Playing at Forever (19 page)

“Real estate is a good investment.” 

“This is too much, Tommy.”

“Nah—it’s just right.”  He rested his arm across her shoulders.  “I thought you could have the Master.”  She couldn’t hide her giddiness as she looked over her shoulder, taking it all in once more. 

“You’re insane.”  She repeated, smiling excitedly.

“No—I mean, look at it this way.  Amy and the girls don’t need a bunch of photographers taking their picture when they go to school in the morning.  I’m tired of sleeping in a motel.  And if people are going to believe that things are getting serious between us, I think we’re going to have to start spending the night in the same residence.” 

He was right, of course.  Amy had already had a run in with some photographers going through her trash—looking for evidence of the pregnancy, they had told her.  It would be nice to give them their privacy back. 

And she could handle living in the same house as Tommy, couldn’t she? 

Well, one as spacious as this, anyway. 

Space was a good idea, she’d come to think lately.  Despite the angry protest that coursed through her veins every time she was near Tommy, Penny had done well so far. 

That didn’t mean it had been easy.

It was hard to think of anything other than how badly her body seemed to crave his touch sometimes. 

“And you can even have the girls over—did you see the bunk beds in the bedroom down the hall?”  Penny brought her attention back to the present, nodding her head in agreement. 

“No, you’re definitely right.  This is great, Tommy.  I should never have doubted you.”  She added the last bit on with a touch of sarcasm and he looked at her skeptically.

“Was that sarcasm I detected?” 

“Nope,”
  but
she nodded instead, a smile on her face. 

“You’d better watch yourself—I know my way around this place a lot better than you do.  And the nearest neighbors are quite a ways away.” 

“Well, in that case…”  Penny grinned.  “You’re so wise and all-knowing, Mr. Davis, I just didn’t know it was possible. 
Maybe, if I look good enough in my tiniest bikini, you’ll give me a part in your next movie.”

“I don’t know, I think I see a bit of a baby bump starting to show—”
  Before
Tommy could stop her, Penny grabbed a pillow from the bed and hit him with it.  He stared at her for a moment, stunned—and she took the opportunity to run passed him, toward the door.

Of course, he was much too quick for her though and he easily caught her around the waist. 
“Big mistake, little lady.
 
Big mistake.”
 

She squealed as he tossed her onto the bed, his fingers dancing along the curves of her waist on either side as she squirmed—quickly finding
herself
breathless from laughter.

At least that’s what she told herself.

Of course it had nothing at all to do with the way her body responded to Tommy’s touch. 

Or the way he hesitated, his face only inches from hers. 

“Do you concede?” 
he
asked.

“You win,”
  she
wasn’t even sure what he won, and a big part of her was afraid to find out. 

Tommy stepped back unexpectedly, averting his eyes. 

Well, at least one of them was being responsible today, she scolded herself. 

“So—should I…I don’t know, should I move in?” 

“I don’t see why not.”  He shrugged his shoulders.  “I mean, it’s plenty big for the both of us.”

“That’s what I was thinking too.”  She smiled awkwardly, looking around the room.  A few moments passed before she thought of something to say.  “So—were you going to be able to come to the benefit dinner?” 

“Oh right—that was this weekend, wasn’t it?”  Penny nodded.  For as long as they’d had the restaurant, they had always hosted a dinner to benefit saving the arts in schools. 

“If you can’t make it, it’s not a problem—Amy and Paul will be there.”

“No, I wouldn’t miss it for anything.”  He almost sounded eager.  “I mean, look how much I benefited from the arts.” 

“Good, I was hoping you’d say that.”  The thought of spending the evening with Kevin and Gina was not a pleasant one. 

“Have you spoken with Kevin about buying him out yet?”  Penny shook her head. 

“I’m planning on telling him within the next few days.”  She dreaded the conversation, knowing he was going to make a big deal out of Tommy’s money.  But she knew it was necessary.  Gina hadn’t even come to work since Penny had returned. 

“Good.  The lawyers are already drawing up the paperwork, aren’t they?”  She nodded.  That part, she had already taken care of—mostly because Tommy had insisted. 

