The Dating Playbook

by Farrah Rochon

  “Hurting you was not my intention,” Taylor said, but then she stopped. Shaking her head, she admitted, “That’s a lie. I did want to hurt you. I was so furious that you let Micah talk you into going through with that workout. I didn’t think past my own anger. I should have, and I’m sorry.”

  “No, I needed to hear it,” he said. He cast his eyes downward and toed a thin branch that had been carried by the wind. “I found out that Andrea, Silas’s sister, has known this whole time that Silas left the party to look for me. She knows that I ignored his calls that night, yet she doesn’t blame me for what happened. I figure if Drea can forgive me, maybe one day I’ll be able to forgive myself. I’m not there yet, but I’m working on it.”

  He lifted his head and looked at her, his imploring eyes full of remorse and longing.

  “But I’ll never forgive myself if I’ve messed up things with you, Taylor.”

  The aching tenderness in his voice shattered her. She reached for him.

  Jamar captured her hands and brought them to his lips, pressing a firm yet gentle kiss to the backs of her fingers.

  “I’ve spent the past eight years existing, but not really living. I didn’t think I deserved a life. I definitely didn’t deserve happiness.” His mouth tipped up in the barest smile. “And then one day I came to this very park and found you, and my entire life changed.

  “You showed me what it means to be happy, Taylor.” He bowed his head and with an anguished plea said, “Just tell me what I have to do to make this right, and it’s done. I’ll do anything. Everything. As long as I don’t have to let you go.”

  A fierce rush of emotion surged through her, its intensity so powerful it took her breath away. Taylor captured his face in her hands and tilted it up so she could look at him.

  “Damn you, Twenty-Three. How dare you make me cry in public,” she said with a tearful laugh. She ran her thumb over his lips before brushing her own against them. “You don’t have to do anything more,” she whispered. “Because I’m not letting you go either.” Taylor rested her forehead against his. They stood there for several moments before she said, “Now that you won’t be spending five hours in the gym every day, what are you going to do with all your time?”

  He squinted as if contemplating. “Hmm…I think I’m going to Disney World. Care to join me?”

  Epilogue

  Taylor rested an elbow on the red-and-white-checkered tablecloth and peered out at the sea of bodies moving with the cowgirl leading the Texas Two-Step. The crowd had been boisterous all night, but the energy level had spiked once the live band took to the stage.

  To no one’s surprise, several patrons had come to their table, seeking an autograph, picture, or both from their favorite Longhorns running back. Taylor doubted she’d ever get used to it, but as she looked over at Jamar—who was in an animated conversation with Daniel—she knew it was worth it. She would happily put up with the interruptions from random strangers if it meant being with him.

  “Hey, Taylor,” Samiah called as she reached into the basket of sweet potato fries they’d ordered as an appetizer. “What were you saying about that website? Have they had a change of heart?”

  “Not exactly,” Taylor said. “The editor at Modish and Melanated contacted me yesterday to discuss the possibility of me writing a few featured articles for the site. It’s not the job I wanted, of course, but I figure it’s a way for me to get my feet wet and remain on their radar.”

  “Don’t forget the most important part,” Jamar chimed in. He took a pull on his bottle of Shiner Bock. “Once she earns her degree and expands Taylor’d Conditioning into a world-dominating fitness empire, having some articles written on a nationally known website will look pretty good in the brochures.”

  “Oh, I like the way you think,” Taylor said, kissing him on the nose.

  London rolled her eyes and groaned. “Lord, save me from yet another nauseatingly sweet couple.”

  “I know,” Taylor said. “We’re disgustingly sweet. You should try to find—”

  “Wait.” London cut her off, holding up a hand. “Was that a yeehaw? Did I just hear a genuine yeehaw? Whose idea was it to come to this place?”

  “The birthday boy’s.” Samiah laughed. “Daniel’s been in Texas all these months and has never been to a honky-tonk.”

  “I’ve lived here all my life, and I’ve never been to a damn honky-tonk.” London pointed a cheese-stuffed jalapeño at Daniel. “You’d better be happy it’s your birthday, Dimples, and that the food is good. Otherwise I’d be out of here.”

  “You’re not enjoying this?” Daniel gestured at the memorabilia covering nearly every inch of wall space. “This would impress the hell out of country music fans.”

  “Of which I am not,” London said.

  “You should keep an open mind,” Taylor teased. “I’ll bet a place like this would be great for the class reunion you’re planning.”

  “Ha ha. You’re so funny,” London deadpanned. She pushed back her chair. “I need to boot-scoot my way to the bathroom.”

  “Don’t sneak out the back door,” Samiah said.

  “I make no promises,” she called.

  Taylor noticed quite a few heads turning as London strutted toward the restrooms. If she was still on the hunt for a random hookup, she’d have no problem finding a list of willing candidates tonight.

  She turned back to Jamar and found him grinning at his phone.

  “I want to laugh too,” Taylor said.

