Page 16 of The Rules of Dating a Younger Man

“I’ll take the ride with you.”

“We’ll get everything cleaned up while you’re gone,” Jason said.

Since it was two thirty already, I hit the gas as soon as we got on the highway, just in case they closed at three.

“That was the only bad story I told her, you know,” Holden said. “I’d been talking you up all morning and thought my spiel would sound more genuine if I added something that didn’t make you seem like a priest.”

“Uh-huh.”

“No, really. But tell me what’s going on with you and the MILF?”

“Don’t call her that.”

“Why not? It’s just a term. I don’t actually mean I want to fuck her.”

My jaw tensed.

“Holy shit.” Holden pointed to my face. “You really like her, don’t you?”

“Yeah, I do.” I shrugged. “We’re obviously not an ideal match since she lives in Connecticut and has a stepkid my age. But I don’t know… There’s something about her.”

“Dude, my wife is a researcher with a PhD. I’m a dumb drummer who doubles as a handyman. Who we’re attracted to doesn’t always make sense.”

“Have you ever gone out with an older woman?”

“Hell yeah. Best sex of my life, aside from my beloved wife, of course. They know what they want and aren’t afraid to take it.”

I sighed. “Not sure I’ll get to find out. Alex wants nothing to do with me.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure. I noticed the way she frowned when that Kyra woman was flirting with you this morning. You don’t get jealous over things you don’t want.”

“You caught that, too, huh?”

“Yep. But you’ve never dated someone older before, have you?”

“Never.”

Holden scratched his chin. “I guess it kind of makes sense you’d be into an older woman, if you think about it.”

“Why is that?”

“Because you have mommy issues, dude.”

“What the hell are you talking about? I do not.”

“Your mother took off when you were nine and left your dad to raise you and your brother. The four or five times she came around to visit each year, she had some random young guy with her that she wanted you to call Uncle whatever. You probably have an underlying need to be coddled or some shit.”

I glanced over at Holden and back to the road. “I think you should leave the research and analysis to your wife.”

He shrugged. “Whatever. But it makes sense.”

***

Hours later, we’d fixed the busted pipe and most of the volunteers had left for the day. My buddies, the two team leaders, and Kyra were the only ones left.

“What do you say we all go out for a drink?” Colby asked. “We deserve it after all the work we got done today. There’s a sports bar not too far from the hotel. They’ll probably have the Rangers game on.”

I looked over at Alex. “You in?”

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