“Don’t even say it,” Coop said without looking at me.
“You know you need them.” I reached for a ball of baling twine and tossed it in the basket I’d grabbed. “What size you wear?”
Cooper stopped to check out a display of novelty duct tape. “They’re butt-ugly.”
I deliberately misunderstood him. “That’s why I stick with the regular gray kind. But we have plenty.”
“No, I mean the boots. This tape is awesome. I’m getting this kitty cat one.”
I rolled my eyes. “Pink cat tape is fine, but sturdy work boots to protect your toes are a bridge too far?”
He tossed the tape into my basket. “Fine. But I’ll have to do an online order for some funky socks to spruce them up a bit.”
“Suit yourself,” I muttered, yanking him toward the boot selection. I knew I had to strike while the iron was hot and before he changed his mind. “What size did you say you were again?”
After we’d found the right boots, filled the basket with bits and pieces, and paid for everything, I was starving. We asked the man at the counter if there was any place to get a steak in Shale Falls.
The man scratched his stubbled jaw and nodded. “You folks want the Tin Cup. Hang a right out of here, and it’s down on the left just past the green brick building. They do a brunch on Sundays too that has a hollandaise sauce that’s to die for. Be sure and check it out at some point if you get back to the area.”
Cooper tore off a piece of our receipt and reached across the checkout counter for a pencil, scribbling something onto the paper, as if we’d forget such simple directions.
He handed the paper to the guy. “We’re in the area all summer renovating a cabin and filming it for a show on YouTube. Stallion Tools is our sponsor. Check it out.”
The man’s eyebrows went up. “No shit?”
Cooper’s trademark grin widened. “No shit. This guy here already has a great DIY vlog too. Your customers might like it, and it’ll help sell more stuff if you get them hooked. Nine here works for a store just like this one up in Wyoming and started these videos for his customers there. They love him. I wrote both links down so you can check them out.”
The guy was a natural salesman.
“I certainly will. I’m Tim Lemire. You boys let me know if there’s anything I can do for you while you’re in the area, all right?”
We took turns introducing ourselves and shaking his hand. “Will do, sir. And thanks,” Cooper said as we headed out the door. When we finished loading back into the truck, I turned to Coop.
“Why’d you have to do that? Now I’m gonna be embarrassed every time we come back in here.”
Cooper punched me lightly on the arm. “No you’re not. You’re going to sail in there like the Stallion celebrity you are, and he’s going to bow down to your highness.”
“Be serious. He’s going to picture me putting my dick in you.”
I hadn’t meant to say it, but it just slipped out.
The mood in the truck fell about a thousand notches. “I’m sorry,” I blurted. “That was rude.”
“I’ll have you know you’ve never, in fact, put your dick in me.” The haughtily lifted eyebrow didn’t hide the hurt in his eyes.
“Not for lack of trying,” I muttered.
Cooper turned so his back was against the door and he was facing me head-on. “Wait, what? You want to have anal sex with me? Since when? And tell me more about this trying you’re referring to.” He used finger quotes around the word “trying.”
I shrugged and began dusting off the dashboard with my bandana. The nooks and crannies were disgusting. “I mean. I, like, hump your butt all the time in bed. And I… did that thing with my fingers and the lube the other night…”
Talking about this stuff made my face feel like it was going to flame up and peel right off.
“Wait. Wait.” Cooper held a finger up. “Put a pin in that for a minute. A big one. Go back to Tim. You’re worried he’s going to find out you’re dating a man and he’s… what? Not going to take you seriously anymore?”
He was confusing me. “That’s not what I meant.”
“Fair enough. Then what did you mean?” He crossed his arms in front of his chest which didn’t bode well for me.
“I’m sorry,” I said again. “I don’t want to hurt your feelings.”
He softened a little bit. “I know you don’t, sweetheart.”
The endearment made my eyes feel weird. I swallowed and tried again. “It’s just… it’s weird because this is the first time I’ve met someone in person and thought about them seeing me like that. Like in a relationship and kissing and everything. The tools stuff and the hardware projects are old news for me. I’m used to that. But this… this lovey-dovey stuff isn’t… it’s not the kind of thing I usually share with people. Even my family.”