“No,” Mia said. “You can’t just go in your office and have sex.”
“I didn’t think it was that big of a deal.”
“Well, it is.” Now Mia looked downright pissed. “There’s work that needs to be done. You know that.”
This was ridiculous. Why was she being scolded for something both of her bosses had done in the recent past? It was funny and cute when they did it. But not her. What. The. Fuck? “I can’t believe you’re getting mad about this.”
Mia opened her mouth but Bryn got her words out first. “Just don’t do it again and it will all be cool. Okay?”
Penny breathed deeply to calm herself before she said something she shouldn’t. “Sure. Fine. Cool as a cucumber.” She saw how it was. They were the bosses and they could do whatever the hell they wanted. She was just a lowly employee.
“So can we get back to work now?” Bryn asked. “Mia, didn’t you have something to talk to Penny about?”
“Yes, I did.” She faced Penny. “Chanel had an idea for the online promo. I was coming to tell you about it, but since you were otherwise engaged, I told Chanel to go ahead and take care of it.”
“You told her to do my job?”
“Someone had to do it.”
“But Chanel’s only been here a month. She doesn’t know enough about the shop or the lingerie business to handle any kind of promotion for it.”
And of course, that was the moment Chanel and her annoying chipperness popped up before them. “I’m all done!” she said, satisfied smirk across her face. “I started that promotional blitz campaign we talked about. Might as well get our social media followers to do our dirty work for us. And I sent out some emails. A bunch of my school friends have internships at local papers and such. Lots of great connections for us.”
“Thanks,” Bryn said quietly, and they stood there awkwardly. Except Chanel. She totally had a cat-who-ate-the-canary look.
“Fine. Obviously you don’t need me anymore today, so I’m gonna take off.” Penny headed toward her office, hoping to grab her purse and get out of there before her tears erupted.
“Penny.” Bryn was behind her.
She blinked a few times before turning. “Do you need me to do something else before I leave?”
“Look . . . We’ve been where you are and we totally get what it’s like to be in a brand-new relationship where you can’t keep your hands off each other.”
Oh good. She was going to say they overreacted and apologize. This whole stupid thing could be forgotten.
“But Mia and I have to set some rules. Especially when we have a young, impressionable employee. Stuff like that just can’t happen. Okay?”
Penny wanted to argue and tell Bryn how hypocritical they were being. How both of them had fucked their boyfriends in their offices, too, but no one got reprimanded. It was evident, more than ever, how beneath them she really was.
Penny forced out the only words she could. “Got it. Can I go now?”
“Yeah. See you tomorrow.”
Never before had the thought made her stomach roil in pain.
CHAPTER Nineteen
Thor held Penny while she cried on her living room couch. He wasn’t used to this. Not at all. He didn’t know how to comfort a woman. A kid with a scraped knee, a bloody nose, bullying . . . that stuff he had down pat. So he did what he thought best: held her tight, smoothed her hair, and told her everything was going to be okay.
“I just don’t understand,” she whimpered. “Why are they treating me like this?”
“I don’t know.” He squeezed her and kissed the top of her head. “Everything will work out.”
“I should just quit. I don’t deserve to be treated like that.”
“Sleep on it and see how you feel in the morning. You don’t want to do anything you’ll regret.”
“You’re right.”
They sat for a moment, silent, as he rubbed up and down her arm. It felt good to be there for her, to be the one she ran to when she was upset. He’d never been that for anyone.
Penny turned her head and groaned. “I can’t believe it’s six o’clock already. If we don’t start getting ready, we’ll be late for the party.”
“Oh, I assumed we weren’t going anymore.”
“I have to. It’s my dad’s birthday.” She sat up and wiped her eyes.
“I’m sure they’d understand if you don’t go.”
“They would, but I just can’t skip it. Not for something so stupid.”
She started to stand but he pulled her back, his mouth to hers, the taste of salt on his tongue. “I’ll be there with you. Every minute. Okay?”
She nodded and kissed him, her lips parting, their tongues doing a seductive dance. As she climbed on his lap, straddling the hard-on that had sprung to life in barely ten seconds of kissing, he wondered if they really had time for this. But as she stripped off her clothes and circled his nipple with her tongue, he figured it’d be okay to be fashionably late.
---------
PENNY HELD Theo’s arm as she floated into the restaurant, still basking in orgasmic rush. The quickie on her couch was exactly what she’d needed to rid her brain of the horribleness that had happened at work. It’d cleared her mind and readied her for a fun night with her family. And introducing Theo to her parents. She was pretty excited about that, especially after how amazing he’d been with her when she was so upset.
She looked up at him as the hostess led them to the private dining room. She’d never seen him in a suit and tie before, and man, was it hot. She didn’t know if she’d be able to wait until after the party to get him out of it.
But then she noticed he wasn’t smiling. Actually, he looked terrified.
“Are you okay?” she asked.
“A little nervous. I’ve never dated anyone long enough to meet her parents before.”
Well, wasn’t that just adorable? “Don’t be nervous. They’ll love you. Just like I do.” She realized her words the second after they came out. And he sure did, too, judging by his bugging eyes. It was way too soon for the “L” word. “I mean . . . they’ll like you. You’re a great guy.” Ugh. Now she sounded stupid. “And my dad’s a big football fan, so he’ll totally love that you’re a coach.”
