by Sammi Cee
“Coop, sweets, no one could spend ten seconds in your and Eli’s presence and not know how important you are to each other.”
“Hmph, maybe me, I don’t seem that important to him. I told you, I haven’t seen him at all lately. He gets home after we’re in bed, so even when we stay at my house I don’t see him. And with his job, he’s out of the house before we’re awake. I guess I don’t rate as much as I thought.”
Shayna’s face scrunches up and she breaks out into a full laugh. Utterly confused, I wait until she calms herself. Finally, she manages to choke out, “Pout much?”
“What? It’s true.” I set down my fork and sit back with a sigh.
“Coop, he’s only been dating Jeannie a couple weeks. It’s not like he’s deserted you.”
“Well, you said you miss him, too.” God, she’s right, I’m being a baby.
Leaning over, Shayna reaches across to wrap her hand around the back of my neck. The gentle pressure caressing my neck begins to soothe me. “Give him a little time to adjust, sweets. We had weeks of alone time before he moved in with you. He needs to get to know her. He doesn’t need us intruding, nor does he need us to act all needy.”
Snorting, I say, “That’s for sure. He’s got all the needy he can handle with that one. And how much can they be getting to know each other? Except for that first date, she has him out with her and her friends every night at some exclusive restaurant and bar. For fuck’s sake, I didn’t even know we had so many nice places to go around here during the week. And this last weekend, I know he had to have dropped a couple bills just to get them tickets to the ballet she said she had to see. Who does that? If she had to see it, why didn’t she already have tickets? They only now started dating. Was she planning on going before she had him to pay for it?”
“Okay, you need to calm yourself back down.” Her hand at the nape of neck goes from caressing to a delicate squeeze. “Coop, look at me.”
Lifting my eyes to hers, she smiles softly. “You’re not losing him you know?” How does this woman I’ve known such a short amount of time always know what I’m thinking?
Quietly, I let my true thoughts come out, my deepest fear with Eli dating Jeannie. “We talked for a little bit after their first date, you know? I stayed up wanting to make sure it went okay. I was pretty sure he wouldn’t try to jump right in bed with her since he’s so embarrassed about his scars, you know?” When she nods at me, I continue, “Well, he told me how nice she looked and how elegant the place was. But you know what he really talked about?”
Shayna remains silent, so I take a deep breath and voice how scared I am, what could potentially have me losing my relationship with Eli. “He went on and on about how she was the kind of lady his family would approve of. How she has the same mannerisms as them and likes the same things. He told me he thought she may be his chance at redemption with his family. For fuck’s sake Shayna, they’d just come home from their first date. He was up to knowing her, what? Still less than twenty-four hours, and he was willing to plan his future around her. And the clincher, the clincher, is when he said his mom would love her because she’s obviously a good girl. She didn’t even ask him in for coffee but gave him a little kiss on the cheek when he walked her to her front door.”
“Hmm…that is a little perplexing, isn’t it?”
“Precious, you saw that girl. What’re the chances she’s a nice girl? She barley had a scrap of cloth for a dress hugging her body, and she was practically humping Eli while exchanging phone numbers. I’m worried, babe. I’m really worried about him.”
And when Shayna pushes her plate up and stands out of her chair to come plop her butt in my lap and lay her head on my shoulder while I hold her, I know she’s worried, too.
Eli
Leaning back in my chair, I watch Jeannie as she makes her rounds throughout the lounge area of the restaurant. She seems to be the lady to know everywhere we go. Many of the faces are already becoming familiar, even after only a week, and I’m wondering if any of her friends actually work. Jeannie is a real estate agent, but she schedules her appointments and office time around herself. Which I’m assuming means around not having to get out of bed before eleven in the morning.
Numerous people have already told me how lucky I am to be with her, what a catch she is. And I do know it, I do, but it’s getting late and getting home so late every night when I work so hard throughout the day, I’m wondering how to let Jeannie know we need to have at least some lowkey nights. However, she’s already given me our schedule for the next week, so I know it’s not happening any time soon.
