My 7 Rules for Dating Younger (and Handling the Stares)

After that dinner where everyone kept staring at my 55 and his 42, I grabbed coffee with my girlfriends and finally spilled.

They demanded the exact seven rules that shut down the whispers.

1. Own your number first. Say fifty-five out loud before he guesses at the steakhouse.
2. Stop chasing them. I paused my jog, smiled at the shirtless runner, and let him catch up.
3. Laugh at the stares. When his buddy asks how, I just wink and order more wine.
4. Skip the ex talk. My divorce stays buried, especially at his mom's family dinners.
5. Tease the service. The waiter fumbled the check when I said the gap keeps it fun.
6. Pick shared fun. We hit Pilates together, all sweat and zero lectures.
7. Ignore the math. Forty-two plus fifty-five just equals happy, so let them count.

Honey, the stares just mean we're doing it right.

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