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ChapterEighteen
It was nearly six on Thursday when Penny returned home from work with dinner in hand. Chinese takeout. Joining Rhys for dinner had been just the push she needed to get up and get on with her life. Being in a house filled with so much life, so much love, would have depressed the old Penny. Last night, it had done the opposite. It had renewed her purpose for seeking to reinvent herself.
She headed toward the door to her apartment then paused.
Taking a deep breath, she walked to David’s door instead and knocked.
He answered it, clearly surprised to see her there.
“Well, hello there, neighbor,” he said with a friendly smile.
“Hiya.”
“Just getting home from work?”
She nodded. “Yeah. Me and my shrimp fried rice.”
He laughed. “I just finished pork lo mien. Looks like we let the same Chinese restaurant feed us.”
“Cooking for one sucks.”
David agreed. “It really does. Never seems worth the bother. A lot of nights, I just heat up a can of soup.”
“Sounds a lot fancier than my bowl of cereal. Listen, my friends and family are throwing a birthday party for me on Saturday. I know you’re still pretty new to the city and don’t know a lot of people. I was wondering if you’d like to go with me. Great opportunity to get out and meet some really nice folks. There’s going to be lots of food and booze and dancing.”
David smiled. “You had me at food. I’d love to go with you.”
“Great.” Penny gave him the rest of the details, and they decided to meet right there in the hallway between their apartments at seven on Saturday. “See you then.”
“Enjoy your fried rice,” David added as he closed the door.
Penny crossed the hall to her apartment and walked in.
“Well, I did it,” she announced to the cats, who meowed loudly. She pretended they were responding to her, offering their congratulations, even though she knew they were begging to be fed. Harry nearly tripped her in his race to the food bowl.
She fed them then popped open the take-out carton and began eating her own dinner while standing next to the counter.
She sighed after a few bites, trying to work up some enthusiasm over the coming party and her date with David. She knew she was taking a step in the right direction…but rather than excitement, she just sort of wished the whole thing was already over.
The silence that had been lingering between her and Gage felt like a dark cloud hovering over her head. She hated walking around the office like she was working her way through a minefield. She also hated constantly fearingandhoping she’d run into him, wondering what he’d say to her.
The longer they went without speaking, the more it bothered her.
She’d replayed Friday night over in her mind a million times, and she’d decided nothing had been said by either of them that should have ruined the friendship.
So he’d lied and made up an excuse to leave.
So she’d pushed him a little about his past relationships. And his mother.
They hadn’t said hurtful things, hadn’t yelled or screamed or insulted one another.
They’d put a time limit on the lessons, and it expired. That was it. Nothing more and nothing less.
Most of that was a lie, but she clung to it all like it was the God’s honest truth. She had to…so that what she did next wouldn’t feel like such a monumental mistake.
Picking up her phone, she typed out a text message, re-reading it three times.
I wanted to say thanks to you for the past few weeks, for the makeover, the clothes, the lessons. I’m sorry for the way things ended on Friday, and I hope that someday we can find our way back to being friends. Toby sucks atDead by Daylightand you’re the only person who can give me a run for my money in GTA. I asked my neighbor to the birthday party. He said yes. I never could have done that without your help. See you at work.
