by Kailin Gow
I got through chapter three but was having a hard time understanding the theory behind chapter four and five. I wasn’t sure if it was too early to call Cooper, to ask him if he’d started reading, but I really wanted to get all my reading done before I forgot.
It was the secret behind me getting straight A’s and me maintaining my scholarship at USC. I was studious.
I punched in Cooper’s number, and waited for him to answer.
The phone rang and rang, and I was about to hang up when he picked up. “Hello?” his velvety voice said. He sounded like he was in the middle of something.
“Hi Cooper, it’s me, Summer!” I said brightly. “Sorry to disturb you, um, are you in the middle of something? I could call back.”
“No, no, it’s alright,” Cooper said. “What’s going on?”
“I’m embarrassed by this, but I started reading the chapters for our next Sociology class and I got to Chapter 4 and couldn’t understand the theory. I mean, it’s supposed to be easy, right? But I just don’t…”
“Oh, don’t worry about it,” Cooper said. “I just finished reading the chapters, and it wasn’t as easy as everyone thought it’d be. So, what do you not get about it?”
“The concentric circles,” I said.
“Ah,” Cooper said. “That was complicated. Got some time to go through it?”
“Yes,” I said. “It’s the one thing holding me up before I can finish my assignment for Sociology. You see, I’m a bit of a nerd…I need to get my homework done first thing after class so it’s still fresh in my mind, and if I wait, I forget.”
“Sounds like me, Summer,” Cooper said wistfully.
I stopped. Again, Cooper reminded me of someone familiar just now. Nat? Aunt Sookie?
“Did you see how that diagram showed the impending eco-growth?” Cooper asked.
“I saw it, but I don’t get it.”
“I have to show it to you in person so you can see how it works,” Cooper said. “Do you want to set a time to meet?”
“I’m at the beach all day today,” I said.
“Must be hard,” Cooper joked. “I’m actually heading out there to take some photos. Which beach are you at?”
“Malibu. I’m a few blocks from Errol King’s Oyster House. Want to meet there?”
“Good, ate there a few times before. I know where it is,” Cooper said. “I’ll be there in half an hour.”
“Okay,” I said, hanging up. For some reason, I was smiling to myself after the call. Something about Cooper seemed so comforting and familiar, he gave me the kind of feeling I felt when Aunt Sookie was alive.
I changed into white shorts, a black tank top, and got ready to go to Errol King’s Oyster House, which was across the street from the beach and a short distance away from the Pad, but I took my SUV, an inheritance from Aunt Sookie just in case I needed to take off from the restaurant.
Arriving at the restaurant, I walked in and found Cooper already seated at a booth, his text book from class laid out in front of him. He was dressed in a grey non-descript t-shirt and grey cargo shorts, with a dark zip-up hoodie covering his hair. “Hello Cooper,” I said, sliding into the bench across from him. “Thank you for meeting me on such short notice.”
“Hey Summer,” Cooper said. “Nah, it’s no problem. I was heading out to the beach anyways. I needed to get some footage in for my project.”
The waitress came by and handed me a menu. I looked over at Cooper, and he took a sip from his soda drink. “I already ordered,” he said.
“Oh, then I’ll have the fried oysters and clam chowder,” I told the waitress. “And a glass of water.”
The waitress nodded, gathered my menu, and walked away.
“So Cooper,” I said, “what kind of project are you working on at the beach?”
Cooper smiled a slow smile that was endearing and charming. “A documentary,” he said.
“You’re a filmmaker?” I asked.
“I want to be. I’ve always enjoyed acting, but I’d rather work behind the scenes.”
“What a small world,” I said. “I have an acting school I inherited from my aunt…Aunt Sookie’s Acting Academy.”
“No way,” Cooper laughed. “I took some classes there when I was really young.”
“You were probably there before Aunt Sookie got the Donovans and me into it.”
