7. No Use Crying Over Spilled Coffee

NO USE CRYING OVER SPILLED COFFEE

EVERETT

I tapped my fingers against the steering wheel, waiting for the light to turn green on my way home from practice. Tuesdays were usually the player day off after a game, but I wanted to get in an extra practice. Had hoped it would do my system some good. I was antsy as fuck, and I knew why.

It was becoming harder to ignore the way my stomach flipped every time I even thought about Penelope Quinn. No number of drills was going to work her out of my blood.

But that was ridiculous, right? I mean, sure, Penelope was more than attractive. And smart. And funny. And... I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts. This was just a crush, nothing more. When I fell in love—really fell in love—I'd know it immediately. I was holding out for that lightning strike, just like it had been for my parents. Just like it had been for Declan when he met Kelsey. Honestly, even Chris had it bad for Trixie the first time he saw her when we were all kids. Hayes was over the moon for Willa and probably had been in high school, if he'd ever admit it.

But I wasn't in love with Pen.

The light turned green, and I pressed down on the gas pedal maybe a little harder than necessary. I needed to get a grip. Penelope was a friend, a student of the love guru, nothing more. I was just teaching her how to date, how to flirt. So she could get her date for the Grampys. That was all.

Might as well execute that plan. Because once I quit seeing her every day, thinking about her every minute, this crush would fade, and I could go back to looking for the girl I was supposed to fall in love with. Before I could talk myself out of it, I grabbed my phone and hit Penelope's number. She picked up on the third ring.

"Hello?" Her voice was soft, a little uncertain.

I didn't like that. I wanted the sweet and outgoing Pen who knew how to conquer the world. I'd fucked that up by pushing her out of her comfort zone too fast. We'd take it slower this time and I'd make sure she didn't fail like that again.

"Hey, Pen. It's Everett." As if she didn't know. Smooth, Kingman. Real smooth. "Are you free and up for a little impromptu lesson?"

There was a pause on the other end of the line, and for a moment, I worried I'd cut into her workday. She and Kelsey were always go, go, go, and I didn't even really know what they were doing. Besides changing the world one song and one social media post at a time. But then she laughed, a sound that sent warmth spreading through my chest and other areas down below.

"I've got some time. What did you have in mind?"

I pulled into the parking lot of Cool Beans, our neighborhood coffee shop. "How about some casual flirting practice? No bars this time. Nothing too intense. Just... you know, everyday interactions. The kind of thing you might do if you saw someone who piqued your interest at say... a coffee shop."

"Oh." Was that disappointment in her voice? No, I was definitely imagining things. "Yeah, that sounds good. Where were you thinking?"

"Cool Beans?" I suggested, trying to keep my voice casual. "It's a good, low-pressure environment, but since Willa's taken over and cooked up all her marketing ideas, there's a steady stream of customers, but it's not overly crowded."

"Okay, sure. When?" She sounded a little distracted, and I wondered if maybe Kelsey was nearby and could hear Pen's side of the call. I should have thought of that.

I glanced at my watch. "Can you get away now? I'm actually already here." I winced, realizing how eager that made me sound. "I mean, I was on my way home from the gym, so..."

Penelope laughed again, and I found myself smiling in response. "Alright, give me fifteen minutes."

I hung up and leaned back in my seat, taking a deep breath. This was fine. This was normal. Just two friends, hanging out, one teaching the other how to flirt. Totally normal.

I got out of the car and headed into Cool Beans. The familiar scent of coffee and freshly baked pastries hit me as soon as I walked through the door. Willa was behind the counter, and she grinned when she saw me.

"Everett, what brings you here in the middle of the day? Shouldn't you be at practice or something? Not that I'm complaining. Especially if you happen to post on your socials that you're here. Your adoring fans definitely need some coffee or tea this afternoon."

I shrugged, approaching the counter. "Day off. Thought I'd grab a coffee. How's it going? Hayes treating you right?"

Willa rolled her eyes, but her smile widened. "Your brother is beyond a perfect gentleman. Most of the time. Now, what can I get you?"

She blushed a little talking about Hayes, and I loved that for the two of them.

"Just a black coffee for now," I said. "I'm actually meeting someone in a few minutes."

Willa's eyebrows shot up. "First of all, no. You'll get a fancy concoction of mine and like it, and... anyone I know?"

