“I want you to teach me how to flirt,” Casey blurted without looking at me.
“You… What?”
She drew a breath and let it out slowly, then faced me. Her brown eyes were wide with fear or excitement, maybe both. Her cheeks were stained with a blush. Her chest rose with the rapid breath she sucked in. “Flirting. You’re really good at it. And I feel like I wouldn’t know what to say to a man if my life depended on it. I need lessons or something. I don’t want to cross any lines with you or anything, but I was hoping you could help me… Oh, my God, what was I thinking.”
She started toward the front of the store, half-running away from me.
All I could think was stop her!
“Wait!” I called out.
“Please forget I said anything. I don’t know?—”
“I’ll do it!”
That stopped her. Her handbag swung, narrowly missing a large display near the front of the shop. She spun around slowly, as if she would spook me if she turned too quickly. “What?”
“I’ll do it. I’ll teach you about flirting.”
“You will? Why?”
I shrugged. “Because you asked.”
“Just like that. You’ll teach me about flirting.”
“Sure. I like flirting. And there’s certainly nothing objectionable about spending time with a beautiful woman.”
“Well, I’m not sure your girlfriend would agree.”
My brows shot high. “Uh, I don’t have a girlfriend.”
“Reegan. I mean Reegan. I know you two broke up, but everyone knows?—”
“Nothing,” I interrupted her. “Everyone knows nothing. Reegan and I are over. We’re not getting back together. I hope she finds happiness, but it’s not going to be with me. We’re not right for each other, and we both know that. That’s why it’s over.”
Casey took a tentative step toward me. “You sound pretty sure about that.”
I exhaled a laugh. “That’s because I am. Not that you asked, but when things ended, I was angry, but she and I have talked. We know we’re done. It’s everyone else in town who has trouble with that idea. Which is why…”
“Which is why what?” she asked when I didn’t continue.
Could I do this? Could I really say what was on the tip of my tongue?
Fuck it.
“I’ll teach you about flirting. About whatever you want to know. But I need a favor from you.”
She gulped. “What sort of favor?”
“I’m assuming you’re going to the wedding.”
Her brows furrowed before her eyes widened. “Natalie and Omar’s wedding?”
“Yes. And I’m assuming you’re going alone since you’re asking about flirting lessons.”
“I am.”
“Then for payment, I want you to go as my date.”
