Close Encounters - Chapter 7
Sissy shamed me with her almost 5000 word chapter, especially since I haven't posted in awhile. So here's the next chapter. Hope you enjoy.
Title: Close Encounters
Rating: PGish
Disclaimer: Not mine and thank God cause it sucks now, lol Not my characters either, I only borrowed them. What I write is in no way associated with GL (that should be obvious in that Coop and Ashlee are in it....together, lol) And I'm not getting any money for this cause, well nobody would pay me for it, lol Purely for entertainment.
Summary: This is about narrow margins. Those times when something happened at a certain point in time that you just missed, either before or after it happened. What would have happened if it hadn't been Beth that Coop ran into? This story begins on that fateful day. This is alternate reality. Coop and Ashlee don't know each other...yet.
Dedication: This is for J, who writes and writes and writes for us and has asked nicely *browbeat me, cough* to write her something. Only for you would I put myself through this, lol Here you go sissy. *hugs and love*
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Funny how you instinctively know that food that tasted good going down would most certainly not taste good coming back up. Ashlee swallowed repeatedly, terrified that the salty taste would win and her dinner would be revisited. Taking a deep, fortifying breath, she pasted a smile on her face. She was almost there and her mind was completely blank. What was she going to say to him? She had had every intention of just scanning the area as she walked to the bathroom. Going over to them, let alone stopping, hadn’t been in her plans.
Mentally she shook her head. She was the literary. The one friends asked to edit their papers. She could pontificate with the best of them and because of her mom, had honed her lobbying skills. But right now, she had nothing.
Or she hadn’t, until she tripped and almost fell. Twisting her ankle, pain shot up the side and she winced. In her mind’s eye, she could see her flailing arms and contorted body in slow motion. Coop rushed forward and grabbed her arm, righting her. Mortified, scorching heat infused her face and she closed her eyes for a second trying to regroup. Why was it, she wondered, that her most embarrassing moments always happened when there were plenty of witnesses.
“Thanks” she murmured, unable to meet him eyes, her ankle throbbing.
“Hey” he said and didn’t continue until she looked at him. “You ok?”
The true concern in his eyes melted away her embarrassment. “You mean other than being humiliated beyond belief for tripping on nothing at all?” she laughed, self deprecation dripping from the sound.
He didn’t join in the laughter. “I’ve done that before. We all have” he said, looking at Ava to agree and finding that she was already shaking her head yes. “I just want to make sure you’re ok.”
Stepping down on the foot she had been favoring, she winced and sucked air in. She tried to school her features but didn’t quite make it. “I’m ok” she said, trying to cover.
A short burst of a laugh escaped him. “I can see that you’re not ok.”
“Do you want me to go get-?” Ava started but was interrupted.
“No” both Coop and Ashlee yelled at the same time, making Ava jump.
Coop looked at her pointedly and she smiled innocently at him. What was she doing, he wondered. She was supposed to be helping him make Ashlee jealous. She wasn’t supposed to be making him jealous.
“I was going to say Mark.“ she smiled mischievously. “He‘s a first year resident at the hospital.” Ava explained.
Looking chagrinned, color filled his cheeks. “Ummm, here” he said taking Ashlee’s arm and putting it around his neck. “Lets get you over to this bench and assess your ankle ok and Ava can go get Mark.” Ashlee groaned inwardly in humiliation and leaned against him. Putting most of her weight on her good foot they managed their way to the bench where he helped her sit while Ava disappeared back in the theater in search of Mark..
Kneeling in front of her, Coop gently lifted her foot and put it on his thigh. She wouldn’t have had to be looking to tell the second his fingers touched her skin. A tingly heat traveled up her leg, pooling at the juncture, heating her through. Before she could cover it, a gasp escaped her lips. Crystal blue eyes collided with steel blue-grey eyes and her breathing became shallow.
“Does that hurt?” he asked with concern.
She couldn’t form a word right now to save her life. Her eyes big and her mouth slightly open, all she could manage was a nod in the negative. His smile was small, sexy, knowing.
“It looks pretty bad to me, like something could be broken, but since I’m not a doctor, we’ll wait and see what Mark says. He may say you should probably get it checked out to make sure.”
“What?” she said, only half hearing him, and then registering what he had said. “Oh, no, I’m sure it’ll be ok.”
“Ash” he said, soothingly rubbing her foot “it’s swelling a lot. You should get it checked out.”
“Let’s see if he’s right” Ava said, reappearing with Mark.
Ashlee looked up, an apology on her lips. “I am so sorry.”
Mark smiled reassuringly. “Don’t be.” He leaned in as if sharing a secret with a friend and whispered “It was the ‘chick flick’ part of the movie. You really saved me.”
