Free Love Lessons by Kari Lee Harmon Page B

took off down the hall. That would get his attention.
    “Hey, wait a minute,” he bellowed. “You don’t even have your license.”
    “That’s why I need you to drive me, but if you aren’t going to cooperate, then I’m borrowing your car.”
    He caught up to me in a few short strides and grabbed my hips to slow me down. My stomach flipped, and I made a mental note not to order the spicy chic ken again for lunch.
    “You are not driving Bertha. Let’s just say she requires a careful touch,” he said, walking behind me.
    “More like she’s a piece of junk.” I stopped walking and turned to face him. “When are you ever going to trade her in?”
    “Never.” He looked both shocked and appalled. “We’ve been through a lot together.”
    “Trust me, some things are not worth the effort.” I shook my head.
    He stared at me for a moment, and for once, I couldn’t read his expression.
    “What?” I asked.
    “Nothing, I just happen to disagree.” He shoved his hands deep in his pockets. “Some things are worth everything. I would no more trade her in than I would trade you in.”
    “Well, I would hope not.” Now I was the one appalled. What was up with him these last couple days? He must be going through something because he was acting really weird. “No one else would put up with your crazy antics,” I pointed out. “You’re lucky I’m such a good friend.”
    “Right,” was all he said, then he glanced at his watch. “What time does the Emporium close?”
    “Five.”
    He snatched the keys from my hand and sighed. “Then let’s roll. We’ve got five minutes.”
    On ly, five minutes wasn’t enough.
    Perry waved as he drove off--scratch that--rode off with his mom in the driver’s seat. According to his co-worker, Perry still lived at home, and he had a date tonight. A date with his boyfriend, that is. Gue ss he wasn’t my secret admirer.
    In fact, he wasn’t into girls at all.

 
     
    LESSON THREE
     
    A wine by any other name would not taste as sweet,
    and a foot in your mouth tastes even w orse.
     
    “I don’t believe it!” I squealed, spinning around in a circle on Wednesday afternoon.
    “Don’t believe what?” Gavin asked, waltzing into my classroom and resting a hip against my desk like he owned the joint. I had a good mind to remind him just who was boss of this domain, but I was too excited.
    Refusing to let him distract me, I focused on the object displayed on the center of my desk. “These gifts just k eep getting better and better.”
    Gift number three was the best so far. I loved wine. Red, white, California, NY, it didn’t matter. Although in all my years as a wine connoisseur, there had only been one wine I would deem worthy to be my favorite. A rare chardonnay. I picked up the bottle and looked at the label a second time to be sure I hadn’t read it wrong.
    “I mean, how did he know? You can’t find this wine in the U.S. It had to have come from Germany, and it costs a fortune. This is too much.”
    Gavin shrugged, but his eyes were so intense. A bizarre chill skittered through me. “You like it, don’t you?”
    “Are you kidding me?” I adjusted my glasses and stared at him. “I love it! I should refuse it, I really should, but God, do I have to?”
    He frowned. “You’re not going to, are you? I mean, who are you going to refuse, anyway?”
    My eyes widened, and my face broke out into a huge smile. “That’s right.” I hugged him, smelling clean soap and some indescribable manly scent that was pure Gavin. What was wrong with me? Clearing my throat, I took a step back and refocused. “You’re brilliant. I mean, how can I refuse, right? I have no idea who sent it, after all.”
    “Well, you shouldn’t anyway.” Gavin hooked his thumbs through the beltloops on the waistband of his pants and stared at the floor. “This guy obviously put a lot of thought into that gift.”
    “Exactly, but how did he know?”
    “Let’s consider this then.” Gavin