Let’s Start Over

by Laurent, River

  I grabbed my pad and pen, tucked them into my apron, and went back out front.

  “There you are,” Mel piped up and handed me a few drinks. “Table twelve. You’re saving my poor old legs, hon.” She smiled as she started making another drink. “Get some orders and we’ll get to whipping them up.”

  “I’m on it,” I sang as I twirled away expertly with a tray loaded with glasses. Working with Cooper had started out by necessity and I was lousy at the job to start with, but I’d gotten good very quickly and I was really enjoying it now. There was a constant rush when I was serving customers. Grabbing orders, delivering drinks, chatting, laughing, collecting money. All of it was a whirlwind of activity and it kept my mind off of the sour spots in my life. Maybe this was what it was like to be happy.

  “Coop! There you are. Make me something good, darling.”

  I glanced up at the loud, confident voice. There was something proprietorial about it. A woman swung her hips as she brushed past me and headed directly for the bar. Her red dress was skintight, micro short, and showed off humongous cleavage. She tossed her thick blonde hair over her shoulder. When she reached the bar, a man gallantly moved, so she could sit down. Two women trailed her and they paled in comparison to the magnetic bombshell that had just breezed in.

  I already hated her.

  She wiggled her perfectly manicured fingers and smiled seductively at Cooper while he was still a little away from her.

  Everyone in the bar stared, but I stared even harder. She looked vaguely familiar and my dislike of her brewed in my belly.

  “Victoria,” Cooper said as he swung a towel over his shoulder. “What are you doing here? I thought you were out of town.”

  It hit me like a ton of bricks then. Oh, God. This was what Victoria Blake had become. Obviously, she’d had some improvements done and she happily flaunted them in her teeny dress. Those breasts were at least three times the size they used to be, and her hair was neither thick nor blonde. And that nose. There were changes there too.

  We went to high school together and she’d been jealous of me for ages. Mostly, because back then, I was Cooper’s best friend and he was the only guy she wanted. We’d been friends before that, but afterward Victoria made my life hell as much as possible and that didn’t stop after high school ended.

  Did she recognize me?

  Neither of us looked the way we did ages ago. I used to be a tiny little thing, but I filled out over the years. I wasn't as quiet as I’d been years ago either, although I still preferred to be solitary.

  “I came by to see you,” she purred.

  I put the tray of drinks on table twelve and marched back to the bar. I grabbed another drink order and edged my way toward them.

  Victoria pouted.

  Yes, those lips had seen changes too. Big changes.

  “Vegas was amazing, but I missed home.”

  “Really? I thought Vegas would have been right up your street,” Cooper replied.

  She reached out a hand and slowly stroked his arm. “What can I say? It’s just a stretch of sand and a bunch of colored lights when you’re not with your man.”

  Cooper removed himself from her grasp and took a step back. The way her face fell, and the way he distanced himself was pure gold.

  I grinned to myself as I handed in my orders to Mel and had her make my drinks as Cooper was obviously busy.

  “I’m here, guys,” Cindy jogged up to the bar and grinned cheerfully at everyone.

  She was the total opposite of Mel and she was another waitress Cooper had hired for the busy night. She was always upbeat and sunny. Her megawatt smile could blind someone, and she really worked her little butt off.

  Mel presented me with my drinks. “Make sure I didn’t miss anything,” she said as she started working on her next order. “I don’t think I did, but it’s possible.”

  “Let me check,” I muttered as I compared my ticket to the drinks.

  “Coop,” Victoria purred. “When are you going to take me out to dinner? Drinks are great, but they would be even better if we hung out afterward.”

  “Sorry, I have a full shift and we’re slammed.”

  “That’s why you have staff,” she scoffed as her eyes ran me up and down. “I’m sure even they could handle something like this. You and I haven’t done anything in a long time,” she grumbled as she dragged a red nail polished-tipped finger on the bar surface.

  I wanted to smack her upside the head. Nice desperation you’re showing there Victoria. It was annoying, but I got a strange sense of satisfaction from their exchange. The more she piled on the compliments and flirting, the more Cooper resisted.

  He looked completely uninterested as he slid her a drink. “That’ll be thirteen dollars,” Cooper said with a smile.

  “Really? I don’t even get a drink anymore?” She pouted again. “You’ve changed, Coop. What has you acting so different?”

  Cooper’s eyes flickered and I swore for a minute that they landed on me. Before I could fully register the motion, he focused on Victoria again. I was dying to hear what he had to say when Mel snapped her fingers in front of my face.

  “Are you going to give the customers their drinks, or should I do it for you?”

  “Oh, sorry,” I mumbled as my cheeks burned like they were on fire. “I was just—”

  “I know exactly what you were doing.” Mel leaned forward and lowered her voice. “Trust me, he doesn’t want that hussy. If he did, he would be with her.” Mel straightened up. “Now, go deliver drinks before you get us all backed up.”

  “Right, I’m off,” I said pushing away smartly, but I was smiling as I carried the tray away.

  If Mel said he wasn’t interested in her, she must have seen even more than I had from their little exchange just now. I trusted Mel. She looked as if she couldn’t care less about what was happening between Cooper and me, but I felt as if she was quietly cheering for us in the background.

