But instead of letting me take one, she reached both her armsout and raked the pieces back toward her. “No thank you,” she said.
“Come on, I won’t make it fall again. I was just getting usedto it.”
“Go play with my daddy instead. He’s bad at houses too.”
I couldn’t help but laugh. I knew when I’d been dismissed. Sophand Scarlett had both refused to entertain me today. Apparently I was theoutcast in this social group too.
“Later, Soph,” I said and patted her head.
She ignored me, her little tongue sticking out of the cornerof her mouth as she concentrated on her construction.
I walked over to my friends and sat down in an empty spotnext to Tyler. Probably because out of everyone here, he was the only one whowouldn’t ask me how my dating life was going. “Hey,” I said.
Tyler cursed under his breath as the Eagles fumbled. He wasan Eagles fan like Penny since they both grew up close to Philly. “Hey, Matt,”he said when he calmed down. “The kids giving you a hard time?”
I laughed. “Just the usual.”
Tyler turned his head to glance over at Axel and Scarlett silentlydoing the puzzle. “I always wonder if they’re up to no good when they’re quiet.”
“Just drinking too many juice boxes and being controllingover puzzle pieces.”
Tyler laughed. “Axel hates puzzles. I don’t even know whathe’s doing right now.”
Flirting. The kid was already a pro. Although, Icouldn’t actually see Axel and Scarlett being together one day. They weren’trelated, but they called each other’s parents aunt and uncle. It would just be…weird.They were pretty much cousins.
“What have you been up to recently?” Tyler asked. “Youhaven’t been to the last few game days.”
Seriously? Even he was going to question me? Come on,Tyler, I sat here for a reason. “Just been busy with work and stuff.”
“And stuff. Right. It wouldn’t have anything to do with thatapp that Penny’s constantly on?”
What the hell? I looked over at Penny and she waslaughing at something on her phone, not even paying attention to the game oranyone around her.
Did everyone know that I was on a stupid dating app? “Shetold you about that?”
Tyler laughed. “No. I happened to see her screen when I was grabbinga drink. And she was texting some girl and they were talking about you. I thinkit was safe to assume Penny is not on a dating app as herself hitting on otherwomen.”
“Fair.” If Penny was looking to date someone that wasn’t herhusband…it would be me.
“I thought you didn’t really date,” Tyler said.
“I don’t.”
“So the dating app thing…”
I sighed. “All Penny’s idea.”
“That woman is relentless,” he said with a smile.
Yes, yes she is. “If you’ll excuse me for a second.” Pennyhad just gone into the kitchen and I needed a word with her. In freakingprivate. I followed her through the archway. She was laughing quietly again as shetexted. She was completely oblivious to the world around her. For just a fewseconds I watched her smiling down at her phone. Her red hair fell like acurtain over one of her eyes. God she was beautiful.
And I shouldn’t be staring at her like this. “Penny.”
She jumped and slammed her phone down on the counter. “Hi,Matt. What’s up?” She pressed her lips together like she was about to burst outlaughing.
“What’s up? What are you doing?”
She pressed her lips harder together.
“Give me your phone.”
“What? No.” She pulled it away from me.
I tried to grab it but she ducked under my arm. “I’m talkingto Ashley, okay?” She held the phone tightly to her chest.
“The girl from my date last night?”
“Yeah, she rated your date and I needed to know why it wassuch a low number.”
“She rated me poorly?”
“Mhm.”
“I didn’t even realize you could rate a date. Give her a zerothen.” I tried to reach for Penny’s phone again but she sidestepped me.
“I’m not giving her a zero, Matt. That’s not very nice.”
“If anything, she wasn’t very nice. She literally ran awayhalfway through the date.”
“Probably because of something you did.”
Wow. Okay. “Did she not tell you what happened?”
“We were just getting to that. She said she was late andthings were a little awkward the whole night. I don’t get it. You’re great atsmall talk. Why was your date so awkward?”
“Because she was freaking awkward.” How dare Ash call meawkward? I wasn’t awkward in the slightest.
“I’m just trying to figure out what happened,” Penny said. “Thislow rating is going to make finding a good candidate for your next date superhard. Unless you’re planning on going out with Ash again.”
“I am definitely not planning on doing that.”
“Why?”
“Because it was a train wreck.”
“But she’s exactly what you’re looking for.” She smiledbecause she knew I’d just been messing with her. “You requested a petiteredhead, so…”
“It’s not just about looks, Penny.”
“I know that. So tell me what happened. Regardless of herappearance, I thought she was perfect for you. She seemed funny and sweet.”
“It was just a bad date.”
“I need more than that,” Penny said. “We can file a requestto get this one-star rating removed.”
“One-star?” Fuck that.
“Just tell me what happened.”
“She tried to set my dick on fire!”
I heard Rob laugh and turned around. All our friends werestanding in the archway staring at us.
“So we only caught the last bit of that, and we’re all goingto need this whole story,” Rob said. “Who did what to your dick?”
For fuck’s sake. “Penny sent me on a blind date fromhell and the girl knocked over a candle into that complimentary oil you dipbread into. It burst into flames. Then she proceeded to fling the flaming oil rightonto the front of my pants.”
“On purpose?” James asked with a straight face.
“No.” I laughed. Huh. “Maybe.”
Mason slapped me on the back. “We’ve all been there, man.”
“I’ve never set your dick on fire,” Bee said.
“I just meant going on a blind date from hell.”
Bee slapped his arm. The two of them met on a blind date. Astheir story went, it wasn’t a perfect start. But in no part of their blind datehad Mason’s dick been set on fire. Not
