When I look at Lincoln, I realize that I’ve never actually been in love before. Maybe my heart was always reserved for him and I just didn’t know it.
32
DOUBLE DOWN
The whole timemy team is drinking champagne and downing canapés and I mingle around with the same assholes I’ve known my whole career, I can’t help but glance at Penny.
She’s fucking beautiful in her sparkly champagne-colored dress and a beaming smile on her face.
When I shake hands with Carter Salvo and greet his wife, Valerie, all I can think about is how Penny should be on my arm. I should be flaunting around my gorgeous girl to all these stuck-up assholes.
I’m petulant, but I’m working on it. Penny wants to do a good job for Krystal and the last thing I need to do is push her any further. Slowly but surely, I think it’s sinking in that this is real, that we’re in this for the long haul. The more she understands just how serious we are, the more prepared she’ll be to go fully public.
“You know, Lincoln, my cousin Cecelia is here. I think you two would hit it off,” Valerie says, looking around the room. Carter seems used to his wife’s antics and shrugs.
“I’m actually seeing someone.”
Valerie gasps. “You didn’t bring her?”
“Unlike your husband, I don’t plan on torturing her,” I joke, they laugh, it feels gross and of course at that moment Penny comes up to us taking a picture.
“They want us to take our seats,” she says softly, waving hello to Carter and Valerie.
“I’ll see you later,” I tell Carter, though I won’t. I’ll see him next year at this event like I do every year.
I picture what next year will look like. Would Penny be working for Krystal, doing the same grunt work of keeping us all on track, or will she be on my arm as my girlfriend, or possibly something more?
Penny squeezes my biceps and Valerie tracks the movement with a twitch of her lips as we head to the reception hall.
“You probably want to sit next to Jacob and Paula since they’re both up for awards,” she says.
“No, I want to sit next to you.”
She glances up at me with a small, shy smile on her face as she nods. Everything around us disappears, the fancy decor, the clattering of drinking glasses, and loud chatter.
“You’re not going to fight me on this, are you?”
“No, I’m not,” she says as we take our seats.
It’s clear that all my employees note who I’m sitting next to. I’m not sure how inconspicuous we’ve been, because I truly don’t care. Part of me feels like Penny doesn’t either.
I place my hand on her thigh, where it belongs, and she doesn’t move my hand as the ceremony begins.
It’s long, tedious, and fucking boring.
Paula and Jacob both win their awards and Penny is frantic with getting up and down, taking photographs of them and their awards.
The award for best commercial design comes up, and it’s a project that took years. It meant a lot to me and my dad. It was the first project he had no part of and he handed me over thecompany. It took years to get it off the ground with all the site development issues we had, but I’m proud of it. Even if it doesn’t win, I have that.
“Goes to the Optic Center by Carlson Commercial Enterprises.”
My jaw goes slack as I look around the table. It happens so fast as Penny grabs my face, kissing me publicly for the first time. It’s not scandalous, but it’s significant. As she pulls back, her eyes water as she beams at me.
“I’m proud of you. Go get your award.”
It takes a moment for me to pull away from her. If anyone is shocked at our table, I don’t notice as I go up to the podium and accept the award. Penny takes a ridiculous amount of pictures as I head back to our group, placing my award on the table.
My employees congratulate me and Penny looks at me like I hung the moon.
