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It's like a live wire has touched me, and the air seems to sizzle. Am I the only one feeling this? I guess I could be going crazy. That would make the most sense since I've never once in my thirty-two years ever had a reaction to a man like this.
"Hi there," Cooper says as he walks towards me. "I was coming in to grab another beer. What are you drinking?"
"Yeah, me too. Uh, wine. Not beer. I'm not drinking beer. I like this white wine I brought for Hailey because she doesn't like red wine anymore after getting incredibly sick one night in college... and that's more information than you asked for... sorry." I cringe, my eyes closing and I shake my head. Why can't I have a normal conversation with this man? He's just a guy that also happens to be sexier than any man I've ever seen. Ugh.Okay, Quinn, pull yourself together and focus.
"No red wine for Hailey, got it," he says with a smirk as he grabs a beer from the fridge. "Are you getting settled in okay?" Whew, a topic I can handle. Maybe I won't make a fool of myself twice in one conversation.
"Thanks to Hailey, I am finally settled, I think. We got some new furniture and everything is moved in. Now, all that's left is organizing, which is the bane of my existence. I'm the worst at knowing where things should go. The only thing I'm confident in is my studio."
"Studio?" Cooper asks.
"I turned my grandfather's office into a painting studio. I didn't get to paint much when I was in New York because I never had time, and now that I'm here, I'm hoping to start again." I don't normally tell people about my paintings. I've never shared them because they were my escape. Art was always my way of expressing myself, and once a painting was finished, I would just put it away somewhere.
"What do you paint?"
"Mostly landscapes, but when I’m in the zone, I paint whatever comes to me at that moment. I'm usually really bad at interacting with people, so I use it as a form of expression. My embarrassing story about wine is an example of my social ineptitude." My nose scrunches up in embarrassment but Cooper throws his head back and laughs. Jesus, Mary, and Joseph is that a sight to behold.
His smile lights up his face, and his eyes turn golden with humor. It makes me feel incredibly lucky to be on the receiving end of it. "Now that I'm settled, I'm hoping to do some exploring around town and at the lake. There are so many things here I'd love to paint. It's such a beautiful town, and it has changed a lot since the last time I was here."
"That's right. Megan said you used to come and visit your grandparents in the summers. I'm sorry you lost them, they were great people."
"Yes, they were. I miss them a lot, but being back in their house has made me feel closer to them than I thought it would," I say with a small smile.
When I first contemplated moving here, I was worried about how difficult it would be to live in their house without them, but with all of the happy memories made, I can't help but feel like they're here with me, encouraging me to finally live a life that makes me happy.
"Well, I'd be happy to show you some of my favorite spots in town if you're interested. I know a place on the lake I could show you. You can get a great view of the sunset there, and not many people know about it."
"That's nice of you to offer, thank you. I'll probably take you up on it since I haven't been out there in about fifteen years."
Cooper reaches into his back pocket and pulls out his wallet. He hands me a card and says, "That's my cell number, let me know when you want to get together, and I'd be happy to show you around."
Holy jumping cactuses, the hottest man on the planet gave me his phone number. I've never had something like this happen before. I know he's just being nice since I'm new here, but still, he actually gave me his card and expects me to call him.
"I will definitely reach out once everything in my studio is ready. I don't think I could handle seeing something I want to paint and not being able to paint it right away," I say, trying to sound nonchalant even though I'm screaming on the inside.
“Sounds good,” Cooper says, grinning at me, and then turns to walk back outside.
I think this town just got a whole lot more appealing if I have Mr. Hot Pants showing me around.
6
COOPER
It's been four days, and I think I've officially lost my mind. I've checked my phone no less than ten times in the last ten minutes and have gotten zero work done in the last two days. All because of a woman with the most striking blue eyes I've ever seen. I can't get them out of my head.
She's consumed me, and I'm dying for her to call. I thought maybe she'd call me yesterday since she needed time to set up her studio, but she never did, and now I'm trying my hardest not to go straight to her house and beg her to go out with me. She captivated me from the first moment I saw her. There was something behind her eyes, a calmness I wanted to fall into and get lost.
After giving her my number, I tried so hard not to follow her around like a puppy. I wanted to be close to her the whole night but I knew it would scream creeper, so I took the moments I got with her and tried to be happy about it.
The way she interacted with everyone there was amazing to watch. She was so focused on the person she was talking to, like she was invested in what they were saying and genuinely listened with everything she had.
She made everyone gravitate towards her and not because she was someone new. By spending a few moments with her, she could make you feel like the most special person in the world.
"Cooper, are you listening?" Rachel, my secretary asks.
"What? Oh, sorry, Rach. I was zoned out there for a minute. I didn't see you come in. What did you need?"
"Chief Roberts called and requested you call him when you can."