She laughed as Ava swatted at him. “Well I’m glad to help.”
“I’m told someone tripped you” he said winking.
She smiled, grateful for the excuse. “Yeah something like that. I just twisted my ankle. I’m sure it’s fine” she tried to convince him.
“Hmm. Well lets have a look at it.”
With care, he picked her foot up and placed it on his thigh, much like Coop had done. The result was much different this time. When Coop had touched her skin, the pain had faded as the tingling heat increased. With Mark, all she felt was pain. Her ankle, which was not only swollen but turning a dark shade of purplish blue, throbbed with renewed vigor. With each tender spot he touched, she gritted her teeth harder until she could no longer contain herself and an audible wince escaped.
“Ok she needs to go to the hospital, right?” Coop said, willing Mark to say the same thing.
Mark looked up at him and half smiled, then looked up at Ashlee. “I know this is not what you want to hear but I can’t completely assess your ankle here. By looks, I’d say it looks like a possible break, and with the swelling and bruising, you really need to have an x-ray, just to be safe. I think Coop’s right.”
“Right about what?” asked a somewhat hostile voice. “What’s going on out here?”
Ashlee jumped, edging slightly away from Coop, who had taken a seat beside her on the bench. She was in pain and they weren’t doing anything wrong and she shouldn’t feel guilty, but she did, she thought and sighed. When Ava had started asking if Ashlee wanted her to go get someone, she just knew that Ava was going to say Stuart and she just knew that she didn’t want him there. And that was why she felt guilty, because she should have thought about that before she had accepted his date.
“Stuart” Coop said, looking up at him, not at all concerned with his position or how it might look to Stuart. “Ashlee twisted her ankle and she was just agreeing to go have it looked at.”
Ashlee’s head whipped back to Coop. “No I wasn’t” she stated emphatically. Looking back at Stuart she said “I was just explaining to Coop that I’m sure my ankle will be fine once I get some ice on it.”
Confusion settled on Stuart’s face and then annoyance. “Are you saying we have to leave?”
“Yes Stuart. Icing my ankle in the theater gets a little messy for the person sitting in front of me. Unless you‘d like to dry their clothes for them when the movie is done.” Sarcasm dripped from her words. She had felt bad at first when he‘d come out. She tried to overlook the annoyance in his voice and give him the benefit of the doubt, but the question itself made that hard for her to do. For a second, she had completely forgotten that Stuart annoyed her for a reason. She sighed, mentally kicking herself. This wasn’t exactly what she had planned for this evening.
Coop and Ava exchanged glances, an unspoken conversation flowing between them, and Ashlee felt the jealousy rise up in her. She wanted to have that kind of connection with him and as nice as Ava was, she didn’t want to watch him have that with his ex.
“You know Stuart” Ava said, putting her hand on his arm, drawing his attention. Had Ashlee been interested in Stuart, she would have been offended by the blatant lecherous look he gave Ava. Instead, she felt bad for Ava and thankful all at once. “This is a really good movie. You should stay and watch it.” Thankfully, Mark seemed to understand what was going on and even showed signs of amusement. If he were as great as he seemed, Ashlee really hoped he and Ava worked out.
And then there was Stuart, her eyes darting to him. The look that crossed his face could have passed for the look of a man who was warring between what he wanted to do and what he should do. Ava pressed further. “You know, Coop was just telling me that he was here checking on a friend, but everything’s ok and he’s going to leave anyway, so he could take her to the hospital. That way you wouldn’t have to sit for hours” she dragged out the word “with her.” She leaned in, as if sharing a secret with him. “I hate the hospital. Hours” she dragged it out again “of waiting with a bunch of sick people, coughing God knows what all over you” she whispered.
Mark shook his head in agreement. “There are some pretty nasty things in the waiting room” he added. “Oh” he exclaimed getting into his role. “My last shift, there was a guy that had stepped on a nail and didn’t take care of it. He ended up with gangrene and I don’t know if you’ve ever smelled rotting flesh but-”
“You know, if Coop is leaving anyway” Stuart said, the last apparently doing the trick. “He could just drop her off at the hospital and I’m sure her mom would pick her up. If you’re sure that’s ok Ashlee?” Stuart asked, more out of obligation than concern.
“Umm, yeah, sure Stuart” she stammered, mentally correcting Ava about the hospital part. She wasn’t going to go to the hospital, but Stuart didn’t need to know that. “You know how the hospital is. It takes forever to get seen.”
Relief flooded his facial expression. “Ok then. I hope you feel better. I’ll see you later” he said as he walked back towards the theater.
