Page 7 of Love Lessons
Oh Christ. “Why is she here?” I ask Drake. “I thought we were planning our Italy trip tonight?”
Drake removes the empty beer bottle from my hand and swaps it for another one. “She’s invited on the trip. She and Charli are tight.”
“Wait, what?”
Drake doesn’t even have time to answer before I hear thetap, tap, tapof high heels on the wood floors. Vera sweeps into the room, and I almost swallow my tongue. She’s wearing a little black dress. Strapless. It shows off smooth shoulders and a kissable neck. She’s the finest thing in this very chic room, and it’s hard to look away.
“Oh,” she says softly as her big, dark eyes land on me. “Hi.”
“Hi, neighbor.” I grin.
That’s when Vera blushes. Like,reallyblushes. A deep flush creeps up her face, and I see her swallow hard. “I, um, brought…” She looks down at the bag in her hand, like she’d forgotten it was there. “Prosecco,” she manages to say.
“Excellent,” Drake says, taking it from her. “We’ll have a toast.”
“What’s prosecco?” I demand, wanting her eyes back on me.
Andboom. Her brown-eyed stare is back. She takes in my tattoos before jerking her eyes guiltily up to my face. “Prosecco is, uh, sparkling wine from Italy.”
“Like…champagne?” My knowledge of wine is nonexistent.
“Right,” she says, nodding quickly. “Except you can’t call it champagne unless it’s from a certain region of France.”
“Yeah?” I laugh. “What happens if I do? Will the champagne cops show up and arrest me? Just what I need for my rap sheet.”
Her color deepens, and she doesn’t say anything. The girl is flustered. She’s attracted to me, but she doesn’t want to be.
That’s fun in its own way, I suppose. And it’s just dawning on me that we’re going to have to get along on this trip to Italy.
New plan—forget the stylist. I’ll spend the entire trip shirtless and working on my sixpack in the Italian sunshine.
She’ll hate it.
Suddenly, I’m in a vacation kind of mood.
THREE
Fashion Slut
VERA
How many run-inscan one girl have with Ian Crikey? This guy is everywhere.
Suddenly I feel a little too bare in the dress I’m wearing, but it’s probably just my hormone rush talking.
No, you’re definitely overdressed, announces my critical inner voice.You look like you’re trying too hard.
That little voice has a lot to say lately. And she’s kind of a bitch.
“I’m going to set the table,” Charli says.
“And I’ll help you,” I announce, grateful for the excuse to leave the kitchen.
I feel Ian’s eyes on me again as I go. The purpose of tonight’s gathering is to plan our trip to Italy. So what is he doing here?
Uh-oh.
I follow Charli into the dining room, trying to think of a subtle way to ask about Ian. There’s a stack of linen napkins at the ready, so I pick up one of them and fold it into a swan shape.
