Page 28 of Tides of Discovery
“Perfect.” I stuck out my hand formally. “Then we have a bargain.”
He laughed and took my hand in a firm handshake. But instead of letting go, he interlaced our fingers in a more affectionate hold, the gesture surprisingly comfortable.
“Like this?” he asked, his voice soft.
I stared at our joined hands, an unexpected tickle in my stomach. “Y-yes. That’s…that works.”
Jack squeezed my hand gently before releasing it. “So, boyfriend, what’s next on the agenda?”
The word sent another strange thrill through me. “I should probably get back out front. Saturday lunch rush will start soon.”
Jack stood and shifted from foot to foot as if nervous. “Dinner this evening? If we’re going to do this, let’s…make it a date.”
I rose from my chair as well, and my gut fluttered. “I’d like that,” I said quietly.
“Something casual? Six o’clock?”
“Sounds good.” I followed him to the door, slightly dazed by the turn of events. Why was I looking forward to it so much?And why couldn’t I stop thinking about how I had felt when Jack kissed me? Like it was the natural next step in our friendship?
As we stepped back into the bustling coffee shop, Jack’s hand found mine again, a casual gesture that sent a ripple of whispers through the customers.
He squeezed my hand and leaned close. “Here we go,” he whispered in my ear.
I tightened my grip as a sense of rightness settled over me.
CHAPTER NINE
Jack
I stepped out of Cooper’s office on unsteady legs, and the weight of what we’d just agreed to settled over me like a warm blanket I wasn’t sure I deserved. The coffee shop hummed with its usual lunchtime energy—conversations blending into a comfortable murmur, the hiss of the espresso machine, the gentle clink of ceramic against wood.
Cooper emerged behind me, and without thinking, I reached for his hand. His fingers intertwined with mine naturally, as if we’d done this a thousand times before. I gave his hand a gentle squeeze and leaned close enough that my breath stirred the hair near his ear.
“Here we go,” I whispered.
Cooper’s grip tightened just a fraction before I reluctantly let go and made my way back to my table by the windows.
My coffee had gone lukewarm while we’d been in his office negotiating the terms of “The Boyfriend Bargain.” I wrapped my hands around the ceramic mug anyway, needing something to anchor me to reality.
Ben’s words echoed in my head like a taunt:He’s just using you to get over me.My stomach sank as the possibility settledinto my chest like a cold stone. Was that what this temporary bargain was? Was I just Cooper’s rebound, a convenient distraction?
“You look like you just won the lottery and got hit by a bus at the same time.” Mrs. Abernathy slid into the chair across from me, her eyes creased with amusement.
“That’s…surprisingly accurate.”
“It’s a big step.” She nodded sagely. “Going from friends to more. Especially after all this time.” The woman had known Cooper since she’d taught him in kindergarten.
“We’re taking it slow,” I said.
“Smart.” She stood and patted my shoulder. “But don’t take it too slow. Life’s short.” She departed with another nod.
Cooper jumped in to help Jessica and Marco with the lunch rush with practiced ease. I watched him work—the way he remembered Caleb’s order before he even reached the counter, how he smiled at the college students cramming for exams at the back table, the efficient dance he performed around his employees.
This was Cooper in his element. This was the man I’d been in love with for over a decade.
The thought hit me like a physical blow.The Boyfriend Bargain.What had I just agreed to?
After all these years of careful friendship, of burying my feelings so deep I sometimes convinced myself they’d disappeared, Cooper had just offered me exactly what I’d dreamed of. It felt impossible, like some cruel joke my subconscious was playing on me. Any moment now I’d wake up in my apartment, alone and aching with the memory of this fantasy.
