Playing at Forever - By Michelle Brewer Page 0,36

what you deal with every single day?” she asked.

“That? That’s only about half of what I normally have. L.A. and New York are the worst. Everyone’s always looking for a way to make a profit. These are probably just the ones who actually work for the rags.” Penny stared out the window as the driver pulled away, flashes going.

“No wonder you’re always angry with them.”

“I’m not always angry. It’s just that the times that I am are the times that get published.” Penny nodded, understanding. That seemed about right. Bad press sold a lot quicker than good press did.

“It’s always been so weird for me, seeing you on these magazines. I mean, you look just like this boy that I knew better than anyone else…but the boy on those covers seems like someone else.”

“I’m the same boy, Penny. You can’t always believe everything that you read.”

“Oh, I know that. But I can believe some of the things I see.” She stared out the window, watching the familiar scenes flying by. “The partying, the drinking, the drugs, the girls…they couldn’t have made it all up. Every time I would see it, I would always tell myself that it wasn’t as bad as they made it seem. But if even just a fraction of it was true…it meant that you were no longer the same person.” Penny sighed softly. “And now that you’re here, with me, I feel like I can’t even imagine that person existing. You’re just Tommy again.”

“Maybe you bring out the best in me, Penny Lane.” She looked over at him then only to find that he wasn’t looking at her, but instead, staring out the window much like she had been doing. Except that, where she had been almost wistfully thinking about the past, Tommy seemed to have slipped into his previous state of mind—his eyes dark and shaded, his brow furrowed.

“Maybe you’re just afraid to show it to anyone else.”

“Maybe so,” his voice sounded distant and Penny longed for him to talk to her. But like before, she knew that he wouldn’t. Whatever it was he was harboring inside him, it wasn’t coming out until he was ready for it to.

“Why are we pulling up to The Seaside?” She asked, realizing for the first time why everything looked so familiar.

“I told you before—I wouldn’t even think about giving my patronage to anyone else.” She bit the inside of her lip. This…was not what she had been expecting. Dinner here? Of all places? While both Kevin and Gina worked inside?

“Tommy, I—”

“It’s okay, Pen. I promise.” Penny couldn’t help but feel anxious. “Come on.” He took her hand, not letting it go until they were seated on the patio. “Besides, Graham insisted we go someplace that offered easy access for the tag-alongs back there.”

“Of course he did,” Penny pasted a smile on her face, very aware that they were being stared at though they had the patio to themselves.

“Good evening Mr. Davis, Miss…Penny,” the young waitress smiled at the pair and Penny couldn’t help but grin. How strange it must feel for the girl to be serving her boss and her boss’s very famous date. “Can I start you off with anything to drink?”

“I’ll have a water, Jessica,”

“I’ll have the same.” Tommy glanced at the menu for a moment. “Could we also have your very best bottle of Merlot?”

“Of course,” Jessica replied, looking to Penny as if for permission. Penny only nodded, turning to offer Tommy a look. “What?” he asked innocently.

“You do know how much our best bottle of Merlot is, don’t you?”

“One of these days, Pen, you’ll learn that cost means very little to me. It’s quality that counts. I don’t have to spend the most to have the best—but when I do, I don’t mind.”

“It must be nice, living without worry like that.”

“It comes with a price.” Penny thought back to the ride here. She was seeing that more and more clearly every day.

“Have you told Kevin you’re buying him out yet?” She shook her head. She should have, she knew that. But she hadn’t found the opportunity to mention it yet.

“He’s not going to be happy when he finds out the money is coming from you.”

“That’s only an added bonus,” Tommy grinned. “Speaking of…”

Penny looked up to find Kevin walking their way, holding a bottle of wine. “You could have sent it over with Jessica,” Penny told him, barely even glancing his way.

“What, and break tradition?” His tone was dripping with ridicule.

“I wouldn’t have minded.”

“Tradition?”