat the crowds and be able to have a peaceful morning in what was going to be a stressful two weeks.

She made it in record time, just as the woman was putting the croissants in the bag. She smiled at the man who was already in the store with his daughter.  The little girl smiled at her and Nora couldn’t help but smile back. Then the shy girl turned away and went to look out the