“Probably,” Cooper said. “I just remembered what an amazing woman your Aunt Sookie was. She got me into acting and now filmmaking because I had so much fun in her classes.”
“Oh Cooper,” I said, feeling happy to hear about Aunt Sookie’s positive influence on a child who had since grown up into a fine young man. “You don’t know how much that meant to me.”
“It’s all true,” Cooper said.
“Even better,” I joked.
“Yes, definitely better.”
“So, what’s the documentary about?”
“A bunch of things. It’s hard to talk about it,” Cooper said. “I feel like once I talk about it before it’s finished, I would lose some of the story.”
“I see,” I said, not really seeing. He was a true artist, like Astor.
The waitress came by with his dish, a lobster ravioli dish, and mine, the fried oysters and clam chowder.
“Smells delicious,” I said when she left. I pushed my dish towards him and said, “You can have some. I like sharing with people when I’m eating.”
“I noticed,” Cooper said, taking one of the fried oysters and biting into it. “It’s good,” he said.
“I know,” I bit into one piece and felt the juices run down my mouth. I stuck out my tongue as far as it would go and slowly licked the juices from my chin and the corners of my mouth. When I was done licking my lips, I noticed Cooper had stopped eating.
He was staring at me with such a wistful expression…sad and soulful. There was something there, too, his aquamarine eyes were gazing intently on my swollen lips with hunger.
It made my stomach flutter with the intensity he was staring.
“Is there something wrong?” I asked.
Cooper shook his head. “No, nothing. I was just thinking about how much you remind me of my ex-girlfriend.”
“Oh, I’m sorry,” I said.
“It’s okay,” Cooper said. “That’s one reason why I’m making this documentary. It’s a way for me to find closure. For her sake and mine…we both need to move on.”
I could see how heart-wrenching it was for Cooper to talk to me about her, and that made me want to reach out to him. “Hey, if you want to talk about it, I could listen.”
“That’s very sweet of you,” Cooper said. “I don’t really want to, but maybe you can help me through this by working on the documentary with me? It’s actually for a film class project I’m doing, too.”
“I’d love to,” I said.
“Thank you, Summer,” Cooper said. “This means the world to me.”
“Anything to help,” I said.
“Now eat up, Summer,” Cooper said. “It takes a lot of energy to think through some of the concepts introduced in Chapter 4 of the text.”
I took another piece of fried oyster, and felt the juices run down the sides of my mouth again. I must look like such a messy eater.
Before I could lick it off or wipe it away, Cooper’s fingers beat me to it, wiping the juice from my mouth with his finger, then licking his finger clean.
Oh. My. God. That was so unexpected. Yet so sexy.
“I’ve acquired a sudden craving for oysters,” Cooper said, his voice low and sensual. “You don’t mind me having another piece?”
“Not at all,” I said. “Have it all.” I shoved the dish closer to him.
He picked up one piece, bit into it, swallowed, and stuck out his tongue to lick the opening of the oyster with long savoring strokes, while his eyes watched me.
The way he was looking at me made me think he was thinking of licking me that way.
“Oh, Cooper,” I said, feeling my
body grow warmer. “I…”
“Delicious,” Cooper said, popping the entire oyster into his mouth and chewing.
“Yes,” I said. There was some truth with oysters being an aphrodisiac because how would that explain that sudden white hot chemistry between Cooper and me.
“Do you need some fresh air?” Cooper asked.
“It is getting hotter in here,” I said.
We quickly finished the rest of our meal and gathered our things. Without the waitress coming back with our check, we headed to the cashier. I pulled out my wallet, but Cooper placed a hand on me, indicating he would pay.
He pulled out his wallet, and opened it, revealing a thick bunch of cash bills.
Without much thought, he handed the cashier a hundred dollar bill and told her to keep the change.
Then he took my hand in his and walked me out of the restaurant. Once outside, he didn’t let my hand go immediately, but kept holding it. “Sorry, I needed some fresh air,” he said.
“I know.”
