Chapter 11 Grayson
Chapter 11
Grayson
“So, how did it go?” Parker asked.
I’d just arrived home from the party. Paige had gone upstairs to jump in the shower and clean off the drink she’d spilled all over herself. But I was starving, so I’d made a beeline for the kitchen. I needed a moment to decompress and the last person I wanted to face right now was my younger brother.
Paige had been eager to leave the party after her mishap with Damien, and I hadn’t exactly felt like celebrating after my own disastrous attempt at flirting. The small amount of alcohol Paige had drunk seemed to kick in as we made our way home, because she’d looked a little tipsy when Owen dropped us off. Tipsy and all too excited about the prospect of me teaching her how to flirt. She seemed certain I was the secret ingredient that would win Damien over.
“Well?” Parker prompted with a grin.
“What are you doing back already?” I went to open the fridge, hoping if I just ignored his question, he’d stop asking it. By some miracle there was still leftover pizza from dinner last night. Probably because, with Paige here, a whole extra person, Mom had decided to order enough for an army.
“Matt’s was kind of lame tonight, and I was tired after the game,” Parker replied.
“Let me guess. You couldn’t convince some girl to make out with you?”
“I’m not an animal, Grumpson.”
That was debatable. I took a bite of cold pizza. I never trusted anyone who said it was better to reheat it.
“So, are you going to tell me what happened with Paige or not?”
Apparently, he couldn’t be derailed. I knew it was only a matter of time before he got it out of me. That didn’t make it any easier to utter the words aloud, and they came out low and muffled.
“I flirted with her, and now she wants me to teach her how.”
I held my breath and braced myself for my brother’s reaction, but he simply tilted his head. “What was that? I didn’t hear you.”
I couldn’t tell if he was messing with me, but he seemed honestly confused so I repeated myself a little louder. “I flirted with her, and now she wants me to teach her how.”
“Uh, I still didn’t quite catch that. You have to enunciate, Grayson.”
“I flirted with her and now I’m her flirting coach!” I didn’t quite yell, but I was close. It was lucky Paige was in the shower, because I really didn’t need her to overhear this conversation.
“What?” Parker stood there, almost frozen in place, but then erupted in fits of laughter.
“I’m not saying it again.”
He waved me away. “I mean, what the hell? How did that end up happening?”
Why was he still laughing? His reaction was so much worse than I’d anticipated, and my hands were balling at my sides.
“She struck out with Damien, and I was trying to make her feel better about herself,” I attempted to explain. “Apparently, I’m so good at flirting, she thinks I can show her how it’s done and then she’ll be able to get his attention. ”
“Stop, stop.” Parker was still laughing, clutching his side with one hand and wiping away a stray tear with the other. “I swear, only you could mess this up so badly.”
“I’m glad my failure is so amusing to you.” I went to walk away but he grabbed my arm.
“No, don’t go. We need to figure this out.”
On the way home tonight, I’d been contemplating asking my brothers for help, but after Parker’s reaction, I didn’t think it was worth it.
“ We aren’t doing anything,” I said. “I’m still dealing with the fallout from the last time I listened to you and Reed. I should never have gone after her.”
“Look, this coaching thing isn’t exactly ideal, but I’m sure we can work with it.”
“Thanks, but I’ll figure it out on my own.”
“Come on, Gray. You don’t have to do this alone. I know I annoy the hell out of you, but I’ve always got your back. Let me help.”
I released a heavy breath. He did annoy the hell out of me. But he was also right about the Darling boys always looking out for each other. Parker seemed genuinely invested in my relationship with Paige, and to be honest, I needed all the help I could get.
I was saved from having to answer him immediately though, because right then the back door opened and Reed stepped inside. Stanley rushed over to greet him, and Reed all but got down on the floor to roll around with him. I swore our dog never wagged his tail that hard for me .
“You guys left early too?” Reed asked as he glanced up and realized Parker and I were both in the kitchen.
“I was bored,” Parker replied with a shrug.
“Paige spilled a drink on her top and wanted to come back,” I added.
“Tell him what else happened . . .”
I shot my youngest brother a warning glance.
“What?” Reed looked between the two of us.
I really didn’t want to go over this again so soon. It was bad enough having to tell Parker the first time.
“Gray’s decided to start coaching.” Parker sounded far too joyful as he answered for me.
“Like a youth team?” Reed asked.
“No, it’s more like one-on-one coaching...” Parker continued. I wished I could smack the smirk from his lips, but Mom had a zero-tolerance policy about violence in the house.
Reed’s confusion was clear and I groaned, knowing there was no point in avoiding it any longer. “I messed up with Paige,” I said. “And now she’s got me coaching her on how to flirt so she can kiss some other guy.”
“So, we’re not talking about hockey?”
If only. “No, not hockey.”
“But it’s okay,” Parker said. “Grayson was just about to ask us how we can both help him turn this around and get the girl. Weren’t you, Gray?”
They both looked at me expectantly. I had a feeling I’d be getting their help whether I agreed to it or not. “Okay, fine. You can help.” Parker’s face lit up. “But if either of you suggest a makeover again, we’re done. ”
“We won’t,” Reed agreed. “That was Parker’s idea anyway.”
