Best Dating Rules: A Romantic Comedy (The Best Girls Book 2)

by Tamie Dearen

  But when Spencer squeezed her hand under the tablecloth, she felt a marvelous joy. She was married to an amazing boy, no—an amazing man. He was not only handsome and smart, but he adored her in every way. He’d already proven he’d do anything to protect her and care for her. And she knew with absolute confidence he loved her and would always love her and only her. And she returned that love with all of her heart.

  Parts of the wedding had been storybook perfect. The beautiful classical music emanating from the grand piano. Walking down the aisle with Steven. Standing before the stained glass windows that decorated the front of the church with Charlie and all four of Spencer’s sisters as bridesmaids. Her mother, crying and hugging her, radiantly beautiful despite being eight months pregnant with twins.

  And she definitely looked pregnant now.

  Steven’s Gram, the tiny, feisty, ninety-six-year-old, held hands with Gus while describing her recent marriage to the ninety-one-year-old as robbing the cradle. Gram had insisted on buying Emily’s wedding gown, arguing she loved buying dresses for her granddaughters. It had cost way more than Emily was comfortable with, but wearing it made her feel like a fairy princess.

  Altogether, it was an amazing day.

  Spencer pulled up her left hand and kissed it, gazing fondly at the new band nestled next to her grandmother’s ring. “I still can’t believe you didn’t want a new engagement ring. I think you deserve a bigger diamond.”

  Emily rolled her eyes. They’d had this discussion so many times. “But I don’t like big, flashy diamonds. And this is exactly what I wanted, plus it’s sentimental. Anyway, you put plenty of diamonds on the wedding band.”

  “Yes, but none of them are very big.”

  “Size isn’t important.”

  He grinned impudently, whispering in her ear, “It will be tonight.”

  “Spencer!” She knew her face was flaming, as if the entire group of guests could hear.

  *****

  Josh laughed and joked with the rest of the wedding party, but his heart wasn’t in it. His mind was on the tall, beautiful maid of honor with the big golden eyes. He’d thought she was beautiful before, but he’d never seen her in a dress with her hair down. His breath caught in his throat whenever he looked at her. His eyes drank her in as his chest constricted so tightly he was certain his heart wasn’t beating.

  He’d hoped when they saw each other on the wedding weekend, Charlie would... What had he hoped for? That she would suddenly decide she was in love with him? That she would decide to transfer to NYU in the spring so they could be together? No, he hadn’t really even hoped she would start accepting his phone calls. He’d hoped when they were together, he could talk to her. That he could convince her to give him an opportunity to prove himself. That he could show her how much he’d changed. That she would see how different he was. That she would give him a fighting chance.

  The band was playing, and guests, young and old, were having fun on the dance floor. When Bohemian Rhapsody played, even Anne Gherring was dancing, swearing she couldn’t possibly sit down for this one. There was a variety of music, including oldies, current songs, waltzes, salsas, and tangos. Spencer and Emily had taken more dance classes together, and were showing off their talents to the guests. Josh noticed Charlie was sitting down during a waltz, with a wistful expression, and he moved to stand in front of her.

  He held out his hand. “May I have the pleasure of this dance, my fair lady?” He tried to appear confident and suave, but his heart was hammering in his chest. He knew she would turn him down.

  His twinkling eyes dimmed as she hesitated. “Josh, I really don’t think it’s a good idea—”

  “Please? It’s a waltz. You barely have to touch me.”

  “I’m really not that graceful.”

  He laughed. “I’m graceful enough for both of us.” He could see her waffling in her refusal. “Come on, you know you want to dance. It’ll be fun, even with me.”

  With a sigh, she took his proffered hand. Regrettably, he noted it was probably sweaty, since he was incredibly nervous in her company. What was it about this girl that made him so uncomfortable in his own skin?

  They twirled smoothly around the dance floor. He’d intended to keep up a merry banter to entertain her, but the scent of her hair and the movement of her waist beneath his fingers distracted him. Her right hand trembled slightly in his grasp, but her face remained serene. He pulled her close to him when they turned so she brushed lightly against his chest. He enjoyed the contact so much he turned them as often as possible, until they were both stumbling a bit from dizziness.

  Forced to abandon the wild spinning, he smiled unrepentantly. “Sorry. I got a little vertiginous, but it was worth it.”

  “Vertiginous?”

  “Like vertigo—it means dizzy. But turning is fun, don’t you agree?” When she didn’t respond, he tried a new approach. “Spencer and Emily look very happy together, don’t you think?”

  She pressed her lips together in a firm line, refusing to engage. He decided to bait her a bit. “It’s nice to see you in a dress. You look like a real woman.”

  “I beg your pardon! Wearing a dress has nothing to do with being a woman. I happen to think it’s demeaning to insist women wear dresses.”

  “Oh, I would never insist you wear a dress. Au contraire. I’d be perfectly happy if you wore nothing at all.”

  “And I’d be perfectly happy if you wore nothing. In fact, I wouldn’t even notice.”

  “Ow! That hurt.” He grinned, glad for any attention, even if it was negative.

