Page 6 of The Lessons

Thirty,I said silently to myself.

He continued. “Yep—see? No girl your age uproots like that unless there’s something strong driving them.” He paused and cocked his head. “Oh, wait. What about…breakup?”

He was speaking quickly, and I had a hard time keeping up. Had he just asked me if I’d broken up with a boyfriend? I shook my head. “No, no breakup.”

He grinned as he stuck his hands back in the front pockets of his jeans. “Okay. New city, no breakup. So we’re back to my original question: work or boyfriend?”

I sighed. Okay, maybe he was alittlecharming. “Work.”

His eyes lit up. “That’s fantastic.”

“It is?”

“Yeah, I mean, I happen to be an excellent tour guide. I’ve lived here my whole life.”

“Oh, look. I, uh, I’m not sure if I have time to—”

“I understand,” he cut me off. “Listen, give me your phone.” He held out his hand expectantly.

I cocked my head at him but reached into my purse and pulled out my smartphone. “Why do you—?”

He grabbed it out of my hand and started typing.

“Are you trying to pick me up?” I asked, suddenly emboldened.Thanks, lady-balls, for finally showing up.

He looked up at me from my phone. “I think I’m doing a little better than trying.” He winked at me. “Here, now you have my number. When you’re settled, give me a call. I think we could have a lot of fun.” He grabbed my hand. For a moment I thought he was going to kiss it, but instead he placed the phone in it. “It’s been a pleasure, Ms. Natalie With No Last Name.”

I blushed again as he flashed a smile at me before turning to leave.

“Oh, wait, uh, Ryan?”

He stopped and turned back to me hopefully.

I looked down at the floor and then back up to him. “It’s probably in New Fiction. Against the front wall.”

The corners of his eyes crinkled as he shook his head. “I fucking knew it.”

Once he’d rounded the corner, I fell back against the shelf, my heart racing. What had just happened? I looked down at my phone and tapped the screen. There was a new entry in my Contacts.

Ryan Andrews.

Chapter Two

Natalie

Natalie’s Emergency Intervention Plan (AKA Plan B):

1. Move to California

2. Lie.

3. Lose my virginity.

4. Get back to Plan A.

Now, before you start critiquing my life choices, let me give you some background:

I had spent the last three years caring for my ailing mother. Or rather, my ailing, adoptive mother. Having grown up in foster care, I didn't consider my mom just a mom—she was my angel. I mean, hello, she’d literallysavedme. So you can imagine that when I found out her breast cancer had returned I was shattered. She’d also been a child of the ‘system,’ and our family consisted of only each other. So at the fresh age of twenty-six, I quit my job in marketing to take care of her.

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