Page 18 of Flirting Lessons

Taylor picked up another piece of pizza so she wouldn’t actively roll her eyes. This pregnancy had made Erica want the whole world to settle down.

“That’s exactly what Gemma said when I broke up with her. I ‘didn’t give our relationship a chance.’ Maybe I’m just not a relationship person. Not everyone has to be one, you know.”

Erica sighed.

“I know, of course I know that. I just—”

Taylor didn’t want to hear this. It was going to be something likeI just want you to grow up and get married in a big fancy wedding and buy a house and have a baby like me, when Taylor knew that’s not what she wanted.

“Ithink you should eat more of that salad, so Little Rutabaga in there doesn’t get scurvy.”

Erica burst out laughing.

“I don’t think you can get scurvy before you’re even born, but point taken.” She stabbed the salad with her fork and shoved it in her mouth. “See?”

Taylor nodded.

“Finish that, and then we can talk. Speaking of this bet, I’ve been thinking about what I’ll win. This is a big one, so I think I get a big prize.”

Erica laughed.

“I had a brilliant idea about what my prize will be whenIwin. You’ll have to throw my baby shower!”

Taylor recoiled.

“Throw your what? Didn’t we go through this when you got married?” Taylor had been happy to be Erica’s maid of honor but had drawn a firm line when it came to throwing a shower.

“Yeah, but you threw us a really great party, even though you refused to call it a shower.” A sort of firm line. “I bet you’d throw as great a baby shower as you did the wedding shower.”

Taylor shook her head.

“I would not! You need to know things about babies to throw baby showers! Like…onesies and diapers and things. I’ve never been to a baby shower in my life, I can’t start out by throwing one! And your mom will insist on being there, and she terrifies me.”

Erica shivered.

“She terrifies all of us, and yes, you’re right, she’ll insist on being there. But that’s it, that’s what you’ll have to do if—when—I win.”

Taylor reached for another piece of pizza.

“Okay, fine, then. WhenIwin, you have to get me a spa day. A whole day, mind you, and not just a facial or massage, but the whole ‘mud bath, steam room, scrub-down’ kind of thing.”

Erica reached out a hand.

“Deal.”

They shook on it with identical smug grins on their faces.

“Anyway,” Taylor said. “Now that my evenings are empty, because of you, I’m occupying my time by giving flirting classes.” That was, if Avery didn’t change her mind.

Erica dropped her fork.

“You’re doing what? Where? Also, why didn’t you ever givemethese classes, I could have used them!”

“Finish your salad,” Taylor said. “They aren’t formal classes—or that formal, anyway. Do you know Avery Jensen? She’s a friend of Luke’s, they went to high school together, she’s an event planner…anyway. She had a bad breakup recently, and she’s never really dated women, and she wants to but doesn’t know how or where to start. She was telling me about all of this at the wineryparty, and long story short, we had our first lesson on Tuesday night.”

Erica narrowed her eyes.

“Wait, was she that woman with the long hair and the immaculate white dress who was helping you over at the bar?”

---