chuckles softly next to me and it breaks my wanderings. I have to start flirting with these guys or I’ll never get my new shoes. Screw, that. I can’t flirt to save my life right now I’m so nervous, but maybe a bit of honesty will work. Pathetic as it may sound.
I smile and brush my hair over my shoulder as I look to Jake. He still looks amused as he glances back and forth between me and Zack.
“I was wondering if you guys could help me out with a favor.”
Jake’s eyes light up and Zack tenses.
“What is it?” Zack asks warily.
He is clearly not going to help me, so I take a deep breath and turn towards the happy Jake guy. “My friend dared me to flirt with someone tonight, and if I can get someone to buy me a beer, she’ll buy me a new pair of shoes. And I sort of suck at the whole flirting thing….” I know I’m rambling and I get more nervous every second as both of their faces look completely serious. “But…if you just wave Pete over and order a drink for me, he probably won’t even charge you, so it won’t cost you anything.”
I bite my tongue and smile, nervously. Mostly I just want to smack my head against the bar because I have to sound incredibly stupid and lame. This will never work.
For a second, both of them are quiet but then Jake bursts out laughing. Zack leans backward and I watch his eyes roam down my legs and stop at my red high-heeled shoes. The sudden warmth I feel just knowing his eyes are on me makes my knees shake a little bit. It’s been almost a year and a half since someone has looked at me like this and it completely unnerves me. I try to pull my eyes away and back to Jake, because he feels much safer, but Zack returns to me and his lips turn up a bit and then slowly into a full smile.
He’s hot. And I can’t believe I even realize it, but totally sexy. I have a feeling this guy gets hit on all the time with a smile like that, and I’m standing in front of him rambling on about sucking at flirting and needing new shoes. Awesome.
“You don’t look like you need new shoes.” He says to me in a slow drawl that sends shivers down my spine. What in the hell is wrong with me?
I look down at the bar because I have to stop looking at him. But then I realize his statement is really more of a question and he’s waiting for me to answer.
“I’m a girl. We always need more shoes.”
Jake looks at me like he’s trying to choke back a laugh and I instantly wonder if this guy is always so happy. “So, let me get this straight. You flirt with us, we buy you a drink – which won’t cost us anything - and you get new shoes. And you don’t want anything else from us – from Zack?”
I cock my head to the right and look between the both of them, confused. “Is there something else I should want?”
Jake doubles over in laughter and smacks Zack on the back. A furious heat fills my cheeks as I realize how that could possibly sound and I really don’t want to look at Zack, but I can’t help it.
He smiles and shakes his head back and forth like he can’t believe I just said that, and I can’t either, but I have a feeling he’s thinking something completely different than I am.
“Not at all,” he finally says. “I’ll get your drink, if you’ll answer one question.” I raise my eyebrows and wait until he continues. “Why did your friend pick us? And why is she daring you to flirt with someone?”
His grin makes me feel things I haven’t felt in years. It confuses me more than his question.
“That’s two questions.” I say and run my hands through my hair hoping he won’t see them trembling ever so slightly.
He arches one eyebrow and takes a pull from his beer. I catch myself watching his grey button down shirt flex across his chest and his Adam’s apple bob slowly. I swallow, suddenly feeling all sorts of things that can’t actually mean anything, and I blink my eyes quickly to snap myself back to reality. There must be something seriously wrong with me because I cannot take my