Page 314 of 5+Us Makes Seven

“Fine, but consider it, okay?”

“Okay, I will.”

“Thanks again.”

“No problem. Bye.”

I ended the call, not wanting to deal with him any longer. My instincts about Cooper being the better man had been correct, but that did not necessarily mean we were meant for each other.

He still hadn’t called me. Did he find someone else already? Self-doubt and worry tried to show their ugly faces in my thoughts, so I went outside for a walk to soak up the last rays of sun.

Life would work itself out or it wouldn’t. I would keep working hard, but I had to stop sweating the small details like having a love life. As I walked around the neighborhood, Cooper kept popping up.

Why can’t I get him out of my mind?

TWENTY-THREE

Cooper

I looked across the bare, open office at Max, still not sure what to think about his proposal.

“Huh? What did I tell you? It’s fucking perfect, right?”

“It’s nice,” I said, surprised. “And the location is good, but…”

“But what?” he interrupted.

“I’m not looking for a business partner right now.”

“Bullshit, man. That money we made isn’t going to last forever.”

“Hey, have you heard from anyone in Afghanistan recently?”

“No, why?” he asked.

“No reason,” I lied, wondering why Aamir had only called me.

Was it all a setup of some sort? I shouldn’t trust Max.

“I’m telling you man, the time to strike is now. I got

a few high-end clients lined up already.”

“Like who?”

“I can’t tell you.”

“See, what kind of partnership can we have when you don’t tell me shit?”

He took a deep breath, staring into my eyes for a moment.

“You know what, man. You’re right. I have to tell you something.”

Uh oh. Here we go.

“You remember that chick from Afghanistan I liked?”

“Which one?”

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