Chapter Text
Before the divorce, Cooper Howard had never missed his nights as a bachelor. Barb, and later, Janey, had brought much greater joy to his life than the bottom of a whiskey glass. Though he was still intimately acquainted with that sight, as he’d never lost the taste for it at the end of a long day. It wasn’t a necessary evil back then. Now, however, the bottom of a whiskey glass was about the nicest view he had in his life.
His first glass empty, Cooper waited for the bartender to finish serving a couple at the other end of the bar. In the meantime, a group of well-dressed women entered the lounge, leaving a trail of giggles and quick chatter and a variety of perfumes in their wake as they were seated at a cozy table and chairs in the corner by the jukebox. Cooper paid them little mind, outside of a simple assessment.
They were young and prettily dressed, with three of the women wearing their hair up or in bouncing curls. Their dresses were all shaded in primary colors and patterns, with only the straight-haired brunette in a daffodil yellow number. Despite her more modern look, she was just as smiley and chatty as the rest of her friends.
The bartender poured another two fingers into Cooper’s glass, and he fixed his attention back on his drink.
The divorce was fresh. Much too fresh for Cooper to bother entertaining the idea of dating again. It wasn’t just that, despite everything he knew, he still held a candle for Barb, but it was Janey, too. She didn’t need the kids at school talking about her dad being spotted out with someone who wasn’t her mother, especially when the arrest had caused enough of a stir. Yeah, Janey understood the family dynamic had changed. Dad no longer lived at her home. But gossip had made its way to her classroom before, and “Disgraced actor Cooper Howard spotted with mystery woman” was not something he would likely ever be ready to explain. Maybe when she was 25. But probably not.
Behind him, the young women chatted. To his left, the couple spoke in soft voices. At the back, the jukebox crackled out some sad old love song Cooper couldn’t quite place. He was trying to parse out the lyrics when he heard his name called from across the bar.
There, by the now closing door, stood Sebastian Leslie in all his boisterous glory.
“Well, hello there, friend.” He said jovially, taking the seat on Cooper’s left. “What a treat to find you out and about for once!”
A firm clap on Cooper’s back nearly had him choking on whiskey.
“The hell are you doing on this side of town?” Cooper asked.
“I had an appointment with a new publicist. The last one’s only ambition was to tank my career, so I thought a replacement was quite in order.”
“Well, ain’t that shit?” Cooper said. His own team had dropped him moments after his arrest. Cooper was almost certain he had been fired by his agent and publicist the moment they heard the news. Cooper Howard, actor AND communist! It wasn’t just the lost connections that hurt. It was the fact that Cooper could hardly get a job backstage. He could hold a hammer. He could build sets if he needed to, and because he couldn’t live off his investments forever, he needed to. Most of his liquid money had gone to the lawyers, and the alimony was no fucking joke.
“Indeed!” Seabass said, reaching for the glass of tequila that had just been poured. He squeezed the ever-loving hell out of the lime that had come on the rim straight into the glass, then dropped the ruined hunk of citrus into the glass.
“I’ve got a dinner with a casting director down the street here in 15 minutes or so, and I needed to kill time. I’m very glad I did!” He declared, a loud huff of a laugh barking out of him.
“Me too,” Cooper said, raising his glass to his friend. “Anyone I would know?”
“Mmm, I don’t believe so. It’s for a children’s program. I might as well start selling shoes, for all the dignity I’ll lose.”
“Job’s a job, these days.” Cooper said into his glass. “I’ve got half a mind to go back to ranching.”
Seabass snorted into his glass.
“Ranching? The fake cowboy wants to try the real thing again?” He asked, his voice filled with mirth.
Cooper rolled his eyes.
“Better than dealing with the bullshit down here. Maybe I’ll take folks on trail rides or somethin’. Go deal with horses instead of the idiots down here.” Cooper said. He caught his own reflection in the mirror behind the bar and sighed. Maybe he’d grow a beard. Something to make him a little less recognizable. Vault-Tec had already replaced all the billboards. It could be easy to sink out of the public eye.
“Mmm, call me when you open your business.” Seabass started, “I’ll be sure to avoid your trail rides at all costs. Can you imagine me on a horse?”
