“And tonight?” Penny’s tone softened, coaxing.
Arden met her gaze, chin lifting. “I’m going to Gideon’s. And I plan on enjoying every damn second of it.”
A slow grin spread across Penny’s face. “Now that’s my girl.”
?
The rain had stopped, but the hush outside felt unnatural—like the moment before a scream. Arden moved to close the blinds, her gaze sweeping the windows. Nothing. She paused anyway.
The street below shimmered with post-storm quiet, reflections warped in puddles. It looked empty.
Too empty.
A flicker of unease curled beneath her ribs. Not fear exactly, more like instinct.
She shook it off and tugged the blinds closed.
She turned away, but the feeling stayed.
A prickle at the base of her neck.
The inescapable sense that, beyond the glass, someone was watching.
Later,towel in hand, Arden stepped into the hallway and found Penny waiting, arms crossed, devil’s glint in her eyes.
“So…” Penny began, drawing the word out like silk. “You’re seeing him tonight.”
Arden groaned. “Please, not this.”
“Oh, honey.Absolutelythis,” Penny said, marching toward her closet. “You kissed GideonBlackwell. That’s not a footnote. That’s a headline.”
“It wasonekiss.” Unconvincing.
“And the electrical grid is still recovering.” Penny yanked open the closet doors. “You’re going over there. You need to wear an outfit that says, ‘Yes, I might casually ruin your life with a single glance.’”
Arden flopped onto the bed. “It’s not a date.”
“It’s an event. Stop talking.” Penny tossed a sleek black top onto the bed. “This. With the dark jeans and those ankle boots you forget are hot.”
Arden eyed the outfit. “I didn’t even know I had that top.”
“And yet the universe did. Now put it on.”
Penny perched on the edge of the bed, curling iron in hand, examining Arden with the ruthless eye of a sculptor, already seeing the finished form
“You’re thinking, ‘He doesn’t care what I look like,’ right?” Penny said, eyes narrowed.
“Pretty much.”
“Well, he does. And more importantly—you’ll care. Confidence, my dear, is a weapon.”
Arden let herself be handled—hair curled, mascara applied, lips tinted. They bantered lightly, the ease between them a balm.
“What exactly happened outside that car?” Penny asked, curling the last strand. “Because that kiss? I felt it in my spleen.”
Arden paused, fingers curling in her lap. “It was… intense.”
“Understatement of the century,” Penny muttered. “Now stand up.”
