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13
FRANKLIN
Scrapingmy fingertips down my cheeks, I open and close my eyes, trying to stay awake. The glare from three screens on my desk burns like laser beams to my eyes. My wristwatch reads four in the morning.
Fuck.
Penny.
After numerous calls to clients and investors, my COO, Bill, and I have managed minimal loss at HCM by selling international stock—fast. Thank fuck, Bill is watching figures and has a team of staff who work through the night ready to alert us if anything turns rotten. There are companies wanting HCM to fail, and occasionally, we slip up after one has managed to set us up with a shady deal.
We didn’t lose clients or investors.
Despite the monetary loss, I’m taking it as a win.
Hopefully, I can get some sleep if I can get rid of the sour taste in my mouth.
Penny.
Is she here, or did she leave?
I don’t blame her for leaving if she overheard my heated calls.
The kitchen lights are on, so I switch them off and head up the stairs. The house is so quiet, I hear every creak with each step. The light is on in the reading nook, so I turn that off too, while I quietly head to my room. Only out of the corner of my eye, I see a figure lying on the bed in the bedroom on my left—the one with the balcony.
Penny assessed the house, and she chose this room.
Not mine.
I let that process for a few seconds.
The door is ajar with the sound of the ocean and a cool breeze blowing into the room. I close it as it’s freezing in here, and she only has a throw to keep her warm. I get a warmer blanket from the cupboard and drape it over her before heading to my room.
I strip out of my clothes and slide under the sheets. Tonight, the bed appears bigger than usual. I toss and turn, count backward, and try anything for another hour to relax my mind. I even imagine beachscapes because Penny has put that thought into my head. I sit on the side of the bed, and for a few minutes, I stare out at the dark ocean, the sound telling a story, yet not one compelling enough to send me to sleep. After closing the drapes, I stand and pace the hallway.
Penny is lying on her side, facing the ocean. I slide in under the blanket, shuffle close but not too close it could make her uncomfortable, and close my eyes.
* * *
The light is blinding.
I force an eye open and attempt to get up.
Did I forget to close the drapes?
An arm rests over my stomach.
I am not in my room.
Even after five years, I become disorientated as I rarely stay here.
Penny lays beside me.
For the first time, this place feels homey.
Her dark hair falls over her face and is splashed over the pillow. I lift her arm and roll onto my side so I can watch Penny sleep.
Her eyes flutter open.
