Page 20 of The Dating Pact

I shoved my hands into the pockets of my shorts. “It’s not old-fashioned to pick up a date. It’s good manners.”

“It is, but I don’t want a stranger to know where I live. Plus, I don’t want to be stuck there if it goes sideways.”

I’d never thought of that before. First, because I didn’t go on dates, and second, because the only other woman in my life I spoke to regularly was my sister Phoebe, a lesbian who’d been with the same woman for years. I’d never had to imagine all the ways a date might go sideways for a woman out with a man.

“You sure you don’t want to bring a sweater or something?” I asked, suddenly very aware of what this Carter was going to be seeing when he met Brooke. A beautiful woman with a low-cut top and a bra that did magnificent things for her thirty-five-year-old tits.

Men were dogs.

I should’ve told her to go with the white button-up.

“No, I’m good.” She smiled cheerfully, stepping off the elevator. “You know I run hot.”

I did. I knew besides generally being warm all the time, she experienced occasional hot flashes. Even with all the medication she was on to keep her menopause symptoms in check.

I walked her to her car and opened the door for her. “I guess I’ll talk to you later.”

She sat down behind the wheel, tipping her head back to meet my gaze. “Thanks for coming over and helping me.”

“Of course. Any time.”

After shutting the door, I waited until she buckled up, reversed out of her parking spot, and hooked a left onto the street to get into my own car, realizing that I’d never wished her good luck.

I probably should have.

And yet…

I was kind of glad I hadn’t.

Fucking Caleb.

SEVEN

BROOKE

I’d planned on giving Cole the benefit of the doubt. Really, I had.

When he’d arrived to the bar on a bicycle, I’d thought, Okay, that’s cool. He’s big into being active or saving on carbon emissions. So was I.

But he’d kept his cell phone next to him, checking it constantly. So much so that I’d asked if everything was okay. He had merely nodded and said, “Tell me more about this farm thing.”

I explained how I’d always had a green thumb and loved to garden, but it hadn’t been until I joined a community garden that I learned I could actually do it on a larger scale. Yet I could tell Cole only half listened, and I rolled my eyes as I picked up my own phone, for a little entertainment, at least.

To my shock, I had over a dozen texts.

Jude

I know you’re on a date but Melissa messaged back!

Jude

She studied abroad in college. She’s a little young.

Jude

A lot young.

Jude

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