“Hi again,” he offered softly, as soon as he was within ear shot.
He held out his hand to her and regretted it almost at once, chiding himself for being so formal. His thoughts must have been easily read because she quickly reached out with both of hers, changing the formal handshake into a warm greeting.
Nora chuckled softly, as if sensing his apprehension.
“Hi there,” she cooed, shaking his hand gently, “I’m so happy you called.”
He felt himself relax almost instantly. She gave his hand a gentle squeeze before releasing it.
“I’m happy you said yes. You look great by the way,” he added, leading her towards his car.
“So do you. Look at you all dressed up,” she said, giving him a look that showed her approval.
“Well, I am trying to impress,” he teased, opening the car door for her.
“I hate to tell you this, but you could have shown up in jeans and a t-shirt and I would have been just as happy,” she admitted, flashing him a genuine smile before slipping into the passenger seat. “I’m actually pretty easy going.”
“Good to know,” Coop grinned, gently closing the door for her.
He ran around the car and slipped in beside her, trying to be casual while he stole a look at her beautiful long legs. His eyes traveled up her body and landed on her pretty face.
“Ready to go?” he asked, starting the car without averting his eyes.
“Yes, I’m starving, actually. It’s been a long day,” Nora agreed, sitting back and making herself comfortable like she had been in his car a thousand times before. He liked that.
“Good, because I made us a reservation at Broken Spanish. I hope you like Mexican?” Coop asked, easing the car into traffic.
“I love it, but I pretty much enjoy everything,” she replied lightly, with no pretense whatsoever.
“Awesome. This is one of my favorite spots. It’s one of those hidden gems that has managed to stay just barely under the radar. It’s plenty busy, but never feels over-crowded or rushed,” he explained, pulling onto the freeway. He quickly looked her way and smiled, feeling confident that they were going to have a great night.
*
Nora was impressive, no question about it. He felt completely at ease with her. She carried the conversation comfortably, which suited him just fine. Admittedly, he was a bit shy at first, so he was always grateful when he didn’t have to pull simple conversation out of his dates. It was something he always worried about when initially meeting someone.
“So, Gage, tell me what has been your biggest challenge when it comes to relationships?” Nora asked him curiously, taking a bite of the tamales they were sharing. Coop looked up from the plate and met her eyes. He liked that she called him Gage. Not many people did, only family and a few close friends.
“Honestly, my job. It makes it almost impossible to date, at least in my experience. I’m on the road a lot during the season, so it makes it difficult to build a meaningful relationship. I’m not exactly the dream boyfriend,” he explained, shrugging impassively. “As a result I tend to attract younger women who want to party. I guess that was okay when I was a kid, but it is not enough for me anymore.”
“I get that, especially if you are looking for something more long term.” she said casually, gently prodding him for more information. He thought she was adorable.
“Right,” he grinned, taking a swig of beer, “Isn’t that the ultimate goal? Finding your soul mate?”
Nora smiled at him sweetly but said nothing. He wondered what that meant but chose not to push, instead asking her the same question she had asked him.
“Ironically, my job makes dating challenging as well,” Nora admitted, wiping her hands on her napkin before taking a sip of wine.
“Oh, how so?” he asked, encouraging her to continue.
“My theory is that some men are intimidated by the fact that I’m a therapist. I think they worry that I’m psychoanalyzing them, trying to sort out what kind of disorders they may have or whether or not they have mommy issues,” she offered with a smirk. Gage chuckled softly.
“Are you?”
“Well, not intentionally...” she mused playfully.
“Occupational hazard.” he teased, reaching for more food.
“Funny,” she replied lightheartedly, appearing to enjoy their banter. “Actually, outside of my office I find it challenging to read men. I have never been very good at it. That makes dating challenging too, I suppose. To tell you the truth, I haven’t dated much.”
“Why is that?” he asked, surprised by her admission.
