Faithful (10 page)

“Why would I do that?”

“Why would I want to cut off my hair and wear nerdy clothes? I’m willing to test your little theory if I can get something out of it.”

“A hike with me? That’s what you want?”

“No, the hike is part of the deal. You have to complete the hike with me, and if you fail, you have to go on an actual date with me. It’s kind of a win-win for you,” he says then turns to give Samantha and Kelly a wink.

“Oh, so you’re assuming I can’t complete the hike? I’m in awesome shape.” I step back from the counter and hold my arms up like a victorious prizefighter who knows how to pose to show off my voluptuous assets.

Cooper’s eyes trail lazily over my figure. “I agree,” he says, sounding like he just had a shot of whiskey.

We are totally corrupting these teenagers.

Lauren works around me, taking the burger orders for the guys because I’ve already checked out, barely doing any work, and I won’t let Cooper beat me at this game.

“There would be conditions and time limits,” Cooper continues. “I think you’ll bail, but then you’ll win a date with me. I hear I’m known as Mr. Yum.”

Samantha and Kelly huddle together and giggle.

“Stop that,” I say to them, annoyed. “I don’t think I like this lame bet.”

“That’s because you know you’ll lose, and you’re scared to go out with me.”

“No, I just don’t find the prize that enticing.”

“Ouch,” all three men say in unison.

“You’re insane,” Samantha says, pointing a finger at me.

“Right?” Cooper nods to her. “Imogene is terrified to go on a little hike in the woods with me.” He shakes his head at me with a wicked grin. I see now what the girls are seeing, a beautiful man who looks sexy hot when he runs his hand through his hair.
If only I were holding a pair of sharp scissors.

“Kcuffing-A,” I hiss and the girls laugh.

“What?” Cooper asks.

“Nothing. You’re good at this. I’ll give you that. And I’ll see your lame bet and raise you. Not only will I go on a hike with you, but if I can’t complete it in a reasonable time, I will pay for our date, as long as it’s a dinner out and nothing else.”

“Oh, no,” Leo mumbles under his breath.

“No, this is great,” Cooper says. “I’m going to pick out a restaurant and make a reservation today.”

“Reservation where?” Lauren asks as she comes out of the kitchen, delivering their hamburgers.

“Imogene is going on a date with Cooper,” Kelly adds matter-of-factly, as though this is a done deal.

“Slow down, Easy Rider.” I glare at Cooper, and Carson bursts out laughing. That surprises everyone because Carson doesn’t really
burst
at anything. “You haven’t won yet, and we’re doing the hike on my schedule because Lauren and I have a huge order to take care of first. So your fun and games will have to wait until I have time for your nonsense.”

“
Easy Rider
,” Carson repeats, laughing. “Dylan would be proud of you, Imogene.”

Cooper grumbles something then takes a bite of his hamburger, Kelly and Samantha watching him chew. Silly, naïve, high school girls, fascinated for all the wrong reasons. As if he senses their intense gaze, he swallows and turns to them.

“Imogene is a little stressed out, but I’ll take care of that. She’ll be fine.” He says this directly to the girls, who both nod their approval.

“Don’t start acting like a wanker.” I lean in and take three fries off his plate, chomping on them with renewed frustration and fury.

“What’s a wanker?” He pushes his plate closer to me so we can share the fries.

“It’s a male kcuffer,” Kelly replies.

Carson and Cooper look at each other with blank expressions.

“Ha!” Leo laughs.

“What is she saying?” Cooper asks Leo.

“Male fucker,” Leo whispers. “Geez, Imogene, you are a terrible influence on these girls.”

“Stop referring to us as girls,” Samantha snaps in a more formal voice, one she must be practicing for college.

Carson over-exaggerates a shiver. “Sam, let me know if you want to fill in for Daisy when she’s on vacation. You’d make a perfectly terrifying receptionist, exactly what we like.”

“Do you want more ketchup for the fries?” Cooper asks, ready to pour more on the plate as I absently eat most of his food.

“No.” I push the plate back at him.

“She won’t be so testy when we start going out,” he says to Kelly. “She needs to get her dating legs back.”

“Stop it. Really.” I dump their empty plates in the bus tub under the counter.

“Hey, you’re my wedding partner for the next few weeks, whether you like it or not. And I’m pretty damn sure that you’re going to love it, sweet cheeks.”

