Chapter 7

Seven

AVA

I was really hoping setting the Christmas scene in my office and my home would help with my lack of ideas. And if I'm completely honest, I was hoping the book-boyfriend class would jumpstart a bunch of storylines. So far, the only genre I've come up with is horror.

And that's because the enemies-to-lovers trope is staring me dead in the face. I'm certain I've officially lost my mind since joining forces with my three besties. Between their texts and Maria's love notes, my mind is swirling with what ifs.

The biggest one being what if I never met Maverick?

I would just be continuing on with my life. I'd be teaching the new guys. I'd be writing my next story. I'd be talking wedding details with Nina and hopefully getting a jump on my shopping for Christmas gifts. Instead, Maverick and all of his innuendos about hot teachers and telling me I'm not fun is weighing heavily on me. And the fact I want to prove him wrong scares me. I shouldn't care what this guy thinks, but I do.

It's been three days since the dates at the restaurant. The feedback I received on Dick and Alistair was decent, but Maverick's notes have me on edge. Maria is liking the guy, and I can't figure out why. She's been praising him for how he's been following along with what I'm teaching despite putting his own spin on it. When I questioned what she meant, she just replied with a nonchalant answer of ‘the guy is an original.'

I don't see anything original about him.

Maverick McKinney is a classic case of handsome and he knows it. He's the guy who got away with skipping class by flirting with the teachers, had the cheerleaders doing his homework, and is now probably scoring more than a tip and good review for his HVAC repairs.

I see a lot of my ex-husband in him, and it bothers me. Zach and I seemed like the perfect couple, but I always felt inferior, despite being the one in charge of mostly everything. He was fun and everyone wanted to be around him, but fun doesn't pay the bills. And when I would squash those good times, I was labeled a killjoy.

Maverick telling me I'm not fun at the restaurant the other day really stung. It seems to be a trait I can't move on from anymore. Even my friends call me the mom of our group.

When I've always had to be the one to keep things under control, it's hard to let that go and have fun. It's hard to move past being the one to keep everything from sinking.

A clearing of the throat brings me back to the present. I look up and see Maverick has draped himself against the door frame. I take in his strong legs clad in dark jeans. My eyes sweep over the blue T-shirt that pulls tight against his chest and the veins in his arm that pop out by leaning against the door. My breath catches, and I bring my hand to my lips when I notice his sly smirk as he watches me noticing every detail about him.

"Looks like I nailed today's class before it even started."

He pushes from the door, dropping his head and smiling before bringing his eyes back to mine as he licks his lips slowly then traces his bottom one with his finger. He struts his way a few feet more into the room before pulling out a chair next to Dick and Alistair, sitting and draping his arm across the back of the empty chair next to him.

His entire show of an entrance enrages me. He nailed it; it didn't feel forced and it showed off his fun side. Any guy that can pull off the door lean already knows how to use it to his advantage. Whether he's being silly with it to turn on his woman or he's looking to gain attention in a room full of people, he knows exactly how to make it work for him.

And boy, does it work for him.

So why the fuck is he still here?

He wants to win. That's it.

"I-is that what we're learning t-today?" Dick asks apprehensively.

"Actually, yes. Body movement and how you get others to notice you is important. Standing tall shows confidence. Having a certain walk about you shows power. And the door leans show sexuality. Maybe Maverick should teach today's class since he seems to be an expert."

"What's wrong, princess? Afraid I'm going to take over your class?"

I sneer at him. "Hardly. But you clearly know how to make it work for you. Lots of practice I assume."

He stands from the chair and walks to the front of the room, taking a stance next to me and facing the guys. "No practice. You either got it, or you don't."

"That's not helping," I whisper yell at him, before turning back and speaking to Dick and Alistair. "There is a practice to it, an art form, if you will. It all comes back to the same word we've been using over and over since day one. Confidence. Stand tall, know your worth, and that will show every time."

"How does it come so easy for you, man?" Alistair asks Maverick. He's still standing next to me, and when he crosses one leg over the other, switching his stance, his arm brushes mine and every hair on my body stands on end. I move away from him, his presence is so overwhelming.

He grins, giving me a quick side eye like he knows what he just did to me. "It wasn't always easy. As a kid, I was tall with no weight, I had braces and two left feet. I was made fun of, a lot, and I only had two friends." He leans forward and lowers his voice. "They were even uglier than me." He cuts his eyes to me. "Don't tell Jay I said that."

A laugh escapes me, and his smile in return washes over me, leaving me feeling enraptured by his story.

"So how did you go from that to this?" Dick asks, clearly anxious and wanting to know how to move forward.

"I stopped caring how others saw me. I concentrated on making myself feel good. When I was scrawny, they called me a nerd. But when I bulked up and lost the braces, they called me a playboy. People are going to see what they see, and you're never going to change their mind." He glances at me. "Most times, a first impression is never lost, and a lot of relationships are misinterpreted because of it."

