Damaged and the Beast (5 page)

Turning to him with a look of horror, I felt stupid dressed in my Denny’s uniform while all of the girls I could see wore shorts and skirts. Hell, I was barely wearing makeup after a long shift.

“Yeah, you’ve looked better,” Cooper said, grinning as he flicked my loose hair out of my eyes. “A lot better.”

“Thanks,” I said embarrassed because I had hoped to make a good impression on people. I even wanted to find a boyfriend eventually and really embrace college life. Now, I would be that Denny’s girl who showed up at a kegger wearing grandma shoes. Better yet, if they really wanted to mess with me, students could show up at the restaurant so I could serve them.
Just wonderful.

Crossing my arms, I glared at Cooper. “I’ll wait outside.”

“Hell no. It’s not safe,” he said, completely full of shit. “Especially not with you dressed like you are. Too provocative. You’ll need to stay close to me so I can protect you.”

Ignoring his grin, I shrugged. “Whatever. I’m waiting here.”

Cooper kept smiling like my embarrassment was the funniest shit ever. Then, he stepped closer and leaned over my shoulder to look at my hair. When I felt him messing with my ponytail, I considered complaining, but thought better of it. He pulled my ponytail loose then handed me the band.

“Much better. Shake it out and you’ll look sexy as hell. That is unless anyone looks from the neck down.”

“I’m waiting here.”

“Don’t be grouchy. It’s not an attractive look on you,” he said, stepping behind me and bumping me forward until we reached the front door.

Running my fingers through my hair, I tried to look my best as I entered my first college party.

“Much better,” Cooper whispered in my ear as he passed me. “I’ve got to deal with Crazy Fuck Tuck. Don’t wander off.”

Standing in the packed living room, I watched Cooper join a blond guy who was pounding on a bathroom door and screaming for someone named Maddy. The man turned to Cooper and made his case in a very dramatic, slightly maudlin way.

“My brothers are idiots,” a voice said from behind me.

Turning, I found Bailey Johansson from my Algebra class. The blonde, blue-eyed beauty wore a skimpy tank top and short shorts. Showing a lot of skin, Bailey had the lean tanned body to pull it off without looking desperate.

“Cooper is your brother?”

“I call him Crapface and the other one Fuckwad. They’ll come to those names too, so feel free to give them a whirl,” she said, laughing in a way that announced she was drunk. “Oh, no,” she added, grabbing me. “Don’t call them that. They’ll freak out and you’ll end up in a shallow grave and I’ll feel guilty. I already feel bad enough for running over that possum yesterday.”

“I won’t say anything.”

“Awesome. Hey, since you’re cool and fucking my brother and everything, let’s hang out after class on Monday, kay? I’m going to find me a cute boy and hump his leg before my brothers cock-block me. Distract Coop, will ya? He’s a boob man so flash the girls to give me a head start.”

Before I could respond, Bailey hurried off even though Cooper and Fuckwad weren’t aware of her presence. They were busy talking heatedly, though mostly Fuckwad talked. Finally, Cooper opened the door to the bathroom and a blonde girl raced past them and out the front door. When Fuckwad yelled her name, Cooper pulled his brother into another room.

“Hey,” a guy said, handing me a beer. When his friend whispered to him, the first guy shrugged. “Have a good night.”

Suddenly, I enjoyed a wide berth as I took the beer to a couch and watched a football game with the sound down. My dad loved sports, mostly gambling on them. Tawny, Dad, and I would spend our Sundays watching games and cheering for whoever he bet on. If he lost too many games, he left and we wondered if he’d ever come back? If he won a lot of games, we went to dinner at Burger King.

“I’m Nick,” said the guy taking up the spot next to me on the couch. “We have a few classes together.”

Sweetie Pie had a name and a great smile he was focusing on me. I tried not to show how excited I was by this turn of events or how much I wished I was dressed better.

“Farah. We’re in Spanish, English Lit, and Algebra together,” I said, pretty much giving away how I was hot for him.
Clearly
,
I was in one of my more brilliant moods.

