It had been a few days since I had stayed at my house at One Lovelock Drive.
I was desperate to go home. Sleep in my sheets. Go through my clothes and do a load of washing.
But I didn’t want to do it without Cooper.
When I expressed my desire to go home, he insisted on coming with me, agreeing it was a good idea for us to stay together. He wanted to get to know my life. And I loved having him in my home.
I was delighted when he arrived, bearing two bottles of red wines I had admired in his cellar. They were from the Yarra Valley, my favourite part of the world and my famous region of Victorian wine country.
They were Pinot Noir, back vintages that he picked up last time he was in Melbourne.
As he opened one of them, he told me how he had held onto them for a special occasion, but he decided that this no-nothing Thursday would be the right time. To enjoy them. With me. He knew I was the special occasion.
For a man who wrestled for a living, threw weights around like they were rubber balls, and was always with the boys, he sure knew how to make a woman feel at home.
I was about to pull out the fixings for a salad from the fridge to accompany my freshly made quiche when I was interrupted by a knock at the door.
James wasn’t home, but he had keys and could let himself in, so it wasn’t him. And most of my other friends hadn’t taken to knocking lately on my front door. They were letting themselves in, so I knew it wasn’t one of them.
I asked Cooper to get the door, and to his surprise, Barbie was on the other side.
“Who is this beautiful man?” she queried as his outstretched hand met hers.
“My name is Cooper, and I am Andie’s new man.”
“Well, isn’t she a lucky lady? Do you mind if I come in for a moment, Mr Cooper?
I called out from the kitchen. “Of course, Barbie. Make yourself at home.”
I could hear them talking as they sat on the couch. Despite not being my mother, Barbie began her parental routine by asking for his life story.
And as he declared he was a professional wrestler, I expected her to turn her nose up like her son. Instead, she squealed with delight.
“My father used to be a promoter here in Melbourne. I loved going to the wrestling shows. We didn’t have lady wrestlers back then. But they would’ve put up a mean fight if we did.”
“When Barbie ended up revealing the identity of her grandfather, Tony “Bushman” Hunter, Cooper gasped. “Oh wow, I can’t believe you’re his granddaughter. You're a lucky thing to have grown up with him. He was one of my biggest inspirations growing up. I always thought I would own a promotion rather than star in one.”
Cooper rolled up his right sleeve and presented Barbie with the Bushman tattoo etched under one of his skulls. She marvelled at the design, approving the tattoo before him on the shoulder.
“Best to be in front of the camera, my dear. That is where the true talent is, my dear. And where the money is. When I started directing and producing shows, it was never as profitable as when I starred in one.”
From the kitchen, I heard Barbie start to sing, and then Cooper's soulful voice joined hers.
By the time Barbie left, it was late, and all the wine and food had been devoured. As she moved through the front, she turned to me, checking Cooper was out of earshot.
“I love him,” she beamed. “He is a wonderful man. Don’t let that one go.”
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