All the Wright Moves Read online

  “The one he left you for?” Apple asked with a gasp.

  I nodded. “Yeah.”

  “How foolish of him.” Apple put her hand on mine. “Chin up, dear. You’re much better than that young man. You don’t need him. You need to find someone else who sees how brightly you shine.”

  “Thanks, Apple.”

  “And come back by to see me soon.”

  I promised that I would and then headed back to my car. The new plant did make me feel better, but Apple’s words echoed in my head. I wanted to forget August, but how the hell did I even begin to find someone new?

  That was a mystery I had no clue how to solve, but at least I was calmer by the time I got back to Weston’s house. When I stepped inside, my cheeks heated, and I nearly dropped my plant. Well, damn. Weston Wright had been working out because he was currently in nothing but basketball shorts, and he was ripped. I swallowed as my eyes traveled down the six-pack and to the V that disappeared into his shorts.

  “Nora!” he said, popping the top on a Coke. “You’re home early.”

  “Yeah.” I blinked and forced myself to look at anything else. It was hard to pull my gaze elsewhere, but then I took in the rest of the kitchen and realized he was cooking. “You’re making dinner?”

  “Uh, yeah, lasagna. Did you eat at your dad’s?”

  “I didn’t actually.” I set the clivia down on the table and shrugged out of my jacket. “I left before burgers.”

  “Really? Why?”

  I looked at my feet. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

  “All right,” he agreed easily. “You want some lasagna? It’s almost done.”

  “That would be…nice. It smells amazing.” My mouth watered as he pulled it out of the oven.

  “Thanks. It’s my mom’s recipe. She’s Italian, and she was firm on making sure we all knew how to cook the basics, you know?”

  My stomach dropped at the words. “I kind of missed that with my mom.”

  His gaze snapped to mine. “Sorry…”

  I waved him off. I’d been a freshman in high school when Mom died. I’d had a long time to come to terms with her car accident, but it still sometimes hit me in the chest how much I’d lost and missed out on. Especially when I was already down. “You don’t have to apologize. I can’t get her back, and it’s been a long time. I want to hear about your mom.”

  “Well,” he said, dishing us each a plate, “I miss her, but we talk on the phone every week.”

  “You do?”

  He nodded. “She got a new job, working at a corporate office in Seattle. We asked her to come to Lubbock, but she’s always lived in Seattle. I’m not sure she’d do it unless one of us had a kid.”

  I sputtered, “That would be something.”

  “For real. Plot twist.”

  I took a seat opposite him and dug into the lasagna. “Holy shit!” I groaned with a full mouth.

  “You like it?”

  “Like?” I asked after I swallowed. “Try love. This is unbelievable.”

  “Thanks. You should try my mom’s. It’s way better.”

  “No way. This is…a godsend.”

  “I’m glad you like it.” He gestured to our new plant. “What’s this about?”

  “I’m turning into a plant lady.”

  He snorted. “That ship has sailed.”

  “True,” I admitted as I shoveled pasta into my mouth. But Weston was still looking at me with a thoughtful expression on his face. As if he already knew that something had happened. “What?”

  “Nothing,” he said automatically. “Just…Campbell texted and said to check on you, that you seemed off.”

  “He did not!”

  Weston chuckled. “Oh no, your brother cares about you,” he said sarcastically.

  “I know he cares, but…ugh! How did he even know?”

  “I don’t know. He said that you lied about work, but he just let you go.”

  I groaned. “Great.”

  “Could be worse.”

  I waved my fork at him. “I doubt Whitt interferes in your life.”

  Weston nearly choked on his bite. “Are you kidding me? All Whitt does is meddle. He literally asked me about my five-year plan the minute I saw him.”

  I couldn’t help it; I laughed. “Seriously? You just got back.”

  “Trust me, Harley and I dug into him.”

  “How is your sister doing?”

  “Four-point-oh last semester. Honor roll. Research assistant,” Weston said with pride. “She’s coming to Campbell’s party tomorrow.”