  He turned the screen to her. It was a picture of a skinny black man with a pout worthy of a two-year-old who’d just had his favorite toy taken away.

  “Big Silas is not happy with his live-in nurse,” Jamar said.

  “I thought you said he agreed to it?”

  “He agreed to a nurse, but he didn’t realize that nurse’s name would be Darrell.”

  She burst out laughing. “That is so cruel. That man thought he’d have a cutie taking care of him.”

  “I’m sure Darrell is both a handsome and competent nurse.”

  “Your jokes are getting better,” she quipped. “Hey.” She bumped him on the shoulder. “You think your knee can handle a few twirls on the dance floor?”

  The band had switched from the upbeat two-step number to a slow country ballad.

  He pushed his chair back and stood. “Only one way to find out.”

  Taylor quickly got up from her seat and took him by the hand. “We’ll be back,” she called to Samiah and Daniel.

  She waved at London as she passed them on her way back to the table, a fresh drink in her hand.

  The crowd was happy to make room as their beloved Diesel Dixon made his way onto the dance floor. Taylor leaned her head against his chest while they rocked back and forth to the sad love song.

  “You know,” he whispered into her ear, “you’re not the only one who got a call yesterday.”

  She lifted her head to look at him. “Who called you?” she asked, her brow arched in inquiry.

  “The son of my old football coach at Katy High School. He was just hired as the athletic director at a school in Round Rock.”

  “What did he want with you?”

  “He wanted to know if I was interested in an assistant coaching job.”

  Her eyes widened in surprise. “High school football?”

  “Maybe,” he said with a shrug, but the excitement sparking in his eyes told her all she needed to know. He wanted this. “I’ll have my hands full getting Silas’s foundation off the ground, but by the time football season rolls back around, the foundation will be in the hands of the administrator.

  “And that’s not all,” he continued.

  He let go of her hand and reached behind him, pulling something from his back pocket.

  “What’s this?” Taylor asked before recognizing the brochure for Southwestern University that she’d picked up when she visited the campus.

  “I’m thinking of checking out their Education Department. I know I have the
marketing degree, but a second degree wouldn’t hurt, especially if I join the coaching staff at that high school.”

  A slow smile drew across Taylor’s lips. “Are you saying there’s a possibility we’re going to be college sweethearts?”

  He grinned. “I know it wasn’t part of our dating playbook, but it’s not as if we haven’t revised it before.”

  She wrapped her arms around his neck and linked her fingers behind his head.

  “I think it’s time we throw that playbook out the window, Twenty-Three. We don’t need it anymore. We’ve got this.”

  Acknowledgments

  My dearest Tamara,

  Never in a million years did I imagine that I would dedicate a book to your memory. You are and will forever be so much more than just a memory.

  You are my big sister, my staunchest cheerleader, and my very best friend.

  When I reflect on my career, I see your handprint on every significant milestone. I remember the day you put that copy of LaVyrle Spencer’s Separate Beds in my hands, opening my eyes to the wonder of the romance genre. And when you loaned me one of your precious Judith McNaught novels and changed my life forever. I’m not sure you ever knew how consequential those moments were, how consequential you were. I owe all of this to you.

  You have been with me for every step of this amazing journey. You were the first person I called after getting “The Call,” and the one I had to share every achievement with, no matter how big or small. It is impossible to envision living in a world where I cannot call on you, yet that’s where I find myself.

  My life will never be the same. How could it be, and why would I ever want it to be the same if you’re not here? But I am determined to live every single day in a way that will honor you. Because, as always, everything I do, I do it to make my big sister proud.

  Until we see each other again…

  With all my love,

  Farrah

  And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

  —Romans 8:28

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  Book Club

  Discussion Questions

  1. The fake dating trope is a popular one for romantic comedies. Do you find them believable? Have you ever encountered a real-life fake dating story?

  2. Taylor had several reasons for not wanting to date Jamar, including not wanting to cross the boundary between instructor and client. What are your thoughts on couples whose relationships began in a professional capacity?

  3. How do you feel about Taylor’s relationship with her family, especially her brother? Do you believe she was fair to her family?

  4. Jamar took it upon himself to care for his family, Silas’s family, and Taylor. How did you feel about Jamar’s instinct to take care of everyone? Where do you think this comes from?

  5. Was there anything about Taylor’s or Jamar’s journey that you connected with on a personal level? If so, what was it?

  6. Did your opinion of the characters change at all during the course of reading The Dating Playbook?

  7. Was there a particular scene that stuck with you? If so, which scene was it and why do you think it resonated with you?

  8. How did you feel about the way the book ended? Did Taylor forgive Jamar too quickly? Was she justified in being upset with Jamar’s decision to go through with the workout?

  Q&A with

  Farrah Rochon

  Girlfriend support is such an important theme in your books. How do you keep up with your “squad,” and what do you most like to do when you get together?

