Page 146 of Mr. Flirt

“I think instead of searching for Mr. Right, we need to start looking for Mr. Wrong.” Samantha pulled out yellowed papers from her purse and slapped the pages on the table, and every nerve in my body tingled with worry.

“Still not buying it.” I smiled.

“Here’s yours, Tessa. And yours, Winter, and… mine.” Samantha slipped us all the crinkled pages, but I refused to look down.

“Go ahead, look at it,” Samantha prompted, and Winter’s eyes fell to her sheet.

“What I can’t believe is that you still had all these.” I laughed, still refusing to look down at the pact.

I knew what was on it. An ode to a crush I knew I’d never get, promised myself I never wanted, and had the wherewithal to show I could stick to my guns.

Samantha shrugged. “I thought I might need them for a scandalous bribe or something someday.” She grinned mischievously. “You know, in case I needed someone to babysit my imaginary kids at a moment’s notice.”

“Sounds about right.” I laughed.

“What does yours say? What type of man did you vow you’d never marry?” Winter asked, staring at me with wide eyes.

Even when she was annoying, she looked frustratingly cute, which was why I always got into trouble with these ladies. Each friend was so different, yet we’d all bonded over life events, goals, dreams, changing dreams, and heartaches. Winter was the Bohemian of us all, enjoying pottery and somehow managing to turn that into a business. Samantha was goal-oriented and enjoyed working in the corporate world. Last but not least, Arie went to vet school and worked in a local animal shelter as their vet.

“Go on,” Winter tried again.

I knew she already knew the answer, and so did I, but I didn’t want to say it out loud. Out of all my friends, I’d been the only one to share at the time what I’d written down. They’d all chickened out.

“When I was sixteen, all kinds of things were going on in my life, and I didn’t know any better, and I seriously didn’t give this any thought.” I scowled, feeling a gnawing sensation in my belly. I didn’t want to believe that something I’d scribbled with my teenage friends could have impacted my entire dating life for the last fourteen years.

“Fine. I’ll read mine,” Winter announced, grabbing her reading glasses from her purse and sliding them on. “Can you believe I’m at the stage where I need reading glasses?”

Arie chuckled and grabbed her own pair out of her bag. “Why, yes, I can. It’s what happens when you’re heading in the direction we’re going.”

I smoothed my blonde hair and let out a sigh of relief.

“But there is a perk.” Winter grinned. “I can’t see my wrinkles.”

We laughed, and she cleared her throat, looking down at the aged pages from a decade and a half ago.

“I hereby swear I will never marry a man with tattoos, who drives a motorcycle, who loves to ski, who cooks, has brown hair, lives on a beach, has lots of money, or has kids.” She sucked in a breath. “I vow to never marry a man like my father.”

Silence fell over our table, and Samantha reached for Winter’s hand.

“I do believe I’ve managed to avoid all of those pitfalls.” Winter looked at me and smiled.

“Yes. God forbid you were to marry a man who cooks.” I smiled back, trying to make light of a rather serious declaration.

“Or has lots of money and lives on a beach,” Arie added and pretended to shiver. “The horrors.”

Winter chuckled.

“But the father thing I get,” Samantha said sympathetically.

“Me too.” I nodded, my eyes connecting with Winter’s. Just because my dad was great, didn’t make all dads equal.

“Daddy issues are the worst.” Arie shook her head solemnly.

“I don’t have daddy issues.” Winter laughed. “Do I?”

I chuckled, putting my head on the table briefly. “We’re doomed.”

Even when I was growing up, I was able to figure out that Winter’s home life was rocky. It wasn’t that she didn’t live in a spectacular home with her parents or have incredible cars parked in their driveway that carried expensive purchases from magnificent shopping sprees.

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