Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Sessions Chapter 38

Here we stand
Somewhere in between this moment and the end
Will we bend?
Or will we open up and take this whole thing in?


South Beach - The Peninsula







Cooper awakened disoriented and exhausted. Dealing with Nate's arrogance, Eric's quiet defiance the previous night he'd struggled not to lose his failing patience. Hugs' wide eyed trepidation at the chaos along with the raging storm had prevented him from sleeping and it hadn't helped that the opposite side of the bed had been empty, a situation he intended to rectify soon. Enforcing his parental authority that morning, and that had been a lot harder than he expected, insisting the twins come directly home from school and scrambling to find Ericca to watch Hugs, Cooper headed downtown to meet with Elise.





Preoccupied, ambling down the sidewalk with a strong cup of coffee he thought about how to approach her. Elise had been furious at him last night and it had set him on his heels. Frowning, he considered how he would make it right when he walked head on into a guy who had just rounded the corner. Losing his grip on the cup it tumbled from his hand splashing its contents on the concrete between them.



"Shit! Sorry about that man." Coop looked up, studied the guy for a few minutes before recognition set in. Rob Porter, backup guitarist for Flight. What was he doing here?





"It's all good man, no worries." Brushing a spot of liquid off his jeans he added, "I'd love to catch up but I've got a 'thing' and I'm running a little late." Gesturing with a nod of his head, Rob turned and headed toward the strip. He stopped, shot a final enigmatic glance back at Cooper, speculative, before he walked away.

Oceanside - The Palms Hotel: 10 AM







Finally making it to The Palms he went up to the room, found it vacant and ended up checking at the front desk, relieved to hear she was in the dining room and not simply gone. Entering the restaurant he saw Elise sitting at a table talking to someone, laughing; maybe a waiter said something amusing. Coop moved toward her, smiling and confident until, stopping abruptly at the table, he glared at the cause of her laughter.



Alex Ferguson. Blade. It didn't take much to figure out Blade's motives. Coop had seen him openly admiring Elise on more than one occasion. He'd let it go at the time, Coop couldn't blame him for appreciating his wife, until now. Cooper folded his arms and struggled to keep his face devoid of expression.



"Hello Coop, it's been awhile." Blade barely glanced up, his eyes riveted on Elise.

"Alex." Cooper never called him by his nickname. It bothered Alex and Coop knew it. While they weren't exactly enemies, they weren't friends. Rival was a more accurate assessment and Alex had just upped the ante. "Aren't you a little out of your domain?"



Blade rose from his seat. He stood nearly as tall as Cooper. "We were just working out details for Beth to check out the place I bought out by the beach. It could use her expertise in decorating."

"Is that right?" Coop folded his arms and held Blade's gaze. The corners of Coop's mouth turned slightly upward but the smile never reached his eyes. Did this arrogant prick actually think he was going to worm his way into Elise's bed? Whatever game he thought he was playing Cooper would effectively end it. Stepping closer to him, Coop asked, "What gave you the impression that she had the time or inclination?"



Blade held his position and returned the smile. "Actually your ex did. We met up last night out on Coast Road. I rescued her and that little car you've got her driving from the brink of disaster. We worked out the details over dinner and drinks."



What the hell?  He had dinner with Elise and she hadn't mentioned it? Coop's eyes narrowed as he reined in his anger. "She's not my ex, Alex, she's my wife, although I know how hard it is for you not to confuse the two. What is it, three or four divorces under your belt?"



Blade laughed and turned toward Elise who had been watching the scene with amusement. Taking her hand, lightly squeezing it, he took his leave. "Last night was a singular pleasure, Elise. I'll see you soon."



Straightening, he slid those blue eyes on Coop, began to walk past him and in a smooth, low voice taunted, "You better watch it Coop, your crown is beginning to tarnish."



"Game on." Coop muttered before he turned back to Elise who met his gaze with obvious challenge. Holding his breath long enough to pull back an angry expletive he demanded, "You want to tell me what that was about?"

