To The Single Dad in the Store by J.S. Cooper
Chapter Eighteen
“I’m so excited, Nellie!”Shelby burst into my room early on Saturday morning. “I cannot believe that today is finally the day.”
“I’m still in bed, Shelby,” I mumbled. “I’m happy for you, but maybe we can talk in an hour after I get a bit more sleep in.”
“But we have so much to do. We have to figure out what we’re going to wear, and how we’re going to do our hair, and how we’re going to do our makeup, and—”
“Shelby,” I groaned, “does makeup even matter? We’re going to have masks on.”
“But I’m sure there’s going to be a point where we take the masks off.”
“I don’t know. Ugh.” I yawned and sat up. “Can’t we talk in an hour? Can I at least get some coffee and some breakfast first?”
“Sure, but there’s one other thing I have to tell you, Nellie.” Shelby looked slightly guilty.
“What is it? What is it, Shelby? Just tell me.”
“So … you know how we’re going to see my dad’s best friend?”
“Yeah?”
“There’s one other thing that I’d really like for you to do to help me.”
“Um, what?”
“Well, it’s not bad. It really isn’t.”
“I’m not sleeping with him, Shelby.”
“Of course I don’t want you to sleep with him, silly. Why would I want you to sleep with him, Nellie? That’s stupid.”
“Just in case.”
“I mean, it’s definitely not as bad as sleeping with him.”
“I’m not making out with him.”
“I don’t want you to make out with him either. Nellie, really?”
“So what is it, Shelby?”
“I just want you to flirt with him a little bit.”
“What!” I was wide awake now. “What do you mean, you want me to flirt with him a little bit?”
“I want to see how he reacts to you flirting with him.”
“I don’t understand. Why do you want me to flirt with him? You’re the one that’s interested in him.”
“Yeah, but I don’t even know if he would date someone younger.”
“So what’s that got to do with me?”
“Well, you’re my age. So if he flirts back with you, that means he might be receptive to me.”
“What?” I blinked now. “I need some coffee because I’m not understanding.”
“I just need you to flirt with him.”
“Why can’t you flirt with him?”
“Because I don’t want to put myself out there if he’s not even open to dating women my age.”
“Not to mention the fact that you’re his best friend’s daughter.” I rubbed my eyes.
“Exactly. So if I’m going to put myself out there, I need to know he’ll even date someone my age anyway.”
“Shelby, it might be early in the morning, but I don’t know why I have to be the one to flirt with him.”
“Because you’re my best friend, and I trust that you’re not going to do anything with him. I just need to know if he’s open and receptive to someone younger flirting.”
“Aww, I don’t want to do this, Shelby.”
“Why not?”
“Because I don’t want to make a fool of myself.”
“Please? I’m not asking you to marry him. I’m not asking you to kiss him. I’m not asking you to have sex with him. I’m just asking you to flirt and see if he’ll flirt back. Please? Please, please, Nellie? You’re my best friend, and you have a hot date with a gorgeous guy in the store, and I have no one.”
“Fine, but you know this is emotional blackmail, and that’s really not cool, Shelby.”
“What?” She opened her big blue eyes, all innocent. “What do you mean?”
“I mean,” I said in a stern voice, “you’re my best friend, so I’m going to do this for you once. But if you ever try to emotionally blackmail me again and make me do something I really don’t want to do, I’m not going to be cool with it. In fact, it’s going to make me reconsider our friendship, because that shows me that you’re not respecting my boundaries and my wishes.”
“I’m sorry,” she said softly. “I didn’t think about it like that. Look, if you don’t want to do it, then you don’t. I’m sorry.” She sat at the edge of my bed, looking sad. “You must think I’m an awful friend, huh? Do you really think I’m selfish?”
“No, you’re not selfish, but this has been the dynamic of our friendship. I don’t want to lose you as a friend, but I know I need to speak up. This is something that’s been in my mind for a long time.”
“Is it because I woke you up?”
“No, it’s not because you woke me up. Shelby. It’s just …” I paused and looked at my best friend. “I love you, but you can’t take advantage of me, and you can’t try and push me into doing things I don’t want to do. I’m going to do this to help you because I can see how much this guy means to you, and I understand how hard it is to take that step when you don’t really know what’s on the other side. But that’s all I’m going to do. I will flirt with him. I will see if he even flirts back, but that’s it. Don’t expect me to dance with him, or bump and grind, or kiss, or anything. Okay?”
“I would never expect you to do anything like that. I’m sorry, Nellie. I didn’t realize that you thought that about me. I try to be the best friend that I can be.”
“And you are a great friend. You are, but you know, our dynamic has always been that you’re sort of bossy.” She looked sad. “Come on now, Shelby. You know you’re bossy.”
“Okay. Maybe.” She laughed. “I’m sorry, though. I’ve never wanted you to think I’d take advantage of you.”
“Are you mad at me that I said something?” I asked her softly, worried that she would be pissed at me.
“Nellie,” Shelby looked at me earnestly, “I would never be mad at you. I respect you so much for actually saying something to me. I know I can be overbearing, and I know that I can be crazy and too much for some people. And I need a friend like you who’s going to be honest and tell me when I’m getting on their nerves, or when I’m going over the top, or when you feel like I’m taking advantage of you. Because everyone needs that person in their life. I love you, Nellie.”
“I love you too, Shelby. This is our come-to moment,” I said with a laugh and got out of bed.
“You know what’s really funny?” Shelby mused.
“What?”
“We’re finally starting to mature.”
“You think so?” I laughed.
“I know so.” She laughed back. “Do you think it’s because we’re both dating hot, older men?”
“Well, we’re not both actually doing anything. I have one date coming up with an older guy, and you don’t even have a date yet.” I laughed. “Not to be mean.”
“Yeah. I don’t have one yet, but I think I’m going to definitely have one.”
“You’re so confident.”
“I’m not really, though,” she said, “Inside. You know that, right?”
“I know.”
“I know I try to pretend that I have everything going on because I’m beautiful—”
“Oh my gosh, Shelby!”
“What? You’re beautiful too. Probably even more beautiful than me.”
“Don’t say that. That’s not true.”
“You could fricking be Miss South Carolina if you wanted to be.”
“No, I couldn’t.”
“Yeah, you could.”
I stared at my beautiful best friend. “You’re amazing. You know that, right?”
“Well, not as amazing as you.”
I sighed. “We’re crazy.”
“Why are we crazy?”
“I don’t know. I’m still half asleep. Let’s go and make that coffee and figure out what we’re going to wear tonight. I guess if I’m going to be flirting with your dad’s best friend, I need to look as hot as possible if I’m even going to have a chance.”
“So you want him to flirt back with you?”
“I don’t want him to flirt back with me, but I do want to see if he’d be willing to give you a chance.”
“Oh, so you think if he doesn’t flirt with you, he wouldn’t want me?”
“That’s not what I’m saying, and you know that.”
“I know,” she giggled. “I’m just teasing you, Nellie. I love you.”
“I love you too.”