The mystery tantalized him. After five minutes of relative silence, he knelt down and lightly tickled her foot.
She stirred again and rolled onto her back. Her half-open eyes stared right at him. For a moment, he was terrified that she had awoken and would ask what the hell he was doing. But, the eyes were unmoving. He let out a silent sigh of relief.
She hissed angrily, “We shouldn’t have done it, don’t you see? It’s cost too much.”
Surprised by her angry outburst, he stood up and backed away. She shifted again, onto her right side and resumed breathing steadily. He watched for several more minutes, but she did not speak again. He decided not to risk disturbing her again, despite how his mind was alive with questions about what she’d said. A ray of light from the streetlamp caressed her face. A full minute later, Cooper realized he’d been staring at her. He shook his head to clear his mind and went back to bed. His alarm clock told him it was just after three in the morning. He couldn’t sleep, as questions about what she’d said, and the powerful emotions she had stirred pestered him.
Around five o’clock he gave up and went downstairs to begin preparing breakfast.
Cooper had almost finished making a breakfast of French toast, sausage links, and hash browns when he heard the creak of the stairs as someone descended. Louder than Jake. It must be Julianne. He was setting a pitcher of orange juice onto the table when she rounded the landing and stepped into the dining room.
The long flannel shirt he had let her borrow hung just below her knees. Her deep black hair was only finger-combed. She brushed the left side behind her ear and looked up at him. Her eyes were alight. Powerful as black holes, they pulled him in, and seemed to go on forever.
“Good morning,” she said.
“Good morning. How’d you sleep?” He knew he was going to ask her about what she’d said in her sleep, but he’d wait before doing so.
“Oh, I slept well. As good as could be expected after yesterday, I guess.”
“Good. I’m sorry I didn’t have something better to offer you than that air mattress. We were never set up well for guests.”
“Oh, it was fine,” she leaned in, setting her hand on the small of his back. She whispered into his ear, “I’m sorry about last night. I know I came on strong last night. I can be unbearable when I want something. I’m sorry for that.”
He craned his neck back, so he could look at her, “Don’t worry about it. I was flattered, really. You are an…incredible woman. But, I’m still in love…I know it sounds crazy…but I’m still in love with my wife.”
She patted him on his shoulder, “It’s not crazy at all. It’s normal. I was the one who was off base. It’s sweet. It’s why I said you’re such a rare man.” She stopped and laughed to herself.
Cooper looked puzzled, “What?”
“Oh, I can’t. It will make me sound like an arrogant slut.”
He looked plaintively at her, “Oh, you have to tell me now. You can’t bring something like that up and not say anything.”
She dropped her shoulders, “Oh, alright. I guess I owe you that. It’s just that you’re the first man, ever, to reject my advances. Single. Married. It hasn’t mattered. I do believe once even a gay man said yes to me.”
He looked back at her, straight faced.
“What?” she pleaded.
“You’re right. You are an arrogant slut,” a wide smile betrayed the levity.
She punched him in the shoulder. “Oh, c’mon. I didn’t say it’s been that many. I just said you were the first to say no.”
“Well, if it makes you feel better, I didn’t really say no.”
Her eyes turned coy, she cocked her head, and her voice lilted, flirting again, “Really?”
“I just didn’t say yes,” and he turned and walked back into the kitchen to grab the coffee pot.
He deliberately rocked his hips on his way out, imitating her departure from last night. She burst out laughing.
She was sitting at the table when he came back in, steaming coffee pot in hand. Lighter footsteps were heard on the stairs, and Jake soon bounced into the dining room.
“What’s everyone laughing about?” he asked.
“Your father is just one funny guy,” Julianne responded.
“Funny looking, you mean?”
Cooper pointed the pot at his son, “Watch it, young man.” Jake grinned widely, while Cooper snarled at him, playfully.
Cooper poured Julianne and himself a cup of coffee and sat down to eat. They ate and had amiable conversation. It was painfully obvious now how Julianne avoided talking about her work or the plague. On other topics, however, she was an able conversationalist. Cooper enjoyed talking with her. She was witty, humorous, and intelligent. She’s awfully pleasant to look at, too. Jake watched the banter warily. Cooper noted his growing foul mood. I better be careful, he’s taking this the wrong way. He slowly fell silent. Julianne picked up the cue and did likewise.
When they had finished the meal, Cooper sent Jake upstairs to shower. He departed reluctantly, afraid of what might happen while he was gone. Cooper swatted him on the rear to get him moving.
Julianne started to clear the dishes and Cooper pitched in.
“Can I ask you something?”
“Sure.”
“I’m sorry, but last night I overheard you talking in your sleep.”
It was barely perceptible, but her motions hiccupped as he finished the sentence, “Really? I hope I wasn’t talking about you in some inappropriate manner.” Her joke fell flat. He heard the discomfort in her voice.
He wanted to keep her comfortable, loose. “Despite my fervent hopes when I first woke up, no, it wasn’t that.” He laughed. She joined in, but it sounded forced. “You said some curious things.”
“Like what?” She turned to face him. He paused, dirty dishes in hand.
“You said ‘you were wrong’ and ‘it’s cost too much.’”
She dropped her eyes quickly to the floor. “I’m sorry you heard that.”
“What were you talking about?”
She cradled a spoon in her hands, stroking it, and delaying her response. After a few moments passed, she set the spoon onto the table, “I made a mistake. A big one,” she stopped. He waited for her to continue. She knotted her fingers together, clenching and unclenching. “I had an affair. A married man. He told me it wouldn’t hurt anyone. He told me his wife would never know. But, she did find out and it wrecked their home. I never wanted that.” She looked back up at him with glistening eyes.
He offered a curt, biting, smile in return. Her deep eyes were suddenly shallow. “I don’t know what you’re hiding. But, I’m disappointed you aren’t telling me the truth.”
Her eyebrows knotted up, becoming indignant, “I don’t know…”
He interrupted her, an angry edge to his voice, “I don’t like being lied to. You’ve barely told me what you do for a living. Someone like you wouldn’t lay down such a painful secret so easily. It just doesn’t add…”
His words were cut short by a cavalcade of gunfire in the distance; from up the street. He started at the sound, dropping a plate that shattered when it hit the ground.
Chapter 17
“Get Jake into the basement. Keep him there until I get back. He knows where his .22 is.”
Cooper ran to the front door. He clambered into the bulletproof vest, slung a bandoleer of magazines across his chest, and grabbed his rifle. His pistol was already on his hip, as it was now anytime he was awake. He gave a look back at Julianne. She stood motionless in the kitchen where he’d left her.