Vince

Acrylics

I walked out into the living room as confidently as I knew how. I kept my head high and tried my best not to trip under the pressure. I could feel eyes on me, and I tried to not let them get under my skin, but I knew I was failing and my confidence was dissipating.

"Look down more, you're coming off as arrogant," Alexis instructed.

She stepped up in front of me, and with the heels on I was almost eye level. She placed her manicured fingernails on my chin and moved my head into a better position. Then, she took a step back to observe her work.

"You're giving me puppy dog eyes. Try to have more intensity," Alexis said, her voice as smooth as silk.

I let my eyebrows drop slightly. My entire body was tense under her gaze and I knew she was going to correct that next so I tried to relax as best as I could. My shoulders dropped a full two inches as I calmed.

"Not bad actually." Alexis smiled, "You learn quickly. Thank god."

I felt myself laughing, probably from the stress being lifted slightly. Alexis took my hand and led me to sit on an empty couch. She sat by me, sinking into the leather like it only existed to conform to her body.

"When you're trying to flirt, you control the room. This is what you want and you're getting it. Pick a partner and let me observe you trying to flirt," Alexis said.

I looked hesitantly around the room. I had more eyes on me than the time I was trying to pry Hannah off a karaoke stage after she refused to stop. Each pair of male eyes made me want to curl up in bed and stay there for a few days.

"Hannah!" I said abruptly.

"Alright. Hannah, go over there," Alexis said.

Hannah got up and walked confidently to the other side of the room as she was told to do. I took a few deep breaths. I didn't expect that to go over as easily as it did.

"Try to entice her," Alexis instructed. "If she doesn't get off her ass and come to you then you're doing it wrong."

I leaned back in the seat and tried to mimic the level of comfort Alexis had. My hands trembled slightly and I figured it would be best to hide them, so I put them behind me and leaned on them in my best attempt to get them to still. Crossing my legs, I gave Hannah my best flirty eyes.

"Not good enough," Alexis said in a bored tone.

I remembered something I had seen in a movie once and slowly uncrossed my legs to cross them the opposite way. I attempted flipping my hair over my shoulder, which left a few strands tickling my face.

"Vince, honey, as my best pupil I'm going to ask you to do a demonstration," Alexis demanded.

Vince seemed to change before my eyes. He no longer held the relaxed posture he had and instead adopted a new pose which was showing off his well toned arms. Throwing one arm behind Kaleb who had been sitting next to him, he acted like he was in conversation.

I could hear them speaking about nothing important, but Vince kept his eyes locked in my direction. His eyes scanned over my exposed legs and trailed upward until he was able to hold my eyes. I was unable to shake his eyes from my own and I tried looking away, as if I could possibly play hard to get.

Vince stood from his seat and made his way over to where I was sitting, "Would you be interested in a drink?"

"Would you be interested in going away?" I asked as calmly as I could.