The Dating Itinerary

by Brooke Williams

  “Excuse me?” The man sitting across from her sprawled into his chair.

  “Sorry.” Penny tried to focus on him, but it was hard to tear her gaze from George Monais. His chiseled jaw and too-long hair had held her attention on and off for the better part of the evening. Now that she could actually see him and knew who he was, she was even more intrigued. But not in a good way. “I’m Penny, and you are?”

  “Anthony.” The man went on to go through the get-to-know-you motions. Penny did her best to answer and tried to even smile and flirt, but her heart and mind weren’t in it. Anthony was a nice-looking man with his olive skin and dark eyes, but George was next, and there wasn’t anything Penny could do to pull herself back from that. Was there an exit nearby? Perhaps she could just slip out for the next two minutes and return after he left her table.

  Ding.

  “It was nice talking with you, Penny.”

  She snapped out of her thoughts long enough to notice that Anthony had taken her hand in his and was pressing it to his lips. Perhaps she made a better impression than she thought. She turned on her one hundred–watt smile, hoping George would think she was having the time of her life. Anthony left, and Penny took a deep breath. Her table was against the wall, and there was no way out without being seen. Plus, he’d been at the next table over. Surely he had noticed her as she had him.

  Penny glanced over in time to see George giving the girl next to her a long hug. Her fingers trailed down his muscular arm hesitantly, as if she didn’t want to let him go. Penny rolled her eyes. Of course George was the nicest-looking man here. He was often the nicest-looking man in any room. But that didn’t make him worth that woman’s time.

  Steeling her nerves, Penny waited for George to join her.

  “Well, well, well,” he clucked as he sat in the chair before her. “Pretty little Penny. What do we have here?”

  “Good to see you, too, George.” Penny’s voice melted with sarcasm.

  “It’s Geo.”

  Penny scoffed. Of course it was. That was much more on-the-trend than an old-fashioned name like George.

  “How’s everything going in the freelance world?” Penny asked with a wave of her hand, as if she hadn’t a care in the world.

  “Better than ever. And how’s everything going in my job at St. Louis Happenings?”

  His job? Had he really just said that? Penny’s frown deepened. “You haven’t held that job in well over a year, and I don’t want to brag or anything, but my editor said I’m the best person the magazine has ever had in the position. It should have been my job all along, never yours even for the minute you held it.”

  George nodded, a small smirk growing on his lips. Penny needed to scale it back a bit. She’d said too much. She was letting him get to her, and he knew it.

  “What are you doing speed dating…Geo? I never thought you had a shortage of women.”

  “I never knew you noticed.”

  Penny exhaled, trying to keep her face from turning a deeper red than it already was. Her history with George—Geo—wasn’t a pleasant one. And this wasn’t helping the memories she had of working with him at the magazine.

  “I didn’t,” she said through clenched teeth.

  “Well, whatever the magazine has you doing now,” George said as he leaned forward and stared into her eyes, “it looks good on you.”

  Penny tilted her head. Was he hitting on her? Of course he was. That’s what he was there to do. It was speed dating, after all. He was probably trying to see how many numbers he could walk away with at the end of the night.

  “I’d say the same for you, but…” Penny began.

  “You don’t have to say it, Penny.” George raised his eyebrows. “I saw you checking me out earlier.”

  “What are you talking about?” Penny blushed as she thought about her initial attraction to the man with the broad shoulders. The man sitting across from her now. But that was before he revealed himself as George—Geo—Monais.

  “Aw, come on, I could feel your eyes all over me.” Geo ran his hands up and down his chest, chuckling.

  Penny rolled her eyes and tapped her fingers on the table. “You flatter yourself.”

  “No,” Geo stopped and placed his hand on top of hers on the table, “you flatter me.”

  Penny jerked her hand away and ran it over her shirt. It crinkled beneath her touch as she struggled with a comeback. Even though he’d bested her into silence, their connection felt oddly good—familiar, even. She remembered when they’d first been introduced at the magazine. Their conversations had always flowed well. When he came up with something sarcastic, she had something to say in retort. There was never a shortage of laughter and teasing between them.