“Don’t call me that.”

“I thought that one was pretty good,” Cooper says, “but I’ll keep thinking of more endearing nicknames until death do us part.”

“That may be sooner than you think,” Carson mutters, slowly shaking his head.

“I think it’s sweet,” Kelly throws her opinion in.

“Ugh. Have you two not listened to anything I have taught you? Get back to school. Lunch break is over.” I take their beverages and shoo them away. “Get going.”

“Good luck,” Samantha says to Cooper and gives him a thumbs up.

“See? They’re on my side,” he gloats.

“Of course they are. You could be a gorgeous serial killer and they’d fawn over you. There are stupid women everywhere who send love letters to guys in prison, men they have never met. Men who have committed murder have lovesick, crazed fans, so don’t think you’re so special.”

“I don’t want to hear this,” Carson sighs. “Let’s get back to work.”

In complete agreement, they all stand and put cash on the counter. When Cooper sees me watching his bills for any excessive tipping, he tilts his head in exasperation. “Is twenty percent safe?”

“Fine. I’ll give it to Lauren.”

Carson and Leo head to the door while Cooper lingers behind.

He leans slightly over the counter so only I can hear. “At some point very soon, I’ll have you saying more than
fine
.” His tone is oozing with sexual flirtation, leaving no doubt that this is his bedroom voice.

“Promises, promises,” I respond coyly, and then I can’t contain my laughter any longer.

He grins at his victory. Yes, Cooper has a way of breaking me; his determination to make me laugh puts a smile on my face.

He reaches across the counter and cups my chin, holding it firmly. “Your tough exterior is for show, Imogene. You don’t have to do that with me. I’m the good guy.”

Ten

The rest of the week flies by because I’m a lazy waitress and cut my shifts short, only doing the breakfast rush and skipping lunch so I can race home every day to string beads.

The thought of living without my weekly diner paychecks is a great motivator to work harder and longer on the beading to the point that my fingers are sore and my hands are riddled with cuts from the sharp tools and some of the antique metal coins we’ve been reshaping. Lauren and I are beading maniacs, yet we’re still not caught up on the work we promised the Manhattan boutique, Sasha’s.

I still have Lauren’s twenty-four hour companionship; however, I find myself missing that moment each day when the guys walk through the diner door for lunch. And by guys, I mean Cooper. He won’t let me escape that easily, though. He sends me wildly inappropriate texts, which I absolutely love.

“Miss me? Shady Pines Motel is running a special. $15 per hour. I’ll book 6 hours for us to be safe.”

I think about my new
friend
pretty much non-stop. It always starts with the memory of one of our kisses and continues with our teasing banter, and then it segues into the murky area of something more romantic. It’s dangerous territory—getting romantically involved with someone who is a trusted colleague and friend to many in my small circle. However, the former impression of Cooper I held to firmly for many months has been replaced by someone else entirely.

Although our conversations have only been the light-hearted variety, those moments occupy my mind much of the day since I work in a solitary environment. For the sake of productivity, Lauren and I often work with headphones on so our talking doesn’t decrease our speed; however, on occasion, Lauren interrupts me and asks what I’ve been thinking about because I sometimes break into uncontrollable daydreaming smiles. Well, if that doesn’t just shoot my ball-busting image to shit, I don’t know what else would.

As I tidy up the worktable and set up for tomorrow’s marathon beading session Lauren and I think we can perform, Lauren pops her head in the doorway.

“Can you believe we’re never putting on those aprons again?” she asks, referring to our last shift this morning.

“Are you scared or excited?”

“Excited. Yep.” She smiles. “Dinner is ready, so quit fussing in here and come on down.”

“Be there in a minute,” I reply, admiring the stunning lockets Cooper purchased for us.

Lauren leaves, and I find another cloth, polishing a silver locket until it’s gleaming. Using an excuse that it’s Lauren’s wedding gift was clever. This guy is incredibly generous, and I like it.

When I get downstairs, I see that Lauren has set the formal dining room instead of the kitchen table we usually eat at. She went all out with the good porcelain dishes that Jess left stored in the buffet for our use along with crystal candleholders on the table and buffet. White tapers are already lit and provide the only source of light against the dark woodwork of the room and table.

Leo places two roasted chickens on the table as Lauren enters with some side dishes.

