30 Dates in 30 Days Read online

  Veronica Welch has made it. She’s about to be named a partner at one of the most prestigious law firms in New York City. She’s on top of the world, except for one tiny ridiculous thing: she promised herself she’d be married by thirty-five. After a drink too many, she accidentally lets her “life plan” slip to Bea, her steadfast, ever meddling assistant, and now Bea won’t let the idea go.

  Rachel Monaghan doesn’t do serious relationships. As a busy wedding photographer, she’s jaded about lasting love, has a thriving repeat business, and hasn’t had much luck with love herself. While bartending at her cousin’s bar, Rachel learns of Bea’s plan to get her boss married off by scheduling thirty dates in thirty days.

  In this sophisticated contemporary romance, Veronica Welch tries to find love in the most efficient way possible, while Rachel Monaghan avoids love at all costs. What could possibly go wrong?

  Praise for Elle Spencer

  The Road to Madison

  “The story had me hooked from its powerful opening scene, and it only got better and better. I feel like Spencer tailored this book just for me. For anyone who has read my reviews, it’s no secret that I love romances that include lots of angst, and The Road to Madison hit the bull’s-eye.”—The Lesbian Review

  “Elle Spencer weaves a tale full of sadness, remorse but one filled with those little moments that make you have the flutters. Her characters are well developed, the dialogue is seamless and natural, you really get thrown right into Madison and Anna’s world. You feel what they feel. This book grabbed my attention and had me turning the pages through the night. A delightful story that I thoroughly enjoyed. I cannot wait for the next adventure Elle Spencer takes me on.”—Romantic Reader Blog

  Unforgettable

  “Across both novellas, Elle Spencer delivers four distinct, compelling leads, as well as interesting supporting casts that round out their stories. If you like angsty romances, this is the book for you! Both stories pack a punch, with so much ‘will they or won’t they’ that I kind of wondered how they’d turn out (yes, even though it’s marketed as romance!)”—The Lesbian Review

  “I was stunned at how Elle Spencer manages to make the reader feel so much and we end up really caring for the women in her novels…This book is perfect for those times you want to wallow in romance, intense feelings, and love. Elle Spencer does it so well.”—Kitty Kat’s Book Review Blog

  Casting Lacey

  “The characters have a chance to really get to know each other, becoming friends and caring for each other before their feelings turn romantic. It also allows for a whole lot of angst that keeps things interesting. Casting Lacey is a compelling, sexy, angsty romance that I highly recommend to anyone who’s into fake relationship books or celebrity romances. It kept me sucked in, and I’m looking forward to seeing more from Elle Spencer in the future.”—The Lesbian Review

  “This is a very good debut novel that combines the fake girlfriend trope with celebrity lifestyle…The characters are well portrayed and have off-the-charts chemistry. The story is full of humour, wit, and saucy dialogues but also has angst and drama. I think that the book is at its best in the humorous parts which are really well written…an entertaining and enjoyable read.”—Lez Review Books

  “This is the romance I’ve been recommending to everyone and her mother since I read it, because it’s basically everything I’ve been dying to find in an f/f romance—funny voices I click with, off-the-charts chemistry, a later-in-life coming out, and a host of fun tropes from fake dating to costars.”—Frolic

  30 Dates in 30 Days

  Brought to you by

  eBooks from Bold Strokes Books, Inc.

  http://www.boldstrokesbooks.com

  eBooks are not transferable. They cannot be sold, shared or given away as it is an infringement on the copyright of this work.

  Please respect the rights of the author and do not file share.

  30 Dates in 30 Days

  © 2019 By Elle Spencer. All Rights Reserved.

  ISBN 13: 978-1-63555-499-1

  This Electronic Original Is Published By

  Bold Strokes Books, Inc.

  P.O. Box 249

  Valley Falls, NY 12185

  First Edition: October 2019

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form without permission.

  Credits

  Editors: Barbara Ann Wright and Stacia Seaman

  Production Design: Stacia Seaman

  Cover Design By Tammy Seidick

  By the Author

  Casting Lacey

  Unforgettable

  The Road to Madison

  30 Dates in 30 Days

  Acknowledgments

  First, a huge thank you to Rad, Sandy, and every member of the Bold Strokes Books team for all of your hard work and for making the publishing process so seamless for me. I couldn’t ask for a more supportive, professional group, and I’m truly grateful to be part of the Bold Strokes family.

  Thanks to my editor, Barbara Ann Wright, for your always on-point insight, guidance, and laughs along the way.

  To Nikki, you fill my life with so much joy and laughter. So much love and affection. So much fun and excitement. I’m so lucky to call you my wife. Love you, baby.

  To Paula, my BFF extraordinaire, I’m so blessed to have you in my life, on my side, and only a text or phone call away. Please stay my BFF forevs. Ride or die, baby.

  To my family, your support is everything. Love you all.

  And to my readers, thank you from the bottom of my heart for taking this ride with me. I appreciate each and every one of you more than you could know. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

  For my wife, Nikki, who makes every date special.

