Good Gracie

by Ines Saint

  Gracie dutifully scanned the dance floor, her gaze immediately caught by the couple who looked like they were having the most fun. The song that was currently playing was fast-paced and she had to observe them carefully to see how it all came together. The man’s tugs on the woman’s hand were subtle, just enough to lead her either to sway rhythmically back and forth with him or to twirl in and under his arms and do tricks. Every once in a while the woman would snap back and do her own little shimmy while the man watched, holding her hand, seemingly mesmerized. Every little tug and snap seemed to be a cue. A back and forth.

  “Now look for couples who steal your breath away and make you blush,” Rosa continued in a conspiratorial voice. “What makes them more caliente than others is the way they flirt with their eyes. The scientific explanation is that extended eye contact synchronizes brain activity between two people. The universally known truth is that you can find love by gazing into a person’s eyes.”

  “You can?”

  Rosa nodded, wearing a faraway smile. “There’s something about the eyes, Gracie. What a mind and a body tries to deny, the eyes can’t, not when they’re locked. You’ll know if someone wants you, likes you, or even detests you if you just manage to hold their eyes. And if the potential for falling in love is there, you’ll feel it, here.” She thumped her chest.

  Rosa shook herself out of her reverie. “But we’re talking about flirting, not about falling in love. Your next lesson is to scan the crowd for a couple that captivates you so that you can study the way they look at each other. You will learn everything you need to know.” Rosa slapped the table and several people looked their way. Gracie giggled, but Rosa remained unfazed, saying, “Go on,” and motioning for her to complete her assignment.

  Gracie looked out onto the dance floor again and watched as couples stepped back and forth and swayed and twirled in time to the beat, alternately smiling and looking away before making eye contact again. But one couple in particular stood out and indeed made her blush, not because they embarrassed her but because it was difficult to watch the sensual, wordless conversation between them and not recognize a deep yearning for something just as magical in her own life. It was hot, but it was also tender. There was trust there. It was easy to see and it was all in the way they looked at each other.

  How beautiful it would be to fall in love knowing that the more turbulent feelings were nothing to be afraid of because they were fixed on a dependable anchor....

  Rosa snapped her fingers in front of Gracie’s face. “You’re becoming melancholy, hija,” she said. “Remember, you’re a student. Your last assignment was to study how the couple was using their eyes to communicate, not to follow them to la-la land.” Gracie pried her eyes away from the captivating couple and sat up straight. “That’s better.” Rosa smiled. “It’s time to pay attention and watch and learn from me. From my approach to getting to know my partner through body language, to seeing what happens when we get comfortable with each other. Maybe I’ll find magic, maybe I won’t, but hopefully I still have enough fuego in me to teach you a few tricks,” she said as she wiggled her hips.

  Rosa scanned the crowd before approaching a nearby man who looked to be in his early sixties. Gracie knew the older woman was somewhere in her midseventies, but she didn’t look a day over sixty, and a big part of it was the way she carried herself. The man looked up and Gracie leaned forward, trying to catch everything.

  Rosa’s smile reached her eyes, making her look friendly and approachable. The casual way in which she asked the man to dance implied that she merely wanted to acquire a dance partner, and that she wasn’t overly concerned about his answer. The man accepted with a small shrug and a smile of his own.

  They joined the other dancers, and Gracie became fascinated by the subtle ways Rosa used both eye contact and body language to her advantage. Eyes meeting one moment and then casually looking away the next. Body swaying close before sashaying away . . . When they grew more comfortable with each other’s styles, Rosa allowed him to pull her in closer, but she rarely looked his way, and when she did, the eye contact was brief but intense. By the time the dance ended, the man was obviously not ready to let her go.

  Gracie ate it all up, knowing she was receiving an important lesson. Rosa was then asked to dance by someone who’d been watching her from afar, but the man she was dancing with put his hand up to shush the new man up before asking Rosa to allow him one more dance. A new song came on and Rosa continued to dance with the same man.