Nick gave me a big ass smile announcing he was hot for me too so we were even.

“Are you from this area originally?” he asked.

“No.”

“Me either. I grew up the state over, but my grandfather came here. Since he’s the only one in my family to go to college, I figured I’d follow in his footsteps.”

“I came here because my mom lives in town. I’m planning to be a teacher.”

Nick’s big green eyes lit up. “No way. Me too. Primary?”

“Yeah, I’d like the younger ones, but no kindergarten. They cry too easily. Or I might try high school math because they make better money. I haven’t really decided.”

Nick grinned. “I like fourth and fifth graders. You know, when the BO kicks in.”

Laughing now, I realized this was what casual flirting felt like. I’d never really flirted, always shutting things down with guys out of fear and convenience. The thing I did with Cooper was about lust and paranoia. While I liked looking at him, I was also terrified he would get me fired if I didn’t play nice.

“My friends told me not to talk to you,” Nick said. “They said you came with Cooper Johansson and he’s scary.”

“He is scary, but he’s just giving me a ride home.”

“So you two aren’t dating?”

“If I was on a date, would I be dressed like this?”

Studying my clothes, his gaze stopped at my shoes. Finally, he laughed. “No, probably not. Your hair looks pretty though.”

Starting to thank Nick, I noticed Cooper out of the corner of my eye. He was staring at me and Nick in the dark overly focused way he sometimes watched me at the restaurant. The predator stalking his prey look was mostly focused on Nick.

Men like Cooper viewed girls as conquests and I was the newest one. Other males knew this and stayed out of the way. Nick hadn’t, therefore he was a threat to be squashed.

“Cooper is watching us and he’s acting weird,” I said, without looking up. “I’ll talk to you in class next week.”

Nodding, Nick stood up and gave me a smile. “Nice to meet you, Farah.”

Even with Cooper watching, I couldn’t help grinning at Nick as he returned to his friends who looked ready to piss themselves.

Walking to Cooper, I asked, “Are you taking me home now?”

Cooper took the beer from my hand. “There’s pizza in the kitchen. Are you hungry?”

“I’d like to go home.”

“Maybe your boyfriend can take you,” he said, glaring at Nick who ignored him.

“Is that your way of saying you won’t take me?”

Cooper finally pulled his gaze away from Nick and focused it on me. “Who gave you this drink?”

“I don’t know. Some guy.”

“Your boyfriend?”

“No, some guy.”

“Did you drink it?”

“I’m eighteen and it’s illegal for me to drink alcohol.”

Cooper laughed. “You’re kidding, right?”

“No,” I said, crossing my arms. “I take the law very seriously.”

“Nerd.”

Laughing, I tightened my arms and studied him. “Did someone mess with the drink? Like a roofie?”

“Maybe. These guys are idiots. Always fucking with stupid freshmen girls because you bitches don’t know any better,” Cooper said, his gaze locking onto someone behind me. I turned to find the guy who handed me the beer now standing near the door with his friends. “Should I drink this shit?” Cooper hollered at the guy. “Huh, asshole? What happens if I drink it?”

When Cooper lifted the beer to his lips, the guy looked ready to run. Only a second passed before the beer went flying and smashed against the guy’s head. As he crumbled to the ground, the party fell silent except for the music.

“My sister is at this fucking party!” Cooper yelled, running at the guy’s friends who ditched him and fled outside.

Standing very still, I wasn’t sure what to do. I glanced around and noticed Nick watching me like he knew I was scared shitless. He gave me a tight sympathetic smile then his gaze flickered away. By the sound of fists against flesh, Cooper was beating the crap out of someone.

“You the Denny’s chick?” Fuckwad asked, now standing next to me.

Glancing down at my uniform, I wondered if Fuckwad was drunk or simply stupid. “Yeah.”

“He’s going to fuck you. Try not to cry when he forgets your name afterwards.”

