I take her hand in mine and lift her glass of wine to her lips. “Take a sip, and then I’ll tell you.”
Her brow creases.
She stares for a moment.
And then her eyes widen.
“Did you take that job?” I wince, and that’s all the confirmation she needs. “No, seriously?” Her eyes start to well up with tears. “Are you leaving me? Moving away? I can’t be a mom with a baby daddy who is in and out on away trips. I need you.”
I squeeze her hand to calm her panic. “I took the job, but I’m staying here.”
“Wait . . . like, you’re not moving?”
I shake my head. “No. I don’t want to move, and I told Huxley that. I want to stay here. I like it here. I’m comfortable here. And how could I leave you, Penny?”
“That’s what I’m saying, how could you possibly leave me?” She tips back her glass and slugs it all back before lowering it and huffing. “Jesus, don’t scare me like that.”
I chuckle and take a sip of my wine. “I thought you were going to be mad that I was leaving my job, you know, since I won’t be at the arena with you.”
“I mean, that sucks, sure, but I care more that you stay here. And from what you’ve told me, the job seems amazing, so I don’t blame you for wanting to make a change.”
“Yeah, Huxley made it hard to turn down.”
“Yeah, he seems like a man who gets what he wants. I wonder what it would be like to be married to him.”
“I’m sure he demands a lot in the bedroom like Halsey.”
Penny’s eyes widen again with intrigue. “Oh yes, tell me more about that.”
“I thought we were talking about the job.”
Penny waves her hand in dismissal. “You took the job, and you’re not moving. We covered that. Now . . . let’s talk about Halsey.” She wiggles her brows.
“I told you—”
“Do you really think I’m going to sit here with wine in my hand—well, an empty glass of wine in hand—and no baby and not talk about the man you’ve been fucking?”
“No, but I was going to put up an effort to avoid it.”
“Nice try. Now, tell me why you’re just having sex but nothing else. I thought you guys were getting close. Wasn’t he your pretend boyfriend for the wedding?”
“He was,” I say, “but ever since then, I don’t know what to say to him. He’s different in my eyes.”
“How so?” Penny asks.
“I told you,” I groan. “He shook me. I can’t look at him the same. He’s a completely different man, all alpha and demanding. It’s like one night unleashed an entirely different human.”
“Yeah, but have you even given him the chance to talk to you? Aren’t you avoiding him?”
“Yes,” I answer before tipping back the rest of my wine. We’re going to need to open another bottle.
“Then how do you know what it would be like with him if you’re just fucking each other and not talking? You need to talk to him.”
“How do I even do that? I can barely look at him when we aren’t in the bedroom.”
Penny thinks about it for a second, then when her eyes land on my phone, she says, “Text him.”
“Come on.” I roll my eyes.
