“I haven’t been on a date that was light and fun since I was sixteen.”

She saw dating as a traumatic event. As something that would be more trouble than it was worth.

Right at that moment, Ashley felt older and more worldly-wise than Joanna. “In that case I’m going to share my rules with you. Eventually you’ll probably want to make your own rules but for now you can borrow mine. I like to think they’re foolproof.”

“You have rules?”

“Sure. Although mostly I don’t even think about them. It’s instinctive.”

“You have instinctive rules for dating.”

“Yes. Rule number one—” Ashley held up a finger “—does he make you laugh? That’s the single most important one. You are not going to have fun if your date doesn’t make you laugh.” It felt like an age since her life had been focused on simple things like her dating rules. An age since her priorities had been hanging out with her friends, and talking about fashion and music.

“Laugh. Right.” Joanna nodded. “Rule number two?”

“Listening skills. I am not spending five minutes with someone who is more interested in looking at his phone or over his shoulder at the girl behind me when I’m right there in front of him. Either I’m the most interesting thing in his life at that moment, or I’m gone.”

“Does anyone take you on a date or are they too scared?”

Ashley grinned. “I demand respect, that’s true. My mother taught me that, which makes it all the more odd that she had an affair with Cliff.”

“Cliff could do those things,” Joanna said. “Cliff could make a woman laugh. He could listen and make her feel as if she was the only woman in the world.”

“But? There has to be a but.”

“But he didn’t mean it. It was all part of his play. Fake. I don’t know how to spot a fake. If I’d dated more when I was young maybe I would have learned.”

“How many men did you date before Cliff?”

“One.”

“One? Are we talking about Nate?” It must have been even more serious than she’d thought. “And was that fun?”

“It was fun until it wasn’t fun.”

“Why did you break up?”

Joanna leaned forward. “Ashley, we’re sitting on the terrace of his restaurant.” Her voice was barely audible. “Things are already awkward. If he overhears this conversation I will have to go back to wearing a disguise. I’d like to talk about something else.”

“Okay. We’ll talk about your dating plans. Let’s work up a profile for you.”

“No dating. For me, relationships aren’t fun. They’re stress.”