  “It’ll be good to see her. She’s a badass.”

  He shook his head. “She’s something.” Then, his eyes met mine again. “That was a clever turn of subject. You going to tell me what’s actually going on?”

  I blew out a harsh breath. “Not going to let it go?”

  “Nope.”

  “I saw August today.”

  West stilled. “Why?”

  “He wanted to apologize for what Tamara did at the winery.”

  “I hope you told him to fuck off,” he practically growled.

  “Basically,” I admitted. I threw my fork into the bowl and sat back. “I was so mad at myself for even seeing him. It’s utter bullshit that he can even draw me back in like that. I don’t want to feel like this anymore, but I don’t know what to do. Everyone says to move on, as if it were that easy.”

  “It’s not easy after everything you went through with him, but I have to agree. He’s not worth holding on to like this.”

  “I know he isn’t.” I blinked back tears and glanced away. “Look, I want to move on. I want to date someone else. I want all of that, but how do I do it?” I swallowed and finally admitted what I’d been holding in. “I’ve only ever dated one person before. I don’t know what I’m doing.”

  He stared at me in shock for a second. “You’ve only been with August?”

  I briskly nodded once. “Yep. For three years. In high school, everyone was too afraid of my brothers. In college, it was always Tamara who got the dates. And now I’m so awkward around guys.”

  He laughed softly. “Come on. It can’t be that bad.”

  “Oh yeah? I downloaded Tinder while you were gone and went on exactly one date, where the guy bailed before dinner was even finished.”

  “What a douche.”

  “How do people know what to do? Give me an event to plan, and I can take charge so easily, but dating?” I huffed. “I don’t know the first thing about dating. I wish there were like…a flirt coach.” I reached for my drink. The idea began to grow in my mind. A flirt coach was exactly what I needed. “I need someone who can teach me how to flirt and date and all that. Someone who can make me not be so incredibly awkward and shy around guys.”

  Weston leaned back in his seat and looked at me thoughtfully for a few seconds.

  “What?” I asked self-consciously. “Is it a dumb idea?”

  “I’ll do it.”

  I blinked. “Do what?”

  “I can show you how to flirt and date.”

  He was serious. I could see that on his face, and yet I couldn’t believe it. The Weston, who had left six months ago, had been a little quiet and shy. The only things he’d cared about were family and music. I’d noticed that he’d come back more confident. I’d assumed that LA had rubbed off on him. I hadn’t considered that had probably come with six months of girls, too.

  My cheeks heated slightly. “Qualifications?”

  He shrugged. “I was trained by the best.” I arched an eyebrow. “Your brother.”

  “You’re going to teach me how to flirt by using what my brother taught you? That seems like he’d hate it.”

  “When I was in LA, things got a little…wild. I’ve never been a big drinker because alcoholism runs in my family, but I let loose in LA. Campbell laughed his ass off at my attempts to flirt. Having the biggest rockstar in the world as your wingman gives you a confidence boost. And so I…flirted…a lot.”

  He shrugged and arched an eyebrow at me, as if I’d have anything to say about it. We weren’t anything but roommates. He had no reason to hide the fact that he’d probably hooked up with dozens of girls in LA. But still, I blushed at the thought.

  “So, now you’re a pro?”

  “Something like that. You need to put yourself out there and have someone help you through it. I can be that person.”

  “And you won’t tell Campbell?”

  “I don’t want him to punch me in the face. So, no.”

  I bit my lip. What was the harm here? Weston would teach me. I’d put myself out there to possibly get hurt all over again. But it would be worth it to get over August. That was the only goal here.

  So, I nodded. “All right. When do we start?”

  Weston pushed his chair back. “Tonight.”

  “What?” I squeaked.

  “Look, it’s now or never. The more time you have to think about it, the more likely you’ll back out. So, let’s just go out tonight.”

  I gulped. “Uh, okay. This is going to be…fun.”

  He laughed. “Don’t worry, Snickers. By the time I’m done with you, every single guy in Lubbock will be after you.”

