Chapter 6

Six

MAVERICK

"So the bar was an excellent warm up. I see you all snagged a date. Now we're going to learn what to do on that first solo night out to ensure you get a second one."

It's Friday afternoon and instead of working, my boss, a.k.a my former best friend, let me cut out early so I could get to what he likes to call my ‘Make Mav a Book Boyfriend' class. Rolling my eyes as I remember his incessant jabs all day long, I'm barely listening to my ‘teacher' and trying to think of a way out of this.

We went to the bar for our first test, and I moved around talking to everyone. It's not hard for me, I enjoy meeting people, razzing up the conversation a bit, then leaving before it gets too heavy. Maria, one of the four women introduced to us, caught my attention. Ava's cousin is beautiful and funny and we had good conversation together, but she immediately felt off-limits, despite feeling comfortable and familiar. I couldn't put my finger on it, but in any case, she made time move quickly. Ava hung out in the back of the bar, and the two of them kept catching eyes throughout the night. It was like they were having a silent conversation about everyone in the room, but especially me.

"We're going to move from being a good book boyfriend to being a great book boyfriend. And to do that, you need to soften yourself. You need to?—"

"From what I know, softening yourself doesn't happen to book boyfriends," I scoff. "And I'm sure that's not something you want advertised on the cover page of your website."

She shoots me a dirty look but continues on as if I didn't just speak. "You need to zone in on her, make her feel like she's the only woman that you see in the room."

"I thought women like men who play hard to get?" Dick asks.

"Some women do. I've found that both men and women like the chase. If they both have competitive personalities, they may enjoy jibing each other, making the other want them more. I've written both ways, and in the end, it's the banter and the slight touches that always bring them to their knees."

"So many jokes…" I snicker, and she cuts me a look.

"Are you a teenage boy in health class or are you here to learn?" She cocks her hip and places her hand there. Her fiery spark is kind of cute.

I stretch my legs out in front of me, smoothing my palms down my thighs before crossing them behind my head. "I'll pass on health class. Gym was more my thing. Running track was my favorite part." I raise a brow when her eyes narrow, and I don't bother to hide my grin. Seeing her the other day when I was with Jay, working in the town of Charming, impressed me. I could tell she was fit before but seeing her in those spandex pants and a tank took it to a whole new level. And I'm not ashamed to say I went home and thought about her while jerking off in the shower. It was kind of fun imagining her on her knees in front of me. I bet princess would look good with my dick down her throat.

" Anyway , for tonight I want you to concentrate on eye contact and small touches. Hold the door for her and place your hand on her back, guiding her inside. Lean in when you talk. If you're comfortable enough, brush a piece of hair from her face. Let her know you're interested. Too often girls won't make the time because they don't know if the guy is serious. They've risked being vulnerable too many times before, so they've already slammed those doors shut when the good guys try to walk in. We're going to focus on putting all three together tonight. Be charming, ask questions, small touches. Got it?"

The two fools answer excitedly, and I just shake my head at their exuberance. I mean, if they think this is going to work, good for them. It all seems like nonsense that should already be common sense.

The four of us walk the short distance to the restaurant. The two guys walk right in and give their names to the hostess, leaving us to trail behind them. Shaking my head at their ignorance, I open the door and step back, allowing Ava to pass, giving her a quick brush of my hand across her lower back as she enters. While the hostess scans the reservations, I lean over to her and ask, "Are you staying to enjoy the show?"

She doesn't flinch at my voice, just continues to stare straight ahead. "Yes. I always love a good horror movie. I especially love it when the bad guy gets what's coming to him."

I snicker. "Usually that bad guy is just misunderstood and he loses his head for no good reason."

"Yes, I'm sure Jason Voorhees just had mommy issues and Michael Myers just had bad acne."

I bark out a laugh, making the hostess jump. I apologize to her but don't miss the smile Ava tries to hide.

"You know, since you took that stick out, you're a lot less annoying to be around."

She rolls her eyes and huffs a laugh. "I'm glad I have your approval."

I scan the bar. "Oh, the game is on. Good, that should make this night a bit more endurable. I hope my date likes football. "

She glances at the television by the bar. "Warriors versus the Knights? That game is over before it even starts."

"Oh, you know football, princess?"

"Yeah. I do. Surprised a woman knows football?" she asks dryly.

"Not at all. I'm surprised you know football."

She turns to me with that same indignant stance, hands on her hips and fire in her eyes. "And why is that?"

I look past her before flipping my eyes back to her. "Because football is fun. And you're not."

She stares back at me with a look of outrage, and her mouth drops open but she's cut off before she can say anything back.

"Mr. McKinney?" The hostess steps forward, boxing out Ava and laying her hand on my forearm. "If you'll follow me, I'll show you to your table while you wait for your date."

My brows furrow. "How do you know she isn't my date?"

The hostess sweeps her eyes over Ava, dismissing her quickly. "I apologize. Is she your date?"

"No, I'm not. I have my own date, who I see right over there. Excuse me." Her words are clipped, and she takes off to the back of the restaurant before I can get another word in.

The hostess smiles at me once again, and I'm feeling a little strange. I follow her as she takes me in the same direction Ava just went to sit down.

"If there's anything I can do for you , I'll be right up front." She leers at me before turning and walking off with an extra sway in her hips.

