by Gina Drayer
16
Cooper
The date Emily planned had been nothing like I’d expected. The place wasn’t fancy. There were no paparazzi, no sightings of us out on the town posted on social media, and no fans. Just the two of us. It was exactly opposite from what we were supposed to do.
But it was everything I would have expected from a real date.
When she got back to the table, we’d shared the desserts and ended the night sitting in my car in front of her house talking; neither one of us ready for the date to end. It was almost midnight before she reluctantly left, mumbling something about morning rounds and a budget meeting.
I had to tamp down an almost insatiable desire to chase after her and steal another intoxicating kiss. And even though the dated ended without so much as a handshake, I couldn’t wait to do it all over again.
As a matter of fact, Emily was still on my mind when I woke up the next day. We had another date. A more formal affair—dinner and a silent auction to raise money for childhood Leukemia. I figured it would be something she’d enjoy. And there would be plenty of cameras to document our budding romance, per Naomi’s instructions.
I was still pissed I had to jump through these hoops just to get my contract renewed. The team should be looking at my performance on the field, not off. But the idea of spending another night out with Emily eased the sting a bit.
I still wasn’t sure what it was about her. She certainly didn’t go out of her way to charm or flatter me. While she was beautiful in her own right, she wasn’t the sexiest woman I’ve dated. But unlike those other women, the more time I spent with her, the more I wanted to see her again. Thoughts of her had even invaded my sleep, and now those thoughts were bleeding into my day to day life.
On my way home from yoga class, a jewelry shop I’d walked past a thousand times stopped me in my tracks. Sitting in the window was black teardrop shaped stone streaked with red flames. It reminded me of Emily; simple, but filled with fire.
So for the first time ever, I found myself buying a woman jewelry.
“You have a fine eye, sir,” the saleswoman said as she unlocked the case and brought the necklace to the counter. “The opal is 9.2 carats in a teardrop setting. The red fire is the dominant color, but there’s an undertone of blue when the light hits it.”
“I’ll take it. Can you deliver it this afternoon?”
“Absolutely,” the woman said with a smile. “Just fill out this delivery slip, and we’ll take care of everything.”
Fuck. I couldn’t remember her address. I remembered the street and what her building looked like. I scrawled her name on the slip and put Manny’s office number below it.
“Sylvia can get you the address,” I said, signing the sales slip. “Be sure it gets there before three.”
I thought about slipping a note inside the box, but that felt too intimate. That wasn’t what this was about. I was just keeping up the act. If anyone was checking into our relationship, the necklace would be more evidence that what we had was real.
But I couldn’t stop thinking about the necklace and what it would be like to really date a woman like Emily. As I got ready, I imagined what life would have looked like if I had met her under different circumstances. Knowing her, she wouldn’t have given me the time of day. But if I wasn’t a ballplayer—not a celebrity, then maybe there would have been a chance.
I could almost see this other Cooper, not as fit and maybe even a little more humble, going with Emily to the Jacobsons’ place every Friday night for dinner, being welcomed as if I were part of the family. We’d come home and watch a movie. She’d cuddle against my chest and drift off to sleep in my arms.
That’s what normal couples did, right?
I actually had no idea. My father had walked out when I was six years old, and my mother was left to raise two kids alone. She never had time to date. My own dating life consisted of a string of short-term flings. Sadly, everything I knew about the mating habits of regular, everyday people, I’d learned from movies and TV shows.
I nicked myself with the razor and swore. Why was I shaving? I usually kept a short, scruffy beard in the offseason.
I like you better clean shaven. You look more civilized.
Her words from our first date echoed in my ears. We weren’t even really dating, and already I was changing things for her. I sighed and slapped on some aftershave, the sting of it feeling like a wakeup call.
I was letting this fake relationship get into my head. I tossed the towel in the laundry basket and turned on my favorite rock band, full volume, to drown out my scattered thoughts. The melancholic song filled the room, and for the first time, I really heard what the singer was saying. The song was steeped in longing for a life the singer had given up—one with family dinners, tiny white houses with picket fences and green lawns. And a love she’d left behind.
I closed my eyes and let out a long, frustrated sigh. The memory of Emily with Angelica in her arms—the little girl’s sloppy kisses and Emily’s warm smile flashed through my mind. Other images followed. Emily curled next to me in bed. In the kitchen making pancakes, her belly swollen with child. A cherub-faced baby boy playing blocks in the living room with curly, honey-brown hair and green eyes.
What the hell was wrong with me?
“Fuck,” I swore under my breath. “Music off.”
I needed to stop thinking about her. I needed to stay focused on my contract. I needed a fucking drink.
People Watching NYC
Love Connection
New York’s most eligible bachelor, Cooper Reynolds might be off the market. He was spotted last night with date Emily Oliver. You may recall, Cooper and Emily met after he won a date with her at a charity auction. Since then, the couple has been spotted several times together.
17
Cooper
The limousine pulled up to Emily’s house promptly at seven-thirty. She was late, as usual.
