Chapter Seven

Mallory

It's been nearly a week since I spent the day with Cooper, helping Brady and Laurel move into their new home… and I have to say, it's been the strangest week.

Why?

Because Cooper's been behaving so weirdly around me.

When I got down here on Monday morning, I thought he'd maybe make a joke of some kind about the weekend, and how tiring it had been. His had obviously been worse than mine. He'd spent Sunday with Meredith, and no doubt hadn't been given a moment's peace… although I couldn't imagine he'd be complaining about that. Even so, it would have been nice to make conversation, or just have some kind of acknowledgement.

Instead, he stopped in his tracks the moment he saw me. He was coming out of the lunchroom with a cup of coffee in his hand and he studied my face for a second or two, then darted into his surgery, closing the door behind him.

He hasn't shut himself away all week, but I've only seen him fleetingly, and when he's had to speak to me, he's kept it completely professional, barely even making eye contact.

Before last weekend, he was friendly. He might have asked me about my evening, or taken an interest in the weather, or what I was having for lunch. I know that's nothing earth shattering, but it was better than the man he is now… who doesn't seem to care at all. It's like I've ceased to exist outside the confines of my desk, and that just makes me miserable.

So miserable I haven't even reached for my trusty vibrator all week… not once. How could I, when the only image I have of Cooper is of him ignoring me, scurrying into his room, or turning his back on me? The thought of making myself come, while thinking about him, has been too hard… too painful.

I'm relieved I've made it to Friday without crying in front of him. At least all I have to do is get to the end of the day, and I can have the weekend to myself. I can cry as much as I like in the privacy of my own apartment. And no doubt I will, once Meredith arrives and I have to listen to the two of them together… again.

I take an early lunch, not to avoid seeing Cooper, but because it works best around his schedule today, and I wander across to the delicatessen to grab a sandwich, deciding that I might even eat it upstairs in my apartment. I usually sit at my desk, or in the lunchroom, but I'm done with being ignored by Cooper. He's made himself scarce all week. I don't know where he's eaten his lunch, but it hasn't been anywhere near me.

I have to wait in line, but because I've already decided I want a chicken salad on herb focaccia, I glance around the store, trying to work out whether I want a bag of potato chips to go with my sandwich. I shouldn't, but it's been one of those weeks. Clenching my fist to avoid reaching out to the display, I let my eye wander to a poster on the wall. It's advertising the Fall Festival, which is due to take place tomorrow, and although the design is a little amateur, it's full of information about the stalls and entertainment that will be on offer. I guess I could take a look. At least if I'm not in the apartment, I won't have to listen to Cooper and Meredith showing each other a good time.

"Can I help?" I startle at the voice of the lady behind the counter and step forward, smiling.

Her name tag says she's called ‘Diana', and although I'd say she's no more than thirty, she looks a little worn out. It's a feeling I can empathize with.

"I'll take a chicken salad on herb focaccia, please."

"Would you like mayo on that?"

"No, thanks."

I resist the urge to reach for the potato chips, too, and watch while she fixes my sandwich, paying by card, and thanking her. She can barely raise a smile, and once again, I can empathize.

"You're looking thoughtful," Greta says, the moment I open the front door of the clinic to let myself in.

"Am I?"

"Yes." She tilts her head, her brow furrowing. I can hardly admit that I was thinking about Cooper and why he's been ignoring me, and what he'll be doing with Meredith all weekend, so I say the first thing that comes into my head.

"I just saw a poster for the Fall Festival, and was wondering about going. What's it like?"

"It's usually good fun."

"Is it a regular thing?"

"Yeah. At least for as long as I can remember. You should go."

"Go where?" Cooper says, coming out of the surgery, and I feel myself blush, my body heating at the sight of him. How can he make scrubs look so sexy? "You're not leaving, are you?" He focuses on me for the first time since the weekend, and just for a second, I'd swear there's something like concern in his eyes. Heaven knows why, when he's barely acknowledged my existence all week. I would have thought he'd be glad to see the back of me… except then he'd have the inconvenience of finding a new receptionist.

"No. I'm not leaving," I say, and he nods his head, although he still stares at me, like he's waiting for an explanation. "Greta and I were just talking about the Fall Festival."

"Oh, I see. And are you going?" he asks, the intensity in his gaze fixing me so hard, I can barely breathe. What's going on? What happened to the man who couldn't look me in the eye?

"I—I don't know," I say, stuttering through my confusion.

