“Please.”He breaks out prayer hands and I try to suppress my smile.
“Coop, it’s after ten.He doesn’t want to come over this late.”
“Yes he does!He wants to play cars.”
She shakes her head.“It’s too late for that.”
“But it’s not a school night.”
“I know, but–”
“Mom, please, please, please.”
I jump in, hoping to help.“How about if I come over just for a little bit?You can show me your room and we’ll make plans for me to come back another time.”
“Yeah!”
He puts the phone down and leaves, Blair rolling her eyes.
“He does that when he’s excited,” she says.“Are you sure you don’t mind?”
“Not at all.I’ve only got a stuffy hotel room to go back to.”
She locks eyes with me for a second, her cheeks lightly flushed.“Okay then.You can follow me home, I guess.”
“Damn, son.”Lucien claps me on the back.“Heading back to her place already?Well done.”
I glare at him, though I don’t know why I bother, because it doesn’t faze him in the least.
7
Blair
Why did I leave a basket of laundry outside the laundry room?My pale-pink undies areright thereon top as Magnus and I walk past.
I slip out of my heels, sighing happily, and use my foot to ease the basket into the laundry room.
“He’s here!”Coop cries from the living room.
Kid footsteps pound on the wood floors as both boys run into the kitchen.
“Whoa!”Coop takes in Magnus’s tux, looks at me, and then looks back at him.“Are you my mom’s boyfriend?”
Let the humiliation begin.I cringe and jump in to answer before Magnus has to.
“No, we went to an event for the team, remember?Aunt Jules and Noel invited us.There were lots of other players there.”
“You could be her boyfriend if you want,” Coop says.“She doesn’t have one and no one ever takes her out on a date.”
“TMI, Coop,” Chloe says, coming into the kitchen.
I start to get cash from my purse, but she says, “No, my dad already paid me.”
“What?Why?”
“That’s just my dad.He paid for the snacks I brought over, too.”She bends down to hug Coop, and then Eli.“Be good, guys.I had fun tonight.”
“Thanks for quizzing me on spelling words,” Eli says.