I probably should have sent her a watch instead of the necklace, but I doubt she would have appreciated the irony. But then again, maybe she wouldn’t like the necklace either. I don’t recall ever seeing her wearing any jewelry; not even at the auction when she’d gotten dressed up. Knowing my luck, she was probably one of those rare women who didn’t like jewelry.
When she finally stepped out into the cold night fifteen minutes late, she was wrapped up in a full-length wool jacket. I couldn’t tell if she was wearing the necklace. Like every date before, she was wearing minimal makeup, but the natural look suited her delicate features. Even bundled up, she looked stunning.
I jumped out of the car to get the door but didn’t say anything. Things had changed between us. This didn’t feel like a business arrangement anymore. But it didn’t feel like a real relationship either. Overcome with uncertainty, which was a new feeling for me, I stood there mutely, unsure of how to greet my date.
While I was trying to sort out my mixed feelings, Emily stepped around me and got in the car.
“It’s nice to see you again, Cooper,” she said, her tone cool and detached.
“You don’t sound very happy to see me.”
I closed the door and went around to the other side of the limo. This was why I didn’t say anything. The ground was always shifting under my feet. One minute it felt like the start of something important and the next, we went back to being polite strangers.
“Is this how our night is going to go? I’m just asking so I can prepare myself.”
She frowned and looked down at her hands. I knew I was being an ass, but I was frustrated. I didn’t know where I stood with this woman and it put me on edge.
Silence filled the back of the limo. We both stared out the window, actively ignoring each other. The flashes of light filtered through the tinted window as we made our way through traffic, lighting Emily’s serious expression. Something wasn’t right. Had I been wrong about last night? Maybe she was upset about the gift?
“Did you get the necklace?”
She turned to me, frowning. “I own jewelry. Just because I run a homeless shelter doesn’t mean I can’t fit in with your black tie crowd.”
“That’s not what I thought,” I said and rubbed the back of my neck. “I saw it this afternoon, and it reminded me of you. It was… unique.”
“Oh.” Her pretty lips twitched, fighting a smile and she unbuttoned the collar of her coat just enough to show me her neck. The charm rested there against her creamy skin.
She buttoned her jacket back up and blew out a breath. “I’m sorry. I had a rough day.” Her voice was barely above a whisper.
An almost primal feeling of protectiveness washed over me. I reached up and touched her lips, smoothing away the worry line. “You don’t have to apologize.”
Before I could ask what happened to put her in such a bad mood, the limo came to a stop. It was show time. The reporters flocked to us as soon as the doors opened, taking pictures and yelling questions even before we stepped out of the limo. Emily turned away, covering her face with her hand.
“Ignore them,” I whispered into her hair, and reached for her hand, giving it a squeeze. I tried to hurry Emily up the palatial steps of the grand hotel, but she slipped on a wet patch. Thankfully, I was right there to catch her around the waist before disaster struck.
“These are new shoes,” she said, frowning.
“I shouldn’t have rushed you. We’ve all the time in the world.”
“And I’m sure you rescuing me from a fall looked good for the reporters,” she said under her breath.
We stepped inside and checked our coats. I finally got to see what was under her jacket and it was worth the wait. She was wearing a black floor length with a plunging back. The dress wasn’t tight, but it caressed her every curve like a lovers touch. She was, as always, tasteful while still managing to be sexy as fuck.
I raked my hands through my hair and looked up at the ceiling. I couldn't look at her one second longer or else, I might be tempted to drag her back to the limo and break my promise.
“Are you ready?” she asked, unaware of the effect she was having on me.
“As ready as I’ll ever be.”
I slid my hand down her spine to at the small of her back and barely resisted the urge to keep going down the soft fabric to her shapely ass. She looked up at me with a wide-eyed innocence that was so sexy that my dick jumped to attention. As long as she was by my side tonight, I feared I was going to be sporting wood. It was probably the sort of scenario I should call a doctor about.
As we entered the ballroom, I scanned the room for people I knew. The high-ceilinged space was decorated with glass vases of white orchids in the center of all the tables and gaudy-looking decorations, including ornate gold dining chairs.
“Never confuse having money with having taste,” I muttered under my breath.
I liked nice things but preferred clean lines. My own apartment could best be described as minimalist. No tchotchke or scattered collectibles. I liked it that way, not because I was too lazy to decorate like many women had assumed, but because I felt more comfortable when my surroundings were simple. And judging by the way Emily dressed, I imagine she felt the same way.
I spotted a couple of teammates across the room, Kevin and Ramon, and led Emily over to their table. This was the first time I’ve ever introduced a woman to my teammates as more than just a date. Even though this was all part of the plan, I was nervous. I wanted them to like Emily.
“You guys remember Emily,” I said, pulling out a chair for her.
Ramon was with his wife, and Kevin was standing next to a woman who didn’t look old enough to drink. I made the introduction around the table.
“You made quite the impression,” Ramon said, smiling. “My wife couldn’t stop talking about the auction.”
“I was curious,” Marcela said, shrugging, and turned to Emily to explain. “Cooper rarely comes to these events. I wasn’t sure what to think when he dropped two hundred thousand at the auction. I was just wondering what it was about you that inspired that kind of devotion.”
