Playing at Forever - By Michelle Brewer Page 0,9
mood!”
“I’m in a better mood. Not a good mood.” It was the truth. Though she was feeling better, she wasn’t allowing herself to fully enjoy it.
“Well, what happened?” Amy pulled a stool up to sit in front of Penny.
“I…ran into an old friend last night, that’s all.”
“Which old friend?”
“It’s funny—we were just talking about him—”
“No way!” Amy gasped, covering her mouth with her hands, her eyes wide. “You’re lying!”
“I haven’t even told you—”
“Tommy Davidson is not back in Ravenside.”
“Well, I don’t know for how long. I mean, he could even be gone by now. I wasn’t exactly…well, let’s just say that he’s probably used to much warmer welcomes.” Amy’s eyes grew impossibly wider.
“Penelope!” Amy shook her head. “I can’t believe you!”
“I didn’t say anything that wasn’t true.” Penny thought back to the night before. Beneath the anger she felt toward Tommy, she really was happy to see him. For whatever inexplicable reason, she felt lighter than she had in months.
“You should have told me about this last night! I can’t believe that Thomson Davis is here, in Ravenside, and you didn’t even tell me—”
“His name is Tommy Davidson,” Penny corrected, rising to her feet to place her coffee mug in the sink. “Now, if you don’t mind, it’s time for me to head out to the restaurant.” She began slipping on her shoes, dread seeping into her body for the first time all morning.
At that moment, the doorbell rang. Penny offered Amy a confused look before the fair blonde made her way toward the front door. “Oh my god,” Penny hurried into the room, instantly covering her mouth with her hand to cover the smile forming there.
“Good morning, Penny Lane,” Tommy leaned against the doorway, holding two cups of coffee in his hands. “How about I walk you to work?”
“That’s really not necessary—”
“I insist.” And Penny rolled her eyes, shaking her head as she stepped forward. Amy met her eyes as she passed by and Penny knew what she was thinking: Amy wanted all of the details.
“Well, if you insist,”
“I do.” Tommy turned to Amy then, flashing her his best million-dollar smile. “It was nice seeing you again, Amy,”
“Have a good day, you two.” There was just the vaguest hint of suggestion in her voice as Penny passed through the door. Tommy handed her one of the cups in his hand.
“So, do you forgive me yet?”
“I think it’s going to take more than a cup of coffee for me to forget ten years of silence, Tommy.”
“How about a cup of coffee, lunch, and maybe—if you’re lucky—dinner too?”
“If I’m lucky?” Penny laughed, shaking her head. “Aren’t you supposed to be trying to make me forgive you?”
“I’ll throw in some dessert too.”
“That sounds like you’re planning out an entire day for me.” She stopped, looking up at him.
“You know, I think you might be right. It does kind of seem that way.” Penny raised an eyebrow.
“Some of us have to work, Tommy. I know it’s probably a foreign concept to you, but—”
“We’ll be dining at The Seaside, of course. I wouldn’t even think to give my patronage to some other local business.” Penny couldn’t help but smile. Tommy reached out to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. “What do you say?”
“I say we’ll start with lunch. And if that goes well, we’ll see what happens from there.”
Because as much as she might have wanted to accept Tommy’s proposal for spending the day together, she couldn’t help but worry it might be a mistake.
She’d learned well enough by now not to get her hopes up.
Lunch seemed to take an eternity to arrive. Penelope spent the morning as she usually did—smiling at customers, helping around the kitchen, playing hostess. And every time the door opened, she found herself looking up expectantly.
And every time it wasn’t Tommy, she would curse herself.
It was silly, she knew, the sudden joy she felt just knowing that he was here. And it wasn’t just that he was here, he was here for her. That was the part she just couldn’t get over.
Tommy had always had a way of making Penny feel special. He could have had his pick of just about any girl in high school, and for whatever reason, he’d chosen her. That’s not to say that he hadn’t dated—of course he had, so had she. But she had always taken comfort in knowing that Tommy always held her above the rest.
The same had always been true for her as well, though she had never made