Chapter 2.27 – One Day at a Time

School had been in session for three months. Cole received credit at school for  interning in lieu of taking a class.  He got out early to go to Doc’s, and worked until 5:00 each day.  He didn’t mind the long day because it was good experience.

A whole new crew had formed since they busted Mia for being the Locker Rat. It consisted of Dannie, Nicky, Zahara and Laney.  They readily accepted Laney into their group because the other three felt sorry for her.

Cole and Nicky had resumed their close friendship as well. Their talk be the stream opened the door that had closed them off from each other.  Now he had two really close girl friends. Nicky and Dannie.

The one girl that he wanted to be with though, was Laney.  They were almost back together. But he found himself putting on the brakes again and again, shying away from being intimate with her, even though he wanted to. The most he had done was hold her hand and kiss her on the cheek.  He was afraid of getting hurt again, but it was hurting not being with her, and he could tell, it was hurting her too.

Danny and Ryker, on the other hand, were back together, like nothing ever happened. It pained him a little to see them. It almost felt like a betrayal for some reason. Maybe it was because he and Laney hadn’t made it “all they way” back, and Dannie had easily gone back with Ryker.

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Cole was on the way to work after his last class when he heard Nicky call his name in the crowded hallway.  He stopped walking so she could catch up. “You ask Laney out on a real date yet?” she asked.

“Huh?” he said, surprised at the directness of her question. Not waiting for an answer to his non-question, he continued, feeling compelled to explain himself. “Well, we are talking – a lot. I went to her recital last week. She got a standing ovation for her solos”

“Kiss her yet?” she asked with a knowing smirk.

“Nicky!” scolded Cole. He didn’t know why she was suddenly so interested in his love life.

Nicky leaned in and spoke quietly,  “A little birdie told me if you didn’t kiss her soon, Miss Standing O is going to lock you in a room until you do. She’s just about done, Cole.”

“Really? She told you that?” asked Cole a little weirded out that Laney and Nickey would discuss their intimacy, or lack thereof.

“Yes,” said Nicky rolling her eyes at him. “Cole, you are so dense for someone so sweet.”

“We are having a hard time talking about that – or maybe – it’s just me,” he admitted.

“Definitely you,” said Nicky shaking her head.

Since she was sharing, Cole pressed for more. “What else did she tell you?”

“Noth-ing….” she said singing out the word indicating she wasn’t going to say more.

Cole sighed. Girls together are dangerous. Time for a subject change. “Hey, before I forget, my folks are throwing me a party for my 18th birthday. It’s in two weeks.”

“Where? The bowling alley?” said Nicky and laughed.  Dannie’s lack of bowling skills had become a joke among them.

“Almost as bad. No. The clubhouse game room – and they will be there.”

“Aww. I love your parents.  But, Cole – it’s the perfect opportunity!”

“For what?”

Nicky rolled her eyes again. “To ask out Laney. Ask her to be your date for your party. And then afterwards….” she said, and waggled her eyebrows.

Nicky had definitely become less introverted hanging out with her new crew. “Nicky, those girls have corrupted you. I was trying to go slow.”

“Cole….if you went slower you would go backwards. I’m actually surprised she’s waited this long. Don’t you think you’ve punished her enough?”

“I’m not punishing her. God, is that what she thinks?”

“Why don’t you ask her out then?”

Cole ignored her last comment and tried again to change the subject. “What about you? Are you coming with Mason?”

“Nope” she said, popping the ‘P’.  “Mason and I, we just weren’t working out. I may come alone. Have you talked to Noah today?”

“No. Why?”

“Do you remember Mickey Blake? Our friend in elementary school that moved away.”

“Oh, yeah. Little rich kid that tried to put a frog down your shirt.”  And always gave me shit, he thought but didn’t say out loud.

“What-ever,” she replied, rolling her eyes yet again, “Yes. Him.  Well, he called Noah and said he was coming here for the summer. He wants to get together before we all head off to college. I can’t wait to see him again.”

Cole was the one rolling his eyes now. He always thought Nicky and Noah liked him best and was actually glad when he moved away. “Sounds fun,” said Cole. “I hope he at least leaves his frogs at home. Gotta run. Later Nicky.”

“Ask Laney!” called out Nicky as they went in opposite directions.

“Ask Laney what?” came a sultry voice behind him.

Cole’s heart rate sped up at the sound of Laney’s voice. Nicky was right. He needed to ask her to his party.  He had to take the next step. She had been patient for way too long.  Well, no time like the present, he thought.

“Laney. Hi,” he said. Smiling back at her, he put his arm around her tiny waist and pulled her next to him as they walked.

“Ask me what?” she asked again, as she fell into step beside him.

“I want you to be my date for my birthday party in two weeks,” he said. The smile that lit up Laney’s face was worth it. Now he wondered why he had waited so long.

“Of course I will,” she replied, and put her arm around him too.

