I swallow and look at him. “I’m testing this new dating app that sounded absolutely perfect, but so far, it’s been nothing short of a disaster.”
“You’re testing an app? Aren’t there already thousands out there that aren’t in testing phases you could use?”
And now I feel stupid. I opened the door, and I can’t just slam it shut. If I asked, Tyler would drop it. He’s good like that. But I need a very outside perspective on this.
“You’re probably not aware because you’ve been in a serious relationship for years, but the dating pool? Hazardous. It’s like a zombie apocalypse on the best of days. So, when the ad to test this app for something that appeals to a specific group of people popped up, I kind of jumped at the chance. Head first. But I’mthinking it might’ve been the shallow end, and it’s going to hurt. Probably.”
“What kind of group of people?”
“Um… readers. Of romance novels.”
His eyebrows shoot up, and I see a genuine smile cross his face. I’m pretty sure it’s the first time ever. “Okay, you have to explain this to me.”
I roll my chair around to his side of the desk and show him my phone, giving him the rundown of the way it works. “I’ve had three dates so far, and all three were terrible.”
“Tell me?”
Tyler’s laugh eases my nerves. He doesn’t want to hear to make fun of me. He wants to hear about these dates because it interests him. And there are probably details I shouldn’t share with my boss, but they’re also kind of needed to get the full picture of how bad things are.
I tell him about Benny B., the fake biker. And his ridiculous kutte. I also make sure to tell him, with a slight demonstration, about his fall getting off his “hog.”
“That’s kind of amazing,” Tyler says and chuckles. “Not a great start, but it’s funny.”
“Oh, he’s not even the worst.”
“What can top that?”
I shake my head, still embarrassed how naïve I was. I tell him about Thomas—leaving out a few details like his small dick—and get more laughter.
At least he didn’t laugh as hard as Decker did. He actually had tears in his eyes when we got something to eat after he picked me up.
“Last night was a cowboy. Literal cowboy. I couldn’t get rid of the smell for an hour. Didn’t shower or even change after helping birth a calf before showing up. Late.”
“That’s who you were supposed to see tonight?”
I roll back to my side of the desk and laugh. “I didn’t expect him to ask for another one. And I’m not great with face-to-face confrontation. You know this. It’s been in my reviews. I expected it to come after he left. Through the app.”
“Oh, Holly.”
“It’s like drafting an email when you’re angry. You don’t send it right away. You write it the way you feel, then you walk away, and when you come back, you work on it to come across professional. I can’t do that in person.”
“Which is why you rarely say no unless you have a legitimate reason,” Tyler says. “I get it. That’s part of the reason I don’t mind if you socialize more than the others on the team.”
“I’m a people pleaser. So, long story short, you saved me. Now, all communication with the cowboy can be through the app. Which means, when it comes time to reschedule, I can say no. Nicely. After obsessing over my wording for an hour.”
I expect him to turn the focus to work now, but instead, he just looks at me. Then he sighs. “I guess I can share something personal, too.”
“You don’t have to—”
“I’m single.”
What? I’ve met Rachel multiple times at work events and was sure he’d be proposing soon. If he hadn’t already.
“I’m sorry.”
“It was time,” he says, running a hand through his copper hair—a rare break from his usual attempt at perfect professionalism. “We weren’t long-term.”
“Weren’t you together for, like, five years?”
