Page 36 of The Love of My Afterlife
Amy leans back and beams at me, her hands on my shoulders. “You look after him, won’t you. He could do with a little happiness.”
“Mother,” Cooper barks. “Christ. Delphie and I…It’s been three weeks.”
Amy shrugs. “I just…It’s nice to see you smiling is all.”
“He so rarely smiles.” I nod, stealthily dabbing a tear from my eye before it falls.
Cooper is stony faced. He runs his hand through his curls and looks at his wristwatch. “Perhaps time for us to go.”
“And it’s such a lovely smile,” Amy continues as if Cooper hasn’t spoken. “Go on, Coop. Show us all that lovely smile.”
“Yeah, come on, son,” Malcolm adds. “Show your mum that killer smile. It’ll sustain her for a week, and then I won’t have to hear her go on about how you never smile anymore.”
Amy turns back to Cooper, a hopeful, slightly desperate look on her face.
Cooper closes his eyes briefly, like he would rather be anywhere else right now. I think of how he told me to fuck off that cold morning when I asked him to turn down his music. “Yeah, Cooper. Show us those beautiful white teeth.” I lean in to Malcolm. “His teeth are my favourite thing about him.”
“Really?” Malcolm snorts. “Histeeth?”
I nod. “They’re so straight. It’s mesmerising.”
“Years of orthodontics,” Amy says. “I took him to all his appointments.”
“Fine!” Cooper growls. He produces a massively over-the-top smile, like Wallace out ofWallace and Gromit. He holds the smile for a second before his face drops back into its usual sternness, although his eyes have softened slightly.
“It’s a start, I suppose,” Amy chuckles as she walks us to the door. “It was lovely to meet you, Delphie.”
“I’ve loved meeting you too,” I say, a flood of confusion swishing up my insides as I realise that I’m not just being polite. I’m telling the truth.
On the way home, I think of Mum and text her to let her know that I’m going to a life-drawing class tomorrow. Not that I intend to do any drawing when I’m there, but seeing Amy with Cooper made me remember how much Mum and I used to like drawing together. When we get back to Westbourne Hyde Road, Cooper opens the car door for me.
“Thanks,” I say. “Your key or mine…?”
I trail off as Cooper slides his own key out of his jeans pocket and slots it into the lock.
He strides across the hallway towards his apartment, turning to me when he’s at the door. “Thank you for your help this evening.” His eyes soften a little. “I enjoyed it more than expected. And it should call off the Veronica setup for the foreseeable.”
I shrug a shoulder. “It was fine. Your parents are nice.”
He makes no move to open his door.
I step forward. “I…I was sorry to hear about your sister…” I say.
He swallows and unlocks his door. “Let’s not, eh? I assume we’re even now, Delphie. I did you a favour, you did me one. Quid pro quo.”
His demeanour cools the temperature of the lobby by at least a degree.
“All squared up,” I say brightly.
“I hope things go well with Jonah.”
“I hope things go well with…your delicious fine wine,” I finish in the absence of a smarter response. “See you around, Cooper.”
He doesn’t answer. Just dips into his flat and closes the door respectfully quietly behind him.
18
It’s day four. Day four of ten and I’ve yet to even speak to Jonah on Earth, let alone charm him into kissing me. My stomach swirls with anxiety at Merritt’s ticking clock and the thought of what lies in store for me if I don’t pull this off. Ihaveto make a connection with him at the life-drawing class tonight.
