Playing at Forever - By Michelle Brewer Page 0,25

could make an exception for a big star like me? I mean, I am on the wall, after all.”

Penny laughed, rolling her eyes and holding the door open the rest of the way.

“What are you doing here so early?”

“Well, I just woke up…starving. Found that I’d done nothing but dream about this place all night…figured that had to mean something.”

“It’s the pancakes. We use the mini chocolate chips. Makes all the difference in the world.” Her tone was playful as she led him to a booth near the kitchen.

“Seeing as how I’ve never actually sampled the pancakes, I think it must be something else.” His eyes caught hers. “Someone else, maybe.”

“Should I go get Kevin for you? I know how much you’ve been looking forward to catching up with him.” Penny took a few steps away and Tommy reached out, grabbing her wrist and tugging her toward him. She sat down beside him, enjoying the way his arm rested around her shoulders.

“Don’t even think about it. You don’t even want me in the same room as that guy. Hurting my Penny Lane like that…” His lips touched the top of her head. “You sleep okay last night?”

“Like a baby,” she told him, resting her head on his chest. “You?”

“You girls really wore me out.” He stroked her hair casually. “Did you think about my offer at all?”

“I still say thanks, but no thanks. This is my problem. I’ll work it out.”

“Penny,” his tone was stern.

“Nope. You worry about your own problems, Mr. Davidson. I’ll worry about mine. Besides, it sounds like you’ve got enough on your plate.”

“You’re going to start sounding like Graham if you’re not careful.”

“Well, we wouldn’t want that, that’s for sure.” She sighed.

“I think we have an audience.” Penny opened her eyes to find Kevin staring from across the room. “Should I ham it up a little? Make him think there’s something going on here?” She felt his breath on her ear, drawing himself nearer to her. Her body reacted and she had to fight against every instinct to turn her head ever-so-slightly—because she knew, if she did, she would bring herself face to face with Tommy. And she wasn’t sure she would be able to resist herself if presented with that temptation.

When she had woken this morning, she had lay in bed not dreading the day, but instead thinking about the night before. She really had thought seriously about Tommy’s offer. How easy it would make things for her. But then she had thought once more about Tommy’s current situation, a myriad of tabloid covers flashing through her mind rapidly.

She wasn’t even in his world and she’d had her concerns. She could only imagine what those actually in the business would think. She had thought about the half empty bottle of whiskey she had seen on his nightstand at the motel.

It was very obvious that Tommy Davidson was in a dark place. If anything, she should be the one trying to help him.

Then again, they could help each other. But, Penny had thought better of it.

She wasn’t sure she was a good enough actress to pull off such a task.

She had spent a great deal of time thinking about their kiss and the implications of such an act. Sure, she had kissed him before. But that had been different. She knew she wasn’t going to see him again, though every fiber of her being had hoped for the contrary.

Last night, though…

She’d had a hard time justifying the kiss to herself. Finally, she had settled on the desire to see if she had imagined the feeling she had attached to their first kiss, or to see if it had really been there.

And Penny had certainly gotten an answer.

It was more than she had remembered.

But still, where did that leave them now? They were friends—that was it. Nothing more, and certainly nothing less.

In the end, a kiss was just a kiss. In the end, she had decided that she wasn’t going to risk her entire friendship for the sake of a couple of kisses, however intense they may have been.

“Hey, where’d you go?” he asked, pulling back a little so that he could look into her eyes.

“Just thinking,” she said quietly. “Have you spoken with Graham yet?” He shook his head.

“He’ll be here later, I’m sure.” Penny nodded, suddenly feeling some vague sensation of sadness. She couldn’t quite put her finger on it, but she thought it might have something to do with the fact that, soon, whether