Best Dating Rules (The Best Girls 2)

“You didn’t say that!”

“Yes, I did!”

“Spencer,” Josh interrupted with obvious amusement. “When you’re arguing with a woman about what was said, she will always be correct. Women have little digital recorders in their minds. They remember every minute detail. She will remember the exact words, the inflection of your voice, and what you were wearing at the time.”

“Can he leave us alone now?” asked Spencer, clenching his teeth.

“No.”

Josh’s mouth stretched in a broad smile as he poured another bowl of cereal.

“The point is,” Spencer squeezed out the words, “I do want to marry you. I love you and I think I told you that.”

Emily frowned and shook her head.

He sighed. “Okay, well I meant to tell you. But I thought I was showing you. That’s why I was taking dance lessons.”

“Even if you think you love me, Spencer, I think you might be fooling yourself. You could get tired of me at any time. You’re used to excitement and variety.”

He groaned. “I can’t believe I’m doing this.” Just then, Brad came out of the shower and proceeded to pour a bowl of cereal and sit down to observe.

“Please, Emily. Can’t we talk alone for just a minute?”

“She doesn’t want to be manipulated by her emotions,” explained Josh with a grin. “So you’ll just have to talk with an audience.”

“This is great,” said Brad between mouthfuls. “What did I miss?”

“Let’s see,” said Josh. “He was taking ballroom dance lessons when someone snapped the picture with Becca. And he thought he’d asked her to marry him, but he’d really asked her to break up in a year. And he didn’t tell her he loved her when he thought he did. But he took dance lessons instead.”

Brad laughed so hard he almost spit out his cereal, and Emily struggled to suppress a grin. Now was not the time to forget her anger. She had to be firm and make a clean break.

She added, “And I’ve just explained it’s not just about the picture. Even if it turns out to be faked, it only shows how vulnerable I am. I don’t want to be in a relationship with someone where I’m constantly waiting for him to move on to the next girl. Or go back to the last one.”

Spencer covered his eyes and muttered crossly. “There is no other girl. There never will be another girl. There never was another girl.”

“Of course there were others,?

? said Emily. “I’m not that naïve, you know. I know what you were like before we started dating.”

“There were no others.” His voice was flat, like a computer was talking.

“What are you saying?” she asked.

Brad chuckled. “You were the first, Emily. He’s saying you were the first one.”

She blushed painfully to her roots. “We didn’t ever... I mean... We haven’t ever done that.”

Josh grinned. “Then neither has he.”

Spencer moaned and buried his face in his hands.

Emily was flabbergasted. “I don’t believe it. You’re lying. You’re just saying that to make me believe—”

Brad’s laughter cut her off. “Oh no, Emily. There’s no way he’s saying that in front of us unless it’s the truth. He’s really and truly a virgin. Pretty remarkable these days.”

Josh bit back his smile. “Seriously, Spencer. I know you may not believe this, but I’d give anything right now if I could take back my past and say something like that to Charlie.” Then he chuckled. “But not in front of two other guys.”

Emily sat in stunned silence, contemplating this new information while Josh and Brad put their bowls in the sink, moving toward their rooms.