“All right, well, I’ve never made a float, but I do like designing fun stuff,” I say.
“Exactly. I need that creative eye of yours.”
“I think our best bet is going to be to wrap the whole truck in this green floral sheeting,” I say, picking up a package from the floor. “So, let’s do that—then we can wrap the foil fringe and vinyl twist around the bottom of the frame.”
Cooper stares at me. “You lost me at ‘floral sheeting.’?”
I roll my eyes and grin at his befuddled expression. “Okay, you just stand there and hand me the tools.”
“And look pretty?”
“Exactly.”
I tear open the sheeting. “Typically, I’d say we should use a staple gun to secure this, but that won’t work on metal. Do you have any heavy-duty double-sided tape maybe?”
“I didn’t buy any, but we might have some in the house. Be right back.”
Cooper runs in to get the tape, and I lay out the silver fringe around the truck. When he comes out with a new roll, we get the truck wrapped in the floral sheeting. Then we wrap the base of the truck in the silver foil fringe. Once we finish, the truck is well on its way to being transformed into a parade float.
“Now what?” Cooper asks.
“I’m not sure. I’d love to make it whimsical and fun, but…”I gasp, my eyes widening with an idea. “Oh snap. I got it.” I start tearing the fringe off the truck.
“What are you doing?” he asks. “We literally just finished that.”
“Get the brown foil fringe from over there instead.”
“Yes, boss,” he says, but he looks skeptical.
We get the brown fringe on instead. Then we stand back.
“Okay,” I say, waving my hands at the truck, “The brown is the dirt path, the green is the grass, where—drumroll, please—” Cooper grins and shakes his head but indulges me, drumming his hands on his thighs—“the gingerbread house sits, covered in baked goods. Oversized, fake, giant ones, of course.”
“What?” Cooper chortles. “You want us to build a gingerbread house?”
“Yes! Well, something like one. We’ll use painted foam blocks to build it. We’ll get Sloane and Asher to help us make the giant desserts to stick on it. And then,” I say, grinning, “you’ll be standing in your cookie costume behind the house, passing out your cookies, and Jake will dress like a witch, driving you around. I mean, assuming things are okay by then.”
Cooper laughs. “Okay, I’m sold. But even if we’re good, you know Jake is going to say he’s too good-looking to dress like a witch. I can hear him now….” He does his best Jake impression when he says, “It’ll scare off the ladies, man!”
He’s so right. “Fine. I’ll get Sloane to do it for us. It’ll be so fun,” I say. “But itisgoing to be a lot of work to finish in the next two weeks.”
Cooper shrugs. “I think we can do it. We’ll just meet here every day after school.”
“Except Wednesday because you work.”
An amused smile spreads over his face. “Why do you know that?”
I shrug. “Details.”
Cooper steps toward me. “I keep wondering if this is real life.”
I take the final step toward him and wrap my arms around his neck. “Same, though.”
He leans down and presses his lips to mine, but before we can get too swept away in each other, I back away.
“Can I ask you a question?” I ask.
“Anything.”
