The Rules of Dating(15)

“Thanks again for dressing my wound, Colby. I’m gonna let you guys get back to your afternoon.”

“You don’t have to leave,” he urged. “I can make some coffee or something…”

I pointed my thumb toward the door. “Already had some caffeine upstairs with Deek.” Looking down at my phone, I added, “I also have a client in twenty minutes.”

“Ah. I should’ve known you had to get back to work.”

“Yeah. Thanks for the brownie, too.”

He nodded. “You need to let me know how much those shoes cost.”

“Don’t worry about it. They were on clearance when I bought them.”

“Well, I have to pay you back somehow.” He slipped his hands in his pockets. “Dinner would be one way, if that weren’t off the table.”

“Make me more brownies.” I winked, then bent down and pinched Saylor’s cheek. “See ya around, cutie. Enjoy your afternoon with Daddy.” Your hot freaking daddy I currently want to ride the shit out of.

I smiled at her, trying to rid my mind of those dirty thoughts. I nodded toward the nanny and booked it out of there, feeling flushed and second-guessing my vow of resilience because I hadn’t had the hots for someone like this in as long as I could remember.

I might have been saved by the bell when it came to that almost-kiss, but thoughts of the hot single dad upstairs continued to consume my mind for the rest of the afternoon.





CHAPTER 5


Colby



I hadn’t seen Billie in seven days.

Though not for lack of wanting to. Every night when I got off the subway down the block from my apartment, I gave myself a pep talk: Keep walking. One foot in front of the other.

Don’t even look in her window as you pass.

You can do it.

She doesn’t want to see you anyway.

You asked her out. She said no.

Take a goddamn hint, dumbass.

Four buildings down from her shop, I got ready to start my nightly mantra, but I only made it as far as Keep walking. One foot in front of the—when I stopped abruptly.

What the fuck?

The front glass window of Billie’s tattoo shop was gone, replaced by a sheet of plywood. Now I had no choice but to stop in.

Justine was at the front desk. I pointed over my shoulder to the window. “What happened to the glass?”

She frowned. “It was like that when Billie got here this morning.” Before she could say any more, the shop’s phone rang. Justine thumbed toward the studio as she reached for the receiver. “Why don’t you go on back and talk to Billie? She’s between customers and can fill you in.”

I nodded. “Thanks.”

I knocked, and when I opened the door to the studio, Billie’s back was to me. Apparently she hadn’t heard me, because when she turned around she jumped and clutched her chest.

“Shit.” She plucked an AirPod from one ear. “I didn’t see you come in.”

“Sorry. Justine said it was okay, and I knocked before opening the door.”

Billie shook her head. “It’s fine. I’m just jumpy today, that’s all.”

“What happened to the window?”

“I don’t know. When I got here this morning it was smashed, and there was a brick inside on the floor.”

“A brick? Were you robbed?”

She shook her head again. “No, that’s the strange thing. Nothing seems to be missing. There was even some cash left in the front register from the night before. The police said it could have been kids randomly vandalizing, but they also asked if I’d had any unhappy customers lately—or any relationships that had recently ended badly.” She grimaced.

“Gee, Billie, I don’t know why an ex would want to get even. It couldn’t be the giant pink Tinder logo you inked onto his arm...”

She tried not to smile as she picked up a roll of paper towels and chucked them at my head.

I caught them. “I’m just teasing.”

“I know. But you’re also not wrong. In hindsight, I might’ve taken things a little too far with Kaiden.”

I shrugged. “Nah. Guy was a piece of crap. He got what was coming to him.”

“Thanks for saying that, even if it’s not true.” She opened a cabinet. “I just canceled my last appointment for the day. Having that window smashed this morning really freaked me out. I’m going to make myself a Honey Jack and Coke. You want one?”

I shrugged. “Sure.”

Billie mixed two drinks in plastic cups. Hopping up on her tattoo chair, she motioned to the seat across from her. “Pop a squat. Deek is on dinner break for an hour. Oh, wait—do you need to get home to Saylor?”

I checked the time. “I have a little while before I have to relieve the nanny.” Even if I hadn’t, I got the feeling Billie needed some company, so I would’ve texted and asked the nanny to stay later, though I rarely did that. I sucked back some of my drink. “So are the cops going to visit your ex and question him about the window?”

Billie shook her head. “I didn’t tell them about Kaiden.”

“Why not?”

“I don’t know. Guilt, I guess. I don’t think I was wrong for inviting all the Tinder women here, but maybe I was a tad aggressive with his tattoo. It’s just…” Billie shook her head and sighed. “I guess you could say I’m not very lucky in love. I’ve been burned a few times, and I let it all come to a boiling point on Kaiden.”