AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I’m good,” he said. “This will be kind of like watching one of those cooking shows.”
I’d have snorted except the assignmentwaskind of like one of those cooking shows. “How long ‘til food?”
“Twenty minutes,” he said.
I counted out two tens and set them on the table. “For my half.”
Since he used one of the shared ride apps to get the food, he’d already paid for it.
“That’s too much,” he pointed out.
“You tipped the driver, right?”
He stuck his tongue out at me and we both grinned. “Fine, but on our date Monday, you don’t pay.”
I did not roll my eyes, but boy was I tempted. “So if you ask me out, you pay. What happens if I ask you out?”
“I’m still going to try to pay,” Coop said.
Yeah, Coop didn’t have a job. He’d had one, but he lost it when the store where he worked closed. I wasn’t really sure if he’d bothered to look for one since or if he was just cruising. His dad had money, that much I did know. Dad was big on pay offs as signs of affection, not that I was going to bring that up.
By the time the food arrived, I had the layers going. It was much faster having done it before. Coop kept up a running dialogue and cracking me up, which wasn’t helping me get everything the way it was supposed to be. The kitchen smelled of chocolate and sugar.
“Can you pause to eat?”
“Five minutes.” It took more like ten, but I had almost all of the layers ready to build. Coop had the boxes of food open, so I took the first bite of the Monte Cristo and groaned, because all at once, how hungry I was hit. I pretty much devoured the first whole half of the sandwich without slowing for more than a shallow breath in between.
Coop watched me with amusement in his eyes and when I paused, he held up his hands and then grinned. “It’s kind of awesome that you actually enjoy food.”
“Yeah, most people do.” I hoped they did.
“I suppose I shouldn’t say other girls then, right? The ones who eat like birds and pretend they never have more than a rabbit and wait until they are in private to eat?”
I eyed him. “Whohave you been hanging out with?”
He shot me an impatient look and I shrugged. “Anyway…” He’d ordered potato skins for himself and a club sandwich. When I reached out for one of the skins, he nudged it toward me.
After I managed a bite and he hadn’t said anything more, I raised my eyebrows. “Anyway?”
At the prompt, he shrugged. “I’m not a football player.”
What? “Neither am I.”
“No, I mean. I’m not a football player. I’m not rich. I’m…just a guy who lives in the apartments.”
I paused mid-bite to study him. “Coop, what are you talking about?”
“The dating thing. I know you have homework and your dessert to make. But you spend a lot of time with Bubba and Jake and now Jake spent the night and... you’re going out with Archie tomorrow. It’s probably gonna be some five course place.”
“God, I hope not.” The idea sent unease shooting through me.
“Frankie… I don’t have a lot to offer. I came over tonight because my mom and my sister were making me crazy. I hide out here with you when they do that.”
“And I hide out with you when my mom is—well, Mom.”
“Except you haven’t been hiding out with me much anymore.” He sighed and put the sandwich down. “Cause she’s never here.”
I shrugged. “It is what it is. She works a lot.”