“Right this way,” the hostess said, thankfully interrupting their awkward conversation.
“There’s my darling Penelope!” Her dad approached them immediately and pulled her in for a hug.
“Happy birthday, Daddy.” She squeezed him for a moment, then stepped back, excited for the two men in her life to meet. “I want you to meet my new boyfriend, Theodore Rublinski.”
Theo stuck out his hand. “A pleasure to meet you, Mr. Wilshire.”
“Likewise. But please, call me Ed.” He turned his gaze on Penny. “I wish I would’ve known you existed before yesterday.”
Protective dad reporting for duty.
“Daddy, we haven’t been dating all that long. And the ink is hardly even dry on my divorce papers.”
“I know, pumpkin.” He smiled that wide grin of his that always let her know she’d be okay. “You know me. I like to be kept up to date on my princess’s life.”
“I know. I’m sorry. I’ve just been so busy lately.”
“We’ll make plans for dinner. Just the two of us. Maybe Thursday or Friday?”
“Um . . . I’m not sure.” Oh, she knew—she had to work at The Red Brick Inn both of those nights. And she wasn’t ready to tell Daddy that. “I’ll have to check my schedule and get back to you.”
“Good. I’ve been dying to try that new Thai place. I know your mother won’t go there.”
“There you are, dear.” Her mom appeared and hugged her. “Why are you so late?”
Penny needed to think fast. “I had to work late.”
“I do wish you’d find
a different job. I’m not comfortable with my daughter selling those types of things.”
“Mom, it’s not a big deal. It’s a normal part of life.”
“I know, I know. But our generation just didn’t do that.” She then turned her attention to Theo, smiling. “And you must be the new man I’ve heard nothing about.”
“Theodore Rublinski, ma’am.” He held out his hand again.
“Marla Wilshire.” Penny’s mom took it and shook. “And you’re adorable, so you’re forgiven.”
Theo’s face blazed beet red.
“So, what do you do, Mr. Rublinski?”
“Mom! We just got here. We haven’t even gotten a drink yet.”
A waiter happened to be passing by at that moment with a tray of filled champagne flutes. Her mom grabbed two and handed them over. “Problem solved.”
“Um . . . ” Theo’s cheeks turned a brighter shade of crimson, which she didn’t think was possible, extending all the way to the tips of his ears. He took a hearty sip of champagne then met her mother’s expectant gaze. “I’m a teacher and football coach.”
“At the university?” Penny’s dad’s eyes went wide with interest, but she feared for how they’d react when they knew the truth. She just hoped Theo would keep the bouncer gig quiet.
“No.” He spun the champagne glass in his fingers. “Kenville High School, actually.”
“Oh. Well . . . That’s nice,” Marla said, the smile not quite as genuine anymore. “Teaching children is very important.”
“It is.” Penny jumped in. “You should see how great he is with them. The players adore him.”
Penny’s dad eyed Theo, his smile now flattened. “I read in the paper the other day about school budget cuts all across the county. I suppose that means you could lose your job at any moment. Doesn’t make for a very secure future.”
“Daddy!”
Theo gently squeezed her hand. “You’re correct, sir. I wish it weren’t so. But in the meantime, I give those kids all I have.”
Ed nodded and sipped his drink. “You seem like a good man. I commend you for your dedication to your career.”
Wow. Penny hadn’t expected that.
Penny’s dad excused himself from the group to greet some great-aunts and uncles and her mother dashed off to adjust a few flowers on one of the centerpieces.
“You okay?” Penny asked as she faced Theo.
“Yeah. You?”
She could tell the smile was fake. “I’m sorry about my parents.”
“Don’t be. I totally understand. They’re just looking out for you. That’s what good parents do.”
She couldn’t help but smile at her luck in finding such a wonderful guy. “Hungry?”
“Starved.”
“Great. Let’s follow the waiters around and collect all the good hors d’oeuvres.”
After mounding small plates with delicious delicacies, they found an unoccupied corner to stand in and eat. One bite and Penny remembered how badly she missed dining at the fanciest restaurants in town on a regular basis. This was so much better than the boxed mac and cheese and frozen dinners she ate at home. She tried not to moan as she bit into a prosciutto-wrapped date then shoved the whole thing into her mouth.
And of course, that’s the moment her ex and his whore chose to exchange pleasantries.
“Penelope,” Jack said with a nod. “How are you? You remember Courtney, right?”
The bimbo flashed a grin, her giant boobs pushed up so high they were almost to her chin. “Courtney, is it? I thought it was Sugar Tits.”
Not missing a beat, the stripper said, “I don’t go by that name anymore. Jacky Bear takes care of me and lets me buy whatever I want.” She wiggled a hand in front of Penny, a different jewel on each finger.
Penny didn’t know what was worse: how tacky this chick was or the sickening nickname she used for Jack.
Jack then turned to Theo. “And what’s your name again?”
“Theodore Rublinski.”
“Oh yes. The schoolteacher. How . . . sweet.”