  I nodded but couldn’t help wondering if that meant him, too.

  Part II

  Flirt Coach

  6

  Nora

  Weston was right about one thing—I was already second-guessing myself.

  I’d changed into a black dress and my favorite pair of red-bottomed heels, which I only pulled out when I needed moral support. Now, we were in Weston’s Subaru, driving downtown, and I had no idea if this was the right thing to do.

  Me, pick up guys? Learn how to flirt? Let loose?

  It seemed…impossible.


  And yet here I was, fidgeting up a storm, but still on my way to do it.

  “Are you sure about this?”

  He’d thrown on dark jeans, a black T-shirt, and a bomber jacket before we left. His hair fell forward into his eyes when he looked at me. “Are you sure? We don’t have to do this, but I’m here for you if you want.”

  “I…” I didn’t know what I wanted. I wanted to be over August. I was so pissed at him for everything he’d done, and I didn’t know how to do it alone. “Are you sure I’ll be able to learn?”

  “Yeah, I’m sure. You just need the nudge to do it.”

  “Okay. Yeah.” I swallowed down my fear and tilted my chin up. “Yes. I want to do it.”

  He must have seen the resolve on my face because he nodded. “All right. What’s your experience in a bar situation? I’m sure you’ve had a guy buy you a drink. Get your number?” He glanced over at me, and I was already shaking my head. “Really? I find that hard to believe.”

  “I’ve never even had a guy buy me a drink. I mean, besides August,” I added lamely.

  “How? How is that possible?”

  “Tamara,” I whispered the word. “She was always the center of every situation. Sometimes, she got drinks for both of us, but it was never me.”

  “Hmm,” he said, rubbing a hand along the scruff across his jaw. “Well then, that’s our goal tonight. A guy to buy you a drink and ask for your number.”

  “And how do I do that?”

  “Honestly, for women, it’s so much easier. All you have to do is put yourself out there. If you’re hot and smile at a guy, it’s pretty likely he’ll come over and talk to you to buy you a drink.”

  I blinked at him. “It is not that easy.”

  He laughed as he pulled into the parking lot of Flips. “It really is.”

  I hopped out of the car and walked around to meet him on the other side. “So, I just stand here?”

  The night was dark, and stars sparkled overhead, dulled by the soft light pollution in the city. It was only bright enough to illuminate the sharp contours of his jaw as he stepped in close to me.

  “Like this.” His arm brushed against mine. I shivered at the contact as our eyes met. “Hey. I’m Weston. Haven’t seen you here before.”

  I blinked up at him at his nearness. Our bodies were so close together. “Hi,” I breathed.

  He towered over me, and I had to tilt my head up to get a good look at his face. My heart was pounding in my chest. And suddenly, the entire world disappeared. It was just the two of us, standing in a packed parking lot.

  “I’m…I’m Nora,” I offered.

  “Nora,” he said with a certain look and a smile. “I like that.”

  “Thanks.” I tucked a lock of my hair behind my ear and broke eye contact as my face flushed. Somehow, even here, in this pretend situation, I could get embarrassed.

  Weston reached out and tilted my head back up to look at him. “Don’t hide from me.”

  I gulped. “I…wasn’t.”

  “Pretend this is an event you planned,” he encouraged. “You’re in charge. This is your world now.”

  My spine straightened at those words. This was just another event I’d put together. This was my domain. I existed here. A confident smile came to my face. “I’m ready.”

  Weston’s eyes dipped to my lips, and then he dropped his hand, stepping back and nodding. He cleared his throat. “Better.” He stuffed his hands into his pockets. “Let’s get you inside and try it out. Hold on to that energy.”

  I took a step away from him, afraid that I’d pushed him away. We’d been so close and then so, so far away. My stomach twisted in confusion. Weston was helping me. That was all this was, but still, when he’d lifted my chin, everything had gone blissfully silent.