“So now we walk to the beach from here, and we can talk about those chapters.”
He took his backpack from his car, and held out his hand to me, which I took before leading us to an isolated area on the beach.
From his bag, he pulled out a blanket, laid it on the sandy beach, and sat down, bringing me down onto the blanket next to him.
“Now that we’re nice and cozy,” Cooper said, “Here’s the Sociology book, and the diagram of the Eco-center Push.” He explained the diagram in the most clear and easy-to-understand style until I understood it well enough for me to explain it to him.
When we were done going over the textbook, I asked him. “What were you planning on doing at the beach today before I called you?”
Cooper pulled out an expensive professional camera, jumped to his feet, and started taking pictures of everything at the beach. He even took a picture of me.
I lunged at him, trying to grab the camera, while he kept dodging me. Then he began running down the beach with me in hot pursuit.
He was fast, but I was faster. When I finally caught up to him, he was grinning widely. “I knew you were fast,” he said. “But I’m fast, and if you are able to keep pace with me and even outrun me, you are pretty darn fast!”
“And quick like a stealth,” I said, reaching behind him and around him to try to get his camera. I tickled him under the ribs to get him to drop the camera into my hands. Then using his own camera, I took snap after snap of him.
By the time we headed back to our cars, we were sweaty but happy.
“Bye, Summer,” Cooper said, hugging me as he walked me to my car. “I’ll see you soon.”
“Bye,” I almost kissed his cheek, but pull back. What was I thinking? I’ve just met the guy yet I felt as though I’ve known him for a long time.
Chapter 11
Summer
I met with Cooper again at the beach the following weekend after having lunch again at Errol King’s Oyster House.
We worked on shooting footage at the beach, and I helped film a bit of him talking about the beach, talking about the history of Malibu and how there were pirate caves hidden all over Malibu.
“Summer,” Cooper said. “You’re a natural in front of the camera. How about I film you sharing what you love most about this place? I want to capture the essence of a place by showing how a place can affect people.”
“Oh, Cooper, but this is about your story, your view. It shouldn’t be about me. I’m not the star of your documentary.”
Cooper put his hands on my shoulders and brought my chin up to look into his eyes. “Summer, since I met you, you’ve opened up an entirely new way of life for me. You’ve become a part of my world so what you say about this place, matters to me.”
He leaned in close, and I closed my eyes. I’ve just met him, but our bond has been so strong, it felt as though I’ve known him all my life.
I waited for his kiss and waited. I opened my eyes to see Cooper staring at me, his eyes full of sadness.
Was he thinking of his ex-girlfriend?
Was he still heartbroken and unable to move on?
Since spending more time with Cooper and getting involved in his documentary; I was able to step away from Aunt Sookie’s Academy, from Drew, and even Rachel for a while, and not get consumed with the turmoil I felt from all of that. I needed some time and space away from them, just to clear my head. Cooper had been the medicine I needed to help me heal from the loss of my family – Aunt Sookie and the Donovans.
But was I ready for another romantic relationship again?
Was I ready to start something with Cooper, although both of our hearts have been broken recently?
Cooper made that decision for both of us by dropping his hands from my face and stepping back. “Um, I’d like very much to have your commentary on this beach, this place, and what it means to you, Summer. I know it holds a special meaning for you so I want to capture that love and passion you have. It is that love which makes a place thrive. Without it, it is like a plant without the sun, and it will wither and die.”
I smiled. “Sure, Cooper, I will be honored to be part of your film. But I’m not even dressed for it. I mean I’m just wearing a tank top and shorts. I don’t even have makeup on.”
“Trust me, Summer,” he said, using his finger to tuck a strand of hair behind my ear, “You don’t need anything else to make you beautiful.”
My heart jumped for a second before settling down. Cooper just called me beautiful.
“Are you sure?” I asked. “I mean I know how the camera tends to wash people out and…”
“You are perfect the way you are, Summer,” Cooper said.
