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slipped his arm around my waist. “Let me know if there’s anything I can do.”
    My body vibrated from his touch. “Thanks, Matt. You’re a good friend.”
    As I strolled out toward the locker room, part of me wanted to race back to Matt, agree to go out with him, and have a good time—forget about finding love, commitment, and that whole elusive mess.
    But, I refused to give up on true love. That’s what my mom had done.
    Nick seemed nice. Maybe he was the type to make a relationship last. That is, if Erica didn’t snatch him up first. Remembering The Boyfriend Bylaws, I groaned. I couldn’t make a move toward Nick without checking with Patti first.

 
     
    Chapter Five
     
    Twenty minutes before my aerobics class started, I stretched out in the aerobics room with Patti, who attended my classes at least once a week. Sitting with my legs out in front of me, I folded my chest onto my knees and spilled the news. “I’ve met a guy.”
    Patti stared at me blankly as if waiting for the punch line. After a few seconds, she pointed a finger. “You better not have given whoever-this-is your phone number. That would be a direction violation of The Boyfriend Bylaws, and Betty would be mine.”
    “No, I didn’t give him my number.” I bent one knee, brought my heel to the inside of my thigh, and reached for the opposite foot. “Although he might already have it.”
    Patti twisted her body toward the left, until it cracked. “You sneak. Did you have someone else hand your number to him? I hereby invoke Rule Number Six by adding Rule Number Seven: No third party interference.”
    Darn. That had been a great loophole I’d missed. “Relax, Patti. He has my number because he just bought Totally Fit from Rudy. My number must be in my employee file.” Well, assuming Rudy was that organized. I released my foot and turned to Patti. “His name is Nick. He seems like a total gentleman, not to mention he’s insanely gorgeous. Can I get permission to go on a date with him before he asks me out?”
    Patti scoffed, straightened her leg, then reached for her right foot. “No way.”
    Why did she have to be so difficult? I was playing by her rules. “What’s the point of waiting until he asks me out, and then calling you? That’s just stupid.”
    “Why should you wait?  Let’s see. Brad. Paul. Mike. Marcus. And don’t think I didn’t see the wink your co-worker, Matt, gave you at lunch today.”
    “Matt?” Sweet, intelligent and, unfortunately, enjoys-playing-the-field Matt? Remembering the way he’d smiled intimately at his lunch date made me ill. “I’m not interested in Matt.”
    “Yeah, I could tell by the wicked daggers you were shooting his lunch date.”
    “Well, she didn’t seem right for him.” I raised my chin, defensively. She’d been too . . . something. I couldn’t put my finger on it. Time to change the subject. “Nick is different.”
    “Oh, I’m sure.” Patti glanced back, and waved at a couple women from her school who’d entered the aerobics studio. “I’ll even bet he’s The One.”
    The way she said it irritated me. “At least I’m willing to take a risk and try to find the right man. Unlike you.”
    “Well, put it out there all you want.” Patti stood, put her hands on her hips, and leaned backward in a final stretch. “As long as you follow the bylaws.”
    “Oh, I will.” I gave her a meaningful look. “Don’t even think you’re going to win Betty.”
    She laughed, then her face grew serious. “Your mom called again. Talked to me forever, trying to find out why you won’t call her back.”
    My brows came together. “What’d you say?”
    She blew out a breath. “I was vague, but you can’t avoid her forever.”
    “Try me,” I said, then flipped on the music, then bounced from foot to foot, warming up.
    With the beat blaring out, I listened to the music, waiting for the upbeat energy to wash over me. Instead, all I could focus on was Patti’s rules, which were