With that comment, Fuckwad ran outside. Soon, the sounds of a fight intensified. Inside the house, everything returned to normal except for the guy puking on the ground from his head wound. As I walked past the asshole who tried to roofie me, I kicked him in the balls. Outside, Cooper stood next to his brother as they loomed over three bloodied guys.

“Denny’s chick is getting restless,” Fuckwad said.

“Shut up, Tucker,” Cooper muttered while gesturing for me to follow him. “Watch Bailey and make sure these assholes didn’t roofie her.”

Arriving at his motorcycle, I avoided Cooper’s angry glare.

“You need to be more careful,” he said, studying me. “College is full of perverted shits.”

“I was never going to drink it. You didn’t save me from anything.”

Cooper glared at me then snorted. “Denny’s chick,” he said, climbing on his bike. “My brother’s a turd.”

“No comment.”

Glancing back at me as I settled on the Harley, Cooper sighed. “My sister dresses like a slut, but most of the girls at school dress that way. They act like whores, but they’re not. They just like dressing up and playing sexy. These guys are losers and they come here with these ideas about the country girls being easy. When they aren’t easy, they make them easy. They look down at local girls and poor chicks like you. Now that they know where you work, they’ll come hanging around to make you dance like a monkey. If that happens, you tell me and I’ll hunt them down and make them dance. Do you understand?”

I wrapped my arms around his waist. “We’re going to my place now, right? I’m seriously tired and need to go home.”

“When your makeup gets all wiped off, it’s real obvious you’re exhausted.”

Unsure how to respond, I nodded. “Do you really know where I live?”

“I know everything. Hold on because it’s getting windy.”

Once the bike roared down the road, I hid my face against his back as my hands again felt his beating heart. It had been such a long week and I really needed to take a shower and veg out. In fact, I didn’t even want to do schoolwork. TV time and sleep were all I craved. Maybe a little candy too.

Arriving at my apartment, Cooper not only parked, but turned off his bike. “Invite me in,” he said softly while glancing around as if the place was beneath him.

“I’m not having sex with you,” I said, getting off the Harley.

“Tonight? Oh, yeah, I know,” he said, giving nearby voices a dark glare. “If you meant ever, we’re not on the same page.”

Sighing, I glanced at the walkway leading to my apartment. “My mom is probably home.”

Cooper stood next to me and cracked his neck back and forth. “Don’t let the tats fool you. I can do the choirboy routine. Real chivalrous crap moms love. Now, invite me in.”

“How come?”

“Because I want to talk to you outside of school and Denny’s.”

“No sex.”

Rolling his eyes, Cooper sighed. “You’re so frigid. That’s not healthy, you know?”

“Says who?” I asked, hitching my backpack tighter before walking towards my apartment.

“A very important doctor somewhere,” Cooper said, following me. “Hell, I think there were studies that said fucking was good for your heart.”

“Laughing is good for your heart too and there are no downsides to it. I think I’d rather watch a comedy.”

“Fair enough, but you’re missing out.”

“Uh-huh. If you think you can get more attention from another girl, feel free to take off. Night’s still young.”

“No, I like where I’m at.”

Certain he was checking out my butt, I spun around and glared at him. Cooper only smiled.

“Like I could see anything with those pants on,” he said, shaking his head. “I’m not kidding either. Your ass could have fallen off on the ride over and I wouldn’t be able to tell.”

Staring up at Cooper, I soothed out the grumpy from my face and gave him my best Thumper eyes.

“You’re so charming, Coop the Poop,” I said in my sexy voice.

“I like when you do that with your eyes,” he said, ignoring the rest. “The voice is hot too.”

Turning around, I continued towards the apartment.

“You’re welcome for the compliments, Farah. Please, stop thanking me. You’re embarrassing yourself.”

Sighing loudly, I realized I was screwed. Possibly in the literal sense because the lights were off in the apartment. Amy wasn’t home and there would be no parental referee to keep Cooper from taking his charming compliments to fucking me in my brand new used bed.