She leaned over and looked. “Goonies. That’s one of my favorites.”
“No DVD collection is complete without it.”
“I totally agree.”
They stood there grinning like idiots, carts still in their collision.
“Well, I should let you go,” she said as she backed her cart up and maneuvered around his, her eyes staying on his as she did. Her heart beat faster as she walked past, and when she finally faced forward, she let go of the breath she’d been holding.
“Penny, wait . . . ”
Her heart raced again as she turned back and watched Thor push his cart toward her. “Yeah?”
“Are you hungry? I mean, did you eat dinner yet? Do you wanna maybe get some food? With me?”
She loved how flustered he was. “Yes. I’m starving.”
“Good. I mean . . . I’m glad you want to.”
More of the grinning-idiot thing.
“Let’s go then.” They headed toward the registers and cashed out. She waited for him by the cart collection area. “Where to?”
“It’s nothing special, but there’s a great burger joint just down the road.”
“Grover’s? I love their burgers.”
“Cool. I’ll meet you there.”
As they walked to their respective vehicles, Penny couldn’t help but hang back so she could watch his backside. Damn, that man had a fine ass. And she couldn’t wait to talk again and see more of that gorgeous shy smile.
---------
THOR ARRIVED at Grover’s first. He walked in and immediately put their name down for a table. The place was small so sometimes it took awhile to get seated. It wasn’t anything special—a basic tavern with an oak bar—but they had the best burgers for a hundred miles.
He sat at the bar, ordered a beer, and berated himself for acting like such an idiot at Target. It was like all the confidence he’d had with women for years had just disappeared, replaced with a mess of nervous energy. But why? This wasn’t even a date. Just two people getting some food. But it sure felt like more.
When he’d seen Penny at the store, his gut had gone all jittery like a little girl at a boy band concert. His brain instantly recalled the photos of her online and how hot she’d looked in the fashion show. There was no doubt about it. He was attracted to her.
“Hey,” she said, and slid onto the bar stool next to him. His heartbeat quickened. “I’m so hungry. How long is the wait for a table?”
“Not long. You want a drink?”
“Yes. But nothing too strong. If I drink too much on an empty stomach, I’ll be flat on the floor before our burgers make it out of the kitchen.”
They laughed as he waved to the bartender and she ordered a glass of wine. They sat facing the wall of liquor, glass bottles in all shapes, sizes, and colors, illuminated by neon rope lights behind them.
“Sooo . . . ” he said, feeling awkward as hell, praying he’d think of something to talk about. Where was all the smooth talk he’d prided himself on?
“Thor. Party of two.”
Saved—for another minute, anyway. The waitress handed out plastic-coated menus that had about ten items listed. A classic burger, a cheeseburger, a few variations, and a veggie patty to satisfy the vegetarians.
“So, does everyone call you Thor?” Penny asked, her menu on the table in front of her.
“Pretty much. At school I’m Coach Rublinski or Coach Thor. No one uses my real name.”
She giggled and he loved the sound. “I don’t even know what that is.”
“It’s Theodore. When I was a kid, all my friends called me Teddy, ’cause that’s what my mom called me, but once I started playing peewee football, and was bigger than all the kids my age, I became Thor. It stuck.”
“It suits you, but I feel weird saying it. I don’t know you well enough yet to use a nickname.”
Hopefully they’d know each other better real soon, if he could get his jitters to calm down. “You can call me whatever you want.”
“Teddy?” She crinkled her nose and it was damn cute. “But that feels kind of weird—like I’m talking to a stuffed bear. How about Theo?”
Theo. He liked the way it rolled off her tongue. And he liked that she had a special name for him that no one else used. “That’s new, but it works for me.”
As they sat there staring at each other, goofy grins across their faces, the waitress appeared. “Ready to order?”
“Oh.” Penny turned to her. “I didn’t even look at the menu yet. Can we have a minute?”
“Sure. Refills on the drinks?”
“Yes, please.”
She left and Thor searched for something to talk about. Was it dumb to ask about her name? “So, where did Penny come from? Your parents have a thing for money?”
She laughed. “It’s actually short for Penelope. And unlike your mom, my parents insisted on using my full name. Still do. My nanny gave me the nickname when I was a kid. I liked it. Penelope is so stiff.”
“A nanny?” Wow. She’d certainly grown up differently than he had. He’d been staying home alone since he was six years old while his mom worked a second job so they could have food.
“Yeah. Your money comment wasn’t actually far off. My dad’s retired now, but he was a pretty successful real estate developer for many years. But I swear, they’re not stuck-up. The only reason I had a nanny was because my mom was sick a lot when I was a kid.” She drained the rest of her wine.
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. She’s been cancer-free for more than ten years.”
The waitress set their fresh drinks on the table. “Ready to order?”
Penny turned to her with a frown. “I’m so sorry. I still didn’t look.”
Irritation crossed the waitress’s face. “Okay. I’ll be back.”
Penny folded her lips into her teeth, stifling laughter. “I think she’s getting mad at me.”
