Page 33 of Fundamentals in Flirting

“Awww, you’re so cute with your funny little pet names for me. It’s almost as if you like me,” he replied, reaching over and pinching my cheek.

“Don’t get used to it. I’m only speaking like this to you when flirting class is in session. The usual names I have for you are not suitable for sensitive ears.”

ChapterEleven

“You shouldn’t have let Agnes believe we’re a couple, Ted,” I said when we got into the house.

“Why?”

He was busy setting the kettle to boil on a small gas camping stove in his makeshift kitchen.

“Because she’ll be upset when she finds out the truth about us.”

“What is the truth about us, Hannah?”

Teddy was now leaning back against a wallpapering table that was doubling up as a workbench and kitchen counter. He had his arms folded and was watching me with careful amusement.

“Well, it’s preposterous that anyone would even think we could be a couple, isn’t it? We can’t even justifiably call ourselves friends,” I said, sitting awkwardly on an upturned packing crate. I pulled a hair bobble out of my pocket and scooped my long hair up into a messy bun. “I’m not at all surewhatI’d call this bizarre teaching-me-to-be-nice arrangement we have.”

Teddy had listened to all this with an intense expression, then he rubbed his hand over his jawline. The sound of his beard was rough against his fingers.

“Why is it preposterous? We’ve kissed once before and almost did it again the other night, or have you forgotten that?”

I had not forgotten that. I had relived it every time I’d closed my eyes since. Sometimes, I’d even let the fantasy carry on, pretending that I hadn’t pulled away and imagining what might have happened. Where it could have led…

And it got pretty filthy sometimes, I’m not going to lie.

I snorted, trying to cover my embarrassment.

“Why did you kiss me, Ted, back in school?”

He contemplated me for a minute as the kettle bubbled noisily behind him.

“Because I wanted to. Because I wanted to know what it would be like.”

Oh.

But I didn’t have long to mull over this as he carried on. “We could have a relationship, couldn’t we? And it could be reallynice.”

“Nice?”

“Mmm hmmm. Yep. I can totally teach you what’snice, Hannah.” Teddy was watching me closely. His eyes had taken on a darkened quality and it seemed like his pupils were enlarged, the bright blue iris now just a narrow ring of light.

I think I was staring at him with my mouth open again, gawking to such an extent that he had an unobstructed view of my tonsils, because his lips quirked with wry amusement, and this slight movement kicked my brain back into action. I realised that this was his fundamental flirting technique being played out right in front of me. This was the whole focus of me being here: to make me like him; to make me fall for him. In order to teach me how to make people like me too.

He doesn’t mean any of it. Remember that, Hannah. Get your mind back on the job in hand.

“Since you’re quite obviously unable to talk to anyonewithoutflirting, shamelessly, perhaps you should give me my first lesson in being nice to people?”

His shoulders sagged slightly but he went about pouring the tea, and reaching up to a high cupboard for the biscuits, his T-shirt riding up and revealing the taut musculature of his stomach.

“You won’t learn anything if I tell you what to do. We need to get you out in the wild so we can start practising on real people – and not just me, because I already like you.”

“What do you suggest?” I asked. My voice sounded a little hoarse and I knew it was because my mouth was as dry as the desert after the brief, tantalising view of his body. This hopeless thirsting for him was annoying. Why did he have to be so attractive? And why the bloody hell did he have to say he liked me? And he’d wanted to kiss me? That really wasn’t helping at all.

“My parents are hosting a charity garden party next week. All the local businesses pitch in, and it’s a very grand affair – perfect for networking and being seen.”

“I haven’t been invited.” And good God, I really didn’t want to network, and I definitely didn’t want to be seen. It sounded like hell on earth, quite frankly.

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