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She heard Ainsley sigh dramatically.

“Well, you’re right…You’re ruining my thrill of victory, Rach,” Ainsley told her, and Rachel loved that Ainsley had called her “Rach.” Of course, Amy called her that all the time. So did her parents. Her siblings. All of her friends and most of her co-workers. Everybody called her “Rach.”

But everybody else wasn’t Ainsley Janowicz.

When Ainsley Janowicz called her “Rach…”

Fuck!

Under the table, she crossed her legs.

Without taking her eyes off the iMac’s screen, Rachel said, “How can I make it up to you?” hoping Ainsley would take the hint.

“You owe me a proper celebration,” Ainsley declared. “Let’s celebrate tonight.”

Score!

R

achel knew her features were displaying her pleasure at that idea even though she was still concentrating on getting the proper offer acceptance forms emailed to Ainsley and the Havershams. Her lack of a poker face was the reason she never played cards.

“I, uh, promise I’ll stop flirting with you so much,” Ainsley added.

Wait! What?

This made Rachel look up from her work.

“Who told you to do a dumb thing like that?” she asked, surprising herself.

Ainsley laughed.

“No one told me. I just…”

“What?”

Ainsley leaned forward again and held Rachel’s eyes with her own.

“Look, I just want you to know that I really enjoy your company, Rach. I know we only met, like, five minutes ago practically but we hit it off—at least I think so—and I’d like the chance to get to know you better and become good friends. But I also know I’ve been kind of flirting a lot with you, which I can’t help, truth be told. But I can dial it down, I promise. You won’t have to worry about fending off my advances tonight. I really just want to go out and celebrate with my new friend.”

Rachel felt the exact same way. She and Ainsley had hit it off instantly, the same way she and Amy had it off instantly freshman year at UCLA.

Well, not exactly the same way…

Rachel did not feel confused when she first met Amy. Even though, she remembered now, Amy had actually done a little exploratory flirting with her as soon as they met, which lasted all of about twenty minutes. After that, Amy had cottoned on to the fact that Rachel was as hetero as hetero could be.

“I’d like the chance to get to know you better, too,” Rachel told Ainsley. “You’re right; we hit it off and I love your company also.”

“Excellent!” Ainsley exclaimed.

“But the flirting continues,” Rachel declared and was pleased when she saw Ainsley’s mouth drop open.

She thought that was hot!

Apparently, Ainsley knew she had given something away and then took another sip of her ouzo, obviously trying to cover. Rachel gave herself another point.

“Is that so?” Ainsley said, her confidence regained.

“It is so.”