Page 56 of Learn Your Lesson

“And so long as you keep them away from your toys,” Maven shot back.

Arushi raised a brow at that from where she was doing the dishes, and then she nodded at me, her dark brown eyes as warm as ever. “Want me to make you anything? Will said he was going to go to the driving range for a while, and when he’s there, it’s usually hours.”

“Ooohhh, bad man,” Maven said. “I know it’s bye week, but he could get in real trouble for that.”

“Something tells me that man doesn’t worry about trouble,” Livia said. “And something tells meyoucould use a margarita,” she added with a nod toward me.

I sat back up with a sigh. “I’m fine. Just…”

My words faded. I’d created my post onReddit, but so far, had no comments. Looking around at the three women who had become new friends to me, I wondered if I could somehow get their advice without admitting who I was needing advice about.

“Okay,” Maven said, her manicured nail pointing right at me. “I know that look. It’s not those kids who’ve got you all flustered.”

Livia gasped. “It’s a man!”

Chef leaned in. “A man? Um… would weknowthis man?”

Maven and Livia both blanched at each other before grabbing ahold of my arms like I was about to spill the biggest secret in the world.

“Okay, first of all, you three are nuts,” I said on a laugh. “Secondly… youknowWill. Do you honestly think he’s the one I’m in my head about?”

Maven flattened her lips at that. “Hmm… okay. Probably not. That man is about as warm as an ice cube.”

“But you didn’t deny that it’s not a man,” Livia pointed out. “Spill.”

Arushi narrowed her eyes at me like she didn’t believe Will was out of the question.

So, I thought fast, and told the best white lie I’d ever created in my life.

In my story, there was a teacher at school. Noah. And Noah was kind of stand-offish, kind of grumpy, but had recently opened up to me. I’d also caught him looking at me in ways that felt… well, like he wanted to lick me from head to toe.

Livia loved that little tidbit.

I proceeded to add that Noah was recently divorced, that there were complications since we worked together, and that I wasn’t sure if I was reading too much into things.

There.

That should do it.

When I finished, Maven let out a whistle. “Well, that is kind of complicated. I mean, a coworker is one thing, especially if there are no official rules against it at your school. But a divorced man?” She shook her head. “He might still be hung up on his ex.”

I wasn’t thinking of Noah anymore, I was thinking of therealman at hand. Of Will. Of how he might still be feeling a very complex bag of emotions concerning Jenny.

“Yeah,” I said softly.

“Oh, please,” Livia interrupted, waving her hands. “No man gets a pass for that shit. Listen, this sounds to me like a classic case of a scared little boy. He likes you. He probably wants to…” she quirked a brow over my shoulder at where Ava was before lowering her voice. “He probably wants to bend you over one of those little desks and twist you up like a pretzel.”

“You’re so bad,” Maven whispered to her on a laugh.

“But he’sscared, okay? He doesn’t want to make the first move and get rejected. So, make the first move yourself,” she said, standing up straight and confident. “Be bold, my babe. Real men love that shit.”

“I don’t disagree,” Maven said.

“Neither do I.” Our heads swung to Chef Patel, who was finishing up dishes and wiping her hands on a towel. “MaybeNoahis out of practice. After all, I’m sure he went through a lot. With the divorce.”

Something about her gaze, about the way those words clipped out of her told me she didn’t buy my Noah story one bit.

I swallowed but didn’t show my cards. Instead, I forced a smile and nodded. “You’re right. I… maybe I’ll just ask him.”