Heat travels to my cheeks, and I break eye contact with him to look around for a moment.I try to change the topic.‘I wanted to ask, how did you know that I was studying aerospace engineering?I never told you about it.’
‘Well, I noticed the titles of the books you dropped on the day we met, and I made an educated guess,’ he responds with a smirk on his face.
‘Ahaa, in that case, should I make an educated guess and say that you are studying art?’I say as I look back and forth between him and the sketchbook.
‘Ouch, I’m actually a medical student,’ Cooper says, his face turning serious.
Embarrassment rises in me, and all I can respond is, ‘Oh.’
Cooper immediately starts laughing.‘I’m sorry, I am playing with you.I’m afraid I’m guilty of being an artist.’He raises both of his hands, palms facing towards me, as if to surrender.‘I’m doing my master's in fine arts.I focus mostly on portraits,’ he says, trying to break the tension.
I try to go back to normal, but my cheeks are still warm.I subconsciously place a hand on my face, trying to hide the redness.‘That sounds interesting.Can I see your work?’I ask, intrigued.
He slowly closes the sketchbook in his hand.‘At least take a man out to dinner first,’ he says teasingly.
A laugh comes out of me unprovoked.It has been a year since I laughed out loud.I catch my breath and look at Cooper, who has been looking at me with amusement in his eyes.His attention is fully on me and hasn’t wavered even for a second.The way he looks at me feels like he isn’t only looking at me; heseesme.But when I let someone truly see me, they have so much of me that they can use to hurt me with.
Instead of running away from the conversation like usual, I stand from my seat and politely excuse myself.‘It was nice to meet you, Cooper.I do have to be somewhere now.’
Before I leave the table, Cooper speaks from behind me.‘Luna, wait.When can I see you again?’His eyes widened for a split second – like he just shocked himself from what he said.It doesn’t look like he did this often.
‘I don’t know if I can, Cooper,’ I respond, my voice softer.
‘Maybe we can go on a riverside walk together?Just as friends, no pressure to stay, you can leave whenever you want.’He hurries in a word vomit.
It does sound nice, the riverside walk.But my walls are built high, and my brain is protective of my heart.I stand there in silence.
He notices my hesitation and adds.‘What’s the worst that could happen?’
He’s right.I deprived myself of any happiness and avoided talking to people for a year now.But I am pulled towards Cooper’s enthusiasm.He seems interesting, and I want to get to know him more.Despite the alarms in my brain, I nod.He quickly stands from his chair and stops right in front of me, towering over me and juts his hand out.‘Shake on it?’he asks.
I smile and lift my hand to meet his.‘Deal.’
5
Cooper
