Playing Heart Games

Level 10: Let Me Teach You How To Flirt

AXEL

We went to Walter's to get ice cream, before I drove us to the back of an empty lot.

We'd eaten in silence for a few minutes before I had to comment, "Have you got something against toppings?"

She blinked up from her ice cream, large eyes focusing on me. Her brows wrinkled. "No?"

I raised an eyebrow, then inclined my chin to her ice-cream. Plain vanilla. Again.

She blinked again. "Oh." Her eyes returned to me. "I've never really been able to eat ice cream with toppings." She shrugged. "I don't know why."

I wrinkled my nose. "You're crazy."

She frowned. "You don't like vanilla?"

"It tastes too much like milk," I muttered.

Her brows furrowed. "I like milk."

"Like I said, crazy."

I finished off my peanut butter and chocolate, sliding the cup into the cupholder and waiting for her to finish hers.

She put away her cup before looking up at me. "So...what do we do next?"

"First you need to master your walk," I said. "You walk too nervously. I'm going to teach you how to walk like a badass."

"Language," she said.

My lips twitched. Adorable.

"Lets get this show on the road." I stepped out of the car.

A breeze caught her curls when she slipped outside. I looked away before I could get distracted.

I leaned against the car door then inclined my chin to the empty parking lot stretched out in front of me. "Ok, curls, walk towards me from over there."

She nodded, shuffling to the spot I'd gestured at. I frowned as she crossed the gravel towards me. Her steps were slightly stilted, awkward.

I shook my head. "You need to straighten your back, and look straight ahead."

She frowned. "Ok." I watched her return to her spot, then start to walk towards me again. Her steps came out robotic this time.

I frowned. "Okay, no."

Her shoulders slumped. "Oh."

I stepped towards her. "Listen, curls, half an outfit is the attitude. So half of looking hot is in how confident you look."

She deflated. Her eyes dimmed. "But I don't feel confident."

Of course she didn't. Not when her boyfriend cheated on her literally a day ago.

I leaned towards her, catching her gaze. "You have every reason to feel confident. Besides the fact that you're super smart, you're bloody gorgeous."

She blinked rapidly, surprise flashing over her features.

It was as if she'd never looked in a mirror before.

"It's not all about feeling confident. If you don't feel it, you pretend. It gets easy after a while." I do it pretty much every day. I straightened. "Now, I want you to try again. This time keep your eyes on mine the entire time."

She nodded. "Okay."

I stepped back, leaning against the car. She returned to her spot, then looked up, her eyes locking with mine.

She held my gaze as she strode in my direction. Her features changed—calm, confident—almost as if she was a different person.

She stopped in front of me, the confident mask slipping away, replaced by nerves. "How was that?"