"I'll take you, if you like." His words hang between us, and I look up into those perfect chocolate-colored eyes, my heart fluttering in my chest.

"Y—You will?"

"Sure. Unless you'd rather go with your boyfriend."

Boyfriend? What's he talking about? "What makes you think I have a boyfriend?" I ask, and he frowns.

"I don't know. It must have been something I… something I heard."

"This place and its gossips," Greta says, reminding me she's still with us. Not that her comment makes any sense. No-one here knows me, or anything about me, so how could I be the subject of gossip?

"Well… whatever the misunderstanding, I don't have a boyfriend. I haven't dated anyone since I came to Hart's Creek." Cooper's frown deepens, and I wonder if I should have said that. I feel like I've shared too much information now… although come to think of it, regardless of his chocolate eyes, and the fluttering of my heart, should he really have issued an invitation like that? After all, I might be single, but the same can't be said of him. I step forward slightly, so there's only a foot or so between us and look up into his face. He's gazing down at me, and neither of us seems to be breathing… not that it matters. There are questions to ask and to answer. "What about Meredith?" I say, suddenly feeling embarrassed, wondering if we're talking at crossed-purposes. Have I misunderstood? Was he inviting me as a friend… or worse still, his receptionist? Have I been thinking it's a date, when he's been thinking it's just two people who work together, choosing to spend the day with each other?

His face clears, and he waves his hand. "Don't worry about her."

"You mean you're not with her anymore?"

"What do you think?" he says, his lips tipping up into a slight smile, which makes me think this has nothing to do with friendship, or the fact that we work together.

My heart stops fluttering. It even stops beating. Can it be? Is it possible they've broken up for good? It must be. I mean… would he have asked me out if they were still together? Of course not. Maybe that explains why he's been so quiet all week. It's because he and Meredith broke up last weekend… permanently. They might have attempted a reconciliation on Sunday, but it clearly didn't work out, did it? And while I might not like the idea that he's been so affected by it, he's free now, and so am I.

"In that case, I'd love to come."

He nods his head. "Okay. I'll call for you at twelve?"

"That's fine." It'll give me plenty of time to get ready, and I have to smile at the prospect of an entire afternoon with Cooper… and maybe an evening, too.

He smiles down at me, then turns, going back into his room. Greta follows, although she heads for the restrooms, and while I'd planned to go upstairs to eat, I'm incapable of walking that far. My legs don't want to work, and I just about make it to my desk before I collapse into my chair.

How is it possible to go from despair to euphoria in just a few seconds?

I don't know… but I'm determined to enjoy it, and to make the most of tomorrow.

"We're out of milk." Greta comes out through the lunchroom door, clutching an empty carton. She checks her watch, looking at me with a hopeful expression on her face.

I smile across at her. "Would you like me to get some more?"

"If you wouldn't mind. I'd go myself, but Cooper's got Mrs. Snyder coming in at three. She's having her crown fitted today, so we need to get ready."

"It's no problem. I can fix your coffees when I get back, if it helps."

"Oh, would you?"

I nod and grab my purse, heading for the door, before she can say another word. I don't mind going, and besides, I only have to walk over to the delicatessen. They sell milk, among other things, and I cross the street, almost tripping up the curb when someone calls my name. It's a female voice, and I turn to see Laurel walking toward me. She looks a little stiff, her stride not as relaxed as usual, and her movements are very slow, too. I stop and face her.

"Are you okay?" I ask and she shakes her head.

"No. I stupidly fell over in the bedroom on Saturday night."

"Oh, no. What happened?" My mind is awash with possibilities, but I don't give a voice to any of them.

"I got up to visit the bathroom, lost my bearings and tripped over one of the boxes, jarring my back. There's no major damage done, but I've had to rest." She glances around. "This is the first time I've been well enough to collect Addy from school since we moved. I have to say, it's lovely to be able to walk there, even if it does hurt."

"Can I do anything?"

She smiles. "No. Honestly. I'll be fine."

"How have you been managing? I mean, you had the house to unpack, and Addy to deal with…" I let my voice fade as her smile widens.

"Brady's done most of it. He's taken Addy to school, and collected her every day. He's cooked, and cleaned and… and been utterly perfect." She sounds a little dreamy and I feel a pang of jealousy, although I squash it down. I've got nothing to feel jealous of. Not when I'm spending tomorrow with Cooper…

"What about the house?" I ask. "When Cooper and I left on Saturday, there was still so much to do."

