Page 36 of A Quick Stop in Paradise

Of course, guess I could have offered myself for the role. But… I wasn’t about to be creepy and predatorial like that.

I was going to check out her ass, though. But only with permission.

Chapter 11

Ryan

Ialready knew I had no idea what I was doing, but it really set in one shower later, once I got into the club alongside Brooklyn, the music making my head rattle as we pushed through one room after another to get to the promised alternative section, where I’d never seen so many tattoos or so many heads of brightly colored hair in one place in my life.

“Wow,” I said, sticking close to her side. Brooklyn grinned my way.

“Don’t tell me you’re new to clubbing in general.”

“I’ve done it before, but, uh, I was twenty-one and a little drunk. What do I… do?”

She laughed, eyes sparkling at me. “Do I have to teach you how to flirt, Ryan?”

She’d been teaching me plenty about that already. I hadn’t realized how little… spark, chemistry,flirtationthere had been between me and Shane until I was here. Brooklyn and I had already flirted more than Shane and I ever had, and I was getting addicted. I huffed. “It’s just… I don’t know how to… with a girl… like, how do you even start it? Do you just walk up and sayhi, are you gay?”

She snorted. “We might want to try something subtler,” she said, guiding me past the crowds and towards the bar. I caught a good number of people looking our way, although I assumed most of them were looking at Brooklyn, who was—well, she looked good.

I felt generic in a little black dress, while Brooklyn was here with loose ripped jeans and combat boots, a fitted crop top that didn’t cover much more than her sports bra had, and with a few swipes of mascara and an expertly done smoky eye, she looked… I didn’t know why I was being coy. She was blazingly hot.

“Approaching a girl’s no different from approaching a guy,” she said, once we’d gotten to the bar and she’d ordered a couple of drinks for us. “Still the same idea. Try to find something about them that catches your attention, an outfit or a tattoo or their hair, say hi and express what you like about their style, their energy, whatever. You have an easy bonus here, because everyone’s a tourist, so you can ask how long they’ve been here, where they’re from, what they’ve been doing here and what they’re hoping to do, easy conversation starters. Go in without expectations and see where it goes—you’ll have some swings and misses, and that’s a good thing, help you filter out the ones you actually don’t want to talk to. Don’t go in trying to make them like you, just go in trying to learn enough about them to figure out if you like them. Even for a casual fling, you don’t want it to be with someone whose energy you don’t like. Ask questions, establish common ground, express interest clearly but without pushing.”

“Uh-huh…” I nodded, blinking fast.

“If it goes well, they might ask you if you want to get out of here, head somewhere else. It’s okay to say yes if you want to, just text me if you do so I know what’s happening and who you’re going with, so I can make sure you’re okay. It’s also okay to say no if you’re not feeling it. If you are feeling it, you can also ask them if they want to get out and head somewhere else. Don’t make it weird if they say no. And finally…” She relaxed against the bar, arms spread out over the bar surface on either side as the bartender set our drinks down, calling Brooklyn by name while handing her drink over. She took the drink with a sweet smile his way and sipped it, turning back to me. “Don’t settle for someone just because she’s interested. Respect yourself.”

“This is a lot to take in.”

“It’s just flirting. Not something I can really explain. But all evidence suggests to me that you’re damn good at it.”

I felt my face flame up, and part of me wondered if I could just…sheclearly liked a casual hookup. And I was wondering more and more if she might have actually been interested in me. I didn’t doubt for a second she’d show meexactlywhat a woman could do.

But—I guess it boiled down to that I was scared of rejection. She and her friends were the only good things on this trip now, and I didn’t want to ruin it by asking her to… to… take me to bed? Was I really out here fantasizing about Brooklyn fucking me right after my boyfriend had tried to cheat on me with her?

Shane and I had less and less in common since my career change, but apparently being desperately horny for Brooklyn Sterling was one point we were united on.

I relaxed against the bar with her, trying to look casual. “Try not to flirt with mewhileyou’re telling me to go flirt with someone else.”

She wasn’t through with me, because she winked. “Been trying not to flirt with you this whole time, Ryan.”

“Ah… uh…” That didn’t bode well on my flirting game. She laughed, nodding to the room.

“So? Any girls in here catch your eye?”

Ugh—I needed someone else. Something else. Anyone else. I scanned the crowd and found my eyes fall on a girl with a leather jacket and tall boots, a tattoo on the side of her neck, bright-red hair and a lip piercing. Ifshedidn’t like women, the world was going to stop turning. “Her? Red hair, leather jacket…”

“Huh. That’s your type?”

“I dunno.” She was just the first woman I’d picked out as probably being attracted to women. She was pretty, sure, and logically my brain registered that she had a perfect face shape in profile, lips like an artwork, but… emotionally, the best thing I could pull up in support of her was that her style kind of reminded me of Brooklyn’s. “I guess so,” I said, and Brooklyn elbowed me playfully.

“Well, what are you waiting for, then? Go say hi. Tell her you’ve never been with a girl and you want someone to show you what it’s like. Just… not as the first thing you say.” She winked.

Ugh. I needed her to stop winking at me. And to start wearing a real shirt! How the hell was I supposed to flirt with another woman when she was out here like… like… likethat?

“All right, all right. I’m going. Try not to spend the whole time just thinking of me.”

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