I lean across the counter. “Lavender is a romantic flavor.”
“And my parents will hate it. Stick with the butterscotch.”
“You know, that’s something you could have just texted me. You didn’t have to come all the way down here to say that.”
“I wanted you to know how serious I was,” he replies, turning toward me.
“Isn’t that why GIFs were created, to express emotions through text better?”
“I’m not a fancy texter—you’re lucky if you get an emoji out of me.”
“I’ve noticed,” I say as my eyes float down to his lips for a brief second and then back up to his eyes. Get it together, Nora. He’s not here for a make-out session, even though the thought of that happening sends a thrill through me.
“What are you playing?” he asks, looking at my iPad.
“It’s like Tetris, but not. You can’t rotate the blocks, but you have to try to eliminate lines. It’s mindless and keeps me busy when I’m waiting for things to bake or cool down or I just need a break. You should download it—clear your mind when you’re not editing. How’s that book coming along, by the way?”
“Fifty pages left. Fifty pages of pure torture.”
I shake my head. “I don’t get it—why are you an editor if you don’t enjoy it?”
“I don’t enjoy nonfiction. I like fiction, but I’ve been roped into the driest, most tedious nonfiction—despite hating it, I’m good at it.”
“That’s unfortunate.”
“Very.”
“So then . . . find something you do like.”
“It’s not that easy.”
“Really? Seems easy to me,” I say. “Figure out what you like and then go for it.”
“Yeah, I tried that,” he says softly, looking away.
“And what happened?”
“My brother told me no.”
“You wanted to work with Ford?” I ask, confused.
“Yeah.” He runs his hand through his hair. “He’s rebranding the store, and I wanted to help. I had some good ideas, have been drawing things out.”
“You draw?” I ask, shocked.
Dealia and Cooper were married for five years before they divorced, but despite being Dealia’s best friend and maid of honor, I really didn’t get to know Cooper well at all. I had a few beers with him and some friends in that time, but it didn’t extend past that. We may have been intimate later on, but I still don’t know much about him other than what Dealia has told me.
And from what she’s told me, I know he can be closed off and unwilling to look outside his little radius. He turned down an opportunity to work abroad that Dealia was excited about, but he didn’t want to leave Seattle. And that was the straw that broke the camel’s back. It drove Dealia crazy that he wouldn’t go anywhere, wouldn’t do anything. She wanted more, and he said he wanted more, but when push came to shove, he never followed through.
But I don’t see what Dealia was talking about when I look at Cooper.
I don’t see someone with no follow-through—I see someone who is persistent about making things right.
I don’t see someone who’s afraid to move out of their radius—I see someone who is protective of his family.
I don’t see someone stuck in their ways—I see someone wanting to break through his old patterns, but he just needs a helping hand to make that happen.
Makes me wonder if Dealia actually knew Cooper, or if there was a thin veil of denial she wore, preventing her from seeing the man I see. Dealia wanted more when it came to their marriage, and when those ideas and plans had to change, I wonder if her mindset ever changed as well.
Because Cooper is a good guy. A caring man. Dependable. Someone who goes the extra mile. I see it. I see him.
“Yeah, I’ve been taking some graphic design classes at night for a year now. I do everything on a digital drawing tablet, and it connects to my computer, bringing it to life.”
“Seriously?” I ask. “Wow, Cooper, I had no idea.”
“No one does . . . well, besides my dad. You’re actually the only other person I’ve told.”
“Wait, so you’ve been taking classes and learning a new skill, and you haven’t told anyone? Why not?”
“Because of the image I seem to carry. The guy with no follow-through. It’s the same reason Ford didn’t hire me for the rebranding, because he believes there’s a great chance I would fail. I didn’t want to have to deal with any negative comments or thoughts when I was finally doing something positive in my life.”