I am beyond sorry. It's been what, four and a half months? I can't really come up with an acceptable excuse, to be honest. It's just that I have so much else on right now that I haven't even had time to think about FF. Between my school work and my job and my family and friends, I literally come home, have a shower and go to bed. I won't lie to you though. I've had this chapter written for a little while now. It just never seemed good enough to post, but I finally decided that it wasn't fair to make you wait anymore. As I said before, I'm so incredibly sorry (both for the wait and the not-so-good chapter), and I hope you don't hate me too much for the lack of updates.

As expected, Nick's plan is absolutely ridiculous.

"Just put that in your ear and I'll tell you what to do. It isn't exactly a difficult concept!"

I glare at him as I adjust my dress, looking in the mirror. "Where did you even get that? You help women find husbands, not terrorists and criminals. You're not in the FBI, though I'm beginning to think that you wish you were."

Nick rolls his eyes at me and watches me from his spot on the chaise-longue by the window. "Just trust the master, princess."

"Stop calling me that!"

He raises his eyebrows and smirks. "Well, aren't we Little Miss Sassy-Ass today?"

"I'm not in the mood for your childishness this evening, Nick. I had a rough day at work, and I am not sticking that miniscule toy of yours into my ear. Does that thing even function properly?"

He stands up, sighs and makes his way over. He stops behind me and moves my hair to the side. "I thought you said that you would actually listen to me? Just put this in your ear."

I inhale sharply at his touch, then obediently place the small headphone into my ear.

Nick pulls out a roll of skin-coloured tape.

"You just carry that stuff around in your pocket, do you?"

He smirks and starts to tape the wire behind my ear and at the back of my neck. "Actually, I knew you would cave, so I thought it would be best to be prepared. I was a boy scout, after all."

His fingers on my skin feel divine as he tapes the wire into place. I hate to admit it, but his touch alone is enough to make the hairs on my arms stand up. All he would have to do is say the word and I would cancel my date with Liam at the drop of a hat and spend the night with him.

He tucked the control pack of the headset discretely into the back of my dress and moved my hair to cover both the pack and the wire. "There. Was that so hard? Now you're all set for Friday night."

He reminds me of the date and I have to hold back a groan. Liam is a great guy, but how is it fair of me to start something with him when I am clearly developing feelings for the man who I'm paying to help me secure a husband?

Oh, gosh. I make it sound so clinical. I once thought that it was better to detach myself from the situation and keep my emotions out of it. I truly believed that it wasn't about what I want, but rather who could give me the best future in the shortest time possible. But now? I'm not even sure why I'm still involved in this charade, and it's only really just begun.

"Now, let's discuss this date."

"What about it?"

"I will be in across the restaurant from you, so if things are unbearable and you need an escape route, give me the signal and I'll interrupt with some bullshit about Demi going into labour."

"Liam works with Joe. He'll know that it's a lie."

"We'll tell him it's one of those fake labour things. I don't know the details yet - we'll figure it out. The point is that I will come in there if you need my help. Just give me the signal and I'll be there." He flops back down into his previous seat and sighs. "I meant it the other day when I said to keep the conversation light."

"Because I'm obviously going to ask him some deep philosophical question over steak," I retort sarcastically.

"Why did we have to teach you about sarcasm?" Nick groans.

"I previously understood the concept of it. I simply chose not to apply it to my own life. It's the lowest form of wit." I point at the wire snaking down my back. "And what exactly is the purpose of this?"

"It's a pretty basic idea, really. I have the microphone, and everything I say transmits wirelessly from my mic pack into your pack and through the wire to your earpiece. I'll tell you what you're doing right and what you're doing wrong, and you'll correct it," he explains.

"Why do you even need to critique my dating skills?"

"Because I know from your attempts at small talk at the party that they suck."

I fold my arms across my chest and frown at him. "My dating skills do not suck."

"My grandmother can flirt better than you can, and she's almost ninety years old and hasn't dated since the 1940's. I know what is best for you in these situations, so why don't you start doing as we agreed and let me do what you pay me for?" He leans back and puts his hands behind his head. "You wanted this thing done fast, right?"

He's right – initially, I wanted this whole thing over as quickly and as painlessly as possible, like removing a band-aid. However, I've come to discover that there is no painless way to do this. Despite myself, I always seem to enjoy myself in Nick's company and almost don't want to have to stop spending time with him, but he is so completely wrong for me that I have to follow through with the plan and cut off all ties with him after I get what I want.

Was that not the point of all of this? To get what I want? I'm beginning to think that my quick-fix attitude towards finding a solution isn't working. After all, how could I possibly have believed that it would be as simple as 'securing' a stable (both financially and emotionally) husband and beginning to pop out babies immediately? It isn't all about what I want anyway.

