Page 54 of That Thing You Brew
CHAPTER19
Xavier
An alarm went off somewhere inside Penny’s skirt, taking us both out of the euphoric cloud we’d been dancing in for the last hour, in between playing with the bunny and me making sure Penny ate some dinner.
“Almost time for my last set,” Penny whispered. “Help me wrangle Miss Cabunny?”
“For a kiss.” There was a sturdy-looking chair a few feet away. I wasn’t confident it could hold me and all Penny’s layers—her skirts had to be around fifty pounds by the look of them—but I sashayed us there anyway and pulled her onto my lap.
“Smooth,” she praised. “Well, get on with it, Sir Zavey, so I’m not late.”
“‘Sir Zavey.’ Has a ring to it. A proper name for a Musketeer.” I decided to try out my really bad British accent. The Musketeers were French, but so what? “I shall defend ye’s honor to the death!” She giggled. “Call me Sir Zavey again? I really like it.” I batted my eyelashes against her cheek for cuteness points.
Penny grabbed a fistful of my tunic, forcing my head up.
“I love it when your forehead crinkles and your eyebrows do that puppy-dog lift,” she breathed. “Kiss me, Sir Zavey.”
“As you wish, milady.” My mouth closed over hers, and our kiss deepened, heating up with a passion we’d had yet to seek or explore. I ran my hand down the length of her silky hair, careful not to knock her flowers out of place.
Six more days.
Six more days. I would do anything for this woman. If she asked me to volunteer at the Ren Faire, I’d do it. If she asked me to buy her the moon, I’d find a way. And if she wanted to play the harp in Viennese ballrooms, I’d spend my life making sure it happened.
The alarm trilled again, and I pulled away with a sad groan. “The lady leaves her admirer for an audience. Lucky audience.”
Penny laughed and slid off my lap. She planted a kiss on my nose. “Aw, he doth be jealous! Try to hang on, Sir Zavey. In a week, when my harp is at your place, you’ll be myonlyaudience. Now round up the bunny while I reapply my lipstick.”
“As you wish, Lady Penny. LadyLuckyPenny,” I amended.
I found Abby Cabunny asleep, snoring lightly, her head resting on the plate of lettuce. She’d eaten all the vegetables. I lifted her carefully so as not to wake her and placed her into the basket.
“Are we supposed to change her diaper?” I asked.
Penny shrugged. “Does it need changing?”
I’d changed my sisters’ diapers when they were little. “I don’t think so. It’s not sagging or stinky.”
“I’d leave it for now, then.” Penny slid the lipstick tube into her pocket and smoothed out her skirt. “Would Sir Zavey be so kind to carry the bunny basket to the stage? Lady Lucky Penny shall reward him with another kiss if he obliges.”
I grinned and bowed deeply, sweeping my arm dramatically and stealing a line fromThe Princess Bride. “As you wish.” I picked up the basket and waited for my next direction.
She beckoned for me to follow and led the way through the curtained passage to the wings. Two stage hands were positioning her harp and stool between the front and middle curtains as the emcee gave an update on the money raised and reminded bidders that the silent auction would be closing.
Penny walked past the harp and pointed to a spot for me to set the basket down. I placed it carefully and drew her into my arms, brushing my lips softly against hers so I wouldn’t smudge her makeup.
“I’ll meet you in the green room at ten thirty,” I promised.
“You better,” she whispered.
I jogged across the stage, looking back once to flash her a grin. She blew me a kiss and sat on her stool, turning her back toward me. I made it back to the table just as the curtain was opening.
Bryce snickered as I sat down. “What?”
“You’re supposed to be my date. Yet you disappear for an hour and half, lose your hat, and your hair looks like you just rolled out of bed.” He leaned in closer, twirling one side of his ridiculous press-on moustache. “Are you seeing someone else?”
I snorted. “Sorry?”
“You’ve got it baaaaaaad,” he drawled with a grin, drawing the end of his mustache into a point. Bryce was from a small town in Arkansas and had held on to his accent, unlike Jason, who’d grown up in Atlanta. His lazy cadence was sometimes singsong, and he often got away with a lot more than most of the guys because even his mean chirps sounded nice or complimentary.
