by Paige Steele
“So, have you talked to Coop?”
“Not about the kiss but we have spoken about other things and he texts quite often.”
“You know you’ll have to have that conversation soon or it’s going to linger over the both of you every time you’re around each other.”
“Ugh, Mom I hate it when you’re right.” I smile at her, as she hugs me.
“You’re scared to admit your feelings. Maybe it’s time to share them with the one that they are intended for. You’ve spent too much time denying them.”
“I don’t know anymore. Cooper doesn’t seem to have changed at all. What I witnessed at Ryan’s told me what I needed to know.”
“Sometimes people do things they don’t mean or do things they normally wouldn’t do in different circumstances. That is possibly what’s going on with Cooper. He’s a good guy, Ansley, you know that about him.”
“I do, Mom. Ugh, I don’t know what to do anymore. One part of me wants to go to him and lay it all on the line. Then, there is a part that wants to sit back to see how long it takes him to come to me and admit his own feelings.”
“He’ll come around, give him through the holidays.”
“Guys!” I say as I blow out a breath. I’m so frustrated with all of this.
“Yep, he is a guy.” Mom is laughing as she reaches over to give me another hug before getting up to get another glass of wine.
We hit the hay shortly before midnight, after talking for nearly four hours. I miss these times with her, but I know I need to find my own way in life, and this is helping her do the same thing. She has always taken care of me, now it’s time for her take care of herself.
“Morning, beautiful, Merry Christmas,” my mom says, standing in my doorway, Christmas morning. I can smell cinnamon rolls baking and music playing. Maddie and Tae’s song Fly is coming through the speakers softly, but loud enough to hear. It’s such a good song.
“Morning, Mom. Yum, did you make homemade rolls?”
“I did, now get up, the other two are making their way to the kitchen, too.”
“Did you wake them, as well?” I ask, with a little giggle.
“I did, it’s Christmas morning after all,” she says, walking in and slapping me on the butt, as I lay there on my stomach.
“K, I’m coming.” I roll over, sit up and look at her.
“Mom, you’re showered and dressed at . . . seven.” I rub my eyes a little; to make sure I looked at that correctly.
“Yes, I wanted to get up and get moving for the day. I have to leave the day after tomorrow, so I don’t want to waste time sleeping. I can sleep when I’m dead.”’
“Oh, my God Mom, don’t say that!”
She laughs as she walks back to the kitchen. I pull the blankets off to one side and swing my legs off the bed; standing up I stretch, putting my arms above my head and leaning up on my tiptoes. Walking out, I plop down on one of the barstools at the counter, as my mom pours me a cup of coffee. Just then, out walk Kenna and Josie.
“Something smells incredible.” Kenna is dragging, I can tell.
“What the hell did you guys do last night? Geez, I didn’t even hear you come in and you girl look like death.” I directed the last part to Kenna.
“I’m just tired. We went down the street to Last Stop; we shared a pizza and a couple drinks, well I had a couple, while Josie had to stick with Diet Coke,” Kenna says with a wink at her sister.
“Yeah, yeah, well at least we didn’t have to pay,” Josie pipes in, giggling.
“Oh, what did you two do?”
“Nothing really. We ordered, found a booth, then two hot guys found us,” Kenna says it as if it happens all the time, and I suppose it kinda does for her. She’s beautiful and has the personality to match.
“They were hot as hell and asked us to join them for a game of pool, so we did and kicked their asses. I don’t think they expected for Kenna and I to know how to play. They took us for bimbos, I think.”
“Yeah, they might have been hot, but they had nothing going on upstairs,” Kenna said, tapping her finger to her temple.
They continue to tell us about their night, then we made our way into the living room to open the presents that we have under the tree. My mom even has a little something for Kenna and her sister, as they do for her. The girls and I said we’d exchange when Maddie returns.
Just after I crawl into bed, a text comes in from Cooper.
Cooper—Hey there, Beautiful, what are you doing?
Me—Hey Coop, nothing really, I just crawled into bed. Isn’t it late there, why are you still up?
Cooper—Yeah, it’s almost two thirty, but I wanted to wish you a Merry Christmas, even though it’s after midnight for me . . . it’s not for you. Lol
Me—Haha, you’re right and thank you, same to you. How was your Christmas?
Cooper—Mine was the same as always, how was yours?
Me –It was good. Mom baked homemade cinnamon rolls in the morning, then we opened presents with Kenna and her sister Josie, then we were off to the kitchen to start dinner. After we ate, we all just hung out in the living room talking. Oh, and you’ll never guess what my mom told me!
Cooper—No, I probably won’t so you might as well spill it. Lol
Me—Ok, well she’s seeing someone finally. He’s a physician’s assistant at the hospital.
Cooper—He better be good to her cuz your mom is such a sweet lady.
Me—He makes her happy and that’s the most important thing to me. So when do you guys come back?
Cooper—On the twenty eighth. Well girl, I’m going hit the pillow. I’ll call or text when I get back in a couple of days.
I spent yesterday showing my mom around the town before taking her to the airport this morning. She loves the area that I’m living in and the fact that I have two great roommates. Knowing we can look out for each other, both in and out of work, I think it eases her mind a bit.