My heart jumped again for a second time, as my mind had a moment of déjà vu thinking where did I hear something like that once.
My Perfect Summer.
It was what Nat called me in his last letter to me.
At that realization, I was brought back to the state of mind when I read it. Elation that Nat was alive, sadness for finding out he was alive just to have him walk away from me forever, and anger for not telling me earlier, for keeping secrets from me.
“Are you alright?” Cooper asked leaning in.
“I’m just remembering a few memories about my ex and…”
Cooper wrapped his arms around me. “Try not to think about it. It can overwhelm you if you delve on sad things. Besides, you’re here to give me moral support, right? Quit thinking about yourself, and help me film this documentary,” he joked.
“True,” I said. “I…”
“No, ‘I’ this,” Cooper scolded me. “It’s ‘Cooper, where do you want me to stand?’ ‘Cooper, how about if I say this?’ ‘Cooper, can I get you anything since you look parched, and ready to keel over from thirst?’ ‘Cooper…how about we stop by my place and I invite you in so we can get to see what makes Summer tick?’ ‘Cooper…’”
“Are you trying to tell me something?” I asked dryly.
“Focus on me, Summer, and you won’t go back into that place of darkness. I don’t want you to go there, and as someone who cares about you, I will be there to help you through it, just like you’re doing this for me.”
“Thank you, Coop,” I said, leaning my head on his chest. “I needed that.”
“Coop?” Cooper asked.
“Yeah, it’s short for Cooper. I think it’s time I start calling you by your nickname.”
“Do I need to have one?” he asked.
“I tend to give nicknames to people I have an affection for,” I said. “So, you’re Coop.”
“And you’re Sum,” Cooper said.
“Yup!” I laughed.
Cooper ruffled my hair with his hand and pulled me in close for a hug. “You’re crazy, you know that?”
“So I’ve been told.”
“Crazy, beautiful, funny, passionate…” Cooper’s eyes roamed around my face before settling down on my lips.
I made a face, sticking my tongue out, hop
ing to be as silly as possible to break his gaze or I would be in serious trouble wanting him to kiss me.
Cooper laughed. “And adorable.”
“I’m trying to live up to my namesake,” I said. “Being all sunny and happiness…you know being Summer.”
“You don’t have to try,” Cooper said softly, his fingers back up to cup my chin. “You are.”
“Uh huh,” I squeaked. Damn he was so gorgeous and sexy staring at me with those expressive beautiful soulful eyes.
He was staring at me again as though he was trying to decide what to do. His expression grew from soulful to darker in a matter of seconds.
Oh uh…now it was my turn to keep him from going down the rabbit hole.
“Hey listen Cooper, my house is just a short walk down the beach. Let’s go there. I can freshen up for the filming, and you can get something to drink. I think you mentioned you were parched?”
That broke his gaze from my lips and he smiled slowly in a way that again made my inner lustful self say, “Hot damn that man is scorching hot.”
“Alright, Summer,” Coop said. “Take me to your palace.”
I grabbed his hand, and pulled him through the sand towards the Pad. I think I knew him well enough to trust him knowing where I lived. We reached the steps leading up to the house, when he stopped, looked around and grinned happily.
“It hasn’t changed,” he muttered.
“What?” I asked.
“Oh, just talking to myself,” he said.
“You look like you recognize this place,” I said. “Have you been here before?”
We walked up the steps past the pool and into the house where I led him to the kitchen. “If you sit here, I’ll get you something to drink. What do you want? Soda? Juice? Water?”
“I’ll just have water,” he said looking around.
I got a glass out of the cupboard, added some ice, and filled it with a bottle of water from the refrigerator. I turned around to hand Cooper the glass, but bumped into his chest. I almost dropped the glass, as Cooper steadied me, took the glass and placed it on the counter next to him.
“You scared me,” I said a little shook up.
“Sorry I snuck up on you. I was just wanting to lend you a hand.”
