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I feel pretty shitty because the aftermath of that fight has left me feeling depressed. Hopeless without him. I’m not just lonely or in need of any dick, any smile, or any man.
I miss Coop. A lot. And that’s how I knew the thing with Coop, is so much more than a fling, and that steals my breath away.
I’m screwed. Totally fucking screwed and not in a me and Coop, dirty and sexy and naked way. The moment I realize how much he means to me, all I want is to see him. To talk to him. To explain and to apologize.
But he won’t give me a chance to do any of that, and I can’t even go to him because my car isn’t fixed yet.
And also because Daddy invited Petey the perv and his father Peter McGillis over for dinner and demanded my attendance.
Damn him. I sit at the table like a good little girl, wearing the phoniest smile of my life while they talk finance and business and who just spent an obscene amount of money on what. It’s one-upmanship at its worst because it’s the boring shit, instead of juicy gossip like who’s sleeping with the pool boy and who’s being investigated for embezzlement. Nope, just shit and more shit.
“And what about you, Kelsey. Any plans beyond graduation besides summering in Europe?”
Peter the jackass thinks he’s so funny, but I just stare at him without one fucking hint of amusement.
“That’s for the rich kids who have no ambition, or worse, an executive role to step into that they haven’t earned. I’m heading to medical school.” I flash a bland toothy smile and cut into my chicken like I’m practicing for my first kill.
“She’s a feisty one,” Petey says, a disgusting smile on his face. And maybe a few drops of drool.
“Kelsey,” Daddy admonishes as if I’m the one in the wrong.
“Yes, Daddy?” I keep my smile in place and mentally count down the minutes until this dreadful meal is over, and I can go find Coop.
“Be nice.”
“I’m being as nice as he is. Maybe your friend is the one who needs a lesson on manners.”
Daddy grunts and shakes his head, but not before that flash of surprise that I would dare come after one of his so-called friends like that. And that’s the biggest joke of all. He’s not even friends with Peter; they simply travel in the same circles.
“Sorry about that.”
“I’m not,” I say around another bite of juicy chicken and turn my focus back to my plate. I need to keep my energy up just in case things with Coop get worse before they get better.
Thirty minutes later, the meal is over, and Daddy and his friend are ready to go pretend to smoke cigars out on the veranda in the garden, but first, they have to pretend they give a damn about their offspring.
Now, Daddy looks at me in that way that’s supposed to mean something, but I play up the dumb blonde role people have come to expect.
“Why don’t you kids go out for after-dinner drinks. I’m sure there’s some hip bar you could enjoy together.”
Petey claps his hands together, damn near panting like a St. Bernard.
“Sounds good to me.”
“No, thanks. I have plans.”
“Kelsey, where are your manners?” Daddy is frustrated and not bothering to hide it, but I shrug it off because, dammit, I’m frustrated too.
And then I remember Ruby’s words from a few days ago and decide to stand strong against his paternal disappointment.
“You invited him to dinner, not me. If you want to have drinks, invite Petey along, but like I said, I have plans.”
“Dammit, Kelsey, Petey is exactly the kind of man you ought to be dating. He’s from a good family, and he’s got a solid future.”
I snort at that flat-out lie. “Only if Mr. McGillis keeps buying his way out of jail.”
Daddy sucks in a breath of disbelief.
Petey snorts derisively.
Peter’s face reddens as his face twists into an angry scowl. “That’s a damn lie, little girl. Just because a few girls have morning-after regrets,” he begins, but I cut off his words with a loud, unladylike snort-laugh.
“See,” Daddy pipes in as if he knows shit about this. “It’s just a few lying girls trying to get a pay-out.”
“Wrong again, Daddy. Try eight girls. Eight have accused him, that we know of, and his daddy cut a big fat check to them and the university to keep him enrolled.”
I glare at all three men, feeling more confident about my heart’s choice, Coop, than I felt earlier. “But it’s good to know that you keep such good company. I’m out of here.”
A small part of me wants to stay, to see Daddy’s expression when he turns to look at the McGillis men with new eyes, knowing that one of them takes advantage of vulnerable women, and the other is happy to let him keep doing it and getting away with it.
