Page 34 of Anyone But Her

"So what are you up to this week?" Luke asks as we sit down on the couch. I make sure to keep plenty of distance between us but then he widens his legs and brings his arm up along the back of the couch, making it feel like we're closer.

"I don't really have any plans. I just want to relax this week."

He smiles. "Are you going to make good on our deal?"

"What deal?"

"You're supposed to take me out to the putting green. Give me some pointers. And in return I'll help you with your drives. Would tomorrow work?"

"Tomorrow? Um, no. I mean, let's just forget about it. We were just talking that day. We don't actually have to do it."

Do it?Why did I say that? It sounded dirty. Or maybe it's just me. I glanced down at his body and now I'm thinking about him in ways that I shouldn't.

"I like doing it." He smiles. "Teaching people," he clarifies.

"Yeah. Me too. But I don't want to take up your time. I'm sure you and Cal have plans."

"Not really. We'll probably just golf all week."

"Then maybe I'll go with you guys and we can give each other some pointers."

That'll work. We'll go with Cal. As long as Cal's there nothing will happen. Not that it would if it were just Luke and me. There's nothing between us. We're just friends. Acquaintances.

"I guess that would work," he says. "Although I won't be able to spend much time teaching you anything with Cal there."

"What are you saying about me?" Cal asks as he comes down the stairs.

"Taylor wants some help with her drives so I told her I'd give her some pointers but if we go with you, you won't give us any time. You're always racing to the next hole."

"Why don't you ask me for help?" Cal asks.

"Because you're a horrible teacher," I say. "You're too impatient."

"So is Luke."

"How would you know?" Luke says. "I've never tried to teach you anything."

"I guess you're right. I wouldn't know. But if I were you, I wouldn't try to teach Taylor anything."

I huff. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means you can't take criticism. If someone tries to tell you what you're doing wrong, you get pissed."

"That's not true," I tell Luke. "Well, it's kind of true but only if my family is trying to teach me something. It's not true for anyone else. My coach criticizes me all the time and I'm fine with it."

"She's fine with it in front of him," Cal says. "But then she gets home and goes in our gym and kicks the punching bag like she's trying to kill the damn thing."

I feel my face warming up. "I'm just working out. It has nothing to do with what the coach said."

"I don't like criticism either," Luke says. "I react the same way. I hit the gym or go to the driving range and take it out on the ball."

"See?" I say to Cal. "Nobody likes criticism."

Cal sits down across from Luke. "So what are you doing here? I thought we were meeting at the club."

"I figured we might as well go together." He turns to me. "You want to go with us?"

"To a club? Like a nightclub?"

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