Elise set aside the magazine. "In that case…" She hopped up, went to her bookcase, and after a moment's perusal selected a large white paperback with blue lettering.

"Why didn't I think of that?" Phoebe said with a laugh, as Elise resumed her seat and started flipping through the book, 2001 Ways to Wed by Jane Jasmine. The book was a surprise hit with women all over the country, women who previously thought they were doomed to a life of loneliness. From Seattle to Miami, they claimed Ms. Jasmine's eminently sensible advice had helped them find husbands.

Actually, Elise was one of those women, although she hadn't actually been looking for a husband when she'd found James. She'd only been looking for a temporary escort to take her to a family wedding and pretend to be her fiancé. She'd sought out someone in the Drama Department at the university, a professor who could act the part of a devoted fiancé, and had found a millionaire, instead.

"This book actually has some wonderful advice," Elise said.

"Any advice for luring a workaholic recluse from his lair?" Phoebe asked. "I swear, if the Madisons didn't insist he was such a catch-so absolutely perfect-I wouldn't bother with him."

"There's a whole chapter called 'Don't Forget Your Neighbors' on finding compatibility with the boy next door. Actually, that's the chapter that gave me the idea to go looking in the Drama Department. They're my neighbors at the university."

Phoebe stretched her legs out, propping them on Elise's coffee table. "Let's have it. What does Ms. Jasmine advise?"

"'Sometimes the way to a man's heart is through his stomach,'" Elise read. "'Bake him a batch of welcome-to-the-neighborhood brownies.'"

"Would you believe Frannie already tried that? He's allergic to chocolate."

"Hmm. Oh, how about this one? 'Is the man an animal lover? You could accidentally-on-purpose lose your dog or cat in his yard-'"