Finding London by Ellie Wade (uplifting book club books .TXT) 📕

“I’m so happy that I want to break into song, like a princess in a Disney movie, but I won’t. That’d be weird.”

—London Wright

The hot summer sun is beating down on my neck, causing me to sweat before I’ve even done anything. That, paired with the cheesy grin across Loïc’s face, is really annoying me. “Stop looking at me like that.”

“Like what?” he teases as he stands on one foot. His right leg is bent at the knee as he pulls his foot behind his ass in some sort of stretch.

“Like I’m stupid.” I attempt to imitate his stretch, but I think better of it, as I’m sure I’d fall on my ass instead of balancing on one foot the way he is. Instead, I bend at the waist and touch my toes with both feet firmly planted on the ground.

“I’m not,” he disagrees. “I don’t think you’re stupid at all. I think you’re cute.”

“No, you think I’m going to suck,” I huff out as I stand up straight.

“Of course you will.” He laughs. “But I think it’s adorable that you want to try.”

I cross my arms over my chest and glare at him.

He takes a step toward me. “London, I told you that we were running nine miles. Have you ever run one mile? You have to work up to bigger distances, but I think it’s sweet that you’re out here with me. It’s fine. When you get tired, you can walk, and I’ll run around the loop and catch back up with you.”

Loïc and Cooper go running together a lot, and I insisted that I come with them today. We’re at a park that has a three-mile loop around a lake, and they run around it three times. I’m actually second-guessing my decision to come along. Part of me just wanted to hang out with Loïc, regardless of what he was doing, and another part really wanted to meet Cooper.

“I’m not going to suck,” I protest. Yes, I totally am.

“London, it’s okay. Anyone, no matter how amazing they are, has to work up to running longer distances.” He pulls me into a hug and kisses my forehead.

“Well, aren’t you two cute?” An energetic loud voice startles me, making me jump back away from Loïc.

“London, this is Cooper. He’s a bit obnoxious.” Loïc gestures toward the guy who is now standing across from me.

He’s sporting a huge grin, and I can already tell that I’m going to like him.

Cooper extends his hand toward mine. “You can call me David or Cooper. Either one’s fine. Nice to finally meet the girl who has my boy here all gaga.”

“Have I mentioned he’s extremely annoying?” Loïc says with a laugh.

I shake Cooper’s hand. “Nice to finally meet you, too. Loïc has nothing but great things to say about you.”

“That’s a lie, dude. I don’t say anything nice about you,” Loïc says to Cooper.

Cooper laughs and then turns his attention back toward me. “So, I hear you aren’t much of a runner?”

The way he says it isn’t accusatory in the slightest, and I’m surprised that his words don’t bother me at all.

“No worries. I think it’s great that you want to run with us. Just go slow. You can jog and then walk and then jog. But don’t overdo it, or you’ll end up pulling something. I sucked when I first started. Just ask Berkeley here. In basic, I was always one of the last ones to finish.”

“Loïc, too?”

Cooper shakes his head. “Nah, that asshole was always one of the first. I think he had lots of practice running from trouble when he was out on the streets. That, and he always has to be better at everything than everyone else, you know?”

Loïc laughs. “You’re such an ass.”

Cooper grins. “All right, let’s do this.”

The three of us begin running along the paved path. I’m able to keep up with them for about two miles—just kidding. It’s more like two football fields. That’s decent though for my first time, I think. The ache in my side is so painful that I have to stop and walk.

Loïc turns around and runs backward. “I’ll circle back around and see you in a few.” He winks, and it’s completely adorable.

“Stop being a show-off,” I grumble.

He laughs and turns back around.

I continue walking, holding my side. Motherfucker, it stings. I enjoy the view of Loïc’s backside for as long as I can before I can’t see him anymore.

Over the next hour, Loïc runs past me three times. Each time, he smacks my ass as he passes, making me first jump and then giggle. During this entire time, I’ve gone around the loop once.

Eh, I could’ve done worse. I did manage to jog a few feet here and there.

When I’ve finished the loop, I’m a sweaty, disgusting mess. Is this supposed to be fun?

The three of us stretch afterward—well, at least the boys do. I attempt to copy them.

“Where should we go eat? London, what are you in the mood for?” Cooper asks.

“A shower,” I respond dryly, eliciting a chuckle from him.

“Of course we’ll shower first. But after?”

“I don’t know. Maybe Mexican?”

“Dude! Let’s go to Mexicantown. I haven’t been there in forever,” Cooper says excitedly.

