Be Brave And Introduce Your Friends To The New BF You Know They Will Hate

Day 192 of The Andie Chronicles

Inbox. New email. From GG to all. 

Please let this not be another email I wasn't meant to be on. I couldn't stand knowing, whilst things were seemingly getting better with my friends and they were being honest about what it was like to work for my ex, that perhaps it was all fake. 

But as I opened the email, I was undeniably meant to be on it. 

'Gang, let's go out for dinner on Friday night to meet Cooper. Cecconi's, 7pm, under my name. See you then.'

It didn't seem like a question, more of a demand. Demanding to meet my boyfriend this way already put me on the back foot. 

And Friday night?

Wrestling night, I thought.

I was wondering if Cooper would be able to make it then. He was either working with a promotion here in Melbourne, training with one, or meeting with one to see how he could help. 

I know he said he came to Melbourne to be with me. But I couldn't ask him to uproot his entire life and a paying job to meet my friends.

At least I kept telling myself that to avoid asking him to dinner. 

What I said to Sophia the other night hadn't changed; I still wasn't ready for our worlds to collide. Nor was I all that optimistic about it since the meeting with James was an epic failure. James was abrasive, rude, forgetting himself with Cooper. And whilst my champion took it on the chin, I was curious if he could do that with more people. 

But would everyone have the same reaction as James? I hoped not, but that was a hope I couldn't bank on. 

I picked up my mobile to text Cooper. "Are you free…" I began to type but then retracted my thoughts.

Instead, I called him. Be brave, Andie, ask the man. 

He picked up almost straight away. 

"Hello, my love," he said, with his deep voice, "I was thinking about you."

"Oh? Good thoughts or baaaaad?" 

"Always bad. I'm about to get in the shower. It's a shame you're not here."

I could imagine his statuesque frame doused in water from head to toe. The water cascaded over him and onto me, as our bodies collided. 

Focus, Andie, you have to ask him something. 

"Do you think we could recreate this tonight?" Cooper said nothing but a light hum, agreeing with my suggestion.

"Um, I do have something to ask you, though. GG sent an email this morning, asking us to have dinner on Friday night so all my friends can meet you. Are you free? It's perfectly ok if you're not."

"I am free. Always free for you. Are you ok with dinner, though?" 

Cooper already knew my hesitations. He understood my dilemma and why I didn't want a repeat of the turmoil already imploding in my life with my ex. Sure, he wanted to meet all my friends, too, but there was no rush. 

Why GG insisted there was, pushing past me to organise it on my behalf, only highlighted how understanding Cooper was compared to my friends. 

"I wish I wasn't forced to do this, you know?" 

"I get it. And you don't have to do anything. But I will be there; you can count on me."

Count-on-me. I'm not sure anyone has ever said that to me before. 

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You’re reading The Andie Chronicles, the 2023 romance-fiction series from the 1 Lovelock Drive (1LD) universe.

By the way, this all started when Andie turned thirty-five, and her then-boyfriend didn’t call her.

Or the day after that.

Or the day after that, too. 

Everything started to unravel when her BFFs got into bed with her ex, too… ⬇️ ⬇️ ⬇️

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A little lost on what’s happening at 1 Lovelock Drive?

Well, you see, Andie’s break-up started back in February and so much has happened since then. These stories will help you catch right up! xx