Page 94 of Enough
She waves him off and asks us to pose for another picture. She says goodbye and closes the door, making her way back inside.
I turn to Nick, and I don’t have words for him. Gwen speaks instead. “You did all of this for us?” she asks Cooper. “Why?”
“We wanted to show you both how special we think you are, and we knew you wouldn’t let us do this for you unless we fibbed a little. You both work so hard all the time. We wanted to give you the perfect date. And Gwen, just so there’s no doubt in your mind, thisisa date. Because you’re dating me and you’re not going to tell me you’re not.”
Gwen smiles and salutes him. “Yes, sir.”
“Now that’s hot!” Cooper takes her hand in his and lifts it to his mouth. I feel my heart expanding as I watch them. Gwen is happy and I could just cry.
Nick hands me a glass and scoots close enough to me so we’re pressed tightly against each other. Gwen and Cooper sit opposite us. Cooper kisses her cheek and whispers something in her ear that makes her laugh. I turn to look at the hottest man I’ve seen in my life, and he’s staring at me.
“I can’t believe you did this. This morning at the game? You knew the whole time?” I ask as the driver pulls us down the street.
He grins. “Would you have let me do this for you any other way?”
“You paid for the spa and my hair and my dress and… my underwear?” I gawk.
His eyebrows lift at my last word, and I can’t help but smile. “So I guess I technically own your underwear, then?”
“I wondered why it was suddenly included.” I stare at Gwen in realization.
Nick replies, “They were instructed to let you have anything and everything you wanted.”
“Really?” I ask as I angle my head toward Nick. “Why would you do that for me?”
His head tilts and he sighs. “Because I can and because you’re worth it.”
“Anything and everything?” Gwen exclaims. “Shoot, Coop. If I would have known you were buying, I’d have thrown in a purse and a few more pairs of lacy underwear.”
Coop lifts his brows in rapid succession as he sips his champagne. “And I would have gladly bought it all as long as you modeled it for me.”
I lift my hand to Nick’s face and place it on his cheek. He turns his lips into me and kisses my palm.
“Where have you been all my life?” I ask playfully but with an undertone of wonder and earnest.
He gazes deeply into my eyes as if he’s been wanting to answer that exact question. “Waiting for my second chance. I’ve been waiting foryou.”
THE HOUR AND a half drive to the theater is one of the best times of my life. My arm is nestled inside Nick’s, and he’s holding my hand on his thigh. I rest my head on his shoulder, gripping his bicep with my other hand. I’m entranced by him and how I feel being in his presence again. In some ways he’s the same man I remember, but in other ways he’s so much more. There’s something about him that makes me feel secure, wanted, and special. I’ve never felt the way I feel with anyone but him.
Cooper has Gwen snuggled inside his arm as he and Nick tell us stories of their childhood escapades. Their parents went to college together and have been friends ever since. As I listen to them speak, my eyes meet Gwen’s and I can tell she’s wondering if they’re too good to be true.
We have amazing box seats for the play, and when Fantine sings “I Dreamed a Dream,” the emotion of the words causes a tear to flow down my cheek. Nick hands me a handkerchief once again, but only after he tilts my head to face his and kisses me tenderly on the lips. With his kiss, he tells me he understands, and somehow, with that kiss, he’s able to make me believe everything is going to be all right.
Gwen and I sit next to each other and squeeze hands in communication throughout the play. I can tell she’s in awe of the extent to which Cooper went to deliver her the hearts and flowers she needs in the deepest part of her soul. And she didn’t even have to ask for them. Somehow he knew. After the play we dine in the downstairs restaurant, and I’m completely at ease the entire night.
We eat and talk for hours. Seeing Cooper and Nick together again reminds me of the fun I had with them when we were younger. We may have been eating fast food back then, but the company and laughter hasn’t changed at all. Gwen and I tell stories too, and the boys learn all about our years in college as well as some of our most embarrassing moments. By the time we leave the restaurant, it’s after one in the morning. Even with the pouring rain outside, the night is nearly perfect in every way. I rest my head on Nick’s shoulder on the drive home. It’s dark in the limo, except for occasional flashes of lightning, and very quiet. I can hear Cooper’s low voice mumbling, and here and there Gwen’s soft laughter. But I also hear what can only be described as the clicking of lips. I know he’s kissing her.
Nick’s hand runs along the outside of my leg until he finds the slit in my dress, and then he touches my bare calf. My breathing increases as his hand ascends, lifting my dress slightly so that he can rest his hand between my knees. I squeeze his arm and he squeezes my thigh. My desire for him is off the charts. I wish for the drive to last forever.
He turns his mouth into my ear and whispers, “Did you have a good night?”
I rotate my head to face him as his hand continues to press into my thigh, and I glance up to his perfectly framedmouth. “Yes. Thank you. For everything.” I lift my head slightly and he knows what I need. His lips press to mine and I grasp the back of his head with my hand. Just as his tongue touches mine, there’s a loud popping sound and the limo begins to shake and slide. I grab on to Nick and hear Cooper yell, “What the fuck?”
After a few moments of terror, we stop. Nick and Cooper immediately jump out of the car while Gwen and I strain to listen to their voices. It’s pouring rain, and the guys are getting soaked. After a few minutes of rumbling noises, we watch the driver on his cell. Nick has his arms crossed and Cooper points to the limo then to the driver. Cooper’s tall, erect posture seems to intimidate the driver, and I can’t say I blame him.
“What do you think’s going on?” I whisper to Gwen.
“I’m guessing we have a flat and that Cooper’s a little pissed.”