  Gracie watched them for a while, seeing that subtlety was the key. Then her glance darted around, eager to find the couple who had captured her imagination before. Instead, her eyes met and locked with a familiar pair of brown eyes. Those brown eyes widened and took on a look of distress.

  It was George Zanetti, a member of her design team. Gracie was happy to see him because she’d been feeling alone, but he didn’t look too thrilled to see her. It took her a moment to try to figure out why.

  Was it because he was dancing with another man? Although it seemed unlikely because Midwest Workplace Design had a tolerant and relaxed atmosphere and Diane was careful about hiring people with open minds, it was the only reason Gracie could think of for him to look distressed. George was the oldest member of her group and he kept his personal life as private as Gracie did, but she could tell he had a sensitive soul. The others would share details and stories about their partners and families and how they spent their free time, but she and George would merely nod, smile, laugh, and listen, depending on what was being said. Maybe he simply didn’t want anyone at work to know anything about him.

  But there they both were. And the last thing she wanted was to be the cause of another person’s anxiety. That was when she understood the full power of eye contact and body language. Gracie smiled brightly and excitedly waved him over. He smiled back, his smile equally genuine, and he started toward her, tugging his dance partner along with him.

  “Gracie, this is my husband, Eduardo, who’s visiting from Chicago,” he said when he got to the table. He was watching her closely. The lines around his eyes reminded her of his age, and the fact that although the world was changing, George had most likely been through a lot over the years. “Eduardo, this is Grace Dearborn, I guess you could say she’s my boss.” Gracie blushed at that, and a twinkle came into George’s eyes.

  “It’s nice to meet you, Eduardo, but I’m not his boss. I’m just the lead on the project we’re working on here. And he’s been offered lead plenty of times, too. He just always says no.” Gracie smiled at George.

  Eduardo pumped her hand up and down. “It’s great to meet you! I rarely get to meet anyone from Georgie’s job. He likes to keep things separate. From work to laundry to credit cards.” Eduardo rolled his eyes, but it was clear he was teasing.

  George looked uncomfortable again, but he managed a smile. “I do it to protect him. I’m a spendthrift and a slob, while he’s a penny-pincher and a neat freak. If he got a look at my credit card statements or saw the way I do my laundry, we’d be divorced.”

  Gracie laughed. “How long have you been together?” she asked.

  “Twenty years,” they answered in unison.

  “Wow. That’s amazing.” Gracie sobered, thinking not only about how sad it was that she hadn’t known that about George, someone she truly liked and respected, but also that nobody at work knew anything about her either, even though she knew they liked and respected her as well.

  “And the reason he never accepts the lead position on projects is because he does consulting on the side. He designs home offices for people who telecommute,” Eduardo explained. “That’s how we met.”

  Gracie turned to George, enthusiastically saying, “I didn’t know that! I’d like to own my own consulting business, too, someday, when I’m ready to settle down. Only I’d like to do it full-time and with small businesses. I’d love to pick your brain about it when you have time.”

  “Of course.” George beamed at her.r />
  “And where’s your significant other? Or are you here all alone?” Eduardo asked. George sent him a pointed look. “What?” Eduardo shrugged. “She doesn’t mind me asking. She’s the one who brought up settling down!” He turned to Gracie again. “You’re a pretty young thing; what are you doing sitting alone at a dance club on senior night of all nights?”

  Gracie bit her lip. “I’m with a friend. She’s, uh . . .” She glanced at George. His eyes were sympathetic and he looked ready to accept any answer she chose to give. Feeling slightly ridiculous but encouraged by both men’s friendliness, she explained, “I’m here to learn how to flirt. That woman over there,” she pointed to Rosa, “tells me there’s no better way than to watch people dancing salsa.”

  Both men watched Rosa. After a moment George glanced back at Gracie, looking impressed. “I’d say she knows what she’s talking about.”

