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it’s cool to transition to the next stage. Trust me, Jake isn’t going to make a move unless you give him a sign. There’s nothing more blatant than playing footsie under the table.”
    Ellie bit her lip nervously. “Okay.” This was where things got complicated for her. She’d never had to worry about things like giving boys a sign. She’d never had an interest in flirting, and she was finding herself more than a little nervous to take that first step. Tensely, she stretched her leg out toward his. In her apprehension, she overshot her target and kicked him roughly in the shin.
    Alec flinched, his eyes tightening in pain. “That just tells me you want me to shut up.”
    “Sorry.” Her brow scrunched with concern. “Are you okay?”
    “I’ll live. My pride may not after being dissed like that, though.” With a shake of his head, he leaned back in his chair. “You need to ease into it, El. Be gentle.”
    She jumped in her seat when his foot brushed against hers under the table.
    Alec chuckled and repeated the action. “See? Easy. Sexy. It’s like a French kiss with your foot. Do the work your tongue would normally do.”
    Ellie knew her face must be taking on a red hue of embarrassment. “I’ve never actually… Well, I’ve never…”
    His eyebrows shot up in astonishment. “You’ve never French kissed a guy? I knew you were shy around the opposite sex but dang!”
    “It’s not that big a deal.”
    “It is that big a deal,” Alec argued. “You’re about to graduate high school, and you’ve never been good and kissed!” He studied her for a moment in silence. “Wanna try it?”
    “Ew, no!” Her heart plummeted to her toes, and she fussed with her hair to calm her jittery nerves. “I’m not doing… that for the first time in front of a restaurant full of strangers!”
    He shrugged. “Your loss.” Returning the conversation to their feet, he said, “Just try to do your best then. Move your foot against mine in a gentle caress. Don’t make it any more than a light brush, or it’s like you’re blatantly asking him to take you to some sleazy motel for sex.”
    “Oh really, Alec,” she complained with a huff. “That’s just silly.”
    He shook his head. “Slutty girls play full on footsie. Don’t do it.”
    She rolled her eyes at his dramatics but followed his instructions. She brushed her foot ever so gently against his. When his foot responded, it sent a delightful tingle down her spine. Feeling extremely conflicted by this, she jumped away. “Okay. I get it. Be subtle. Can we move on to something less creepy?”
    “Creepy. Thanks,” Alec said sarcastically. “After I helped you find a suitable dinner.”
    Her eyes dropped to her nearly empty bowl. “The salad was very delicious. It was a good call on your part to go for the crab.”
    “Just goes to show how well I know your taste buds.” He threw his cloth napkin down to the table. “Now let’s go do some dancing.”
    Ellie froze. She knew horror must be written plainly across her face, but she couldn’t contain her distress. “Dancing?” Her heart pounded a frightened tempo in her chest. She’d barely managed to master walking in her heels. Dancing was a completely different challenge, one she wasn’t sure she was ready for. “I don’t know, Alec,” she said slowly.
    “Better to fall on your face now in front of me than in front of Jake. Come on.” Climbing to his feet, he grabbed her hand and pulled her out of her chair.
    “I could just not dance.” She threw the offer out there, knowing before she’d even finished that he would shoot it down. He was stubborn like that.
    “If you refuse to dance, he’ll think you don’t like him. Forget it.” He gave a tug on her elbow, and suddenly she was in his arms. “You’re dancing.”
    She saw no other option besides kicking him in the shin and running away – something impossible to do in heels. She gave in and placed her hands lightly on his