Since she’s off talking, I settle into a quiet table off to the back of the room. Thinking over the upcoming work week, I scrub my hand across my face already feeling tired. The week hasn’t even started, yet. My pocket vibrates and I smile as I pull out my phone. Only two people text me, so I’m hoping that it’s either Cooper or Shayna. Although, Coop is getting annoyed with me. We know each other too well for the formal texts I get from him to go unnoticed. I just don’t know what to do about it. He has to understand that this whole relationship thing is new for me, and I need to spend time with Jeannie.
Looking down at my phone, I see I have a text from Shay.
*Shay: Hey lovey
*Me: Hey Shay
*Shay: How are you?
*Me: Good, a little bored though honestly
*Shay: Where you at?
*Me: Cimarron Lounge
*Shay: On a Sunday night?
*Me: Apparently, it’s the cool place to be on a Sunday night
* * *
Several minutes pass as I watch the bubbles form across my screen, then disappear. Finally, she sends another text.
*Shay: I have a question for you?
*Me: ???
*Shay: Does Cooper curse a lot
* * *
What the hell is she talking about? Surely, she and Coop have been together long enough for her to know that he rarely curses. At least not in front of her, it’s his whole how to treat a lady thing.
*Me: Not really. He has to be pretty aggravated
*Shay: Yeah, that’s what I thought
*Me: Why?
*Shay: Will you be around this week? What night can I see you for dinner?
*Me: Probably not this week, but soon. I promise. Soon
Bubbles, again. After several minutes, I lay my phone down on the table. The bubbles appear, then they disappear. And then they appear again. She’s being weird. A troubling thought occurs to me.
*Me: Is everything okay? Is Coop okay?
*Shay: Oh yeah, sorry, hold on
* * *
Several more minutes pass. My patience level is deteriorating, and I’m considering stepping outside and just calling her. Jeannie is on the side of the bar speaking with several friends, in one hand she holds a martini and the other hand is gesturing wildly while her companions listen attentively to her story. She’ll never miss me if I step outside. My decision made, I start to stand when I receive another text.
* * *
*Shay: Okay, I hope you’re not busy on Saturday night. Coop just got off the phone with Bobby and Sean, and they’re coming over for dinner. We’d all like to formally meet Jeannie, if that’s okay?
* * *
Flipping over to my calendar, I look through the schedule for the next week that Jeannie plugged into my phone earlier. A sigh of relief escapes me when I see there’s nothing scheduled yet for Saturday. Until Shay’s text, I didn’t realize how much I was really missing her and Coop. How much I really need some time with her and Coop. Bobby and Sean are a bonus. Even Jeannie will have to like Bobby. Not that she’s a snob or anything, I assure myself quickly.
* * *
*Me: Yeah, that looks like it can work. I’ll double check with Jeannie, but count us in.
*Shay: Perfect. YAY!!! We’ll have dinner at your and Coop’s house. Thank you, lovey. I’ve missed you. You just made my night. I’m so excited!
*Me: Me too,
Shay. I’ll text you goodnight when I get home.
*Shay: You better!!!! <3
* * *
“Elijah, why are you smiling like that?”
Jeannie’s voice startles me out of my thoughts, huh, didn’t realize I was smiling. “No reason, I just heard from Shay and Coop, we’ve been invited to dinner at Coop’s next Saturday night.” For some reason, I don’t think it would go over well to tell Jeannie I was texting with just Shay.
“What’s a Shay and a Coop?” She asks with a wrinkled nose.
“Jeannie,” I say as I reach forward and cup one of her hands in mine. “You know who they are. Shayna and Cooper. Cooper’s my best friend from the military and my roommate. Shayna is his girlfriend.”
“Elijah, I’ve told you I don’t like nicknames. I find them distasteful. Plus, you can tell a lot about where a person’s from if you know their name. Take Cooper for instance, who names their child Cooper? No one who wants their child to be successful, that’s for sure.”
