“You have a twin?” He motions to a picture of Ellie and me at the beach when we were sixteen. It was a family vacation we took for spring break our junior year in high school. Ellie and I were signed up for surfing lessons and the instructor was a really hot college guy. I remember being mortified when my dad asked if there were any other instructors, a woman perhaps. My mom had to distract him with a round of golf at the resort or he likely would have been glaring at our instructor from underneath an umbrella for the duration of our lesson.
“Yeah. We’re identical.”
“Is she as easygoing as you are?”
I laugh. “We’re nothing alike. She’s a middle school math teacher, married to her college sweetheart. Her house is clean and she doesn’t show up unannounced.”
On our way out, my bag knocks over the pile of home décor magazines by the door. Cole helps me pick them up, his large hands easily wrapping around the entire stack.
“I didn’t have time to clean. This was so last minute. I was going to clean tonight, but then this came up and now my whole schedule is off.” My overnight bag swings from the crook of my arm as my hands gesture wildly.
“I apologize for the lack of notice.” Cole holds the door open so I can exit. “I myself was surprised by this turn of events.” He raises his eyebrows and looks pointedly at me. Yes, I know I showed up at his office unannounced and then practically begged him to fuck me on his desk but really, he chose this.
I narrow my eyes at him as I pull the door shut and lock my apartment. We could have avoided this whole thing if he just would have had sex with me in his office.
We exit my building and I follow him to his car which is parked on the street. He drives a luxury SUV which seems a little large and unnecessary for a single guy. I glance toward the back seat, both of them, then turn to Cole.
“Your car is very roomy.” It’s also spotless and smells dreamy, but I choose to focus on the former.
“We’re not having sex in the car.” He starts the car and pulls onto the street, a playful smile on his lips.
I scoff and pretend to be offended, even though the thought did cross my mind. “That’s not what I was getting at. Why do you need such a big vehicle? Do you enjoy carbon emissions?”
Cole shrugs, “It’s great for hauling gear up to the mountains. For skiing and camping. Do you ski?”
I lift my hand and rotate my wrist, giving him the universal signal for kinda. Growing up in Denver meant learning to ski when I could walk, we skied as a family for years, but I haven’t been since my parents died.
“And someday for ki—” Cole clears his throat. “A dog. A big one that needs space.”
I could have sworn he was about to say kids.
“What kind of dog?”
“I’ve always wanted a Bernese Mountain Dog, but I’ve been working a lot and haven’t had the time to devote to a pet. My sister and her husband have a Goldendoodle, so I live vicariously through them.”
“Does she live in Denver?”
“Yeah, south suburbs. She has two girls, a baby boy due in a few weeks. My parents are here, too. They’re retired, they still ski and travel, but they live for their grandchildren.” Cole signals and turns onto Speer Boulevard. “What about your parents?”
The question doesn’t cause the anxiety that it used to. I’m accustomed to the question and my canned response that follows.
“They died. Car accident, eight years ago.” Don’t get me wrong, it still hurts but I can contain the hurt much better now.
Cole’s head does a quick turn in my direction, he looks stunned, like he wasn’t expecting that at all.
“Brooke…I’m so sorry.”
He reaches his hand over to cover mine resting in my lap and rubs his thumb across my knuckles.
“It happened when we were in college, just after junior year.”
“I can’t even begin to imagine how hard that was for you and your sister.”
“Yeah. It was.”
In a couple weeks it will be the nine-year anniversary. I don’t share that information. What’s the point? In a few weeks Cole and I won’t be a thing. The less I get into it the better. I’m sure the last thing he wants is to cloud our evening with the discussion of death.
We turn onto 32ndAvenue and Cole pulls into a small parking lot next to a brick building. After he cuts the engine, he turns toward me.
