Page 2 of Cooper

He guffaws. “I’m serious, man. Not to sound full of myself or like a prick, but regular girls are usually giving me the goo-goo or bedroom eyes on the first glance. She's not doing any of that.”

“Maybe because you haven’t been properly introduced.”

“Yeah, and that’s another thing. Chicks are always in my face, shaking my hand or their chest, when they don’t get introduced first. She didn’t do any of that.”

“Wade, no offence, but you do sound like a dick when you say it like that.”

He shakes his head. “I’m telling you, brother. She’s up to something.”

“Dude, she’s new. Give her a break. Just because she's not lining up to fuck you, doesn’t mean she’s up to something.”

I hear Blake walking up behind me. I'm not sure if he’s heard anything we’ve been saying. “You boys ever heard of this Stella girl before? She ain’t from around here.” He murmurs, out of earshot.

“If you don’t know anything about her, why did you hire her?” Wade asks, as cocky as ever.

“Because, like it or not, Christmas is right around the corner, and I need more waitresses. And this time, all it took was a small sign on the door, I didn't even have to put out an ad for this one.”

I ask. “What's her story, anyway?”

Blake cocks his head slightly. “She’s a real quiet one, that's all I can tell you. All I could get out of her when she came in, was that she's looking for work, and she can start anytime.”

Wade is flabbergasted. “You mean you didn't even ask her where she was from?”

“Now, look.” Blake rests an indignant hand on his hip. “I'm not in the habit of being nosy, see. So long as she's got waitressing experience, that's all I need to know.” He lifts a hand. “You look at some of the boys that work here, they've all been in a lick or two of trouble, but they're all good people, see. Damn, you're no saint either, Wade. Neither is your brother, Colton. Or any one of you Ford boys, for that matter.”

I lift my hands. “Hey, leave me out of this.”

Blake gives me a disapproving look. “You’re fine, Coop.”

I smile but Wade rolls his eyes. The only reason why I’m one up on Wade is because I teach music at a local elementary school. Sure, I didn’t go to teacher’s college, but it’s all the same in this town. My musical prowess was earned honestly, what with proper piano lessons, then just about every instrument, until I fell head over heels in love with the drums. The pipes aren’t bad, either, as Wade will attest, when I sing backup. He’s even got me singing lead on one tune that requires such a small amount of drumming, that I can totally wing it.

Wade won’t tell you, but he got shipped off to the military by his late father. He’ll tell you that all five of them got shipped off, but believe what you want to believe. Wade’s tunes aren’t centered around a rebel for nothing, let’s just say that. Oh, don’t get me wrong, I love the dude to bits, man, but he’s earned his stripes. Known each other a long time. Since high school. Only, I went to college, and he went off to the military. I’m not saying that I’m better than him, considering that I’m in the same band, but Wade has a real rough edge to him. Probably why the chicks dig him so much.

“Oh, make me fucking gag, man.” Wade whines, but he’s also smirking, so I know that he’s just playing along.

“You boys keep your paws off Stella, okay? She’s not on the menu.” Blake says, which isn’t often spelled out, since Wade has slept with just about every regular in this place, but Blake calls a spade a spade, and he sensed it just like Wade did, that this Stella girl is off limits.

“Not to worry, man.” Wade guffaws. “I don’t need any of that trouble.”

“Yeah, you’re more used to the kind of trouble that can be dealt with with a little penicillin.” I tease, chucking him on the shoulder.

“Fuck you.” Wade laughs.

Another hour and the place is filling up. Liz starts handing out festive drinks with mini candy canes and things like that hanging out of them. Mostly to the ladies, of course, as guys are just ordering the usual beer. Although Blake does order a keg or two of some draught beer that a local microbrewery does up that’s actually colored green, and it’s supposed to taste kind of cinnamony, but I’ve never touched the shit. We start playing and the place packs right up. It’s kind of nice to see. People come to watch us play, not just to get toasted or to pick up chicks.

Don’t get me wrong, some do. And as a matter of fact, just as I’m thinking that, I catch out of the corner of my eye, some dude trying to hit on Stella. Of course, she’s having none of it, just trying to do her job and deliver drinks to the table. I see Colton keeping watch over at a table where one of the patrons needs to be cut off but is refusing, and I whistle over to him, and gesture with my chin. Colton walks over and calls the guy off, telling him to leave the lady alone and drink or leave.

Stella looks at me as I beat the drums and by the look in her eyes, she knows that I was behind that, as much as it was Colton’s beefy arms and searing gaze that made the guy back off. I nod, as if asking if she’s okay, but she turns her gaze away, like she’s been caught with her tail between her legs, and scurries off back to the bar, to pick up her next drink order.

“Yo, we gotta go drain the main vain.” Wade says into the microphone, once it’s time for us to do a short intermission. I really do have to take a leak, so I head over to the men’s room, and as I arrive at the door, I have to fight with a hideous giant Santa face taped to it. It takes everything in me not to yank the piece of shit off, but I see Stella walking down the end of the hallway, heading to the back. Her back is to me, but I’ve got half a mind to clue her in on a thing or two while I have the chance.

“Hey, Stella!” I call to her over the recorded music playing overhead. She doesn’t answer. I figure the music isn’t that loud, so I try again, but to no avail. It’s not until I drain my bladder and come back out that I see her again. “Hey, how’s it going?” I ask her casually. “This your first night?”

She nods, but she keeps her head down, like she’s afraid to give me eye contact.

“Don’t let any of those deadbeats scare you. We’ve got you covered.”

“It’s okay.” She shrugs, giving me a shy, tight grin. “Colton is very nice.”

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