Playing at Forever - By Michelle Brewer Page 0,56

to blame them, really.

She smiled cheerfully as she greeted people she’d known forever, introducing Tommy just to be polite. He did his best to make conversation with everyone and Penny smiled to herself as she spotted him talking with their old Principal. He and Tommy had once had quite the rapport.

As everyone began milling through the doors, Penny glanced through the crowd, trying to find Kevin—confused when she couldn’t find him. “After you,” Tommy approached her, holding his arm out in front of him. She smiled distractedly as they entered the restaurant.

The band was playing something very slow and quiet; music to pass the time. Soon, people would be asked to take their seats so that dinner could be served. After that, Penny would get up and give a speech about the importance of the arts in schools. Then dessert would be served and the floor would open up for dancing.

It was the same thing every year, and every year, it was an event Penny usually looked forward to.

Amy and Paul were seated at the same table as Tommy and herself and the two men immediately disappeared to the bar. “Have you seen Kevin?” Penny asked her best friend, still unable to find her nearly-ex-husband.

“I haven’t seen him—or Gina, for that matter.” Penny looked around once more, frowning as she once again came up empty handed.

“Well, I guess our talk will have to wait.” She decided. Upon the return of their dates, Penny excused herself so that she could mingle with her guests and check on the status of the kitchen—pleased when she discovered that everything was right on time.

It wasn’t until halfway through dinner that Penny finally spotted Kevin. He was sitting beside Gina, who—instead of wine, had a glass full of water in front of her. Strange, Penny noted, considering how much Gina normally enjoyed wine.

When the other woman rose from her seat, walking toward the bathroom, Penny felt her breath catch in her throat, her eyes watering. “Pen? You okay?” Amy’s voice sounded very far away.

“Excuse me—I just have to…” She didn’t even bother coming up with an excuse as she backed away from the table and made her way to the bathroom. Gina was just coming out of the stall, wiping at her mouth with a paper towel as Penny entered.

“You know how they call it morning sickness?” Gina tossed the paper towel in the trash and stepped to the sink, washing her hands. “They should just call it pregnancy sickness or something. I swear, I can’t keep anything down.”

Penny forced a smile as the younger girl excused herself, but the moment she found herself alone, she had to fight against the tears.

Gina was pregnant?

It was as if they had reopened the wound their initial betrayal had caused. The wound that had, lately, almost seemed to be healing.

So Kevin had been ready to start a family—just not with her.

She closed her eyes as she braced herself against the sink for a moment, her heart aching.

“Pen?” Amy’s voice startled her and she looked up to find her friend standing at the door. “They’re ready for you to give your speech.”

Right, her speech. She was supposed to stand up in front of everyone and deliver a persuasive and passionate appeal to the wealthiest of the town.

“I’ll be right there.” She only took a moment longer to take a few deep breaths before returning to her table. Tommy’s expression was one of concern, but Penny said nothing to anyone, her thoughts distracted.

When the bandleader introduced her, applause sounded around the room. She rose to her feet and crossed the room to take her place on the stage.

“First, I’d like to thank all of you for joining us tonight for our fifth annual benefit dinner. I see many familiar faces and a few new ones—to those of you who are joining us for the first time, welcome. I…”

But as she stared out at the crowd before her, she couldn’t remember what it was she was supposed to say. Her eyes fell back to Kevin and Gina, the room swaying a little bit.

And then Tommy was there, standing beside her, his hand on the small of her back. When she met his eyes, she knew right away what he was doing.

“I wanted to do something a little different this year,” she improvised. “Most of you have had the pleasure of knowing Tommy Davidson from his high school years. But for those of you who know him only as Thomson Davis, I’d