  “She does. And this all sounds like fun.” Eduardo immediately scraped a chair over and sat down. George’s kind eyes met Gracie’s and she grinned up at him, letting him know she was okay with them joining her. “Why do you need to learn how to flirt?” Eduardo continued. “Are you shy, like George here? Or are you awkward? I used to be awkward. It stopped the moment I stopped giving a crap. That was forty years ago.”

  Gracie laughed, wondering if she was expected to answer.

  “So lesson one from me is to stop giving a crap.” Eduardo playfully slapped her hand.

  “Easier said than done.” George rolled his eyes to the ceiling. “Some of us are more sensitive to rejection and that’s not that easy to shake.” He looked at Gracie, then. “He knows that. So don’t pay him any mind.”

  “Yes. I know that. But you should pay me mind because I know how to flirt. And step one really is not to give too much of a crap. That’s what awkwardness is—letting thoughts rule you to the point where you choke off everything that’s natural.”

  It took Gracie a moment to unravel and digest that. “So you’re saying I need to shut my thoughts off enough to let chemistry do its thing.”

  “Exactly.” Eduardo looked satisfied.

  “Just don’t shut your thoughts off so much that you get yourself into a dangerous situation,” George warned. And Gracie momentarily froze. If he only knew . . . But she didn’t allow herself to go there. This was about making progress, not about looking back.

  “Yes. But that’s about keeping your wits about you. Never lose your wits.”

  “Shut off your thoughts, not your wits. Got it.” Gracie nodded once.

  Both George and Eduardo began to tutor Gracie on different flirting techniques by pointing out the masters among them. Rosa came back after a while and was offended at having her lessons taken over until she was declared a master. That made her sit down and whip a notebook out of her purse so they could all share notes.

  Flirting 101

  1. Be friendly. Let go of the outcome. Learn to tease and be teased.

  2. Body language: Always face your target. Smile. Look at his lips every so often.

  3. Eye contact: From subtle to meaningful. Let your gut be your guide. Don’t stare. Look away first.

  4. Incorporate touch: Brush his upper arm to engage him in conversation. Touch his hand and innocently hold his eyes when making a point. Run a finger down his forearm to indicate your full interest. Circle the palm of his hand with your finger if you really want to make him crazy.

  “Hold up. I’m not sure I want to make anyone crazy,” she’d immediately interrupted.

  “You will if you want to be kissed senseless,” Eduardo answered.

  “But you said I should never lose my wits.”

  “Wits are not senses.”

  Gracie wasn’t so sure about that, but her confidence was buoyed by the lessons. She danced with both George and Eduardo and tried everything out, which made them all laugh. It made her feel that if she could just be herself, she could pull off some halfway decent flirting.

  Before she knew it, it was ten o’clock, senior night was over, and younger people were pouring in. She hugged her two new friends good-bye and promised to keep their lessons close to her heart. After dropping Rosa off, she headed to Manor Row.

  The soft light of the antique lampposts lining her street made the mostly abandoned storybook houses look like props in a stage play. Behind a second-story window at the judge’s house, a dim, yellow light shone on Josh’s bent head, reminding her that it wasn’t a stage. Her heart sped up as she looked from the window down to her notes. Four steps. She could follow four simple steps, couldn’t she? In real life?

  When she got to the door, she tried the doorbell, but it didn’t work. Her subsequent knock didn’t bring him to the door either. Part of her felt ridiculous at the thought of knocking harder. She didn’t want him thinking she was willing to knock down a door to see him. It was possible he’d heard her but wanted to be alone. She was halfway down the steps when the door opened.

  Chapter 11

  “Gracie!” Josh exclaimed, sounding very happy to see her. It reminded her to stop overthinking everything. She turned to go back up. Josh was standing inside the half-open door wearing slim gym pants and a T-shirt that, even in the small light, showed bulk.

  Her cheeks heated up. She’d never seen his muscles before. “I, uh, saw a light on and thought I’d come by for the tour.”

