Chapter 14 Cooper
Cooper
They disappear into the ladies room and I glare at Jacob as he saunters up to me with a satisfied look on his face.
“You jealous, Cooper?” he asks me.
I ignore him and watch for June and Mae to come back.
“It’s almost too easy sometimes, you know? I’ll probably take her home tonight, but after I’m done, she’s all yours.”
I grit my teeth and squeeze my fists while I recite my daughter’s name in my head over and over.
A good man, a real man, has self-control.
Unfortunately, mine is on a razor thin edge.
But I force myself to keep my composure for the sake of Naomi, but also Mae.
The last thing I want to do is give her a reason to ignore me for the rest of her life.
Jacob recognizes that he’s not going to get a rise out of me so he turns to a woman I don’t recognize, must be from the next town over, and starts flirting with her. She hit on me ten minutes ago, and I politely declined.
June is smiling at Mae as she speaks, and I sit up straight as they approach.
Jacob’s back is still to me, which means he doesn’t see Mae coming up to us. Our eyes meet and hers brighten, then instantly dull when she spots Jacob over my shoulder. I keep my mouth shut as she puts together what’s happening.
Last time I checked, if a man is on a date with a woman, his eyes are only on her, even if he doesn’t see it going anywhere.
I catch June, and her eyes widen, and she looks away, hopping up on the stool, about to watch this play out.
Mae steps past me and taps Jacob on the shoulder.
He looks down at her and smiles, and then he does a double take, realizing she’s seen everything.
Mae tilts her head and drops her hand to her popped hip.
Oh boy.
“Oh, hey, this is…” he trails off.
“Are you serious, asshole? You don’t remember my name? Kathy!” she snaps.
“Hi Kathy, I’m Mae. I was on a date with Jacob, but it would appear he can’t focus on one woman for more than an hour. So help yourself,” she says.
I roll my lips over my teeth, trying to hide my smile.
“Ha! Honey, I’m not interested,” Kathy says and struts away from the bar.
“Now hold on a second,” Jacob says.
Mae’s expression turns murderous.
“Uh oh,” June says. “I’m right behind you, girl,” she says encouragingly.
I stand from my stool, ready to step in if Mae needs it because I have no idea what Jacob might do when he’s angry.
“To think I spent hours trying to find the perfect outfit for tonight,” she says so quietly I barely hear her. She huffs.
“Mae, come on, we were having such a good time. I think we —”
Her expression closes up, almost as if she shut down, and she doesn’t answer.
“Let’s go outside and talk about this. It isn’t what you think,” Jacob says.
June cackles. “Dude, you really are an idiot,” she says.
“We have nothing to talk about,” Mae rasps.
A few people give us weird looks, but I don’t care, and I don’t think Mae does either.
“And another thing you grab ass-asshole. You’ve known me for less than two hours, and for some reason, you thought you could cop a feel?
Do you have respect for yourself? Because based on today’s performance, you’re clearly compensating for something.
But I’m not saying, I’m just saying,” she grits out, glancing at his belt buckle.
Good one.
Jacob’s face scrunches up in anger, and he reaches for her. I don’t know what his plan was, but I won’t see it happen.
I grab Mae’s wrist, tugging her into my chest.
“Do you want to dance?” I ask her.
“I’d love to,” she says and glares at Jacob. I check on June over my shoulder and she’s grinning mischievously.
“Jacob, I’d see yourself out before I have some friends throw you out,” June says.
His jaw ticks and a vein pulses in his forehead, but he takes June’s advice and leaves the three of us.
“Well, I think my job here is done. You two have fun,” June says and walks past us.
My heart thuds in my chest, adrenaline still on high.
“Hi,” I say, slightly breathless.
“Hey,” she breathes.
We stand there for a moment, and it could get awkward, but I won’t let it. I take her hand and lead her out onto the dance floor where everyone is two-stepping.
“Have you ever done this before?” I ask her.
“Jacob was the first,” she mumbles.
“Right well, watching you two, he looked like he has two left feet. Let’s pretend that didn’t happen and I’ll show you real two-stepping.”
Mae blinks rapidly. “That’s the best idea I’ve heard all night.”
I chuckle as I pull us into the crowd. People going faster stay on the outside, while other couples who are a little slower stay on the inside.
Pulling her close, but still staying respectful. I swear she shivers in my arms as I bend over to whisper in her ear, “Follow my lead. I promise I won’t drop you.”
