Page 151 of The Rules of Dating

CHAPTER 33

Colby

Three weeks had passed since Maya left, and things finally started to return to normal.

True to her word, she’d left signed divorce papers with her attorney and disappeared without a trace, just like she had four years ago. While I didn’t wish her any harm, I also hoped this time she stayed gone from my life for good.

Billie and I had spent a lot of time reconnecting. We were pretty solid now, but I knew something that would really help move things to the next level. Billie thought that something was out of our hands. But she didn’t know the power of Holden’s dick…

I stepped off the elevator on my buddy’s floor and knocked on his door. As always, it took a while for him to answer. When he did, he looked completely disheveled and blinked at the sunlight like it was an intruder. “What time is it?”

I helped myself inside his apartment. “Nine AM. Sorry to wake you at the time normal people get up, but I couldn’t wait anymore. Were you able to get it?”

Holden padded over to his kitchen table and picked up a manila envelope. “Would I let you down?”

I pulled him into a bear hug. “Holy shit! I can’t believe you were able to get this done. You’re the best. Does that dick of yours have a tickler on the end of it or something? You just take it out of your pants and women do whatever the hell you want?”

One night last week, Holden and I had been hanging out having a beer. He’d asked how things were going between Billie and me. I’d said good, but it would be better if the wait for a judge to sign the no-fault divorce papers I’d submitted wasn’t a minimum of three months. Holden had asked what courthouse they’d been filed in. I told him Centre Street, and he said he used to hook up with a clerk who worked there. They hadn’t talked in a while, but he offered to reach out to see if she could do anything to expedite the processing. I’d said sure, but didn’t really expect anything to come of it—until a few days ago, when Holden texted me that he’d had lunch with the woman, and she’d said she could probably get the file pulled and signed within a few days.

I slipped the papers out of the envelope and read the signed divorce decree. “I don’t know how to thank you, man.”

Holden grinned. “No thanks needed. Tessa thanked me in a stall in the ladies’ room when I stopped into the courthouse to pick up the papers yesterday afternoon.”

I shook my head. “Only you can get laid and a divorce finalized in one outing, my friend.”

He laughed and put a hand on my shoulder. “Glad I could be of service. Now get the fuck out of my apartment so I can go back to sleep, and go tell your girl the good news.”

“I’m gonna give these to her…but not until later. So if you happen to see her at some point today, don’t mention this, okay?”

“You got it, buddy.”

My next stop was downstairs at Billie’s shop. She wasn’t in this morning because she’d taken Saylor to her Mommy and Me class today, which worked out perfectly since I needed to check in with Deek without her around.

Justine was on the phone when I walked in. She covered the mouthpiece and smiled. “She’s not in this morning, babe.”

“I know. I came to see Deek. But do me a favor and don’t let her know I stopped by.”

Justine’s face lit up. “Are you and Deek up to something?”

“Yeah, and I want it to be a surprise.”

“Your secret is safe with me.” She nodded toward the studio behind her. “Go on back. His first appointment isn’t here yet.”

Deek was setting up his station when I walked in. He lifted his chin. “What’s up, man?”

“Were you able to work on what we talked about?”

He nodded and opened his drawer, taking out a stencil and a photo. “I found this picture of her that shows her forearm, so I used it as my reference. Should be pretty spot-on. What do you think?”

My eyes went back and forth between the stencil and the photo. In the picture, Billie had her hands up in the air, so it perfectly displayed the ornate key tattooed on the inside of her forearm. She’d told me her grandfather had given that key to her grandmother the day they’d met to symbolize what she meant to him. That story had given me hope that underneath the layers of armor, Billie was a woman who believed in true love. Now I was going to get a matching Victorian heart-shaped lock tattooed in the same spot on my arm. It seemed fitting since Billie held the key to my heart.

I smiled. “It’s perfect, man.”

“Hell of a lot better than a dumb fucking rose, too…”

I chuckled. “I’m glad you approve.”

“When are you going to have her ink it on you?”