Playing at Forever - By Michelle Brewer Page 0,40
Tommy hugged her back. “Send me a text when you get home, okay?” Penny nodded and backed away, waving with the hand she held her shoes in.
It wasn’t a long walk, but Penny enjoyed it. She hadn’t been able to walk to or from the restaurant without worrying about being spotted in too long—she wanted to enjoy it.
When she arrived at Amy’s house, she was surprised to find the door was unlocked—but understood why a moment later, when she stepped inside to find Amy stretched out on the couch, the two young girls asleep in the oversized armchair.
“Amy?” Penny whispered, careful to avoid waking the girls.
“I’m awake,” Amy whispered and Penny grinned, climbing onto the couch and huddling closely to her best friend. “So?”
“It was lovely,” Penny sighed, resting her head on Amy’s shoulder. “He invited me to L.A.”
“Did he really?” Amy’s eyes widened and Penny nodded. “Are you going?”
“I told him I would.” Penny couldn’t deny her excitement. “Would you mind spending some time at the restaurant?”
“Only if you promise to tell me everything.”
“Deal,” Penny wanted to dance around the house, she was so giddy. Instead, she pressed her lips to Amy’s temple.
“You know you’re practically covered in sand, don’t you?”
“We fell asleep on the beach.” Amy sighed, staring at Penny enviously.
“I can’t believe my best friend is dating a celebrity.” Penny’s enthusiasm died down a bit as she remembered that she and Tommy had an arrangement and nothing more.
That was okay, she told herself. She was happy enough just to be Tommy’s friend.
So then why, she wondered, did her heart feel just the slightest bit broken?
Tommy was utterly and completely tormented.
Try as he might, he couldn’t get her off his mind. He tried watching tv, but he’d only ended up thinking about the way his heart had nearly thumped it’s way right out of his chest when he’d seen her coming down the stairs.
He’d tried flipping through one of the scripts Graham had given him to read through, but instead he’d remembered the way she had looked just before he’d kissed her. And then that had led him to thinking about how she’d looked after he’d kissed her—which, in his opinion, was even better.
He’d started to read the sports page, but then the image of her that morning, sleeping in his arms, had crossed his mind.
It was driving him insane.
He tried to tell himself that the only reason he was thinking about her so much was because he knew that he couldn’t have her. It had been a long time since Tommy had come across a woman he couldn’t have.
It was just the chase that had him so hung up. The desire for a challenge.
Because it didn’t matter how much he wanted her. It didn’t even matter if she wanted him back. Physical attraction was not all that hard to come by.
But friendship? Especially like the one he and Penny had?
That was a true rarity.
He sighed, throwing the newspaper across the room and running his fingers roughly through his hair. Tommy was going stir crazy in this tiny little room.
He nearly pounced on his phone when it started ringing, only slightly disappointed to find that it was Graham. “You, my friend, are golden.”
“Why’s that?”
“You know why! You and that foxy little wildcat of yours, that’s why. You bought out the entire theater?”
“For just one showing.”
“That’s romance, my friend.” Tommy chuckled, shaking his head. Graham had never, in all the time Tommy had known him, had a serious girlfriend. “So what’d she say about L.A.?”
“She’s ready to go whenever you want her to be.”
“And what about you?” Tommy got up and crossed the room, his eyes landing on something on the floor.
“I’m not against it.” He leaned down and picked up part of the newspaper he’d thrown just moments ago. “But I’m not against coming back here afterward, either.”
“Come on, man—there’s nothing in that place for you.”
“Actually, Graham, I beg to differ.” Tommy glanced down at the real estate section he was holding in his hand. “I’m going to let you go—I’ve got a call to make.”
“Are you calling her already? You do know you’re not really dating, right?”
“I’m not calling Penny,” he grinned. “I’m about to call another woman, though. So that should make you happy.”
“I’m all for it! Just make sure you keep it discreet.”
“Oh, I will.” Tommy hung up the phone and stared at the smiling face of the real estate woman for a moment before dialing the number. “Hello Mrs. Harris, my name is Tommy.