“Drop me?” she shrieks.
“I’ve been told I’m a good dancer.”
“Good because I’m not,” she says.
“Maybe you haven’t had the right partner,” I tell her.
Mae looks down at our feet, and I gently grab her chin, pulling her eyes to mine. “Don’t look down, you’ll get us all tangled up,” I tell her.
Her rosy cheeks bloom a little more, and I wonder if I’m the cause of it.
“I’m going to spin you. Get ready.”
“What?” she asks, confused, as I grab her hand, spinning her out and then bringing her back into my chest before dipping her lightly over my knee.
Pulling her back up, her hair springs with her, and she curses.
“See? I got you,” I tell her.
She stares at me, following as I lead.
“You’ve got something alright,” she mutters.
I grin, tugging her a little closer. “I could say the same about you.”
The corner of her mouth tips up, and she avoids eye contact.
“So how would you feel about getting to know each other?” I ask her.
“You’re annoyingly persistent, aren’t you?” she asks.
“I am when I know what I want.”
“I’m not sure you want me. Look at my track record,” she says.
“I know what I’m asking for, Mae.”
She smiles tightly as I guide us in a circle. “But you don’t really know me. Why the … pursuit?” she asks.
I look down at her as we two-step. She peers up at me with soft brown eyes, and I realize it’s not a sassy question. Nor is she fishing for a compliment. She’s genuinely asking.
The song changes and slows down a bit as I search her eyes. “You’re right, I don’t know you well. But I want to. And before you ask me why … is it okay if it’s simple?” I ask her.
She nods, waiting for me to explain.
“I saw you here a few weeks ago, and I thought you were beautiful. But then when you met Naomi, and it was a little interaction, I get that, but… it made me curious.”
Her eyes glitter and I swear she’s about to cry, but then she blinks and it’s gone. “Morgan. My name is Mae Morgan,” she rasps.
“Well, Mae Morgan, as silly as it sounds coming out of my mouth, there’s something about you begging me to know a lot more,” I tell her seriously.
“That’s simple, huh?” she asks.
I chuckle. “The truth can be simple like that. But I have a question for you.”
“Okay,” she says, dragging out the word.
“Will you go out with me? Let me show you a good time.”
She eyes me and shakes her head. My heart drops and I want to groan in frustration, but I need to get it through my head that maybe she has good reason to tell me no, and based on what happened I can’t blame her for rejecting me either.
Footloose by Kenny Loggins comes on and Mae grins.
“I love this song!” she yells.
I chuckle and move us into the group, moving a little faster. There is a specific dance to this song, and the rest of us fall in line, getting ready to move. I guide her to stand next to me and point to the couple in front. “Watch their feet,” I tell her.
She studies their feet, and when the beat picks up, everyone taps their heels to the beat.
When the crowd lines up, the lyrics start, we vine our legs, and then everyone breaks into couples, and Mae struggles to keep up.
“Eyes on me, okay?” she nods, grinning from ear to ear despite the struggle. And it’s captivating. Her smile, everything about her.
We pick up the pace, two-stepping and spinning and dipping. Mae squeals as I dip her again and then right her before twirling her out and back into my chest.
My heart twists at her bright eyes and excitement. We dance together seamlessly. It’s hard to consider that we wouldn’t be a good match.
Mae sings the words as we move in a circle again.
“You really like the 80s, don’t you?” I ask her.
She laughs. “My mom always tells me I was born in the wrong era.”
I chuckle and spin us again. Then whip her out and under my arm so our arms are crossed over each other, her back to my front, before I spin her back out to face me again.
“I was raised on old-school country,” I tell her.
“What do you and Naomi listen to?” she asks.
My stomach twists again. The fact that she’s asking me about my girl does something to me.
“She’s been into the Spice Girls recently after a long Dolly Parton kick.”
Mae nods. “She has good taste.”
“She does for a lot of things.”
Mae smiles and looks away. “She’s a very cute little girl.”
I smile widely. “Thank you.” I don’t tell her she’s not mine, by marriage or accident. I take the compliment as it is. “She’s adorable, and I dread the day when she’s old enough to date.”
Mae throws her head back. “You strike me as a very protective father.”
“And you said we didn’t know each other very well.”
Mae grins and we continue dancing, but I don’t hear the music. My body is moving on muscle memory alone. I’m so taken by her; everything else has faded into the background.