Mexicantown is an area of Detroit that is mainly populated by Latino people, and they have the most authentic Mexican food around.

“That sounds good!” I agree.

“Sure,” Loïc says.

“Will Maggie be able to join us?” I’m looking forward to meeting Loïc’s other roommate.

“No, she’s working a twelve-hour shift at the hospital,” Cooper offers.

Maggie is a nurse at Mott Children’s Hospital.

“Oh, that’s a bummer. I want to meet her. Should we invite Paige?”

“Yeah, that’s fine,” Loïc answers.

“Great,” I say happily.

I survived my first workout—okay, workout might be a stretch—with Loïc and Cooper, and now, I get to have fantastic Mexican food for dinner.

Loïc drops me off at my house, so I can shower while he goes back to his. Paige is game for a trip to the D—aka Detroit—and before I know it, the four of us are in Cooper’s car, heading east.

We unanimously vote to go to Xochimilco. Their food is delicious, and their margaritas are even better.

Cooper parks in the lot next to the restaurant. Stepping out of the air-conditioned car, I’m hit with the thick and hot humid air. It’s one of those days where there is so much sticky moisture in the air that I can feel it as I breathe in. I’m wearing a short little sundress, but it doesn’t seem to help keep me any cooler.

I grab Loïc’s hand and speed-walk toward the entrance of the restaurant before the minimum makeup I applied melts off my face.

The restaurant is styled in typical Mexican fashion—bright colors, flashing Dos Equis and Corona beer signs, and paintings of Latino women in flowy dresses, holding bouquets of white calla lilies. We’re sat at a wooden table in the back of the room.

After ordering, Paige launches into her inquisition of Cooper and Loïc with endless questions about military life.

“So, like, what do you actually do when you’re deployed?” Paige asks yet another question. She’s extremely fascinated, apparently.

Cooper has been doing most of the answering, which I think is probably normal for him. He seems like the type of person who can talk to anyone. “It really just depends on what our mission is. The objectives vary, often daily. Many missions are reconnaissance in nature, which basically means that we explore enemy territories, hoping to gain some sort of desired information. Sometimes, we’re involved in search and rescue. Other times, we take part in humanitarian assistance, especially if a location has recently been negatively impacted by war. Because Berkeley and I are in Special Forces, most of what we do is classified.”

“Wow, that’s so cool,” Paige says with awe.

“Yeah, well, both Berkeley and I joined up right when we were eighteen and worked our way up to Special Forces. It definitely beats most jobs out there. Though, to be honest, a lot of what we do here is boring.”

“What do you mean?” Paige asks.

“Just that the day-to-day stuff here is pretty standard, not much excitement going on. I suppose, like any job, it gets to be routine. Deployment is different though,” Cooper says before taking a huge bite of his enchilada.

“All right, Paige, stop with the interrogation,” I say with a chuckle.

“What? I’m just curious.” She shrugs before taking a sip of her peach margarita.

“I know, but let the guys eat.” I glance toward Cooper’s mostly uneaten meal, which is huge actually, including several à la carte items in addition to his combo platter. “Though I don’t know how you both eat so much and stay in such great shape.”

“We work out a lot, so we get to eat a lot. It’s a little perk.” Cooper winks.

I can’t help but giggle at his playfulness. I can see why Loïc loves him. He’s one of those people who would be impossible not to love.

“You didn’t think Berkeley here was born with that six-pack, did ya?” Cooper jokes.

“Yeah, we kinda did.” Paige chuckles.

“Well, I’ll agree that my boy here has to work a lot less than most for the same results. He’s definitely gifted in the looks department—so the girls say.”

“Oh, whatever, dude. I do just as much as you. Stop being a prick.” Loïc shakes his head, sporting a grin.

Cooper shoots Loïc a sly smile before redirecting his attention to Paige. “So, Paige, what do you do?”

“Not much at the moment. London and I graduated from college a couple of months ago. Now, we’re looking for jobs.”

“Oh, yeah?” Cooper questions, sounding interested. “Where at?”

She shrugs unapologetically. “Well, nowhere yet. We’re getting around to it. We’ve been busy.”

I see the momentary confusion on Cooper’s face as he assesses the situation even though he hides it well.

In the circle of people we normally hang around with, Paige’s comment wouldn’t have been questioned, but Cooper and Loïc have never been a part of that group of people. They belong to the crowd that has had to work for everything in their lives. I find that aspect of Loïc extremely sexy, and in this instant, I’m wondering how he finds me with my privileged life appealing in the least. I’ve never felt unworthy around anyone before Loïc. I don’t