Page 12 of Flirting Lessons

“Yeah, in Napa. Born and raised, though I did leave for a while before coming back.”

Beth smiled at her.

“We’re neighbors. Well, maybe not neighbors, Napa isn’t that small of a town, but you know what I mean. I’m deep into researching things to do in Napa, which has been harder than I thought it would be, because all of the lists are for tourists. There’s only so much wine I can drink on a day-to-day basis, you know?”

“Have you discovered anything that sounds good?” Avery asked. She wasn’t just asking to keep the conversation going; she really wanted to know. “The problem with growing up in a place is that you get very stuck in your ways and don’t experience a lot of new things. At least, that’s how it is for me.”

“Yeah, I get that,” Beth said. “Lots of knitting groups, but I’ve been working on the same scarf for years, so I’m not sure if I’m the right person for that. A few book clubs, but I like to know at least one person in a book club before I commit—I need to make sure that it’s not one of those book clubs where they take it all super seriously, you know? I like to chat about the book, sure, but I don’t want it to feel like homework. And there’s a gardening club at a local community garden that sounds fun—it meets every Sunday, and I guess the experienced people help the newbies, which Iwould need. It’s already July, so I have no idea if people can still show up for it, but I want to.”

“I don’t even think I knew we had a local community garden,” Avery said. “That sounds like fun. I have a bunch of indoor plants, and I’ve gotten kind of obsessed with them, but I don’t have any outdoor space.”

“Oh, you should come to the garden club!” Beth said. “Maybe then I wouldn’t be the only new person. I also want to look into some volunteer work, and—”

“Excuse me?” the person at the cash register said. Beth and Avery both looked around and then realized it was Beth’s turn to pay.

“Oh! Sorry about that!” Beth said, stepping up to the counter. “Nice to meet you, Avery! I hope I see you at the garden club!” she said after she paid for her books.

“Nice to meet you, too,” Avery said. It was only after Beth walked away that Avery realized she should have asked her where the community garden was. Oh well. At least she’d finally had a good conversation with someone.

When Avery got back to their seats, she looked around for Taylor and saw her deep in conversation with someone in the cookbook section. She probably hadn’t seen Avery sit down or witnessed her long talk with Beth. But a few minutes later, Taylor slid into the seat next to her.

“Four people, good job,” Taylor said in a low voice.

So she had been paying attention. Avery glanced her way.

“You mean five.”

That little grin appeared on Taylor’s lips again.

“The cashier doesn’t count.”

Damn it. Avery had hoped she could get away with that.

“Fair,” she said.

A woman at the front of the store cleared her throat for attention, and everyone settled into their seats before she introduced both writers. Avery didn’t know what she had expected from a book event like this—something like an English class in high school, maybe? But with more pretentious, snotty adults in the audience who could tell this was her first book event and looked down on her? She didn’t know why she’d thought that. Especially since she’d always liked English class in high school! But the conversation between the writers wasn’t like that at all—relaxed, interesting, and actually kind of funny. And no one in the audience was snotty or pretentious; they were all just nice and friendly and kind of awkward.

Well, not everyone. A few people seemed shy, and a few were hot and aloof. Then there was the very hot and not at all aloof person sitting next to her. She hadn’t failed to notice just how many people checked Taylor out and then checkedherout when they saw that Taylor was with her.

Notwith herwith her, which was probably easy for people to figure out as soon as they watched her and Taylor together. Partly it was because they clearly interacted as just friends (and they were barely friends at that). But mostly it was because someone as magnetic and attractive and fun obviously wouldn’t bewithsomeone like her, Avery Jensen. She knew she was relatively good-looking, but in a boring, uptight sort of way, and boring and uptight were polar opposites of Taylor.

She wasn’t even sure if Taylor noticed all the people looking at her. Was she so used to people checking her out that it didn’t even faze her, or was she just oblivious? Avery had no idea, but she was enjoying being in Taylor’s reflected glory.

She also was enjoying being with Taylor, and not just becauseof that. Yes, she oozed sex appeal, but she was also very funny and managed to put Avery at ease in a way few people did.

It had still been humiliating to open herself up so much to a virtual stranger, and embarrassing to smile and make stupid small talk here with people she didn’t know, though she had felt kind of triumphant when she’d done it. Even from across the room, it felt like she’d been able to sense Taylor’s approval. Maybe she was making that up, though. She probably was. But…Taylorhadpaid attention to how many people she’d talked to.

The whole crowd—including Taylor—laughed at something, and Avery mentally shook herself. She’d been sitting here thinking about Taylor instead of listening; that wasn’t like her. She had to focus. What if Taylor wanted to talk on the way home about whatever had made everyone laugh? She turned her attention back to the front of the room.

Taylor watched Avery watching thecrowd. She’d proposed these flirting lessons for Avery on a whim, and then she’d half encouraged, half forced her into them mostly because the whole idea of them tickled her. Besides, Avery seemed like she desperately needed her help. Taylor also needed something to keep herself busy for the rest of the summer after her bet with Erica. And okay, maybe it was also atinybit because she found Avery wildly attractive, in her uptight, buttoned-up kind of way, but it wasn’t like she could act on it, because of that damn bet again.

She was a little irritated at Erica about that bet. Mostly because of how smug she’d been in the days since the party, with her little comments about how she was sure she’d win, since Taylor wouldneverbe able to make it that long. Yes, it would be a challenge, but was that how Erica really thought of her?

Avery laughed at one of the audience questions, and Taylor smiled as she glanced over at her. She’d managed to eavesdrop on Avery during some of her chats with people around the snack table, and the way she’d stuck to the tips that Taylor had given her had been very awkward but also deeply endearing.

The question-and-answer portion of the book talk ended, and Taylor leaned over to Avery.

“Ready to do some flirting in the signing line?”

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