  “I saw your article on school lunches. That was some good stuff.” Geo broke the silence.

  “Not for the schools.”

  Geo shook his head. “Perhaps not, but it’s likely to bring about real change. The kids are going to get better meals out of it. And really, that’s what it’s all about, isn’t it? Making a difference?”

  Who was this guy? Penny frowned. She remembered the George she worked with when they first teamed up, but toward the end, he was all Geo—even if that wasn’t what people called him at the time.

  “And your behind-the-scenes article on the trash collector’s life was really intriguing,” she decided to test the waters.

  “I know.” Geo smiled, the cocky air returning.

  Penny wasn’t sure what to say next. She got a hint of the old George and a whole load of Geo. What was she to make of it?

  Ding.

  Perfect timing. Penny closed her mouth and shrugged. “Time’s up. Good to see you…Geo,” she lied, the sarcasm evident in her voice.

  “Nice to be seen.” George placed his hands on the table and pushed himself away, the veins in his arm showcasing his tight skin.

  Penny tried not to stare. She could resist any man despite his handsome features. Especially when she knew what kind of a person he was.

  She watched him walk to the next table with his clipboard, wondering what he was scribbling about her. When he sat down before the next woman in line, he received a flirtatious grin. Penny shook her head and turned her attention to the next man in line. He wore a Star Trek T-shirt and a goofy grin.

  The evening wore on, and Penny did her best to focus on each man before her. She needed as much research as she could get to form the article. Her editor expected the best from her. That’s why she was given the assignment. That and because she was the only single person on staff… She wanted to show everyone she was the right person for the job. Not just because she was single, but more because she was a stellar writer and an even better investigative reporter.

  When the final ding rang through the air, Penny sighed in relief. She considered herself an introvert, and it was hard to meet all these new people and put on her best front for that long.

  “Gentlemen, return your clipboards to me. I trust you had a good time and that you’ve been keeping up with your markings on each lady.”

  Penny glanced around at the other women. Everyone was staying at their table, so she did as well. The men filed to the woman at the front table and turned in their papers and then gathered on the other side of the room.

  “Ladies, now’s your chance to make any final marks by the men’s names, and I’ll call you up one at a time.”

  Penny studied the form before her. Each man was listed by their first name and a number. They weren’t in the order she saw them, but she remembered them well enough. They were all unique in their own way. She had to walk away with at least one connection. For research sake, at least, right? She wasn’t sure which of the men she impressed the most, if any. She and Pete had a good rapport, and the man with the Star Trek shirt couldn’t take his eyes off her after they spoke. In fact, she could feel someone stari
ng at her now.

  Her gaze flitted over to the men. It was dark, but she didn’t see that shirt anywhere. Instead, the broad shoulders came into sight. She could be wrong, but she was almost certain that Geo Monais winked at her. What was that supposed to mean? It was unnerving enough seeing him there, given their history.

  Penny shook her head. She might regret this later, but she placed a wide circle around every name on the clipboard. She needed a connection for her article, and this was the best way to get it. She’d say she wasn’t choosy and that she was really looking for a partner in life. She’d enjoyed her conversation with every man. Okay, so she’d lie. But it was what it was. She had to succeed in finding someone by the end of the featured articles. She couldn’t fail to have at least one match on the very first round.

  Penny zeroed in on Geo’s name. He was included in her wide circle. She started scratching at his name with the pen so the women in charge of the event would understand he wasn’t included in the circle. The pen wasn’t working well under the stress she was putting it under. She tore a bit of the paper around Geo’s name. That should work.

  “Miss Penny Coyne?” The lady at the front table finally called her up to turn in her paper.

  “Oh wow,” she said as she took in Penny’s circle on the page.

  Penny knotted her hands. “I’m a bit desperate,” she claimed in a low voice. “Any man will do, really.”

