I need to stay far away from Penny Preston.
CHAPTER 9
PENNY
AFTER OUR LITTLE fight, Colton avoids me the rest of the week like I have the bubonic plague. I'm still reeling over the fact that he has a girlfriend, so I'm totally fine with the cold shoulder. I'm still mad at him, too.
It's Friday night, and the bar is busier than it was last Friday. It's just Buddy and I at the helm, and I'm surprised at how well we manage the bar together when we don't have any distractions, namely Colton. Said distraction is currently moping in his office behind closed doors.
I'm in the process of wiping down the bar when a bouquet of red roses appear in front of my face. Looking up from the flowers, I see Tucker Hayward with the biggest smile on his face. "I know it's not Saturday yet, but I just saw these and couldn't resist."
I lean forward and sniff the sweet-smelling roses. "Oh, Tucker, they are lovely. Thank you."
His smile widens as he takes a seat at the bar in front of me. "I was trying to think of restaurants we could go to, but then I realized that I don't even know what you like to eat. I didn't know if you liked Italian or seafood. And then I was worried that maybe you don't like to eat carbs or maybe had a shellfish allergy or ---."
I place my fingertips over his mouth to halt his rant and laugh softly. "I'm sure wherever you choose will be great. I love pasta actually, and I'm not allergic to anything that I know of."
He instantly seems to relax, and I can't help but find his nervous behavior positively charming. It's nice to have a devastatingly handsome guy being so flustered around me. The fact that he's thinking about me and bringing me flowers even before our date lets me know how much he's looking forward to it. And I find myself really looking forward to our date as well. I haven't even so much as gone out on a date with another guy in the five years since Colton and I ended things. I was busy with college life and completely heartbroken. But now I think maybe my heart is finally healed just enough to try something new with someone different.
Tucker and I talk for another five minutes or so before he leaves. Smiling, I carry the bouquet of roses back to the kitchen to put them in some water. I'm humming and arranging the flowers in a vase I found under the sink when I hear the door to Colton's office open. I stop humming and stiffen my shoulders. I never know what kind of mood Colt is going to be in, but it's almost always angry and broody.
"Who brought the roses?" Colton asks, his voice barely above a whisper.
I pick up the vase and set it on one of the shelves so that I can take it home with me later. "Tucker Hayward," I answer without looking at him.
He harrumphs, goes back into his office and slams the door.
Well, that was interesting.
At least he didn't punch another bag of flour, I think to myself with a grin. I smell the roses one last time before floating out to the bar for the rest of my shift. I suddenly feel lighter and happier than I've felt since I've been back in Willowbrook.
Yeah. Tucker Hayward is just the distraction I need.
* * * * *
I TAKE ONE last glimpse at my reflection in the mirror before leaving my apartment. I've decided on a little black dress and matching heels. You can never go wrong with an LBD, in my opinion. And since I don't know where Tucker's taking me, I figured it was my best bet.
It's ten minutes until six, but I have a feeling Tucker will be early. Sure enough, when I round the corner of Crawford's Bar, Tucker is waiting outside of his silver Escalade. His face instantly lights up when he sees me. "Penny, you look beautiful."
Such a charmer. He's already laying it on thick, and I just eat it up. It's been a long time since I've had a guy be so nice and flattering to me. "Thank you, Tucker. You clean up pretty well yourself," I say, eyeing his suit jacket, dress pants and shiny shoes. He looks like a politician, and a handsome one at that.
He opens the passenger side door for me and closes it once I'm inside. He rounds the front of the vehicle and climbs in behind the steering wheel. "All set?" he asks.
I take a deep breath and nod. I don't know why I'm so nervous, but I don't think it's all nerves. I think some of it is guilt. Guilt that I'm finally dating somebody other than Colton for the first time in my life. I suppress the guilty conscious quickly, though. I don't want anything to ruin my date with Tucker.
Tucker takes me to a nice, little Italian restaurant at the edge of town. I haven't been here in ages, but it was always my favorite. I can't help but wonder if he knew that somehow. Maybe I mentioned it years ago during one of our study sessions.
We're seated at a secluded table near the back. The place is fancy with white tablecloths, linen napkins and candlelight at each table. It's a very romantic atmosphere, and I order a glass of wine to qualm my nervousness. Our waiter is very friendly and clearly Italian from his thick accent.
We both order a pasta dish, and it doesn't take long for the awkwardness between us to fade. Tucker seems to be clearly enjoying my company, and I am enjoying his. We small talk about things that happened back in high school and then what we've done with our lives since then.
"Culinary school after a political science degree? Political science I can understand, but culinary arts ---. I remember when you burnt that cake in home economics class when we were partners," he says with a grin.
I hide my face in my hands. "Oh, God. You remember that?" I ask, mortified.
"They had to evacuate the school because of the smell. That's hard to forget, Penny."
Giggling, I reach for my glass of wine and take a long sip. "Yeah, I suppose I'll never live that one down."