“I’ve been pretty focused on my career since finishing my education, and it has been non-stop work trying to build the practice,” she explained, reading his face carefully, as if analyzing his thoughts. He did his best to appear impassive. He didn’t want to make her uncomfortable in any way.
“Have you ever been in a serious relationship?” he asked, hoping he wasn’t getting too personal. This wasn’t his typical first date chatter, but he felt so comfortable with her and he got the sense she felt the same way.
“I have,” she confessed, “but it was a long time ago. I was married when I was quite young but it didn’t work out. We were impulsive and crazy in love.”
“How old were you?” he asked, carefully masking his surprise. She shrugged her shoulders and let out a soft sigh.
“I’m sorry, you don’t have to talk about it,” he said, reaching over and grazing the top of her hand. She smiled at the gesture, raising her chin proudly.
“No, no it’s ok. I just realized I haven’t talked about my divorce in a really long time. It seems like another lifetime,” she explained with hushed melancholy. “I was only 18 when we got married.”
Coop raised his eyebrows in disbelief. She was young, still a child really. Nora raised her own brows and calmly nodded at him as if to say ‘it’s true’.
“I know, it’s hard to believe. We were married just under four years and separated shortly after we moved out to California. It just got to the point where we weren’t communicating anymore. I lost trust in him.” Nora looked up at Coop and he smiled, encouraging her to continue.
“You lost trust?” he asked gently. She nodded and looked down again, hesitating before she spoke.
“Yes,” she whispered, “I saw him kissing one of his co-workers. I had gone to surprise him after work one afternoon and I saw him standing in front of the restaurant where he worked. I was waiting to cross the light and noticed him, and then her. He put his arm around her and casually pulled her in for a kiss. The thing is, it wasn’t their first kiss, they were far too comfortable for that. It was the kind of kiss you share with someone you’ve been intimate with for a while, you know?”
“Wow... what did you do?” he asked, suddenly feeling protective of her.
“I turned around and went home… and never breathed a word of what I saw to him or anyone else,” she admitted quietly, shrugging her shoulders, “In fact, you are the first person I’ve ever told.”
She looked at him curiously, taking another sip of wine. Coop gave her another reassuring smile and waited for her to speak again, unsure of how to respond. Although he empathized with her, he was pleased that she felt safe enough to open up to him.
Nora placed her empty wine glass down, just as the waiter came by.
“How is everything? Are you guys still working on this?” he asked, gesturing to their half full plates.
“Actually, I’m stuffed, but I would love some coffee,” Coop answered cheerfully, “Nora?”
“I’m done as well, and yes to the coffee. There’s so much left over. Can we wrap it up?” Nora asked, addressing the waiter.
“Of course,” he replied, lifting the dishes off the table. He cleared almost everything away and left them alone again.
“Can I ask why you never told your ex what you saw?” Coop asked, trying to be as sensitive as he could, and hoping to learn more about her.
“
Honestly, I think I knew that things had been over between us for months and maybe I just didn’t feel the need to invest any more energy into it. If I confronted him one of two things would happen. He would either deny it and I would lose total respect and trust for him, or he would admit it and I would still feel the same way. From where I stood the outcome was going to be the same—our marriage was over. I wasn’t good at confrontation, and at the time I wasn’t very good at communicating my feelings. So a few days later, I asked him if he wanted to separate. I knew he was as unhappy as I was. We probably should have parted ways in Michigan. If I knew then what I know now...” she said, her words quietly trailing off.
“There’s so much wisdom in retrospect, isn’t there,” he added, drawing an agreeable nod from Nora.
“Absolutely. Anyway, we parted ways amicably. We didn’t have any assets to fight over and thankfully, we didn’t have children, so it was a pretty simple process. He went his way and I went mine. Last I heard, he took an acting job in Australia in a popular daytime soap opera. As far as I know he’s still there,” she shrugged, appearing completely indifferent about him.
The waiter returned to their table with coffee and take home containers. Coop nodded at him, sending him on his way.
“So what about you? Any serious relationships? Marriages? Deep, dark secrets?” she asked playfully.