  The woman gave her the once over. “I see.” She nodded as if she’d seen such actions before. Penny tugged at her tight, reflective shirt and wondered why the host didn’t offer her any kind words. “You deserve to be pickier, dear,” she could have said. Or, “Why would a beautiful girl like you want to settle?”

  Instead, she ran her finger down her list of men, looking for matches. “It looks like you are due two phone numbers,” she said. She moved her pen over to a Post-it note.

  Wow, the official matchmaking Post-it.

  “These two men will get your number as well. We wish you the best of luck. We’ll be here again next week if you’d like to have another round.”

  Penny grabbed the paper from between the woman’s fingers and nodded her thanks. She most definitely would not be back. She had two numbers. That was enough to give her story something extra besides the details she’d gleaned from the evening. So what if she hadn’t met “the one?” She had plenty of other dating avenues to try. And she had time on her side. She had to keep her eye on the goal—a front cover feature and a new boyfriend to boot.

  As she left the restaurant, relief flooded over her. She unfolded the paper she clutched in her hand to reveal two phone numbers next to neatly scrawled names. Pete, the first one read. Next to that, Penny rolled her eyes when she read, Geo.

  Chapter Two

  George left the restaurant with a pocket full of phone numbers. He knew as soon as he walked in that was the way the night would go. It wasn’t that his ego was overinflated. It was that he knew how to charm, and there wasn’t that much competition in the room. As he walked to the parking garage down the street to get his car, he crumpled the numbers in his hand, taking them out of his pocket. Shifting through them, he stopped when he reached one in particular.

  “Penny,” it read. So even his former co-worker couldn’t resist his charm. She had to have put a circle around his name, indicating a connection, or he wouldn’t have gotten her phone number. He smiled. This could be fun.

  When his agent, Smathers, told him about the “dating list” idea he’d gleaned from some magical source of his, he mentioned he might run into people from his past. He had no idea that meant Penny, but he hadn’t been all that surprised to see her. She was single, after all, and she didn’t have much game in the dating world. She’d always been awkward around men that interested her, from what he could remember. Like that time they worked on a story together at St. Louis Happenings and she tried to flirt with the man who owned the deli. Somehow, she’d ended up with mustard all over her shirt and an olive on her chin.

  Their history was spotty, but they’d had a few good times when they’d partnered up as employees at the magazine. She was fun and easy to mess with. If she was the competition Smathers had mentioned, Geo was in for a treat. He’d gotten promoted over her at the magazine they both worked on until he left for his own venture, whether he’d deserved it or not. And Penny was known for being an accident waiting to happen.

  Geo didn’t wish her any ill will, of course, but if it was her standing in the way of his path to syndication, and the monetary goals to go along with it, she’d just have to step aside.

  Geo fished his phone out of his pocket as soon as he felt it buzz. Perhaps one of the women who got his number was eager to connect again. He looked at the screen.

  “Hey, Mags.” Geo’s sister Margaret—Maggie—or Mags to him, often called to check up on him, like a mother hen looking over her chick.

  “What are you doing tomorrow night?”

  “Hello to you, too.” Geo smiled. Maggie was nothing if not direct.

  “Can you watch Eliot?”

  “Don’t tell me you’re going out with that loser from last week again.” Geo grunted. He had plenty of reasons to be overprotective of his older sister. They didn’t often talk about what happened in college, but they both knew it was in the background of their relationship. And then there was the deadbeat husband who left her with a two-year-old and no job. Eliot was five now, and Maggie was thriving. The last thing he wanted was for her to get sucked down by another man who didn’t deserve her.

  “Nah, he hasn’t called since you confronted him. I’m pretty sure you scared him off.”

  “Good.”

  “I’m never going to find someone if you don’t let me.” Maggie sighed.

  “I’m never going to let you end up with another jerk like Derek.” Geo wished he knew where Eliot’s father was. He’d love to show up unannounced and tell him what he really thought of him.

