Playing at Forever - By Michelle Brewer Page 0,50

even have salt and pepper here.”

“I order in a lot.” Tommy shrugged, stepping further into the kitchen and taking a seat at the island.

“Still—salt and pepper?”

“They come in the little packets.” Penny laughed, shaking her head. “So what’s for dinner?”

“Lasagna.” She was totally in her element—dressed in a pair of cotton looking shorts and a plain white tank top, her hair up in some sort of ponytail. It made him happy just seeing her happy.

“Anything I can do?”

“Nope, it’s actually just about done.” She set a wineglass in front of him and poured him a glass. “It’s no top shelf Merlot, but it’s not bad.” He took a sip, nodding his head.

“Did you go shopping?” It was an obvious question, but one he asked simply for the sake of keeping her going. Her happiness was infectious.

“Just picked up a few things. Thought I’d take advantage of this big ol’ kitchen nobody ever uses.” She turned around to check the time. “Why don’t you go change into something a little more comfortable?”

“Are you suggesting something?” He couldn’t help himself. Every once and awhile, he had to make some sort of a comment just to get a rise out of her. Her response was typical—she hit him on the shoulder before shooing him away.

It wasn’t until he was upstairs, changing into a pair of basketball shorts and a t-shirt that he remembered something Penny had said back in Ravenside. The sun was mostly done setting, the sky kind of glowing. Penny had made a very simple request—he could at least make sure she got that one thing.

By the time he returned to the kitchen, Penny had already cut him a large piece of lasagna and set it on a plate beside his wine glass. She watched him as he sat down, waiting for him to take his first bite.

For good reason—her lasagna was pretty amazing.

“So? Do you like it?”

“I would have to say that this lasagna is among the best I’ve eaten. And I’ve been around the block a few times when it comes to lasagna.” Penny giggled, satisfied with herself. They ate mostly in silence—but the comfortable kind of silence that came with knowing someone well enough that they didn’t even have to talk to know what they were thinking.

“I’m stuffed,” she confessed finally, sitting back in her chair. “I can’t even eat another bite.”

“I’m surprised you ate that much.”

“I didn’t eat anything all day, so I was pretty hungry. Now, however…I’m regretting it.” Tommy laughed, standing up and taking her plate. “I can get that—”

“You made dinner; I’ll get the clean-up. You go ahead and sit back.”

“Well, how was your day then?” She asked, resting her elbow on the island so that she could look at him.

“You know, business as usual.”

“Talk to anybody about your script?” He had been waiting for that.

“I mentioned it to Graham again. He thinks we should wait.”

“Well, I think Graham is an idiot.” Penny shrugged her shoulders. “But that’s just me.”

“He means well. He just…his priorities aren’t always in the right order.” Tommy had known Graham for a long time. He’d always been a pretty good guy—it was just a matter of seeing through the façade. Once upon a time, he’d been just like Tommy—and where Tommy had found fame, Graham had found fortune, which was all he’d really wanted in the end.

“Well, regardless of what Graham thinks—I just want to make sure you pursue it, Tommy. It’s a good story. It deserves to be told. And I think you’re the perfect person to tell it.”

He wished he could tell her how much it meant that she had so much faith in him.

It had always been his driving force, even if she hadn’t known it.

Of course, he couldn’t tell her either of these, though. He already felt as if he’d told her too much. As angry as he’d been with Graham earlier, he knew his manager was right. This was, in the end, just business. No matter how much he wanted to believe otherwise, this was all just a means to an end.

And for the very same reasons he had let Penny go before, he would have to do it again. Any thought to the contrary, he was just fooling himself.

But not yet, he told himself. No, not yet. There was still time left.

“Well, thanks for the vote of confidence. I’ll make sure I keep it in mind.”

“I’m being serious.”

“I know you are, Pen. So am I.”

“Good,” she sighed quietly, turning to look around the