“It’s for guests, Matt. Like me. And maybe for a specialsomeone in your life after I set you up. Here, I’ll show you how to use it.” Sheopened the box and started washing the teakettle. She moved around the kitchen withease, humming some tune I didn’t recognize.
And as I watched her, I felt the strangest sensation. Familiarity,maybe. My mom always hummed in the kitchen too. But it wasn’t really that. Maybeit was more of a…longing. Because I could get used to this. A woman in mykitchen. A woman in my house. It felt warmer with her here.
Penny placed the pot on the stove and turned back to me. “Ifigured you didn’t have any tea bags either, so I brought some.” She pulled outsome more boxes from her purse and put them on the counter.
“You promised me coffee,” I said.
“Coffee is for people who don’t lie to their Tanners abouttheir friends being rude and not wanting to see their place.”
“Please stop calling him my Tanner. It’s just Tanner.”
She laughed. “But it’s so fun to mess with you.”
I was the one that was supposed to be messing with her. Thatwas our thing. I didn’t like when the tables were turned.
“It’ll whistle when it’s ready.” She walked around theisland. “Give me a tour?”
It was actually cute that she didn’t realize how suggestiveshe always sounded. A tour usually meant straight to the bedroom. Or is thatwhat she meant? I tried to shake off the thought as I showed her the familyroom and downstairs bathroom.
She peered out the window to the back yard. “You have grass?”She opened up the door before I could stop her. She laughed as she spun aroundin a circle, her hands lifting in the air. “It’s like a little slice of CentralPark!”
It was such a small yard that I couldn’t help but laugh. But I’dmade it look nice. There was a small stone patio with a grill and some chairs. Andsome flowerbeds along the back fence.
“Scarlett would love this,” she said.
“You can bring her next time if you want.”
Next time? Bring another person? What the fuck was Idoing? I didn’t want anyone here.
“You’re inviting me back?” She looked so happy.
“I don’t know how to say no to you.”
She laughed. “Show me the rest.”
I didn’t know how to feel as I showed her up the stairs. Shepeered into my office and into the hallway bathroom.
“What’s in there?” she asked, pointing to the closed door.
I stepped in front of her. “The only room that’s still a workin progress.”
“You can show me next time then.” She wandered down the halland into the master bedroom. “Wow, it’s so much bigger than I expected.”
“That’s what she said.”
She laughed. “Perve.”
“The first thing you said when you stepped foot in my bedroomwas that it was bigger than you expected. You walked right into that one.”
“Fair enough. I can’t believe you make your bed. I absolutelyhate making my bed, knowing I’m just going to mess it up at night. But Jamesalways does it or has Ellen do it. Is that like a rich person thing?”
“Penny, you’re rich too now.”
“Not like you guys.”
“Exactly like us. You’re one of us.” I made a point to makesure all my friends’ wives felt like they were a part of this world. BecauseI’d failed on that before. I wasn’t naïve. I knew we weren’t untouchable. But Iwanted them to know that they belonged. Especially Penny.
Her smile suddenly looked shier. “Thanks, Matt.” She peeredinto the bathroom. “You’re very…neat.”
“That’s probably the worst description after nice.”
“Too bad. Because you’re also nice.”
Maybe it was just me, but it felt like the air crackledbetween us. The bed was literally four feet away. What would she do if I backedher up until her thighs hit the mattress? Or if I pushed up her skirt? Or if Ikissed that shy smile right off her face? Would she tell me to stop? Beg me formore? Because I couldn’t stop picturing her on her knees begging ever sinceshe’d graciously put the image in my head outside.
The damned teakettle started whistling.
“Which is why I’m going to find you a nice girl.” She pattedmy chest as she walked by. “Come on, we have teatime and plans to discuss.”
That sounded like the gayest thing ever. What were we, twowomen at a 1900s luncheon? But I followed her out of the bedroom anyway. Iwasn’t sure why. But I’d follow Penny anywhere. Maybe it was the smell of herperfume. Or her subtle Delawarean accent that reminded me of Brooklyn. Or maybesomething else entirely.
I watched her pour the boiling water into mugs and place teabags into each.
“Do you have any honey?” she asked.
I shook my head.
“Oh, first time tea drinkers should really have honey. Whatabout sugar?”
I shook my head again.
“I guess I was wrong before. This is a bachelor pad. You’lljust have to tolerate it without any sweetness.” She sat down on one of thestools at the kitchen island and blew at the steam coming off her mug.
God, those lips. My cock twitched to life.
“Matt?”
“Sorry?” I hadn’t realized she’d said anything.
“Do you want to see some of your matches?”
“What? How can there be matches already? I barely told youanything the other night.”
“But I already know you. So I typed up the rest of yourprofile and filled out all the necessary info. Minus the fact that you suddenlylove redheads,” she said with a laugh.
I’d teased her enough about that the last time we’d talkedabout this stupid app.
She tapped the stool next to her so I’d sit down. “Here. You justswipe when you see someone you like. Oooh, this girl is pretty.”
“She doesn’t have red hair.” I tried to hide my smile.
Penny hit me in the ribs with her elbow as she swiped past thegirl. And the next girl who looked like her face was half human half horse. Shepaused on another woman who looked fully human. “What about her? She looksreally sweet. And lots of the women I’ve seen you with have blonde hair.”
It felt like she’d elbowed me in the stomach. I didn’t thinkI’d made