“Eh. Don’t worry about it.” Let her get pissed. They were having a good conversation. “So, your mom . . . That must’ve been hard.”
“It was tough. I worried every day that she was going to die and leave me.”
He understood that fear. He knew what it was like to be left. One parent had left by choice, the other was taken from him. Both hurt like hell. “No kid should lose a parent.”
“You sound like you know from experience.” She rested her hand on top of his, warmth and comfort radiating through his body.
“Are you guys ready to order yet?”
What the fuck? This waitress had a knack for showing up at the worst moment.
“Um,” Penny reached for the menu, leaving his hand frigid. “I’m sorry.”
“Come on guys,” the waitress laughed, and in no way sounded jovial. “It’s a small menu. Not real hard to decide.”
“I’ll just have a cheeseburger, lettuce and tomato.”
The waitress turned her annoyed gaze on him. “I’ll have the same. But with onion. And a basket of fries.”
“Finally,” she sighed, and walked away.
“Geez. She’s a grumpy one today.”
“I know, right? Not the kind of attitude to have when you depend on tips.”
They laughed and it felt good, his nervousness fading away. Thor wasn’t sure if he’d ever felt this way with a woman. One-night stands, temporary hookups, and friends with benefits were pretty much the extent of his experience with women. But this? This was different. And he liked it.
---------
PENNY SAT on her side of the booth, her palm itching to touch Theo again. But their serious talk had turned into fun stories and laughter. There wasn’t an opportunity. And that was okay. She really liked talking to him. He was so much more than his hotness. An honest-to-goodness normal guy. He didn’t care about money. He didn’t care about status. He w
as with her because he wanted to be, not because she looked good on his arm at business functions and fund-raiser balls.
And there was totally a connection there. She’d faced sorrow as a child and could tell he had as well. It was brief, but she’d seen the sadness in his eyes, and could bet there was much more than he’d let on. She’d touched his hand, wishing she could have hugged him and comforted him.
But then the sadness was gone, which was good. She’d much rather focus on happier things and getting to know him better.
“So, tell me something funny about Mia and Bryn,” she said as she dragged a fry through the giant blob of ketchup on her plate. “You’ve known them forever, so you have to have something good on them.”
“Oh, I’ve got a few stories. I actually didn’t know Mia all that well when we were kids. She was in all AP classes and academic clubs and stuff like that. Bryn was a cheerleader, so we ran in the same circles. Somehow she and Mia became best friends though. The whole opposites thing works for them.”
“It does. They really balance each other out. So, give me something on Bryn.”
“This one time, we were all at a party after a big win. Bryn had a few too many drinks, and as me and Johnny were walking her to his car, she puked all over me.”
“Eww! That’s hilarious though.”
“Real hilarious. I had to go back into the party covered in chunks. Everyone thought I puked on myself.”
“Oh no.”
“So that was actually an embarrassing story for me, too. So now you need to share one of yours.”
“Uh-uh,” she said, her head shaking.
“It’s only fair.”
“Fine.” She finished off her burger, then relayed her story about a mishap at a gallery opening with her ex. Theo laughed at her tale of mistaken identity, assuming the artist himself was a waiter and not the honoree of the night. “Jack was livid.”
“Then he’s obviously an asshole. ’Cause that’s just funny.” The comment surprised her, and he must have noticed her wide eyes. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to . . . I shouldn’t have said that.”
“No. It’s okay. You’re right. That’s why we’re getting divorced.”
He shook his head. “Honestly, I think he’s really stupid for messing things up with you. You deserve better.”
Like you? Penny couldn’t help but think it. She liked Theo. More than she originally thought she would.
The waitress dropped their check on the table and he grabbed it.
“How much is my half?” she asked.
“Nothing. It’s on me. For bumping into you at Target.”
“Technically I bumped into you.”
“Well . . . I’m paying anyway.” He dropped some bills on the table then hesitantly met her gaze. “You can pay next time.”
“Next time?”
“Yeah. If you want there to be a next time.”
Penny stopped herself from jumping up and down and screaming Yes! Yes! Yes! “Sure. Maybe we can watch one of those DVDs you bought today. I haven’t seen Goonies in years.”
“It’s a date then.” And a tinge of blush returned to his cheeks. She liked that.
CHAPTER Four
Penny headed to work the next day, still on a high from her date, or nondate, whatever that was the night before with Theo. She couldn’t stop thinking about him and felt like a tween girl with her first crush, needing to know everything about him.
“Morning!” Bryn said as she breezed past Penny at the front desk, an armload of Halloween decorations. “What do you think?” She held up a glittery spider with bright green fangs.
“It’s cute, but Mia might not like it.”
“Eh,” she said with a wave of her hand. “She’s such a fuddy-duddy sometimes.”
Bryn opened packages and set things on the counter. Miscellaneous wall hangings, bags of fake spiderwebs, a string of skull lights.
“So, I kind of had a date last night.” Penny was dying to tell someone.
The mini skulls dropped from Bryn’s hands and she spun around. “Really? With who?”
