Mollie Molay - Marriage In Six Easy Lessons

“Love is a transitory emotion and can be controlled,” he said. “Especially since it’s what gets in the way of an intelligent choice for a marital partner. At best, love only exists in novels and movies.”

Lucas paused to admire the fascinating golden sparks in April’s eyes.

“Lucas? You’ve gone somewhere else again!”

“Sorry,” he said. “Look, you’re quarreling over a serious study, April. Tom didn’t seem to think I was off base when he called me and asked me to write the article you have there.”

“That’s because he’s a man.” Or a true chauvinist like Sullivan himself. “However, since our magazine has more female than male readers, I honestly think you should try to lighten it up before it gets published.”

He looked incredulous. “The article was drawn from an empirical study. How the hell can it be lightened up?”

“Well, maybe you need to use a tongue-in-cheek approach. Or if you don’t like that, maybe a few female opinions are needed to sway you.”

Lucas straightened. “Are you’re going to offer me yours?”

The flame in April’s eyes grew brighter. “Are you asking?”

“Sure,” Lucas said, confident that April wouldn’t be able to come up with any valid reasons to change his article. Hell, if he began to doubt his research methods or his conclusions, he might as well admit to doubting himself. “I’m game. Go ahead.”

As far as he was concerned, the gauntlet had been thrown down and he was man enough to pick it up. Between Tom Eldridge’s remark about setting the magazine’s readership on fire with the article and April’s challenge to lighten it up, he could hardly sit by and just become an amusing topic of dinner conversation.

April considered giving him the whole nine yards of her opinion. If only the mental picture of the man as he’d appeared last night on stage didn’t keep getting in the way.

On the other hand, the idea of giving Sullivan a few lessons on what went on in the real world, instead of in books, became more enticing by the minute.

Of course, educating him wasn’t going to be easy. Like most of the men she’d already dubbed a “Sullivan,” he seemed to have the ability to compartmentalize the various areas of his life. As far as she was concerned, it was nothing more than tunnel vision.

She took off her glasses again. “To tell you the truth, I’ve decided not to waste time telling you what I think. I intend to take you out and show you. Humanize you a little.”

“I’m all yours,” he replied casually. “When do we begin?”

“Hot coffee, tea or…” To April’s dismay, the young office gofer, Arthur Putnam, cheerfully rolled a refreshment cart to the office door.

“Not now, Arthur, but thanks for the offer,” April said with a careful eye on Lucas. “We’re really busy here.”

Lucas held up his hand. “Just a minute, please. I don’t know about you, April, but after last night I could use a cup of strong, black coffee.”

Arthur’s eyes lit up at the mention of last night. “It’s not what you’re thinking, Arthur,” April said hastily. “Mr. Sullivan performed in a rock and roll band last night.”

Arthur closed his mouth. After a dubious glance at Lucas, he shrugged. “If you say so.”

Lucas reached into his jacket pocket, extracted a card and wrote on the back of it. “Drop in anytime—as my guest.”

Arthur’s face lit up. “Gee, thanks!”

April gave up trying to keep Sullivan’s mind on business, but she wasn’t through with him yet. As for Arthur’s visit, she would have been annoyed if she hadn’t known that Arthur was in the throes of puppy love, with her of all people, and had only been momentarily distracted.

At least Arthur wasn’t another Tiffany hitting on Lucas, April thought wryly. Judging from the number of women who’d found a need to pass by her office this morning, word about Sullivan’s presence had spread like wildfire.

Unfortunately, the morning was still young.

Resigned to the inevitable, at least for now, April beckoned to Arthur. She couldn’t bring herself to be upset with him. Not when he was one of the few men around the office who wasn’t impressed with his maleness.

“Come on in, Arthur. By the way, Lucas, this angel of mercy is Arthur Putnam. Arthur, this is Lucas Sullivan—he’s the author of an article we’re going to publish.”

Arthur was too busy gazing adoringly at April to reply.

“Arthur! Mr. Sullivan asked for a cup of black coffee.”

“Sorry.” Unabashed, a grinning Arthur tore his gaze away. He poured a cup of coffee and handed it over. “What’s the subject of your article?”

“I call it ‘The Mating Game.’ It’s not what you think,” Lucas added hurriedly when Arthur’s eyes widened. “It’s based on an earlier publication of mine, a sociological study about what men want in a wife.”

Arthur turned his adoring gaze back to April, his meaning clear. She was his idea of the ideal woman. “Anything for you, Ms. Morgan?”

“No, thank you. Perhaps later.”

“Sure. I’ll be back. You can bet on it.” With a last soulful look at April, Arthur rolled the beverage cart out the door.

Lucas smothered a grin. Apparently, he wasn’t the only one who’d noticed April’s striking appearance today.

Maybe it wasn’t too late to revise his article to include something about how a woman should dress in order to please the man she was interested in?

He looked at April. “You were saying before we were interrupted?”

“That there’s a great deal more to the attraction between the sexes than what you describe in your article, and I’m going to take you out and show you,” April said as she gathered her purse and portfolio. “Shall we go?”

When, Lucas thought, had the question of protecting his research methods turned into something to do with April?

After admitting to himself he found her attractive?

After her offer to humanize him?

“Why not?” He set his half-empty cup on the desk and made a show of looking eager to learn about the real world. “I can hardly wait.”

“April, are you busy?” A lush brunette paused at the office door, leaned against the frame and frankly studied Lucas.

April swallowed a groan. After last night, she might have known Rita would show up today to get a closer look at Sullivan. She beckoned her friend into the office. “Hi, Rita. I am busy, but not as busy as we expect to be soon,” she added meaningfully.

Rita’s eyes lit up as she misinterpreted April’s answer. “Get outta here!”

April swallowed hard. “As long as you’re here, you might as well come in and meet Lucas Sullivan. Mr. Sullivan is the author of the article I told you about yesterday. Lucas, I’d like you to meet Rita Rosales. Rita is our research librarian.”

Undeterred by April’s hint to make her visit short, Rita sashayed into the office. “I’m pleased to meet you, Mr. Sullivan. Although, to be honest, I can’t say I agree with your article. I’d say that there’s a lot more important going on between the sexes than just a woman feeding a man’s ego.”

Lucas wasn’t surprised at the mini critique. Any friend of April’s was bound to disagree with him. As for Rita, she fit right in at this admittedly eclectic publication.

“I’m not surprised to hear that,” he answered wryly. “Just as I won’t be surprised to learn you’re about to enlighten me.”

“Rita, don’t you dare!” April broke in before Rita could launch into her theory that the basis for male-female relationships was purely sexual attraction. Or, as Rita often said in plain terms, good old-fashioned sex.

Undeterred, Rita grinned at Lucas. “You sure don’t look like the man who came up with that old-fashioned set of rules April showed me.”