Free Orchid by Jayne Castle Page A

Northville.”
    â€œYou mean he brings in the grant money.”
    Veronica chuckled wryly. “Never underestimate the power of a person who can pull in large corporate grants. The North Institute is an ivory tower. Those of us who live in it like to pretend we’re above such grubby, mundane concerns. But everyone knows that it takes cold, hard cash to run the place.”
    Orchid sighed. “And whatever else he is, Preston Luce is a rainmaker.”
    â€œThat he is. He landed two more major corporate sponsors just last month. Luce is golden at the institute.”
    Orchid wrinkled her nose as the waiter returned with a tray. “I suppose he’ll be at the wedding?”
    â€œOf course.” Veronica paused while her salad was placed carefully in front of her. “You know how it is at the institute. It’s a small world. One can hardly exclude a high-ranking member of the research faculty from a guest list.”
    â€œI guess not.” Orchid eyed her platter of hot, greasy fries with moody resignation. “I’m not looking forward to seeing him, but don’t worry. I won’t make a scene.”
    â€œIt never crossed my mind that you would.” Veronica drizzled one tiny spoonful of dressing over the artfully arranged greens on her plate. “I know it’s never easy for you to come back to Northville and Preston being there will only make it more awkward for you than usual.”
    Orchid bit into her dripping salmon-tuna burger. “I can handle it.”
    â€œI’m sure you can. But I know it will be a strain for you.”
    Orchid shrugged. Veronica was right. Going home was always a source of tension for her and it was getting more difficult as the years went by. All of the kids who had been her classmates in school had gone on to getadvanced degrees and doctorates in various fields related to synergistic theory. Most had taken prestigious positions at the institute. Almost all of them were married and had started their families.
    In a world where getting married was considered a social and moral obligation as well as a serious family responsibility, she had not even managed to find a husband.
    When you got right down to it, Orchid thought, all she had done thus far in life was publish three psychic vampire romance novels. As accomplishments went, by Northville standards, that did not add up to much.
    Returning to Northville was a little like going back to a high school reunion and discovering that you were the only failure in the class, she reflected. The fact that everyone believed that she had rejected a legitimate match with Preston Luce simply because she liked to rebel only made things worse.
    Veronica looked thoughtful. “You know what you ought to do?”
    â€œWhat?” Orchid asked around a mouthful of burger.
    â€œBring an agency date to the wedding.”
    Orchid nearly choked. “Are you kidding?”
    â€œI’m serious. It would make things so much easier for you.”
    Orchid slowly put down her burger. “Veronica, I just told you, I haven’t had a single call from my marriage agency since my counselor tried to match me with Preston.”
    â€œSo?”
    Orchid scowled, exasperated. “To put it bluntly, I can’t get a date. At least, not an agency date and, at my age, that’s the only kind that counts.”
    Veronica smiled her serene smile. “You’ve got friends. Bring one of them along and pass him off as an agency date.”
    Orchid stared at her, goggle-eyed. “I can’t believe you just said that. Bring a fake date to your wedding?”
    â€œWhy not?”
    â€œI’m already having anxiety dreams. I don’t need any more problems, thank you very much.”
    Veronica frowned in concern. “Anxiety dreams? Why?”
    Orchid pushed a fry through some hot sauce. “Probably because ParaSyn contacted me again. I got a letter from them a few days ago. They want me to