Page 33 of The Rules

She couldn’t get discouraged yet, though. This was only one date. She had eight. There were bound to be some kinks in the plan. Maybe she’d filled a question out wrong along the way.

Christian spoke loudly now, gesturing with his hands and drawing the attention of some of the other diners. She briefly hoped whatever it was was important enough that he might get called away, but she knew it was more likely he just thought of himself as important enough to be rude. Finally, he ended the call with a “Cheers” and her eyes nearly rolled back into her skull.

She looked at her watch wondering how long it would take them to make that burger. “So, I have a thing at nine,” she lied.

Christian didn’t look disappointed.

Dylan held the door, letting his date slip past him into the dark club. Chivalry, he decided as he stole a look at the back of her mile-long bare legs, should never die. Kendra was the hairdresser to their part-time receptionist. When she’d stopped by last week to deliver some hot oil treatment to Sari, Dylan happened to be in the office. It was lust at first sight, and now he had her on a Saturday night, dressed in a body-con number that barely covered her ass, leading him down the stairs to a basement bar that he was about a decade too old to be in. Lucky for him, you could barely see a thing in this place besides strobe lights and artificial smoke.

Kendra pulled him by the wrist until they’d wedged into a pack of bar patrons. She slid in front of him, boldly pushing her ass into his crotch as she leaned over the bar. He chuckled under his breath. Twenty-somethings were almost too easy these days. Pick them up in a car that you paid for yourself and had a full tank of gas, and they were putty in your hands. The fact that they were so easily impressed by self-sufficiency probably said more about the state of the economy than it did his own worthiness, but he’d take it.

Kendra ordered something he couldn’t hear, and he threw his credit card down on the bar, circling his finger to tell the bartender to keep a tab open. Minutes later, they each had a glass of something blue and were pressed against each other, and about a hundred other people, on the dance floor.

“So you design buildings?” she shouted over the bass. Kendra had immigrated here from the UK and her accent made everything she said sound like Mary Poppins, even while she ran her fingers over the buckle of his belt, her hips swaying. The dichotomy was sexy as hell.

“No,” he shouted back. “I get the business, convince developers to hire our firm to design the buildings.”

She offered him something like a confused pout but dropped it. “I want to own my own business someday. I’ve been a stylist for years, but it’s something else to do it for yourself.”

“Sure.”

“How did you get started on your own?”

Dylan drank his Blue Curacao, his self-respect wincing with each sip. “My partner actually had the idea to go into business for ourselves. And, you know, he planned it all out. He handles the details.”

Way to impress her, Dylan.

It wasn’t like he didn’t participate. He and Josh each had their own strengths. That’s why they worked so well together. It just happened that responsibility for running a business was one of Josh’s strengths, and making them a lot of money was Dylan’s. Still, the comparisons kicked at him.

“Maybe I can talk to him some time,” Kendra said. “Your friend. Pick his brain. I can cut his hair in exchange.” She smiled, separating from his hold long enough to pull a business card out of her clutch. She tucked it in the hand that had just been halfway to its goal of cupping her ass.

“Yeah, sure.” Dylan held up the card and forced a grin before shoving it in his pocket. When he did, he felt his cell buzz and pulled it out. He barely had enough elbow room to angle the screen to his face, but when he saw the text, his grin stretched.

Dani: No soulmate tonight. Guess you’re stuck with me for a few more weeks.

Dylan gestured with his head and Kendra followed him off the dance floor. “I have to hit the men’s room,” he said. He lifted her hand and kissed her knuckles. “I’ll be right back, sweetheart.”

He rounded the corner to the hallway where the bathrooms were, setting his drink on top of a condom dispenser.

Dylan: Can’t say I’m disappointed.

Dani: And here I thought you were the supportive type.

Dylan: I fully support a long and thorough journey for you to find The One, Dani-pie.

Dani: Since it looks like you might get your wish, should we say next weekend? Same time, same place?

Dylan: It’s a date, but I’ll see you before then. Thursday? Minnie’s party.

Three little dots appeared, then disappeared, and for some reason his heart had traveled to his throat to wait for her response.

Dani: Right. Two dates then. See you Thursday.

Dylan: See you Thursday, Dani-pie.

When he pushed out of the men’s room, Kendra was waiting for him. “This place is kind of loud,” he said, cringing at the way he’d suddenly become his mother. “You wanna go somewhere else?”

Kendra licked the gloss on her lips and smiled. “How about my place?”

---