Page 14 of From Fling to Ring

Jesus, that again. If they want to bet against me, they can bring it on.

I don’t date women for very long, it’s true. But it’s not because I can’t. It’s because I choose not to.

Two different things.

“I’m game,” I say, shrugging. “Just prepare to lose.”

Jonas grins. “Sure buddy. I say you can’t date any woman for ninety days. And that you have to go after this Lucy woman.”

“Why her? It sounds like I’m already starting at a disadvantage if she’s one of those athlete-hating women like Rake’s wife.”

Rake snorts. “She doesn’t hate athletes anymore, I can promise you that,” he says, puffing out his chest.

“And how do I know that Rake won’t blab to Petal that we’ve made a bet on her friend Lucy? Wouldn’t that screw the whole thing up?” I ask.

Rake raises his hands in surrender. “Fine. I promise I will not breathe a word of this to Petal. I say go forth and conquer Lucy, the journalist who probably won’t even give you the time of day once she gets her interview.”

Thanks for the vote of confidence.

“Fine. I’m down with that. Just you guys wait.”

Rake rubs his hands together. “Alrighty then, Ty’s in. I say we double down.”

“How so?” I ask.

“If… and this is a big if… you do somehow get her to date you for ninety days, you have to break up with her when the ninety days are up.”

“That’s just stupid,” I say.

Rake looks at Jonas, and I can see I’m going to be on the losing end of this discussion.

“Now why would you stipulate something like that?” I ask.

Rake shrugs dramatically. “Let’s just say, you could use some humbling, my brother.”

“What?”

“You’re going to learn about relationships, my friend. The good and the bad, the ups and the downs, the thrill of new beginnings and the agony of saying goodbye. We want you to see it's not just about the chase, but also about dealing with the emotional mess afterward. It will be good for you.”

And these guys are my friends?

“So, either way I lose, is what you’re saying. If I don’t date the woman ninety days, I lose the bet. If I do date her ninety days, I have to break it off, and while I will have won the bet, I’ll be the world’s biggest dick. What the hell, man?”

"Exactly, buddy. Think of it as a crash course in manhood."

Oh, for Christ’s sake.

“This is more of a crash course in being set up by your friends,” I scoff.

“Maybe he shouldn’t do it, man,” Jonas says, looking at Rake. “I think he’s afraid of our little challenge. Like… what if he catches feelings? Like we might all find out he’s a softie underneath his swinging dick bravado.”

“What swinging dick bravado? Do you guys know me at all?”

Rake tilts his head. “We know you, Ty. The question is, do you know yourself?”

I sigh, ignoring his question. “What are we betting?”

We look at each other, each trying to come up with something good. Money is boring—we already have shit tons of it—and we made Jonas wear the team mascot’s costume last year when he lost a bet over something I don’t even remember anymore.

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