No, no, Cooper could not. Seabass wasn’t built for horseback riding, let alone anything outside the clean and glamorous bubble of Hollywood. And maybe at this point, he wasn’t either. Cooper’s ranching days had been short-lived, purely a necessity before he’d been called up to serve.
“I think I’ll stay down here, where the tequila is cold, and the women are beautiful.” Seabass said, tilting his head in the direction of the four women who walked in just before him. Cooper spared another glance in their direction. They were all laughing in unison, some joke that didn’t make its way over to the bar, where a humorless grinch and his jester were holding court for two.
Seabass waved the bartender over and ordered four glasses of prosecco to be sent over to the ladies’ table. Cooper just rolled his eyes.
“This how you flirt now?” He asked.
“Flirting, building good will with fans, take it however you like, Coop. Either way, I can afford the prosecco, and according to my new team, I could use the publicity.” Seabass said, taking one last sip of his tequila. His empty glass clinked on the counter at the same time as the bottle of prosecco popped behind the bar.
“How do you know those girls are even fans?” Cooper asked. Sebass leaned in like he had to share a secret.
“Because the young woman in yellow won’t stop looking over here.” He said, dropping his voice a little so as not to let it carry to the ladies’ ears. “I’d like to think she loved my work in those ridiculous family comedies I did a few years back, but I’m almost certain she’s burning a hole in the back of your head.”
Resisting the urge to turn around and confirm Seabass’ suspicions, Cooper finished his whiskey. He looked up to flag down the bartender, but he was currently delivering a tray of prosecco to a table of giggling girls. Upon delivery, a chorus of “Thank you!” rose from the other side of the lounge, where the women had just been informed of who had sent the drinks. Seabass, all big smiles and false humility, left his stool to approach the women at their table, waving just like the Queen. Cooper did his best to get the bartender’s attention and get himself another two fingers.
In the reflection of the mirrors behind the bar, Cooper could see Seabass smiling and kissing hands as he charmed his way into a conversation with the women. It was like watching a younger version of himself. All charisma, charm, and lopsided smiles that made the girls swoon. But that was two lifetimes ago. Before family. Before the fallout of his marriage, public persona, and career. Cooper glanced back at the mirror, this time watching himself. He looked irritated, his brow practically swallowing his eyes. His frown was carved into his face like a jagged scar.
Introspection wasn’t a good look, Coop.
Seabass made his glorious exit from the ladies’ table and returned to Cooper, though he didn’t sit down.
“I must be off to my wine and dine. Don’t get into too much trouble, hmm?” He said, lifting a brow.
Cooper grunted in affirmation.
“That’s my boy!” Seabass said, clapping his friend on the back and walking out the door.
Alone again, Cooper considered downing his third glass and heading home. He had come out to drink alone, but now that he’d had a friend and was faced with the reality of the settling loneliness, he wasn’t so eager to be here anymore. He sighed. He did that a lot these days.
“Mr. Howard?”
Startled, Cooper glanced at where Seabass had just been sitting. At his left was the young woman in yellow. Up close, she was a sight with those big eyes and pretty cheekbones. Her dark hair only accentuated the features that would have looked odd on any other face. Her expression was expectant, waiting for him to confirm her question. Shit, he needed to dial in. He extended his hand to her and tried to tap into whatever energy he had left.
“I prefer Cooper. Not much into the formalities.” He said, hoping the smile he had plastered on was convincing. His acting skills were a little rusty, after all.
“I’m Lucy.” She said, taking his hand and shaking it, but letting it drop in a reasonable amount of time. Not like some fans, who tried to cling to him. “I have to tell you, it’s a real pleasure to meet you.”
“You a fan?” Cooper asked, turning his attention back to his drink, but keeping that pleasant look on his face. Everything was a presentation these days. He’d learned that pretty quickly after he was released back into regular society.
“I am, but maybe not in the way you’d expect. I mean, of course, I’ve seen your movies, and they’re great. But-“ Lucy stopped herself, taking a moment to take a breath and assess the now confused look that had overtaken his face, seemingly trying to calm whatever nerves had built up in her body. “I know about what you did. What you really did, not what the government said. And I admire you for it.”
Cooper’s eyes widened for a moment before he took a quick glance around the bar. No one seemed to have heard Lucy’s admission, so he leaned in, fitting her with a stern glare and lowering his voice.
