Playing at Forever - By Michelle Brewer Page 0,37

Tommy questioned.

“Anytime someone orders one of our top-shelf wines, one of us always pours the first glass.” Penny told him. Kevin uncorked the bottle and poured the deep red liquid into Tommy’s glass first, and then into Penny’s. She held her breath, almost expecting him to accidentally spill the liquid on either one of them.

“Well, go on,” she looked up at him, her eyes narrowed.

“No, wait—Kevin, why don’t you pour yourself a glass? We should make a toast.” Tommy interrupted, turning around to grab an empty glass from the table behind him.

“I don’t think that’s necessary.”

“No, really. I insist.” Tommy raised the bottle and filled the third glass, handing it to Kevin.

“What are we toasting to?” Penny asked, growing a little nervous.

“Oh, I don’t know. There are so many things to celebrate, after all.” Tommy met Penny’s eyes from across the table and she felt her heart begin to pound. What was he going to say? “How about we just…sum it all up? Let’s make a toast to new beginnings. To letting go of the old and starting fresh with the new. I think that’s something we can all toast to, wouldn’t you say, Kevin?”

She almost laughed at Kevin’s expression as he gritted his teeth.

“To new beginnings,” Penny held up her glass, clinking it against both Kevin and Tommy’s before bringing it to her lips and taking a long drink from the glass.

The two men stared at each other for a moment before, finally, Tommy took a drink from his glass and Kevin a drink from his. “Thanks for sharing that moment with us, Kevin.” Tommy’s expression was smug and Penny had to resist the urge to kick him underneath the table.

“You can send Jessica over now.” She finally broke in, raising an eyebrow at Tommy from across the table as Kevin walked away.

“He asked for it.”

“Are we in grade school now?”

“Hey, one day you’ll appreciate the fact that I was so rude to him. He deserves a lot worst than just a couple of witty remarks here and there.”

“I like to think fate will catch up with him.” Penny said, and she could tell she’d struck a cord with him. He looked down at the table, an ironic smile on his face. She was about to question him when Jessica arrived, bringing their waters and taking their order.

“So, Graham thinks I should take you out west. Show you how the other half lives. Does that sound like something you might be interested in?”

“Do you want to take me?” She questioned—because this was what was most important to her. If Tommy wanted her to see that side of his life, then she would be more than willing to go. But if that was something he wanted to keep separate from her, then she wouldn’t pry.

“Why wouldn’t I?” he questioned. In her head, Penny listed a few reasons. Maybe he didn’t want her to see the fast pace his life was on. Maybe he didn’t want her to dampen his style. Maybe he just wanted to keep that life separate from his old one.

What were the reasons he hadn’t spoken to her before now? Whatever those reasons were seemed applicable.

But Penny said none of this. Instead, she smiled, nodding her head. If Tommy was ready to share that part of his life with her, after all these years, she wasn’t going to stop him.

“Well, the sooner the better, then. Graham wants to line up a few interviews, maybe a couple meetings.”

“Of course,” Penny nodded, trying to imagine herself in L.A. She’d never been further than a few hours driving distance. She and Kevin hadn’t even taken a honeymoon—they’d spent the night at a nice hotel and had returned to their life the next day. “Just let me know when. I’ll see if Amy wouldn’t mind filling in here.” Amy had come to work at the restaurant shortly after Penny had found out about Kevin and Gina for a short time, so she knew the ropes.

“You’d really just…go, just like that?”

“Isn’t that part of the deal?” Penny asked, but she knew that this was much more than business—for her, anyway. This was a chance for her to see what Tommy’s life had been like all those years he’d been away.

“Right, the business end of things.” He poured himself another glass of wine and drank it quickly. Penny watched, her eyes concerned.

The food arrived shortly after though, the two taking a break from talking about anything other than how good his steak was