Chapter Twelve
Cooper
I rushed home and headed straight for the shower. After washing the salt and sand from every crevice of my body, I found myself doing what I had always imagined women did when getting ready for a first date — I tried on every shirt I had. Jeans were a given, but I had no idea what the plan was, so I had no idea what to wear. I settled on a T-shirt with a button-up layered over top and the sleeves rolled up. If I wasn’t casual enough, I could lose the button-up. In hindsight, I should have just taken the button-up with me, because between being dressed for a date and the excitement that I apparently couldn’t hide from my expression, Mom had cornered me in the living room as I was trying to leave. She didn’t let up until I confessed that I had a date. Then she wanted to know every detail I could think of about the woman who had captured my attention. Mom almost made me late to meet Emma.
Emma, however, wasn’t just right on time, she was early. Already waiting for me at the grille when I arrived. I had to force myself to pay attention to my parking efforts instead of looking at her tan legs, crossed at the ankles as she leaned against her car. Her short sundress was flowing with the breeze coming in off the ocean and her hair brushed across her bare shoulders. I took a deep breath as I put the car in park.
I got out, and she met me a few steps beyond the back of the car. Being more nervous than I thought was probably normal, I wasn’t sure how to greet her. “Hi,” I said as I leaned in and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. “You look beautiful,” I added, trying to sound casual.
“Thank you,” she responded with a smile. “You don’t clean up so bad yourself.”
“So, where would you like to go eat? I’m totally at your mercy because I don’t have a clue what’s around that might be good.”
She patted her hand on my chest in a reassuring manner. “Don’t you worry, I know just the place. I’ll tell you how to get there.”
“That sounds like a plan.” I walked over and opened the passenger side door for her.
“Is this something I should expect all the time? Southern charm and manners?” she joked.
I offered a half-bow and nodded, then thickened my accent to sound as Southern as I could manage. “Yes, ma’am, it is.” I winked and closed her door before walking over to my side and joining her in the car.
There was no small talk on the way to the restaurant, because it wasn’t too far from the grille. Most of the conversation consisted of Emma telling me where to turn. Less than ten minutes later, I was sitting across from her with a menu in my hands.
I tried not to stare at Emma as I looked at the menu, my heart pounding rapidly in my chest. My first impression of how this date was going was harder to judge than I had hoped it would be. I was struggling to keep my expression casual all the while my nerves were rolling through me like the waves I’d been pounded by all day. The truth was, I still couldn’t believe she’d really said yes to going to dinner with me.
She had chosen a little seafood joint that sat about as close to the beach as was probably allowed by code. We sat alone outdoors on a deck overlooking the ocean, enjoying the cool salty breeze. The sound of the waves crashing ashore and retreating back served as our background music. Even the string lights zigzagging across the ceiling, offering the only light on the deck, were the perfect touch. I admit, I was thankful the place wasn’t too crowded and we had the deck to ourselves. It certainly made the evening feel a little more intimate.
“So what’s good here?” I asked, peering at the menu as if I was actually paying attention to it. I wasn’t. I was taking in my surroundings in an effort not to gawk at the stunning woman sitting across the table from me.
“Anything and everything,” she laughed, her eyes sparkling. “Do you like fish or shrimp?”
“Both,” I answered, looking back down at the menu. “I admit; I have no idea what to order. Why don’t you order for me instead?”
She gave me a funny look, her eyes wide. “You trust me to do something like that?”
“Of course,” I answered, leaning back in my chair. “Why wouldn’t I?”
A huge smile spread over her lips as she eyed me over her menu just as the waitress approached our table. Emma ordered for the both of us, the nightly special, before turning her attention back to me. “So . . . how do you feel? Any side effects from today’s lesson?”
“Well, my arms still feel a little like rubber,” I admitted, thinking I had gotten more of a workout than I had in quite a few months. “I’m going to pay for it in the morning, I’m sure.”
“It can be really good exercise,” Emma replied, fidgeting with her napkin on the table. “And this was a calm day. When the weather is bad, the waves can get pretty rough. I sometimes feel like a sock in a washing machine when I try to surf on those days.”
“How did you get into surfing?” I asked, curious to know how a girl like her picked a hobby such as surfing. “Surely, every Californian isn’t born with a surfboard under their feet.”
She laughed. “Well, just about,” she teased. “No, I got into it after my mom died. I needed something to take my mind off of things. I guess that’s not entirely accurate. My dad decided I needed a hobby to take my mind off of things, so he signed me up for lessons and it just took off from there. I fell in love with it. I’ve loved it ever since.”
She didn’t elaborate on her mom’s death and I didn’t push the topic. The death of a loved one can be difficult enough to deal with and I didn’t want to pry into anything that made her uncomfortable. “How long did it take you to get the hang of standing up on the board?” I asked in a teasing tone, trying to lighten the mood. “I mean, how long do I have to look forward to busting my ass before I nail that one down at least?”