“I can’t reveal my secrets,” said Emily.
I couldn’t help laughing and kissed her cheek. “It was for a good cause,” I said.
“There’s definitely something different about you. I’ve never seen our boy Coop so tore up over a woman,” said Kevin. “Seriously, something's changed since you came into his life.”
“Where’s Greg? He and Joni never miss this kind of stuff,” I said, wanting to change the subject. The goal was to make people think I’d changed, but hearing my friends talk about it made me uncomfortable.
“I thought you heard,” said Kevin. “Greg is a daddy! It’s a boy.”
“What did they name him?” I asked.
“Last I heard, they were still calling him peanut,” Kevin said.
“Peanut Fitzpatrick,” Ramon said. “I guess that’s no worse than Apple or Moxie.”
“You boys are terrible,” Marcela said. “Although, the real baby’s name isn’t much better if you ask me. Gunner. Don’t you think that’s ridiculous?”
“I like it,” said Emily.
“You’re way too nice. What are you doing with a guy like Coop?” Kevin laughed and shot her a wink. “He better be treating you right.”
“He’s…he’s treating me just fine,” said Emily, stuttering a little as she looked to me for help.
“Nah, she’s got you all fooled,” I said and gave her hand a squeeze. “Emily might seem like a nice girl, but...” I looked around to see if anyone was watching and then lowered my voice to a loud whisper. “She’s a vegetarian.”
She laughed and pushed me away playfully. “There’s nothing wrong with being a vegetarian.”
And just like that, she was accepted by my friends as if she’d always been a part of our group. She laughed at some asinine joke Kevin made, her honey curls bouncing as she threw her head back, the sound low and throaty. It went straight to my dick.
She shot me a quick glance and smiled. I could see myself being one hundred percent committed to a woman like her—if she was actually my girlfriend.
The last four seats at our table were taken up by two more couples. Ben Lobos joined us with a date in tow and another couple I didn’t know. They were friends of Ben; some actors that I’d never heard of before. But Marcela recognized the blonde and gushed about her newest movie. I couldn’t even remember the last movie I’d seen in the theaters.
I leaned closer to Emily and whispered in her ear, “We should go to the movies for our next date. I’ll see anything you want.”
“It’s been a long while since I’ve been to the movies,” Emily murmured. “I don’t even know what’s playing. What kind of movies do you like?”
“Action flicks. I especially love spy movies.”
“I like psychological thrillers. A great villain makes a movie,” Ben said, butting into our conversation. “It’s nice to see you again.”
He held out his hand. She took it, hesitantly. “You too.”
“How about you, Brown Eyes? What type of movies do you like?”
“I’m more of a book person. Is Shakespeare a genre?” asked Emily with a shrug. “Although, now that I think about it, I don’t really like movie adaptations. They never seem to get it right. I was excited to see a Midsummer Night’s Dream adaptation, but the movie just didn’t do the play justice. But Michelle Pfeiffer was a wonderful Titania.”
Ben moved closer, ignoring his own date, and tilted his head. “I could see you as a Titania.”
I didn’t like the way his eyes lingered on Emily’s chest or the way his smile turned predatory. We often went after the same women, but I needed to make sure he knew without a doubt Emily was off limits. I picked up her hand and pressed it to my lips, turning up the charm.
“You would make a beautiful fairy queen,” I whispered against her skin.
She blushed a pretty pink and looked down at our still linked hands. “And I suppose Cooper would be Puck, always th
e center of the action,” she said, biting back a smile. “But perhaps because of our situation, you’d make a better Nick Bottom.”
Ben laughed and winked as if they’d just shared a private joke.
Was she trying to insult me or drawing a parallel to our faux relationship?
She probably didn’t realize I’d studied Shakespeare and knew that play well. Bottom was overconfident and totally unaware his own ridiculousness. In the play, Puck transformed his head into a donkey, making a literal ass out of him. But Titania, herself, was caught up in the practical joke. She was charmed with Oberon's love juice and falls in love with the ass-headed Bottom.
Was that what was happening here? Did she see herself as the queen falling for the ass? Did she feel like it was all a spell soon to be broken?
Either way, I wasn’t going to sit here and let her flirt with my friend.
“Cupid is a knavish lad, Thus to make poor females mad,” I said, quoting the play and held out my hand. “It’s crowded at our table. Come dance with me.”
18
Emily
I couldn’t help but roll my eyes at his display of dominance. But it was also kind of sexy. “Are you always so bossy?”
“Yes,” he said, flatly and nodded to his outstretched hand. I stared at it for a heartbeat. It would have been nice if he would have actually used his words to ask me to dance, but I accepted his hand anyways. This is what I agreed to after all.
The live band was playing something slow, heavy on the saxophone and piano. He spun me out into the crowd, and when he pulled me back into his arms, I couldn’t hide my smile.
He placed my hand on his shoulder and slid his down my bare back to the hollow at my waist. We stood there, staring at each other for two beats of the music, and then he started a slow waltz.