“Of course it was,” Parker said proudly. “And I’ve got more where that came from. I say you really lean into the coaching.”
“What do you mean?”
“Use it as an opportunity to flirt with Paige any chance you get. Get her so hot and bothered she’ll have no choice but to realize she wants you in ways she never imagined...”
“I already tried flirting with her and it didn’t work. If anything, I’m further away from where I want to be now than I was before.”
“Maybe you’re doing it wrong.” Parker shrugged. “Next time, try asking yourself, what would Parker do?”
“I’m not doing that.”
“He can’t be totally clueless,” Reed interrupted. “She’s hired him to be her coach after all. But I do think Parker’s onto something.”
“I don’t like the sound of this,” I muttered, but Reed continued.
“It’s just going to take time,” he said. “You’ve been in the friend zone for years, so you’re not going to change that overnight. Keep flirting with her, and by the time she goes back to her parents’ house, I’m sure she’ll be looking at you in a totally different way.”
“Either that, or I’ll have turned her into a total man-eater who can get any guy she wants.”
Reed laughed and shook his head, as though he didn’t think that was very likely. “Just don’t overthink it,” he said. “The coaching means you can act the way you’ve always wanted to around her. Say what you haven’t let yourself say all these years. ”
Don’t overthink it? Already my mind had too many tabs open and each one of them was buffering. Plus, I’d just told her how much I wanted her, and she hadn’t taken it seriously.
“And remember,” Parker added. “You’ve got us and the guys backing you up. I don’t see how this could fail.”
I saw many, many ways this could fail. But I didn’t have any better ideas. Maybe my brothers were right. My best chance of making Paige see me differently was if I continued acting differently. After all, when I’d flirted with her at the party, I had felt different. It was liberating to reveal just a small piece of what I really felt for her. I’d enjoyed being so close to her, and I was certain her body had reacted to my words and my touch. I just needed to get that same reaction out of her again, until she recognized the chemistry between us.
“First order of business,” Parker continued. “We try to buy you a bit more time. I’ve got a great idea of what I can say to Paige to—”
The sound of the water shutting off upstairs suggested she was done with her shower.
“Do not say a word to Paige,” I ordered Parker.
“But—”
“I’ve got to go. We can talk about this later.”
I placed the empty pizza carton in the bin and started from the room before Parker could add any more of his bright ideas. The problem with my younger brother was that he tended to act without thinking things through. Already, he felt way too involved, and I didn’t want him messing this up .
I was halfway up the stairs when my phone buzzed with an alert. I’d been added to a group chat named, “Friends Without Benefits.” I growled under my breath and chose to ignore the messages that were flooding the thread, every one of them from Parker. I didn’t need to open it to know he was alerting the rest of his little intervention squad about their new assignment. I didn’t really want anyone else helping with this, but I guessed it was too late for that.
A part of me still wondered if it would be better to just tell Paige this was all a mistake. That she needed to figure it out by herself. But as I reached the upper landing she emerged from the bathroom and I knew I’d do no such thing.
Her hair was tied up in a messy bun, and she was still wearing my hoodie, along with a pair of pink and blue checked pajama pants. She didn’t have a lick of makeup on, but her skin still seemed to radiate. I’d meant it when I told her she looked beautiful at the party, but she was just as stunning when she wasn’t trying at all. I never understood how such an incredible girl could want anything to do with me.
“What?” She frowned when she looked up and caught me watching her. I bit back a curse word. Had I been checking her out that obviously?
“Why are you looking at me that way?” she continued.
“Uh...” Think, Grayson. Think. It was no surprise she was onto me. I was practically gritting my teeth and clenching my fists as I desperately fought the urge to close the distance between us. To lean in close and whisper in her ear and brush the hair away from her face. To glean any hint from her reaction that she might feel the same way. But then I realized something. If I took my brothers’ advice, I wouldn’t have to fight this feeling. I could give in to it .
“Wait, are you about to give me another flirting lesson?” Her expression brightened and a faint laugh left her lips.
“Is that what you want?” I murmured, stepping closer.
“Oh, I don’t know.” She grinned. “I’m still a little lightheaded after the last time you pulled your moves on me.”
It could still be the alcohol that was making her woozy, rather than anything I was doing. She probably needed to go to bed. Maybe, for tonight, I would just have to leave her wanting more.
I took another step closer, and with one finger I lifted her chin so she looked me in the eyes. “Another time then. You’ve left me a little lightheaded tonight too...”
Her eyes flared with surprise. I wasn’t sure if it was our proximity or my words that did it, but apparently, I was better at this than I thought. Flirting with Paige was addictive, and after one night I was hooked.
I stepped back, giving us both space to breathe. “We can pick up where we left off tomorrow.”
I started to walk to my room, but she called after me.
“You promise?” Something in her voice made my stomach dip with anticipation.
“I promise.”
Apparently, I wasn’t just at risk of ruining our friendship, I was also at risk of falling deeper and harder for Paige than I ever had before .