Why We Were Gone

3 ⌱ Two Truths & A Lie

"You look gorgeous tonight, Sasha," Cooper smirked and somehow you could see his dimples through his beard. Sasha blushed, but her body language didn't change. The Silver Platter restaurant had just opened the week before, and the waiters and waitresses were still trying to get the hang of things.

Cooper took Sasha, the police department secretary, out to dinner. And yeah, the meals were going to cost a little more than he wanted them to, but he was okay with that. He needed the information Sasha had, and he'd buy whatever meal and flirt with everything he had to get that info.

Sasha was beautiful. Her red hair was pinned up into a perfect ball on the top of her head. She had two circular strands dangling down both sides of her face, and she had light pink lipstick on. Her gold dress sparkled ever so slightly when the light hit it. Cooper's suit was the best he could afford, a leftover from his buddy's wedding last year.

"You're not worried about who will see us? Our age difference is a little more than this town is comfortable with," Cooper said.

"It's just four years. You just graduated, yeah, but you're an adult now." Sasha didn't really care about his age. Cooper was semi-well known in the town, and any girl that got a date with him was lucky. She'd gladly take the offer.

In the corner of the restaurant, Bonnie sat with the menu in front of her face. She was looking at the menu through the dim light, but she was only using it to not look weird. She kept Cooper and Sasha in her view.

Just like Sasha, Bonnie's face was blushing, but not in the same way. Sasha's was out of flattery. Cooper's presence was across the table from her. But, Bonnie's blushing was from jealousy. She hated it about herself, and it didn't help the spiraling that was on its way. She wasn't Sasha. She wasn't on that date.

Cooper was her friend, and she saw him all the time, but it wasn't enough. The second she was away from him, he was on her mind and she couldn't get him off it. She needed that date with Cooper... for herself. But she understood...

For our friends, she kept reminding herself.

Sasha and Cooper kept smiling and locking eyes at their table. Cooper, as usual, didn't feel the chemistry. But this time, he had to keep up the act. He had to keep her tied to it. This fake chemistry had to be real.

"I feel like something's missing," she looked around the table. "Ah, they didn't give us silverware!" she chuckled.

Now's the time, he thought.

The plan was to change his mindset and look upset. He would drop his head and stare at the table, and act somewhat embarrassed. Then, he'd spin something Sasha said to pin it back to their friends being gone.

He dropped his head and rubbed his neck. Here we go, he thought.

"Are you okay?" Sasha leaned in and whispered. She looked around the table to see who was close and could hear them. Her eyes hit Bonnie's. She darted behind her menu and placed it on the table, looking at it.

Bonnie could feel her anxiety getting higher. She closed the menu and got up for the bathroom.

"Yeah... I'm — I'm okay," Cooper tried to act.

"What's wrong," she leaned forward for his hand.

"Missing. I know it's just a word... but I can't help but think of my friends. Charlie, Athena, Hunter... it's been so long since — since I've — seen them," he was going to fake a shaky voice, but it wasn't that hard... he really did feel it.

"Oh, you knew them," her sincerity was coming through. "Are you — are you okay?"

"Yeah... I just wish I knew something, ya know?" he looked up at her with his cotton-candy blue eyes. "I guess 'maybe it was the boogie man' isn't good enough for me..." he flashed a smile that he knew seemed fake.

Sasha looked around. "Can we step outside?"

Cooper nodded as he stood up from the table. He opened his wallet and dropped a 50-dollar bill to cover their food and a tip.

They made their way to the door. Then, the girl's bathroom door swung open. Bonnie stepped out and looked up at Cooper. He stopped for a split-second and made eye-contact with her. Her eyes shot open and she dropped her head as she moved past them and went back to her empty table.

Cooper let out a huff of air, looked back at her over his shoulder, and lead the way out the door.

Bonnie took a deep breath and sat at the table. What was I thinking, she thought. Cooper's about to get some information we need... and I just had to be here... I shouldn't be here... she thought.

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