She stood up, putting one hand on the table to steady herself, never dropping her gaze, but Cooper saw her hand shaking. "Why do you think I'm here? I drove through a hurricane to meet you. I left our children alone in that storm to meet you. You want to know what it's about? It's about the same thing it's always about. I'm tired, Coop. I'm going home."

21 comments:

Rachel said...

Cooper's strange blend of insecurity and arrogance never fails to amaze me. He doesn't believe he'll lose out to Blade, but he's still pissed that someone would even dare to move in on Beth. And I guess she can't talk to anyone unless Cooper vets it.

Blade is already stirring stuff up. Awesome. I wonder exactly why Beth is amused--my bet is on the fact that Cooper would bother to be angry over someone like Blade. Love it!

S.B. said...

Rachel....that is exactly it. Amused because she doesn't even like Blade. Cooper is very competitive. What's his is his and he doesn't like anybody else moving in on him, personally or professionally, and Blade's challenge hits him on both fronts. At this point he's already a step behind.

Blade is less interested in the girl than he is in stepping on Cooper's cape and letting him know it. That may change, but that's where he is right now.

Thank you from both of us!

Qui. said...

I love the fact that he is jealous! Serves him right for his angry "pay back" sex with Gemma! Even if Beth isn't interested in Blade.. SERVES HIS ASS RIGHT!

Rob Porter= MEOW! Drool worthy for sure!

Blade is what my mother would call a "shit starter" and for some strange reason, I like it!


Wonderful!

Aussie Karima said...

~ I agree with Qui,Drool worthy is right!
~ Coop is his own worst enermy,he does more damage to himself than anyone else does,otherwise he would not be in this situation!
~ I love it,keep up the good work you two, & I will read you later!

S.B. said...

Qui, shit starter is perfect!!

Right now Beth is feeling bad about cheating with Ryan a LONG LONG time ago, and she's taking on most of the responsibility for all the problems in the marriage. Cooper has pushed the sex with Gemma aside, dealt with it, paid her off, figures he'll never have to think about it again. So yeah, in a way, it does serve his ass right!!!

We've been building Blade's band, and Rob has been his best friend since high school. He is strikingly nice... (Gayl's creation).

thank you!!

S.B. said...

Aussie Karima, thank you from both of us!!

Coop is his own worst enemy. He's had some difficult things to deal with though, and he does try. Wanting it all usually means something breaks.

And you'll be seeing more of Rob LOL!

Van said...

I have to wonder what sort of man could survive a professional lunch with Beth without getting the evil eye from Cooper. Someone either related to her or gay, probably, if even then. Cooper's jealousy is out of control. You can tell that Beth doesn't like Blade that way, but he still gets his feathers ruffled over this. It's like watching one of those territorial alpha males on the Discovery Channel.

Maybe he's paranoid that he's in for some sort of bad karma after the thing with Gemma? Or maybe the twins' attitudes sparked some concern? In any case, his marriage isn't going to work if he can't learn to trust his wife.

S.B. said...

Van, trust is such a strange thing isn't it? Trust to do what? To feel what? Love isn't really unconditional; that's dog love. Love me the way I want you to love me and I will trust you.

They love each other. The trust has been broken and, so far, has proved difficult to repair.

Cooper needs something he has not gotten from her in order to trust her. She does not think she can give it to him.

KDSGS said...

Cooper continues to drive away people with his passionate outbursts. Loved the opening shots with the strategically (or not) placed candles.

Blade is a snake charmer of the first degree. Beth seems to be attracted to these type of men, Ryan being the exception. (Ryan, being near perfect!!LOL!)
"A singular pleasure" this guy is smooth.
Wonderful, some new characters to boil the mixture.
great update ladies!

S.B. said...

Drew...snake charmer is perfect!!

Beth isn't interested in Blade though. He invited himself there. Laugh at something he says yes, but not much beyond that.

Ryan. In another world and time maybe, but her definition of perfection was not Ryan. It was and remains Cooper.

Thank you so much from both of us!

Muzegoddess said...

I love it! Cooper marking his territory; he might as well have peed around the table Beth was sitting at. But he is right to be concerned because Blade has his eye on Coop's prize and he's not backing down.