“Now is that really the kind of thing you think we should be discussing out in the open like this?” He asked.
“Yes!” She declared before leaning forward herself, a smile curling onto her lips as she lowered her voice to a whisper. “What Vault-Tec is doing, what RobCo and all those businesses are doing, profiting on fear? Selling us all out? It’s wrong, Mr. Howard, and you were only trying to protect the best interests of the people.”
A scoff escaped his lips before he could catch it. This girl was either straight-up dumb or just clueless about any repercussions that came with such unpopular opinions these days. She, however, seemed to be unaware of his quick study of her. Rather than taking the scoff as a rejection, she actually hopped up on the stool beside Cooper.
Great, just make yourself at home.
“Listen, Lucy, right?” Cooper began, sighing and scanning his perimeter again, “The shit I pulled on Vault-Tec wasn’t brave, and it caused way more problems for me than was worth it. So why don’t you go back on over to your friends, tell them you got to meet a washed-up old actor, and forget about all this?”
“You can’t mean that-“ Lucy started.
“I do.” He said. “This should be none of your concern.”
Cooper swallowed down the rest of his whiskey, watching Lucy’s expression out of the corner of his eye. Her brow was furrowed, making those big brown eyes of hers look fiercer than this girl had any business being. He could tell he must have struck a nerve because her jaw twitched like she had a lot more to say. He waited for her to calm down, to nod and walk away like a good girl, but in the race against her being dumb or clueless, it seemed a new competitor had jumped on the track: doubling down.
“Mr. How — Cooper.” She said, still keeping her voice low, “Maybe you really think I’m a fool, but I meant what I said. I’m a political science major at UCLA and-“
“Yeah?” Cooper asked, surprised once again, but hoping she didn’t take that as an invitation to keep talking about her agenda.
Lucy just nodded before continuing the train of thought she had been on before he interrupted her.
“And I’m going to graduate and go to Washington to lobby against the corporations that do this! The ones that have the politicians in their pockets. Did you know anxiety and depression are spiking amongst the general population? One of my girlfriends over there,” she said, pointing to her friends, “is a psychology major, she’s been tracking it in a study with one of her professors, and-“
Cooper interrupted her again; however, this time, he was waving the bartender over.
“She needs a drink.”
“Oh, I’m fine, but thank you.”
Cooper rolled his eyes.
“What are you drinking?” He asked, settling his glare on her. Lucy glared back for a moment , taking a big fast breath, before she turned to the bartender, a pleasant smile set on her face.
“A gimlet. With gin, please.” She said, her eyes following the man for a moment before she returned her gaze to Cooper. The energy that had radiated from her body before seemed more subdued. Good. Maybe he was turning this conversation in a direction he’d actually like it to go. “Thank you.”
“Thought you might slow down a little if you had something to keep that mouth busy.” He said, taking a sip of his whiskey.
“Right…” She said, a blush making its way to her cheeks. Cooper ignored that. He definitely ignored that.
“So, how do you spend your time when you’re not harassing actors in bars?”
“I’m not-” She began, immediately bristling.
“Humor me, sweetheart,” Cooper said, leaning back. If he could steer this conversation away from this young woman’s radicalization, maybe he could get out of it a little faster. Or at the very least, without his reputation getting flatlined even more by overzealous eavesdroppers.
“My girlfriends and I all go to school at UCLA. Two of them are education majors, so I met them in class. I’m doing a minor in education. The other one, the blonde in purple, she’s the psychology major. She’s the one who first brought me to… Well, to the meetings about everything Vault-Tec is doing.”
“Lucy.” Cooper warned, not giving her any room to move the conversation back to her intended topic. She huffed, sucking her lower lip into her mouth. She could look as put-out as she wanted, but he didn’t miss the little upward tilt of her lips. He was no idiot. He was charming her, at least a little, with the gruff act. He had found his film persona had always been more comfortable for people who only recognized him from the pictures. She sat back in the barstool, resuming a more comfortable posture from the rather intimate position she’d taken when they were swapping whispers.
“On the weekends, I teach tennis lessons, but I was pretty good at gymnastics in high school. My cousins taught me to shoot at their farm out in Agua Dulce and we used to play cowboys and indians with their BB guns when I was a girl. I’ve seen all your movies and I spend my free time working at the campus library. I’m really not sure there’s much more about me that’s going to be interesting, Mr. Howard.”
