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Gage scowled. “What guy?”
“When I asked you to help me, it was because I was hoping it would help me attract the attention of my new neighbor, David. He’s super cute, and he seems nice. He looked through the old me, so I thought if I changed some stuff…”
“What happened?”
“I ran into him Saturday night. He had his arm wrapped around Audrey from upstairs. Needless to say, Audrey is fucking gorgeous. Perfect.”
Gage shook his head. “I doubt that.”
“He askedherout. Even after all the changes I made to myself, he didn’t see me. Didn’t…” She stopped abruptly, unable to admit that David didn’t want her. Just like Gage didn’t want her. It was either stop talking or start crying, and she refused to look so pathetic.
“Beaumont,” Gage started, and she instantly hated the pity in his tone.
So she doubled down, reached for something that sounded less broken, less weak. “I wouldn’t mind,” she said, forcing a smirk, “but Audrey’s kind of a bitch.”
Gage chuckled. “Maybe so, but the guy sounds like a grade-A douchebag. He’s a blind asshole, and if Audrey is a bitch, then he deserves what he gets. You’re too good for him.”
“Said no one ever,” she added in a shitty attempt at a joke.
“I just said it.” Gage looked at her like he dared her to contradict him again.
Then she recalled the beautiful woman she’d seen him with on Friday. “What did you do this weekend?” She looked at him closely, wondering if he’d tell her the truth or if he’d lie.
Gage sighed. “Had a date Friday night.”
“How did it go?” she forced herself to ask, even though it would kill her to hear him brag about one of his sexual conquests. She was going to have to find a way to make herself scarce from now on whenever Gage came down to the IT department to entertain the guys with all the dirty details about his hookups.
“Fine. Meredith’s a flight attendant from L.A. Whenever she has a layover in Philly, she gives me a call.”
“Oh.”
Gage tilted his head, now looking atherfar too closely. “We had dinner and then I took her back to her hotel.”
Penny raised her hand. “I don’t need the play by play. Save that for Toby and Rich. I can fill in the blanks just fine.”
Gage shook his head. “No. I mean, I took her back, dropped her off, and said good night. Told her it was probably for the best if she didn’t call again. Whatever attraction we’d shared in the past had clearly evaporated. She felt it the same as I did.”
“Oh,” Penny said again, not sure how to respond to that. She’d seen the flight attendant. The woman had been a knockout. If Gage didn’t feel any attraction toher…what chance did Penny stand?
Gage looked at her for a long time, and she feared he was searching for a way to tell her he’d helped her as much as he was willing to. Apart from the kiss, he hadn’t even mentioned the part of her favor that included sex.
The silence drifted into the uncomfortable range, and Penny decided to cut her losses. The lessons were over and she didn’t need to hear him say it. In fact, that would probably make her feel even worse than she did now.
“I’m going to go get a shower,” she said. “I’ll be at work tomorrow and life can resume as normal. Promise.” She stood up and he followed suit. She ignored the two-ton weight that landed on her chest when she realized this was it.
She started down the hall, deciding he was a big boy. He could see himself out. She didn’t have it in her to say an awkward goodbye. “See you tomorrow,” she called over her shoulder, escaping into her bedroom.
Shutting the door, she leaned against it, then decided to get a shower, hoping it would make her feel better.
Thirty minutes later, she gave her hair a quick fluff after towel drying it. She’d treated herself to the longest, hottest shower in history, taking time to shave all the pertinents and scrub her skin with her pomegranate-and-lemon body wash.
She’d been right. She felt a million times better.
And even though she was alone, she popped her contacts in and swiped on some mascara, just because. Then she went back into her bedroom and threw on a pair of clean yoga pants. She started to reach for one of her too-large T-shirts then changed her mind and grabbed ladies-cut medium one instead.
She jerked with surprised when she heard Gage’s voice, calling out from the living room.
“Penny,” she heard him call. “Pizza’s here.”
