Mr. Virile and the Girl Next Door Read Online Free PDF Page A

torture them while we are on our ‘dates.’ They’re right, my reputation is solid with men who want to stay single, but I do have followers who want relationships. It can’t hurt for me to get more perspective. Having a committed non-sexual dating relationship will help me understand their needs better. You can tutor me.”
    She wasn’t sure if she should be flattered or insulted by that. He was serious, though. It didn’t feel like he wanted to deceive his readers as much as he wanted to gain some experience with their perspective. While it still felt a little shady, dating Dane would give Holly a chance to help him change his mind about relationships. Not that she wanted him. But it was sort of her duty to help him to the light, wasn’t it? Of course, it also meant that he was going to keep trying to get her into his bed.
    She ignored the light flicker of butterfly wings in her stomach and held out her hand to shake on a venture that was probably a really bad idea.
    He took her hand, but instead of shaking it, he brought it to his lips. “I know a great place for brunch if you’re not busy.”

Dear Mr. Virile,
    Do you need a lot of money to attract women? Because I don’t have much, and I see guys like you wearing expensive suits getting all the chicks while guys like me who might actually be smarter and more attractive don’t get any play.
    Signed,
    Broke but Worth it
    Dear Broke,
    You absolutely do not need money to attract women. It makes it easier because it’s a tangible signal that you can offer what she’s really looking for—and that isn’t cash. Women want stability. Emotional and financial stability. They are hardwired to be attracted to the men who come off knowing how to handle themselves in a bad situation—and the current economy certainly qualifies as a bad situation.
    If you don’t have a lot of cash, you need to make sure your appearance is above reproach. Take extra time on grooming. Your clothes need to be impeccable, even if the labels are store brand. When you are out, you must exude that you are the man and the one to lean on in a crisis. This means never appearing drunk or out of control in public. No brawling. No yelling at the game. You are calm, you are cool, and above all you are collected.
    The Fonz lived in an apartment above the Cunningham’s garage. The women didn’t seem to mind.
    Sincerely,
    Mr. Virile
    *This does not give you permission to water-ski in a leather jacket.

Chapter Four
    After another brunch four days later, and a walk around the waterfront district, Dane stopped to buy Holly flowers. She eyed him warily.
    “What?” he asked.
    Bringing the extravagant bunch to her nose, she inhaled. “You’re being a very good boyfriend, are you sure you’re new at this?”
    He chuckled and took her free hand in his own, ignoring the sudden sense of rightness that settled in his bones. “Haven’t you heard, Ms. Winters? I’m good at everything I do.”
    Despite the fact that she had crazy ideas about men and women and love, Dane found he really did enjoy Holly’s company. She had a wry sense of humor, she gave as good as she got in the teasing department, and she was refreshingly honest. He chalked it up to her not feeling the need to impress him, but he still liked it.
    He was especially happy watching her eat. He’d given up on taking women to dinner a long time ago. He wasn’t opposed to feeding them, but he hated taking a girl to a great steak house and watching her take one bite of her salad and say she was full. It wasn’t just the money he didn’t like wasting, it bugged him that he was sharing one of his great joys with someone who couldn’t or wouldn’t appreciate it. Dane saved the steak houses for dinner with his buddies, and took his dates out for drinks before a show instead.
    Holly, however, enjoyed her food. She had some sort of mad love for the French toast they’d just had and regaled him with “notes of almond” and “perfect texture”