Page 38 of Flirting Lessons

“I knew it,” she said. “I can’t wait to tell Greta.” She made a face. “Oh no, I’m making it weird again, aren’t I?”

Avery nodded.

“Yeah, but I don’t really care.” She took a careful bite of her own slice of pizza. “Can I tell you something?”

Oh no. Why had she said that? She hadn’t meant to say that. Why did she keep doing this?

“Most definitely.” Beth looked very interested. Of course she did. And of course that would be her answer. No one would say no when someone said,Can I tell you something?unless they were a sociopath or a complete misanthrope, and Beth was neither. By now she knew Beth well enough to know that she would absolutely be interested in what someone would tell her when they asked herCan I tell you something?in that tone of voice. So now she had no choice but to tell her.

“I, um, have never really dated women, even though I’ve wanted to,” she said, watching Beth’s face for scorn or pity. She saw neither there, just friendly interest, so she went on. “And earlier this summer I told that to my friend Taylor—well, she wasn’t really my friend then, but I guess she is now—also that I didn’t really know how to flirt with women. I mean, I don’t really know how to flirt with anyone, but especially women. So, Taylor has been teaching me how to flirt this summer.”

Beth’s eyes were wide as saucers.

“Wait, I love this. What is she teaching you? How’s it going?”

Avery felt a very strange combination of abject embarrassment and glee.

“It’s going well, I think? I’m not totally sure. But it’s been fun so far, at least? We’ve only had a few classes or whatever so far; that bookstore event was actually the first one, then we went to queer salsa dancing, and last night was a burlesque show. She gives me tips on what to do, and I talk to people and get embarrassed about it, rinse and repeat. I don’t think I’m particularly good at flirting yet—or even okay at it—but at least I’m less terrified about it, which is progress.”

Beth nodded.

“Definite progress. But, okay, I need to know more about your friend Taylor! Why is she qualified to teach flirting classes?”

Avery laughed.

“Oh, you wouldn’t ask this question if you’d met Taylor at the bookstore. She was hiding away in the corner most of the night, I think so I wouldn’t feel overshadowed, which was very nice of her, but she’s basically a magnet for women. She’s really good at flirting, but not in a superficial way—she’s just good at talking to people, you know? Which I guess I am in a work context, but not when it comes to personal stuff. And she also seems to know every queer woman in the area, so she knows good places to take me and, like, people to introduce me to. And also she’s…I don’t know, really kind about it all. Which is good because I still can’t believe I’m doing this.”

She also couldn’t believe she was telling Beth about it. Maybe it was heatstroke after spending two hours gardening in the sun.

“Well, I’m glad you’re doing it, and I can’t wait to hear more about this,” Beth said. “And I also desperately want to meet this clearly very hot friend of yours. Obviously, I’m taken, but I can still look, can’t I?”

Avery laughed. As they ate their pizza, they talked in more detail about the flirting lessons (Beth laughed until she criedwhen Avery told her about the boa incident), about plans for Beth and Greta’s surprise wedding, and how Greta was liking her new job. Avery walked back home later that night proud of herself for inviting Beth to dinner, for maybe even making a new friend. Taylor was right; putting yourself out there was worth it.

Taylor texted Avery on Saturdaymorning.

Taylor

Want to go to a birthday party tonight? it’s for callie, from the salsa class, she said to bring you along if you want to come. there will be great snacks and many people to practice flirting with…

There would also likely be many people who would ask Avery a million questions about what was going on between her and Taylor, which was why she’d hesitated to invite her. But Callie had specifically told her to invite Avery, and Taylor knew that would be a nice little confidence boost that Avery needed.

Avery

Ugh I totally would have but I can’t, i’m working an event tonight and by the time I get done it’ll probably be too late. tell callie I said happy birthday!

Taylor felt a flash of disappointment, which was ridiculous. Her fixation on Avery was obviously just because of this stupidcelibacy bet. She’d been spending more time with Avery than almost anyone else lately, so of course she couldn’t stop thinking about how much she wanted to sleep with her. It wasn’t anything about Avery, exactly, just her own hormones. If things had been normal, she would sleep with someone else and not give Avery another thought.

Well, if things had been normal, Erica wouldn’t have bet her to do something ridiculous like stay celibate for months. This was all Erica’s fault.

Was Erica even coming to the party tonight? Taylor hated that she didn’t know the answer to that. In the old days—a year ago—she would have known this. She and Erica used to see each other all the time, talk almost every day; there’s no way she wouldn’t have known. But now she had no idea. She and Sam were probably hanging out with Sloane and their other grown-up friends, talking about, like, mortgages and the stock market and property taxes, things that Taylor was too immature to know anything about.

But to her surprise, Erica and Sam were at the party when Taylor walked in.

“Hey, stranger,” Taylor said, and immediately regretted it. She didn’t want to be all passive-aggressive about this; she wasn’t that kind of person. So when Erica pulled her into a hug, she gave her a fierce embrace. Then she stepped back and laughed.

“Oh wow, the little rutabaga is really starting to make herself known, huh?”

Erica patted her belly.

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