Page 56 of From Fling to Ring

“Iris Diamond, this is Tyler Brooks.”

Please don’t say anything about the book. Please.

She gushes over Tyler like I knew she would and turns back to me. “Lucy, I’m so glad we had coffee the other day because now I can’t wait to move forward on our project. It’s going to be a-ma-zing!”

“I’m excited too, Iris.” I look down at my pancakes, hoping she’ll take the hint and beat it.

But she just turns to Tyler. “I can tell you, you’ve got a good one here,” she says gesturing at me. “You two are just so cute together.”

Oh my God. Please go. Please go now.

If she starts blabbing about my book, everything will go to absolute shit. But she wouldn’t do that.

Right?

“So, Lucy, you doing some good research, huh?” she says, flicking her gaze in Tyler’s direction.

Jesus. Could she be more indiscrete?

“Totally, Iris. Hey, when do we meet next?”

She pulls her phone from her designer handbag and scrolls. “Here we go. Two weeks from Wednesday. That still good for you?”

I nod enthusiastically. “Perfect. I’ll see you then, Iris, okay?”

Her smile starts to droop but she catches it like the savvy businesswoman she is when she finally takes my hint. “Right. Right. See you then, Lucy. And so nice to meet you, Tyler.”

And she’s gone. Thank fucking God.

She nearly blew my cover. The cover I’m supposedly using to appear excited about dating, the cover allowing me to study up close and personal a certain type of man who should be avoided by all women.

Supposedly.

We won’t get into the sex part. Which is also part of the research.

No one can say I’m not thorough.

Problem is, I can’t say I’ve made much progress. Tyler’s a nice guy, completely lacking in the asshole qualities I was so looking forward to reporting on. In fact, no one can be as perfect as he seems. There’s got to be a way to trip him up, to get him to reveal who he really is. He’s got to be a serial cheater, indifferent to homeless people, or unwilling to give up his seat to pregnant ladies on public transit.

Like he takes the city bus.

I’ve tried to identify his shadow side, I really have. In fact, I almost blew it, trying to bait him with the idea of seeing other women rather than being exclusive with me. I expected him to jump at the opportunity, leaving him relieved he was finally dating a woman who ‘got him,’ one who really understood his needs and how at this stage in his life, he can’t limit himself to just one sexual outlet. I was ready for that, I really was, all geared up to bolt home to start typing up my masterpiece on creepy men.

A lot of good that approach did me. I all but insulted the guy, who further buried my hypothesis that he’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing. He handled our awkward situation with more maturity and finesse than I ever could have.

Damn him. Just damn him.

The worst of it is that when I’m done with my research and the book as a whole, I won’t be able to continue dating him. To do so would completely destroy my credibility.

What kind of player-resister am I if I succumb to the charms of the very man who inspired my book?

“Lucy, who was that woman, Iris Diamond? Cool name, by the way,” Tyler asks.

“Iris Diamond is my literary agent. You know, for the book I’m working on. Just met her for the first time last week. She’s one of those people who acts like you’re BFFs after one meeting.”

He nods. “Why was she so weird, looking at me and stuff?”

I widen my eyes and shrug. “Maybe she thought you were hot or something. I mean, you kind of are.”

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