The Rules of Dating a Younger Man

Lacey snort-laughed, then covered her mouth. “Oh my God. You made me snort.”

I smiled and pointed to her cheek. “You also have some ketchup over there.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I was going to, but I got distracted by the hyena that walked in.”

She crumpled her napkin and tossed it across the table at me. “You suck.”

We both laughed. Today was our third date. Things had started out rocky for us, commiserating about our breakups and all, but the more time we spent together, the more I liked her. But we were taking it slow. I hadn’t taken her up on her offer to come over for a no-strings-attached evening. Instead, I’d texted the day before and asked her out to dinner. I was upfront from the start, explaining that I wasn’t sure I was ready for something with anyone, but I liked her. So I thought we should proceed slowly. So slow, in fact, that I didn’t even kiss her goodnight on the first date. After the second date, though, we made out like two teenagers at her door.

“What time do you have to be at the hospital?” I looked at my watch.

“Eight.”

Lacey was a third year OB/GYN resident, so she worked ninety hours a week. Which was why tonight, and on our last date, we could’ve qualified for an early-bird discount.

“What made you pick obstetrics anyway?”

“In my first year of med school, I found out that babies are born with three-hundred bones.”

“I thought we only had something like two hundred.”

She picked up a fry and shook it at me. “We do. Two hundred and six, to be exact. But a baby skeleton has cartilage that becomes bone during ossification, and some bones fuse together. That got me interested, and then I watched a birth. A woman’s body is a walking miracle.”

“I don’t want to get ahead of myself. But I have to admit, it’s a little intimidating to date someone who has more experience with vaginas than I do. You surely know how to handle one better.”

She laughed. “Like the average man doesn’t have more experience with his dick than a woman?”

I leaned forward and bit the French fry from her fingers. “I suppose you have a point.”

Lacey wiped her mouth. “I want to ask you something, but I don’t want an answer today.”

“Okay…”

“My friends have a house share in East Hampton. They invited me out next weekend, and I’m off Saturday and Sunday. Some of them are single, and some have partners, so it wouldn’t be weird if I went alone. But if you’d like to come, I think you’d have a good time. Zero pressure, though. I know we agreed to take it slow.”

“Do you feel like you’re ready for an overnight trip?”

“I haven’t had sex in a year, Brayden.” She bit her bottom lip. “And I’m attracted to you. Very attracted to you. Think it over and let me know. If you decide to come, I promise I won’t be looking for a proposal after.”

I smiled. This was exactly what I liked about Lacey—she was open and honest, not afraid to say what was on her mind. “Alright, thank you.”

The hospital where she worked was only a few blocks away, so after I paid the dinner check, I walked her over. When we got to the entrance, we kissed. Last time, an overwhelming sense of grief had hit me almost as soon as our lips unlocked. Grief, not guilt. So I braced myself when I pulled back, waiting for it to come again. But…it didn’t.

“What are you grinning about?” Lacey asked.

“Nothing.”

She smiled back, swiping at my lip with her thumb. “You have a little lipstick.”

“What’s your schedule like this week?”

“I’ll be waking up and going to sleep in this building for the next six days. One of the other residents lost her dad and had to fly out to California for a while. But I’ll text you, okay?”

“Sounds good.”

She pushed up on her toes and pressed her lips to mine with a smile. “Did I say very attracted to you or just attracted earlier?”

I smiled back. “Have a good shift.”

“Thanks. Let me know about the Hamptons when you can.”

“You got it.”

As I walked away, I realized my steps felt a little lighter. I even noticed some birds chirping nearby. I felt…good. Damn good, in fact. And there was clearly only one reason for that. So I made a split-second decision and turned back around. “Hey, Lacey?”

She turned, already halfway through the door. “Yeah?”

“I’m in for next weekend.”

***

The next morning, I ran into Holden in the lobby of our building as I was heading to my office for a meeting.

“Hey,” he said. “I was going to come upstairs to see you later. I’m playing another gig next weekend, if you’re up for it. Saturday night at The Scope.”