“Theo . . . I mean Thor.”
“Really? I knew you guys would be good together! But what’s with Theo?” There was playful sparkle in her eyes.
“I . . . well . . . it felt weird to call him Thor. I don’t know. He said I could call him whatever I wanted.”
“I like it. It’ll sound better than Thor when you’re screaming his name in bed.” She went back to her decorations and lights.
But Penny needed more out of Bryn. “So, what was he like when you were kids?”
She turned back around and leaned against the counter. “He was kinda shy, but once we hit high school he realized how hot he was.”
Penny didn’t know if she liked where this was heading. “Yeah?”
“He fooled around with half the female population at Kenville High, and got blow jobs from the rest.” She must have noticed Penny’s shock. “But don’t worry. It was a small school. And Mia and I never fooled around with him. To us he was a big, cuddly teddy bear. With muscles.”
That was good. If he was a man-slut in his teen years, at least he hadn’t done anything with her friends. “We made plans to get together again.”
Bryn smiled, a genuine smile, not the sly one she used when she was being silly or sassy. “I’m really happy for you. You deserve to find someone who treats you good, after that asshole ex. And I know Thor is a good man.”
“He seems like it. I think we’re going to get together and watch a DVD.”
And then the sassy grin appeared. “Date number two will be in a private location?”
“It’s not going to be like that.”
“Why not? When was the last time you had good sex?”
Penny took a minute to think, staring off into space.
“If you can’t remember, then obviously it was a long, long time ago, if ever.”
“I’ve had good sex. With Jack.”
“Good how? Did you black out? Did you come so hard you almost screamed your own name? Were you chaffed the next day or unable to stand up straight? If you can’t answer yes to at least one of those, you didn’t have good sex.”
“Seriously? You’ve experienced all of that?”
“Many times.”
Well, geez. There was no way she was admitting that her good orgasms only came when she used her vibrator. She especially would never tell Bryn that Jack had refused to do anything other than missionary. And if she mentioned the fact that she’d never had sex anywhere but a bed, Bryn might faint from shock. She’d keep that all to herself.
Maybe Penny needed to get laid. And maybe Theo could be the one to give her a great sex memory.
Bryn shoved a His N’ Her Pleasure condom into Penny’s hand along with some flavored lube samples. “I expect a full report.”
Penny couldn’t help but smile as she tucked the items into her purse. She seriously had the best boss in the world.
---------
THOR SLURPED up the last strands of spaghetti and set his bowl on the coffee table. Blitz, his pit bull, didn’t even sniff it before slapping his tongue inside. Thor wasn’t much of a cook, so one of his dinner staples was pasta and sauce from a jar. At least he bought the good stuff. His canine companion seemed to enjoy it, too.
Aside from the occasional beer and chicken wings with Seth, last night had been the first time in a long time that he hadn’t eaten dinner alone. And it’d felt nice. What he’d done just now—scarfing food in front of the TV—was a typical evening at home. And he was getting sick of it.
He’d had fun with Penny. The meal had been more than just satisfying their hunger. They talked. They laughed. It was what life should be. Never before had he given much thought to settling down and getting married. He figured if it was meant to happen, it would.
Maybe it was jumping the gun—a lot—but he felt closer than he ever had last night with Penny.
He pulled out his cell phone and scrolled for her number. Should he call her? What if she was busy? He didn’t want to bother her. He could text her. Was that lame? He knew there were rules for dating, but the hell if he knew what they were.
But he figured texting was a safe bet. Even though he hated texting. His fingers were just too damn big for the tiny keyboard on his phone.
Hey hows itgoing? I had fun las niht
He hit send but felt stupid when he reread his words. I had fun last night? And it was typed all wrong. He looked and sounded like a complete moron.
When his phone dinged, terrified anticipation soared through his body.
I had fun too :)
She even put a smiley thing at the end. Why did that make him grin like an idiot?
Another text came in from her.
What’s going on? I’m being a bum. On the couch with trashy reality TV letting my dog lick the remnants in my ice cream dish.
The vision sounded way more sexy than bummy to him.
Cool. Funny thig is thatmy dog is doin exact sme thing bt spag sauce insted
LOL That is funny!
Another came in barely a second later. Damn, she was fast.
Wanna talk instead of text?
Hell yes
He dialed her number and she answered after one ring. “Thanks for calling. I don’t mind texting for quick stuff, but if I’m going to have a conversation with someone, I’d rather hear their voice.”
She wanted to have a conversation. This was good.
“So, you have a dog? What breed?”
“He’s a pit bull named Blitz. But he’s the sweetest dog ever. I rescued him when he was a puppy. He’s been through all kinds of training and he’s basically as tame as a lap dog.”
She laughed. “Well, I have a lapdog and she’s the furthest thing from calm or tame. Her name is Scarlett and she’s as feisty and bullheaded as her namesake.”
“Her namesake?”
One Size Fits All (The Classy ‘n’ Sassy Series Book 3) Page 3