“Lauren, you really outdid yourself,” I say, taking in the romantic atmosphere at the same time I wonder if the dinner is really for those two and if I should excuse myself.

“It’s about time we had a nice meal in the dining room. Leo, the wine.”

“Right,” he says, and then there’s a knock at the door. “That’s Coop.”

“Cooper’s having dinner with us?” Part of me is thrilled; the other part is shouting every obscene expletive that crosses my mind. It’s going to be very difficult to keep this in perspective and not consider more if Lauren is going to push Cooper and I together at every opportunity.

“It’s my ‘thank you’ dinner for him, for the jewelry,” Lauren explains.

“Yeah, two chickens should about make us even,” I snort.

“Hey, honey pot,” Cooper smiles, addressing me as he saunters into the dining room.

“Hate it.”

He looks fantastic.
Kcuf.

He’s wearing black jeans with a black, button down shirt, and his hair is slightly damp, pushed back off his face and tucked behind his ears. He looks absolutely sexy and
clean
, and I look incredibly dumpy in my baggy jeans and tank top that has splotches from a tube of adhesive that attacked me this afternoon. To make things worse, my hair is in a ratty ponytail. The only thing missing from this hideous picture is one of my mother’s hair scrunchies. Regardless of my less than optimum appearance, I melt a little at seeing him.

“Hi, Cooper.” As I feel my cheeks involuntarily inflate with joy, I can only hope I’m wearing a pleasant smile and not a deranged one.

He absently hands off two bottles of wine to Leo without taking his eyes off me. I really wish I could excuse myself for a ten-minute power glam session, but that won’t happen without me looking positively desperate.

“I’ve missed seeing you at the diner. The other waitresses don’t know how to deliver insults and eat food off my plate.”

“Well, I do have many talents.” I look down at my bare feet.
My toe nails have remnants of a nasty red polish from two weeks ago and are so jagged they look like a rat has been gnawing on them.

“Dinner!” Lauren announces.

“It looks great,” Cooper says, trying to decide which chair he’s supposed to sit in. There are only twelve to choose from.

“We’re sitting at this end,” Leo says. “Cooper, you and Imogene can sit here.”

Perfect. Side by side. Cooper pulls out my chair for me, and when I plunk down in the old chair, it lets out a loud, lingering creak as if my weight pains it greatly.

“Old stuff. We probably should take these chairs into the shop and have them repaired,” Cooper says to me. Then he intentionally slams his two hundred pounds of muscle down hard onto his chair to make the seat give off a popping, cracking sound. “Let’s see if these will hold us through dinner.”

Lauren and Leo have seated themselves across from us without any creaking from their chairs and are watching us with curiosity. I know exactly what’s racing through Lauren’s matchmaking mind, too.

Lauren begins carving one of the chickens. “Cooper, which parts do you like best?”

Under the table, I feel Cooper’s large hand clamp down on my thigh. With a fierce squeeze, he replies, “I’m a leg and thigh guy.”

While I slip my hand under the table and try to push it off me without success, Lauren looks up from her carving as though she suspects some kind of struggle is going on between us. Leo, on the other hand, is oblivious, rambling on about where we’ll be camping and the gear he’s bringing. I could not be more disinterested in fishing poles and binoculars.

“Are you planning on eating with one hand through the whole dinner?” I whisper to Cooper.

“I can.” He picks up a drumstick with his right hand and watches me while he eats it like a caveman. “Lauren, excellent dinner.”

“Well, it’s the least I could do. You’re an angel for giving us that gift.” Lauren smiles at Cooper as she scoops potatoes onto Leo’s plate.

“Blood circulation is critical to my survival,” I whisper to Cooper as I remove my hand from his and pick up my utensils. “Oh, a knife.” I twirl it in my hand.

Cooper chuckles and loosens his grip on my leg then slides his hand to the inside of my thigh and lets it rest there. I exhale slowly, taking small bites of food, tasting nothing while enjoying the sensation of his warmth so close to the other parts of me I imagine him touching.

Leo and Lauren do most of the talking through the meal. There’s so much to cover when planning a quickie wedding and the birth of a baby. Those two chatter, talking over each other, gentling touching each other’s arms like an old married couple, laughing at their own inside jokes, almost as if Cooper and I are not in the room. Cooper gives obliging grunts and nods throughout as he finishes his dinner and a slice of chocolate torte.