“Then you better hit the DFAC before it closes,” Drake made a show of looking at his watch.
“Why are you so mean to me?” she whined.
Dawn laughed. “I can run down there and get some to-go containers of food and bring them back.”
Drake shook his head. “Don’t worry about it. We have plenty of food. I’ll make something for you girls.”
“Spaghetti and chicken fingers?” Jemmy asked hopefully.
Sierra and Dawn had mirroring looks of disgust.
Drake chuckled at their expressions. “No. I’ll think of something.” There was definitely a look of relief that covered their faces.
“We’ll get the room ready then,” Jemmy cried excitedly. “Come on girls,” she called to the others.
“Can you hook me up too, bro?” Jaxson asked hopefully.
“Sure,” Drake shrugged before he set my omelette on the kitchen table.
I sat down and picked up my fork.
“Guess what?” Jaxson asked with a forlorn look before he sat down.
“What?” I asked taking a big bite of my ham and cheese omelette. My stomach was happy for the sustenance.
“Mr. Bates didn’t like Cooper,” he said sadly.
“Who’s Cooper?” I asked in confusion as I reached out to grasp his hand. I squeezed it.
He suddenly got a mischievous glint in his eyes and a little monkey came jumping up onto the table. He looked like one of those performing monkeys you saw in the circus. He had a little red jacket on and a red top hat. He was carrying a bowl of peanuts. I never wished more than in that moment that his illusions could be real. I wanted to cuddle the adorable creature immediately.
“Jaxson James, you did not!” I exclaimed as I giggled.
He chuckled. “I did. I wanted to get out early. I wanted to come home and crawl into bed with you and sleep some more.”
“Mr. Bates was not amused,” Jemmy said with a smirk from the hallway with her arms crossed over her chest.
“He so was,” Rachel giggled. “He was trying so hard not to laugh. I’m pretty sure Paul warned him that you may be up to your old antics.”
I watched as the monkey danced all over the table before he came over to hand me a peanut. I looked up at Jaxson. A real smile lit up my face. I had completely forgotten about last night for a few moments.
The smile on his face and his laughing grey eyes made me realize that that was his intentions. He had wanted to make me smile and he succeeded.
I decided to humor Jaxson as I held out my hand to the monkey. “Why thank you, Cooper,” I cooed at him in baby talk. What was it about animals and babies that made people act like complete idiots? Yes, I was an idiot. I admitted it.
My face dropped in shock as I felt the very real texture of a peanut in my hand.
The girls had been laughing at Jaxson’s antics and Drake had been smiling. They didn’t understand my shock until I closed my hand over the peanut. It was still there.
I opened my hand back up and started to try to crack it open.
“What are you doing, Blake?” Jemmy giggled.
I couldn’t speak for a moment as I continued peeling it. Then I popped it in my mouth. It was salty and crunchy, and it tasted just like a peanut.
Jaxson and Drake had been standing beside me. Their expressions shared the same look of shock.
I reached out my hand and cooed at Cooper. “Come here, Cooper.”