Cooper just wanted to fuck me. Though I wasn't wholly against the idea of sex with him, I sensed he would be rough, and I'd cry. My tears would likely piss him off, and he would find a way to punish me. Maybe I assumed too much, but I didn't want to take the chance of ruining my life in Ellsberg.
Giving up on asking him or anyone else, I walked outside towards the bus stop. As I hurried through the parking lot, I realized Cooper never left after paying his bill. When I glanced in the direction where he was talking on the phone, I found him staring at me. I turned away quickly, not needing any trouble. Hearing his motorcycle rev, I prayed he was heading to a party and would speed right past me.
"Need a ride?" Cooper asked, pulling over as I walked down the street. "Let me rephrase that. I know you need a ride, but are you desperate enough to take one from me?"
"Why desperate?"
"You tell me. You act like I'm a stalker douche you can't shake loose."
Uh, I wasn't touching that statement.
"My ride canceled, and it'd be a pain to take three buses."
"Is that your way of saying you're desperate enough?"
Studying his grin and the rumbling hog, I figured the ride would take five minutes tops. As for owing him, maybe I could buy him dessert or take notes for him at school. You know, repay him with something besides my body.
"Yes, please," I murmured, hoping he didn't get mean or creepy during the ride.
"I don't know," Cooper said, scratching at his stubbled cheek. "I have somewhere I need to go first. Are you in a patient mood or will you give me crap?"
"I'll give you crap so you should take me home first."
"Nope."
Grinning, I tried to seem friendly, but not too friendly. "Will another please get me what I want?"
"No, not a please, but I can think of other things that'll make your case."
"Never mind," I said, walking away. "You're busy."
Cooper grunted. "Oh, lord, here we go. Now I'm the one fucking begging. Just get on, will ya?"
"You'll take me home first before your thing?"
"Sure."
Walking over to him, I gingerly slid onto the back of the motorcycle. The feel of it between my legs returned my mind to the ugly incident never to be discussed.
"Hold on," he warned, glancing back at me. "If you fall off, it'll hurt like a muther."
Remembering nearly the same words said five years ago, I held on like my life depended on it. My first ride on a Harley had been terrifying, but I reminded myself I was safe this time. Cooper was a pain, but he was mostly bark and no bite. The rich ones usually were.
"I live at … "
"I know, but we're making a detour. I think I mentioned that."
"Wait … "
Glancing back at me, Cooper grinned and then revved the engine on his Harley. Quickly into traffic, we headed away from my apartment complex. Irritated, I held on tightly and closed my eyes.
To avoid freaking out, I imagined myself home for the evening. After a hot shower, I could watch something relaxing on TV while catching up with schoolwork. Maybe my mom would join me. We wouldn't talk but simply enjoy each others' company. If Mom wasn't available and she likely wouldn't be, I could call Tawny. All I had to do was get through Cooper's detour and his attempts to fuck me.
Without knowing the town well, I wasn't sure where we were when Cooper pulled over and parked his bike. I lifted my head from his back and removed my hands from the feel of his beating heart. Stumbling off the Harley, I wasn't selling cool, and I didn't even want to know how my hair looked. As for Cooper, he had the kind of windblown hair that made him hotter.
"What is this place?" I asked, hearing loud country music coming from a house with people flowing in and out of the front door. "A party?"
Turning to him with a look of horror, I felt stupid dressed in my Denny's uniform while all of the girls I could see wore shorts and skirts. Hell, I was barely wearing makeup after a long shift.
"Yeah, you've looked better," Cooper said, grinning as he flicked my loose hair out of my eyes. "A lot better."
"Thanks," I said embarrassed because I had hoped to make a good impression on people. I even wanted to find a boyfriend eventually and embrace college life. Now I would be that Denny's girl who showed up at a kegger wearing grandma shoes. Better yet, if they really wanted to mess with me, students could show up at the restaurant for me to serve them. Just wonderful.
Crossing my arms, I glared at Cooper. "I'll wait outside."
"Hell no. It's not safe," he said, completely full of shit. "Especially not with you dressed as you are. Too provocative. You'll need to stay close to me so I can protect you."