“Thanks, but I can’t. I’m going out to the Hamptons.”

“Nice. Golfing?”

“Nope. With Lacey. Her friends have a house.”

A smile bloomed across my buddy’s face. “Sleepover? Nice.” He patted my shoulder. “Thatta boy.”

I nodded. “I figured it was time to move on. Though, I gotta admit, it still feels like I’m doing it with a piece of my heart missing.”

“It’ll get easier.”

“Yeah? Did it ever get easier when you thought of Lala and couldn’t have her?”

“That’s different. We kept finding our way back to each other. I’m a strong believer that the man upstairs puts us where we’re supposed to be.”

I blew out an exhale. “Welp, my enlightened friend, I’m heading to East Hampton next weekend, so I guess that’s where the big man wants me.”

Fifteen minutes later, I jogged up the stairs from the subway around the corner from my office. Cell service was always spotty on the A train, so as I reached the street level, a bunch of messages came through on my phone. I opened and sorted through them as I walked.

Ad for overpriced monogrammed socks. Delete.

Bank notifying me that my monthly statement is ready. Save for later.

Credit-monitoring company telling me my score went up by two points. Delete.

Letter from Seneca Falls Building Inspector informing me the stop-work order has been lifted. Freeze in place.

I came to such an abrupt halt in the middle of the sidewalk, a guy crashed into my back.

“What the fuck?” he grumbled.

I held up my hand. “Sorry, man.” I stepped out of the flow of foot traffic to stand against the front window of a deli and reread the email.

Dear Mr. Foster,

We have approved your application for the missing electrical permit and completed our inspection of the underground fill-in. A certificate of occupancy will be issued within three business days. After such time, you may remove the posted stop-work order and resume construction on your property.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact this office.

Regards,

Inspector David Arnoff

My stomach sank. It was, of course, great news for Ryan’s House and the people who needed free housing so they could be with their loved ones during treatment. But for me, it was terrible. Because it meant there was a very good chance I’d have to see Alex again. And now that I knew she’d moved on, that would be torture.

Though…I’d moved on, too, hadn’t I?

It sure as hell had felt that way a half hour ago. But suddenly, the only thing I could think of were Holden’s words. “I’m a strong believer that the man upstairs puts us where we’re supposed to be.”

***

On Thursday evening, I pulled into the parking lot of the hotel up in Seneca Falls. I’d canceled my trip with Lacey to the Hamptons, since I needed to be here instead. I felt terrible letting her down, but I needed to get things up and running here as soon as possible.

My chest felt tight as I walked to the entrance, trying not to glance around the parking lot, searching for Alex’s car. Of course she had no reason to be here this early. The only contact I’d had with her was the group email I’d sent to all the volunteers telling them we were back in business and starting on Friday. Most had responded to say whether or not they were coming, but not Alex.

I checked into the hotel, eyes darting around the lobby, even as I hated myself for getting my hopes up. The clerk slid the keycard to my side of the counter with a smile.

“Welcome back, Mr. Foster. You’re in room three-oh-two.”

“Thank you.”

“If you need anything, please let us know.”

I nodded and took a few steps away, then turned back. “Actually, could I trouble you to see if someone has checked in yet? We’re here for a volunteer project, and I have the keys, so…”

She hesitated. “Oh, you’re with that group from Ryan’s House, aren’t you?”

I smiled. “I am.”

She looked down at her keyboard. “What’s the volunteer’s last name?”

“Jones.”

My heart raced as she tapped the keys. When she squinted at the screen, I held my breath.

“Hmmm… How do you spell that?”

Seriously? Jones? “J-O-N-E-S.”

“That’s what I thought. I can’t find a reservation under that name, though.”

“Maybe she’s not checking in until tomorrow?”

The clerk clicked a few more keys, then a few more. “I don’t have a reservation at all. Is it possible she might be staying at a different hotel?”

My heart sank. “That must be it. Thanks anyway.”