Maybe a little competition will make him appreciate what he has to loose even more, especially if he continues trying to keep the Gemma thing under wraps. But that would be too easy and nothing between these two is easy right now.

Can't wait to see these two face off again.

Rad said...

Can Cooper ever think of anything but Cooper?

Heaven knows Beth isn't blameless but right now I'd be happy to see her keep the upper hand.

Phoenix said...

Cooper needs to put on his big boy pants and realize that this isn't a 'game' at all. He's fighting for his marriage but he's not entirely focused on it since he only wants things the way he wants things!

Rob is a little cutie! I stared at the picture for a minute before continuing on! He looks so sweet and innocent(which he probably isn't!:P).

Great update!

Valpre said...

LOL @ Qui's shit starter comment. But yeah, I couldn't have described him better. I like him too. He's certainly given Coop food for thought, and this should keep him on his toes.

I loved the exchange between the two men, going on about Beth as if she's not there; sheer arrogance from both of them. This is more about the two of them than Beth, and she's just the prize; as if she has no say in any of it.

Moar please NOW!

And oh dear, Rob is a dreamboat. He looks so real.

S.B. said...

Muzegoddess: ha! Yeah, Coop is definitely marking his territory! And completely ignoring the fact that they are officially separated, so his claim isn't all that strong. The competition is a good thing. He has no intention of revealing the Gemma thing. That revelation would put him in a defensive position ('she cheated, not me' would turn into 'ok I did too').

Rad...poor Cooper! LOL! Beth may have the better hand in this particular game, but she's no happier about it than he is. Even if she doesn't particularly care for Blade, she should probably give him a try instead of running around after Coop. He doesn't believe she's serious.

Hey Phoenix! Rob is a doll, isn't he? Not a bit sweet though and definitely not innocent ;P Cooper wants what he really can't have. He was edgy and irritable and jealous with the way things were, and, unless something changes, forcing the relationship to stay the same won't make him any happier.

Val: yeah they pretty much focused on each other! Plenty of arrogance between those two guys: she wasn't even part of the conversation. I'm enjoying Blade, and looking forward to working with Rob too.

Christina said...

but..

what are you talking about?? you're shots are incredibly amazing and clear. I really love that hotel!

and..it had to take a bit of effort to position that coffee cup like that!

*devilish grin* Okay, I admit it. I'm reveling in this jealous thing. "Game on." *snickers*

i can't wait to see where this goes..UGH sessions is the best!!!

thewynd said...

First of all I want to say thank you to everyone who supports our stories. It is greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Christina, the shots are always gorgeous. Beth does a fantastic job. It is easy to be critical of one's own work as I think we all are but she never fails to get stunning images. Hopefully where this is going will be revealed soon.

Thanks again to everyone

The Lunar Fox said...

I'm with Rachel. Cooper never ceases to amaze me, but I love it. Right away he tries to take control of the situation. Good luck with that man! But if he did anything else it wouldn't be Cooper.

Loved all of the photos in this chapter. I think they work well to set the scene and the mood after the storm.

Also, sorry, I'm still sick so my comment feels very blah, but I had to comment on this one, lol.

S.B. said...

Lunar, I hope you feel better soon.

Coop's reaction was pure Cooper: immediately take control. There's not much he can with this set of problems though, not with a direct assault.

S@n said...

Funny situation between Cooper and Blade! LOL the two of them are acting like boys fighting for a cool toy... I'm glad Beth walked away from Cooper! and Hopefully she wont accept to remodel Blade's place...he is trouble... and she got too many problems as she is right now...doesn't need another one!
but something tells me she really enjoys being in the hurricane eye...

Love shots and fantastic writing like always!

S.B. said...

Thank you, S@n!

They aren't really fighting over the woman. They are jockeying for position on a larger stage. Beth doesn't mean anything to Blade except as a faceless trophy (at this point). Cooper is frustrated and jealous and does not like being challenged.

I'm not sure Beth likes being in the center of a hurricane, but that's the world she lives in. Anyone she's likely to meet or socialize with will come with that kind of public profile. Plus, she obviously likes that kind of man LOL!

Thanks from both of us!