Dating for Keeps by Rachel Hogan

 
    Chapter 1
     
     
     
    "You can't swear off a relationship forever Tessa, all the good guys will eventually settle down and you'll be forced to pick from the leftovers when you finally are ready."
    Tessa Brewster cringed at her friend Becky's crude remark. "Becky, be serious," she said laughing while popping a french fry into her mouth. "It's a little absurd - and sexist - to think of men as leftovers, as if they are nothing more than a delicious meal that needs to be grabbed while it is still hot."
    Becky smiled. "Actually, that is a perfect analogy for what I'm trying to say." She sighed, "Look Tessa, I'm just looking out for you. I don't want you to wake up ten years from now and regret the time you had to find a guy. You are a beautiful young woman, and twenty-six is the prime of your life! Don't waste it."
    Tessa rolled her eyes at her friend's exaggeration. Despite the fact that they had many things in common, she didn't quite believe in her friend's old-fashioned belief that a woman find a man to settle down and marry as soon as possible.
    "I'm not wasting it, I promise. I just haven't found anyone worth going out with. Not everyone is lucky enough to find their prince charming in college like you did with Ron. I do love men and I love to date, but all the guys I go out with bore me within five minutes. I guess I just have high standards."
    "Well, I think you need to lower your standards then, just a little. What about that guy last week? What was his name - Jared or something? He seemed nice. And normal. What was wrong with him?"
    Becky remembered Jared well. He had texted the entire time they ate dinner together. When she casually asked him who he was texting, he got very upset and told her to mind her own business. "Yeah, no I don't think he was interested in me. And rude guys aren't really my type. Trust me you couldn't pay me to go on a second date with him."
    "Well, he was the fourth first date this month. I think that this pattern might be revealing something."
    "What are you trying to say?" Tessa asked her friend accusingly.
    "I'm saying that maybe you have a problem with commitment."
    "I do not," Tessa frowned.
    "Oh? And when was the last time you had a serious boyfriend?"
    Tessa's eyebrows knit together as she tried to remember. "Well, I don't know exactly. I guess David..."
    "David was sophomore year of college! Tessa, that was seven years ago. Yikes, I didn't realize it was this bad. I think you need an intervention."
    Tessa snorted, "Oh, and what are you going to do for me, miss therapist?"
    Becky thought for a moment, and then a knowing smile crept across her face. "I know. If there is one thing you can't pass up, it is a bet."
    "Ye-ah. So?" Tessa stammered, looking at her uneasily.
    "Well, I bet that you can't date the same guy for at least a month. Thirty whole days with the same man. That shouldn't be so difficult, should it?"
    Tessa thought hard. It shouldn't have been hard, no, but she hadn't gone on more than one date with a guy in years. Years. She took a swig of her beer, as if the beverage could give her courage. "What's in it for me?"
    "Well, I thought that this would be the perfect solution to our debate over who gets the master bedroom."
    Tessa smiled. The two roommates were soon going to be moving into a new apartment and they had been quarreling for months over who would get the spacious master bedroom. This would be the perfect chance for her to win the coveted spot. "Okay," she said sticking out her hand. "You're on."
    "Great!" Becky's face lit up.
    "You know, it's kind of sad that you are willing to bet that room on this," Tessa went on. "You obviously don't have a lot of faith that I can do this. I can't wait to prove you wrong." She hesitated. "There's only one problem..."
    "What's that?"
    "Um, it's not like I have any dates lined up at the moment."
    "Oh! Don't worry about that. We'll find you someone tonight. In fact, I already have someone in mind."
"You do? Who?"
    Becky gave a