“No problem.”

Hours later, I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling in the dark. I felt like I’d gotten my ass kicked. She’s not coming. I’d told myself I’d moved on, closed the door on that part of my life, but I guess I’d been keeping it a crack open. This slammed the door in my face. And it hurt. It hurt like hell. Even if I knew it was for the best.

I tossed and turned half the night, finally conking out somewhere around two. That’s probably why I overslept the next morning. I grabbed my cell and wiped sleep from my eyes.

9:35.

Shit. I ripped the covers off. I’d told the volunteers I’d be there by nine. And the only other people who had keys were the team leaders. One couldn’t make it until tomorrow, and it seemed Alex wasn’t planning on making it at all. I jumped in the shower for three minutes, got dressed, and ran out the door with my hair wet. Pulling up to the project house, I expected to see everyone milling around outside, but no one was there.

Fuck. Is no one coming?

I checked the time on my phone again after I parked, wondering if maybe I’d misread it earlier. Sure enough, it was 10:15. This wasn’t good.

But the front door was unlocked when I approached. And when I stepped inside, Charlie greeted me. He looked great—clean shaven, clean clothes. It lifted my spirits.

“Hey, Charlie.” I shook his hand. “It’s good to see you. I’m glad you could make it.”

“I told my boss I was coming here this weekend, and he told me to take the day today.”

“Your boss? You got the job?”

He lifted his chin with a smile. “I did, indeed. Thanks to you. I’m going to repay you for the suit and hotel as soon as I’m back on my feet.”

“You are absolutely not going to do that. It was my pleasure. Pay it forward someday, if you can.”

He nodded. “Alright. I’ll definitely do that.”

I looked around, still trying to figure out how the team had gotten in. “Is Jason here? I didn’t think he was coming until tomorrow.”

Charlie shrugged. “Not that I saw.”

“Was the door open?”

“It was when I arrived. But Alex was here before me.”

I froze. “Alex is here?”

Then I turned and caught a flash of blond hair in the kitchen. I immediately forgot my conversation with Charlie, and my feet started moving toward the other room. As I approached, our eyes met.

“Hey.” Alex smiled. “There you are. I was starting to worry.”

I frowned. “Why?”

“Because you said in the email you’d be at the house by nine, and you weren’t here yet.”

“And you didn’t say you’d be here at all.”

She looked down. “Sorry. It was a last-minute decision. I drove in early this morning.”

Alex looked beautiful. Her hair was piled on top of her head in a big messy bun, and her blue eyes seemed somehow bluer than I’d remembered. And that…only pissed me off. The new guy from the photo on Instagram probably liked gazing into those eyes as much as I did. I looked away, clenching my teeth so hard it gave me an immediate headache. I needed to put some distance between us.

“It’s fine,” I said. “But I’ve got shit to do so…whatever.”

I left Alex standing in the kitchen and went for the stairs. I would’ve preferred to put a few states between us, but at the moment, a floor was going to have to do. I needed to get my head on straight and get things going here. That wasn’t going to happen while I was smelling her perfume—the same perfume I’d inhaled from her neck while I was buried inside of her.

Upstairs, a few volunteers were getting ready to cut moldings—using the wrong saw. I helped them out, and then a delivery came. I had to run out to get new bolts to install the bathroom fixtures, and one of the volunteers cut her finger. Luckily, she didn’t need stitches, but that definitely got my mind back in the game. When lunchtime rolled around, I ordered a few pizza pies, and everyone took a break. I went outside and sat on the front stoop with my slice, trying to keep to myself, but Alex came out to find me.

“Do you mind if I sit for a minute?”

“To be honest, I would prefer you didn’t.”

She blinked a few times. “Oh, okay.” She turned away but then turned back. “Are you mad at me because I didn’t respond to the email or just mad at me in general because of what happened between us?”

“I’m not mad.”

“It sure looks like you are.”

“Well, I can’t help the way I look.”

“Do you want me to not come anymore?”

“You should do whatever you want, Alex.”