Before I can interject, she leans forward and brushes a kiss onto my lips and leans back while saying, “I guess we can spend an hour at your friend’s house for dinner. Our plans aren’t until later in the night anyway. I hope they don’t mind we’ll be dressed to go out immediately after leaving there though. I know how uncomfortable it can be when...” She’s waving the hand not holding a martini around in the air, and honestly, I have no idea what she’s talking about.
My face must have shown my confusion, because she smirks, leans forward for another little peck to my lips. “Never mind, sure. We can sacrifice a little time to eat with your friends. I’m sure it’ll be cute.”
Turning away from me, she swishes her hips back to her friends, leaving me to contemplate what the hell I’ve gotten myself into.
Diary Excerpt
Well, work on my book has basically come to a halt. I’ve written a few little scenes here and there, but I can’t hear their voices anymore. I’m so irritated with myself. Time feels like its passing by and I’m just stuck. I can’t even say it’s from being worried about Cooper or Eli because I am hearing the echo of other voices… well, I can’t do that. I have a twenty-year-old daughter, I’m a mom, I can’t possibly be thinking about writing that…
* * *
As worried as I am about this Eli and Jeannie situation, though, it’s nothing compared to how worried I am about Coop. I really believe that Jeannie’s going to outstay her welcome with Eli. Cooper is so sure she is going to “take Eli from him,” but he doesn’t realize how much he’s like oxygen to Eli. Sooner or later, Eli will get sick of her keeping them apart sooner or later. But Coop, he’s not handling them being apart well at all. He said that even when Eli was living by his parents they talked more than they are right now while living in the same house.
* * *
I’ve always been amazed how well Cooper managed not having family. I know Sean is like a brother to him, but he has Bobby now. From the stories Coop tells me, it was Cooper and Sean against the world before Coop headed for the military. And they’d always gotten together whenever Coop had leave. He said he always felt guilty for leaving Sean and his dad while he served, but he really felt like it was the right decision for him, so they’d supported him one hundred percent. He did say that Sean had struggled after high school, but he didn’t think he really knew the depth of what had happened in his life. What we all know, though, is that Sean and Bobby are perfect together.
* * *
But Coop’s relationship with Eli is his foundation. I’m Coop’s girlfriend, so as close as Eli and I have become, I’m not sure how to broach the subject with Eli. He thinks he’s dependent on Coop and a nuisance, but Cooper’s actually just as dependent on him. Until now, until hopefully me, he’s had no one else but Eli since his dad died. Him being unavailable in any way is leaving a huge hole in Coop’s heart. I really don’t think Eli realizes that for Coop, they’re family, and he’s starting to feel abandoned.
Shayna
Nine
Shayna
Tonight’s the night we finally get to spend some time with Jeannie and get to know her. Normally, something like this would be fun, but I suspect that tonight is going to be anything but a good time. When Eli walked out of his room earlier to apologize that they’d be coming to dinner ready to attend a casino night later in the night, at first Coop and I had been confused. What did that matter? But when he let us know it was at the country club and some kind of benefit, we understood. Coop had just nodded and walked away, leaving me to pat Eli’s arm and tell him everything would be fine. He didn’t look like he believed me, and honestly, I didn’t blame him. Coop was already pissed off that we’d had to move dinner up for whom he had now labeled the princess.
Thankfully, the doorbell rings so I run to get it. If nothing else, at least we’re getting to spend time with Bobby and Sean. Opening it up, I crack up laughing at Bobby while Sean stands slightly behind him with a small grin and rolls his eyes at me. Bobby is dressed to the nines. In patterned dress pants, a button-down coral shirt with a gray vest over the top, and coral shoes, he looks flashy and fun. If not a tad overdressed for a dinner with friends at home.
Bobby says, “What do you think Shayna-girl? I’m hoping to score an invite to the country club with Eli’s new princess.”