  Flips was the best option for this little experiment because it wasn’t the kind of bar I’d frequented when I was a Texas Tech undergrad. Tamara and I were all about Cricket’s and Chimy’s. We’d prowl Broadway, laughing, drunk on cheap booze. All those memories were now tainted with a sheen of blue. The ache of her betrayal and pain of knowing I could never get any of those years back.

  Flips was known for their lunchtime hot-dog menu. At night, it transformed into the perfect dive bar, complete with a long bar on the far side of the room and pool tables at the back. The place was packed, and no one paid any mind to Weston and me stepping inside.

  “See if you can grab a seat. I’ll get us drinks. What do you like?”

  “Uh…whatever you want.”

  Weston shook his head. “Always have a drink request. Someone is going to ask you what you want, and you should know automatically. I could give you something you don’t like or something full of alcohol, where one drink would knock you on your ass. You don’t want anything from that kind of guy.”

  I blinked. “Right. I’ll take a Revolver.”

  Weston’s eyebrows rose. “A beer?”

  “Yeah? I like their Blood & Honey.” I arched an eyebrow. “Is that a problem?”

  “No, just pictured you as a fruity-drink kind of girl.”

  “I have two older brothers,” I said with a shrug. “Learned from the best.”

  He considered that for a second before nodding. “Blood & Honey it is.”

  Weston disappeared in the crowd near the bar while I looked for a table. Literally every surface in the entire place was full. It was so crammed that I could barely find wall space, let alone a table. After a few minutes, I gave up on finding an open spot and shifted into a corner, where I could watch the bar.

  A minute later, Weston appeared with two beers. He passed one to me.

  “Thanks,” I said, taking a good long sip to calm my nerves.

  “Sure. No tables?”

  “Nothing. We picked the right night, I guess. It’s slammed. I could barely walk around in here. How’d you get the beer so fast?”

  “I know the bartender. Pete came into the studio some when I worked there.”

  “Look at you, acting like a local.”

  West grinned. “Sure. Me, a Lubbock local.”

  “You skipped the line at the bar,” I reminded him.

  He laughed. “I suppose I did. Now, it’s your turn.”

  I drained my Blood & Honey. West arched an eyebrow at me.

  I tipped the empty bottle at him. “Liquid courage.”

  Then, I passed it back to him and headed to the bar. I felt ridiculous. But I thought about everything West had told me. I needed to work the bar like I would if I were at one of my events. I was hardly shy on a good day, but somehow, when it came to boys, I completely froze up. Just like I had under Weston’s gaze.

  I squeezed my way to the front of the busy bar. I stared up at the chalk menu as if I were contemplating what to order. Then, I shifted to observe the people all around me. It was mostly guys, but none of them were looking at me. And I didn’t know how to get their attention. Suddenly, my throat closed, and I felt so very small. How had I thought I could do this? I wasn’t ready for this big of a step. I should go home and give up on finding a guy who was into me. Or get on Tinder and suffer through bad dates. I shuddered at that thought.

  “What’ll you have?”

  I jerked my eyes up as Pete, the bartender, looked directly at me. I’d been stuck in my own head and not even realized that it was my turn.

  “I’m still deciding,” I told him.

  He nodded at me. “Sure thing.” He pointed at the guy next to me. “You?”

  “I’ll take a Miller Lite.” The guy glanced over at me as Pete went to grab his beer. “Hey, have we met before?”

  I met his gaze and frowned, considering it. He did sort of look familiar. “Um, I’m not sure.”

  “I’m sure I’ve seen you around.”

  I tapped my lip, trying to place his face, but I saw so many faces at my job that they sometimes all blurred together. “I work at Wright Vineyard. Do you ever go by there?”

  “That must be it,” he agreed. “I love that place.” He stuck his hand out. “I’m Cannon.”

  “Nora,” I said, shaking his hand.

  Pete plunked his drink down. “That all?”

  Cannon pointed at me. “Whatever she’s having.”

  “Oh,” I said in wonder. I’d thought that he was just being nice. Had he been…flirting with me? Had he ever actually seen me before? Was that a line? Wow, I was bad at this. “I’ll take a Blood & Honey.”