The Christmas Contract

Jolie Guidry, who works for a web-design company, moved back to New York City six months ago after her high-school sweetheart Foster Broussard broke up with her. Jolie is dreading heading home to Lafayette, Louisiana for the Christmas holidays as she knows she will run into Foster and his new girlfriend Amy. The Guidry/Broussard ties are more than just between Jolie and Foster as her father Tim and his father Rocky organized the first and what has become the annual Lafayette Christmas Market 30 years ago, and will be honored in a civic ceremony this year. Since Jolie doesn't want to face the drama of still being single as she encounters Foster and Amy, her best friend Naomi, a lawyer, suggests that she take a "fake" boyfriend back to Lafayette. Of all the men they know, Naomi comes up with her older brother, writer and sometime-ghostwriter Jack Friedman, as the best candidate. The problem: Jolie and Jack have had a strained relationship ever since Jack canceled what was a set-up date by Naomi for the two of them when Jolie first returned to town. While Jolie doesn't think Jack the best person, Jack too has no intention of doing Jolie this favor. But when Naomi suggests she write a binding contract for the two of them, with Jack doing Jolie this favor in return for Jolie setting up a new website to promote his own few novels, Jack and subsequently Jolie agree. What Jolie and Naomi don't know is that Jack only agreed as his latest ghost writing assignment is supposed to be set in Louisiana. The further problem for Jack is that the assignment is the latest in a cheesy romance series, romance novels which he has no experience writing, he only given certain plot points which are supposed to be included in the manuscript. His editor Devon suggests he draw from real life in experiencing many of those "plot points" with Jolie. Beyond trying to truly know each other in needing to fool her family and Foster that Jack is really her boyfriend, true romantic feelings start to develop between the two. Jolie may have to choose between Foster and Jack if part of her ploy to make Foster jealous works. What may tip the balance is if Jolie discovers the nature of Jack's writing assignment.—Huggo