Page 47 of The Ex Next Door
Bianca’s jaw dropped and she turned her knees, her entire body pivoted toward Amy.
“Um,what? When were you planning on telling me this?”
“When it came up. But it isn’t coming up.”
“This is something you bring up, girlfriend!” She pushed Amy’s shoulder. “For example, eggs are on sale at ALDI’s and Declan kissed me.”
Amy snorted. “Okay, noted. I’m glad I said something.”
“You haven’tsaidmuch!” She leaned forward. “Go on.”
“Well, there isn’t much else. We kissed and then we’ve been texting a lot since then. Just stuff about our day but we kind of flirt, too. A little bit, you know, sexy sometimes.”
“What are you doing? Where is this going? Have you thought this through?”
“What do you mean? Weren’t you the one to tell me to sign up with a dating app?”
“A dating app, not your old boyfriend.”
“Whynot?”
“Oh, dear. I can see we need to have the ‘single mom’ talk.”
“What doyouknow about being a single mom?”
Bianca leaned back, and her neck swiveled chicken-style. “Amy, I read. A lot. I’ve started a blog.”
“That doesn’t mean you have experience.”
“No, but I know what’s going on out there in the trenches. Iknowpeople. And I know people who know people. You haven’t done enough thinking. The thing you need to do is really overthink this whole thing with Declan.”
“Overthink?”
“Girl, that’s half the fun!”
“Seriously?”
“Yes! You have to play hard to get, too. Don’t let himknowyou’re thinkingabout him. Don’t let him know if the kisses melt you. Maybe set up that profile on the apps anyway. Breed his insecurities. Really rev them up big-time.”
“Youcan’tbe serious.”
“Well, honey, until he puts a ring on it, you’re a free agent. Am I right?”
Amy coughed. “It’s a little soon to think about a ring, don’t you think?”
“Is it?” Bianca cocked her head.
“Yes! Look, I have a lot going on. I’m studying for my certifications, working at the bar and raising my children. How do I have time for all this nonsense?”
“That’s exactly what you tell him!” She pointed. “That will get you far.”
Oh, sigh, it was so much easier to be part of a couple. Amy didn’t know if she had it in her to traverse this new brave techy dating world. Had Declan been doing this all these years, and if so, how in the world did he stand it? She was a one-man woman, in one decade going from Declan to Rob with possibly one or two horrible dates in between with men she met at college.
“Is this what you do with Mark?” Amy asked.
“Yes, honey. Every once in a while, I act really disgusted with him, just fed up for no good reason. It’s to keep him on his toes. You ought to see how he grovels just to find out what he did wrong. Flowers, candy andfantasticmakeup sex.”
Amy had no idea this went on with her friends. What happened behind closed doors… She wished she’d never asked.
