He finished choking, wiped his mouth, and dragged in a breath. Kennedy almost felt sorry for him, but it was necessary in order to get him to the next level. Her finger stroked the button hidden in her tote. “Ready?”
“Yeah. I got this.”
Kennedy threw out the questions in rapid succession. “Do I look fat in these pants?”
“No.”
“Do you want me to pick up the tab this time?”
“No.”
“Are you gay?”
“No.”
“Are you just looking for a one-night stand?”
“No.”
“Do you have any issues I need to be concerned about?”
“No.”
“Do you find me attractive?”
“Yes.”
She grinned and gave him a thumbs-up signal. He let out the breath he’d been holding, took another sip, and relaxed his shoulders. “Nice warm-up. Now let’s beef it up. Kate, go ahead.”
“I’m your hot waitress. I just came up to the table and took your order. Give me your best line.”
“Make sure you come check on me often. I haven’t seen such a beautiful face in a long time. You inspire me to be a better man.”
Kennedy barely managed not to gag on that line.
So she pressed the button.
Nate jerked and shot off the bar stool. The electrical buzz hit his skin, and she imagined little tingles of energy rippling down his body, causing enough pain to force him to focus. His fingers drifted up to his neck, and he whipped around. His gaze narrowed.
“What was that?” he hissed. “That hurt!”
“Honestly, Nate, that was one of the worst lines I’ve ever heard.”
“Quite cheesy,” Kate agreed.
“You electrocuted me.” He stated the words with sheer amazement.
She waved a hand in the air. “It’s just a little behavior correction technique. A slight tingle to remind you when you go off track.”
“You’re all crazy. What type of agency is this?”
Arilyn clucked softly. “We’re so sorry, Nate, but this really is for the best. Now, why don’t we try again?”
He stared at each of them, trying to comprehend how three deadly females had just given him the equivalent of an electric shock, yet somehow managed to look completely innocent. “You don’t want to give up when it’s just gotten interesting, do you?” Kennedy asked.
He touched the collar and narrowed his gaze. “My brother just used that line last night and the woman loved it. Are you sure you know what you’re doing?”
Kate gave an irritated sigh. “She’s the exception. Women hate that stuff. Is your brother Brad Pitt? Or maybe she knows him casually and it was a joke?”
Nate rubbed his head. “Not Pitt. He got her to laugh.”
“Forget what Connor does and says. You need a different approach or you’ll get slaughtered.”
“Fine. Let’s do this again.”
They shared a glance. Kennedy nodded. Kate picked the reins back up.
“Picture your first date. She leans in after the meal and asks what’s next on the menu. What do you say back?”
He blinked. “Dessert.”
She hit the button.
He twitched and cursed viciously under his breath. “What?”
“That sounded like you wanted to take her to bed. Not cool.”
“I meant just dessert, for God’s sake, not sex.”
“Sounded a bit creepy to me. Your response should have been, whatever you like. She was really asking about the next step with you, not the menu.”
“That’s stupid! Why would she use a food connotation?”
Kennedy shrugged. “Women are deep.”
Arilyn jumped in. “Clear your mind and picture an unyielding canvas of white.”
Pure male irritation radiated from him, but he sat back down and glared at Kate. “Again.”
Kate shifted on the bar stool. “Two women are talking to you together. You’re attracted to one friend and not the other. What do you do?”
“Address the woman I like and ask for her number.”
She hit the button.
He slapped at his neck. “What the hell did I do wrong now?”
Arilyn gave him a sad look. “Never, ever ask for a woman’s number in front of her friend. It must be done privately. You set yourself up for extreme embarrassment if the one you asked out doesn’t like you but the other one does, and then the one you like feels bad for her friend and the other one hates you, so it’s a lose-lose situation.”
“I’m going home.”
Nate began to unbuckle the collar. Kennedy dove over and grabbed his hands. “I know it’s confusing, but we just wanted to give you some general scenarios. The real role-play is much more important.”
“What type of role-play?”
“Kate will be the first one up. She’ll pretend to be a stranger at the bar, and you approach her. Conversation will go from there, and we’ll be able to analyze how you interact.”
He gave a disgusted sigh but stopped trying to tug off the collar. “Is she gonna judge me on my first pick-up line? I suck at that.”
“No, just say hello, she won’t be hostile. This exercise is about the flow of good conversation, not approach. If there’s one thing I teach as the cardinal rule for first meets, it’s this. Say hello, give your name, and ask how she is. Simple. Not rocket science.”
“Ha, ha.”
“Arilyn and I will watch from the end of the bar.”
“Great. I feel like I’m auditioning for America’s Got Talent. But instead of the X, I get electrocuted.”
“Good luck.”
They moved a few seats down. Kennedy gave him credit. Most men couldn’t handle the pressure of role-play, and though Nate’s face reflected misery, he drew himself to full height and dove in.
“Hey . . . My name’s Nate, how are you?”
Kate swiveled around on her stool and gave him a sexy smile. She’d transformed into the one-night competitor. This woman wanted hot sex, one night to forget her troubles, and had no intention of settling into a long-term relationship. Kate practically purred, her gaze caressing and analyzing his entire body from under heavy lidded eyes. She was a walking, talking cliché that most men could never resist.
Including Nate.
“Hey, darlin’,” she drawled. “My name’s Wanda. And my crappy day just got a whole lot better.”
“Mine, too.” He sat next to her, his confidence shooting back up in the face of Kate’s obvious flirtation. “Do you come here often?”