"Are you okay there, princess? You drifted off for a sec."

I turn to Nick and force a smile. Under no circumstances can he know about the doubts I'm having.

"I'm absolutely perfect."

He eyes me carefully for a moment, and there's something different in his watch. It isn't mocking or sleazy or unpleasant in any way. If I didn't know better, I would think that there's the slightest ounce of pride in that stare.

"So, let's discuss no-go conversation topics."

And just like that, the look is gone, and Nick is back to business; direct and focused on the task at hand.

"Haven't we already been through this? No deep and meaningful conversations about war or religion or whatever else you think is too serious for a first date."

"I dunno if you're sure what a conversation where two people get to know each other is like, darlin'."

"Of course I do!"

"Prove it."

The smirk on his face makes me want to lift a hand and slap that smug expression off his face. I don't know how he does it. He can go from making me want to hug him to making me want to inflict pain on him in thirty seconds flat.

I sit down next to him and turn to look at him. "So, Nick … Where are you from?"

He grins over at me and shakes his head. "You already know the answer to that question. I'm from the exact same place as Joe – right here."

"I see. Well, I personally am from Tennessee. My family and I moved here when I was a kid, and I've been here ever since. So, tell me a little bit about your work."

Nick runs a hand through his hair. "Okay, you've proved your point. You know how to make small talk. But finding out about somebody's hometown and their work only gets you so far. What you need is to get a broader idea of their likes and their dislikes. Maybe try and learn a bit about their family. There's only so much you can milk out of a conversation about his job and where he comes from."

"I'm a lawyer. I can draw out a conversation for as long as I need to. It's part of the training."

"I'm sure that even you would have trouble with this one."

I lift my hand to the wire Nick attached to my skin and start to pull the tape off. "Well, now that we've been through all of this, I guess you should get going."

"I guess so." Nick stands up and sticks his hands in his pockets. He starts to walk towards the door, then just as he reaches it, he stops and turns around to face me. "Listen, I'm meeting Joe and Demi at the bar tonight. Maybe you have plans or whatever you lawyers do during the week, but feel free to come along."

I hesitate. On one hand, I enjoyed our meeting tonight, despite the fact that we spent most of it bickering over who knows more about what to do. However, I know that, if the four of us spend time together, Demi will start to suspect that Nick is more of a friend to me now than just someone who's helping me to find a husband, and if she makes that link, she'll make the link that my feelings for him are drifting towards lust.

Yet the word 'sure' comes out a hell of a lot easier than any other word I've spoken lately.

We enter the sports bar that Nick and I first met in a few weeks ago and immediately spot Demi and Joe sitting in the booth that we had occupied during our first consultation.

"Is that your usual booth or something?" I tease.

"Or something," he responds, the corner of his mouth lifting in a sly smile.

We approach the booth and are forced to sit opposite one another, me beside Demi and Nick beside Joe. Joe slides a beer across the table to Nick and my usual glass of white wine to me then lifts his own beer to his lips.

"Damn, I wish I could drink," Demi grumbles.

"It will all be worth it when the baby finally arrives."

"I wish pregnancy was at least two months shorter. How can anyone expect me to carry a bowling ball around in my belly for nine months, especially in the summer? I'm on the brink of purposely doing everything I can to induce the labor."

"You know," Joe interrupts, "it's really great that Nick asked you to come along, Miley. Demi and I have been meaning to talk to you both about something."

"Alright, I'll have sex with Demi to induce her labor," Nick jokes.

Demi narrows her eyes and kicks him sharply under the table, causing him to whimper loudly. "I wouldn't have sex with you if you were the last man on the planet, mainly for fear of contracting an STD."

"It's the hormones," Joe mutters to his brother.

"Don't make excuses for me, asswipe!"

I smirk and focus my attention on Joe. "You were saying?"

"Ah, yes." Joe glances nervously at his wife and scratches the back of his neck. "Demi and I were wondering if you two would consider being the baby's godparents. You both are so important to us. Miley, we know that there is no one who would be able to give advice to our child better than you. And Nick, you know better than we do how great it would be to have someone as fun and as carefree as you there to help you out along the way. There are no two people who we trust more in this world than my brother and our best friend, so if you guys are up for it, we would love it if you would accept."

"Of course!" I gasp, squeezing Joe's hand and giving Demi a one-armed hug.

Demi glances at Nick across the table and raises her eyebrows at him. "Well?"

He smiles and nods. "It would be an honor." He grins at me. "I don't know if I can out up with this princess for the rest of our lives, though."

Looks like our partnership will extend beyond our husband hunt then, huh?