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Clara was grinning ear to ear.
“What? You look like the cat that just ate the canary,” Jamie said.
“I’m just so amazed. I’ve never seen this side of you,” Clara said. “I’ve never seen you so flirty.”
“I’m actually a little embarrassed. I feel like Baby fromDirty Dancingwhen she announces that she carried a watermelon. I don’t think that any man has ever made me feel flustered like this.”
“From what I could tell, you did a good job flirting. He certainly looked interested in you.”
“He wasn’t that interested. He didn’t ask me out on a date.”
Clara shrugged her shoulders and said, “So ask him out on a date.”
Jamie looked mortified.
“There is no way that I can do that.”
“Why not? This is the twenty first century. It is perfectly acceptable for women to ask men out,” Clara replied.
Jamie’s eyes got wide and she shook her head.
“I’ve seen the way that you look at him,” Clara said. “You are definitely attracted to him.”
“Have you seen the man? A nun would be attracted to him. He is like a Norse god that stepped out of one of the old art books and landed in front of me.”
Jamie wiped an invisible crumb off the table and said, “Besides, what if he said no?”
“I doubt that he would turn you down. I may or may not have been eavesdropping. But if I was eavesdropping, I would have heard him invite himself over to see your paintings.”
Shaking her head, Jamie replied, “You’re terrible.”
“I might or might not be. I’m admitting nothing. Woman, the man is interested in you. He isn’t coming in here just for the coffee. He invited you to sit down with him. He flirted with you.”
“I don’t know,” Jamie said.
“Ugh. You’re impossible,” Clara groaned. “Who knows, this could be love at first sight – or in your case, second sight since you guys have met before.”
“I don’t believe in love at first sight. I don’t even know if I believe in love, period,” Jamie said.
Clara looked at her, questioningly.
“I told you that I was engaged once. His name was Ryan. We dated all through high school and college. He left me at the altar. He didn’t even have the guts to face me himself. He sent a note by way of his best friend, saying that he was sorry but he found someone else to fall in love with,” Jamie said, both hands pressed down on the counter, the humiliation she felt still flooding through her.
“You can’t give up on love because of that. Look at what happened with me. John tried to kill me. I was afraid of love and almost lost Dillon because of it.”
“I think that you’re jumping the gun here. Luke and I have only talked a couple of times. Sure, he flirted, but he probably flirts with every half decent looking woman he comes across. Men who look like him can have any woman he wants, and probably has.”
“Wow. Someone is a little jaded and judgmental,” Clara teased. “Just because things didn’t work out the first time doesn’t mean that they won’t work out ever. The next time that he comes in and flirts with you, suggest that he come over for dinner and to look at your art.”
“And what if he laughs in my face?” Jamie asked, crossing her arms.
“He won’t. But even if he does, what have you lost? Nothing,” Clara insisted.
“My self-respect.”
“Eh, you’ll be alright,” Clara said, waving her hand at Jamie.
“I’ll think about it,” Jamie said, insincerely.