“No, no,” he laughed, “Never married, never engaged, no juicy secrets. I’ve had two fairly serious relationships in my life, but I’ve been single for a while now. My last relationship ended over a year ago. That was a tough one.”
“Did she break your heart?” Nora asked. He normally shied away from talking about Kim and the details of their break up, but Nora had been so trusting and forthcoming, she deserved the same from him. Besides, he felt comfortable with her, so while they sipped their coffees, he shared his story with her while she listened quietly.
“I know it was all for the best, and I’m over all that now. I guess the timing just wasn’t right,” he concluded, hoping she didn’t doubt that.
“Maybe, but I think you’re being far too kind. What she did was pretty fucked up, if you ask me,” Nora sassed, waving her hand in front of her dismissively.
Coop chuckled, setting down his coffee.
“Is that your professional opinion, Doc?” he teased, grinning back at her. She smiled broadly and shrugged at him.
“Yes, yes it is,” she offered, in mock seriousness, “in any case, you deserved a hell of a lot better than that.”
He looked at her thoughtfully, appreciating the validation. She was something else. He was impressed with how she had risen above the adversity in her own life and came out of it so balanced. She was down to earth and brilliant at the same time. She was exactly what he’d hoped she would be when he asked her out.
The waiter came over one last time with the bill and Coop paid him right away. He didn’t want the evening to end, but he had to get to the arena to catch the team bus to the airport. Nora must have noticed the reluctance on his face because she reached out and caressed his hand reassuringly.
“I had a great time tonight, Gage. You’re not exactly what I was expecting,” she offered kindly, her eyes searching his. Coop grinned at her curiously.
“What were you expecting?”
“Truthfully? I’m not sure. I grew up around plenty of hockey jocks, and most of them were... hmm, how can I put this diplomatically... players… douche bag players,” she grinned cheekily. “Something told me you might be different, so I’m glad we did this,” she assured. He chuckled, appreciating her honesty.
“You’re right about that. Unfortunately, that seems to be our reputation, and for good reason. I’ve never been like that, even when I was younger,” he assured her, picking her hand up gently in his own. “My mom raised me well, I guess.”
“Remind me to thank her.” Nora quipped, then shook her head gently and chuckled, as though regretting her presumptuousness. He kind of liked it though, and gave her hand a reassuring squeeze.
“Ready to go?” he asked, reaching for the take home bag. Nora nodded and stood up, waiting for Coop to slip in beside her. He gently placed his hand on the small of her back, escorting her toward the door. She rewarded him with a soft moan, which he took for approval.
There were no uncomfortable silences on the way back to her office. They chatted like they had known one another all their lives, completely at ease together. Nora was like a breath of fresh air, playful, inquisitive, and honest. He couldn’t help but feel hopeful that there might be something good between them that they could build on and he hoped she felt the same way.
“Can we do this again when I get back in town?” Coop asked, as he walked Nora to her car, hand in hand. Nora nodded her head softly, a warm smile playing on her lips.
“Of course,” she agreed, offering his hand a gentle squeeze. They stopped in front of her car. Nora shrugged her shoulders, as if to say ‘this is me’.
“So, we get back to L.A. on Wednesday and then we have a game Thursday night. I’m off next Friday. Dinner?” he asked, holding both of her hands in his. He hoped she wasn’t already busy. He didn’t have a lot of time off, so coordinating his schedule with people had always been a challenge. Nora took a breath and hesitated. She looked like she wanted to tell him something but changed her mind.
“I would like that. Call me when you get a chance and we can confirm the details,” she agreed. She smiled and tipped her chin up in a gesture he understood all too well.
He wanted to kiss her, too. He had been wanting to all night. He tucked his hand behind her head and pulled her into his kiss, touching her lips gently with his own. Her mouth was soft and inviting, and he wanted nothing more than to turn that kiss into something more passionate, but he also didn’t want to rush things like he had in the past. He wanted to take care of her, to do things right this time. He offered her another tender kiss and then pulled himself away. She had a peaceful look on her face, her eyes softly focusing on his, expressing her approval. She let out just a whisper of a moan.
