bin right over there. Get to work.” He stared at her for a long moment, an ironic looking smile on his face. “I know you know how to peel a potato, Tommy. You used to help with dinner all the time. Get to it.”
This time he chuckled, shaking his head. “Yes, ma’am.”
“And once you finish with that, you can slice ‘em up.”
“Yes, ma’am,” He repeated. After a few moments of silence, Penny glanced over her shoulder, smiling as she watched him perform his task.
She went through the familiar motions of breading the fish and frying it, trying to distract herself with the task. It didn’t take long for the meal to be prepared and several minutes later, they settled at the bar, eating with their fingers.
“So what about you, Tommy?” she spoke after a few moments of silence. “How have you been?” Penny noticed the way he glanced toward the corner that possessed his movie posters.
“You really have to ask?” he smiled at her, but there was something wrong with it—something missing. “I’ve got everything I always wanted.”
Even as he said the words, she knew he was lying. But she didn’t push him for the truth.
She had lied to him, too.
Well, lied by omission, anyway. She had been telling the truth when she’d said she’d been busy. She had failed to mention, however, the fact that she’d had time to get married and now to get divorced.
That hadn’t seemed like necessary information at the time.
She wanted Tommy to think that she’d gotten everything she wanted out of life. That things had been great for her, too, even without him. Because that seemed to be the case for him, didn’t it? He’d gone off to L.A. and within a few years, he’d become a huge star, just as he’d always planned to. He hadn’t needed her.
But now, sitting beside him at the bar, she was reminded of the tabloid cover she and Amy had seen the other day. The darkness she had seen in his eyes in that photo was still there, she realized, but it was harder to see now.
“Looks like we’ve both done pretty well then, haven’t we?”
“Sure have.” He took a long swig from the glass of beer in front of him and Penny sighed, looking away.
The reality was that they were both lying to each other, and they both knew it.
“Still up for that dessert?” he asked her nearly a half hour later, as they were washing the dishes they had used. Penny shook her head. “I understand.”
“No, it’s just—well, I’m pretty stuffed.”
“Why don’t I walk you home then? We’ll save dessert for tomorrow night.”
“I’d like that.” She smiled at him before ducking into the office she shared with Kevin to grab her small purse.
“After you,” he held the door open for her as they left the restaurant and Penny paused a moment to lock the door. The night air was chilly, it having rained earlier in the day. The streets were quiet, as they usually were. They made it about halfway to Amy’s house in a comfortable silence before Penny spoke.
“So what are you doing here, Tommy? Really.”
“I told you, I needed to get away.”
“What, stardom taking its toll on you?”
“Something like that.” Tommy nodded.
“So why here?” she asked as they neared Amy’s street.
“I thought that was obvious.” Penny shook her head. Sure, he had said all of this the night before. “To see you, Pen.”
“Why me?” she asked, stopping at the end of Amy’s walkway.
“Because you’re the best friend I’ve ever had, Penny. When I think of home—I think of you.” A ball formed in her throat. Tommy hadn’t had the easiest of childhoods. She was glad that, in the short time she had been able to be his friend, she had made an impact.
“I’m glad you came back, Tommy,” she whispered, lifting herself to her tiptoes so that she could place a kiss on his cheek.
And before either of them had the chance to say something more, she hurried up the walk way, disappearing behind the heavy front door—a smile on her face.
Penny was running very behind after having spent a good forty-five minutes of her morning telling Amy every detail about the previous day—literally. Amy wouldn’t let her go until she was satisfied. And so now she rushed through the door of The Seaside, knowing it wasn’t such a big deal but frustrated with herself nonetheless.
“Late night?” Kevin’s lewd tone was almost enough to bother her—almost. But not quite. No, she was determined