I hesitated. Willa did know Penelope. They might even be friends. I needed to play this cool, so Willa didn't suspect anything. Hopefully she'd be too busy serving customers when Pen got here. Maybe I'd just send a little text to Hayes to get him over here to distract her. "Just Penelope," I said finally. "We're, uh, working on a project."

"Uh-huh," Willa said, her tone skeptical. She turned to make my coffee or tea or whatever it was, and I could practically feel her curiosity radiating off her in waves.

I sent that text to Hayes.

I took my drink, which smelled like Christmas, and settled into a corner table, one with an unobstructed view of both the door and the counter but that was far enough away that Willa wouldn't overhear everything we were saying. As I waited for Penelope, I found myself getting increasingly nervous. What was wrong with me? This was easy peasy stuff, not rocket science. She'd pick it up in no time.

But maybe I didn't want her to. And as much as I tried to deny it, I knew that my feelings for Penelope were becoming more complicated by the day. Which was why I needed to make her a dating expert immediately if not sooner.

The bell above the door chimed, and Penelope walked in. She was wearing a simple t-shirt and jeans, her hair loose around her shoulders, and for a moment, I forgot she wasn't mine. She spotted me and smiled, giving a little wave as she made her way to the counter.

I watched as she ordered, chatting easily with Willa and Javier, the other barista. This was good, I told myself. She wasn't awkward with Javi. I could remind her of that when she got nervous later.

She slid into the seat across from me, looked around like she was a cold-war spy making sure no one was watching, and lowered her voice. "So, teach, what's the lesson plan for today?"

Cute as fuck.

"Well," I said, setting my cup down, "I thought we could start with something simple. Flirting in everyday situations. The kind of thing you might do if you were interested in, say, the cute barista who makes your coffee every morning."

Penelope's eyes widened slightly, and for a second, I thought I saw a flash of something—disappointment? frustration? —cross her face. But then she smiled, and it was gone.

"Okay," she said, leaning forward slightly. "So, if I were interested in the cute barista at a coffee shop, what would you suggest I do?"

I nodded towards Javi. "Why don't you go try flirting with him? You seemed pretty comfortable chatting earlier."

Penelope's face suddenly drained of color, until she glanced over her shoulder at Javier who gave her a little wave when he saw her looking at him. Then she turned about fifty shades of pink. "What? Now? I... I don't know what to say."

I watched her curiously. She'd been so at ease with Javi just moments ago, but now she looked like she'd rather face a firing squad than go talk to him again. Yep. Just as I suspected.

"Pen," I said gently, "you only lose your cool when you think the conversation has to lead to romance, don't you?"

She bit her lip, sank down into her chair, and nodded slightly.

I leaned in, my voice low. "The best way to flirt with a man is always just to be yourself. Don't worry about whether the guy you're talking to is looking for a date. It's all about seeing if you connect with that person. It's not like whoever you meet is going to jump into bed with you that very minute."

Penelope's licked her lips like she was thinking about fucking jumping into bed with Javi, and I felt smacked with... something. Jealousy? No, that was ridiculous. I pushed the feeling aside.

"Just be yourself," I repeated. "That's the most attractive thing you can be."

She nodded, seeming to relax a bit. But then her eyes darted to the door, and a mischievous smile spread across her face. "Okay, how about you show me how it's done?"

I turned to see a woman walking in, probably in her late twenties, tall, with an athletic build, long dark hair, and a friendly smile.

"Alright," I agreed, standing up. "Watch and learn."

I made my way over to the woman, and I could feel Penelope's eyes on me. Good. This was going to be the easiest of the lessons for her to observe.

I struck up a conversation with the newcomer in line, whose name I learned was Simone, keeping it light and casual. She mentioned that she'd heard the tea here was great, and that's what she was looking for because she was a singer in a local band. I recommended she ask Willa to make her one of her tea concoctions and offered to buy it for her to try.

Then we sat at a nearby table together and I asked her about her band.

It was that easy. Listen to what the person was saying and respond to that so they knew you were genuinely listening and interested.

Simone was cute, friendly, obviously interested in me, and I felt absolutely nothing. Nada. Zilch.

I was just about to wrap up the conversation when I felt someone bump into me from behind. I turned to see Penelope, who had somehow managed to scoot her chair right up next to mine without me noticing.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," she said, her eyes wide with feigned innocence. "I was just trying to get a better view of the menu board."

Before I could respond, Penelope shifted in her seat, and suddenly her coffee cup was tipping, its contents spilling all over both of us.

