Someone to Love by Lena Hampton Page B

Daphne said as soon as they were out of earshot.
    “Of course he does, she’s his type— attractive and female,” Rose said.
    “No, I think he likes her.” She leaned in as if telling a secret. “He told her about his father.”
    “Oh,” Rose said.
    “Is that a big deal?” Diane asked.
    “He doesn’t talk about his father,” Rose explained.
    “With anybody,” Daphne continued. “Not even me.”
    “Oh,” Diane said. “Wow.”
    “I hope he doesn’t try to pull a Cooper,” Rose said.
    “What’s a Cooper?” Diane said lost again.
    “He has relations, not so much actual relationships. If feelings start to form he breaks things off,” Rose said.
    “I doubt Noli will be around long enough for feelings to form. She doesn’t do feelings anymore.” Diane looked at the clock on the microwave. “I need to go get ready for my study group. Momma, you’re still able to help Noli get where she needs to go today right?”
    “Yes dear.”
    “Thanks for all your help. The plan to organize a wedding and study for the bar wasn’t too well thought out.”
    “You concentrate on studying and we’ll take care of the wedding.”
    Diane kissed her future mother in law on the cheek and headed up the stairs.
    “You know, if they had more time together, perhaps Cooper and Noli could get over their relationship-phobias together,” Daphne said once she believed Diane was out of earshot.
    “Daphne, are you talking about meddling in your son’s love life?”
    “I most certainly am,” she said in a matter of fact tone. “That boy can’t live his entire life keeping love at bay. I’m just saying we give him a gentle push in the right direction.” Daphne said.
    “What if that’s not the right direction for Noli?” Rose asked. “If it’s meant to be, it’ll be.”
    “Sometimes meant to be needs a little help being. I’m not trying to force anything. I just have a feeling that if they spend time together it could be good for both of them.”
    “Just time together huh,” Rose said considering her friend’s idea. “She doesn’t drive. Diane’s going to be busy studying and asked me to help her get around. Perhaps I could need to take care of my sick husband,” Rose said.
    “And I have work,” Daphne said. “But Cooper could easily be available.”
     
    ***
     
    Before he could get out the door she let him have it. “What kind of low life are you? Did you think it was okay to get me drunk while you drank pop so you could take advantage of me?”
    A vein was popping on her neck around the same area he’d been kissing the night before. He’d like to kiss her there right now. “It’s not like that at all.”
    “I don’t care what it was like. I don’t want to hear any more of your lies. You lost the bet and there will be an open bar.”
    She turned to go, but he reached for her arm. “It’s not a lie. What I did was wrong and I apologize. I’d told Kayla to do that when it was just us settling some trash talk.”
    “Well, once it became a bet you could have stopped your trickery, but you didn’t.”
    “I was trying to be responsible. It wasn’t that I was trying to get you drunk but more that I was trying to not get drunk since I had to drive you home. I just wanted to drive you home because I was enjoying my time with you and didn’t want the night to end.” That was the truth. He had been hoping to luck his way into a kiss. Every time she’d raised a mug to her soft full lips he’d wished she was touching her lips to his and not the glass.
    “Any way you spin it, you still lied to get me drunk.”
    Her tone had changed and he knew he was making head way. “It was never my intention to get you drunk. I thought you’d drink two or three beers and be done. You could have stopped at any point. I didn’t force you to drink like a sailor on leave.”
    “So you’re blaming me?” That intimidating tone and killer glint in her eyes returned.
    “Not blaming you. I’m just saying it was