The School of Flirting Read Online Free PDF Page B

please? Okay! Pauline and Jane are our first match! Come on in.”
    Melanie shut the door and the rest of them women left in the hall, silently compared letters. I searched everyone’s faces. I had letter E… Only one person wasn’t playing the comparison game. At the far end of the hallway, with a book open in her lap, was Sachi.
     

Chapter 13
    Icebreakers
    …
     
    One after another, partners got up, disappeared in to the class room and then came out again. They smiled and waved, whispering good luck before climbing the stairs and leaving the rest of us behind. Finally it was just Sachi and I left. She still hand lifted her eyes from her book and I …I hadn’t tried to interrupt her. Through the wall I could hear the last team thanking Melanie and promising to keep in contact. Any minute now it would be our turn.
    “Sachi…” I began. But she stood up abruptly. Melanie was in the doorway, ushering us in.
    “Okay ladies! Come on in. You are the last pair. Save the best for last, right?”
    My stomach hurt. I’ve always been a nervous test taker and this situation was gas on the fire. I stared at the list on the whiteboard:
    Body positioning. Eye contact. Nonverbal communication. Ice Breakers. Small Talk.
    ‘You only fail if you don’t try,’ I counseled myself.
    Melanie took her seat, while Sachi and I took our places at the front of the room. “Okay. You may start whenever you are ready.”
    Sachi finally met my eyes and it felt like a slap. She looked hurt. She turn slightly and did that subtle flip of her hair that I remembered so well. But with the pained look in her eyes I suddenly felt like she was speaking just to me and she was saying: I showed you my heart. I was soft for you. Don’t you care?
    I wanted to shout ‘But I do care! I’m sorry.’ Instead I leaned towards her. My shoulders and rib cage lifting showing that I yearned to be closer.
    She looked away.
    I looked at my feet.
    Where we just acting or was this our real conversation. I flicked my gaze back at her, searching for clues to her real feelings. But she had already put herself out there… now it was my turn. Softly I smiled and raised my eyes hopefully. Will you accept an apology? Would you let me make up for being so foolish?
    She looked at the white board. Her shoulder a bit cold…still mad at me. I wished I could talk and plead my case but we were still on nonverbal communication. Bombing this final for us wouldn’t make her think of me kindly.
    Suddenly I had an idea. My bag was still hung across my shoulders. I fished around blindly until I grabbed my bottled soda. Pulling it out I twisted the lid. “Pssst!” the soda hissed loudly and Sachi automatically looked over. I gave her a cheeky smile and lifted the drink towards her in a silent offer. Want some?
    She shook her head no.
    “Good, good,” Melanie cut it. “Now on to the icebreakers. Sachi, you first.”
    Sachi’s eyes still seemed cold to me. She continued to look at my soda and then said softly, “You shouldn’t drink soda. It’s bad for your health.”
    Now it was my turn. Relieved to be able to speak again, I immediately opened my mouth… but nothing came out. I looked down at the open soda I was still holding, but she had already used it as her icebreaker. Where did that leave me? What could I say to start a conversation? Suddenly I remembered one of Leann’s old pickup lines.
    “Hey. How much does a polar bear weigh?”
    Sachi’s eyes widened and then her brow furrowed. I could almost feel her confusion. “Uh…I don’t know…”
    “Enough to break the ice.” I said wiggling my eyebrows just like Leann did.
    Sachi burst out laughing. And then she smiled at me and it was like sun through the clouds; bright and warm and so very welcome. From there our small talk flowed naturally and it was almost a surprise when Melanie interrupted us again.
    “Annnnd that’s it! You are done! What a great job, ladies. I think I really did save the best for last.