“Ava, sweetie, you’re really too young to not be out having the time of your life,” Patty said as they headed toward the door after their class had ended.
Before they got there, it opened and in walked Liam.
He stopped short when he saw the group of women, clearly not expecting an audience. “Oh, sorry. I didn’t realize you still had a class.”
“We were just leaving,” Linda said, but she made no move toward the door.
Meanwhile, Patty looked Liam up and down like he was a piece of art she was considering purchasing. “Well, well, well. Who’s this?”
“This is Liam,” I said, trying to keep my voice casual. “He’s a friend of my brother’s.”
“A friend.” Deb raised an eyebrow. “Is that what we’re calling them these days?”
“It’s nice to meet you ladies.” Liam flashed them his most charming smile, and all four of them practically melted.
“Oh, honey, the pleasure is ours,” Barb said, before her gaze went noticeably to his bicep. “My goodness. Do you work out?”
“I play hockey.”
“A hockey player!” Linda fanned herself dramatically. “Ava, you’ve been holding out on us. You never mentioned your brother had friends who looked like this.”
“It never came up,” I said.
Liam caught my eye over their heads, his expression somewhere between amused and desperate. I offered him no rescue. He’d walked into this; he could suffer through it.
“So what brings you by the studio?” Linda asked, shooting me a knowing look. “Picking up our Ava for a date?”
“Oh, we’re not—” I started.
“I was actually hoping to get a dance lesson,” Liam said smoothly. “Ava’s been telling me how good she is.”
All four women turned to look at me with knowing smiles that made my stomach flip.
“A private lesson,” Patty said. “How romantic.”
“It’s not romantic. He just wants to learn to dance.”
“Mm-hmm.” Deb didn’t look convinced. “Well, don’t let us interrupt. We were just leaving.” She gave Liam a bright smile. “You take good care of our girl, you hear?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“And Ava?” Patty paused at the door, her eyestwinkling. “Remember what we told you before.” She gave me a very obvious wink and then they filed out, their laughter heard clearly. The door clicked shut behind them, and suddenly the studio felt very quiet.
“So,” Liam said, shoving his hands in his pockets. “Those are your students?”
“They named themselves the Naughty Nanas. They’re a handful.”
“I noticed.”
I started gathering my things, hyperaware of his presence behind me. “So, what are you really doing here? I thought we were meeting up later.”
When I turned around, he was looking at me differently. With a strange, polite distance in his expression. Like we were strangers.
“Excuse me,” he said, his voice formal. “Do you do private lessons?”
I blinked at him. “What?”
He stepped farther into the studio, maintaining that unfamiliar demeanor. “Private lessons. I saw the sign outside. I was hoping you might be able to help me.” He arched an eyebrow like he was waiting for me to catch on.