“Not if I can help it” she mumbled under her breath. She felt sorry for Stuart’s mom. Her son wasn’t a person that seemed to deal well with sick, and Ashlee hoped for her sake that she had another child that was better with it.
Ava and Coop exchanged another look that was another complete conversation and she sighed. “Let me pull the car around and I’ll come back in for you” Coop said. “Mark, buddy, thanks a lot” he said shaking his hand.
“And I’ll wait with you until he comes” Ava promised.
“No, Ava” Ashlee objected. “You should go back in with your date before he thinks you’ve abandoned him” she said, once again eyeing Mark apologetically.
“Nope. Mark will understand” she said.
“Mark sounds like a great guy” Mark piped in, kissing Ava on the cheek. “You should hang on to him.”
Ava laughed, blushing when he kissed her. “We’ll see. He’s passed the first test.”
“Yes” he said, dragging it out in victory. Kissing her cheek again he said “Ashlee take care of that foot ok.” To Ava he said “I’ll see you in there.”
“Thanks Mark” Ashlee said as he turned and headed back to the theater.
Ashlee watched Coop leave and sighed deeply. She’d become one of the women he saved. How the hell had that happened?
“He really is a great guy you know” Ava said.
Ashlee turned to the woman, confusion making her eyebrows furrow. “Mark? Yeah he is. You better hang on to him.”
“No” Ava laughed. “Not Mark, although I think he is too” she smiled wistfully then sobered. “I’m talking about Coop.”
“Oh” she said, the confusion clearing. “Yeah, I think I know that.”
“Then what’s the problem? Because” Ava treaded slowly “for as great a guy as he is, you seem to be pushing him away.”
Something made Ashlee pause. It took her a moment to realize it was fear. Slowly she started shaking her head in the negative. “I can’t be that girl” she said, almost to herself. Then she looked at Ava. “I can’t be that girl that he saves because, as nice as that would be” her hands came up, pushing her hair behind her ears, a nervous habit she had yet to conquer. “I want whatever it is that we could have to be based on something more.”
“Oh Ashlee” Eva said, remorse evident in her tone. “We made you feel this way didn’t we?” It was more of a rhetorical question. She knew the answer before she said it. “That has been Coop’s thing in the past, but him doing this now for you isn’t the same thing.”
Ashlee pointed at her ankle in exasperation. “He’s leaving the movie to take me home. If that’s not rescuing, I don’t know what is.”
“First, he’s leaving the movie to take you to the hospital.” When Ashlee opened her mouth to speak, Ava stopped her. “No need to argue, because that’s where he’s taking you.” Ashlee closed her mouth, frowning slightly. “Second, other than this” she gestured towards her ankle, “is there anything you need rescued from?”
Ashlee thought for a minute. There was a time when she would have said yes. When she would have said she needed rescued from her life. Her mother had been overbearing and a bit harsh and unaccepting, often trying to control Ashlee’s life. But they’d worked through it and mended their relationship. It had been rough. It still was rough at times, but her mother was trying and they were in a pretty good place right now. So Ashlee answered the only way she could.
“No. I’m good actually. I’m really good.” She smiled, realizing that she really was. “Well, except for this” she said, once again pointing to her ankle.
“Then how can he be rescuing you?” Ava pointed out. “Give him a chance” she pleaded. “He really is a great guy and he deserves good things. And I think you’re a good thing” she said, lightly pushing her shoulder against Ashlee’s in camaraderie. Ashlee smiled feeling encouraged and hopeful. Looking up, she saw Coop coming towards her. He was smiling and she felt like it was just for her. When he reached them, Ava stood.
“You need any help?” she asked.
He helped Ashlee stand and then swept her up in his arms ignoring her protests. “Hush” he said to her, their faces so close she felt the warmth of his breath on her lips. His eyes darkened and her breath hitched. “I’ve got you” he said softly, his eyes following the movement of her tongue as it nervously licked her lips. He almost groaned.
“Guess not” Ava said laughing to herself. Smiling approvingly, she turned and went back to the theater.
“Lets get you to the hospital.”
“No” she protested.
He smiled, making his way with her in his arms to the car. “That wasn’t a question. Now be a good little girl” he paused when he reached the passenger side and gently set her down. Then leaning down close, mischief on his face, he finished “ Or I’ll have to spank you.”
Her eyes went wide, her mouth formed an O and he chuckled. Damn him, she thought, he chuckled. She’s in pain and he’s wreaking havoc with her hormones, she fumed. And he was obviously enjoying it. Pressing her lips together so she didn’t give in to any urges she may have, she opened the door, carefully got in and crossed her arms over her chest. And mentally she slammed the door that he shut for her. Not as satisfying as actually doing it, but it would have to do for now.
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