  I carried my drinks over to the table and instead of plopping the tray on the table and rushing back to the bar, I handed them out with a cheerful smile. I was definitely getting better at my job. Not dropping a single glass was an accomplishment. The smile never leaving my face as I took another table’s order, but my eyes kept going back to Victoria and Cooper every free chance I had.

  No matter how much he politely nodded and got on with his tasks, Victoria wouldn't pull her claws out of him.

  “When is she going to give up?” I muttered under my breath as I went into the kitchen to drop off a tray of dirty plates.

  “Who?”

  I jumped and pressed a hand to my chest when Cindy smiled at me. Whether she had been standing there all along, or walked up on me, I had no idea. I was way too involved in my own thoughts. “Oh, it’s nothing,” I said as I waved a hand. “How are you doing out there?”

  “Great! This place is way better than my last job. Everyone must be in a great mood tonight because they’re tipping like crazy. Except Victoria. Then again, that’s how she always is.”

  “Wait, you just started, right?”

  Cindy nodded. “Yeah, but I hung out here a lot before Cooper hired me. Victoria was always here all over him. I think she likes to show him off.”

  “What’s that about?” I scoffed. “What is he, a damn trophy?”

  “I think he was for a while. You know, once you left town, he dated her for a while.”

  My mouth dropped open. Cindy had been in the same grade as Victoria and I when we were in high school so it wasn’t surprising that she was up to date on all the drama and gossip. Most people were like that in Springston. “They dated?” I gasped as I came out of my stupor.

  “Well, I say date, but it was more like a fling. You know how Cooper was back in those days. He ‘dated’ for all of five minutes before he was on to the next. When he first came back to town, he took up with Victoria for a while and she’s never gotten over it.”

  “Who broke up with who?”

  “Oh, Cooper
dumped her for sure. It was ugly. She used to come here all the time angry as hell that he was done with her. After a while, she calmed down and switched to flirting. She’s totally delusional. I’m sure she thinks she’s going to get him back…one day.”

  “Wow,” I whispered. “I’ve missed so much.”

  “You have no idea. I better get back to work before Cooper starts looking for me.”

  I nodded, but my mind was a million miles away. Had Cooper really changed after all? What was that saying: you can’t teach an old dog new tricks? Apparently, Cooper took that statement and ran with it. What if I went out with him now, and he dropped me the way he’d dropped Victoria?

  What if Cooper was still the same guy he was back in high school? The way he used women, then tossed them aside made me clench my fists.

  It was more than that though. Cooper had started seeing Victoria right after he came back. That was enough evidence for me to see things as they really were. Cooper hadn’t cared about me at all. He never made any effort to look for me. He just took up with the first skirt he saw. The only thing he ever wanted from me was what I’d given him, my virginity nice and easy. I’d handed it over on a silver platter.

  Suddenly, I was angry. I couldn’t believe I let him kiss me! The fury boiled in my belly and to my horror, tears ran down my cheeks. It shouldn’t still hurt. That happened with us years ago when we were young, dumb kids.

  Saying it shouldn’t matter was easy, but the reality was that it bothered me big time. You never forgot your first and Cooper was unforgettable for all right and wrong reasons. I dashed my tears away and scolded myself. I was expecting too much and I needed to grow up.

  How could I even fall for his bullshit again? Had he told Victoria that he wanted to be friends? Was that the reason she continued to hang around him?

  There were so many unanswered questions, but I had no way of getting answers to them. No one knew what was going on inside of Cooper’s head but Cooper, and I doubted he would give me the honest answers I craved.

  I quickly closed my eyes and forced myself to get it together. I was at work. None of that drama mattered.

  “Jo, what’s wrong? Why are you crying?”

  Chapter Twenty

  Ivy

  I stiffened and slowly opened my eyes.

  Cooper peered at me curiously with his eyebrows knitted and a frown etched into his forehead.

  I didn’t want to talk to him. I wanted to get back to work and pretend I never learned about him and Victoria. “Nothing,” I said as I rubbed my face with my arm. “I should get back to work.” I breezed past him.

  Cooper pulled me back by my arm. “Wait a minute. If something’s bothering you, would you tell me?”

  I tried to yank myself free, but Cooper easily had a height and weight advantage.

  Instead of using any force, he simply stood his ground and held my squirming body with one hand.

  “It doesn’t matter. Will you let go of me, please? Seriously, you’re acting like I’m a three year old that needs a time out. Come on, I need to get back to work.”

  “I’m the boss, remember? I’ll tell you when it’s mandatory that you get back to work. Now, tell me; what is going on?”

  I sighed. Every inch of my body dreaded the idea of telling him. It felt small and petty. Part of me recognized that we were just friends and it shouldn’t matter so much, but the other part of me was envious as hell. “It’s just seeing Victoria draped all over you. I hate it. I don’t like her, I don't like the way she tries to bring attention to herself all the time. And then I found out you two were together, so I guess I just…” I trailed off as I tugged my arm away.

  He stared at me. “We’re not together.”

  “You used to be,” I countered quickly.

