A/N: thanks to the anonymous reviewer who pointed out I uploaded the same chapter twice! Obviously I've corrected that now, but I wouldn't have noticed with out that reviewer! Thank you!

Enjoy!

angellwings

Rules to Date By

By angellwings

Rule #1: If a guy hasn't called you, he doesn't want to call you.

Ella tapped her foot impatiently and checked her phone for the billionth time that night. Peggy set her up with this really great guy and he'd said "I'll call you." But that was three days ago and he hadn't called. He hadn't texted or facebooked her or even tweeted at her. Nothing. Nada. Zip. Caitlyn had suggested she call him, but she didn't know how she felt about that. Had it been too long?

She got up and put water on the stove for tea and put a bag of popcorn in the microwave. She was going to watch a movie or a sitcom or something equally distracting. The less she thought about this lack of a phone call the better off she'd be.

Suddenly her phone rang and Ella squeaked before she sprinted across her kitchen and tiny living room to grab her phone off of her side table.

"H—hello?" She said before she winced at her high pitch and cleared her throat. "I mean, hello?"

"Um, Ells, everything okay? Did Caitlyn dare you to suck on helium again? You know that stuff makes you light headed—"

Ella's shoulders drooped and she groaned in disappointment. "Nate? Is that you?"

"Yes," Nate said in confusion. "Were you expecting someone else?"

"Not so much expecting as hoping," Ella said as she fell back onto her couch and sighed mournfully.

"Let me guess, that random guy Peggy set you up with said he'd 'call you' and never did, right?" Nate asked.

"He wasn't random! He's worked for Peggy's label's marketing department for a while now—"

"Ella, you're avoiding my question."

She huffed. "Yes, he said he'd call. Just because he hasn't yet doesn't mean he never will! Terry said her sister waited two weeks for this guy to call her once and then he finally did and it turned out—"

"Ella, I'm telling you, you have to stop listening to this Terry woman. She's an idiot," Nate said bluntly.

"So, you don't think he's going to call?" Ella asked with a furrowed brow.

"If he wanted to call he wouldn't need three days to do it," Nate told her. "If he really liked you he wouldn't have been able to wait three hours let alone three days."

"Really?" Ella asked with a sigh. Nate didn't answer and, to Ella, that was answer enough. "God, this sucks. Guys suck."

"Gee, thanks," Nate said with chuckle.

"Why are there so many games you guys play? If you're not going to call me then don't say you will. It's that simple," Ella said in a huff.

"We're not all jerks, Ells," Nate told her.

"Oh really? So the jerks just happen to find me then? That's even better," Ella muttered.

"Alright, I'm coming over with ice cream—"

"And alcohol?" Ella asked hopefully.

She could almost hear him roll his eyes.

"Please? Rum? I need it."

"Fine," Nate said with a chuckle. "I'll bring rum."

"Yay! I take back everything mean I've ever said to you!" Ella exclaimed.

"You take it all back, but that doesn't mean you'll stop saying mean things all together does it?" Nate asked in an amused tone.

"I make no promises," Ella said with a grin and a light laugh.