Player(16)

“Well, believe it,” I said with a little more snap than I’d meant to.

He pulled me a little closer. “Where have you been going to meet guys, a Braille library?”

My brows came together in confusion, and he laughed, flashing his teeth before leaning in to press his lips to my ear.

“They must have been blind.”

I laughed and covered my face with the hand that had been on his shoulder. “I can’t with you, Sam. I can’t with any of this. I really have no idea what I’m doing at all. Know of any tutors? Because clearly I could use some tips.”

He spun me out and twirled me around for a couple of measures, then zipped me back into his arms with a laugh. “I can teach you. I don’t know if you know this, but I’m a professional dater.”

“Teach me?” I echoed stupidly.

“Teach you. Let me tell you something, Val, there’s no reason you couldn’t have any guy you wanted. If you want to know how to snag a guy, how to pick him up, small-talk him, charm him, I can teach you.”

“Oh.” My heart, my hopes, my happiness sank like a stone in a river. “I…I guess you have a lot of experience, huh?”

“Loads.” His face was the picture of calm confidence. “One month of lessons. We can meet here at the club as often as you want, go on a few dates so I can show you the ropes. What do you say?”

I took that stunned moment to twist the dial on the telescope so I could see things for what they were. And everything became clear. Sam was just being a nice guy, trying to find a way out after I made an ass out of myself yesterday. He had no intention of dating me. Of course he didn’t. Why would he?

This made much more sense.

My first instinct was to refuse, to immediately leave the club with my friends and polish off the pint of mint chocolate chip in my freezer. Maybe a solid cry for good measure.

But then I took it a step further. What he was offering was tempting. A month of dancing with Sam in the club. A month of fake dates and drinks and laughter. A month of Sam’s smiles just for me.

I knew how pathetic it was even then, in the moment. But I’d never have another chance to pretend like that with a man like Sam, not as long as I lived.

So with a smile that hurt as much as it displayed my hope, I said something I knew I’d come to regret, deciding then and there that I didn’t care. “When do we start?”





6





Cocksure





Sam

I smiled into my whiskey, spinning my glass in a slow circle on the bar.

I’d wandered back into the club after putting Val and her friends in a cab to pull a seat up to the bar for a celebratory drink.

I’d solved all my problems.

The answer had fallen in my lap exactly as I’d anticipated, thanks to Val’s admission. She didn’t know how to date, and I was a serial dater.

She had no idea that, with that one little fact, I held the power to shield her from Ian without putting her feelings on the line.

It was the loophole of the century.

We’d be together for our lessons, which meant I’d be spending a lot of time with her. And given the nature of our lessons, we’d be doing a lot of fake dating. Ian would think we were together, and I could help her, teach her a thing or two so she could find a guy. I could teach her the difference between guys like me, guys like Ian, and the good guys. Show her how to recognize a man who would appreciate her, help her spot the kind of guy who was everything Ian and I weren’t.

I still couldn’t believe it had been so long since she’d been on a date and found myself wondering what the real story was. Because there was a story—I knew that as well as I knew the color of the sky or the C scale. How in the world a girl like Val hadn’t been snapped up was beyond me.

As an added bonus, I would get to hang out with her for an entire month. I was probably far too happy about that to be considered wise, but I couldn’t help it.

I couldn’t tell you what it was about her exactly. I was attracted to her. If I’d met her here at the club, she’d be in a cab with me right now. Alone.

Some guys picked a girl out by looks alone. Some simply by a single feature—body, smile, hair, eyes. But I found I was looking for something more. It was a feeling, an intuition, and it didn’t discriminate. If the feeling was there, that thrum of connection…well, that was all it took.

And Val had it.

There was nothing I loved more than a girl who could make me laugh. A girl who caught me off guard. The fact that she was so goddamn cute was the best kind of bonus. I bet her pert little mouth was sweet and soft. I bet she sighed like an angel with a single touch. I bet her ass bounced like a porn star in bed.

A frown tugged at my lips. No boyfriends probably meant no sex. Poor Val had to be starving.

And man, did I wish I could be the one to feed her.

I sighed and took a drink, my spirits rising again. Teaching Val would be fun, and I imagined us being friends. I hadn’t missed the flash of disappointment on her face the moment she realized what I was suggesting meant we weren’t going to get together. I felt the sting of it myself, like walking past a case of fresh pastries and only being able to admire the display. But what she didn’t realize was that it was for the best. We’d make great friends, and I could help her. I could teach her.