Theo’s jaw twitched as it clenched tight as Jack proved—once again—that he was a colossal asshole. How did he even know about it? Apparently news travels fast.
“At least he’s doing something meaningful with his life. I can’t say the same for you.”
“Meh.” Jack shrugged. “I make money. A lot of it. I definitely can’t say the same for Mr. Teacher here.”
“At least he’s not impregnating strippers.”
“Hey!” the stripper—sorry, ex-stripper—squealed.
Theo pulled on Penny’s arm. “Oh look. I think it’s time to take our seats.” They headed for a table toward the front of the room.
“Thank you for that. I guess I have a real problem keeping my mouth shut around him.”
He leaned down and kissed her cheek. “That’s what I’m here for.”
“To save me from myself?”
“Yes,” he said, sexy smile spreading across delectable lips.
“You’re really wonderful, you know that?”
His cheeks tinged with pink. “I do, actually.”
Penny laughed and swatted at his arm. “We better find our seats. I’m starving.”
Penny and Theo found their place cards and sat, soon joined by her mom and dad. She looked over and noticed the place card for her brother.
“Where’s Wes?”
“Right here,” came a voice from behind. “Sorry I’m late, I got caught up at the clinic.” He kissed their mother on the cheek and hugged their dad. “Happy birthday, Pops.” He then stepped to Penny and placed a kiss on her cheek.” Hey, man. You must be Theodore. Great to meet you.” He held out a hand.
Theo stood and shook Wes’s hand. “Great to meet you, too. Heard a lot about you.”
Theo retook his seat and Wes sat between Penny and their mother. The waiter began setting bowls of butternut squash bisque in front of each person at the table.
“Penny tells me you coach football,” Wes said. “I played a little ball in high school and college.”
“Yeah? Me, too. Where’d you play?”
“Just NU. What about you?”
“Penn State.”
Wes’s brow crinkled. “Wait a minute. Rublinski, right? I didn’t even put two and two together when Penny told me your name. You’re Thor Rublinski!”
Theo’s cheeks blazed and he gave a crooked half smile. “Yeah.”
“Wow, man. It’s an honor.”
As the conversation turned totally to football—her dad, brother, uncle, and Theo fully engaged—she couldn’t help but smile. Thank God for Wes. Penny wasn’t sure how the evening would go, especially after those horrible first few moments of introductions and third degree, but once again Theo—and football—were her savior.
---------
IT WAS Theo’s first time meeting a girl’s parents, and it was every bit as awkward as he’d imagined. He’d played it off to Penny, but it had been damn intimidating.
But then her brother had arrived, thankfully.
Their entrees were laid in front of them, some kind of meat with a bone sticking out, a creamy mush on the bottom, and a lime-green sauce drizzled on top. It looked weird, but he was starved and dove in.
“Man, I saw that last game,” Wes said, and Thor could sense the pity in his voice. “Did you know right then it was the end of your career?”
Penny whacked him on the arm and whispered, “Shut up.”
“No. It’s fine. And no, I didn’t. I thought it was a bad sprain. I thought I’d rest and be ready for practice in a few days. Then I thought I’d just be out for the rest of the season. It wasn’t until a year and three surgeries later that I had to accept it was over.”
“What did you do then?”
He let out a laugh that
came out far more pained than he meant. “I was twenty-one years old and had no clue what to do with myself. So I came home and drank a lot. Finally my mom told me to get off my ass and do something. That she didn’t work so hard all those years to raise a bum. So what if my first attempt at a career I loved didn’t work. I needed to find a new way. I started volunteering with the peewee football kids. I wanted to coach high school, but you need to be a teacher to do that, so I transferred my credits from Penn to NU and in two years I had my teaching degree.”
“Good for you, man.”
“It takes a lot of courage to face a blow like that and pick yourself up and move on,” Ed said. “I commend you for that.”
Now it was Thor’s turn to be surprised. All he could manage was a “Thank you, sir.”
The table went back to their meal and individual conversations and Thor was thankful. He was done being the center of attention.
Penny squeezed his thigh under the table. “You okay?” she whispered.
“Yeah.”
“I know you don’t like talking about that stuff.”
“Not really, but it’s the truth and I won’t hide it when someone asks.”
Dinner continued, stories of people Thor didn’t know, but he listened intently and laughed when appropriate. Dessert was served, another decadent course.
Penny leaned to him. He knew that look in her eye. “They make the best chocolate mousse here and I know exactly what I’d like to lick it off of.”
A very tempting idea. “Maybe we can order some to go,” he whispered back.
“I like that plan.”
As party guests finished their meals they began to circulate the room again. And of course the douche and his trashy fiancée had to make a stop at their table.
“Mr. Wilshire,” Jack said. “Happy birthday.”
Ed stood, his facial features showing no emotion. “Thank you.”
“This is rather awkward, but I’d like to introduce you to my fiancée. This is Ms. Courtney Jones.”
“A pleasure to meet you,” she said, and held out her hand.
Ed stared down at it for a moment, almost like he was inspecting it for dirt, before he shook it. It took everything in Thor not to laugh. He met Penny’s gaze and he could tell she was having a hard time containing her laughter, too.
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