Page 46 of The Off-Limits Rule: Extended Edition

Lucy:But models as a side job, right? I can see her amazing boobs from all the way over here.

Cooper:I can see your amazing boobs from all the way over here, does that mean you model on the side?

I gasp and look up to find Cooper smiling at his water glass.

Ethan hangs up with an apologetic smile. The waitress then comes to the table at that exact moment, and I’m given five more seconds to respond while Ethan puts in his order, and then I mentally commit to put my phone away after I hit Send.

Lucy:It’s different. I have mom boobs. These babies are unpredictable, and you never know how they will react to sudden movements. Hers are so pretty and perky I’m worried your eye might get poked out if she leans forward an inch.

There. I replied, and now I will enjoy my date with this nice, normal guy Drew approves of. Is it a bad sign that we’ve spent most of the ten minutes we’ve been here on our phones?

Ethan smiles, glances down at my phone in my hand, and looks back up to my face. “Everything okay?”

“Definitely. Just…the sitter needing advice on how to get Levi to bed.”Yep, I’m the worst.

“Gosh,” he says, leaning back in his chair and unbuttoning the top of his suit jacket. “I do not miss those days—the sleepless nights and all that. I swear it gets easier, though. Just hang in there.”

Geez—he’s so ridiculously nice and I am so ridiculously bored. I know he’s trying to be relatable and understanding, but so far we’ve done nothing but stare at our phones and comment on our children. I wanted to feel like a woman tonight—not a mom.

Did I squeeze into this dress and spend too long applying eyeliner so we could talk about the kids we are trying to get away from for a night? Is this my future? And I know I’m not being fair. He’s a super-nice guy, and being sweet to appeal to the parental side of me. Problem is, I feel like we’ve already been married for five years—and not in a good way. I need some spark, some tension, some…

Cooper is calling.

Why is Cooper calling?!

In an incriminating movement, I jerk my phone off the table before Ethan can see the shirtless picture Cooper apparently assigned as his caller ID in my phone. When did he do that? And how did I miss it happening?

“I’m sorry,” I say to Ethan, looking deeply apologetic. “I need to take this.”

Poor Ethan. He’s so sweet. “Of course! Take your time,” hesays, wrongly assuming this is my sitter calling me. Someone needs to lock me up in bad-date jail.

I swipe open my phone and hold it to my ear, angling myself slightly away from the table. “Hello?”

“Why do you always do that?” Cooper says, like it’s the most normal thing to interrupt my date like this and launch right into a private conversation.

I fumble with my silverware and sneak a glance at Ethan with a polite smile. “Do what?”

“Talk down about yourself. I can’t take it anymore. You’re beautiful, Lucy, and you’ve got a great body that doesn’t need constant prefacing that you think it’s flawed. And you know what else?”He’s really fired up.“Being a mom doesn’t make you less appealing. You’re the whole package.”

My face is bloodred now—basically, the same color as my dress—as I scan my eyes across the restaurant until I spot Cooper, standing in the hallway that leads to the bathrooms. He’s staring right atme.

I can’t have this conversation with him right now. I shouldn’t even be talking to him. And if Ethan knew I was talking to another man on our date, he’d be out of here so fast I wouldn’t even be able to say his name. Which…maybe wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world?Yes, it would, and I’m a terrible person.

“That’s okay,” I say in a fake happy tone while narrowing my eyes at Cooper. “Just give him an extra sip of water and I’m sure he’ll go right to sleep.”

Cooper frowns momentarily before he realizes what I’m doing. “Ohhhh. He thinks you’re on the phone with your sitter? Okay, I can have some fun with this. What color underwear do you have on?”

“Yep. No problem. See you later.” And I hang up quickly.

Ethan frowns at my bonkers smile. “She can’t get him to bed?”

“Nope, sure can’t. Will you excuse me a minute? I need to use the restroom.” I’m already standing and barreling toward the hallway.

Cooper is still standing there, leaning against the wall and smirking at me like he knew even before I did that I’d be meeting him back here. I push him farther down the hall, and his eyebrows lift. Shoot, he looks so sexy tonight in this black button-down and slate-gray dress pants.Hedoesn’t look businessy. He just looks impeccable.

“What is your aim here, Cooper? Is this a prank?Hm? Is it?” I ask, backing him against the wall and jabbing my finger into his chest.

He breaks the unspoken friendship rules and reaches out to run a hand from my shoulder down my arm. “No, it’s not a prank.”

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