Page 72 of The Rules

“You eat yet?”

“No.”

“I’m in town. I’m coming to get you for a celebratory lunch.”

“What are we celebrat—”

“See you in ten.” He hung up and pulled away from the curb, his face stuck in a grin.

“Scratch off my lunch order,” Dani said.

Benji raised an eyebrow curiously from his desk. “You get a better offer on that phone call?”

“Maybe.”

“Oh, really? Is this one of the matches?” Now he was rolling his chair across the office, lunch order forgotten.

Shoot. She wiggled uncomfortably in her seat. She hadn’t mentioned any of this to Benji, but to be fair, it had just happened.

“So, I actually have some news.”

He clapped his hands together like a circus seal, and she rolled her eyes.

“It’s not the app, but I have been seeing someone.”

“How the hell did you manage to see someone else while you were trying to fit in eight soulmate dates? I swear your social calendar is life goals.”

Dani pulled a lipstick out of her bag and touched up in the mirror on her desk. “You might not say that when you hear my story.”

“Regale me.”

“So, remember when we were talking about the ‘fine print’ and how I didn’t think I could make it all those weeks…”

“Yesss. And I gave you my most supportive side-eye?”

“And I told you I found a little work-around. Well… I kinda sorta started dating him for real.”

“Kinda sorta?”

“Yes, and you know what?” She squared her shoulders, preemptive indignance bubbling in her chest. “This just proves that rule was a terrible idea because, trust me, if I wasn’t sleeping with Dylan, this never would have happened. Clearly sex was a crucial component in our compatibility which goes against everything—”

“Woah, Nelly,” Benji said, waving a finger at her. “Dylan? Cat’s husband’s best friend is the freebie?”

Dani felt her cheeks burn. “That same one.”

“The one you’ve known for years and who, by the way, I’ve been saying you had something with for years?”

“Yes. Him. Why does everyone feel the need to clarify so many times? Geesh.”

“Because you specifically said, and I quote—”

Luckily for her, Benji’s court stenographer act was cut short when the man himself rapped his knuckles on her office door. Dylan leaned on the frame, crossing his legs at the ankles and gave her his Good Boy smile. She was butter.

Apparently so was Benji. Dani shot her officemate a look, and he pulled his chin off the ground.

“Dylan, hey.”

“Hey, babe. You ready?”

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