Clint McCade and Sandy Kirk grew up on the same shabby side of town. In a community where students were judged by their designer clothes, they formed a friendship that endured through high school and beyond. As best friends, they shared their successes and their hard times.

Clint is a world famous photographer who has amassed a small fortune. Having achieved financial success, he realizes his love life is barren, and that what has been masquerading as friendship for Sandy has really been a slowly growing love. The book opens as he heads to Phoenix to tell Sandy that he is in love with her, and to propose.

Sandy Kirk has become a success in video production. Her firm has just signed a contract with a gubernatorial candidate to film his ads. The candidate's liaison for the filming is suave, handsome James Vandenberg, IV. With a law degree from Harvard, he represents an upper class, country club lifestyle.

Before Clint can tell Sandy he is in love with her, she confesses she is in love with Andrew, but that he doesn't know she exists. Clint is a truly nice person, (nicer than anyone I know ). Because Sandy loves Andrew, he sets out to help her charm him.

Still hoping that Sandy will succumb to him in the end, Clint agrees to work for her as a photographer for the videos, figuring that this proximity will work to his advantage. He then starts teaching her about body language, because he observed that her actions belied her words, and that Andrew was being "shined off" by her body language.

This could have been a very ordinary story but what makes it humorous is that the teacher keeps missing the obvious. Clint and Sandy are both well-developed characters, the sexual tension mounts slowly and realistically, and the dialogue is sharp. It's perfect for that collection you are taking on vacation.

--Thea Davis