Cooper went on. “So, I get it. People see what they expect to see, and Finn probably expects to see that same seventh grader who used to draw hearts on the dirty windows of his Pathfinder. But you’re not that kid anymore. If he met you in a bar now, he’d ask for your number. And he’d be lucky to get it. He might not know that yet, but you do.”
Why did it feel so good to hear all that?
Cooper kept going. “You need to make him see you differently. You need to make it clear that you are someone he’d be crazy not to fall in love with. And you’ve only got eight days.”
“That’s exactly what I was about to explain to you,” I said, feeling something like awe. “Except you just said it way better.”
“I get it,” Cooper said. “I genuinely do.”
Then, while I was appreciating him, Cooper turned to grab what looked like a suit jacket lying on the foot of the bed. But guess what? It was a suit jacketwith a vest.
“Not another vest,” I said.
Cooper shrugged. “It came with the suit.”
He slid it on—using his same blue heron moves.
“That’s just mean,” I said.
“Wait till I add the tie.”
I watched him pop his collar, settle a pale blue tie around his neck, and start tying a half-Windsor. I was so mesmerized by the vest, and the tie, and his words, that I didn’t even notice it wasn’t mini-golf wear until he slid the suit jacket on.
“Hold on!” I said then. “What are you doing?”
“Putting on the jacket,” Cooper answered.
“But—are you wearing a full suit to play mini golf?”
Cooper nodded. “Of course I am.”
“But why?”
“Because you’re wearing that dress. And it’s our whole childhoodstreet up there. And they’re going to tease the hell out of you. A lot.So much.And I just…”
Cooper lifted his gaze to meet mine, and now I found myself wondering the same thing my mother had:Were those eyes always that blue?
I didn’t ask.
I just let him go on and say, “I just don’t want you to have to do this alone.”
Twelve
ALL OF COOPER’Spredictions came true, by the way.
Our whole childhood street did tease me. A lot.So much.
I’d been hoping for aMiss Congenialitymoment as I made my entrance—the wind blowing my hair as I strutted in slo-mo and turned every head on the deck.
Instead, nobody really noticed me one way or the other.
Finn wasn’t even there yet, and the other guests were just happily gathered, enjoying each other’s company, eating nibbles off a snack table. Lots of them were work friends I didn’t recognize—or maybe Brody’s relatives. My childhood neighbors were nowhere in sight.
Safe to say, none of these random strangers cared at all if I’d had a glow-up.
I stood there, disappointed. All that slo-mo for nothing.
Was I even at the right wedding?
