Page 4 of Love in Overtime

“Sure thing, Dad,” I say. Ugh, I can see it now—I greet Cooper as he steps off a plane, officially introduce myself, and then tell him my father has been binge watching clips from his career and is now his biggest fan.Nope.

“TJ, let her have her first meeting with him before she harasses him for his autograph,” Mom scolds.

“Thanks, Mom.”

“He’s a professional athlete; he’s used to fans,” Dad retorts. “He’d probably be really flattered to know that our family supports him.”

“You’d never heard of Cooper Montgomery before Blair became his publicist,” my mother snaps.

My parents start bickering, and I sigh loudly. They canargue better than any two people I’ve ever met, but they love each other just as fiercely. My parents are the perfect example of couple goals, for sure.

“I promise I’ll tell Cooper what a devoted fan you are,” I interrupt. Thankfully their arguing stops immediately and my mother proceeds to ask questions about the weather in Washington and when I’ll be seeing Keira.

After I’m off the phone, I close my laptop and mindlessly scroll through Instagram. At this point I’m as ready as I’ll ever be for Cooper to arrive.

I’ve always found airports super exciting, the hustle and energy of people coming and going from all corners of the globe. Since Cooper’s flight was delayed thirty minutes, I’ve had extra time to wander, and people watch.

When I see that his plane has landed, my stomach twists in knots. I send him a text letting him know where I am and then make sure our car will be available to pick us up at baggage claim.

Suddenly I’m second guessing my decision to wait for him to arrive. Maybe I should’ve taken Estelle’s suggestion and sent a car.

Ugh. What am I saying? I felt confident this was the right move, and I plan on making his arrival as seamless as possible.

I twist my fingers as I watch the travelers descend the escalator. I don’t think I’ll be able to miss Cooper—he’s very tall and …

I draw in a breath, and my eyes grow wide as they landon the most gorgeous man. I mean—I knew Cooper was attractive, but I guess I wasn’t expecting him to bethisattractive. He’s wearing a fitted athletic jacket, pants, and a white baseball cap. He kind of looks like Travis Kelce minus the famous smile. Before I can stop myself, I start waving my arm wildly to get his attention.

“Cooper, yoo-hoo,” I call louder than intended. “Over here.”

Yoo-hoo? Ugh, why? Why?

He looks up from his phone when he hears his name, and his eyes settle on me. His expression changes slightly, and I’m not sure how to read it. Maybe he’s as embarrassed as I am by the yoo-hoo greeting. He gives a slight nod and moves smoothly through the busy terminal. As he walks toward me, I clear my throat and stand up straighter. I’m tall at five foot nine, but he still towers over me. I tilt my chin up and smile broadly as he approaches me. It’s time for me to get to work.

“Cooper, hi,” I say cheerfully, holding out my hand to him. “I’m so glad to officially meet you in person.”

Ah, I sound very professional. Maybe this will help him forget the initial yoo-hoo greeting.

“Hello, Blair,” he says, placing his hand in mine. His grip is firm and strong.

“How was your flight?” I ask.

“Eventful.”

“Ooh, why? What happened?”

Cooper sighs. “The couple across from me argued the entire time. I ignored it until their fight escalated and she tossed her ring across the plane.”

My mouth drops open. “No way. What were they arguing about? Did someone pick up the ring?”

I have so many questions. It sounds like something you’d see on reality TV.

Cooper gives a nonchalant shrug. He’s obviously not as invested in the drama as I am.

“The flight attendant found it and returned it to the guy,” he adds. “That was shortly before we landed. They didn’t speak again for the remainder of the flight. It was ridiculous.”

“Oh, I wonder where they went. Do you see them anywhere?” I ask, looking around for a feuding couple. Clearly I’m more invested in his story than in doing my job. I feel like I always miss the good stuff. A few years ago, my friend saw a runaway bride still in her wedding dress at the airport in Dallas. Someone put a clip of it on YouTube. It was crazy watching a woman rushing through the terminal in a designer gown.

“I don’t know. I’m just glad we didn’t have to make an emergency landing due to unruly passengers. She was furious.” He pauses and quickly looks away. “Anyway, we made it.”

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