Both Josie and my mom return home safely and the next couple of days come and go, while I am busy working out with Kenna. She is an animal in the gym; I’ve always felt like I was in pretty good shape, until I went to work out with her. She goes from machine to machine, working every part of her body. She is tiny, but all muscle.
The guys both texted me yesterday to let me know they were home safe and back to training their asses off and they’ll be in touch soon. Ryan seems to ask how the girls are a lot lately and I believe it’s more Kenna that he’s asking about but he doesn’t want to make it to obvious.
Maddie is flying in tomorrow, which means we’ll be picking her up and heading directly to the mall. She wants to buy something new for the New Year’s Eve party, though we are once again instructed to wear our famous black vests that show our Hyped Energy logo and to have our H necklaces hanging in just the right spot. We can either pair it with a black mini or tight black leather pants, along with black-heeled boots.
We all decide on skirts, but Maddie wants a new one. My mom had gotten me a couple for Christmas, since she knows it’s my attire for every weekend or event that we need to attend.
“What time does Maddie come in tomorrow?” Kenna yells from her bedroom.
“I think three, she is taking the red eye in the morning.”
“K, I’m meeting some friends at eleven thirty for lunch before we go. I’ll make sure I’m back by one thirty so we can head out.”
“That’s fine, I’m going to the gym in the morning and then I need to get some laundry done.”
Kenna comes walking out dressed in black yoga pants and a hot pink sports bra. “I’m going to go for a run, ya wanta join me?”
“Nah, you go. I’m gonna just hang and check out Instagram and Facebook for a bit. I haven’t been able to do it in a while.”
“So, what you are really saying is, you are stalking Cooper’s page and waiting to hear from either one of them?”
“Screw you, bitch,” I say throwing a pillow in her direction. She catches it in midair and laughs
in my direction, throwing it back at me, before opening the door and heading out.
Guilty as charged, I pull out my phone and do exactly what I am accused of. Cooper’s Instagram page shows him with a girl I recognize, I think, from back in high school. Under the picture, he put ‘catching up with old friends.’ I want to scream, he was never friends with her. I bet he doesn’t even remember her name, yet he put that. What an ass.
I throw my phone on the couch, turn on some music, and go to jump in the shower. The song, It Feels Good by Drake White starts up nice and loud, just as I walk out in a towel tucked around my body and my hair up in another. Dancing while singing or should I say, shouting some of the words, I do a spin and then stop when I realize I’m not alone.
“What the . . . ?” Ryan and Cooper are standing in my kitchen with Kenna.
“Oh, please don’t stop now, Peanut, I’ve missed the show for far too long,” Ryan says chuckling, along with Kenna.
“Screw you all.”
“Well, that could be fun, I’m game,” Coop and Ryan both pretty much say at the same time, then give each other the fist bump with the explosion at the end.
“OH MY GOD, you two!”
Kenna is holding her stomach laughing; Ryan looks over at her and winks. I want to swat them both, then I remember I am standing here in a towel. I walk around them both, pour some juice in a glass, before heading back to my room. I do a quick turnaround, flipping them all the bird.
I dress rather quickly and come back out to find Ryan and Cooper sitting on the couch, and Kenna in the shower. Removing the towel from my head, I start to run a brush through this mop on my head as I sit on the couch right in the middle of them.
“What are you doing here, guys?”
“Wait, when did you do this?” Coop reached over and fluffed up the back of my hair, referring to my cut.
“About two years ago, I love it,” I say, shaking my head back and forth so my hair goes all over the place.
“You look different with it.”
“Good or bad different, Ryan?”
“Well, you aren’t the little Ansley anymore, you’re all grown up,” Ryan says, reaching forward to tickle my side.
“Ok, enough about my hair, back to why you guys are here?”
“We were talking and had the idea to show up for a surprise visit,” Ryan said.
“Haha, we don’t exactly live around the corner from each other.”
“Yes, but I can get here in under a half hour and Cooper is only about an hour out, so it’s no big deal.”
“And you both have a lot of training and practice to do for the Supercross season that will start soon.”
“We do, but neither one of us can believe that we live so close together again, that we won’t be able to stay away,” Coop smiled at me and I forgot all about the stupid Instagram picture I just saw two hours ago.
“That’s fine by me. I’ve missed you both . . . so much.” I find myself stopping and looking in a different direction, other than directly in Coop’s eyes.
After about an hour, they realize they do have practice soon and they both better head out or they won’t make it in time. Kenna and I decide to stay in for the night and order something for dinner. Staying in and watching Pitch Perfect for the third time is no hardship on our parts. We sing throughout the whole movie and laugh the entire time.
The next morning, I get up, start to get some laundry done, and clean the house, then I leave for the gym and Kenna leaves for her lunch date. Maddie texts and says her flight is on time and she’ll see us soon.
