Page 19 of The Dating Pact

That did sound like something I would say. When Melissa didn’t respond right away, Brooke tossed my phone onto my stomach and petted Dorothy’s back. “Be your honest and fun self. They’ll be falling all over themselves to get to you.”

Right. “Until they ask me what I want, and I tell them the truth.”

“The key is to let them know what you want without coming right out and saying it,” she explained while she picked up a purse, stuffing a few things from the top of her dresser inside it.

“I have no idea how to do that,” I said, and she motioned for me to follow her out of her bedroom before flicking off the light.

“You gotta get them to read between the lines. You want sex without commitment, right? So compliment their looks, especially things that make a person think about sex. Tell her she’s got great lips, kissable mouth, or something like that.”

I swiped my thumb over my own mouth, letting Brooke’s advice sink in, ignoring how kissable she looked.

“Ask subtle questions about what she likes. If she’s a cuddler or if she minds PDA.”

I didn’t know if those prompts were general or specifically designed, because I was a cuddler and I enjoyed some PDA. More likely, it was because she knew me and wanted whomever I hooked up with to be a fit for me. As opposed to some random girl I wouldn’t get along with.

Which made me grateful I’d made this pact with Brooke.

She had my back.

“Then once you’ve eased her in, hit her with the Do you kiss on the first date? And Have you ever had a one-night stand?” At the front door, she spun around to face me. “No sending nudes unless they ask for them.”

I scowled. “Is that really a thing people do?”

She nodded with faux solemnity. “Yeah, that’s really a thing people do.”

“Why? Dicks are ugly.”

She smiled impishly. “Beauty’s in the eye of the beholder, no?”

“If you say so.”

She gripped my bicep, squeezing. “I have faith in you, young padawan.”

“You know,” I started, pointedly dragging my gaze down her body. “This gold is reminding me of Princess Leia. You wearing the buns and bikini next Halloween?”

“Nobody wants to see these thirty-five-year-old tits stuffed into a tiny bikini.”

Since we were apparently crossing all the lines tonight, I told her the truth. “You’d be surprised.”

Then as if to prove a point, she bent over, shimmying a bit while fiddling with her bra, before standing upright once again and turning to the side. “How do they look?”

Tempting, I didn’t say. Grabbable, I thought. “High and tight.”

“Perfect.” She opened her door, waving for me to go ahead of her.

“What time is Cooper coming?” I asked as she locked up.

“Cole,” she corrected, “and he’s not.”

The condominium had three floors, and although we could have taken the steps, we waited for the elevator instead. It was faster.

“Why isn’t he picking you up?”

She tossed me a confused frown as we stepped into the elevator. “Because we’re meeting there.”

“He should be picking you up. It’s the gentlemanly thing to do.”

She elbowed my side. “You’re so sweet and old-fashioned. I love that about you.”

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