Page 77 of My Rules

I frown, confused. “But how do we know what’s going to happen if we don’t plan it?”

“That’s the point—we just go with it and see what happens. I can’t observe you if I don’t see you in your natural dating habitat.”

“Oh.” I nod, feeling stupid. “Right.”

“All right.” He tries to wind up the conversation.

I hang on the line. “Are you coming over tonight to take pictures?”

“I can’t tonight. I have something going on.”

“Oh.” I bite my lip as I listen. “A date?”

“Yes, a date.”

With who?

“Like a . . . just-fucking date?”

“Rebecca.”

“Right.” I shake my head. Why did I say that? “Sorry.”

“Goodbye.”

“Have a good night.”

“I intend to.” The phone goes dead as he hangs up.

I look out over the parking lot as I think ... hmm, turning him into boyfriend material is going to be a lot harder than it seems.

I pace back and forth in my bedroom. It’s official: I am an idiot.

This is the stupidest idea of all time.

It’s bad enough that I’m going on a date, but to have Blake there judging me for the entire night?

What was I thinking?

And to top it all off, I don’t even know my date’s name. I’ve tried to find it out. I looked in the files in the office and everything, and all I got was his surname, which I already knew.

Oh god, this is a disaster waiting to happen.

I call Blake. Ring, ring ...

“Hi,” he answers.

“Hi, everything still okay for tonight?”

“Yeah, why?”

“So you’re meeting us at the restaurant at seven o’clock, right?”

“Uh-huh.”

“Okay.” I nod. “Are you ready?”

“Just getting in the shower now.”