Page 34 of Just Business

“Well, we can untangle all that later. C’mon.” I extend my hand, pulling her from where she’s sitting cross-legged on the floor, and we head to her house to get everything ready.

Penny opens the garage door, and once my eyes have adjusted to the dark, I see dozens of rods and reels hanging on one wall. I’ve done plenty of fishing in my life with my uncle and Tyler, so I pick out one for each of us. Greg was right; the lures are dry-rotted, but I grab a tackle box full of bobbers and run to buy some bait while she makes sandwiches.

When I return we load up the van and head where she directs me to a good fishing spot. There’s also a few piers, a marina, a snow cone stand, and a playground. She and I walk to the grassy bank and set up for the evening.

“You need me to put the worm on for you?” I ask. “I know some people don’t like touching ‘em.”

She doesn’t say a word—just reaches into the container and pulls out the fattest worm without a hint of squeamishness. Once it’s threaded onto the hook, she glances up and flashes me a smug grin.

“Well, alrighty then. Looks like you’ve got this,” I say, returning her grin.

We both cast out and sit in a peaceful silence, watching our bobbers and the occasional fish jumping above the surface. Nearby, a red bird flits closer, pecking at the ground. Penny watches it intently, chewing her lip.

At least five minutes pass but she finally speaks up. “Thank you for this. This is exactly what I needed.”

I feel safe bringing up my conversation with Greg since he didn’t indicate it was spoken in confidence. “Yeah, listen, I don’t know how much I’m supposed to say, but Greg and I talked for a few minutes this morning. Sounds like you’ve got a lot of people who worry about you. Greg was acting like you never take a break.”

She puffs out a big breath to the sky. “I schedule musicians back to back to get the books on track. I have a week-long break after your session ends, but that’s practically unheard of. I handle all the bookings, the social media, and the bookkeeping. Not to mention, I also work the sound booth. Greg’s wife, Lisa, helps me as much as she can with the accounting, but she’s not that great at spreadsheets. It’s usually easier to do things myself. She’s kinda old school, ya know?” She turns sideways to face me. “I’m so close to having things on track. Like, really close.”

“You’ve taken a step back this week, though. Right?”

“Well…” Penny tilts her head back and forth. “I’ve been waking up earlier to get things done.”

My jaw goes slack and I blink at her.

She grins, nudging my knee with hers. “The delicious dinners have been worth the early mornings.”

“Just the dinners?”

Her smile widens. “Maybe a bit more than the dinners.”

I chuckle at her response. “So why do you do it all? That seems like too much for one person.”

“Remember I told you we had a dry spell?” I nod, and she continues. “There’s no money to hire people for those positions. There will be soon, but I’m not quite there yet. Until some things get squared away, it’s all on me.”

“Can I do anything to help?” I ask. “Once recording wraps, I’ll have extra time on my hands and honestly…I’m not sure what to do with spare time. You’d basically be doing me a favor.”

“You’d spend your time off helping me?”

Penny has no clue, but I’m starting to think it would be a privilege to spend this time helping her.

“’Course I would. You’ve given me somewhere to stay and been a friend to me. I’d absolutely help with whatever you need. All you gotta do is say the word.”

“Well…” She drags out the word. “How handy are you? The studio needs a few small repairs. Nothing major—some pressure washing outside, some of the paint needs updating, a couple of light fixtures need replacing.” She ticks each task off on her fingers. “The thing is, I don’t have any extra to pay someone to do it right now. Greg and the guys have served their time helping, and I can’t bring myself to ask for more from them.”

“I’d love to help. How many people can say that they repainted the walls of one of the greatest studios in history?”

We make a list of everything we’ll need from the hardware store and then get back to fishing, exchanging easy conversation.

“Hungry?” I ask, heading to the cooler. I grab a water for myself and a Coke Zero for her.

“Starved.” She stands, abandoning her fishing pole. “Maybe after we eat we can walk over and buy some snow cones for dessert.”

We spread the blanket on the grass, setting out everything Penny packed—turkey sandwiches and sliced watermelon. We eat in silence as the sun dips lower in the sky creating a kaleidoscope of vibrant pinks and oranges.

My eyes drift over to her profile, the fading light casting a warm glow over her face. Each day this week, I’ve noticed something new about her, small and large details that help me to see her more fully. The first time I laid eyes on her I was struck by her beauty, and it still takes my breath away, but I’m beginning to see just how deep it goes.

Yes, there's the small things, like the constellation of freckles sprinkled along her shoulders and chest that I’d taste and explore if she’d let me. But when we’re in the middle of a song and I look over at her, eyes closed and a contented smile curling at her lips like she’s not only hearing the music but feeling it in every part of her, my heart turns over in my chest. Or the way her entire face lights up when she talks about her friends.

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