“How do you mean?”
I gestured to the stool. “Sit.”
“No, I’m going back out there with Masen. Just tell me how Milo’s different.”
“He’s into girls and stuff. I bought him condoms.”
“What?” She looked furious. “How dare you. You’re not his father.”
“Well, apparently neither of you gave him ‘the talk’ because he came to my place and askedmeabout it. Like... how to do certain things.”
“Oh God, I’m so pissed right now. You better not have said anything weird.”
“I told him to be kind and respectful and to make sure he cares a lot for the girl. I didn’t give him any specific pointers, Penny. Are you kidding? I told him he should wait as long as possible, and once he was ready, he should wrap it up.”
“You did?”
“Yeah, I said it’s a lot better when you’re in love.”
She was staring at me, blinking impassively, but her bottom lip was quivering.
“Penny?”
A tear sprang from her eye and ran down her cheek. “Thank you,” she said in a low voice.
“So I did good?”
“Yes, Gavin. That’s exactly what I would’ve said to him. I just wish he would’ve come to me.”
“Trust me, P, boys want to hear this stuff from another man—not their mom.” I stood from the stool. “We should go now.”
She shook her head. “No, I want to dance more.”
Watching her saunter back out onto the dance floor, I thought about how badly I wanted to lick her back. I shook the thought away—I had to. It felt like hours had gone by, all while she continued flirting with Masen. I finally got fed up.
Walking up to them, I noticed Masen froze while she kept dancing with her arms slung around his neck.
“Penny, let’s go,” I said.
“No.” She didn’t look at me when she said it.
“Penny, come on, I have something to show you.”
She stopped and turned with her hand on her hip. “Are you joking?”
“No, come outside with me.”
She rolled her eyes. “Fine.”
We walked out of the bar and then I yanked her around the corner into a little alleyway. “Let’s go home. You’ve had a lot to drink.”
“I’m fine. I thought you had something to show me?”
“Yeah, that wall. Isn’t that mural cool?”
She turned to look. “I guess. What is it?”
“It’s a Will Ryan Band album cover.” The cover is a painting of his wife, Mia, I think.” It’s her back as she’s walking into a lake wearing a long flowing white dress. Some fan must have re-created it here.
