Page 22 of The Purest Fake
Autumn laughs. “You have no idea. Are you two having fun playing lovebirds?”
Cooper and I exchange a quick glance. “It’s been okay so far.”
“Well, you certainly look like you’re having fun,” Autumn says.
I smile. “That’s the goal, right?”
“Right,” Cooper agrees before taking a long swig of his whiskey.
“Anyway,” Rogan interjects. “We came to tell you dinner is about to be served. We should head back over to the table now.”
Cooper gives a quick nod. “Okay.” As we’re following our friends, we get waylaid by no fewer than ten of his teammates who want to say hi. If it wasn’t so overwhelming, it would be comical. We make it an average of three steps before someone else calls Cooper’s name, and he’s barely introduced me to them when I’ve already forgotten their names.
We finally make it to our table, and Griffin and Thor greet us. As soon as I’m seated, I tip back my martini, downing the remainder, and set the glass down with a relieved sigh.
“How are you doing, Scar?” Cooper asks.
“I’m good.”
“You sure? You can tell me if you’re miserable.”
“I’m not. I think I’m getting hangry. I didn’t think it would take this long for us to eat.”
He smiles. “I’m starving too. Couldn’t you hear my stomach growling when we were dancing?”
I laugh. “No, not at all.”
“That’s a relief.”
“Do you know what’s on the schedule for after dinner?”
“Usually there will be some more dancing and some speeches. Sometimes they auction off items, but not tonight. The tickets to this event were $1000 per couple, so that’s how they’re raising the funds for the charity.”
“Jeeeezus. That’s a lot of money.”
“It is, but not for most of the people in this room,” he explains.
I nod, understanding. “Right, I guess for professional athletes and wealthy donors, that’s not a huge sum.”
“Exactly. Plus, it’s for a good cause. The money goes to support youth sports programs in underprivileged areas.”
“That’s wonderful,” I say, genuinely impressed. “It must feel good to be able to give back like this.”
Cooper’s expression softens. “It does. Growing up, sports were everything to me. I can’t imagine not having had those opportunities. If I can help even one kid discover their passion or potential through athletics, it’s worth it.”
His sincerity touches me. There’s clearly more depth to Cooper beneath his good looks and charm. Before I can respond, servers begin bringing out the first course.
The meal passes pleasantly, with humorous conversation flowing between us and our tablemates. I can see why Cooper gets along so well with these guys.
As we finish our dessert, I notice Cooper glancing at his watch. He leans in close, his breath tickling my ear as he whispers, “Want to sneak out of here?”
I raise an eyebrow. “Already? I thought we had to stay for the whole event.”
He grins mischievously. “We’ve made our appearance, danced, and eaten dinner. I’d say we’ve fulfilled our obligations. Besides,” he adds with a wink, “a good boyfriend would make sure to get his girl home at a reasonable hour.”
I let out a soft laugh. “Well, when you put it that way.”
We make our excuses to the others and say our goodbyes. Autumn holds her hand up to her ear and mouths,“Call me.”I nod and blow her a kiss.
