Page 26 of Love Is…?

Tessa laughed, her nerves seemingly whisked away. “Well, your delivery needs work, that’s for sure.”

“Nice.” Jayde bit her lip at the delicious banter. Then gave herself a smack over the head. Tessa had inexplicably found a way under Jayde’s skin—under her clothes if she was being totally honest—which was exciting but crazy because they were polar opposites in their perspective on relationships. Tessa was a Disney princess who believed that love was magical and would float down from a sky rainbow even if she was completely incompatible with the other person because romantic love was the aim and putting herself out there in the sometimes predatory dating scene was not part of the sky rainbow’s plan. And Jayde didn’t believe in that kind of love where two hearts joined because it wasn’t worth the effort as someone always left and what was the point of falling in love in the first place so best to put herself out there in the sometimes predatory dating scene and avoid sky rainbows.

Jayde hung her head. How on earth were they going to teach each other anything? They’d be better off as friends, then Jayde could ignore the tingles and the goosebumps and the images of Tessa popping up randomly in her thoughts at all hours of the day.

“So,” Jayde started. “Sunday. The event starts at seven thirty. I can jump on the twenty-eight tram to meet you at seven, if you like. That way we can have a few drinks and scope out the room.”

“I…um…I don’t drink much. Hardly at all. Alcohol is not the best anxiety-killer for me. I’m thinking Diazepam.”

They shared a quick laugh, then Tessa continued.

“If you want to have a drink or two, would you like me to pick you up?”

Jayde blinked, and the silence must have caused Tessa to run the last sentence through her head. She heard the quick intake of breath.

“Oh! Um…gosh. I…That’s incredibly presumptuous. I’m sorry.”

“Actually.” A now common—when it came to Tessa—slow smile lifted Jayde’s lips. “That would be really nice. Thank you.” She picked up her phone, tapped her address into a text and sent it. She heard a tiny ping from Tessa’s phone.

“Thanks. I’ll be there at six thirty. That’ll give us time particularly if there’s traffic. Now, speed dating is all well and good, but my lesson—going to dinner—is going to blow your mind.”

Jayde cracked up. “I’ve been?—”

“Yes, we established that but hear me out. What if you went to dinner where there was absolutely no agenda, no goal, no quest, no getting a woman into bed as soon as you’ve paid the bill?”

“I’m sure I can meet the challenge,” Jayde said, amused at Tessa’s teasing. She ate another forkful of her dinner.

“Hmm. But here’s the crux of the lesson. Not only are you agenda-less but you have to participate in the dinner as if you are attempting to make this woman fall in love with you, therefore taking your first steps to falling in love with love.”

“Tessa, that was the most complicated?—”

“Take me to dinner, pretend that romance is on the cards, hold yourself back from showering me with pick up lines, then, even though I’m driving, and I’ll be dropping you home first, you’ll be taking me home in a sense. To sleep. Independently. By myself. Where you are not. Because you’re at your own house.” Her words rolled out like a river.

The slightly embarrassed tone seemed to indicate more blushing which did things to Jayde’s equilibrium. She chewed thoughtfully.

Dinner. Check.

Pretend to romance Tessa. Jayde didn’t do romance but pretending was okay, particularly with Tessa. Check.

No pick up lines? That was like asking her not to breathe. Oh well. Check.

Take Tessa home but not really because Tessa would be dropping Jayde home first. Check.

Easy.

So why was her stomach aflutter with clouds of butterflies?

Her brain hurt just thinking about it.

“Can do.” She breathed carefully.

Jayde heard pages flipping. Did Tessa use an actual paper diary? She grinned at how adorable that was.

“Wednesday. I’m not with Grace that night.”

“Do I get any say in this?”

Tessa laughed. “You’re the student. Students have no say in the content of a curriculum. Think of me as the Department of Education.”

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