  “The power blew out yesterday,” he reminded her, and Gracie immediately felt foolish. She’d forgotten about that. Not only did she not have an excuse to see him but all the friendly smiles and eye contact would be useless if he couldn’t see her. “But there’s still something I’d like you to see. If you don’t mind me geeking out, that is.” He smiled a teasing smile.

  If she wanted to complete step one, she’d have to tease him back.

  And stop thinking so much! “I don’t mind. I like geeks,” she said. He laughed and she blushed. So she went on to step two and smiled back, trying extra hard to make sure she looked friendly and approachable. Rosa had said her smile should always reach her eyes.

  “Are you okay?” he asked, flashing the light her way and looking concerned. She quickly glanced down, wondering if she looked like the Joker. He followed her line of vision. “Is it your heels?”

  “Yes. It’s my heels. They’re so high.” She bent to slip off her shoes and set them aside, working the muscles around her mouth as she did so to help loosen up her smile. When she looked up, Josh was staring at her with a strange expression. “Show me the way,” she said, eager to be behind him where he couldn’t see her. He lit the way and she followed him up.

  They reached the first room to the left, the one she’d seen him in, and he swept the light toward a stack of musty-smelling, battered old boxes. “I found these in the attic. Judge Monroe’s old case files I was telling you about. Everything from illegal whiskey schemes to property disputes and murder by hatchet. The attic smells worse than the boxes, so I brought them down here, plus the light from the lamppost outside helps me see.”

  Gracie grinned up at him. He looked like her nephew, Tyler, whenever he entered GameStop. “Are you finding inspiration for your own legal arguments?” she asked, happy to see that friendly teasing wasn’t so hard.

  “It can’t hurt, right?” He offered her a lopsided smile and her heart squeezed hard in her chest.

  “Right. It can’t hurt,” she repeated and watched as he stood the flashlight he was holding on a stack of boxes, directly across from the second flashlight. It was enough to bathe them in a cozy light, just like the night before.

  “Here. Let me take your coat,” he offered. “I’ve got my camp heater going in the corner.” When she looked at him again, he was wearing his heart-stopping dimple. “Unless you want to leave. Trust me, I’d understand.” And though his speech was unassuming, the way he held himself was self-assured. Whether she left or stayed, he’d be content riffling through the boxes alone.

  “I just wanted to show you a few of the notes Judge Monroe had on Clyde Cupcake.
It’s kind of interesting, if you’re into that sort of thing, that is.” He grinned adorably. “You know Clyde was accused of stealing Tilda’s recipes and selling them to her competitor, right?” Gracie nodded. “Well, the judge suspected Clyde had been set up by someone who wanted to sabotage Tilda’s business plans. Tilda, the bakery’s owner, was retiring and she was going to sell the bakery to her pastry chef because she was adamant that the building should remain a bakery. But once the recipes were stolen and a bigger player in downtown Dayton started mass-producing the same treats, the bakery began to tank. Judge Monroe’s theory was that that had been the plan all along.”

  “Do you think he felt guilty because Clyde died right out front?” she asked.

  “Maybe. I know I probably would. Especially if people were going around blaming a truth-telling curse.” He chuckled. “No way I’d buy that.”

  “Don’t let Ruby hear you,” she warned and was pleased to hear him laugh.

  He held out his hand as she unbuttoned her coat. When she slipped it off and handed it to him, he looked at her dress and said, “Pretty,” before glancing down at his watch. “But it’s only ten-thirty. Kind of early to be back from a date.” His voice was teasing, but she wasn’t sure it meant he was flirting. It didn’t seem like he was. It seemed like he was only being friendly.

  He went out of the room to lay her coat over the upstairs railing. “How’d you manage to end it?” he asked. “I always have trouble ending a date when it’s a dud. I tend to suffer through it.” When he came back in, he grabbed a pack of lightweight industrial respirators that was lying on top of one of the boxes, took one out, and handed it to her. “Here, so you don’t breathe in anything nasty. These are good. They’ve got a noseclip for a secure fit.”