  The song switched to a slow dance, and Charlie moved as if to leave. But he held onto her hand. “Please... Can’t we talk, only for a minute?”

  “There’s no use, Josh. Why do you keep pursuing me?”

  He pulled her back to him, lifting her hands and placing them on his shoulders, and setting his at her waist. “See, nothing indecent—just a dance and some conversation. Tell me about school.”

  “It’s fine.”

  He waited for further comment, but none came. “Charlie, I don’t understand why you won’t even give me a chance.”

  She was silent for a moment, and he thought she wouldn’t respond. But then the deluge came.

  “We’re too different, Josh. We live in different states, we have different dreams, and we have different beliefs and values. You believe in casual sex, and that’s fine for you. But I’m the absolute opposite of that. Can’t you see? There’s no hope.”

  “There’s no hope because you refuse to allow it. I’m changing. I’ve already changed. I’m not the same man you met six months ago, but you won’t give me an opportunity to prove it.”

  “Why are you trying to change into something different to please me? You were fine and happy before you met me. There were obviously lots and lots of women who liked you just the way you were. Why try to change into something you’re not?”

  “But that’s the thing. I wasn’t fine and happy before I met you. I was miserable, and I didn’t even know it. And now I’ve met you, so I know I could be really happy if I changed and you loved me. But, you won’t give me a chance, so I’m still miserable.”

  “So, you’re saying meeting me took you from being blissfully ignorant about how miserable you were to consciously aware of how miserable you are.”

  “You’re twisting my words.” He ground his teeth together, searching for something to say, anything to break through her barriers. “Charlie... Don’t you miss me, even a little? Don’t you ever think about that kiss?”

  She was quiet for a moment. “Josh... Okay, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t physically attracted to you. There. Are you happy? But, that’s not enough to build a relationship on.”

  His mind was spinning. This was his moment, his only opportunity. She’d finally at least admitted to an attraction. If that attraction was all he had to work with, he’d have to improvise.

  “So, physically, you could see yourself being married to me? I mean, if
I was a different guy with this body and this face, you could love me?”

  Her cheeks were so red, he thought she might be in pain.

  “I… That’s… Okay, yes, I mean, if you were someone else. But—”

  “So, what’s he like? This other guy? This someone else you’re going to marry someday?”

  “I… Honestly, I don’t think he exists. I don’t think there’s a guy I’m willing to give up all my independence for. I don’t really need a guy, anyway.”

  “But if he did exist, what would he be like?”

  “I don’t know. I don’t spend time thinking about it.” She frowned, pursing her lips. “I guess he’d be a partner. I don’t need someone to take care of me like a parent. And… He’d have some cool job, like, I don’t know… Maybe he’d be a fireman. Someone brave and adventurous who helps people. Not someone who spends his whole life working to make more money. And he’d be the sort of guy who only wanted to be with one woman for the rest of his life. I don’t want to constantly think I’m being compared with someone else—and probably coming up short.”

  Josh was quiet for a moment, contemplating her words. “Thank you. At least I understand what you want, and how you see me.” He couldn’t hide the hurt in his voice.

  “Josh, I’m sorry—”

  “No, it’s okay. It’s my fault. You hit closer to home than you realize. That’s pretty much who I was, but not who I am, and not who intend to be.” He took a deep breath and blew it out through his lips. “But let me ask you one thing. You don’t think you could ever love a doctor? Not even an adventurous doctor who wanted to help people?”

  Charlie felt her face flushing again. She had so little control around this man. It was one of the reasons he made her feel so uncomfortable. When he’d asked her the first question, she’d tried to come up with a description he couldn’t possibly fit. It probably wasn’t even true. She had no idea who she wanted to spend the rest of her life with or who she could ever be in love with. She only knew her attraction to Josh made her lose the ability to think logically. When she was with him she always lost the upper hand, and she needed that advantage to compete. What was she supposed to say to his question since he was making it specific? What was a safe thing to say?

  She was distressed to find tears flooding her eyes. What on earth was wrong with her? She blinked furiously, but a few escaped onto her cheeks. “I don’t know,” she answered truthfully, pulling her hands away, attempting to escape before he noticed her tears.

  “Wait, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you cry.” He pulled her back against him and wrapped his arms around her. The floodgates broke. She’d been working so hard to be independent and not accept any financial assistance from Steven. But her workload, along with classes and studying, had been overwhelming. And she’d felt so alone and isolated in Colorado with her family across the country in New York City, but she hadn’t wanted to admit it to anyone. She hated admitting she was wrong. She’d always hated it. She was so incredibly stressed, but refused to let anyone know. She didn’t want to burden her pregnant mom or her sister who was planning a wedding. Now, wrapped in the Josh’s arms, she realized how much she missed feeling cared for and comforted. The tears kept coming, even while she tried desperately to stop them.

  He led her back to her chair and handed her a clean napkin. Then he knelt down in front of her, peering intently into her eyes as she sniffed. She noticed for the first time his green eyes had little flecks of blue in them.

