Page 28 of Craving Cooper

“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?

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