Page 56 of Rule 2: Never Join a Christmas Dating Show

A fit of giggles erupts around me. I open my eyes.

“That was over sixty seconds.” Mateo shows the timer app on his phone.

“You were timing me?”

“Would have checked for longer, but some of us have to work,” Ella says lightly.

“Dude, you’re completely gone for him,” Mateo says. “Do you know how many times you glance at Luke, then won’t stop staring? It’s obvious.”

“I-I don’t do that.”

“Yeah, sometimes you won’t even look at him, and that’s basically your job,” Mateo says. “Also strange.”

“Well said, Mateo.” Ella fist bumps him.

God, I hate my coworkers.

“I do not have a crush on Mr. Right.” I glare at them both, but nothing takes the amusement from their faces.

“It’s okay,” Ella says. “It was bound to happen sometime. I didn’t think it would be with a hockey player, given all your complaints about jocks.”

“Those complaints are still legitimate.”

“We both think he’s cute too,” Mateo says. “We just don’t stare into the middle distance and have our eyes go all glazy.

“I believe the official term is cow-eyed,” Ella declares.

I scowl at her, and she gives an innocent shrug. “What? I was an English major at UCLA. I read a lot of nineteenth century literature.”

Ella heads toward the skaters. “I’m going to check on them.”

“You know, he stares at you too,” Mateo says, frowning. “Are you sure he’s—”

“He isn’t,” I say sharply.

Maybe I do like Luke more than I should. I mean, my behavior in the shower confirmed that. But Mateo is wrong about Luke.

He doesn’t like men.

He’s friends with men in gay relationships. If he wanted a man, he would be with a man. Simple. He wouldn’t be with me.

No, he’s straight.

If he stares at me sometimes, it’s because he’s trying to figure out who I remind him of. A fact that might occur to him at any time. A fact that will get more and more awkward to explain.

I should have told him who I was before I crawled into bed with him, before I let him pull me against his body, before I let him introduce him to his friends.

I squeeze my eyes.

Mateo is wrong. Absolutely wrong.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

Luke

I like skating on the Frog Pond, the whole world muffled and crystalline and everything transformed into a snow globe fantasy of twirling scarves and rosy cheeks. I move slowly for the women’s sake, teaching them some moves.

“So you see, skating isn’t difficult.”