“Don’t forget, it’s a black-tie event.”  Penny added belatedly, only trying to fill the air so that they didn’t stand there awkwardly. 

“Oh, don’t you worry—I’ll be dressed to impress.”

Penny didn’t doubt that for a second.

She wore a simple black dress that just barely grazed the floor—something Diego had picked out for her, no doubt.  Her hair was pinned up in some crazy up-do she had created out of boredom, her makeup subtle, exactly how the girls at the salon had showed her.

She felt pretty, which was how she was supposed to feel, according to Amy. 

That didn’t mean she felt confident, however. 

For some reason, she wasn’t looking forward to the evening at all, though she wasn’t sure why.  Well, that wasn’t entirely accurate.  It might’ve had a little something to do with the fact that she was going to share her news with Kevin tonight.  She knew the timing was inappropriate, but she didn’t want to wait any longer. 

With a heavy sigh, Penny turned away from the mirror and left the bathroom.  A knock sounded on the door and a moment later, Tommy pushed it open. 
“Everything decent?”
 

“Nope, I haven’t even gotten dressed yet.”  She didn’t miss the way he turned his head ever-so-slightly, as if to sneak a peek.  “I saw that!”

“I think you forget that I
am
a guy, Penny.  Some things are natural for me.”  Penny rolled her eyes.  She’d heard that speech before.

“Right, it’s natural for a man to want to spread his seed.  We women just don’t understand evolution, isn’t that right?” 

“Well, I wouldn’t put it like that.”  Tommy grinned and Penny rolled her eyes.  “I’m kidding, of course.”

“Sure you are.”  She meant to for her tone to be playful, but instead it came out sounding much more abrasive. 

“Hey, we don’t have to go to this thing if you don’t want to.” 

“No, we can go.”  As much as she didn’t want to, she knew she was obligated.  She would make it through the night—it couldn’t be that bad, could it? 

“Well, the car is waiting, if you’re ready.” 

“We’d better go then.  I don’t want to be late.” 

They had plenty of time, she knew.  But she was hoping to talk to Kevin before everything began—quick and painless, just like a band-aid. 

Couples were just beginning to arrive as they pulled up and she felt several pairs of eyes turn toward Tommy and herself as they stepped out of the vehicle.  She was beginning to tire of always being the center of attention.

Every one of these people read the tabloids.  She and Tommy
were
an item now—was it really that hard to believe? 

It could have something to do with the way Tommy looked in his simple tuxedo.  She had to admit, it was definitely enough to distract her. 

Or they might have been looking toward the flashes of light from all of the cameras that started going the moment they came into view.

It wasn’t fair to blame them, really.

She smiled cheerfully as she greeted people she’d known forever, introducing Tommy just to be polite.  He did his best to make conversation with everyone and Penny smiled to herself as she spotted him talking with their old Principal.  He and Tommy had once had quite the rapport. 

As everyone began milling through the doors, Penny glanced through the crowd, trying to find Kevin—confused when she couldn’t find him.  “After you,”
  Tommy
approached her, holding his arm out in front of him.  She smiled distractedly as they entered the restaurant. 

The band was playing something very slow and quiet; music to pass the time.  Soon, people would be asked to take their seats so that dinner could be served.  After that, Penny would get up and give a speech about the importance of the arts in schools.  Then dessert would be served and the floor would open up for dancing.

It was the same thing every year, and every year, it was an event Penny usually looked forward to. 

Amy and Paul were seated at the same table as Tommy and herself and the two men immediately disappeared to the bar.  “Have you seen Kevin?”  Penny asked her best friend, still unable to find her nearly-ex-husband. 

“I haven’t seen him—or Gina, for that matter.”  Penny looked around once more, frowning as she once again came up empty handed. 

“Well, I guess our talk will have to wait.”  She decided.  Upon the return of their dates, Penny excused herself so that she could mingle with her guests and check on the status of the kitchen—pleased when she discovered that everything was right on
time
. 

It wasn’t until halfway through dinner that Penny finally spotted Kevin.  He was sitting beside Gina, who—instead of wine, had a glass full of water in front of her.  Strange, Penny noted, considering how much Gina normally enjoyed wine. 

