Teaching Mr. Cooper

Chapter 30

Jezzy watched as Daniel walked back to the car.  Sensing a change in his demeanor, she put on a smile but her eyes showed a quiet understanding.   Daniel put the car into drive and for several minutes there was silence.  After what seemed an eternity,  Daniel smiled and looked over at Jezz and then at Annabel in the back seat.  "Hey, anyone feels like drive-thru?"  Annabel perked up and started to list off her favorites.  Daniel studied Jezz for a moment before speaking softly, "Is that alright with you?"

"Yeah,  of course." Jezz almost sighed as their eye contact lingered, until Daniel finally turned back to the road.

Once back at her apartment,  the three of them dropped their stuff at the door and began dishing up their supper.  The tension from earlier slipped away as they ate and talked.  Annabel told stories about school and the foster family she lived with.  Jezzy smiled softly, but Daniel notices as she grows pensive.  Glancing over, Jezzy sees his sympathetic look.  Caught in his gaze, Jezzy forgets to breathe, frozen in place by his piercing eyes.  Annabel carries on with her story, unaware of the building tension.  Daniel's gaze shifts from sympathy to something more, something deeper.  Like a deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming car, Jezzy is captured by him.  Now is not the time to get lost in his eyes, she reminds herself.  Slowly, she forces her breathing to return to normal.  Focusing on Annabel, she smiles, although still aware of his nearness.

"Let's play a card game," Jezz suggests, attempting to dissolve the remaining tension lingering in the air.  Grabbing the cards from a nearby draw, they play a couple rounds before Jezz must finally announce bedtime.

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Jezzy leans over and gives her sleeping sister one last peck on the forehead, before getting up to leave the room.  Startled, she sees Daniel leaning against the door frame watching.  Jezz blushes in the darkness as she slips quietly from the room.

For a moment they stand awkwardly in the hall.  "I wasn't sure you were going to stay," Jezz murmurs softly, not wanting to wake her sleeping sister.

Daniel smiles and reaches out to Jezzy, touching her shoulder and with a slow, deliberate pace runs his hand softly down her arm.  "Of course, I want to stay," he replies, his voice quiet and husky.  "I just wasn't sure I should."

"We don't have to do anything," Jezzy says, emphasizing the word 'do'.  Smiling, she takes his hand and leads him to the living room.  "Let's watch a movie."  Handing him the remote, she turns to the kitchen, "I'll grab us a snack and drinks."

Daniel smiles, and settles onto the couch.  When Jezzy returns he had a movie picked out and ready to go.  "I hope you like comedy," he says as she sits next to him with a big popcorn bowl. 

Twenty minutes into the movie, Jezz and Daniel were laughing as quietly as they could, so as not to wake her sister.  "You want anymore popcorn, Daniel?"  Daniel's eyes gleam hearing her say his name, as he shakes his head.  Jezzy puts the nearly empty popcorn onto the coffee table and leans back.  With the bowl out of the way, the two of them unconsciously close the gap between them.  Daniel then puts his arm around her, pulling her in closer.  Relaxing into his side, Jezz laughs again at the movie.  

Credits began to roll, as Jezz stretched and let out a yawn.  "Good choice.  I can't believe I've never watched that before."  Daniel grinned at her a pulled her back into his arms, squeezing her into a giant bear hug.  "What was that for?" she giggled.

"I had fun," Daniel said simply. 

"Me too." Jezz touched his face, studying it for a minute.  The lines between his brow that she always wants to smooth out are relaxed, so she strokes his cheek instead.  Finally, Daniel shifts and sighs.

"I should be going soon."  Jezz found herself wanting more, which was strange since she had been reluctant to start anything at all.  But she only nodded, Daniel wanted them to take their time.  And she respected him for that.

"Are you getting tired of me already?" she teased, knowing they had spent half the day together.

"Not even close," he said.  Standing up, he grabbed Jezzy's hand and pulled her up next to him.  Still holding her hand in his, he lifts it slowly to his lips and presses them gently to her knuckles.  The innocent gesture sent tingles up her arm.  Breathless and speechless, Jezz struggled for composure.  Daniel beamed at her reaction, evidently pleased with the effect he had on her.  "I really should go, though," Daniel murmured, more to himself than anyone else. 

"Alright," she sighed.  "I'll see you on Monday."  Jezz turned to walk him to the door.

"You don't want see me tomorrow?" Daniel lamented and put his arms around her waist again.  Jezz chuckled, he really didn't want to go yet. Not that she could blame him, part of her worried that this might be the only night they got.  Like Cinderella.  And Monday would come and it would be like it never happened, well almost.  Jezzy's heart would hurt and she would feel more alone than ever.

Wow, what a way to lower the mood, she thought.  Trying to keep her voice light she said instead,  "I wasn't sure you'd want to make plans for tomorrow, too.  Besides, I have a shift at the diner and homework I should at least start to work on at some point."

Exhaling, Daniel nodded.  He looked like a disappointed, little boy.  "You're right," he sighed.  "Ok, I'm going, for real this time."  Daniel smiled and headed to her door.   Jezzy followed him to the door and handed him his coat.  With his hand on the door handle, he looks up at her one last time and gives her a timid smile.  "Goodnight,  Jezebel."

AUTHOR'S NOTE:  It's late and I haven't proofed it thoroughly.  So, I apologize for switching tenses constantly.  I need to work on that, I'm seeking professional help. Ok, not really, but it is a serious problem.

Hope everyone is enjoying it so far.  Of course, I won't really know unless you like or comment.  Good, bad, just share your thoughts. I can take it.  And I love to hear feedback.  Otherwise, I'm just sitting here talking to myself.  Alone. 

Also, in case you haven't noticed, I still haven't given any chapter names.  And it's bugging me.  If you have suggestions for chapter titles, post the, in the comments of the corresponding chapter.   If I  like it and use it, I'll  personally thank you in the next chapter I publish.