Always For Keeps ( For Keeps part 2)

Twenty Five. Luke

Song for this chapter: Ed Sheeran- Photograph

My alarm goes off too soon. I stretch out and Scarlett  curls closer into my side.
"You have to work." She pouts.
"Unfortunately." I say and kiss her forehead. I look over her shoulder and notice Cooper is gone.
"He's been up for hours." She says.
"Work?" I ask.
"Yeah. It's Monday... unfortunately." She smiles.
"Whatever will you do today while we work?" I tease.
"I'll probably eat breakfast, go on a walk, take a nap. My day is just chalking up to be such an adventure."
"I would much rather do that with you."
"Well in a few short weeks, we will walk on the beaches of France, or eat a warm croissant at a busy Café in Paris."
"I honestly can't wait." I kiss her softly. My alarm goes off again so I hesitantly get ready for work.

I wave goodbye to a preoccupied Cooper then head to work, stopping for coffee on the way. I pull in to the parking lot right after a very tired Paisley.
Late night?" I smile and hand her a coffee.
"I fucking love you." She says as she hugs the cup. "You're not so bad either." She teases.
"Oh thanks." I laugh.
"I'm so not ready for today. It's going to be so weird without Kare or Brett." She says sipping her drink.
"Right." I frown and briefly wonder who is filling in for them.

When Paisley and I round the corner into the lab, we both stop dead in our tracks. Stacey smiles wickedly at us.
"Fuck." Paisley mutters.
"Well good morning you two." Stacey calls.
Neither of us say anything, we just head in and get our stuff ready.
Today is going to suck.

Stacey won't shut up. She talks and talks and talks. Paisley and I mostly tune her out and luckily for us, a newer guy, Dean, takes away some of the attention. It isn't until after lunch that she really drives me crazy.
"So Luke, do you even care about Mandy?" She asks.
"I care about my son. That's about it." I shrug.
"Well maybe she should make it so you can't see your son at all." She threatens and all I can do is smile.
"You know the best thing about being friends with Cooper? The fact that the man is super connected and I could fight that shit so quick her head would spin." I smile as she frowns.
"Whatever. What are you going to do when Scarlett leaves you for good?"
"She won't. I'm moving to New York soon." I say.
"Right." She rolls her eyes.
"He is. We both are." Paisley says coming to sit by me."
"Oh so your flavor of the week is pretending to like you?" She says to Paisley.
"Jealously isn't your most flattering feature, Stace."
"I'm so far from jealous." She scoffs.
"Right, that's why you put everyone down; because you're so happy with your life." Paisley spits.
"I'm happier than either of you." Stacey says glaring at us. Paisley and I just laugh.

Stacey pesters Dean the rest of the afternoon until they leave for the day.
We are pretty slow in the afternoon, so Paisley hesitantly gives her two week notice.
"It's super weird. I mean, I have been wanting to leave for a while, but now that I am it's surreal." She smiles.
"I feel ya. I'm really glad I came to Montana, but I'm excited for this next chapter."
"I'm really glad you and Scar will be there. And Coop. Is it weird how much he's grown on us?"
"Yeah. He's really a pretty good guy." I smile.
"Well when are you putting in your notice?"
"I guess now is good a time as any. Cooper already has me scheduled for France. I guess I'll use that as my quitting time frame. Then it gives me a couple weeks, hopefully, to figure out how to deal with Mandy and the baby before he is here."
"As shitty of a mom I think Mandy will be, you'll definitely make up for it as a dad."
"Thanks, Pais. I hope you're right."
"I am right. I can tell." She shrugs and I laugh.

About ten minutes to close, the automatic doors open and I groan since we are already packed up and ready to go.
"Calm your tits, sexy. It's just me." Scarlett smiles as she comes into view.
"What are you doing here?" I ask as I jump up and hug her.
"Well Cooper is stuck in a conference call for a while so I had Brady drop me off. I figured we could grab dinner. Just you and me." She kisses my cheek and my heart stirs.
"That sounds good." I smile.
"I feel like you suggesting dinner is just going to end with Luke eating you... for dinner." Paisley winks.
Scarlett blushes but grins.
"I could go for that." I tell her.
"I wouldn't complain." She kisses my cheek again.
"Can we close up? I need to get my girl out of here. Now." I say as I pull Paisley and Scarlett by the hands out of the room and shut off the lights and door. They giggle together as I rush to get Paisley's purse and push them out the door.