My One and Only(38)

“Things could get interesting if he heard you say you want him.”

Haleigh nearly spilled her coffee. “I never said I wanted Cooper.”

“Yes, you did,” Jessi corrected. “You said it’s not that you don’t want him, which means you want him.”

“That is not the same thing.” Her throbbing temples were hindering her ability to think. Had she said she wanted Cooper?

“It most definitely is, though your version was about to come with a but until Cooper screamed like a girl and you shut up.” Sliding off her stool, Jessi filled a mug with hot water and popped it into the microwave. “I was starting to think y’all were the most boring people ever. Now I see the drama is just in the early stages.”

Drama? Her life may have its moments, but she did not live in some cheesy soap opera.

“Sorry to disappoint you, but there is no drama. Just because I’m attracted to Cooper doesn’t mean anything is going to happen. For one, I’d drive him crazy. He’s like sunshine and rainbows, and I’m thunderclouds and mud puddles. He’s the boy next door, and I’m the emotional train wreck who should have a ring of those orange construction cones set up all around me.”

Jessi held silent for several seconds while staring at Haleigh as if she could see through her skull.

“Nope,” she said. “I’m not buying it.”

Haleigh struggled not to grind her teeth. “Not buying what?”

“You’re no train wreck, doc. I was raised by a train wreck, and you don’t even qualify as a mild fender bender.”

“You’ve known me for less than a week.”

“Did you miss the raised by part?” Jessi asked. The microwave dinged and the girl continued her diatribe as she made her tea. “Let’s start with the obvious—you’re a doctor. Employed, smart, and dedicated, because you have to have dedication to endure, like, eighteen years of college to be a doctor.”

“Eight,” Haleigh corrected.

“Same thing. Next, you don’t dress like a train wreck.”

“There’s a train wreck dress code?” Haleigh drawled. “Enlighten me.”

With a shake of her head, Jessi said, “Sarcasm doesn’t bother me. Now we move on to your lack of a social life. Train wrecks are notorious for their need for attention. After Calvin, Mama never went forty-eight hours without bringing a man home. Male attention is like oxygen in her world.” Jessi set the tea bag in the sink and proceeded to grab the milk from the fridge. “You, on the other hand, don’t seem interested in men at all.” With a pointed look, she added, “Except for Cooper.”

“I’ve known him my whole life.”

“Then you know his history. You know, that’s the trouble with dating a guy you just met. He’s cute, he says the right things, and the next thing you know you’re searching for your panties in the backseat of his Mustang.” More to herself than to Haleigh, Jessi mumbled, “Damn, that was a nice car. Anyway, that’s when you find some other girl’s panties under the passenger seat and realize that new guy is a two-timing jerk who didn’t deserve you, but by then the damage is done.”

Sidetracked from the subject, Haleigh said, “You got pregnant in the backseat of a Mustang?”

“Hey,” Jessi barked. “Don’t judge. Train wreck mother. Not a great role model, okay?”

“Right. Sorry. I just . . .” Haleigh tapped the side of her coffee cup. “Is the backseat of a Mustang really big enough for that?”

It was Jessi’s turn to look surprised. “Are you saying you’ve never done it in a car?”

Haleigh resisted the urge to defend herself by sharing a few of the less conventional places she’d had sex during college.

“As revelatory as this conversation has been, the point is that Cooper and I are a no-go. Period. Besides the fact that he deserves a woman the complete opposite of me, there’s also the issue of bringing him home to my mother. She’s still mourning my broken engagement to a plastic surgeon. I can only imagine her reaction upon hearing I’m going to spend my future with a mechanic.”

“Wow,” Jessi said. “I did not see that coming.”

“What?” Haleigh asked.

“I just didn’t figure you for one of those bitchy snobs.”

“What did you call me?”

“Don’t get snippy with me, doc. You just said a mechanic isn’t good enough for you. That’s seriously crappy. Cooper didn’t have to take me to the hospital that night he found me. But he did. And he stayed. Then he made sure I had someplace to go. If that isn’t good enough for you, then I’m sorry, but that makes you a bitch.” Tea in hand, Jessi headed out of the kitchen. “I need a shower.”