The bar was busy, full of a wide variety of Friday patrons. The music thumped and the base reverberated through the floor. I was alone, and I hated it.

Finding a seat by the bar, I ordered a beer and looked over my shoulder a few times, trying to find Bella amidst the masses, but I couldn't see her.

Just as my beer was slid toward me, I felt someone against my shoulder, standing way closer than was deemed appropriate. But I didn't look. I didn't need to. It was a woman, her sickeningly sweet vanilla-based perfume giving me an instant headache. It wasn't Bella, and that was all that mattered.

"Hey." Her voice was nasally, a little too sweet. Flirty.

I didn't have it in me to be rude, so I slowly turned my head in her direction and smiled softly. "Hey." She was blonde, quite tall, and curvy. Her blue eyes were framed by heavy dark makeup, her thin lips painted a deep red.

"I haven't seen you here before," she said, turning to face me fully, resting her hip against the bar.

"I don't come here often." It sounded so cliche I almost cringed, but it was true. I had only been here once before—last week. The night I met Bella.

She smiled, her hand lifting, her fingers finding a lock of her hair that she twirled. "Thought so. I'd remember you."

I had no idea what I was supposed to say to that, so I said nothing, jumping slightly when I felt a new presence behind me—this one familiar in the way my body tingled, reacting to her almost instinctively. I turned to look, but Bella stopped me, leaning forward and whispering in my ear, her hand lightly touching my back.

"Flirt back, Edward."

I didn't want to! "But—"

"Practice makes perfect." Her hand tapped between my shoulder blades. I was facing away from her, but I knew she had moved away, calling to the bartender, who she obviously knew. I didn't like the way he greeted her—a little too friendly.

I wanted to see what she was wearing, what she looked like tonight, but I took instruction well, like the good little student I had always prided myself on being. My blonde companion hadn't moved, unfortunately. "Sorry," I said, trying to give her as much of my attention as I could spare, fighting the urge to turn to Bella and … I don't know, talk to her instead. Flirt with her instead. I wanted to kiss her again. And again.

This was a long road to losing my virginity, and I was already exhausted.

"That's okay." She was sweet. Just … sweet. "What's your name?" she asked, that lock of hair still tangled in her fingers. It was distracting.

"Edward," I answered. "What's yours?"

"Jenna."

Nice name. Now what? I tried to remove myself emotionally from the situation, tried to remember how I would act if there was no pressure to flirt. "It's nice to meet you, Jenna." Fucking cringe. "Can I buy you a drink?"

Her smile widened. She had lipstick on her teeth. "I'd like that. Thanks. I'll have a vodka cranberry."

I nodded and looked toward the barman who was slouched over the counter, smiling at Bella, laughing at something she said. I caught her eye quickly and she winked, nodding her head in my direction, alerting the bartender to the fact that I was waiting. I was sure I wasn't the only one waiting to be served, but he was too engrossed in Bella and her charm, and I wanted to call him out on it, but I didn't. That didn't stop me from seething silently as he approached, my eyes narrowed. I'm pretty sure I gave him Jenna's order through clenched teeth, but he didn't seem to notice.

"Dance with me?" Jenna asked, pulling me out of my rage-fogged stupor.

"I don't … I don't dance." There was no way I was dancing. Not a chance. I'd rather pull my teeth out. She pouted, actually pouted and fluttered her eyelashes.

"Please?"

Shaking my head, I took a long sip of beer. "Sorry, Jenna, I really don't dance." This was stupid. It was mortifying. I was making a complete fool of myself and I hated it. I had always been good at whatever I set my mind to, and this was a hard pill to swallow. I had finally found something I didn't naturally excel at, and I hated it.

Jenna said nothing. She just stood there, sulking, pleading with me silently, and as the seconds ticked by, I grew hotter and hotter under the collar. I was so far out of my depth that I couldn't think straight.

The music seemed to dull to a low beat, the noise of the bar and chatter amplified in its place. People were laughing, having fun and enjoying their Friday night and I really wasn't. I wanted out.

Standing, I sent an apologetic glance Jenna's way, placing my empty beer bottle on the bar and, without a backward glance, headed straight for the exit.

The air was cold, fall slowly making may for winter, but it was a relief and my lungs thanked me. I took a deep breath, shoving my hands in the pockets of my jeans and exhaling in a puff of cheeks.

What an epic fail.

"She was cute."

I spun to face the voice, knowing instantly who it was.

Bella stood, leaning a shoulder against the brick of the building, a mischievous smile on her face, arms crossed.

"Was she?"

Nodding, she pushed off the building and took a couple of steps closer to me.

"You chickened out." I knew her words were meant to goad me, cause a spark of irritation that would make me jump to defend myself, but Bella was right. I had chickened out.

"I'm a useless flirt." I sighed, letting my head drop back and groaning toward the sky, so dark and starless.

"I don't believe you."

When I looked back at her, she was much closer than she had been before, looking up at me with those bright, chocolate eyes that sparkled in the illumination of the street.

"It was awkward. I was awkward."

She chuckled, and I narrowed my eyes at her. "It takes practice, Eddie. You're such an overachiever." I opened my mouth to argue, but she cut me off. "Did you think you were going to ace a random bar pickup the first time you tried? Reckon you're hiding a regular Casanova under that fuck-hot exterior of yours?"

Um. What? "I don't know."

"You know the craziest part?" When I said nothing, she answered her own question. "You probably wouldn't even need to talk to get girls to drop their panties for you." My face scrunched, making her laugh. "It's true! You're unfathomably hot. All it'd take is the confidence to believe you could have any woman in that bar."

"That's ridiculous," I scoffed.

Her eyebrow quirked. "Is it?" For a long moment, we were silent, just staring at each other in the dimly-lit street. "Lesson two, Eddie. Flirting. Face to face." She took a step closer and my breathing hitched, my heart skipped a beat, and my mouth went dry. "Hit me with your best shot, Romeo."

"Here?" I croaked, watching her hand as it lifted to settle on my chest, feeling the heat through my sweater, scorching.

Lifting onto her tiptoes, she bit into her bottom lip, leaned forward, and whispered into my ear. "Right here." I think I stopped breathing altogether. She was so close, smelled too good, and her body was begging to be touched. My hands clenched at my side to stop me reaching for her. "Woo me, and then take me home."

That was a challenge I was more than willing to give my all.

AN:

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