Operation Prom Date (Tactics in Flirting, #1)(24)
“How was your day?” I asked.
She smiled, and that strange sensation I forgot existed until she fully crashed into my life twisted my gut. “Amazing, actually. I talked to Mick before school. We had a whole conversation and everything, about how I saw him on the lake yesterday, and he seemed to be super impressed I came out here all the time. We both talked about how it was one of our favorite places. There might’ve been an awkward pause or two, but I recovered quickly enough I don’t think it was a big deal. Chatting with you all the time has helped me not be so rusty.”
The twisty sensation stopped dead in its tracks and tumbled down to my feet. Go me.
“He asked for my number, too. Now I just have to hope he uses it, while not staring at my phone, begging for it to ring. I guess that’s one point for leaving it in your truck, even if that’s mostly so I don’t drop it in the water, because that’s so something I’d do.” She reached down and messed with the strap of her sandal, and I noticed her hot pink toenails matched the neon fingernails I’d focused on entirely too much as she’d texted away in my truck. “But don’t worry, I’m not going to sit around and wait, either. By the end of this week, I’m going to deploy some new strategies. I don’t have time to go slow. It ups the stakes, but today’s the first time I didn’t feel completely over my head.”
I cleared my throat, but my voice still came out like I’d swallowed sandpaper. “That’s great. Pretty soon you won’t need me at all.”
She lunged across the boat, making it rock, and grabbed my hand. “No way. I’m not ready to go out there without a safety net yet. We still have at least a couple weeks on our deal, right?”
As usual, I couldn’t let the girl down, even if this mission was starting to make me less and less happy. The buzz of a challenge wasn’t there anymore. In fact, it was the opposite of how challenges tended to go for me, like the more I succeeded, the less the urge to fist pump. But I worked to cover my true feelings, because she’d done her part, and this wasn’t about me. “Right. I’m here for you, as long as you need me.”
The tension leaked out of her posture. “Good. I’d be totally lost on this stuff without you.”
I pulled my hand out of hers before I could think about how good it felt in mine—okay, so maybe I was too late, but at least I tried. “We better get training. Are you still sore?”
“Nope. I’m always exhausted by the end, but the soreness is finally gone. Plus, I’ve got all these happy vibes traveling through me from today’s success, so I feel like I could go forever.”
I gripped the edge of my seat, the sensation in my gut going from beat-up attraction to biting jealousy. This is why I wasn’t supposed to get so involved. I don’t have much free time left, and we’ll all just be going to college in a few months anyway, and none of this stuff will matter.
Kate took hold of her oars. “What’s your fastest time with Jaden? Because I’m ready to take it down.”
“It’s going to take a lot more than not being sore.” As soon as the words were out of my mouth, regret rushed up. Her crestfallen expression gave it sharp claws that made the regret dig deeper and make a home in my chest.
Since I didn’t know what to say—and it’s not like I could explain I was only frustrated my help with landing her dream date was being so effective—I spun around in my seat and took hold of my oars. I twisted my wrist so I could see my watch. “Ready?”
“Ready,” she said, much less enthusiastic than she’d been moments ago.
Then we were off, oars gliding through the water, sights set on the other side.
Chapter Fourteen
Kate
Excitement had zipped through me all day, keeping me on a constant high.
Until I’d gotten into the boat with Coach Grouchy Pants. Stupid me, I’d been anticipating the moment we’d be alone on the water again. We had such a great weekend together, and the past few days I thought we’d really connected. That we understood each other in that sort of way two people did where they could communicate without words. Although, for the record, I liked communicating with words. Lots of them, often all strung together. The silence hanging in the air made me antsy, and I instinctively wanted to fill it with anything and everything. But Cooper didn’t deserve my chatter.
Klaus is going to get an earful when I get home, so I hope he’s had his twenty hours of sleep already.
Two ducks flew overhead and landed in the water a few feet away.
They immediately swam over and quacked at each other, as if they were checking in on the other’s landing. Aww.
“Kate! Are you paying attention? You’re getting off pace!”
I whipped my head forward to see Cooper looking at me over his shoulder, and my irritation must’ve shown through, because his eyes widened, like he knew he was about to get it.
I dropped my oars. “For your information, I’m not paying attention to your stupid pace. I’m watching two ducks. They’re cute and they’re nice to each other, and right now, I’m about to jump in the water and go hang out with them instead of you.”
Cooper pressed his lips together, and at first I thought it was fear, but then he seemed to be fighting laughter.
“No, you don’t get to laugh.” I stood. “I know I sometimes jokingly refer to you as Coach Grouchy Pants, but today you’re taking it to the next level. You’re Coach Jerk Face.”