It’s an hour before we need to take off for the airport; I quickly jump in and out of the shower. I blow out my short cut; throw on a pair of jean shorts, matching them with a black off the shoulder tank that says, I Woke Up Like This. Kenna has on one of her skirts that is lime green and pairs it with a little white tank. It shows off her tanned abs, that are solid, I might add. Her outfit is topped off with her folded down, black Converse sneakers, while I slip into my flip-flops. She is known to stand out, while I mostly blend in.
We arrive at the airport about five minutes before Maddie walks out of the secured area. She comes out guns blazing . . .
“Hey, bitches, how the hell have you guys been? I’ve missed your asses.”
“Well, hello to you too, Maddie.” I lean in at the same time and give her a huge hug and kiss on the cheek. Kenna does the same.
“Come on, we’ve got shopping to do. I need to find the perfect skirt and boots for this party we are attending. You know the kind, ones that will make those boys wish they had all this?” She runs her hand down her side as she shimmies her body. She is pretty much a smart ass, whenever she can be.
“Of course!” I raise my voice a bit, before I toss my arm around her shoulder, while Kenna links arms with her. Walking over, she finds her bags and then the three of us are mall bound.
Cooper
TONIGHT IS THE NEW Year’s Eve party we all have to attend for the director of Supercross. It’s an event that will let us see the other teams, some friends, and some, not so much. We’ll see who is going to be racing and who is injured. Oh, and we’d get to see Miss Supercross and all the other smoking ladies that will be at every race, representing all the different energy drinks that they work for. Not to mention, I get to see Ansley in her hot little number too. In some capacity, all the different drinks support the up and coming season. The main sponsor is Hyped Energy though, which means Ansley. Even though I’m glad I’ll be seeing her tonight, it sucks that most likely I won’t be kissing her at midnight.
I dress in black jeans that are ripped in the knees and a black tee. Basic I know, but this is me. I don’t need to do anything to stand out. I get noticed either way so flashy clothes, like expensive suits, aren’t necessary for me.
Jesse Anderson is a teammate and he is heading there with me. Jesse is younger than I am though, and at twenty, he’s been through more than I have in a lifetime. He had a tough upbringing, with his mother putting him up for adoption at birth. He was left in the system until he was placed with the Andersons, an older foster family, when he was twelve. He calls the Andersons his grandparents and they shaped him into a truly great guy. No one wanted to adopt anyone at that age, so he stayed with them until he graduated high school and was signed to a deal with Yamaha. After graduation, he asked them if they would mind if he had his name changed to theirs. He lit up telling the story of how excited they were that he even asked and then did it. They’re a great couple, showing him love like he never felt before the age of twelve. They made sure he didn’t want for anything. Watching him ride and race the local tracks here made them proud. They couldn’t have children of their own, so spoiling him was easy. His grandfather, Mr. Anderson, was the owner of a chain of home improvement stores, until he sold everything to a larger company when he was in his seventies. His grandmother worked right alongside him until the day he walked out the door. They still live just two hours away and he visits them regularly.
“Jesse, you ready man?
“Yeah, jackass, I am.”
“What, you mad ‘cause you’re my DD tonight?” I ask, while starting to tip back my first beer.
“Fuck no, you will be dragging tomorrow night for practice, and I will be ready to rock and roll.”
“I’ll still kick your ass.”
“Keep dreaming, old man.”
Giving him a swat to the back of his head, I walk past him to the sink. I set my bottle in it, turn, heading toward the front door. Jesse is right behind me chuckling.
We arrive at the party when it’s in full swing. Walking in, I head to our host and the owner of the house we are standing in. Making my way through the crowd of about a hundred people, I am grateful that he is leaning against the bar. Ordering a bottle of beer, I turn to see Ansley walking in with her two roommates, though my eyes truly only see her. I think I’m in shock a bit. I haven’t ever seen her dress like that. She looks fucking hot as hell.
“D
ude, chill.” Jesse slaps my chest with his palm as he orders a Coke. The poor sap isn’t able to drink yet. He only has a month before we can celebrate him finally turning twenty-one, and I personally will be making sure he gets tanked that night. As long as no race is taking place, then he will be hugging the porcelain god by night end.
“Don’t worry about me,” I snap back at him.
“Focus on something or someone else, if you aren’t going to man up and make a move. Jesus, you can have your pick here . . . the Monster ladies are looking mighty fine, as well as the Rockstar models.”
“I have eyes, jackass.” Turning toward the bar, I put my back to the rest of the party.
I look over at him, just as a Hyped girl walks up and she looks over at me. I realize she is my flight hottie from first class. She smiles then I can see it on her face, when it dawns on her as well.
“Holy shit, it’s you.”
“I was just thinking the same.” The look on her face is kinda priceless.
“What are you doing here?”
“I could ask you the same thing, but then again, by your outfit, I’d say I already know,” I give her a head to toe once over.
“It pretty much says it all, huh?” She giggles as she moves closer and grabs her drink from the bar.
“Are you allowed to drink on the job?”
“We are tonight because of the holiday, but we have to know when to say when. If we fuck up, then we can kiss our jobs goodbye. So, are you going to tell me what the hell you are doing here now?”
“I race for Factory Yamaha.”
“You’re a rider?” She seems stunned and I’m not sure why.
“Why does that surprise you?”
