“Hey boys,” she said, her tone turning sing-songy and sweet. “Are we interrupting?”
She didn’t wait for a response. She just went ahead and…grabbed Andrew.
I blinked in horror. What was she doing?
“Y’all don’t mind if I steal our star pitcher, now do you?”
No one minded. Also, no one seemed to notice that she’d donned an inexplicable Southern accent because apparently that was the role she was playing right now.
Andrew had that small smile on his face, one brow arching up in what might have been called surprise if he did surprised.
Andrew didn’t do surprised. He was too easy going for that. Instead he just followed along with that smile like this was all part of the plan. His gaze fell on me and his smile tipped up even further. “Hey, Simone.”
“Hi.” I gave a weird little wave.
Ugh, I always felt even more awkward around Andrew. It was like the more at ease he was, the more on edge I became. I wasn’t cool around any guys, but being around him was especially difficult.
“Andrew, we need your assistance,” Rose said.
I glared at the side of her face. No. Oh no. Not Andrew. This could not be—
“Happy to help,” he said in that low, quiet murmur of his. “What can I do for you ladies?”
Rose grabbed his biceps like she’d done to me and angled him more fully in my direction so we were face to face. “I’m trying to teach Simone here how to flirt with a guy. I need you to play the part of her crush.”
His gaze met mine and I cringed. Then I clamped my eyes shut because…OMG. This was a nightmare. That was the only explanation. This was my worst nightmare come to life.
I could feel his gaze on me and my skin burned as Rose chattered on like nothing was wrong.
“Rose,” I hissed, finally opening my eyes to stare at her, ignoring Andrew completely. “I don’t want to do this.”
She huffed. “Simone, you need to practice, and this is Andrew.” She smacked his shoulder and he just shot her an amused look, because…gah! Nothing fazed this guy.
“Andrew is too nice to judge you,” she said. “Aren’t you, Andrew?”
“I would never judge.” His smile was aimed in my direction, and there was no denying the laughter in his eyes.
Nice laughter, obviously, because he was so dang nice, but it was still laughter.
“Go on,” Rose said, shoving me toward him as if the one foot of air between us was just too much.
“Everyone’s watching,” I hissed.
She sighed and looked over at the group of guys who were indeed watching this scene she’d caused. “I’ll distract them. You make Andrew fall in love with you.”
Andrew grinned at me.
Rose patted my head before walking away.
I…wanted to cry.
“Hello,” Andrew said after what felt like an eternity passed without either of us saying a word. He leaned back against the low wall behind him that separated the grass from the parking lot.
“Hi.” I managed to resist the urge to give him another awkward wave. I clenched my hands around the hem of my T-shirt instead.
“So…”
I bit my lip. I failed. I hadn’t even started trying and I’d already failed.
“You’re a fan of Star Wars?” he said.
I blinked. Then I blinked again. “How’d you know that?”
His gaze dropped to my chest and then back up again.
Heat. Searing heat. “My T-shirt,” I muttered. “Right.” It was a vintage T-shirt from the eighties straight out of my dad’s closet, and it may or may not have been my clothing equivalent of a blankie. Which was to say, it was so worn and faded it was basically the thickness of a Kleenex, and the black was more like gray.
But I loved it.
“Who isn’t?” I said.
He nodded, and I could have sworn he was trying not to laugh at me.
I swallowed a groan. It was official...I was in hell.
3
Andrew
I honestly didn’t know if I’d ever seen anyone as miserable as this girl was right now.
And all because she had to talk to me.
The thought made my lips quirk up in a grin.
I wasn’t trying to laugh at her. I really wasn’t.
But she was making it awfully hard.
Just when I thought she might explode from tension, she released the death grip she had on that cute old T-shirt and let out a loud exhale. “Look, I appreciate you going along with this but you don’t have to do this. I’ll just—”
“Hold on a second,” I said, stopping her just as she started to turn away .
She froze.
I should’ve just let her go. Poor thing looked humiliated and who could blame her? But also, I didn’t want her leaving like this. “Talk to me.”
She blinked, her expression so confused it was like I’d just suggested she wrestle me. “Talk to you?”
I nodded slowly, glancing meaningfully over at Rose who was singlehandedly entertaining the troops like a one-woman USO team. “Rose will never forgive me if I don’t help you…” I arched a brow. “What exactly am I helping you with, by the way?”
I hadn’t thought it was possible that Simone’s cheeks could turn any redder, but they did.
She rallied, though, I’d give her that. She ignored the blush and pretended to be calm. “I just need to make you fall in love with me.” She gave a nonchalant shrug that made me laugh. “That’s all.”
“That’s all, huh?” I shifted. “Well, you’re already off to a great start.” Her cheeks must have been burning her alive by the looks of it. “You don’t have to be so embarrassed, you know,” I said. “This sort of thing happens to me all the time.”
Her eyes widened and then she burst out in a laugh that seemed to shock her as much as me. “Oh yeah? A lot of girls practice their flirting skills on you, huh? Why doesn’t that surprise me?”
She added the last part under her breath and it was loaded with sarcasm.
I knew I had a
