Page 56 of Grumpy Darling

“Now we watch a chick flick while it marinates. Trust me, it’ll soothe your soul.”

“Soothe my...” I paused, wondering why I was still fighting this. Paige was on a roll. There was no stopping her now. “Fine. Sounds good.”

She looked surprised I’d agreed so quickly. And to be honest, I was a little surprised myself.

“Just give me a minute,” I said. “I’ll need snacks if I’m going to survive a chick flick.”

She laughed as I headed for the door. “I thought you were worried about your family seeing your face.”

“Guess I’ll have to be quick then.”

I was out the door before she offered to go for me, and I headed straight for Reed’s bedroom across the hall. Unfortunately, Cammie chose that moment to emerge from her room.

“Oh my god.” She started cackling the moment she laid eyes on me. I always knew my sister could be slightly scary, but I’d never heard her utter such an evil laugh. “You’re so whipped!”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” My response only seemed to encourage more laughter, and she was still chuckling to herself as she continued down the hallway.

I lunged for Reed’s door and disappeared inside his room before Parker could come and investigate. I could only imagine what a hard time my younger brother would give me if he saw me like this.

Reed started grinning when he caught sight of me again. “That’s actually a good look for you, Gray. Green’s really your color.”

“Look, I only have a minute here, so save your jokes for later,” I said. “I need your help. The plan’s not working.”

“With Paige? It’s only been one day.”

“And look at me.” I waved a hand at the green gunk on my face. “I’m so lost in the friend zone, I’m beyond extraction.”

The smirk dropped from his lips and I thought he might finally be taking me seriously. He leaned forward in his desk chair. “Well, for starters, you probably need to remove that crap on your face.”

“Obviously,” I growled. “Then what?”

“You tell me. You’re supposed to be wooing her with your coaching. What did you have planned to teach her next?”

“That’s the problem,” I said. “She wants more than just flirting lessons now. She’s roped me into helping her with all sorts of other stuff. She’s asking me to teach her how to get a guy’s attention and how to be romantic on a first date. She was even talking about me helping with a damn makeover.”

I couldn’t tell whether Reed was cringing or just doing his best not to start laughing again. Suddenly his expression relaxed. “Well, this is good.”

“Good? How is it good? She basically wants me to help her fall in love with someone else.”

“It’s good,” he repeated. “Because these are all opportunities for you to show a different side of yourself. So Paige starts to see you as more than just her best friend. Just like you planned.”

“They are?”

“Of course. Just use each lesson to flirt with her, be romantic with her. Trust me, before you know it, she’ll be falling in love with you instead.”

He certainly made it sound good; too good to be true, most likely. “I’m not so sure.”

“You need to be more confident about this,” he said. “Look, you already made an impression on her with your flirting at the party. You just need to think about what’s next. Come up with a game plan. You’re never going to win the game if you don’t have all your plays figured out.”

“This isn’t hockey, Reed. And I don’t think anyone would be expected to take to the ice with a face full of green goop.”

“The goop is a perfect example of what I’m talking about,” he said. “You can use it to your advantage.”

“How?”

“You could ask to return the favor? Offer to help withherface mask, or maybe see if she wants a relaxing massage as repayment. Use it as a reason to get close to her.”

I wasn’t sure about the massage, but I supposed his advice wasn’t all bad. I could probably see if Paige wanted a facial too. As much as I’d complained, it had felt pretty good to have her close to me. Maybe my brother really did know what he was talking about.

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