Page 4 of Mr. Flirt

I gritted my teeth and looked at Lucy. I knew I had to tell her.

The timer buzzed, and Lucy locked her gaze on mine. “You’re going to get excellent marks.”

I laughed and let out a slow breath. “Lucy, I like you, but I need to tell you one thing.”

“Yeah?”

“I was here on a dare. My name’s not Perry.”

Rage flashed through her beautiful green eyes as she popped up from her seat and reached over the table to grab me.

Red wine spilled everywhere, and the room full of singles gasped in unison as all eyes turned to the screeching female in front of me.

I spun around, narrowly missing her hands of fury, and took that as my exit.

I knew that tonight was officially the last dare I’d ever accept again.

Maybe.

Chapter Two

Here Comes Baby

Lucy

Today had been a day, and it was far from over.

Between listening to two attorneys go at it all afternoon in the office next to mine, and I didn’t mean debating, and being stuck behind the longest beagle parade in the history of beagle parades, I was positive that today was out to get me.

I needed to drop off my sister’s birthday present at one of Seattle’s swankiest bars before hightailing it to the hospital to help my best friend, Danni, give birth.

Why not skip dropping off my sister’s present?

Because I didn’t have that kind of sister; the wordforgivenever managed to wiggle its way into her vocabulary. At times, it felt like she was the one who should be a divorce lawyer—not me.

Instead, she ogled over men and sent me to dating events. A shiver ran through me when my mind flashed back to the last one. The personal fiasco even wound up in the local gossip column in our paper. Thankfully, there weren’t any names reported. Just a precious little anecdote about dating in the age of smart phones with my rear end up in the air, sprawled over the table in my missed attempt to strangle my match.

But back to why I was in the middle of the city when my best friend was about to give birth.

My sister turned the big 3-0 today, and I’d never hear the end of it if I didn’t drop off her present.

I’d like to believe it was because my sister loved me so much and she just had to see a friendly face on her big day, but the truth was much darker. I gave good gifts, and my sister enjoyed receiving them. It was a perk of going to law school.

As I pushed into the overcrowded and overpriced bar, I immediately spotted my sister and her friends. They’d obviously been there for a while, considering just how loud their voices rang in the air.

The bar was one of those swanky places with exposed beams overhead, fancy wrought-iron chandeliers, brick facades, and drinks that cost a small fortune, with men in suits slurping them up.

My sister saw me, flung her hands up, and frantically waved as I walked over. I saw a few male glances in my direction and tried not to roll my eyes at them. I felt like a pork chop they wanted to gnaw on before tossing the bone away.

Did I mention I was a divorce lawyer?

Fact. This was the worst place to meet a guy, and I certainly didn’t have time for an awkward hello. It was bad enough that slippery, snaky men surrounded me at work. I didn’t need to mingle with them in my off-hours.

Not to mention I was still scarred by a man named Perry, who looked like a buff Viking warrior trapped in the throngs of hipster nation. It just proved to me that I wasn’t cut out for the opposite sex. Or, more to the point, I didn’t feel like thawing my heart anytime soon.

I slid a Chanel gift bag under the table, making my sister’s eyes light up as I went in for another hug.

“Hey, Mae. Happy Birthday.” I squeezed her extra hard before slipping into the chair reserved for me.

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