Oakdale, Michigan - Present Day

With the recent university scandals involving professors, Zander York’s chances of getting tenure are slipping away. He hasn’t had anything to do with what’s been going on, but he’s not in a committed relationship, and being one of the hottest teachers on campus isn’t helping him look like a “stable” candidate. He comes up with a plan: make it appear as if he’s in a relationship with his neighbor and friend, Tessa, long enough to earn tenure. Between her job as a librarian, her volunteer work at the women and children’s shelter, and her angelic, innocent look, Tessa is the perfect person to help Zander pull it off.

When Tessa Maycroft hears Zander’s crazy plan, she’s not sure what to think. On one hand, she doesn’t believe the plan will work, but then, there would be some pluses to it. It’s not fair that Zander may be passed over for tenure because of someone else’s actions, so she’d like to help him out. Also, there has always been some chemistry between them, but Tessa knows that a future with Zander is not possible, so a fake relationship would allow her to explore that attraction without getting emotionally involved. The final thing to convince Tessa to help him out is the fact that she’s started receiving creepy notes: maybe if it appears she has a boyfriend, her stalker will leave her alone.

Just like the poem, Tessa and Zander’s BEST LAID PLANS do not work out the way they expect. Both characters have traumatic experiences in their pasts that make each of them believe that a future between them is impossible. Tessa and Zander are the best of friends, and both are aware of the attraction they feel for the other, but their respective pasts are holding them back. The fake relationship quickly becomes more, though neither is willing to admit as much.

The stalker angle ups the stakes for both Tessa and Zander, and the stalker escalates his threats very quickly, giving the story an edge of suspense. A riveting tale, be sure to look for BEST LAID PLANS.

Jennifer Bishop