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but suddenly I wondered if little Piper would be okay with hanging out in dairy while I took her dad for a little rendezvous in the freezer section.
    Shit, the two of us would probably melt all of the ice cream and there’d be a sticky mess everywhere.
    Not necessarily from the ice cream.
    I may have been getting a little ahead of myself.
    We both picked up our milk. So what if I didn’t drink milk? It gave me a reason to keep walking next to DILF Jason.
    “So, Piper,” Jason said, setting the gallon in his cart. “What are you doing tomorrow night?”
    “Not grocery shopping.”
    Jason laughed a cute, hearty laugh. Little Piper smiled and giggled, like she got the joke. But I guessed she really just giggled because her daddy had. It was actually pretty cute, and I wondered for a second if I’d make a good step-mommy for little Piper.
    “If you’re free, I’d love to take you to dinner. Or I suppose I could cook you something since we have all of these fresh groceries.”
    It was my turn to laugh. “Either sounds lovely.”
    We exchanged numbers and checked out, heading separate ways.
    I smiled as I looked at his number programmed in my phone. I had another date scheduled.
     
    * * *
     
    After another thrilling three hours with Dr. Harris in our Advanced Statistics in Psychology class, Scott and I met our study buddies at our usual table in the library. Math had never been my strongest subject, so it helped to have a friend in the same class as me. Shannon and Austin decided to put off the Stats class to the following semester. It was a smart move on their part since they’d have our notes.
    The four of us met nearly every day, whether or not we had actual studying to do. It helped to touch base with people who were going through the exact same things as me.
    Well, nearly the exact same things as me.
    Somehow I doubted any of my three friends were quite as connected to their research topics as I’d become.
    And somehow I doubted they’d get the same type of…pleasure…out of their projects that I’d been hoping for.
    God, it had been much too long since I’d been with a man. My book boyfriends were definitely sexy, and I’d fight to the death for any of them…but they didn’t get the job done the way a living, breathing man could.
    A DILF, for example.
    Or perhaps a rock star.
    “Dax likes you,” Austin announced the moment I slid into my chair. Scott set his stuff down and excused himself to make a phone call. Shannon hadn’t arrived yet.
    I raised an eyebrow as I set down my bag and pulled out a notebook and my phone. I set my phone face down on top of my notebook. I grabbed a pen, fiddling with the clicker on the top of it as we spoke.
    “How do you know?” I asked, feeling like I was in fifth grade as I gained intel on the boy I had a crush on.
    Which was actually somewhat accurate.
    “He texted me yesterday and said some things.”
    “Such as?”
    Austin tapped away on his phone and scrolled for a few seconds. He looked up at me and made like he was going to hand it to me, and as I reached over, he pulled his hand back. “You are never, ever to tell him I showed you these.” He narrowed his eyes at me.
    I drew a cross over my heart and then held up two fingers. “Scout’s honor.”
    He pressed his lips together and handed me his phone.
    Dax: Good choice, man. She’s hot.
    Austin: I told you.
    Dax: Can’t wait to see her again.
    Austin: She’s a nice girl. Not a one and done.
    Dax: That’s not really my MO.
    Austin: I’ve heard otherwise.
    Dax: Want me to stay away?
    Austin: No. I think she’s into you.
    Dax: Good. I liked what I saw in the three seconds we had behind the bar.
    Austin: Just don’t hurt her.
    Dax: Never my intention. Tell her to call me.
    I reread the conversation twice before handing him back his phone.
    So Austin told Dax I was hot? And Dax agreed?
    This little social experiment of mine became more and more interesting all the time. I couldn’t help my wide