I roll my lips inward and look at the two men who are captivated by Maverick. From day one, they idolized him, and I hated it. But it's also what I've been teaching the guys here. Confidence. Why am I mad that Maverick has it?

"Come up here." Mav stands tall and calls up Alistair. He scurries from his chair, like a little kid being called up for an autograph from his favorite player. I step to the side to see what they're about to do when my phone goes off. I quickly silence it but see it's a text from Maria saying she's here.

"I'll be right back." I leave the room and hear Maverick instructing Alistair on how to stand with his hands loosely on his hips. Shaking my head, I take a breath and meet Maria in the front office. "What's going on? Everything okay?"

"Oh yeah, it's fine. I just wanted to drop by and see how the classes were going."

"I've got one going on right now, but I seem to have been replaced as the instructor."

She raises her brows and has a grin. "Let me guess."

"Mmhmm. Follow me." We walk back to the conference room and stand at the door, watching as Maverick continues.

"So listen. First thing, Al. You don't mind if I call you Al, right?"

Alistair waves his hand. "No, that's fine."

Maverick goes to move him but pauses again. "Ya know, I'm not trying to be a dick here, but when you introduce yourself, what name do you use?"

Alistair looks embarrassed. "I use my full name."

"Like, Alistair, or first and last name?"

He looks down and whispers, "First and last."

Maverick claps his hands, and both men jump, as do Maria and I. "Hey. I know I laughed at Dick's name the first day." He steps forward to fist bump with Dick. "I'm sorry about that, bruh." Then he steps back to Alistair. "You should never be embarrassed of the name your momma gave you. But maybe, to start off and soften the blow, you just introduce yourself as Al." He puts his hands up. "Alistair Dankworth is a strong name, but it's not very common. You see what I'm saying here?"

Maria hip bumps me, but I refuse to look at her. I know what she's saying. And I'm kind of impressed with Maverick right now. He's giving these guys confidence.

"Stand tall, Al. You've got broad shoulders. Women love that." He tips Al's chin up with his hand. "Lead with your eyes, don't look down. Now, tell me what kind of woman you look for. If we were to walk back into Tipsy Tavern, who'd be the first chick you'd look for?"

Al's shoulders drop and he looks down. Maverick forcibly pushes his shoulders back again and Al's head snaps up. I giggle because it's kind of comical to see these two completely different men working with each other. "I would go for a tall woman."

"Good. Why tall? "

"Well, because I'm tall, and I don't want to feel like I'm looking down on someone when I speak with them."

I smile at his answer, and Maria gives me another bump. "You've got some exceptional guys here. Truly book-boyfriend worthy."

I raise my brow at her. "Don't get ahead of yourself," I jest but cover it with a laugh.

"Have some fun, Ava. They are!" She waves her hand toward them again, and I roll my eyes at her choice of words.

"Okay, tall. What else?" Maverick prompts him.

"Blondes. I like blondes."

"Perfect. I prefer brunettes, so at least we're not competing for the same chicks." The two of them fist bump, and I see Maverick glance around the room. My yellow sweater is hanging on the edge of the chair, and he quickly grabs it and wraps it around his head.

"What is he doing?" I ask in amazement.

Maverick saunters back to Al and holds out his hand. In a higher voice than usual he says, "Hi, I'm Princess Leah, and you are?"

Both guys snort out laughs and Maverick pulls his hand back. "Oh! What is so funny?" he asks, speaking in the same squeaky voice.

Al clears his throat when he realizes what he's doing. "I apologize. I was just remembering something. Leah is a beautiful name. My name is Al."

"Al?"

"Yeah. Just Al."

Maverick swishes his hips and trails his hand along Al's shoulder and down his arm. "You have amazing stature, Al. I bet you're really strong."

I'm trying to keep from laughing, but when I see Al standing taller than usual and making eye contact, even if it is a joke, it pulls at my heart.

"Thank you, Leah. You have beautiful eyes. I like that we're on the same level."

Maverick stands in front of him, waiting without saying a word. A moment goes by and he cocks his head. I see Al glance back and forth between him and Dick before Maverick whispers, "What do you do next? What did Ava teach you?"

His eyes light up. "Oh! Offer a drink and ask questions!"

"Yes!" Maverick cheers, and the two men high five each other. "Man, you got it. What are you so afraid of?"

"It's easy here. It's not so easy out there."

"I get it. I really do. I feel the same insecurities you do. But I don't see anything wrong with what you're offering."

A slow clap from both Maria and I brings all three heads our way. When Maverick's eyes connect with mine, his sheepish grin is the cutest thing ever. He pulls the sweater from his head. "We should get some more props, what do you think?"

I bite my bottom lip as Maria whispers to me, "I think we need a prop with batteries."