My lips form a tight line, worry no doubt etching my face, but I nod all the same as I pull the centerpieces out of the bin in front of me.
“I’m sorry I missed the funeral, by the way,” he breathes, and my hands freeze. “I had an appointment that day I couldn’t get out of.”
“It’s okay,” I tell him softly, going back to the task at hand. Thinking back on some conversations I have had with JJ lately, I take a risk and ask, “How have things been with you and JJ?”
It’s Cole’s turn to stiffen before he spins on his heel and walks back toward the closet, grabbing another bin. Stopping by the glass doors, he grabs one of the large suitcases he must have brought up with him and rolls it over.
“We’re good,” he replies, avoiding eye contact. “Things were a little rocky a month ago, but I think we’re good now.”
“Do you want to talk about it?” I ponder, pretending to be lost in stuffing the glass centerpieces with the twinkle lights before adding fake flowers.
Cole hums softly to himself as if he’s mulling it over, but he surprises me by saying, “I may have gone ghost on her for a week as I dealt with a personal thing and, as you can imagine, that didn’t go over very well.”
“I bet not,” I say as I stop prepping the centerpieces and finally look at him. “You’re with someone for half a year and they just vanish without a word for a week? I’d be upset, too.”
“I love the girl, but there’s just some things I’m not ready to tell her yet.” Cole falls into the booth, resting his elbows on the table and letting his head fall into his hands.
I study him for a moment, noticing the tension riddling his shoulders before I say, “You know, keeping things to yourself will only put more strain and stress on you. JJ is an amazingwoman, one who you should let in. You never know, she might just surprise you.”
“It’s not like I don’t trust her,” he tells me, letting his hands fall to the table. “There’s just certain things I don’t think she needs to carry or worry about.”
“I guess the biggest question is, do you see a future with her?” I rest one hand on the table and lean against it, my eyes never leaving his. “Because if you do, then you need to be open and honest with her.”
Cole’s brows furrow for a moment as he glances down at his intertwined hands, clearly deep in thought. “If Travis would’ve kept something from you, something that he feared would make you look at him differently, and it would, would you have wanted him to tell you?”
I sigh as I drop to my knees beside him and rest a hand on his leg. He looks down at me, his lips in a thin line, and I can see the battle waging inside of him.
“I rather hear it from his mouth than someone else’s. Finding out from someone else will always be worse than never knowing at all.”
Cole releases a loud sigh and nods, bringing one of his hands to squeeze mine gently. I push myself back up so I’m standing and return to prepping the centerpieces. He slides out of the booth and drags his suitcase over to the corner where, I presume, he’ll be setting up for Friday night.
“Thanks for thinking of me for your event,” Cole suddenly says, causing me to glance at him over my shoulder. “I know live music is more popular right now, so I appreciate it.”
“Well, for the record,” I say as a smile tugs on my lips. “I didn’t know it was you or I would’ve booked someone else.”
“Oh, ha ha,” Cole mocks, a chuckle leaving him.
“Besides,” I tell him, grabbing some centerpieces and beginning to walk around the tables. “Hiring a DJ instead of alive band got more votes in our questionnaire from those who are attending. I wasn’t about to go against their wishes.”
Cole hums to himself and I can’t help it as I laugh softly. Walking up to the tall table he’s setting his equipment up at, I fold my arms on the edge and watch as he kneels on the ground to plug in some chords.
“A little birdie told me you found yourself a match,” Cole announces, his voice echoing in the small space under the wooden table.
“Well, Kirstin found me one,” I correct. “It’d be unprofessional of me to find one for myself.”
Cole swears lightly, presumably hurting himself somehow, before he says, “Tell me how that came to be.”
“He came in and met with Kirstin and she just knew that we’d be a match, I guess. She threw us together in my system to prove it and I figured why not finally give myself the chance to experience something great? You know, after a lot of convincing from her and Blue.”
“What a bummer,” Cole mumbles before he pops back up to his feet, and I feel my brows furrow before he rushes out, “I just mean that friend of mine I talk about now and then, the one I think you’d get on great with? He’s free this weekend and finally looking for a relationship. I was going to try to get you two together.”
I pat his arm. “Sorry, Cole, you missed your chance to play matchmaker.”
“Hey, don’t count me out just yet,” he says with a wink. “Things may not work out with you and this guy, and if it doesn’t, I’ll be swooping in.”
Before I have the chance to respond, I hear my phone ringing from my purse. I hold up a finger in Cole’s direction before striding over to the table and digging my phone out of my bag.Seeing Leanne’s name lighting up my screen, my brows bunch in confusion.
“Leanne, what’s going on?”
