For Keeps

by Karen Booth

  “Yo, Brian. What’s up? I’m busy.” His brows knitted as he listened to what his brother was saying. “How the fuck does this happen, Bri? It’s your job to watch out for this kind of shit.” Glancing at her, he forced a smile. He cast his eyes down and picked at the dark fabric of his jeans as he continued to listen to what was apparently a lengthy explanation.

  Allie fidgeted, trying to focus on the sights and sounds of the city whizzing by. Being the boss was anything but easy. She’d learned that lesson over the last year. Tension hung heavy in the air and seeing the stress take its toll on his handsome face was disheartening.

  “Okay. Fine,” he said gruffly. “Just figure it out and call me later.” Cooper raised his hips to slide the phone into his front pocket as the cab stopped in front of Metro Style Furniture. “Sorry about that.”

  “Everything okay?” she asked as they climbed out of the car.

  He slid his sunglasses from the top of his head back on to his face. “Fine. My brother just needs to do his job.”

  The store was sleek, a mix of contemporary design and modern classics like leather and chrome Eames office chairs and iconic Saarinen pedestal tables. Allie had to stop from rolling her eyes when Cooper zeroed in on the first black leather sofa they came across.

  Plopping down on the cushions, he stretched his arms along the back and crossed his legs, looking perfectly at home. “Take a test drive with me.” He patted the spot next to him in invitation. The instant she sat, he cupped her shoulder with his warm hand. “What do you think? Pretty comfy, huh?” He bounced in his seat.

  Allie leaned forward, examining the stitching at the front of the cushions. “I like it. Great quality, but it’s a little plain. And I know guys like black leather, but it can be cold. Maybe something like gray wool would be better. Still masculine, but cozy. You can probably order it in another fabric.”

  “Yes, you can,” a female voice behind them said.

  Allie turned to see a striking young woman with shiny ebony hair. Her legs went on for days, her deep-red lips annoyingly pouty. It put Allie on edge even when she hated the idea of feeling in any way threatened by the presence of another woman.

  “Is there anything in particular I can help you with?” she asked. “This is a beautiful choice, by the way. The line is Italian designed, but made in the US. This particular sofa is an exclusive to our stores.” She reached out to shake Cooper’s hand as he stood. “I’m Melanie.”

  “I’m Cooper. This is my neighbor, Allie.”

  Neighbor. Okay, then. That clarifies a few things. Before she could get up from her seat, Allie’s phone rang and her sister’s name popped up on the caller ID. “I’m sorry. I have to get this.” She answered while making her way to the plate glass windows at the front of the store. “Andrea. Hey. What’s up? I’m kind of in the middle of something.”

  “I never ask you for favors, right?” Andrea asked with a strange tremor in her voice.

  “Not usually. What’s up?”

  “I kicked Bill out. Bastard was cheating on me. With a guy, Allie. He was fucking a guy.”

  Jesus. “When did this happen?”

  “About an hour ago. I found some texts on his phone while he was on the treadmill.”

  “You were reading his texts? Why would you snoop like that?”

  “This is no time to get judgmental. I need you over here now. He wants to come back for a few things. I’m worried I might kill him if I see him, but I don’t trust him to be alone in the apartment.”

  Allie exhaled and turned to see Cooper regaling Melanie with some story that was enough to make her laugh and playfully toss back her hair. “Of course, honey. I’m getting in a cab right now.”

  “Thanks, Al. You’re the best.”

  She dropped her phone into her bag and strode to the back of the store. “Cooper, hey, can I speak to you for a moment?”

  He gripped her elbow, concern clouding his face. “Everything okay?”

  “That was my sister. She’s having major boyfriend issues. She needs me. Now.” She hitched her bag up onto her shoulder. “I’m really sorry. Can we do this another time?”

  He glanced at Melanie before looking at Allie. “You know, I really think I like that first sofa. Melanie is going to show me some fabrics. I’m sure I can pick something with her help. You think gray is the way to go?”

