Page 10 of Flirty Thirty

“I believe in trying things yourself first.” He takes a long pull from his water. “Only reason I hired a realtor is because I read about a page into a very thick book on buying a house before realizing it was not going to be something I could fudge my way through.”

“Wise decision.” I lean back as our waitress puts our food in front of us. A dip of guilt hits my stomach at the small error in judgment I had when I switched my order. Cooper, however, seems very excited about what I’ve chosen to eat, his blue eyes lit up as they scan over my hearty meal for more-than-one. He thanks our waitress and immediately reaches for one of my slices of bacon.

I tap his knuckles. “You have your own.”

“Yours looks crispier.”

I point a warning with my fork, and he laughs and settles in with his meal. The exchange has a strange aftertaste—strange because it doesn’tfeelstrange. In my scarce dating life, I’ve yet to fight over food; it’s not exactly something that happens early on. Another perk of only dipping your toes into relationships.

Yet, I don’t seem to mind that it was his automatic response. Feeling brave and perhaps a little curious, I reach across the table for a succulent-looking strawberry sitting atop his three-stack pancake plate. He doesn’t blink an eye as I fork the fruit and bring it to my mouth.

“You can answer that if it’s important,” he says, nodding to my phone. I blink away my fascination at his indifference to a near stranger picking from his plate and turn to my buzzing cell. It’s Sarah, messaging every few seconds because the open house starts in twenty. I quickly message her to take point on it, then swipe over to the response to the house showing request.

“You’re in luck,” I tell him with a smile. “I can show you the house on Rose Summit this afternoon.”

He grins over a mouthful of pancake, something I’d never in my life thought I’d find attractive, but he somehow pulls it off. “Wonderful.”

I don’t know how he did it, but now that the business portion is over—for the most part—I find myself hoping he brings up some more deep conversation. Not that one person has changed my stance on the subject; I’m more curious than anything else. I’ve never had these conversations, never gotten past the beginning to see what the middle or end even looked like. Ends to me played out like a mutual falling away once we realized we’d done all we could do with each other. I never felt like I was used and thrown away, because I never got close enough to someone to feel that way. I never wanted to. So why am I even considering talking about life, relationships, and the like with a man who obviously is heading down a different direction?

“Is there a policy against dating clients?” he asks, his mouth now free of food. I internally laugh at the relief I feel that he’s back to being so blunt. It’s mighty entertaining.

“It’s frowned upon,” I say, poking my fork into the yolk of my sunny-side-up. “But there’s no official policy.”

“Do you have your own policy against it?”

I slowly shake my head. “Haven’t needed one.”

“Hmm,” he murmurs, returning to his food. “Interesting.”

I set my fork down. “For someone who rarely beats around the bush, you sure know how to do so when it’s the most annoying.”

He laughs. “Well, I was waiting for the end of the meal to get down on one knee.” He winks, and I shake my head at my plate.

“At least you’re aware of your insanity.”

The dimple on his cheek dips suddenly before fading out entirely. “To answer your previous question honestly, though… no, I won’t be telling you I love you.Thatsentiment is something worth waiting for.”

“Wow.” I bite back a smile, hiding behind another sip of juice. “Something we agree on.”

There’s a nice, calming air between us that is somehow laced with a desire that I don’t too often feel. He’s pulled a one-eighty on my view of him with one simple meal. He’s right about one thing—he’s definitely a better ender.

6

Lip Tryst

“You look happy,” Julie says, fixing her lifeless bangs on the other end of the screen. I prop my iPad up on its stand to free my hands up to flip through my wardrobe.

“It’s ahugecommission, Jules. I’m talking six figures.”

Her eyes widen appreciatively. “Does that mean you’re treating tonight?”

A euphoric laugh floats from my freshly glossed lips. “If you want.” I will pay for her next grocery bill. Her nextsevengrocery bills, I’m that excited about landing this buyer. My high has nothing to do with how the attractive man thinksI’mattractive, too.

Nope, can’t be that.

“I was kidding.” She tilts her head back and forth. “Kind of.”

I skate my fingers across a few blouses, pausing on a lavender one with a low dip in the front I haven’t had the courage to wear, but after a morning of ego stroking, my confidence levels have spiked. I pull it from the hanger.

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