Page 31 of Retaking the Shot
Kaylee stood on her toes to speak into my ear. “I’m going to use the restroom. Can you order me a bottle of water when the bartender comes around?”
“Will do.”
Once I was alone, I walked over to where Coop was seated. “Hey.”
“Hey.” He took a sip of his beer.
“You know this is a gay bar, right?” I tried to keep my tone playful, but I wasn’t sure if it came across or not.
He nodded. “I do.”
“Aren’t you worried someone might see you?”
He shook his head. “I’ve been here before and I just came out to my teammates. I figure it’s only a matter of time until my being gay becomes public knowledge.”
I furrowed my brow. “You came out to your teammates.”
“I did.”
“That’s a surprise.”
He shrugged. “What about you?”
“What do you mean?”
At that moment, the bartender came over, and I ordered another Coke for myself and water for Kaylee.
When he turned around, Coop continued, “You were just as firmly in the closet as I was, and yet here you are.”
“But you knew I went on a date.” I cringed, thinking about the night I’d met Jacob. “Clearly, I wasn’t in the closet then.”
The bartender placed the drinks I ordered in front of me, and I handed him some cash.
“Going out with someone doesn’t mean anything,” Coop stated. “It could have been like when we dated and pretended we were just friends around other people.”
The conversation was already hitting on topics I wasn’t sure I was ready for. Thankfully, Kaylee returned before it could get even more awkward.
“I’m not interrupting something am I?” she asked.
“Uh … not really.” She kind of was, but I didn’t want to be rude to her. “Kaylee, this is Emmett Cooper. Coop, this is Kaylee, my co-worker and best friend.”
He extended his hand to her. “Nice to meet you, Kaylee.”
She shook his hand, her eyes sparkling with curiosity. “Likewise, Coop. So, did you two just meet?”
“No. We’ve known each other for a while now,” Coop replied.
Kaylee looked at me and tilted her head.
“It’s a long story,” I chuckled.
Before she could ask any other questions, my phone started buzzing in my pocket. Pulling it out, I saw my mom’s name on the screen, which instantly put me on high alert. It was after eleven, so it wasn’t likely she was calling just to chat.
“I need to take this outside,” I told them and rushed out of the club and into the cool night as I answered the call. “Mom, what’s going on?” I asked, and I could feel the panic rising since it was so late.
Her voice trembled. “Your grandma just called. Your grandfather ... They think he’s had a heart attack.”
My world suddenly tilted. “How bad is it? Is he going to be okay?”
