Learning to be Beautiful

Learning to be Beautiful ~14~

After I had—secretly—consumed my cookie, Pierre called us back into the living room to try the flirting thing again. The five times he had me try again however, were much less successful. Pierre kept finding flaws in my “technique”. Honestly, who has a technique with flirting?

“You’re trying too hard, Aislyn, dear. It’s making you too obvious. Subtlety, remember? Subtlety!”

“He already knows I’m supposed to be flirting with him!” I complained, waving my hand lazily at Linc at the word ‘him’.

“ ‘He’ has a name,” Linc cut in, “And I agree, what is the point in flirting if I already know she holds no feelings for me and that she’s supposed to be flirting with me?”

I crossed my arms over my chest as I smiled smugly at Pierre, “Ha. See? Linc agrees with me.”

“And that’s why she needs… ‘field training’.”

“I what?”  I whirled around to stare at Linc, disbelief etched clearly onto my face.

“You need to go flirt with someone who doesn’t know that you hold no attraction for him, and doesn’t know that you’re supposed to be flirting with him for some idiotic lesson.” The Brit’s broad shoulders moved up and down as he shrugged, “Just an idea.”

The look on Pierre’s face told me that he was seriously considering Linc’s idea. “Linc does have a point…” he murmured, rubbing a thoughtful hand across his clean-shaven chin. “Linc. Take Aislyn out to flirt with the masses.” He waved his hand at us dismissively, practically shooing us out of his home.

“B-but, Pierre—“ I started to try to dissuade him from this madness, but he would hear none of it.

“Go and show off the skills that you have amassed in the short time you have studied under me, grasshopper,” folding his hands together, Pierre bowed at me mockingly before turning sharply on his heel and disappearing somewhere into his large house.

I whirled around to glare at the tall man behind me, “Do you see what you’ve done?” I demanded in an exasperated tone, “Now he’ll want me to call him ‘sensei’.”

“Just be thankful he didn’t call you ‘padawan’.” Linc smirked, and I felt the urge to wipe that smug little smile right off of his face with a well placed right hook; it was difficult, but I managed to keep my fists at my sides.

“Whatever, let’s just get this stupid thing over with.” I mimicked Pierre’s exit, frowning as I practically stomped outside to my car.

“Someone needs to learn to lighten up,” Linc noted amusedly, standing next to his own car and looking at me.

I ignored him and started to clamber into my vehicle when his long, slim fingers wrapped around my upper arm and restrained me from doing so, “And just what do you think you’re doing?” He asked, in that same teasing tone.

“Driving, duh.” I tried to wrench my arm out of his grasp, but he held it firmly in his grasp—gently, but inescapable.

“How am I to know that you’re not just going to drive home? No, you’re riding with me.” With the same gentle pressure he was using to hold me in place, he began to drag me over to his car.

“Let me go!” I nearly shouted, struggling pointlessly to get out of his strong grip.

“Nope!” Linc replied cheerily, still tugging me along as smoothly as if I hadn’t been struggling at all. For a brief, embarrassing moment, I wondered how strong he was, and how much he could bench-press if he could tow me along without a problem, but I quickly pushed all such thoughts away and focused on escaping from him.