“Well, I would like to be here. But I don’t want to make you uncomfortable.”

I stood and crumpled the paper plate in my hand, brushing past her to go back into the house. “Don’t worry about me. I’m a big boy.”

The rest of the day, I managed to keep busy. We had a lot to do at the house. At one point, I went into the second-floor bedroom and found Alex huddled in the corner on her phone. She had an ear-to-ear smile on her face. “Alright. Maybe we can do that next weekend. But I gotta go.” A pause, and then she said, “I love you too.”

It felt like a hot knife sliced through my heart. I stood there, practically foaming at the mouth. I couldn’t keep my anger inside anymore. “Seriously?”

Alex’s head snapped up. She lifted her hand and covered her heart. “You scared the crap out of me. I didn’t realize anyone had walked in.”

“Obviously.” I shook my head. “I can’t believe you’re in love with him already. What did it take you, two days to get over me?”

Alex squinted. “What are you talking about?”

“I heard you on the phone, making plans for next weekend. Telling him you love him. Flirting.”

“Flirting?”

I held a hand up. “Whatever. I don’t care.”

“Brayden, who do you think I was on the phone with just now?”

“The guy from Instagram, I assume. Or maybe you dumped him and found another boyfriend already.”

“Instagram?”

“I used to follow Wells, Alex. I saw the picture of your double date.”

Her face fell. “Oh.”

“Yeah…oh.”

“It’s not what it looks like. He and I—”

I shook my head. “I don’t want to hear about it.”

“Brayden—”

“You know what? Maybe you shouldn’t come anymore.”

Alex’s eyes welled up. But I didn’t care. I turned away. “I got shit to do.”

***

Hours later, I was still in a piss-poor mood, sitting in the hotel bar nursing my second glass of whiskey. I’d come in to take the edge off, which the alcohol had done, but now I’d slid from anger to fucking depressed. I raised my hand to ask for the check just as the woman responsible for my shitty mood walked in.

Alex came over. “Can I sit for a minute?”

I stood. “It’s a free country. I was leaving anyway.”

“No!” She raised her voice, then leaned in. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to yell. And I don’t want to sit at the bar alone. I came to talk to you.”

I took a deep breath and blew it out before sitting back down. “Fine.”

The bartender approached. “What can I get you, ma’am?”

“Nothing for me, thank you.”

I lifted my glass. “I’ll take one more. I feel like I’m about to need it.”

The guy looked between me and Alex and nodded. “Coming right up.”

We sat quietly for a long time. Eventually she spoke. “I won’t come again after today, but I need to say a few things before I go.”

The idea of never seeing her again crushed my soul, yet I stayed silent.

She took a deep breath. “I’m assuming you thought I was on the phone today with a man I’d fallen in love with over the last few months. But I wasn’t. I was on the phone with a man I fell in love with when I was eight.” She turned to look at me. “It was Wells, Brayden.”

I looked over and met Alex’s eyes.

“I’ll walk away, but I can’t do it with you thinking what we had was so insignificant that I could fall for someone else so soon. The photo Wells posted on Instagram? That was his boyfriend and his boyfriend’s brother. Wells tried to fix me up because I’d been moping around. He meant well. And to be honest, I thought about going out with him. Everett was a very nice man. But he wasn’t you, so I never did.”

“So you’re not dating that guy?”

Alex shook her head. “No, I’m not.”

“Are you dating anyone else?”

“No.” She stood. “Anyway, it was important for me to tell you that. What we had meant something to me, Brayden. And it will take me a long time to move on. I didn’t want you to think anything less.”

I swallowed, tasting salt in my throat. “You don’t have to leave the project.”

She smiled sadly. “Are you sure?”

I nodded. “I’m sure. I know it means a lot to you.”

“It does. Thank you.”

My cell phone vibrated on the bar, the caller’s name flashing on the screen. Alex’s eyes jumped to mine. “Lacey?” she said.

I felt like a deer caught in the headlights. “It’s new.”