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“I hoped you two could be friends again. To be honest, I didn’t know how it would go with you both in the same room for the first time in years.”
“Same. I thought it would mess me up, yet it did the opposite. Seeing her helped me realize she was right to break off the relationship. I’m not the right man for her.” I take a sip of red wine and scan the room for Penny. She is sitting on the opposite side of the room. Her big, beautiful eyes meet mine, and for a second, there is a connection between us before she turns away.
“And you came to that realization in one night. It didn’t have anything to do with last night and a young lady in a red dress?”
“What?”
Noah smirks at me. “Daphne mentioned perhaps a little late-night tête-à-tête with her.”
“Daphne knows nothing.”
Olivia leans over and tells Noah it’s time.
The music plays, and I witness the bride and groom take their first dance as husband and wife. I take the first bridesmaid, Ella, out onto the floor and join in. The song finishes, and another guy asks to dance with Ella.
Now’s the chance for me to leave and attend to the long list of messages, only I stop and weave around the tables to where Penny is seated. “May I have this dance, Penny?” I hold out my hand. Her friend Hugh’s eyes round wider than the white dinner plates.
So, she didn’t mention our night to him.
Penny stands, takes my hand, and we silently move to the dance floor. It’s a slow waltz, so I hold her close and inhale her sweet floral perfume. The sweet scent suits her—beautiful yet alluring. “You look stunning, Penny.”
She leans back and stares at me as though I’ve said something offensive. “I’m surprised you noticed.”
“How could I not? Green is your color. It brings out your eyes.”
She rolls those beautiful eyes. “What do you want, Franklin?” she murmurs. “Is it the end of the night, and now you speak to me, hoping I’ll come back to your room?”
“Am I talking to the same girl as last night?” I whisper in her ear. “You were determined to make me smile. We had fun.”
“Yes, we did. Too much. I don’t think it’s right to hook up again.”
What?“Everything about last night wasright.”
Her back stiffens under the palm of my hand. “I feel the same, and now I want to know more about you, and that feels wrong since we’ll never see each other again.”
“Do you want to see each other beyond tonight?”
Penny nods, then shakes her head. She peers down at her feet just as the song finishes. Something is holding her back. It’s probably for the best. “Thank you for the dance. It was lovely to meet you, Penny. I hope you enjoy the rest of the night. Unfortunately, I have emails requiring my attention, so I’m heading to my room to work.”
Penny looks up and into my eyes. Her earnest expression shouts she has so much more to say to me.
“If you want to chat, you know where to find me.” I lean in and kiss her cheek, perhaps for the last time.
8
PENNY
After dancingfor a solid hour and having a few more glasses of wine with Hugh, I told him I was tired and heading to my room.
Not a lie since I’m still recovering from last night, except the thought of leaving tomorrow and not speaking to Franklin feels all kinds of wrong. I need to tell him what freaked me out. Tell him he did give me the best orgasms of my life, and maybe, just maybe, we were meant to meet this weekend. Officially meet, unlike the first time.
And there’s the…I don’t want to be a number because no girl wants to feel cheap.
Knock. Knock.
Nothing.
Maybe he is already asleep.