  Allie’s shoulders tightened at the mention of Cooper spending quality time with Melanie, not that she could do anything about it. “I do. Just make sure it’s a durable fabric.” Why does everything out of my mouth make me sound like an old woman?

  “Can I see you later tonight?” he muttered.

  Her heart beat an anxious rhythm. He wants to see me? He just called me his neighbor in front of another woman. “Maybe. I’ll have to call you.”

  His afternoon with Allie thwarted, at least Cooper had some new furniture on the way. It would be a six-to-eight-week wait and his bank account was more than twelve grand lighter, but he’d finally made the move up from Modern American Dorm Room.

  He tossed his keys onto the kitchen counter in his apartment and checked the time on his phone again—nearly 5:30 p.m. The ordering process at the store had taken much longer than he’d expected. Melanie had worked it from all angles, both personal and professional, hinting that she didn’t have plans that night and wouldn’t mind going out for a drink.

  As recently as a week ago, he probably would have been all over Melanie’s blatant flirtation, but Allie was the only thing he could think of now. Everything about her was so much better than he’d ever dreamt—the unbelievable touch of her skin, the sweet scent that emanated from the most enticing parts of her body. That, within the context of their already good friendship, seemed too good to be true.

  The mind-blowing sex had been the highlight of their night, but a close second had been the hours they lay talking in bed, in the dark, wrapped around each other. He’d never formed a real friendship with a woman before he slept with her. Doing things that way had never seemed important, but maybe it was the way to go. It certainly had been with Allie.

  He stared at his phone again. Don’t be a pussy. Just call her.

  “Hey,” she answered after several rings in a whisper that rushed through him.

  “How are you? Is everything okay?”

  “I can’t talk for long. Andrea is taking a bath. She’s trying to relax.”

  “What happened?”

  “Her boyfriend cheated on her with a guy. She’s betrayed and confused. Not a good combo.”

  Wow. “And you’re trying to talk her off the ledge.”

  “More or less, but it’s bad. I’ve never seen her like this. She’s usually so tough, but this has really shaken her. I feel a little bad because I gave her shit about reading her boyfriend’s texts. That’s how she found out.”

  “Why would she do that?”

  “I guess she didn’t trust him, but that tells me they were already in trouble. You have to trust people or it doesn’t work.”

  He nodded in agreement. “Of course.” He didn’t want to be selfish, but he had to ask the question, especially with the clock ticking. “So, when are you coming back? I thought I could take you out to dinner, tell you about my big furniture purchases.”

  She sighed. “That sounds great, but I’m here for the duration. She wants me to stay over and I don’t want to say no. She needs me.”

  He kneaded his forehead. Everything in his body went cold from disappointment. “Yeah. Of course. Another time.”

  “What about tomorrow? I have a ton of work to do, but we could grab a bite or you could come over and we could cook at my place.”

  With a glimmer of hope, he felt the warmth return to his hands, his feet, his belly. So it’s not just me. She wants to see me too. “It’s a date.”

  He hardly had time to press “End Call” before his phone rang with his brother Brian’s number on the caller ID. “Please tell me you’re calling with good news.”

  “
Like what? The Bears have some great prospects for next season?”

  “Stop fucking around. Did we get everything fixed?”

  “No. We somehow missed a major problem in the beta testing. I called Chris, but he’s the only programmer who’s around this weekend. Everybody else is out of town. We’re going to have to call in the Maestro.”

  The Maestro. “You know I fucking hate it when you call me that.”

  “It’s the truth. Pack your toothbrush and get your ass down here. It’s all hands on deck if we’re going to stay on schedule.”

  * * * * *

  How long can I go without sleep? Cooper slumped back in his chair after eleven hours straight of sifting through line after line of code. Part of him enjoyed watching the sun come up over the city, peeking between storm clouds. Part of him found it depressing. He blew out a long breath and rubbed his neck and shoulder just as Brian poked his head into his office.

  “How we doing in here?” he asked, resting against the doorframe.

  Cooper turned and gestured to the other side of his desk. “Pull up a box.” His office was littered with cardboard moving crates.

