Chapter 10 Excerpt from ALMOST BY DESIGN by Jenny Erlingsson:
Kenya snapped her mouth shut, disbelief locking her eyes with his. Her mother used to tell her opening her mouth so wide was like keeping the front door open. She’d let in all kinds of flies and nasties. And she sure didn’t need another sting from the man sitting next to her, who so sweetly nestled her aching foot in a bed of heavenly elevation.
Yet, she couldn’t deny that she was absolutely flabbergasted by what he’d just said.
“Explain what you mean by dating me . . . kind of.”
She didn’t need to tell him how much his prior rejection had affected her. She had dared to hope that somehow all the things she did, all the people she knew and the connections she’d made, could measure up to someone as successful as he appeared to be. But when he never got back to her, she convinced herself that he’d seen something in her during their first date that he didn’t want to continue with. And now, all of a sudden, he’d galloped back into her life like some hero, being exactly what she didn’t want to need and acting like he’d had some kind of change of heart.
“To put it plainly, I am in need of a huge favor, but I think it could be mutually beneficial.”
“What kind of deal are you trying to make, Doctor?” She glanced around the room, the late-afternoon hour bringing just a couple clients through the doors. But at least there was staff around just in case this conversation got hairy.
Solomon’s gaze was assessing. “You look like you’re ready for a fight instead of an invitation.”
Kenya crossed her arms. “Tell me more and I’ll decide.”
He clapped his hands together, looking nervous. “My parents are in town for a couple months.”
Kenya nodded, wondering why it was difficult for him to come out with whatever he was trying to say.
“They have certain expectations for me. It’s a long story, but they somehow have come up with the idea that I have a girlfriend.”
“How could they just come up with the idea? Is it not true?”
Solomon sighed. “That’s the thing, I’m hoping you will help me make it true. I kind of blurted something in that direction recently.”
Kenya hugged her purse to her chest and took a long swig from the water bottle she’d tucked into it. “Is this for real or for pretend?”
“That’s basically what I am proposing. I am for real asking if you would consider dating me for pretend. Just enough to convince my parents of my relationship status so they will ease off the pressure of . . .” His voice trailed off. “Of pairing me with single women at my cousin’s wedding.”
“A wedding, huh?” Kenya chewed the inside of her cheek. Her mother had always hated when she indulged in that habit. But desperate times called for desperate measures. It was that or eat the entire bowl of lollipops on the check-in counter.
“So is the wedding you are referring to a Nigerian one?”
“Yes.” His eyes widened.
That made things interesting. If pretending to be his girlfriend gave her the opportunity to experience a wedding celebration like the ones she’d seen online, that was not to be taken lightly. They were such elaborate affairs that popped up consistently on her social media accounts, thanks to the algorithm feeding off her event research.
“I’m not saying that you will for sure attend the wedding, though.” Solomon’s disclaimer deflated some of her excitement.
“Okay, noted, but I’m still waiting for how this benefits me. Why should I pretend to be in a relationship that your parents may or may not see?”
Solomon leaned closer to her, willing her to look him in the eyes despite his obvious discomfort. “I’m serious. I am not trying to string you along.”
“But that is what makes sense. At least that is how I’m hearing it.” Kenya held her head between her hands. “You are stringing me along for show, right?”
“It doesn’t have to work that way if we are in this together.”
“So then tell me clearly, what’s in it for me? I don’t read between the lines very well.” She didn’t really read any lines very well, and that made her feel like even more of an imposter.
But Lord knew she didn’t mind being close to the doctor. There was a current flowing between them that he couldn’t deny even if he wanted to. She may not be able to immediately comprehend the black and white of situations, but she sure could sense all the colors in between.
“Honestly, I don’t know.”
“Wrong answer!”
“Maybe it will keep you from boredom, fill your time,” he rushed out. “And because my parents are also trying to do a vow renewal, maybe that is something you can help us plan too. For pay. And in the middle of it I can collaborate with your doctor and give you additional tips for recovery. That way you can get back on your feet and in the office quicker.”
He looked down at his hands. She did too, noticing how smooth and surprisingly well manicured they were for someone who made a living using them to restore muscles. Then again, it wasn’t like he worked with corrosive materials all day.
“But isn’t that against some kind of rule?”
“Only if you were my patient. But you’re not. I can’t officially treat you as a patient and then date you.” He continued, “So, we can work on making this look as real as possible, at least while my parents are in town.”
Kenya shook her head. “I pride myself on being an honest and transparent person. I’m not perfect. I have my issues, and I’m pretty sure that’s part of the reason why the two of us didn’t go any further. But lies don’t settle right with me.”
“Well, how about we don’t look at it as a lie? What if we look at it as a follow-up date that doesn’t end for a few weeks.” Solomon may have meant for his smile to reassure her, but she felt like she was being lured into a trap. And worse yet, a trap she partially didn’t mind being lured into.
Solomon’s voice picked up. “Why don’t we look at this as a way to get to know each other more, without the pressure? From there we can see what happens. That’s how real relationships work anyway, right?”
Kenya wanted to fan the flickers of hope that sprung to life from that statement, but she couldn’t allow herself to go anywhere near the possibilities because whenever Solomon satisfied his parents enough and got them out of dodge, this experiment of a date would be over.
She placed her water bottle in her purse. “Solomon, I don’t know. I’m gonna have to go back and think about this.”
His face fell, but he picked up those pieces with precise efficiency. “Please do that.”
Kenya crossed her arms. “I need to go pray about it. But I don’t know how God will feel about me praying about a lie.”
Excerpted from ALMOST BY DESIGN by Jenny Erlingsson. © 2026 by Jenny Erlingsson, used with permission.
A Christian Contemporary Rom-Com with Fake Dating and Second Chances in a Small Town
A botched promotion, an awkward reunion, and a fake-dating scheme they never planned to fall for.
Kenya Stewart is so close to getting her dream position at an event agency. When a scheduling blunder risks her promotion, she hopes an upcoming pitch will allow her a second chance. Then an accident at her cousin's wedding sends her to the emergency room in the care of another wedding guest, Solomon Anruchi, the handsome doctor who ghosted her after their first date.
Solomon's parents are eager for him to find a business-savvy wife and make the move to New York to take over a recent acquisition by their family's company. But he needs to buy more time to finish his residency and convince them that staying in Hope Springs is the best path for him. He realizes that Kenya is the perfect person to help, and she needs his connections to land a high-profile client and save her career. Their solution? A fake-dating relationship.
As attractions increase amid their ruse, secrets they've kept from each other and the weight of others' expectations begin to unravel their scheme. Will their carefully constructed plans crumble when the truth comes out?
This charming Southern contemporary Christian romance features humorous banter, second chances, faking dating, and neurodiverse characters in small-town Alabama for fans of Toni Shiloh, Pepper Basham, and Courtney Walsh.
Multicultural African-American | Christian Romance | Romance Comedy [ Revell, On Sale: June 2, 2026, Paperback / e-Book, ISBN: 9781493453917 / eISBN: 9780800747756 ]
Jenny Erlingsson is an Alabama born author of Nigerian descent who writes romantic fiction and creative non-fiction to encourage deep faith in diverse settings. After years of ministry in Alabama, she resides in Iceland with her family. When she is not ministering with her Viking husband or mothering her adorably feisty kids, she can be found writing and reading in the margins, with a side of Icelandic chocolate.
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