Page 75 of Flirting Lessons

“Good,” Avery said. “I wasn’t sure if…Anyway, I don’t want it to mess up our friendship, because I’ve had a lot of fun with the flirting lessons, and I know I kind of pushed you into still doing them, so if you don’t want to keep going, say the word. But I feel like—I don’t know, maybe I’m wrong—we’ve become friends through this, and I don’t want to lose that.”

“You’re not wrong,” Taylor said. “We have. And me neither.” She started the car again. “And no way we’re stopping the flirting lessons. You’re not going to get out of them that easily. I can’t have your skills regress, not after all this work we’ve done.”

Avery grinned at her.

“Okay, then. Let’s do this. Whatever it is.”

They drove on, in silence again, but this time the silence was more companionable. Relaxed, friendly, not tense and stressful. Taylor sighed an internal sigh of relief. She didn’t know why it had been so important to her to make sure things weren’t weird between her and Avery, and she wasn’t going to try to figure it out now, but she was just glad they could go have a normal, ridiculous time painting pottery tonight.

She pulled into a parking place about a block away and turned to Avery.

“I have one more question,” she said.

Avery’s eyebrows went up.

“Go on.”

Taylor bit her lip.

“Will you help me plan a baby shower?”

Avery burst out laughing.

“What? You’re kidding, right? Did you lose a bet?”

Taylor could feel the wide grin spread across her face.

“Actually, yes. You see, I kind of had this bet with Erica that I could make it to Labor Day without having sex with anyone. If I won, she had to give me a spa day. And if she won, I had to plan her baby shower. And. Well.”

Avery laughed louder.

“Oh my God. I was kidding, but you really did lose a bet. And of course I’ll help.”

That was a relief, what with Sloane ready to take over.

“Thank you. I know nothing about babies or baby showers; I’ll need all the help you can give me. Especially since I have to cohost it with Sloane, who I’m sure already has all sorts of plans, and I…don’t.”

Avery grinned.

“Luckily, you came to the right place. A few decisions to make, off the top of my head: Do we want to paint onesies or bibs? A balloon arch or a flower arch? Should the games be tasting baby food, celebrity baby names, or guess the birth date? Should the favors be custom M&M’s or custom matchboxes? Do we want—”

Taylor broke in.

“Balloon arch? Baby food tasting? Custom candy? What other horrors do you have in store for me? I was expecting to buy a cake and a few decorations and call it a day?”

Avery raised an eyebrow.

“Oh, Taylor. My friend. Thank goodness you have me.”

As they walked to whereverthey were going, Avery was still amused by the look on Taylor’s face after she’d listed baby shower activities.

But also…Taylor had clearly told Erica that she’d lost the bet. Did that mean she’d told her she’d slept with Avery? Probably, right?

“I can’t believe I managed to get myself in charge of a baby shower!” Taylor said as they walked down the street. “I guess I have to find a place to have it? Where do people have baby showers? I’m sure Sloane wants it at her house, but God no. I bet her house is, like, all off-white with lots of delicate crystal, and I would either destroy something or get hives as soon as I walked inside.”

“Why don’t you ask Margot if you could have it at the winery?” Avery asked. “She wants to start renting out the garden for events, doesn’t she? This could be a good way to ease into having events there, and she’d probably be happy to start off with someone who knows the space and can let her know what works and what doesn’t. And I doubt she would charge you much, if at all.”

Taylor turned to look at her, shaking her head slowly.

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