  I’m lucky enough to have several “squads” in my life and I cherish each of them. I consider my sister and cousins as my very first squad. We called ourselves “The Golden Girls” because we found gold paint in a shed at my grandparents’ and decided to build ourselves a clubhouse and paint it. I learned the true meaning of sisterhood back then, and I’ve carried those lessons into other friendships throughout my life.

  Another of my squads was formed almost twenty years ago, when I stumbled upon an online bulletin board for one of my favorite authors. Although we were brought together through books, those women have become an integral part of every facet of my life. I’ve been there for weddings, the birth of their children, and sadly, the passing of one from breast cancer. Through it all we’ve remained an extremely close bunch.

  The squad I rely on the most these days is my close-knit group of writer friends. In addition to our private Facebook group where we offer encouragement and the occasional dose of tough love, we also get together for a writer’s retreat every year at a beach house in Destin, Florida. With a job as isolated as writing, it’s important to have friends you can call on who understand what you’re going through.

  What would be the project you’d focus on, in the same way Samiah developed her app and Taylor her studying?

  If I had time to focus on a project of my own, it would be starting a travel agency that focuses on all things Disney! I love helping people put together the perfect Disney vacation, either at the parks or on a Disney cruise ship. To spend all day curating these magical experiences would be a dream come true.

  In what ways are you and Taylor alike?

  To be honest, I originally thought I had nothing in common with Taylor. She’s fifteen years younger than I am, a fitness guru, and while I do have a positive outlook on life, it’s nothing compared to Taylor’s tendency to look on the bright side. However, during the course of writing The Dating Playbook, I discovered that I have so much more in common with Taylor than I ever imagined. Taylor’s drive and determination reminded me of my early days as a writer. Becoming a published author wasn’t seen as the most practical career path. Like Taylor, I experienced my share of rejection, but I didn’t allow it to deter me from following my dream.

  Why was it important for you to write a character with a learning disorder? What kind of research did you do for Taylor?

  Taylor’s learning disorder is based on the daughter of a dear friend (who happens to be named Taylor). Like my Taylor, my friend’s daughter was not diagnosed until well after she’d finished high school. She was always a good student, but she had to work extra hard in every class throughout high school, college, and nursing school. Her story is one of strength and resilience. She was the perfect model for Taylor.

  As I prepared notes for writing this story line, I interviewed a school speech pathologist who specializes in learning disorders and did extensive online research. My goal was to make Taylor’s character as authentic as possible by exploring the doubts an undiagnosed learning disorder can create, but also not allowing it to define her as a person.

  Like Jamar, you also recently lost one of your best friends. Were you able to channel some of your grief into his character? Did the changes in your life shape the book in any way?

  I lost my older sister—my only sister—halfway through the writing of this book. She was my very best friend and losing her knocked my entire world off its axis. It took months before I could even look at The Dating Playbook again, because I knew I had to face that aspect of Jamar’s story line.

  I learned that I had never experienced true grief before. I’ve lost family members and suffered a deep sadness, but there is nothing that has ever come close to the raw pain I’ve endured since losing my sister. I truly believe this loss allowed me to empathize on a deeper level with Jamar’s grief journey. There were many tears cried as I worked through some of the scenes that explored Jamar’s loss of his best friend, Silas, but I stuck with it and hope it makes for a better story.

  What was the most interesting thing you learned when writing The Dating Playbook?

  The fascinating world of “Fitnessg
ram” is, by far, the most interesting thing I discovered while writing this book. There are fitness instructors who have created an entire world for themselves on Instagram, with hundreds of thousands of followers. The entrepreneurial spirit of these fitness gurus is inspiring.

  Who’s your favorite football team and what’s your favorite game-day snack?

  I am a lifelong New Orleans Saints fan, much to my uncle’s chagrin. He’s a thirty-five-plus-year veteran of the NFL and has coached for more than a half-dozen teams. I love him dearly, but I refuse to cheer for any other team. It’s the Saints all the way. As for game-day snacks, nothing beats a nice bowl of gumbo while watching my Saints.

  Bonus Scene

  In the very beginning of The Dating Playbook, readers learn that Taylor has gotten herself into a heap of financial trouble. Unfortunately, many of us can probably sympathize with her. In this scene that never made it into the book, Taylor is suffering through the hard task of choosing personal items to sell in order to earn some extra cash. It gives some insight into Taylor’s journey of personal growth and her effort to become more responsible.

  Taylor fought back the bile rising in her throat as she stared at the clothes and jewelry arrayed over her unmade bed. She’d spent the past half hour trying to decide which ones to upload to the app she’d been using to sell some of her things. It was only on the rarest occasion that she treated herself to what one would consider a luxury item. Having to part with any of them was more traumatic than she had anticipated.

  Each item held special meaning. The bomber jacket she’d brought back from Germany was her only connection to the group of girlfriends she’d made there. It conjured fond memories of Saturday afternoons spent in the mall near the base, always with a parent or one of their older siblings nearby.