I scan the crowd and notice Ava is sitting with a man three tables away. They're at a diagonal view from me, and I have a perfect view of the sides of them. I watch their interaction, which feels wholly friendly, and wonder who he is. When I questioned her about her relationship status, she wouldn't discuss it, so I assumed she was single.

"Is something wrong?"

I'm startled by the voice and quickly jump from my seat. "Maria! I'm so sorry, I didn't see you come in."

She's got a know-it-all look across her face. "I noticed you were otherwise occupied." She slides into her chair before I have a chance to help her. And it annoys me that my first thought is that she's going to tattle on me to Miss Princess.

I glance again at Ava before connecting again with Maria, who is watching me expectantly. "How was your day today?"

She laughs at me. "Okay, I'm going to let you off the hook here. I'm pretty sure I've got this situation all figured out, and it's only been one day."

I shake my head. "I'm not sure where we're going here."

She smiles, reaching across the table and laying her hand on mine. My eyes dart to Ava, who's watching us closely. Then I see her make a show of looking at the table behind me, where Dick and his date are sitting.

Maria squeezes my hand before pulling away. "Just like I thought."

"I'm sorry, I'm completely lost here," I say, rubbing my chin.

"I know who you are."

I furrow my brows. "Who am I?"

"You're Nina and Jay's friend from the book event in Magnolia Point." I raise my brows in question to her statement. "You're also the first guy my cousin has talked about in a year and a half."

I blink and sit back in my chair, my mind running with all kinds of questions. "I'm not sure why you're telling me all thi?—"

"You could be a pivotal moment in her life, so I need you to understand the situation we're in. I'll be watching everyone closely, and you bet your ass I'll be sure to report back after each date and let her know if you are improving."

"Improving," I say sarcastically. "This whole class is a joke. My friends signed me up. I don't need to be here."

"Then why are you still here?"

"Because I need to prove her wrong. "

She smirks. "Why?"

"Because she needs to be brought down from her high horse."

"Funny. She said the same thing about you."

I let out a laugh, and in my peripheral vision, I see Ava watching us. So I take this opportunity to stir the waters a bit. Leaning in, I take Maria's hand again, lacing her fingers with mine. I hold it up close to my face. "If this just turned into a competition, you should tell your cousin to quit now." I turn her wrist, kissing the back of her hand, and her lips twist.

"She's not a quitter."

"Same."

Maria watches me for a moment. "I think this is going to be fun."

"Depends on what your definition of fun is. Seems you have a leg up on me."

"Not so much. You know the score now. I just made the playing field even."

"How did you make it even? By telling me she talked about me? Big deal." I sit back and fold my arms across my chest.

"You're both looking for someone. I know your type, and I know you're deflecting with humor. The fact that she talked about you after the book event and the fact that you came back after abruptly leaving on the first day, makes it seem to me like you two are wanting to dance around this possibility of a hookup a bit more."

I wave my hand dismissively. "My best friend dared me not to quit. That's all. But you, on the other hand, can still get me tossed out. Your report card can reflect badly on me, making me look like a jerk."

"I'd never do that. I'll probably be your best report card each week." She gives a satisfied smile. "No, what I did was let you know there is an interest and now you can play both sides of the field, earning points for your team and hers."

"Listen, I don't play game?—"

"Okay, bad analogy. It's not about playing games. It's about letting the real you shine through. Anyone can be told what to do, how to act, how to put on a show to gain new ground. You can be taught a way of doing things, but in the end, your real personality is going to rise to the top no matter what is thrown at you. Sometimes all it takes is a little pressure to make its way known."

I shake my head at her. "I was myself, and she dismissed me. I hate to break it to you, but your cousin is a stuck-up princess." I put my hand up. "And before you say otherwise, that's how she came off in the first class. Hell, it's how she came off when we went for coffee after the book event."

She raises a brow and sits back in her chair. I study her. She has similar coloring to Ava and they have the same underlying sarcasm, but Maria lets her fun shine through more. And now I understand the familiar but slightly off feeling I got when I met her. The two women are quite similar in looks, but their personalities are a complete one-eighty difference.

"You're awfully different for being family," I note.

She shakes her head. "We're really not that different. I just haven't been through what she has."

"What does that mean?"

"She took chances at a young age. She bet on love because that's who she is." She leans forward, placing her hands flat on the table. "But sometimes those bets don't pay out, so we move to something new, and I'm proud of her for doing so." She cocks her head to the side. "Do you like trying new things, Maverick? Maybe teaching someone a bit about your world could be fun."

I let out a shaky breath because, for some reason, this woman has me on edge. She's giving me some personal details about her cousin that really should have come from Ava herself, but at the same time, they have me very interested in hearing more. "I think you're trouble."

"And I think you're just what we've been looking for."

"We? "

"She's my favorite cousin. I want her to be happy."

The waiter comes over and takes our order, and I spend the next hour and half talking with Maria, letting bits and pieces of myself slip out while learning more about Ava. When Maria talks of Ava's crazy work hours in the office, while still finding time to carry out her passion of writing at night and on weekends, it makes me wonder if I misjudged this princess from the start. A woman looking for someone to take care of her wouldn't be working endless hours to showcase their independence. If anything, it seems like she'd be looking for someone on the same level, who supports her need to work while being there to balance it out. I have that same drive for work and always saw myself being with someone with that same passion. Maybe things aren't always what they seem after all.