A flash of scarlet through the sea of muted tones had me sitting up straighter, and I watched as guys on either side of the bar followed Lauren with their eyes on stalks as she strode for the table. She looked so like Penn, and I’d never really noticed before how she carried that same air of insouciance as him. Or more accurately, I’d never noticedhim.
She shucked off her coat, her glossy mahogany ponytail whipping about her face as she did. “God, do I need a drink! I love my job, but there’s only so many kids who can puke on youbefore you start to take it personally.” She fanned her shirt away from her chest, then sat down and took a huge glug of the wine I’d already poured her. “Don’t worry, I changed. Mmm, this is good. How’s your day been, Lowey? Bored with Penn yet?”
She laughed through another large gulp, while it was quite possible my insides were melting. At least that’s what it felt like.
“Um… well...”
“You okay? You look stressed.” She put down her glass then turned in her seat, looking for any of the wait staff to flag down.
I should have pre-ordered some snacks. I knew I’d never get her full attention unless she’d had some food. And I really needed her full attention.
“Yes, good. All good. Baseball, baseball. You know what it’s like.” I topped up her wine while she ordered the entire menu from the waiter who’d stopped by. Thankfully, he’d also brought over a bowl of popcorn, and that would have to do. I couldn’t keep this inside any longer, and I had no idea how long it would take to bring the food out, considering the bar was filling up and they weren’t renowned for their speed. It was one of those places where it was cooler to be here than to expect decent service, but we picked it because the views were beautiful.
“Yes, yeah, I’m fine, just… I need to talk to you about something.”
She threw a handful of popcorn in her mouth. “What?”
“This baseball… helping out Penn…”
She groaned. “Oh God, sorry, I know it’s probably so boring for you...”
I held my hand up to silence her. “No, it’s not, I’m having a good time, I’m enjoying it actually. It’s…”
My belly was spinning around so much I could throw up. Fuck. this was awkward. Why hadn’t I practiced a speech? Why?! I took a deep breath through my nose, trying to steady my hammering heart. Then a long sip of my wine.
“I need to tell you… Penn and I…”
She looked at me as she grabbed another handful of popcorn, her brow raised while she waited for me to continue. “Yeah?”
“Penn and I… we… something has happened… is happening.”
She glanced over my head with a deep frown, though I think that was more because the food hadn’t arrived. “What d’you mean?”
“I mean, we’ve been… something…”
Her frown was now directed straight at me, and I finally had her attention. All her attention. “Lowe, please don’t tell me you’re trying to say you’ve slept with my brother.”
“Well…” I stopped. There wasn’t anything else to say. And from the look on her face I didn’t need to. She understood.
Her frown deepened into a scowl, so deep in fact that her eyes became tiny slits.
“Hang on a minute. You and Penn? You’ve had sex? You’re sleeping together? How? When? How did this even happen?” she spluttered.
I bit down on my cheek. “I guess it started last week in L.A.”
She didn’t blink, and I’d known Lauren long enough to know this wasn’t good sign; that this conversation wasn’t going well, and I just needed to ride it out.
“In L.A.?” Her scowl deepened another degree. “But on Saturday I asked you, I asked you why Penn was being weird. I knew something was up, and you flat out denied it. You lied to me!”
I tried to take her hand, but she snatched it away. “I didn’t know how to answer it, I didn’t know myself. I’m so sorry, Laurie, I really am. I’m so sorry I haven’t told you sooner, but it’s happened so quickly I haven’t had time to get my head round it.”
“Of course, it’s happened quickly.” She brought her voice down to a hiss. She might be monumentally pissed, but she was a Shepherd, and she knew that if she was loud enough tobe overheard, then it would become news. Because there was always someone, somewhere, who knew who she was. “It always does with him. He’s been in hiding all summer and you’re the first woman to come along.”
“Laurie…”
But she now was zoned in, and not listening to anything I had to say.
“How could you? How could you become one of those women?”
