Oh, we were back to that. “His name is Mathieu.”
“Yeah, I don’t care what his name is.” As I put the car into park, Coop covered my hand with his.
“I’m not trying to be an ass, I promise.”
“I know,” I told him. “You’re just drawn that way.”
He laughed and it was his first real smile of the morning. “I meant it. I want to take you out.”
“Even if…?”
“Even if you’re dating the other guys.”
Ian knocked on my window, but Coop didn’t let go of my hand. I held up my other hand with a single finger up, asking for a minute then I looked at Coop. “Are you sure?”
“Do you not want to go out with me?” He straightened a little. “I mean, I get it if…”
“Coop, stop. It’s not that. But literally a week ago, I was planning my first date ever and it was cooking in my kitchen. Now…”
“Now you let us know you’re available, and you’re finally figuring out how much we all like you?”
I nodded slowly. “But we’ve been friends forever. If this…I don’t want to mess that up.” I hadn’t lied in what I told Jake. I hadmissedall of them so much.
“We’ll make it work, Frankie. Make some time for me, too? Maybe Monday after homework planning and the application strategy session?”
“Okay,” I said. “But you already asked me out for next Saturday already.”
“Really?”
I laughed. “Yes, Really.”
“Well, cool. So Monday first date and Saturday second? You and me?”
“You and me.”
That seemed to be the reassurance he needed. Coop leaned over and kissed me lightly, right on the lips, before backing off. “I’m holding you to that.”
I gave him a light shove. “I have no doubt.”
As soon as I turned off the car, Ian opened my door for me. He glanced at me first and his gaze dipped to my throat for a beat then he looked at Coop. “You two all right?”
“We’re fine, just being us,” I told him. Ian studied me for a beat and the hurricane force butterflies raced through my system. Two days ago, I made out with Ian and, damn, I’d never been kissed like that. A couple of hours ago, I’d made out and then some with Jake.
We didn’t do anything wrong…
“Goofy?” came Ian’s response and I grinned.
“More or less.”
“Me more, her definitely less,” Coop retorted. Then Ian backed up so I could get out of the car. I barely got the door closed when Ian backed me right up to the door then kissed me. It was far more than a light brush. He teased his tongue along the seam of my lips and I opened up for him. He tasted of toothpaste and a hint of coffee. It was intense enough that when he sucked my lower lip between his teeth, I had to brace my hand on his shoulder.
When he lifted his head, I exhaled a shaky breath. What equilibrium I’d gained between leaving the apartment and getting to school rested on precarious ground.
“You know,” Coop said almost conversationally. “That was pretty hot, but probably not the best idea to do that here.”
Heat flooded my face and Ian lifted his gaze to glare past me right at Coop. But when I gave Ian a light push so I could wiggle out from between him and the car, he backed off. I just barely caught Coop’s nod to the side and when I looked, I really wished I hadn’t.
Rachel Manning was making her way toward another set of doors with Cheryl and a couple of other girls I didn’t recognize. But Rachel looked right at us. No doubt she’d seen.