“Cooper.”
“Cooper…”
The bartender had the decency to drop by with Lucy’s gimlet, setting it before her and giving her a quick up and down that Cooper didn’t miss, but Lucy sure did. She was pretty, so Cooper couldn’t really blame the man. She sipped at the little cocktail, letting her brows raise quickly with an obviously pleased expression.
“I don’t harass actors in bars regularly. Or at all, if that makes you feel better.” She said.
“Means I won’t be telling the man at the door to keep a picture of you in the back so everyone knows not to let you in.”
Lucy actually laughed at that.
“It wouldn’t be the first time.” She said, the conspiratorial little smile returning. “I attended a protest at Vault-Tec display once-”
“Jesus Christ.”
“And my friends and I were removed from the premises and told not to come back unless we wanted to be arrested.” And, oh, she looked smug about that.
Because, of course, that happened to her. Of course, she was dumb enough to be caught publicly protesting one of the largest and most influential and most dangerous corporations in America.
“You really don’t quit, do ya?” Cooper asked, taking another sip of whiskey. Maybe political science was a good major for her. Clearly, she knew how to stick to a damn issue.
“It’s pretty much my mission in life. To stop Vault-Tec. My dad has always bought into Vault-Tec. The security, the ideals, the whole picture. But even when I was little, I remember asking him what would happen to my friends, our family, who couldn’t enter a vault with us when the bombs dropped. And he just never cared. He told me it didn’t matter because at least we’d be safe.”
She seemed to realize the conversation had drifted back to her favorite topic suddenly, and she leaned back in, keeping her tone quiet.
“It felt wrong, you know? And then in high school, I dated this boy my dad just hated-”
“I bet you did.”
“But my boyfriend hated Vault-Tec. So even though we broke up before college, the ideas just sort of stuck.” She sighed then, “My dad, of course, wanted me to be a teacher. I’m only minoring in education to make him happy. But one of my friends, the psych major, she brought me to a few meetings about things like this. Her parents are real activists, you know?
“And then last year, when you were arrested it brought so much attention to the profit they were making on everyone’s fear, and you became a bit of a hero to me. The great Cooper Howard, stepping up against the very corporation that featured him in all their advertising just a few months before. It was amazing!” Lucy admitted, smiling a little as she met his eye.
“So your dad, your boyfriend, and a movie star made you hate Vault-Tec, huh?” Cooper mused. “What’s your take then, Miss Lucy?”
“My take?” She asked, tilting her head like Roosevelt.
“Mmhm. What’s Lucy, the political science major, think of it all? Just tell me plain.”
“Well…” She began. And Cooper knew he had her. She was a silly girl whose beliefs were shaped by the men in her life and the ones she saw on screen. Once she realized she was spewing someone else’s dangerous ideas, he could easily point it out if she didn’t come to the realization on her own. He was about ready to send her on her way. He didn’t need anyone else overhearing their conversation, and hopefully, she wouldn’t be too embarrassed. She could just tell her friends Cooper Howard is an asshole. She’d be right.
“Selling fear isn’t the only thing they’re doing, Cooper. And I think you know that.” She said, her voice low and wavering for the first time. Now there was another surprise. Lucy continued, “I’ve heard rumors. My friends have heard rumors. The vaults aren’t just a safe place to ride out the nuclear fallout. There’s something they're not telling their investors, and it’s my intention to find out.”
The blood in Cooper’s veins was cold, chilled by her words. It was one thing to call Vault-Tec bad business, to speak out against corporations and the government in the same breath. But now, this pretty little idiot was going beyond what was safe, and skimming the surface of a conspiracy that leaned more into truth than Cooper had the stones to admit in public. He needed to put a stop to this. She was going to be in actual trouble if she tried this with anyone else. Hell, even the bartender could turn her over if he wanted to believe himself a red-blooded American.
Lucy reached for her drink again, but Cooper caught her wrist on the bartop.
“I’ve been humoring you, sweetheart, but you need to shut up.” He said, holding her gaze with a level stare. “The shit you're spewing is dangerous, and if the wrong person hears your little declarations, you’re going to be in more trouble than you can manage, you understand? And not just you, but your family.”
Lucy blinked at him, her eyes growing bigger somehow.