“Good,” he said and pulled her closer. He reached over and sipped her lips.  Their first real kiss since they broke up nearly six months prior.  A simple kiss – a kiss that held the promise of more to come. She felt it too. He could tell.

He turned and faced her walking backwards.  “Look, I’m sorry, but I really gotta run. I’ll call you later tonight, after work.” Laney’s smile warmed him, because it was just for him. He wasn’t over her by a long shot. He knew then, they would be okay.

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Cole followed Doc Lewis into the exam room, the conversation with both Nicky and Laney still on his mind.

He looked up when Doc began to address the pet owner. He immediately recognized her from his father’s office.  “Hello, Ms. Coulter. What is Harley here for today?” asked Doc Lewis.

“Just . . . oh. Hi!” said Ms. Coulter when she noticed him standing there. “Cole Murdock, right?” she asked.

He couldn’t remember her name.  An ‘A’ name…. “Yes, um, Abby?” he said wincing a little.

“Avery,” she corrected without missing a beat, “Hey, I got the job. I figured your friend Noah told you. Although, he lied. You don’t follow him around like a puppy at all. I haven’t seen you since.”

Cole was so embarrassed and tried to cover it up with a laugh. “Uh, Doc here, he – uh, kept me busy all summer. Didn’t leave much time to hang out with Noah.”

“You are Ben’s son, right? I saw family pictures and sorta already put it together.  It took me a minute to work it out because you look so much like your mother and not your father.  But it all fits now. I’m so sorry about your mother, but you must be proud. The park is absolutely beautiful.  I didn’t know you worked here. But why here, instead of for your father?”

Yes. He remembered clearly. She was curious and observant. “Yes. Ben is my dad and Grace Ramsay was his wife and my birth mother,” he said, then stuck out his hand. “Cole Murdock. Nice to formally meet you, Avery.”

“Okay,” interrupted Doc, smiling amicably. “Social hour’s over. Ms. Coulter, what can we do for Harley here?”

“Oh, Dr. Lewis,” said Avery, and gave him an apologetic smile, “I didn’t mean to take up your valuable time. Harley is just in for his annual checkup.”

“Okay. Then, do you mind if your ‘new’ old friend here checks him out? He’s been interning for a good while now and really is very good. I am lucky he works here instead of for his Dad, although Ben is a good man. He has done a lot for Willow Creek with the Newcrest Development. Maybe one day we will need to put a clinic there.”

“In that case, I don’t mind at all,” said Avery and flashed Cole a coy smile.

Cole groaned inwardly. He knew Doc was testing him, but doing it in front of someone that works for his dad was a bit unnerving.  He wanted to make a good impression. Hopefully she would tell his dad he did a good job. He took a deep breath and let it out before beginning.

“Okay. Hey there Harley boy,” he said in a soothing voice while he began to pet the big dog.  Once Harley was calm and trusted him, he went to work on the exam. He fell comfortably into the routine he had seen Doc do over and over for the past few years, and in fact, had already done himself, more than few times, under Doc’s watchful eye.

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It was the day of his party and Cole picked up Laney for their ‘date’.  On the way over, he thought about Dannie and Ryker.  They would be there too.  He and Dannie hadn’t talked as often since she got back with her boyfriend, but they were still really good friends – with lots of pinky promises between them. That thought made him smile.

“What’s so funny?” asked Laney.

Cole glanced over at her. “Just thinking how pretty you look and how lucky I am.” She was pretty. And glowing? She looked happy. And that made him happy.

“Liar, but I’ll take it,” she replied with a laugh, “I am looking forward to tonight. I never thought I would see the day Nicky and I would be friends and she would be an advocate for me. She really is a good friend to have.”

“Yes. She is,” said Cole. He reached over and took Laney’s hand. He gave it a little squeeze, then brought the back of her hand to his lips and kissed it. “I’m looking forward to tonight too. I guess I just needed a little push. ”

Laney gave him a warm smile. “Yeah. More like a swift kick in the ass,” she said and giggled. “So I figure I have seven months, or approximately 210 days to convince you that I’m in love with you, and to make you realize that you love me too – one day at a time.”

Cole felt himself blush. “Why, what happens in 210 days?”

“The rest of our lives.”

Suddenly it clicked – it was the same thing that Dannie said. They graduated in just over 5 months and then a couple of months later they would all go their separate ways.

“College,” he said, mostly to himself.  He would be going far away. Maybe Laney could go there too, instead of San Myshuno. But he would save that conversation for later, once he was sure they were all the way back.

“Yep,” she said, “I gotta make you admit you are madly in love with me before then. But today is your day,” she added brightly, “So let’s enjoy.”

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Cole pulled up in front of Laney’s house and parked the car. He reached over and pulled her next to him. The couple began to make out hungrily, an attempt to make up for the past few months of being apart.  “One day at a time…okay?” whispered Cole, between kisses.

“Okay,” agreed Laney breathlessly when they finally broke apart.

As Cole watched her go inside her house, he didn’t think it would take very many days at all before they were “all the way” back.

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