He’s leaning in to kiss first one cheek, than the other as he speaks, before he can even back away, I hear Sean’s stern reprimand, “Bobby, do not call her princess. Coop shouldn’t even be calling her princess. We’re going to give her a chance. She may be very pleasant.”
Hearing Coop come up behind me, he says, “Uh-huh, sure she is. That’s why she’s been running poor Eli around all week like he doesn’t work long hours every day.”
Wanting to be the voice of reason, I start to open my mouth, only to be cut off by Bobby giving his boyfriend a death glare, stomping his foot in front of him. “Um, excuse me, you’re the one who told me the night that Eli met her that she’s trouble. You,” he pokes Sean in the chest while continuing, “are the one who said you’d seen her with many a men always leading them around while she spent their money at the bar and hung out with her friends.” And another poke. “So don’t you even try to backpedal now in front of Coop and Shayna-girl. I call bullshit!”
I glance up to Sean’s face expecting an adverse reaction, but if anything, he looks like he just fell even more in love with his man. Gah! These two are adorable. Before Coop can jump into the trash Jeannie conversation, I grab Bobby’s hand and pull him through the door to trail after me into the kitchen. “Come on, children. We’re all going to behave tonight. It doesn’t matter how she is, what matters is Eli feeling like he can bring her around. We’re doing this for Eli, not her, not even us, but for him. Do I make myself clear?”
I look over my shoulder and look each one in the face. Sean nods dutifully. Bobby mutters, “she’s feisty,” over his shoulder to Coop as he walks back to his boyfriend. But Coop, he decides to stare me down. Snorting internally, I plant my hand on my hip and narrow my eyes, making sure he knows I mean business. I won’t have Eli’s night be shattered because of us. Reluctantly, Coop gives me an almost undetectable nod as he comes over to fold me into his arms. “Okay, precious. I hear ya,” he whispers into my ear.
I rub his back soothingly for a second while resting my head on his chest before moving my hand down to his ass and giving it a resounding smack. “Good. Glad we cleared that up. Now Coop, get our guests drinks and get out of the kitchen so I can finish up dinner.”
The following thirteen minutes pass with lots of laughter and conversation flowing into me from the dining room. At one point I hear Sean say to Coop, “She really is feisty, Coop. Good one on you, man.”
At another point, I hear Bobby say, “So how’s the sex? She’s such a sweetheart, I have to know, are you two tearing it up under the sheets?” I’m a little surprised that Bobby’s asking him that, but not at all shocked to hear him say, “Ow, you can’t both hit me at the
same time.”
I go in to leave my glass of wine on the table with them and walk in and out as I finalize our meal in the kitchen. It’s fun to watch Coop interact with Sean and Bobby, and it warms my heart to hear the little stories of Coop and Sean from high school. They’re friendship sounds like just what they both needed back in those days. I even notice as they reminisce that the ever-vivacious Bobby sits back in his chair with one hand stroking Sean’s leg and remains silent while smiling lovingly at his man.
Removing our dinner from the oven, I can only pray that the atmosphere we’ve set will continue through the night once Eli and Jeannie join us. I can tell how much it means to Coop to entertain his friends for the night, and with Bobby and Sean so seldom having a weekend night off, I really want this to be an enjoyable evening for everyone. Sighing to myself since I know better, I take solace in the fact that Eli and Jeannie are leaving early and there will be plenty of time to retire out to the fire pit and salvage our night.
Coop
I’m trying not to make it obvious that I’m staring at the clock. For fuck’s sake, Jeannie is the reason we had to move up dinner, and now they aren’t even here on time. It’s so nice having Sean and Bobby here, I almost wish we weren’t waiting for her to come spoil our dinner.
As we hear the front door open, I glance at Shayna in the door jamb between the kitchen and the dining room. She immediately walks over to be by my side and starts tugging my arm. “Coop, stand up.”
“Why?” I know I sound like a pouty child, but I don’t care. This is my house and I don’t have to stand up. “Eli lives here, too. He can bring her in.”