The Dixon Rule

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of physical abuse and sexual content.

Twenty-one-year-old Briar University cheerleading captain Diana Dixon lives in a Meadow Hill apartment inherited from her aunt, along with a pet fish named Skip. Following a recent break up with Percy, an intelligent but controlling man, Diana has agreed to remain friends with him. However, Percy consistently oversteps her boundaries and refuses to accept Diana’s lack of romantic interest in him.

Through an awkward encounter in which Shane Lindley and a few of his hockey teammates see Diana naked, she discovers Shane is moving into the apartment next door. Shane is a friend of Luke Ryder—the husband of Diana’s friend, Gigi Graham—whom Diana cannot tolerate, mainly because he’s a supposed playboy who has slept with half her cheerleading squad.

Diana discusses ground rules with Shane: He’s not allowed to have parties in his apartment or in the pool, speak with her, or seduce her teammates. She tells him about the HOA (Homeowners’ Association) meetings that occur twice a month on Sunday mornings, and Shane decides he will not attend.

As Shane moves into his new apartment, he thinks about his family. He is close to his parents and younger sister, and while he focuses on playing hockey at Briar U—and has dreams of going pro—he is blissfully unemployed, as his parents are paying his way.