“What do you know about it?” Lucy asked, her voice a rasping whisper.
Before Cooper could respond, Lucy’s friend appeared out of nowhere, it seemed to him. They had been so wrapped up in each other and their conversation, Cooper had forgotten she wasn’t here alone. He quickly took his hand off Lucy’s wrist, but he knew one of the blondes had seen it. Her friendly smile had faltered, and her eyes were darting quickly between the hime and Lucy.
“So sorry to interrupt, Mr. Howard,” One of the other girls said. “Lucy, you ready to go?”
“Mr. Howard was just telling me about some very interesting backstage secrets. You wouldn’t believe the things they get up to behind the scenes of the movies!” She said, a giggle passing through her lips just as easily as her lie. “You girls go on, I can get a cab back to campus. I think I want to listen to more of Cooper Howard’s Hollywood stories,” She turned to face him again, the smile of a starlet lighting up her face, “If he’ll let me.”
Before Cooper could object, her friends did it for him, urging her to reconsider. One even brought up an early morning lecture. Lucy was not persuaded, much to Cooper’s irritation.
“I’m sure!” Lucy said, holding firm. “Don’t worry,” she said, casting a conspiratorial glance over at Cooper. “If I’m not in class tomorrow, you can tell the police Cooper Howard did it.”
And then, Lucy had the gall to wink at him. Cooper, ever the actor, let out a quick, very fake laugh. If their conversation needed to look casual, he could do that. If he couldn’t send her off with her friends, he could at least keep up the act Lucy had started.
“Don’t worry, ladies, I’ll be sure she gets home safe. We were almost done, anyway.”
“We were?” Lucy asked, the facade dropping a little as she whipped her head around to look at him again.
“Mhmm.” Cooper responded, dropping the charming smile for just a moment so she might catch on.
“Alright.” The blonde acquiesced. “Lucy, call me when you get home tonight, okay?”
“I will!” Lucy said cheerfully, waving to the girls and only turning once they exited the lounge. Her entire demeanor changed. Gone was the bubbly thing who sent her friends off with kisses on cheeks. Here was the woman on the verge of a real conspiracy.
She leaned forward in her chair again. If Cooper had to guess, he’d say everyone in the bar would think they were having an intimate and flirtatious conversation. Let them think it. It was better than the alternative, Hollywood gossip be damned.
“What do you know about Vault-Tec’s plans?” She asked, picking up the thread of what Cooper wished was a dead conversation.
“I’m not doing this with you.” He said, throwing back the last of his whiskey. “You’re going home and I’m getting the hell outta here.”
Lucy looked like she was going to argue, but something in the set of his face dissuaded her. Maybe it was the frown. Maybe it was his tense shoulders and clenched fist. Or maybe it was the fear he was certain she could see through his eyes. With eyes as big as hers, she probably didn’t miss a thing.
“It’s funny, Mr. Howard.”
“What’s that?”
“You’ve won a lot of awards for your work, but I’m not so sure you’re a very good actor anymore.” Lucy said, tilting her head just a little, like she was trying to see him from a different angle.
“Is that so?” He asked, grinding his teeth a bit and slowly spinning the empty glass on the bar top. He’d been called a bad actor before, but that was by industry professionals, know-it-all critics, and gossip rags. Pretty girls at bars didn’t go around calling him a bad actor. Not that he spent much time talking to pretty girls at bars at all.
“Mhmm.” She said. “You sit there and tell me this cause isn’t worth it. That I’ll only get hurt in the end. But to me, it’s as plain as the nose on your face…”
Cooper watched in stony silence as Lucy took a few bills out of her purse and dropped them on the counter by her empty glass. With her tab paid, she stood to go, but not before letting Cooper Howard know exactly what she thought of him.
“You still believe in this cause. Even if it hurts you. And I think I’d like to see you get back on the horse.” Lucy smiled, then, winking over her shoulder as she called back to him, “What do you think, cowboy?”
The doorman let Lucy out. She never looked back, but Cooper’s eyes followed her through the windows until she was out of his sight.
“Another, sir?” The bartender asked, nearly making Cooper jump out of his skin at the sudden intrusion.
“No, thank you.” Cooper said, covering the glass with his hand. Thanks to Lucy, he felt stone-cold sober. Time to pack it up.