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I start typing out a response, but before I can send it, I suddenly crash into someone coming out of one of the stores on main street.
“Fuck!” I shout, stumbling back a little as the other person yells, “Shit!”
I look up to find Penny standing in front of me, a dazed look on her face as she holds her phone in one hand and a book in the other.
“Jesus, twice in one day,” I say without thinking.
Penny furrows her brows at me. “For the record, this one wasnotmy fault,” she says, jabbing me in the chest with her finger. “Do you know how annoying it is when people walk while on their phones?”
I roll my eyes, sliding my phone into my pocket. “Sorry, phone police,” I say, sarcastically.
Penny shoots me a smirk as she holds the book she’s carrying out to me. “And to think I was doing something nice for you,” she says, as she shoves it in my hands before brushing past me. “Later, jerk.”
Too shocked to move, I glance over my shoulder as Penny walks away, not bothering to look back or acknowledge me. When she disappears around the corner, I turn back to see what she’s given me after I was once again a total asshole to her.
A book on beekeeping.
Fuck.
Chapter Seven
Penny
I guess I totally misread our interaction today and his comment about the bees. I thought I’d be nice and grab a book about beekeeping, sort of as a joke, but also as a way to keep the friendly conversation going between us. Lesson learned to just keep things only work related with Mr. Hot and Cold. It’s not like I’m planning to ask him out on a date even though that’s exactly what Lauren wants me to do.
But I won’t let Tommy and his crabby attitude ruin my evening. I have a date tonight. Well, a virtual date, but still a date. I love this playful banter we have going on, but I’m not entirely certain I’m on board with this whole nudes thing.
I know that’s basically become the norm now, but I don’t want my tits or my cat out there for all the world to see, because let’s be honest here, everyone knows that shit isn’t staying private.
I pick up dinner from the restaurant below my apartment and trudge up the stairs, my thoughts suddenly consumed with Tommy and his reaction to seeing me outside the bookstore. A part of me wants to call him out on his bullshit the way I did when I tried to help him with his bee sting. But then I figure I should cut him some slack. He doesn’t owe me and from what I’ve gathered from Lauren, his longtime girlfriend dumped him recently.
She wasn’t a fan of the vineyard, his job or the fact that he lives on the Somerville property. She wanted more than he would ever be able to give her and I guess looking at it that way, I would probably be a little bitter too. I know a thing or two about not living up to expectations.
I push it all to the side with a reminder to maybe be a little nicer to Tommy. I guess I have no idea what he’s going through and maybe his breakup was rough even if it was necessary. I’m the one who was swearing off men, labeling an entire gender as douche bags, he could be doing the same thing for all I know.
I pull out my phone, a nervous flutter in my chest as I open the Mystery Matchmaker app, worried I’ll be confronted with C.Grizwold’s dick pic, something I joked about and possibly even led him to believe I was interested in.
I’m pretty sure this is where I go wrong in most relationships...the lack of honesty. I have no interest in seeing this guy’s penis pop up on my screen. I would much prefer to see it in person long after we’ve spent some time getting to know each other.
I will not adapt to what someone else wants anymore. This is the new Penny. The one who only dates guys who are worth her time. I have no idea why I’m talking about myself in the third person. I swear between this app and Tommy, I feel like I’ve lost my fucking mind.
There’s a message from C.Grizwold when I open the app and I literally breathe out a hard sigh of relief.
There’s no picture of his wiener, which means I will definitely not be sending him a picture of my boobs in a bathroom mirror. In my mind I immediately move C.Grizwold from the “maybe” side to the “good” side. He was already halfway there, but I still wasn’t certain.
C.Grizwold: So, I know we said we were doing that whole titty/dick pic, but I’ve gotta be real with you. That’s not my thing and I should’ve just been honest with you from the start.
Me: Well, that’s a relief because I was seriously about to send you this same message. It’s not that I don’t have great boobs. I joined this app to try to meet someone I could connect with beyond that.
C.Grizwold: If we’re putting it all out there, I didn’t even join this app.
Me: What do you mean? You’re obviously messaging me and connected with me based on your profile.
C.Grizwold: Yeah, I know and it’s all good now, but it was a friend of mine who created my profile.
Me: It was a friend of mine who told me I should join.
C.Grizwold: I guess we owe our friends a thank you. Although I don’t think you would’ve even considered me if you had seen my original username.