“That was nice,” she offered quietly. “Thank you for everything. It was perfect.”
“Of course. I really enjoyed it, too,” Coop agreed, opening her car door for her. She caressed his arm before tucking herself into the driver’s seat and then accepted the take home bag from him.
“Have a safe trip. And kick ass against Vancouver and Edmonton. I’ll try and catch the games,” she encouraged, starting the engine.
“Piece of cake,” he teased, closing the door behind her. He tapped the top of her car as she easily backed out of the space. She offered him a little wave before pulling away.
Coop shook his head and let out his breath slowly, releasing a happy whistle. If he could have he would have jumped up and clicked his heels together, but the fear of looking foolish held him back. Instead he strolled back to his car, unable to wipe the grin off his face. He was already crushing on Nora, hard.
CHAPTER 10
NORA
“So tell me everything about Thor,” Dana said, flopping herself into Nora’s sofa, a plate of pancakes in her hand. It was a lazy Sunday morning and Nora hadn’t even gotten dressed yet. Nora sat down, carefully balancing her own plate and tea cup to avoid spilling.
“Okay, but can we stop calling him Thor now? It’s unsettling,” Nora chuckled, rolling her eyes at her twin. She set her tea cup down and settled back into the sofa.
“Okay, okay, but you have to admit, he does look like Chris Hemsworth!” Dana gushed, stuffing a giant bite of pancakes in her mouth.
“That’s it! Chris Hemsworth! I can see it a little bit, but can we just refer to him as Gage from now on?” Nora smirked.
“Fine, but it’s not nearly as much fun. So, how did it go?” Dana pushed, waving her fork impatiently.
“It was so good,” Nora blushed, recalling how much she enjoyed being with Gage. “He seems like a really nice guy. You know, thoughtful, sweet, and super easy to be aroun
d. And he seems loyal.”
“Sounds like you went out with a golden retriever.” her twin teased, raising her eyebrows. Nora chuckled and shook her head impatiently.
“Well, what do you want me to say? It was a good date. I liked him. A lot,” she admitted, feeling annoyed by the way her sister always seemed to push her out of her comfort zone, but appreciating her bluntness at the same time.
“Were there sparks? Did you have chemistry? Did he kiss you? Does he make you hot? Is he fuckable?” Dana asked, listing off all the pertinent questions on her ‘need to know list.’ Nora laughed and gave her sister a playful shove.
“Stop it,” Nora squealed, “it was just our first date.”
“So? Your first date with the fireman was pretty hot. When you know, you know, right?” Dana blurted, proving that she almost always saw the world in black and white. Nora was just the opposite, and knew the world had many, many shades of grey. That if you were patient enough, and explored deep enough, you would see the things that so many other people missed. This mindset made her exceptional at her job, and it also allowed her to be open minded and inquisitive on so many levels.
“He was different from Leo, self-assured but not as outwardly confident, and definitely not as assertive, but I enjoyed being with him just as much. I felt really comfortable with him,” Nora explained carefully, hoping Dana would understand. “He seemed genuine Dana, like he really wanted to get to know me.”
“Hmmmm,” her sister replied thoughtfully, as though processing Nora’s words, “that does sound nice.”
“He was a gentleman through and through, which you might not expect from a hockey player, but everything about him was respectful. He intrigued me,” she admitted, “and ya, he left me wanting to know more.”
“And the kiss?” Dana pressed, unwilling to let her off the hook. Nora grinned and set her plate down on the table in front of her, playfully stalling in the hopes of annoying her twin just a little.
Dana raised her eyebrows assertively. “Well?”
“It was... alluring. The kind of kiss that promises something exceptional is waiting right around the corner if you are willing to be patient. The kind of kiss that warms your lips and heats you up just enough to pique your curiosity, but not enough to completely liquefy you, you know what I mean?” Nora looked at her sister thoughtfully.
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