"Oh, oh no," she gasped, jumping up. "I'm so sorry."

I sat there, coffee dripping down my shirt, staring at Penelope in disbelief. Her t-shirt was also soaked, and she was frantically dabbing at us both with napkins. Simone, looking bewildered, quietly excused herself and headed out the door.

As Pen dabbed at my shirt, I caught her eye. For a moment, I thought I saw a flash of triumph in her expression, quickly replaced by embarrassment.

"I think," I said, trying to keep the amusement out of my voice, "that this might be a good time to end today's lesson."

Penelope nodded, and then shook her head and closed her eyes, embarrassed once again. Dammit. "I think you might be right."

We stepped out of Cool Beans and the crisp Colorado air hit our damp clothes. Penelope hugged herself, her teeth chattering slightly.

"Here," I said, shrugging off my jacket and draping it over her shoulders. "You need this more than I do."

She looked up at me, her eyes wide and unreadable.

"Thanks," she murmured, pulling the jacket tighter around her. The sight of her in my clothes did something to my insides that I wasn't ready to examine too closely.

"I'm so sorry about all that." She waved her hand around in the general direction of the spill zone. "I can't believe I made such a mess of things."

I chuckled, trying to ease her embarrassment. "Pen, it's fine. It's not like I was actually interested in that woman."

She laughed weakly, but then her face grew serious. "Everett, I... I think we should cancel the lessons."

"What?" No way I was letting her quit. I wasn't nearly started with her, much less done. "Why?"

Penelope sighed, looking down at her feet. "I'm clearly horrible at this. I can't even make it through a simple coffee shop lesson without disaster striking. Maybe I should just accept that I'll be going to the Grampys alone."

"Penelope, look at me." I waited until she raised her eyes to mine. "You're not horrible at this. Everyone has awkward moments. Everyone. You should have seen the way Chris used to act around Trixie before he took my advice to actually tell her about his feelings for her. You gotta trust me."

She bit her lip, looking unconvinced. "But?—"

"No buts," I interrupted. "Listen, I have an idea. I think I've been going about these lessons the wrong way. You up for trying something different, with less eyes on you?"

Penelope nodded hesitantly.

"Good. Then I think it's time for some private lessons," I suggested, my heart racing a little at the thought. It was all for the cause. The sooner I could get her confident enough to talk to a guy, the better. "We'll start with body language instead of flirting. Then you don't have to worry about what to say."

"Body language?" Penelope echoed, her eyes widening slightly.

I nodded, suddenly very aware of how close we were standing. "Yeah, you know. Reading signals, sending the right messages. Your eyes and a tilt of the head or a lick of the lips can say way more than words anyway."

"Oh," she said softly. Was it my imagination, or did she lean in a little closer? "That sounds... interesting.I guess we could try that, because I'm clearly crap at the flirting by talking to anyone thing."

"Great," I said, perhaps a bit too enthusiastically. "Same time next week? We could meet at my place. No audience, no chance of coffee spills."

"Your place?" Penelope squeaked, her cheeks flushing even darker. She mumbled something under her breath that sounded suspiciously like "Not sure I'll be any less awkward there."

"What was that?" I asked.

"Nothing," she said quickly. "Um, your place sounds fine. Perfect even."

As she turned to leave, she started to shrug off my jacket, but I stopped her. "Keep it," I said. "You can give it back to me at our next lesson."

She nodded, clutching the jacket closer. "Okay. Well... see you later. And thanks. For not giving up on me even after I ruined your shirt and your chances with Simone."

I watched her walk away, my jacket draped over her shoulders, and a confusing mix of anticipation and dread worked its way from the base of my spine all the way down my legs. I was going to need another workout.

Once she reached her car, my phone buzzed in my pocket. I pulled it out to see a text from Willa.

Saw what happened. You two okay? Btw, Javi was asking about Penelope after you left. Think he might be interested. Just thought you should know. ;)

I looked up sharply, just in time to see Willa waving at me from inside Cool Beans, a knowing smirk on her face. As I stood there, my wet shirt clinging uncomfortably to my skin, Penelope driving away in my jacket, and Willa's text glowing on my phone screen, I took a long, deep breath, and shook my head at myself.

Because the worst part? I was looking forward to our next lesson way more than any self-respecting teacher should. Private lessons on body language with Penelope? What could possibly go wrong?