A Twist of Date Read Online Free Page B

Bylaws, by Patti Hartley.”
    Sheer terror sliced through me at her unusually formal tone. And, um, bylaws? What did she think, this was a piece of legislation to be ratified into California law?
    “Rule number one.” She eyed me pointedly. “No giving out your phone number until approved to do so.”
    I raised my hand, like a student in one of her seventh-grade classes. “Can you clarify that?”
    “What’s to make clear? If I don’t say yes, then you don’t give it out.” She enunciated each word as if she were talking to a particularly slow student.
    I dropped my hand. Apparently Patti wasn’t an avid supporter of the “No question is a bad question” philosophy. My throat went dry. “Say I’m at the gym and a really nice guy asks for my phone number. What if you’re not around? Can I give him it to him?”
    She seemed to think on this as the waitress placed my pasta marinara in front of me. After due consideration, Patti shook her head. “It’s not a good idea to date where you work.”
    My brows shot up. “Why not?”
    She stabbed some penne pasta with her fork. “If the relationship doesn’t pan out, it could create an uncomfortable work environment.”
    “How would—” My mouth froze, and I cringed. Brad. I’d have to see him over and over again at the gym. Ugh. I bit my lip, remembering how he’d showed off to me by benching one seventy-five, when I knew from previous spying that he normally benched one-fifty. Brad had no qualms about dating where he worked out.
    Oh, no. What if he gave someone like Erica “the eye,” benched one-eighty and asked her on a date? Erica loved PDA. I’d be forced to watch them all lovey-dovey day in and day out.
    Swallowing her food, Patti tilted her head. “Brad?”
    I nodded. “You have a valid point.”
    “That’s why you hired me. A shame we didn’t make this deal a couple weeks ago, eh?” Patti turned her attention back to her neatly typed paper. “Rule number two. Must obtain permission to accept any date invitation. That one clear? Good, moving on—”
    “Actually.” I raised my hand again, and started to sweat. “What if I’m at a bar, having an amazing conversation with some gorgeous guy, and he asks me out to dinner?”
    “You have a cell?”
    I clutched the napkin in my lap. “You know I do.”
    “Then shoot me a text. I’ll be available twenty-four seven for consult.” Patti frowned, then waved her index finger. “Strike that. Don’t call between midnight and eight a.m. I need my sleep.”
    “But how can I—”
    “Your problem. Not mine,” she said, with a barely concealed smile.
    My brows came together, tightening so hard it hurt. Then, I promptly relaxed my facial muscles. On top of everything else, I didn’t need squint lines.
    “Number three.” Patti glanced up, probably to make sure her student was paying attention.
    I gave her a thin smile and thought about how good it would feel to freeze Patti’s underwear like I’d done in junior high. 
    Patti turned back to the beige, watermarked sheet. “No bringing up marriage, kids, or the future.”
    My fake smile faded. After freezing Patti’s underwear, I’d short sheet her bed. “How can I forge a lasting relationship without talking about the future?”
    “Just concentrate on forging the relationship for now.” She flicked her eyes back to her list. “Four. No going to first base without authorization.”
    No big. Brad had pretty much skipped first base anyway. “All right.”
    Patti studied my calm reaction, then reached for her giant purse, pulled out a pen, and scribbled on the paper. “Rule number four has been modified. No going to first base, or any other base, without authorization.”
    What was Patti, a mind reader? “How can I date someone if I’m not allowed to—”
    “Figure it out. Your way obviously wasn’t getting you anywhere.” Patti raised an eyebrow, then turned back to The Boyfriend Bylaws. “ Numero five. No scribbling your first name