When the other woman rose from her seat, walking toward the bathroom, Penny felt her breath catch in her throat, her eyes watering. 
“Pen?
  You okay?”  Amy’s voice sounded very far away. 

“Excuse me—I just have to…”  She didn’t even bother coming up with an excuse as she backed away from the table and made her way to the bathroom.  Gina was just coming out of the stall, wiping at her mouth with a paper towel as Penny entered. 

“You know how they call it morning sickness?”  Gina tossed the paper towel in the trash and stepped to the sink, washing her hands.  “They should just call it pregnancy sickness or something.  I swear
,
I can’t keep anything down.”

Penny forced a smile as the younger girl excused herself, but the moment she found herself alone, she had to fight against the tears.

Gina was pregnant?

It was as if they had reopened the wound their initial betrayal had caused. 
The wound that had, lately, almost seemed to be healing.

So Kevin had been ready to start a family—just not with her. 

She closed her eyes as she braced herself against the sink for a moment, her heart aching. 

“Pen?”
  Amy’s voice startled her and she looked up to find her friend standing at the door.  “They’re ready for you to give your speech.” 

Right, her speech.
  She was supposed to stand up in front of everyone and deliver a persuasive and passionate appeal to the wealthiest of the town. 

“I’ll be right there.”  She only took a moment longer to take a few deep breaths before returning to her table.  Tommy’s expression was one of concern, but Penny said nothing to anyone, her thoughts distracted. 

When the bandleader introduced her, applause sounded around the room.  She rose to her feet and crossed the room to take her place on the stage. 

“First, I’d like to thank all of you for joining us tonight for our fifth annual benefit dinner.  I see many familiar faces and a few new ones—to those of you who are joining us for the first time, welcome.  I…” 

But as she stared out at the crowd before her, she couldn’t remember what it was she was supposed to say.  Her eyes fell back to Kevin and Gina, the room swaying a little bit.  

And then Tommy was there, standing beside her, his hand on the small of her back.  When she met his eyes, she knew right away what he was doing. 

“I wanted to do something a little different this year,”
  she
improvised.  “Most of you have had the pleasure of knowing Tommy Davidson from his high school years.  But for those of you who know him only as Thomson Davis, I’d like to introduce an old friend—and a product of the arts.” 

“How about I start with a round of applause for our beautiful hostess?”  Penny blushed, smiling at the floor—not only embarrassed by his compliment, but by her behavior. 

His speech was good, she thought, especially for having come up with the entire thing without any thought or preparation.  He talked about working on the stage—how those days had been some of the best of his life, providing him with memories to last a lifetime.  They had influenced him in many ways, he said, least of which being his chosen career path.

They had helped him understand friendship.  They had helped him to realize the value of hard work.  But most of all, he said, they had helped him to realize that really anything was possible in life.

The room erupted into applause the moment he finished, Penny included.  When her very handsome date turned around, Penny reached up to place a kiss on his cheek.  “Thank you,”
  she
whispered into his ear. 

“All you owe me is the last dance of the evening.” 

“I owe you a lot more than that.”  He took her hand as she descended the stairs.

“And with that, Miss Lang, I believe it is tradition for you to open up the floor.”  Ernie, the older gentleman who led the band, smiled at Penny. 

She’d forgotten about this part. 

Traditionally, it had always been she and Kevin who danced the first dance.

“Well, I guess that’s my cue.”  Tommy came to her rescue once again.  Penny’s smile was sad as he offered her his hand.  He pulled her close, the entire room watching.  “You’re the belle of the ball, Penny Lane.” 

“I’m supposed to be, right?  That’s what everyone expects.  They want to see the show—to be entertained.” 

“You get used to it, after awhile.” 

“I don’t know that I want to.”  She knew that she was hurting, and her sudden anger was completely misplaced.  But she couldn’t help it. 

“What’s wrong, Pen?” 

“Nothing,”
  she
shook her head, sighing.  “I just want to go home.  I want to get out of this stupid dress and just…go to bed.”