Page 48 of Just Business

Penny leads me over to her, and Josie says a bit too loudly, “Age has not been Alec’s friend.” She’s officially my second favorite person on earth.

I throw my head back and laugh.

“So what are you up to today,boyfriend? Or should I say caveman? What even was that?” Penny emphasizes the word boyfriend, teasingly.

This pulls a grin from me, but I shrug, shaking my head. “I don’t know what came over me.”

I hear a low “mm-hmm” from Josie and cut my eyes to her. She’s wearing a shit-eating grin.

“You ladies wanna grab some lunch? I’m out running errands downtown today. My treat,” I offer.

“I actually need to get back home.” Josie glances down at her phone. “Abby’s in a shit-ton of trouble. I need to get back to her and Jay.”

“You want some lunch, or you got somewhere you need to be, too?” I ask Penny since it's just the two of us.

“Actually, I’m all yours.”

“Are you now?” I lower my voice an octave, waggling my eyebrows suggestively.

“Shut up,” Penny teases, putting her hand over my mouth. “You know what I mean. Yes, I’m available for lunch.” She hooks her arm back through mine, and we head across the street to the diner.

We slide into the vinyl seats across from each other, and the new girl who Jackson just hired hands us sticky menus while talking over her shoulder to the busboy. When she turns to take our drink order, her eyes widen. Although I’ve gone on my morning run and braved the crowds at the festival, there are still plenty of people in town I haven’t run into. Apparently, our waitress is a fan by the way she keeps fumbling over her words.

Finally, she manages to squeak out, “Drinks?”

Penny gives her a reassuring smile and orders a Coke Zero and I order the same. The waitress goes to put in our drink order, and I look over the menu.

“So what's going on with Josie’s girl?” I ask while I debate between the Reuben and Philly Cheesesteak.

Penny sighs. “Abby really wants to fit in, same as every girl her age. She gives in to peer pressure easily. Last night, she was at a friend's house and they snuck a couple of boys in. The kid’s mom called Josie in the middle of the night to pick her up.”

My eyebrows shoot to my hairline. “Was anything going on?” I think about that sweet kid wearing her Austin James shirt.

“Fortunately, no. They were only watching TV. Josie was understandably livid, though. She really beats herself up about her kids not having a dad,” she replies.

We’re interrupted as the waitress sets our drinks down and takes our food order. When she walks away, we continue our conversation.

“Josie seems like a good friend to you,” I say, watching the way her face softens at the mention of her friend.

“Oh, she’s the best. We balance each other out. Sometimes I talk her down from things, and sometimes she talks me into things.”

“What’s she say about this?” I ask, motioning between us.

Penny laughs, but avoids eye contact with me as redness dots her cheeks. “I’m not telling you the things she says about us. She’s fearless in ways that I’m not.”

The waitress arrives with our food interrupting our conversation once more, and we’re both quiet while we eat.

Between bites of fries, she speaks up again. “What all did you do this morning?”

“You’ll see. I have a surprise for you,” I tell her.

Penny doesn’t say anything else; she just cocks her head to the side with narrowed eyes.

She insists on picking up the check this time, which I reluctantly agree to. After we’ve finished and she’s paid, I lead her down the road in the direction of the mechanic’s shop.

When we approach, I know the instant she sees her old Honda Civic sitting out front. Her steps falter and she whips around to face me. That fire that first drew me to her in the first place is back in her eyes, but I have to say, I don’t love that it’s directed at me right now.

Mike comes out to greet us, and she plasters on a polite smile. “Hey there. You’re all set. We got a new set of tires mounted, changed out some belts, and topped off some fluids. She’s in pretty good shape for such an old car.” He hands me the service ticket and drops Penny’s keys in her hand.

---