  “Very funny.” Brian pulled a chair from the corner and collapsed into it. “Please tell me this is all going to pay off some day.”

  “It’s just because we’re trying to move the office next week. That’s the only reason that it’s insanity around here. It’ll be so much better once we’re in the new space.” Cooper drained the last of his Red Bull. “I can’t last much longer. I gotta take a nap or something.”

  “Yeah, I just got off the phone with Laura. I need to do the same thing. She’s not happy about being home alone with two kids on a long weekend.”

  Cooper watched as his brother stretched his neck. The guilt over keeping him at work and away from his wife and kids weighed on him. “Why don’t we take a break? Chris looks like a zombie and he smells worse.” He shut down his laptop. “Reconvene this afternoon?”

  “Um, yeah. I think that sounds good,” Brian said with plain hesitation.

  “You know what? Chris and I can take it from here. You get some sleep and hang out with the kids. Tell them their Uncle Coop says hi.” He slid his laptop into a black leather bag.

  “Are you sure? Some of this is my fault.”

  “If we’d programmed it correctly in the first place, we wouldn’t be having this problem. Don’t worry about it.”

  Allie tapped on the hard shell of her cellphone as the cab hurtled through the city, little traffic on a Sunday morning. Skies were gray, rain misted. She wondered what Cooper was doing, knowing the likely answer was that he was still in bed. Twisting her lips, she slid the phone back into her bag. I’ll call him later.

  Andrea had taken a sleeping pill last night, leaving Allie alone and wide awake in the guestroom. After hours of discussing Bill and his wandering dick, Allie had hoped the sheer mental exhaustion would put her out like a light. Instead, her mind wandered to Cooper and everything that had happened Friday night. Being so tired made it easy to worry less about what he might be thinking. She only wondered now if it would happen again and how she might feel about it if it did.

  “Lady,” the cab driver barked. “This the right address?”

  Allie shook her head and looked up to see Cooper keying his way into their building. “Shit. Yes.” She scrambled to dig her wallet out of her purse, tossing the driver a twenty. “Keep the change.”

  Cooper was out of sight once she entered the building, but she could hear footfalls coming from the steps. She rushed to the stairwell, but slowed as soon as he might see her. Three treads up, she heard his voice.

  “Allie, hey.” He leaned over the railing and smiled. He was a bit haggard, eyes tired and stubble along his jaw. “How’s your sister?”

  “She’s doing better. Now she’s just pissed.” She hurried up the stairs as he waited. “Big night out?” Her pulse picked up as she put two and two together. He’s been out partying. Probably with women.

  He smiled and shook his head. “I’ve been working all night.”

  Her shoulders relaxed. “Oh. Everything okay?”

  “Not really, but it’s boring. You don’t want to hear about it. I’m just home to take a nap and a shower, grab some real food.”

  They continued up to Allie’s floor, the point of no return. She wanted him to come in, wanted to spend time with him again. She also wanted to know what exactly they were doing. Either you put yourself out there or you don’t. “I could feed you,” she blurted. Her heartbeat sped up again as she waited for the answer.

  Cooper reached for her elbow. “Are you sure? I don’t want you to think that all I want you for is food.”

  It took everything Allie had to keep from exclaiming something about not caring what he wanted her for. “I don’t think that.”

  “Good. I’m starving.”

  She dropped her bag on the entry table and went to the kitchen, her brain sifting through no less than a dozen different scenarios in a matter of seconds. I feed him and he leaves and I’m miserable. I feed him and we have sex again and I’m confused. I feed him, we have sex, and he tells me what he’s thinking. Like that’s going to happen. It felt as if she were a mixed-up teenager again. “Eggs and bacon?” she asked, trying to focus on something with a logical conclusion. “I usually make mine over medium.”

  “Perfect. I’m going to use your bathroom.”

  She slapped bacon into the cast-iron skillet and cracked eggs onto a griddle pan as soon as it was hot. Slices of multi-grain bread went into the toaster. Cooper returned and stood a few feet from her, crossing his arms over his chest.

