Change of Heart - By S.E. Edwards Page 0,5

into my eyes again. “And what’s that?”

“Well… maybe you can find somewhere else to go.” His voice becomes husky, suggestive. “Somewhere… where you’ll be far away from all your problems.” His fingers start making small circles along my shoulder, down my arm. It feels good. I shudder, closing my eyes as he leans in to whisper in my ear. “Somewhere where nobody knows where you are. Somewhere where it’s just you, and me.”

My eyes snap open. “No,” I say, pushing away from the wall, and widening the distance between us. “I’m not a one-night-stand type of girl.”

He looks at me, completely unfazed. “Hold on there, little lady. Nobody said anything about me sleeping with you. You’ve got to wine and dine me first,” he jokes. “Impress me a little.” An ingratiating smile spreads across his lips. “I’m not that easy.”

I chuckle, and take an extra second to look him over. I have to admit, Richard does look tempting. Damn sexy, even. I consider my options.

On one hand, I have a hot guy who’s interested in me, inviting me back to his place. I don’t know him very well, but I like how I feel around him.

On the other hand, I have an apartment key that no longer works, thanks to a roommate who got us more-or-less evicted. If it wasn’t for Richard, I’d probably still be brooding over tonight’s disastrous revelation, trying to waste what little money I had left on alcohol at the bar if my ID worked.

Instead, here I am, forgetting my bad emotions and losing myself in an enjoyable interaction with an attractive guy. Did I really want things to end so soon? My only other choice is to go to the twenty-four-hour library and pretend to fall asleep while studying. I will not sleep at the bus stop again.

“You know what?” I say, taking the final sip from my Manhattan before setting it down on the floor. “You’re right. Let’s get out of here. But only on one condition.”

“What’s that?”

“You’re the one who’s got to wine and dine me.”

Richard laughs, and looks down at my drink. “I think I’ve got the first part covered.”

***

“Penelope,” Richard says. “Penelope, Penelope, Penelope. Hmm. That’s totally not what I expected.”

We are sitting across from each other at an all-night diner not far from Barren. I glance up and smile at the waitress as she brings me my water. “You sound disappointed.”

“Disappointed? No. I was just expecting something more… exotic. You look like an Annalise. Or a Laurisse. Or maybe a Clarisse.” He waggles a finger at me. “Definitely an ‘–isse’.”

“Just Penelope,” I shrug.

“It’s a mouthful, too,” Richard continues. “That won’t do. I’m going to call you Penny.”

“Fine. But I’m going to call you Rich.”

“All my friends already do.” He reaches across the table and takes my hand. The motion is so smooth, so effortless, that I barely notice as he does it. “You know, Penny, there are three things I like about you.”

“Is that right?” I smile.

“Yes. Do you want me to tell you what they are?”

I brush aside a strand of wavy hair that had fallen across my eyes. “If I say ‘no,’ would you listen?”

Rich smirks. “You’ve got me there. But I know you won’t decline. I can see you’re curious.”

“Fine.” I scoot my seat toward the table to bring myself closer to him. “Tell me.”

Rich takes my hand in his and flips it over, so he’s looking at it palm-up. He squeezes my index finger. “The first thing I like about you, Penny, is that you’ve got an energy about you. A spunkiness.” He gestures at the other patrons in the diner. “Take a look around. There’s lots of girls in here. Some of whom were at Barren with us. Very few of them have that same type of spark.”

“Is that so?” I ask, pleased at the compliment.

“Yes. The second thing I like about you,” he continues, pressing my middle finger between two of his, “is the way you hold yourself. You’re feisty. You’ve got fire in you. You didn’t swoon all over me when I met you in the bar.”

I lower my head and give him a level look. “Is that what you expected to happen?”

Rich surprises me by sitting up and laughing. “It happens more often than you might think.” He offers an impish grin. “But then again, you don’t know who I am, do you?”

“You’re Richard, also known as Rich,” I say. “Simple as that.”

He laughs out loud again. “What a relief!”

I narrow my