"I know, but he came back on Sunday. He spent the day with us and between them, he and Brady got most of it done."

"Cooper was with you on Sunday?" I can't help the question from leaving my lips.

"Yes. Why?"

"Oh, it's nothing…"

I'd assumed he was with Meredith, but it seems I got that wrong, and I can't help smiling. This must mean their argument on Saturday was even worse than I thought. There was no attempted reconciliation, and even if his attitude during the week makes even less sense now, I don't care anymore.

"What's making you smile like that?" Laurel asks, tilting her head at me.

"Cooper," I say, without thinking. She nods her head, a smile touching her lips, and it's all I can do not yell with excitement.

"Has something happened between you two?"

"He's asked me out."

"That's great," she says. "I'm so pleased for you." I can see it in her eyes.

"I hadn't realized it was over between him and Meredith. To be honest, I thought that was where he was last Sunday."

"No. He was with us all day. And I don't think Cooper would have asked you to go out with him if Meredith was still on the scene."

"No." I take a breath, letting it out slowly, as she glances at her watch.

"I'd better go. I can't be late for school, and I'm incapable of walking quickly, it seems." We both laugh as she takes a step away, although she turns around again. "When's the date?" she asks.

"Tomorrow. He's taking me to the Fall Festival."

She nods her head, smiling. "I might see you there. I've promised to take Addy."

"Are you well enough for that?"

"I didn't think so until this morning, but I'm fairly sure I'll be able to manage an hour or so. Brady's working, so he can't do it. And I can't ask Cooper… because he's got a hot date."

We both laugh again, and she gives me a wave before she turns, making her way slowly along Main Street toward the school.

‘A hot date'? I've never thought of myself like that, but I hope Cooper does. I hope that's exactly how he sees me…

Unfortunately, I haven't seen Cooper for the rest of the day. He's had back-to-back patients, the last one of which is an extraction, which has taken longer than I think anyone had expected. I wait for the patient to come out, accompanied by Greta, who's giving him instructions on how to care for the extraction site.

The man looks quite pale, and Greta's being very solicitous, waiting while he makes his follow-up appointment, before showing him to the door, which she locks.

"Is everything okay?" I ask as she comes back.

"It is now. But that was a difficult extraction." She shakes her head and walks straight back to the surgery, closing the door behind her.

I guess there must be a lot of cleaning up to do, but I don't have any more work to complete and once I've closed down my computer, silence descends over the reception area.

I could find an excuse to sit here and wait for Cooper to come out, but he'd be with Greta, and I'd rather the two of us could be alone. Still, we'll have plenty of time for that tomorrow, and that thought makes me smile as I head upstairs to my apartment.

Saffron jumps down from the couch the moment I open the door, sauntering over, like she couldn't care less if I'm here. In truth, she probably couldn't.

"Hello." She looks up at me, and then turns away, making straight for the kitchen. "I see. It's food you want, not me," I say, although I can't help smiling. I don't think there's anything that could stop me from smiling, and I prepare her some food, putting the bowl down and watching her eat for a while. She keeps looking up, like my continued presence is confusing her, but I'm too happy to move. I'm too happy to do anything… although I suppose a shower would be nice, and once Saffron has settled herself back on the couch, I wander into the bathroom.

It feels different, standing naked beneath the warm water. My skin feels super sensitive, and I run my soapy hands across my breasts, my nipples too hard for words. My pussy's tingling, and I let my head rock back, imagining what it would be like to share this small space with Cooper.

I know I'm getting ahead of myself, but I don't care, and once I've rinsed off the soap, I step out and wrap myself in a towel, going back into the main room, and over to my bed. I'd normally do this kind of thing at night, but it's been a while, and I'm too wired… I can't wait that long.

I sit on the edge of the bed, reaching into the middle drawer of the nightstand, and pulling out my vibrator, which I study for a few seconds before switching it on. The noise seems incredibly loud, but I don't care. So what if Cooper hears me? Maybe he'll realize how much I want him… and maybe he'll even want me back.

I open the towel, but rather than lying down, I lean back, resting on one elbow, and bend my legs up, letting the vibrator rest against my clit. At this angle I can watch what I'm doing, and I let out a low groan as I imagine Cooper watching, too. I'd love to feel his eyes on me… to make him hungry for me, and I press down a little harder, the vibrations rocking through my body. I'm close already, and although part of me wants to prolong this, I don't have enough control to dictate what happens next, and I tip over into a consuming orgasm, crying out for more.