  She’d hoped he would do his trick of standing behind her while she cooked, but his body language was unmistakable. Her heart plummeted into the depths of her stomach. He doesn’t need to tell me anything.

  “There’s juice,” she sniped. The bacon crackled as she turned it in the pan. Stop it. This is better. Staying friends is the most important part now.

  “Good idea. Want some?” He went to the cabinet and got out a pair of glasses.

  “Um, sure.” Allie buttered the toast before she blotted the bacon with a paper towel and slid the eggs from the pan. She handed him his plate and took her own to the center island, sitting on a barstool.

  “Thank you for breakfast.”

  “Uh huh.” She exhaled much more loudly than she’d intended to. It hurt to know he’d only hooked up with her, but she’d been a willing participant, they’d established zero ground rules. Everything they’d left unsaid ate at her now.

  Why am I being such a wimp? He doesn’t have to be the one to clarify everything. “I want you to know that I’m fine with what happened the other night. You don’t need to worry about getting the whole clingy routine from me.”

  Cooper’s eyes nearly doubled in size and he coughed with his napkin held to his lips.

  Shit. That didn’t sound right. “I mean,” she continued, “I know that’s what guys your age do. And believe me, I’m flattered. I just want you to know that I don’t expect anything.”

  Chapter Five

  Cooper struggled to swallow his last bite of toast. “Uh, I’m not totally sure what to say to that. I don’t think you’re clingy. I like hanging out with you. And I really enjoyed the other night a lot.” Dumbass. Of course you enjoyed it.

  Allie scrunched up her face as if she couldn’t stand to hear what he was saying. “Maybe I shouldn’t have said anything.” She pushed her food around on her plate and set down her napkin. “I’m not hungry. Do you want my bacon?”

  “I’m good.” He took another bite of his eggs and toast and the silence washed over him. The mix of no sleep and Allie’s words had him off balance at best. Tired, he decided that it couldn’t get any more awkward than it already was. “Allie, I didn’t just hook up with you on a whim if that’s what you’re getting at. I’m very attracted to you and I have been for a long time. I guess I just thought I should finally do something about it. I don’t
want it to make things weird between us. Can we spend time together and see what happens?”

  Allie let out a quiet sigh. “I don’t want to end up ruining our friendship.”

  He felt the skin between his eyebrows pinch together. “I don’t either. I just think there might be a way for us to have more.”

  “But I’m twelve years older than you. Would we really be doing anything more than having fun together?”

  “First off, I told you I don’t care about the age thing. Secondly, what’s wrong with having fun? We both have insanely stressful jobs. We have so little free time. You and I get along great, we like a lot of the same things.” He reached for her hand. “I think that you and me having fun is a great idea.”

  “I don’t know.” Allie looked down as his thumb caressed the side of her pinky. “Maybe.” A smile played at the corner of her lips and he sensed she might give in. “We need to be careful. No sacrificing the friendship. And please, no drama.”

  He felt a wave of relief, especially with that last comment. The last three women he’d dated seemed to live and breathe drama. Things with Allie would be such a welcome change from that. “Sounds perfect.” His heart thumped as she lifted her head to look at him.

  Her eyes sparkled in the muted light of the stormy day. “You need to get a nap and a shower, don’t you? So you can get back to work?” Now her fingers were twining with his, sending cues straight to his groin. The gentle pout of her lower lip was a punch to the gut.

  “I do.” He glanced at his watch as their foreheads drew closer. “It’s almost ten thirty. I need to be back by three.” His body warmed as Allie tilted her head to the side in invitation, the gentle dips of her collarbone so enticing.

  “You don’t have much time,” she muttered. Her silky hair grazed his nose as his lips found the smooth skin of her neck.

  “Right. Time,” he answered. His spine prickled when she ran her fingertips up his forearms. Someone could have told him he had to leave that instant for the most important meeting of his life and it would have made no difference. Allie was the most pressing matter at hand.