  Chapter One

  Veronica Welch’s hands were full. Literally. She heard that godforsaken ding again, but the elevator was so packed, if she tried to juggle her coffee and briefcase to look at her phone, she’d surely elbow someone in the ribs. It didn’t matter. She knew what the little ding was. Damn Bea and her snarky notifications.

  The offices of Belden & Snow were buzzing with activity already. Veronica hated walking in late. It gave the wrong impression. It hardly mattered that she hadn’t left the office until eleven the night before. The partners didn’t know that. They also didn’t care. They’d probably been at home, having a cocktail with their spouses while they watched the evening news. That would be Veronica soon too—minus the spouse part. But making partner would happen within the year. Everything was running right on schedule. Just one more sleepless year (tops!), and it would be Belden, Snow, Miller, Baker, Anderson, Sheffield and Welch. Okay. She knew she wouldn’t be a named partner just yet, but it really didn’t matter anyway. Just ask Miller, Baker, Anderson, and Sheffield.

  “Good morning, V!”

  Well, at least someone felt perky this morning. Veronica traded her lukewarm to-go cup of coffee for the steaming mug her assistant had waiting for her. “You’re a godsend, Bea, you really are, but you need to get that crap off my phone.”

  “Crap?”

  “Don’t play cute. You know exactly what I’m talking about.” Veronica set the mug on her desk and pulled her phone out of her jacket pocket. “The crap that reminds me every day of the impending doom that is my thirty-fifth birthday.” For the past week, Bea’s daily alerts had delivered the same message in some new and clever way. Reminder—in five months and eight days, you’ll turn thirty-five. A gal on your arm shows the world you’re alive. S
he handed the phone to Bea. “Please. Take care of it.”

  Bea didn’t take the phone. Instead, she asked, “Did you even look at what it said today?”

  Bea reminded Veronica of a young Audrey Hepburn. She had the short bangs and the red lipstick and big brown eyes. Flamboyant skirts and dresses were the norm, along with a colorful cardigan because the offices were a bit on the chilly side. As meddling assistants went, Bea was straight out of central casting. They stared each other down for a few seconds before Veronica gave in with a huff and looked at her phone. Curiosity quickly morphed into horror.

  Your whole life is planned

  That much we know.

  But you won’t find a wife

  At Belden & Snow.

  I’m here to help you

  Like it or not.

  Your date is at eight

  And PS, she’s hot!

  “Oh, God. No. No, no, no!”

  “Hold on,” Bea said. “Just hear me out.”

  “You scheduled a blind date? For tonight?” Veronica threw her hands in the air. “For me?”

  “You said you wanted to be married by thirty-five.”

  “I was drunk when I said that!”

  “Or at least on your way to being married by thirty-five.” Bea sat in a chair by Veronica’s desk. “Please hear me out, V. I have this so worked out you wouldn’t even believe it.”

  Going out for drinks with her assistant wasn’t something Veronica normally did, but they’d settled a big case the week before, and Bea wanted to try a new place that offered craft cocktails. That’s what Bea called them. Craft cocktails. Apparently, Veronica was old-fashioned because she preferred her drinks with less craft and more olives, rosemary sprigs and lavender essence be damned.

  Getting drunk that night was definitely not part of the plan. Spilling her guts about her private life wasn’t either. For whatever reason—possibly the absinthe-soaked orchid leaves—it had happened. And now Bea knew that Veronica had put everything off for her career. Wife, kids, a home with a gourmet kitchen. Veronica told Bea about every single goal, want, and desire that had been set aside so she could focus on becoming a partner in one of the most prestigious law firms in New York City.

  Veronica knew the clock was ticking. Biological and otherwise. She sat and looked Bea in the eye. “She’d better be amazing, this woman you’ve set me up with.”

  “She is. I mean, as far as I can tell from her profile.”

  Veronica lifted an eyebrow. “Profile?”

  Bea put up a hand. “Hear me out, V.”

  “I already heard you out,” Veronica interrupted. “When you said blind date, I assumed that meant blind to me, not you!”

  “Well, I mean, technically, I never said it was a blind date at all.”

  At that point, Veronica was just this side of apoplectic. “Oh, don’t you even try to lawyer me. Stay in your lane, Beatrice.”

  They stared each other down for a moment before Bea burst out laughing. “You realize that is literally not my name, right?”

  “Of course I know that, Beadore.”

  “Also not my name. It’s Bea. Just Bea. Always has been—”

  “Always will Bea. Yeah, I know the joke.” Veronica tried to look stern but knew she failed miserably. She smiled at her assistant. “Bea, I adore you, but you are seriously stressing me out right now.”

  “This will work. I know it will. Thirty dates, and you’ll have found the one.”

  Veronica’s eyes widened. “How exactly did it go from one date to thirty?”

  Bea bit the tip of her finger. “I may have put you on a dating app called Ryder. It’s strictly for lesbians.”

  Veronica’s mouth gaped open. “Ride Her? You put me on an app called Ride Her?”