  “I know, I know. Anyway, I want to take some of the girls to the movies Friday night. There’s a rom-com they’re dying to see, but I don’t think Eliot can stay up that late. Plus, it’s nice for them to have a night out, you know, just girls.”

  Geo smiled. His sister was amazing. She’d overcome so much in her life, and instead of becoming bitter and jaded, she started a charity for women who’d suffered abuse and tragedy of their own. Her Heart was up-and-coming in the city, and if she was able to get more grants, there was no telling what she could do.

  “Sure thing, sis. I’d love to hang with Eliot.”

  “Great, just come over at six.”

  “I’ll be there.” Geo clicked the end button on his phone. He’d have to turn away any dates that came his way, but Eliot was worth it. His nephew was always entertaining, to say the least, and Geo loved him fiercely.

  …

  Penny picked up the fourteen-pound bowling ball. It was heavy; she knew that. Her sisters always told her as much, but that didn’t mean anything to her. Just because they used eight- and ten-pound balls didn’t mean she had to. She did things her own way, and she threw better when the ball was heavy. It gave it less chance to roll off course. She placed the ball in the center caddy and sat to put on her shoes. Sure, most sisters gathered to have coffee, shop, and catch up on life, but not the Coyne sisters. Their relationship was different—more competitive, perhaps. And their tradition was unique. Once a month, on Friday night, they would gather at Knock Em Down, a local bowling joint. They’d chat, gossip, trade secrets, and, of course, bowl.

  Penny tightened the laces on her shoes. As the oldest of the bunch, it was her job to input the names into the computer system. Or maybe it was her job since she was always the first to arrive. She had just finished with the last name when her sisters descended in one big bunch.

  “We caught each other in the parking lot,” Di pronounced. “It’s really starting to rain.”
/>   Dime didn’t look wet, but Penny didn’t mention it.

  Nic pulled Penny up from her chair and gave her a hug. “You look great. Did you cut your hair?”

  Penny nodded. “Every other month whether I need it or not.”

  “Well, it looks nice.”

  Nickel brushed her own golden locks away from her face, her pale blue eyes glowing under the dim light of the bowling alley. She was sister number three, but she was everyone’s favorite. Perhaps it was because compliments came easily to her. She spouted them out so naturally that they were easy to believe. And no one hated being told they looked lovely, even if they were wearing flannel like Penny was.

  Q removed her coat and shook it. She’d gotten most of the rain, it looked like. She shook her head next, and Penny watched the wet drops fall from her shoulder-length dark hair.

  “Geez, Q, what are you, a wet dog?” Di frowned. She was the most outspoken in the bunch, and she told it like she saw it, no matter what that might sound like to others.

  Penny surveyed her sisters. They were the most important part of her life. Sure, they didn’t always get along, but there was no way their parents could name them Penny, Nickel, Dime, and Quarter and not expect them to stick together. It was what Coynes did. They’d bonded not only over their monetary names and the embarrassment they had to endure throughout their school days, but also because they had survived their parents’ upbringing. They’d been loving and caring, but dressing them as their names for Halloween every year until they were old enough to refuse to trick-or-treat altogether had been just the tip of the iceberg where the Coynes were concerned.

  While it was hard for anyone to tell they were sisters based on their varying appearances, they did have identical smiles, and more than anything else, they stood by each other through thick and thin.

  “You’re up.” Q looked to Penny as she squeezed her own giant feet into her shoes. The group made fun of the fact that she was five foot nothing but had feet larger than any of them at size eleven.

  Penny grabbed her fourteen-pounder and stationed herself at the end of the alley. The sisters always went in age order. First to be born, first to bowl. Penny wished she was first in other areas as well, but her sisters were too talented to let her accomplishments win the race. Sure, she was a prominent local reporter with regular articles in a popular magazine, but they had their accolades as well. And she still hadn’t gotten a feature for the cover—but she had the chance now.