  “Charlie. I’m not going to do this to you anymore. I love you, and I want to be with you. But, I want you to be happy even more. I can’t stand that I made you cry. I’m really sorry. I won’t bother you any more. But, please... If you ever change your mind, please come find me.” Before she could react, he leaned in and brushed his lips lightly against hers. And he was gone.

  *****

  Anne was enjoying playing mother-of-the-bride. She even had old friends from college who’d made the trip to come and see Emily get married. They’d laughed and talked about old times, and harassed her mercilessly about being pregnant.

  “This is a pretty desperate move just to make your boobs bigger,” teased Alice.

  “I think she did it to get out of exercising,” said Katherine.

  Anne chuckled. “Really, I was sad because all my old stretch marks were fading, and I missed them.”

  “So, where are they going on their honeymoon?” asked Debbie.

  “They’re staying in the city until Monday, and then leaving for Switzerland for ten days. Steven’s wedding present.”

  “Will they be back before the babies come?” asked Alice.

  “I hope so. I’m due in four weeks, but I guess they could come early.”

  “And you don’t know what the sexes are?”

  “No. We wanted to be surprised. We’re only praying they’re healthy. But we’re trying to be mentally prepared in case they have health issues.”

  Steven interrupted. “Emily’s going to throw the bouquet.”

  Anne laughed as all the girls pretended to push and shove to get closer to the bride and catch the bouquet. Charlie had been dragged into the foray by Spencer’s sisters, but made an obvious show of not raising her hands. When Emily tossed the flowers, they tumbled through the air, almost knocking Charlie in the head. But when she ducked, they fell into Grace’s grasping fingers.

  As the young men lined up to vie for Spencer’s garter, Anne noticed Josh had lost his animated smile. He’d been so excited to see Charlie again, but Anne suspected she’d already broken his heart. He’d become a true friend to Spencer and Emily, but no amount of discouragement seemed to be effective in quelling his focus on Charlie. She worried about her youngest who seemed to be so afraid to admit she needed anyone’s help or advice. Perhaps she was also frightened to acknowledge she needed love.

  The garter flew out and hit the floor, as no young man seemed bold enough to reach for it. But somehow it ended up in Brad’s hands, and he was pushed forward to have his picture taken with Grace.

  Although she was having a great time visiting with friends and hated to see the celebration end, the long day was taking a toll on Anne’s body. She’d developed a terrible backache, and longed to soak in a hot tub of water. Steven noticed her pained expression.

  “Are you okay?”

  “Yes, but my back is hurting. And my feet are awfully swollen. My toes look like little sausages.”

  “Well, the kids are ready to leave. Here comes Emily to tell you goodbye.”

  Anne hugged her eldest, letting her tears fall freely. “Mom, I’m surprised you aren’t totally dehydrated. You’ve cried buckets.”

  “I can’t help it,” she sniffed. “My daughter got married, and my hormones are all messed up. It’s a terrible combination. I’m so happy. Y’all have a wonderful trip.”

  “We will. But call us if the babies come early. Steven said that’s why he’s sending us on his jet—so we could fly home anytime we need to. I don’t want Charlie to see them before me.”

  “If they come quickly, I’ll still get to see them first,” declared Charlie. “It takes a while to fly back from Europe.”

  “I’m not due for another four weeks, so it won’t be a problem.” She made a face and bent forward with her hands on her back. “But I’ve got to get home and soak in a hot tub. My back is killing me.”

  Josh, who was chatting with Spencer, overheard her statement. “Uhmm, excuse me. Mrs. Gherring? Is your back hurting regularly? Could it be contractions?”

  “Oh, I don’t think so. It’s too early, and it didn’t feel like this with Emily or Charlie.”

  “Okay, but I’m sure your doctor told you they might come early.”

  “Maybe we’ll stop by the hospital on the way home, just to be sure,” said Steven.

  “Let’s get the kids on their way. I’ll cross my legs until the limousine’s gone.”

  Spencer was ready to go. It wasn’t that he didn’t like the wedding part or the
reception part, but he was ready for the part that came next. Especially after the last four-and-a-half months of sheer torture. It seemed once Emily agreed to marry him, she became incredibly interested in kissing. But like a good accountant, she stuck firmly to the rules. They’d kissed while alone in their apartments, but only standing up. After almost falling to the ground multiple times, she’d finally agreed to let them lean against the wall. He’d argued successfully the wall was only supplying balance, not support, so it wasn’t unsupported kissing in private. In the end, he was incredibly happy he didn’t have to wait a year or more as he’d originally claimed he was willing.

  He was also ready to have the first night behind him, so Josh and Brad would quit teasing him. At least he hoped they’d stop. It seems his forced confession was a source of constant amusement for them, even after four months.

  “Haven’t you got anything more interesting to talk about?” he’d asked them.

  “Hmmm, I don’t know. Brad, can you think of anything more interesting? Maybe someone who had a heart attack or got a leg cut off or something?”

  “Uhmm, yeah. Well, I had this guy who got an ice pick in his eyeball.”

  “Nahh. That’s boring. Let’s talk about when Spencer confessed to Emily he wasn’t the world’s greatest lover.”