Landon texted me first thing Monday morning. I was packing Mikayla’s lunch, wearing my mom hat, and blushing like a child.
Landon
Good morning, beautiful. I can’t wait to see you. Are we still on for lunch? I had a dream about you and your bottomless brown eyes.
Heat rushed through me. I tingled all over. Then I remembered why we were meeting.
He was giving me flirting lessons. The man who was flirting with me. Had the lessons already started? Was he flirting because he couldn’t help himself or because it was part of teaching me how to do it?
It didn’t matter. We weren’t going to be anything beyond what we were. Student and teacher. Friends, sort of. Fake dates to the biggest story of my career.
It was all part of the plan. I asked him to give me lessons because the man could flirt without breaking a sweat. Whereas I was hot and bothered over the tiniest bit of attention from an attractive man.
No way was I getting laid that way.
I brushed the breadcrumbs off my hands and channeled my inner seductress. She was passed out in the corner, maybe dead from boredom. I’d never called on her before, so it took a minute to come up with something to write back.
Still on for lunch. I’m looking forward to soaking up all your knowledge.
Was that flirting? This was why I needed lessons. I had no idea what I was doing.
You’ll be beating them away with a stick… even more than you already are, beautiful.
“Mom,” Mikayla said, interrupting the conversation I was doing very little to advance.
“What? Yeah? Huh? Did you need something?” I jammed my phone into my pocket and tried to push down the heat rising in my cheeks.
“I asked if my breakfast was ready.”
“Oh, um, yeah.” I turned and grabbed the milk from the fridge, pouring her a glass and setting it on the table with the bagel she wanted. Not the best breakfast ever, but mornings were not my strong suit. Nor hers. We were lucky if we got out the door without a fight every day, and I was not going to pick new ones about healthy breakfast.
Mikayla sat down and took a bite of her bagel, chewing with her eyes half closed. I went back to packing her lunch, ignoring the pull to text Landon back. He could wait a few minutes. I could wait a few minutes.
Mikayla finished her bagel without another word, then grabbed her lunch and stuffed it into her backpack. She shoved her feet into her sneakers and slung her backpack over her shoulder. “Bye, Mom.”
“Hold on,” I told her, reaching for a hug.
She indulged me for a few seconds, then extracted herself and walked out the door.
“Have a good day!” I called before it slammed shut behind her. I waited a few seconds, then went to the window to watch her get on the bus. When she stepped on and smiled at the bus driver, I finally breathed a sigh of relief.
It was a good morning. For us.
I cleaned up the kitchen and made a quick pass through the bathroom. I had a house to clean before lunch. I’d already submitted my first article about Natalie and Omar to Gretchen, and I was confident it was a good story. No bombs, no big reveals, just a good story about a sweet couple who wanted to share their love with everyone.
In other words, none of the drama Gretchen wanted. But I had hope it wouldn’t end up cut.
The house I was cleaning belonged to a couple with two kids. They both worked full time, so I was usually in their house alone. I didn’t mind the quiet, and it meant I got a lot more done than if I had someone to talk to. Most clients were happy to let me work, but some of them liked the company. Any other day, I wouldn’t mind chatting, but I had a lunch date to get to.
The house was picked up as usual, and I was able to work through one room at a time. The work was soothing and rhythmic for me, allowing me to daydream about Landon and his flirtatious nature.
By the time I finished cleaning the house, I was more than happy to get something to eat and enjoy an hour or so with an attractive man.
Landon was already at Cracked when I arrived. He suggested the popular spot for lunch since it would put us in front of as many people as possible. I didn’t love the idea, but I was reaping the benefits of it without having to do something truly embarrassing like pay someone to teach me to flirt. Or worse, pay someone for sex.
Landon stood when he saw me open the door. His smile lit up his face, his eyes crinkling at the edges. He looked like he was honestly happy I was there, and it made it impossible for me not to return the smile.
“Hey,” he said, pulling out my chair. He hovered next to it, and I wasn’t sure if he was waiting for me to sit or hug him or what.