“Oh, I was standing up a lot quicker than you will,” she shot back, a twinkle in her eye.
“Gee, thanks.”
She laughed. “Only because I was a child when I learned. As a child, there is no fear.”
“But as an adult, there’s this thing we like to call breaking limbs and drowning,” I added with a serious tone. “And I have no desire to do either.”
“Well, I guess that gives me something to work with,” she said, struggling to contain her laughter.
I couldn’t contain my grin, enjoying the banter we had going. I hadn’t had much experience with women in general, and while I thought I would be extremely nervous around Emma tonight, considering how my courage was on hiatus when the date began, I found myself relaxed by the conversation and by the company itself. The trip to California was turning out to be a very good thing indeed.
“So, Cooper, tell me a little about yourself,” Emma was saying as our waitress arrived at our table with an impressive mixture of seafood cooked in various forms. “Other than what I already know, of course.”
I took a bite of the delicious blackened fish on my plate and swallowed before I began. “Well, there’s not much to tell.” Granted, there was a lot to tell, but not anything I wanted her to know about just yet, including the money situation I was currently in. Part of me wanted to be completely upfront and honest with her, but after everything I had experienced because of the money, I wanted to keep that information in the background of this relationship or friendship or whatever it was until I knew I could trust Emma totally. I didn’t want any feelings she had for me to be clouded with the thought of my fortune. I just wanted to be liked for me, and I felt like that was exactly what was happening with Emma. I had no intentions of lying to her, but I wasn’t ready to share everything either.
“There’s got to be something,” Emma urged as she took a few bites of her food.
“Well,” I said, racking my brain on what I could tell her. “I want to be an architect one day.” That was safe enough.
“Oh, that’s great,” she replied, taking a bite of her fried shrimp. “Do you want to build buildings or just design them?”
“A little of both,” I supplied, thinking it would be kind of cool to be involved in the process from start to finish. “What about you? What are your burning desires for the future?”
She wiped her mouth and took a sip of her water. “I want to be an accountant. I know it sounds boring, but I actually like playing with numbers.”
“Great, I hate playing with numbers. Maybe we can open a business together,” I joked. “Unless you like playing with negative numbers, then I’m gonna have to pass.”
She grinned. “I wouldn’t be a very good accountant then, would I? Are you in college right now, Cooper?”
“No.” I shook my head, wishing I was. “But I intend to be soon. What about you?”
She nodded and I envied her immediately, wishing I had been able to start my career path already. What was holding me back now? Surely not the funds or the time. I had plenty of both. “I’ve been attending classes part-time for just over a year. Still have a long way to go.”
“I’m sure you’ll be a great accountant,” I supplied, seeing a blush steal across her cheeks.
“So, what’s the next thing I need to know about Cooper?”
“Well,” I started, racking my brain for another small tidbit to throw her. “My first plane ride was the one that brought me out here.”
“Lucky you,” she said, a dreamy look on her face. “My first flight was the one that took me to Atlanta. I haven’t really traveled much. Honestly, I’m still a little uneasy about planes.”
“Well,” I said as I bit into my fish. “We need to remedy that. Just don’t think about the fact that you’re in a tin can with the fate of your future in the hands of two people you’ve never met and the only thing keeping you in the sky are two engines and a little physics you might not fully grasp.”
“Funny,” she laughed. “I feel so much better about flying now. Thank you.”
“I help where I can.” I grinned and turned back to my food, happy to know that I was entertaining her. Even happier that the date was far from the disastrous uncomfortableness that I had feared might take over once the small talk had ended. Instead, I was reveling in the fact that we were almost effortlessly enjoying each other’s company. That had to mean something. We continued to talk about things like politics, favorite foods, pet peeves and more until we finished our food.
After I had paid the bill, we walked out of the restaurant and back toward the car.
“I have had such a good time tonight, Cooper,” she said softly as I opened the passenger door for her.
“I did, too,” I admitted, smiling down at her before closing the door and walking around to the driver’s side. It had been a long time since I’d done something socially. My former life had been a mixture of work and stress with no time for a social life. This was definitely something I could get used to.
I climbed into the car and started it up, making our way back toward the grille where Emma had left her car. All I could think about was that I didn’t want the evening to end, but I didn’t want to push my luck either. It had been a great evening, and I didn’t want to do anything that would change that. But where did I go from there? I had no idea. I just knew I wanted to see Emma again . . . outside of work.
“Emma,” I started, my eyes on the road, my nerves starting up their frenzy in my core again. I had to ask before I lost my nerve. “Would you like to go out again?”
To my surprise, she laid a hand on my arm, her fingers scorching my skin. “I would love that, Cooper.”
I smiled as her hand fell away, my heart hammering in my chest. She wanted to go out again. And the great evening had just gotten even better.