I waved and headed down to the end.
She tossed a coaster on the bar, looking glad to see me. The feeling was mutual. “I didn’t expect to see you tonight, Mags. What are you up to?”
I took a seat and pulled my bag off, hanging it on a hook under the bar. “Not much. I was out, but … I don’t know. I wasn’t quite ready to go home to an empty apartment.”
She smiled. “I know the feeling. Maker’s and ginger?”
“That sounds like heaven. Thanks, Rose.”
“No prob.” She grabbed a glass and tossed in a scoop of ice. “How was your day?”
“Weird. Today at work, I met Cooper’s mom.”
Rose looked like something had exploded in her brain. “Oh, my God. That’s the charity she works for? You even told me the name and everything. I can’t believe I didn’t put that together.”
“It’s fine. I mean, how often do you talk about Cooper’s mom?”
She chuckled and poured whiskey into the glass. “True.”
“So that was weird. And then I went over to Mr. M’s. We got into a little … kerfuffle.”
Rose smirked and grabbed the soda gun to top my drink off. “Is that a euphemism?”
I laughed. “No, although I got some of that too.”
“At least one of us got laid.” She handed the glass over.
“How long’s it been?”
Rose sighed. “Too long.”
“Have you thought about dating?”
She leaned on the bar. “Of course. Just haven’t met anyone worth the risk.”
I nodded and took a sip, knowing exactly what she meant. “What about a dating site?”
“I’m not that desperate yet.” She leaned on the bar. “So what was the kerfuffle about?”
“Oh, it was silly — a misunderstanding. I’m just paranoid, I think. I’m afraid to trust him, you know? I don’t want to trust anyone.”
“I get that. I’m glad you guys worked it out, though. How long before his time is up?”
“A week and a couple of days. He wants to go with me to Coney Island tomorrow.”
She raised an eyebrow. “Sounds like a date.”
“That’s what I said. I just don’t know if it’s a good idea. But he swore it was friends only, nothing datey like holding hands or kissing.”
“Are you going to go?”
“I told him I would, but now I’m not so sure.” I looked into her eyes and begged her to just decide for me.
She nodded thoughtfully. “Coney Island is on your list, right?”
“Yeah. I just … I don’t know. I’m only supposed to be banging him, you know?”
“Right. What about upgrading from fuck buddy to friends with benefits?”
I considered it. “I mean, we are friends at this point.”
“And theoretically, you’re going to cut this all off in a week or so anyway, right?”
“Right.”
She shrugged. “I don’t see a problem here. Go on the not-date and have a good time. Then let him rock your junk out and feed you again. That sounds like a cycle I can get behind.”
I laughed, feeling better. “Can I just have you make all of my decisions for me?”
A laugh burst out of her. “I don’t know how well that would work out for you, but as long as you don’t get pissed at me when your life blows up like mine, then sure.”
“Thanks, Rose. I’m having a hell of a time with this, which sucks considering it was supposed to be easy.”
“You’ve been through a lot over the last few months, including a move to Manhattan. Don’t beat yourself up too much.”
I took a drink and did just that — cut myself some slack. She was right. I wanted to go to Coney Island, and I’d have fun with Cooper like I always did. I could handle it. Friends with benefits. Easy.
Cooper
A couple of hours later, I was sitting in my media room with the lights out, flanked by Patrick and West as Scorpion and SubZero beat the shit out of each other in Mortal Kombat style digital surround sound. We each had our own leather recliner with built in speakers, and the ninety-inch TV was close enough to us that it took up our entire field of vision.
The sound boomed as West’s player, Scorpion, yelled, “Come here!” then a splat as he stabbed SubZero in the face with his grappling hook and pulled, ripping his head off. We all groaned, laughing as blood splattered everywhere and the announcer said, “Scorpion wins!”
West crowed. “Bring it on, Coop.”
I grabbed the controller from Patrick and shook my head. “You may beat me on the basketball court, but this is my turf.”
I joined in as Raiden and squared off against Scorpion. The round started, and we went nuts on each other. I dodged as he tried to spear me, shooting him with lightning before I flipped over him and kicked him the back.
The click of the buttons punctuated hisses and swear words from West as we fought, but I just smiled, taking it easy on him to make him feel like he had a shot.
“177 IQ and you play Mortal Kombat like that?” West snickered.
I zapped him with electricity and made him explode.
“Dammit, Cooper!”
“Fatality,” I crowed along with the announcer.
West eyeballed me.
I shook my head, laughing. “You’re such a sore loser, dude.”
Patrick snorted.
“I am not. Fuck you guys.”
We laughed even harder.
“Y’all suck,” he tossed the controller at Patrick, who barely caught it.
He sat back in the seat, smirking. “You’re so mad. Like Blaingry-mad or don’t-touch-my-sister mad.”
“Well,” West huffed, “Blaine was a punk-ass fuck who hurt Lily, and if either of you touch my sister, I will beat your ass.”
Patrick laughed and held up his hands. “Yeah, yeah.”
I tried to play it cool, smiling crooked. “You know, some day she’ll meet a guy she really cares about, and you’ll have to find a way to accept it.”
“I can accept whomever she chooses, as long as it’s not one of you two.”
Patrick raised a dark brow. “That’s not what you said earlier about that guy Maggie works with.”
Outwardly, I was still smiling. Inwardly, I was nuclear. “What’s the story there?”
West scowled from behind his dark beard. “Apparently the chef at the shelter won’t stop asking her out.”
“She told you that?” I asked, disbelieving that she’d offer up any information about a guy who was hitting on her to her brother.
“Sorta. She told Lily.”
Patrick chuckled. “You should have heard him asking Lily questions about the guy like he was a criminal. He works at a homeless shelter for chrissake.”
I made a mental note to ask my mom about him, and Maggie too. For the sake of the rules, of course. “So did she agree?”
“No. She keeps shooting him down.”
Relief slipped over me, and I took the opening to press my point. “So you don’t want Maggie to date someone you don’t know, but you don’t want her to date someone you do know, either? Who exactly fits into that criteria?”
West’s brow was low, his face pinched as he tried to explain himself. “Who would meet my expectations? It’s not all that complicated. A man who’s got his shit together. Someone who will love her and treat her like the goddamn queen she is. Jimmy squandered the gift he’d been given, and she’s not over it. I don’t care how much she pretends like she’s fine and dandy. She’s hurting and alone, and I won’t see her go through that again, so until she meets a man who will protect her and care for her, who won’t drag her down with him, I’ll keep being a picky, overbearing son of a bitch.” His jaw was set, eyes hard as he stood. “I need a drink. Y’all want one?”
We nodded and muttered our agreement, subdued, and West blew out of the room.
The second he was gone, Patrick spun his chair around to face me. “Do you have a thing for Maggie?”