Ignoring his grin, I shrugged. "Whatever. I'm waiting here."
Cooper kept smiling like my embarrassment was the funniest shit ever. Then he stepped closer and leaned over my shoulder to look at my hair. When I felt him messing with my ponytail, I considered complaining, but thought better of it. He pulled my ponytail loose and then handed me the band.
"Much better. Shake it out and you'll look sexy as hell. That is unless anyone looks from the neck down."
"I'm waiting here."
"Don't be grouchy. It's not an attractive look on you," he said, stepping behind me and bumping me forward until we reached the front door.
Running my fingers through my hair, I tried to look my best as I entered my first college party.
"Much better," Cooper whispered in my ear as he passed me. "I've got to deal with Crazy Fuck Tuck. Don't wander off."
Standing in the packed living room, I watched Cooper join a blond guy who was pounding on a bathroom door and screaming for someone named Maddy. The man turned to Cooper and made his case in a very dramatic, slightly maudlin way.
"My brothers are idiots," a voice said from behind me.
Turning, I found Bailey Johansson from my Algebra class. The blonde, blue-eyed beauty wore a skimpy tank top and short shorts. Showing a lot of skin, Bailey had the lean, tanned body to pull it off without looking desperate.
"Cooper is your brother?"
"I call him Crapface and the other one Fuckwad. They'll come to those names too, so feel free to give them a whirl," she said, laughing in a way that announced she was drunk. "Oh, no," she added, grabbing me. "Don't call them that. They'll freak out, and you'll end up in a shallow grave, and I'll feel guilty. I already feel bad enough for running over that possum yesterday."
"I won't say anything."
"Awesome. Hey, since you're cool and fucking my brother and everything, let's hang out after class on Monday, kay? I'm going to find me a cute boy and hump his leg before my brothers cock-block me. Distract Coop, will ya? He's a boob man so flash the girls to give me a head start."
Before I could respond, Bailey hurried off even though Cooper and Fuckwad weren't aware of her presence. They were busy talking heatedly though mostly Fuckwad talked. Finally, Cooper opened the door to the bathroom, and a blonde girl raced past them and out the front door. When Fuckwad yelled her name, Cooper pulled his brother into another room.
"Hey," a guy said, handing me a beer. When his friend whispered to him, the first guy shrugged. "Have a good night."
Suddenly, I enjoyed a wide berth as I took the beer to a couch and watched a football game with the sound down. My dad loved sports, mostly gambling on them. Tawny, Dad, and I would spend our Sundays watching games and cheering for whoever he bet on. If he lost too many games, he left, and we wondered if he'd ever come back? If he won a lot of games, we went to dinner at Burger King.
"I'm Nick," said the guy taking up the spot next to me on the couch. "We have a few classes together."
Sweetie Pie had a name and a great smile he was focusing on me. I tried not to show how excited I was by this turn of events or how much I wished I was dressed better.
"Farah. We're in Spanish, English Lit, and Algebra together," I said, pretty much giving away how I was hot for him. Clearly, I was in one of my more brilliant moods.
Nick gave me a big ass smile announcing he was hot for me too, so we were even.
"Are you from this area originally?" he asked.
"No."
"Me either. I grew up the state over, but my grandfather came here. Since he's the only one in my family to go to college, I figured I'd follow in his footsteps."
"I came here because my mom lives in town. I'm planning to be a teacher."
Nick's big green eyes lit up. "No way. Me too. Primary?"
"Yeah, I'd like the younger ones, but no kindergarten. They cry too easily. Or I might try high school math because they make better money. I haven't really decided."
Nick grinned. "I like fourth and fifth graders. You know, when the BO kicks in."
Laughing now, I realized this was how casual flirting felt. I'd never really flirted, always shutting things down with guys out of fear and convenience. The thing I did with Cooper was about lust and paranoia. While I liked looking at him, I was also terrified he would get me fired if I didn't play nice.
"My friends told me not to talk to you," Nick said. "They said you came with Cooper Johansson, and he's scary."