No Rules

First Rule: Attraction is the first phase of the biological imperative to procreate. It is not an involuntary response.Club Atlantis Santa Rita, California 22:27 hours"DEEP DOWN, every woman wants to be seduced." The words of his instructor echoed in his head like a mantra as Marvin Musselmann zeroed in on the brunette sitting alone at the table farthest from the dance floor. A sparkly, beaded handbag on the Plexiglas stool next to her told him she had a companion. A female companion. He glanced at Cody Zimmer, fellow student of the Rules, who was his wingman. "It's not going to work." Even if he got her phone number, he wasn't carrying any pens in the pocket of his new dress shirt. What was he going to write with? He could remember thousands of bytes of software code, but when it came to a woman's phone number, it erased itself from his memory faster than a virus could take out a hard drive. "It will work." It was Cody's job to spot him the way a trainer would spot a beginning athlete. "You know what to do. You just have to execute." "I can't." "You only have to do it once," Cody assured him for the seventh time. No, eighth. The seventh had been in the car, just before the valet had taken his keys. No keys, no pen. Marvin felt naked. "Now, go on. By the time her friend comes back, you'll have scored and you can spot me." "Okay. Okay." Marvin shook out his hands as if he were going to belly up to a video game, and blew out a few breaths to increase the oxygen in his blood. Game face. And for God's sake, don't forget the Rules. The woman looked up as he approached. Before that bored, "oh, no, not another loser" look seeped into her eyes and unmanned him, he smiled. His instructor had told him he had a good smile. he'd bought new clothes, since the gabardine trousers and 1976 Grateful Dead Tshirt he habitually wore to work at Applied Infographics were not, he had been informed, appropriate in a social situation. The smile and the clothes, so far, had staved off that look he dreaded. "You have beautiful eyesI was admiring them from over there." His mouth was dry, so he swallowed and moistened his lips. "Do you mind if I sit down until your friend comes back?" She shrugged, and relief flooded him. As he sat, he touched her wrist. "I hardly ever go downtown anymore, but I'm glad I did tonight." Now her gaze was definitely interested. His fingers slid under her wrist to the pulse point, and his heart rate picked up. The moment of truth. He would either have to beat feet back to Cody and drown his humiliation in alcohol, or he'd clinch a companion for the night. He had two condoms in his wallet and enough money for a nice hotel room. But no pen for her phone number. Stop. Focus, he told himself. Don't lose your nerve. "They call this place Atlantis because it's supposed to look like we're underwater. I like all these undulating lines and the clear furniture." The woman leaned toward him, her gaze locked on his mouth. He forced himself to keep talking as he stroked her wrist with his forefinger. "And the way people are spread out over three floors, enjoying themselves. I really like that." Her lips parted. "Me, too," she said. Was that a breathless note in her voice? My God, he thought. This really works. "Celie, who's this?"The sharp voice over his left shoulder made Marvin turn, startled. A blonde with a swimmer's smooth muscles picked up the beaded handbag he'd moved to the third chair at the table, caution and surprise in her eyes. His fingers never breaking their electric connection with the brunette's skin, he said, "I'm Marvin. Celie and I were getting to know one another." "He's my date," the brunette said dreamily. Her eyes never left his face. "I thoughtIwas your date." The blonde dropped into the third chair. "Honestly, I take two seconds to go to tHollis, Shannon is the author of 'No Rules ', published 2007 under ISBN 9780373793358 and ISBN 0373793359.