Page 53 of New Rules
“I was perusing all the books on your shelves,” Ray remarked, sipping his beer. “I noticed you read only two types of books—autobiographies and what look like fantasy.”
“Actually, they’reromantasy, which is romance and fantasy mixed together,” I explained. “I need them for brain breaks.”
“You need romance books to give your brain a break?” he asked.
There was no judgment in his voice, just genuine curiosity.
“I’ve learned that if you hold all your stress in, it leads to increased anxiety, decision fatigue, and burnout,” I informed him. “Your brain is begging for a break—and ignoring that has real consequences. It’s called cognitive offloading, and it helps me keep my stress in check. I highly recommend it.”
“Sounds interesting,” he said. “I do know reading before bed usually helps me sleep better.”
I nodded. “You know that drained feeling when you’ve made a hundred decisions before nine a.m., managed everyone’s schedules, and still kept your pet alive? That’s when cognitive offloading kicks in.”
Our waiter brought out our appetizer and set it down, and I grabbed a nacho before continuing.
“My romantasy books take me to a new world where I don’t have to do anything but enjoy. Don’t get me wrong…I also have my trashy telenovela TV shows, too. They’re not as deep as my books, but they still work at shutting off my brain. There’s no real plot, just other people with bigger problems than mine—like Sofia’s ex-husband impregnating his cousin at his grandfather’s funeral and being caught by the priest.”
I popped another bite into my mouth. “Even my true crime shows, because someone else did the hard work and solved the crime by the end of the episode.”
“I can see that,” he replied, taking a bite of the nachos as well.
“My dragon smut and trashy telenovelas keep me sane—and less stabby.”
He laughed, nearly choking on his food. After wiping his mouth, he flashed me a million-dollar smile.
We had a lovely dinner, full of engaging conversation—where we’d like to travel to, funny moments from our Army careers, and we even shared embarrassing moments we’d each had involving Frank.
I knew from our morning coffee chats that he and I had a very easygoing flow of banter, and tonight was no different. At the same time, itfeltdifferent. This wasn’t him bringing coffee over to my place in the morning or sitting out on the porch after dinner on one of my off days. This was a deliberate date, and it felt like it. There was an easy rhythm to tonight, that connection taking root.
We were getting to know each other in a deeper, bonded way. I knew we already had chemistry—that had been established on night one with him. But this was more about forming attachments and building trust.
I knew I was falling for him, and I found it no longer scared me like it used to.
I’d stopped relying on men years ago. I knew there were good ones out there and not all men were bad, but my father and ex-husband, along with a few I’d dated since, had left a sour taste in my mouth.
Ray didn’t fit that pattern and made it harder to hold on to those assumptions.
He was always open and communicative. I never had to guess what he was thinking. He just said it. It wasn’t like that with other guys, where you had to guess. It was refreshing.
Ray could charm me without much effort. He was my perfect catnip. My kind of poison.
The only downside was that if this didn’t work out long term for us, he had set such unrealistic sex-pectations that it would ruin me for other men.
“Penny for your thoughts?” he asked, yanking me back into the moment.
“Mm-hmm,” I replied, not remembering what he’d asked.
A small laugh escaped my lips before he leaned over and kissed me. It was gentle, seductive, and full of promise, but it ended far too soon.
“You ready to head out, or do you want some dessert?”
I wantedhimto be my dessert.
“I’m good to go,” I said, shaking my head a bit more vigorously than was probably required.
I expected him to launch himself at me once we got back to my place—or at least maybe that was my hopes and dreams making me think that way. However, he grabbed two beers and we made our way out to my porch, where we sat and chatted some more.
You’d think eventually we’d run out of topics, but with Ray the conversation once again flowed smoothly.