  Cooper raised an eyebrow. “Is this really bothering you? She’s just someone from my past, and it’s been over for ages.”

  “Yeah, but it started right after you came back right? I mean did you ever bother to look for me?”

  “Jo—”

  I held up a hand. “It doesn’t matter. Like I said, it’s stupid and we’re not together. I need to get back to work.”

  “Hey,” he said as he caught me again. “I’m serious. We had a brief thing and I broke it off because I was drunk and lonely one night and she came on to me. It was nothing like what we had—”

  I laughed bitterly. “Just admit that we had nothing. It was a fling and it was over, then you moved on. And now, I don’t ever want to talk about this anymore.” I brushed past Cooper and stalked out into the bar. His words could sound as sweet as honey, but I knew him. The way he’d pursued me and then dumped me right after he took my virginity was all I needed to know. I fell for Brian’s sweet words, but I was not falling for Cooper’s too.

  Enough was enough.

  I couldn’t believe I was dumb enough to consider going out with him. Of course, a man like him would be inundated with offers from women. I had to stop falling for the good parts of him and remember he had broken my heart once and he would do it again, if I let him.

  I pushed all the pain and the negative thoughts down and went back to work. I’d had a lot of practice pretending everything was okay, so I was good at it. The smile never faltered from my lips as I started taking orders again. As I worked, the feeling of eyes tracking me never stopped. I knew it had to be Cooper, but I refused to acknowledge him. When I had to pick up my drinks, I purposely went to Mel instead.

  “I don’t know why that Victoria keeps trying,” a woman said with a laugh. “It’s embarrassing. She is never going to get anywhere with him.”

  “Seriously,” her friend said. “Cooper hasn’t dated anyone in ages, so I don’t know why she keeps trying so hard. He’s been caught up on his ex for years.”

  “Where did you hear that?”

  The woman waved a hand. “Who knows? One of my friends might have told me last time we were here. Something about his high school girlfriend and him still being in love with her. Victoria’s not the only one that’s tried to snag him.”

  “Too bad,” the first woman sighed. “He is hot.”

  I couldn’t stop replaying what they’d said. Cooper was still in love with his high school girlfriend? I couldn’t think of a single person that he’d dated besides me in high school. He was known to hook up, but I was the only one that he spent that much time with. I needed to know if it was true.

  Would knowing that Cooper loved me change anything? I wasn’t sure, but I had to know if that’s really what he thought for my own peace of mind. It was hard to focus on work for the rest of the night, but I tried not to think about anything else besides delivering food and drinks and keeping my customers happy.

  “I’m taking off,” Cindy called.

  “I’m going with her,” Mel said as she walked from behind the bar. “You two have this, right?”

  “Yeah,” Cooper said.

  Mel smiled at me.

  I had a feeling that she didn’t need to leave as quickly as she was. I narrowed my eyes at her, but her grin only grew. I swear, she was always up to something sneaky. She wiggled her fingers at me and escorted Cindy out. I locked the door and walked back towards the bar.

  Cooper stayed behind the bar as he cashed up the money.

  I leaned against the counter.

  After a few quiet moments, his eyes flickered up to me before he resumed what he was doing.

  “Can I have a drink, please?”

  “What? Are you talking to me again?”

  I raised a brow. “Not if you’re going to be cranky.” Right away, I watched the tension go out of his shoulders.

  He finished stacking up the money before he stopped and glanced at me.

  I chewed my lip. “I wanted to ask you something first.”

  “Not Victoria,” he groaned. “I don’t want to talk about Victoria for one more second. I had to listen to her all fucking night. I’m begging you, Jo—”

  “It’s not about Victoria,” I ass
ured him quickly.

  “Okay,” he said slowly as he put the money and credit card slips into an envelope then started heading to his office. “Then ask me anything.”

  I leaned on the doorframe.

  He put the envelope on the table and looked at me expectantly.

  It should have been easy to ask, but my mind switched between wanting to know and the feelings I would experience if it weren’t true.

  Cooper glanced up at me. “Well?”

  “Do you—uh—well…”

  “Go on.”

  “Still love me?” I blurted the words out quickly or I knew I wouldn’t say them at all. “I overheard someone tonight saying you were still in love with your high school girlfriend, and unless you were seeing someone else then that would be me, right? Were you seeing someone else? I mean you can tell me. It’s all water under the bridge now. It won’t change anything between us. We’ll still be like friends and everything.” I stopped to take a much needed breath.

  He rubbed the back of his neck. “No, you were the only one I dated in high school.”

  “Really?” I asked, a fountain of joy surging inside my heart. “So, it’s true.”

  “Yeah,” he said quietly before he gazed up at me. “Yeah, it’s true. I still love you. I thought I would get over you one day, but it just never happened.”

  I swallowed thickly, but the lump wouldn’t leave my throat. He loved me. What was I going to do with that? I never expected him to actually say those words, to know that he cared about me that way. My hand clutched my shirt so tightly my fingers throbbed before I nodded a little. “Oh, well that’s... good to know.”

  Cooper sighed. “Yep, I definitely just made things awkward and weird, didn’t I?”