"So you're thirty-four, handsome and rich," Annie said, pretending to study her wine. She was going out on a limb but she wanted to see his reaction. To hell with being safe. "Why aren't you married?"
He leaned forward and rested his elbows on the table. When she glanced up, he was watching her, grinning in that unnerving way that implied he was going to toy with her. "I'm not answering unless you answer my question. Why did Bob give you a job as an agent?"
Hey, no fair. She'd asked first. "Because I'm good."
He leaned back. "No offence, Annie, but you're not. You don't go to parties, you don't know many people in the business and you hate shmoozing with the ones you do."
She choked down her rising temper, not wanting to make a scene in a place like Jacques—although it would be quite satisfying to embarrass Zack in front of his peers.
"Sorry," he said quickly, hands up in defence, "but it's the truth. Now, are you going to answer my question? Why did Bob give you a job?"
She shrugged and picked up the menu again, temper swallowed along with a mouthful of wine.
"Just as I thought," he said with a know-all tone. "Then I can't answer yours."
"Fine," she said. "I don't care anyway."
He muttered something under his breath which she couldn't hear and probably wasn't meant to.
"I think I'll have the quail for starters," she said mildly.
He grunted then made a gesture and their waiter miraculously appeared. They placed their orders.
"Guess you want to change the subject then," Zack said to her.
She shrugged but didn't answer. Damn it, she hated the way his eyes sparkled like a naughty child's when he teased her. He had such an unnerving way of seeing right through her defenses then going in for the kill. Being teased by Zack was like being tickled—funny for the tickler but incredibly annoying for the victim.
Zack sipped the wine but didn't taste it. He had to concentrate on not letting his guard down in front of Annie again. He didn't want any more disasters like the previous night ruining their companionship.
"Okay, lets get back to our safe topic. We came here to learn flirting techniques. Show me what you've got."
She blinked those wide, beautiful eyes at him. "Now? Who with?"
He held out his arms. "Me."
"You? I thought we came here to try it on strangers?"
"After you graduate. Grade schoolers need to start with something easy."
"But I can't flirt with you!"
Oh hell. Were his feelings that obvious? "Why not?"
"Because, well, because you're you."
"Is that a good thing or bad thing?"
"You can take it anyway you want. I can't flirt with you."
He blew out a breath. Damn. It could have been fun. "Okay then." He scanned the room. "Flirt with the waiter."
"The waiter?"
"Yeah. He likes you."
She studied the young man who'd taken their orders. "How do you know?"
"He couldn't keep his eyes off your ass when we walked in."
"Oh." She straightened and cleared her throat as the waiter approached with their entrees. "This is embarrassing."
"You think everything's embarrassing."
"That's because I can't do anything without putting my foot in my mouth. And I'm not used to...this."
"Just relax. Don't worry about being embarrassed."
"Easy for you to say."
"Not exactly. I have to sit with you. Guilt by association."
She frowned at him then turned her attention to the young waiter. He was cute, probably about twenty and he smiled at her as he approached which confirmed her earlier suspicion that he'd never waited tables in an exclusive restaurant before. He was probably a wannabe actor who suspected she or Zack were producers and could give him a ticket to stardom.
He set the plates down in front of them and politely told them to enjoy their meal. Annie, aware that Zack was watching her, thanked him.
She plastered on her brightest smile. "Before you go, please tell me your name."
"Peter. Is there anything else?"
Uh-oh, he was going to leave. Quick, Annie, think of something flirtatious.
"I like what you're wearing."
Peter glanced down at his black trousers, white shirt, black tie and jacket, then back at Annie. "It's a uniform."
"Oh." Not a good start. "Well, you, um, wear it well."
He smiled, looking pleased. "Thanks." Peter switched his gaze to Zack. His smile vanished. When Annie glanced across at Zack his face was expressionless but she had a sneaking suspicion he'd just been scowling. Peter did a short bow as if he'd just ended a performance and stepped away. Damn, she was about to lose her opportunity to show Zack that she was a pretty good flirt when she wanted to be. She had to think quickly.
"Do you come here often?" She did a mental head-slap. Dumbass.
The waiter, coloring, left to the sound of Annie's groaning and Zack's chuckling.
"Good going," Zack said, still grinning. "Now the poor guy thinks you're making fun of him."
"No, he thinks you're making fun of him." She lowered her head and picked at the quail to hide her heating face.
Zack cursed himself for suggesting the flirting. Maybe he should've thought it through first. The truth was, it was just an excuse to get Annie to go out with him, in that dress.
Lucky for him she was an atrocious flirt. Cute, yes, and men responded to her when she was being herself, but when the pressure was on, she failed miserably.
Not so lucky for the young waiter. He must be thinking he'd got a couple of LA nut cases at table twenty-two. Zack really hadn't meant to scare him, just discourage him. But he'd lost it when Annie got a smile out of Peter. Zack knew he had to nip the conversation in the bud, before it took a direction he hadn't anticipated and didn't like.
His discouraging glare must have worked because a different waiter collected their plates and delivered their main course. He was an arrogant, forty-something man with a poor imitation of a French accent. He didn't smile at them and Annie didn't try flirting with him. Thankfully.
"Dance?" Zack asked as the music softened and a few couples waltzed onto the floor.
She hesitated before nodding. "I'm not a very good dancer."
"Just follow my lead."
He held out his hand and Annie placed her fingers in his like she'd seen them do in the movies. He twirled her onto the floor and deftly caught her in his arms.