  “Ha! No! It’s called Ryder. R-Y-D-E-R. I hadn’t noticed the pun until now, but I swear it’s legit. They even vet you to make sure you’re not some weird dude or homophobic creep.” She pointed at Veronica’s hair. “But you’ll have to lose the bun.”

  “What do they have against buns?” Veronica absentmindedly smoothed down her hair. Yeah, so she wasn’t like Bea. She only wore black, navy blue, and gray in the form of a suit or a shift dress. And the tightly pulled-back hair meant she didn’t have to spend unnecessary time trying to style it. It looked professional, and that was all that mattered.

  “The photo,” Bea said. “Your hair’s down in the photo I found for your profile pic. It looks pretty.”

  Veronica shook her head in disgust. Bea had overstepped her bounds. In fact, from the look of things, Bea didn’t actually have any bounds. “Cancel the date tonight.”

  “But—”

  “I said cancel it, Bea. I don’t have time for one date, let alone thirty.”

  “You’re a big hit on Ryder. Everyone wants a date with you. And I’ve set it up so that they all happen at the same time and place. Just thirty minutes. Coffee, a drink, whatever. And you’ll be done with it in a month. Thirty dates in thirty days. Done. Married. Well, at least engaged by your birthday. Your mom will be so happy.”

  Bea had lost her mind. Was she trying to get fired? And yet she sort of had it right. If Veronica were to do something like this, she wouldn’t want it to drag out for months on end. And she was fairly certain she’d know within a few minutes if she’d found someone she clicked with. No need for drinks and dinner. She shook her head. “Show me.”

  Bea took her phone out of her skirt pocket, because of course Bea’s skirt had pockets. She pulled up Veronica’s profile. “I may have embellished a little bit.”

  Veronica rolled her eyes. “Did you make me a judge instead of an attorney?”

  “No, I made you interesting.”

  “How am I not supposed to be offended by that?” Veronica skimmed through her profile and looked at Bea. “This looks like my mother wrote it.”

  “She may have helped.”

  Veronica held up the phone. “This is high school me. Not thirty-four-year-old me. I don’t surf anymore. I don’t love board games. I don’t, for the love of God, go camping, and I haven’t eaten an Eggo waffle since—”

  “High school?”

  “Bingo!”

  “Got it.” Bea paused for a moment. With excitement written all over her face, she said, “But you could! Your mom said you were great at all that outdoorsy stuff back in the day, and I still eat Eggo waffles when I’m in a hurry. It’s nothing to be ashamed about.”

  Bea had indeed lost her damned mind. At least she’d picked a good profile pic, one Veronica’s mother had no doubt given her. It had been taken on Thanksgiving Day, so yes, her hair was down, and she looked more rested than normal. Thank God the photo wasn’t from high school too.

  Would it be so bad to find someone this way? On a dating app? Veronica cringed at the thought, then considered her other options. Hanging out in bars wasn’t her thing. Asking friends to set her up was a definite no go. Most of her friends had terrible taste in women, especially her straight friends. They acted as if there was nowhere to go but up. Besides, she worked so much, she hardly ever saw them anymore. What was she going to do, call them out of the blue and say Hey, sorry I’m too busy to do lunch, but do you mind going through your contact list to see if there are any single lesbians in the mix? God could just kill her now.

  Random encounters were also unlikely since they certainly hadn’t happened so far. The truth was, she was beyond ready to find a woman she could share her life with; she just wasn’t sure this was the best way to go about it.

  Bea’s phone dinged in Veronica’s hand, and a photo of a woman popped up. “That means you have another interested party,” Bea said with a wink.

  “Don’t wink at me.”

  Bea slouched in her chair. “Fine. If you tap on the pic, her profile will come up.”

  Veronica followed Bea’s instruction and slid the phone back across the desk. “It was wrong of you to go about it this way, conspiring with my mother the way you have.”

  Bea sank even
lower in her chair.

  “Having said that, it’s not the worst idea ever. Hell, it’s not even the worst idea you’ve ever had. Close, but not the worst. So, here’s what I expect from you.”

  Bea sat up straighter. “Okay, go.”

  “I don’t want to have to look at that app ever again. You’ll email the woman’s full profile to me an hour before the date. I don’t want to get distracted by who I’m meeting that day. Got it?”

  “Got it.”

  “Also, you’ll ask each of them what their favorite drink is, and that’s what we’ll both drink during the appointment.”

  “Date,” Bea said, grabbing her phone off the desk. “These women will think they’re going on a date, even if it’s a short one.” She swiped through the still-open app until she found what she was looking for. “There she is. Lucky Lady Number One.” She typed with both thumbs into her phone, muttering softly, “What…is…your…favorite…drink?”

  “Fine, we’ll call it a date, but these women need to know up front that it’s just a drink. No dinner. No hooking up later. Just drinks.”

  Bea pointed her finger. “Unless you like her.”

  Veronica cocked her head and smirked. “If I like her, I can manage the rest, okay?”

  Bea nodded. “But you’ll tell me, right? I mean, I’ll go crazy if you don’t tell me how it went.”

  “We’ll see.” Veronica pulled a file out of her briefcase. “Now, let’s get to work.”