Declan
She left me on read.
It’s been a week since Christmas and I haven’t seen or heard from Penny. I haven’t even heard her come and go from the apartment.
New Year’s came and went, and I spent it alone. The guys from the shop asked me to hang out but I was feeling some kind of way and decided I had had enough peopling from Christmas and didn’t want to be around anybody.
I’ve been actively throwing myself into my business; networking, drawing, marketing… the whole works. I even booked a flight to Vegas for a tattoo convention at the end of March to go see some old buddies of mine.
I’m left feeling a little confused, unsure of why she left me on read and hasn’t responded to any of the other half a dozen messages I’ve sent her.
Christmas with her family was honestly the best Christmas I can remember having. Her parents were so welcoming, and shit… the gifts. Kate and I didn’t expect anything, especially since inviting us into their home was a gift in and of itself.
I don’t know why, but I had a hard time saying thank you to Penny for the mug. It had a cheesy line, “This tattoo artist is ink-credible,” spelled in a cool script and framed by tattoo guns. I had to swallow through a lump in my throat when Briana told me Penny had made it just for me. No one has ever made me a gift before, and I’ve used it every day since Christmas.
What I don’t understand is why Penny suddenly decided to stop talking to me. I know I closed myself off when my sister prodded her about her date, but it felt like she was cheating on me, even though I’ve told her multiple times we’re just friends.
Kate might have a point about me being a fool.
It’s a Monday night, and I got a bunch of paperwork done earlier since I take Mondays off from work, but I skipped lunch and am now starving.
I pull a hoodie over my T-shirt, slip on my Vans, and head out the door to go get some food. The Brewery, yes, that’sits name, is a short walk from the apartment, and I head in that direction to grab a bite to eat and a beer. I haven’t been yet, but I hear their menu is amazing.
The place isn’t packed when I get there, and even better, the bar only has one other patron sitting at it. When I slide onto the barstool, I’m instantly given a menu.
“What kind of beer can I get you?” the bartender asks.
“The most popular IPA,” I tell him. If California is good for something, it’s their IPAs. I don’t care too much about my alcohol, but I never pass up the chance to try something new when it comes to an IPA.
“I got you,” he says and grabs a pint glass to fill with beer.
I take a sip after he sets it down in front of me, relishing the cold brew, and read over the menu.
From my peripheral, I see the door to The Brewery open, and to my surprise, I watch Penny walk through.
And holy shit, she looks good. The first thing I notice is her hair. She cut it. It sits just above her shoulders in beachy waves and draws attention to her slender neck. The next thing I notice is the black, skin-tight dress she has on underneath a long, tribal-print knitted cardigan. She’s wearing a pair of black cowboy boots to round out the outfit, and I don’t think I’ve seen anyone more gorgeous in my life.
The one thing I don’t like, though, is the man who slides up beside her, guiding her by her lower back to a table in front of the window.
Is this the guy she was talking about going on a date with?
He’s wearing a light blue polo shirt and loafers with no socks.
He looks like a complete douche.
~ ~ ~
Penny
Mark is a complete douche. The second he stepped out of his Audi R8, and I saw the way he was swinging his car keys around on his finger with a smirk on his face, I knew he was a douche. Never mind the polo shirt and loafers without socks. I might be able to forgive that. But when he saw me and opened his mouth, I knew right then and there that this was going to be a bust. Because who says, “Hot damn, I can’t wait to rail you tonight,” to someone they just met?
This guy apparently.
Does that really work on women?
How can he be so different through messaging than he is in person?
Oh, wait. I know. Because men suck.
