Page 42 of Offsides Attraction

He waved to Elspeth as he left and took the stairs to the third floor two at a time. It felt good to move. He’d felt cooped up all day, standing on his feet and slowly walking with customers. Maggie had brought them coffees from Brewster’s and some scones she’d made. He’d considered it lunch and hoped Penny had something to eat in her apartment.

Bash stepped into her apartment. An electric kettle was simmering in the small kitchen off to the side and the living room was in front of him. He couldn’t see Penny—only floor-to-ceiling bookshelves—but he heard her. “You can’t ignore this, Tanya, you need to tell someone…I know, but if he’s making you uncomfortable, tell Michael to move him to another editor… He said it was your word over his? Report him. I don’t care if his dad is his boss.” Bash wondered if Penny was talking to her publishing friend in New York City, and he raked his brain for publishers that might fit this profile. There were several, but he knew with some discrete inquiries, he could narrow down the list. “I know it’s not that easy.”

He heard her huff as a kitchen cupboard door opened. On its own. A mug floated down to the counter. The kettle clicked off with steam billowing from its spout as it poured boiling water into the mug on the counter. Bash rubbed his eyes and leaned forward. A honey jar, identical to the one at his house, opened. Then a drawer opened, and a spoon floated out and dipped itself into the jar. It drizzled honey into the mug and stirred before scooping out the tea bag. The bag’s string bound the spoon and bag together, gently squeezing out the excess tea. Then the mug sailed from the kitchen to the living room, almost colliding with a book in midair. The book landed on an ottoman, and he saw Penny’s slender hand reach for the mug.

“Then set up some networking lunches and update your resume. You deserve better than this… Promise?… Yes, I’ll stay away from ladders… Bye.”

For the first time in a long time, Bash didn’t know what to do. He wanted to see Penny and read her the riot act for climbing on the ladder, but he also wanted to process the last few minutes. Cupboards didn’t open spontaneously, and mugs didn’t fly across rooms, unless… A cat hissed behind him before sinking his claws into Bash’s calf. “What the—”

“Bash?” she asked.

“Yeah, it’s me.” He stumbled into the room, rubbing his calf.

“I see you met George.” Ah, cat not human, but still a menace.

“Charming. Is he up-to-date on his shots?” Bash asked, standing in front of the bookcases. She’d scattered her travel mementos between books and framed photos. It was a jumbled mess, the opposite of the uber-organized woman lying on the couch behind him. Which is the real Penny? Or maybe it’s witch is the real Penny?

“Which was your favorite?” he asked, looking at her over her shoulder. His gut clenched. She looked like some guys after a game, beaten and exhausted.

“That’s like asking a mother to pick a favorite child. I liked them all, and it varies. When it’s freezing in January, The Galapagos is my favorite place and in the heat of the summer, I’d say Edinburgh or the Canadian Rockies.”

“Any trips planned?” He knew the answer, but he needed her to say it to prove he hadn’t imagined the last five minutes.

“Yes. Scotland and France.” She moved to the middle of the couch and patted her vacated seat.

“I should go. You look tired.”

“I am, but if you leave now, you won’t get to tell me I should have listened and waited for you.”

“Can’t say no to a gift like that.” Bash sat and stretched his arm across the back of the couch. Penny melted into him like she always did, and he relaxed. Witch or not, she still felt great in his arms. “How’s the ankle?”

“Sprained.”

“And the head?”

“Attached.”

“Your small-talk skills need work,” he teased.

“Aren’t we past that?”

Bash nodded, but realized she couldn’t see since she was using him as a personal recliner. “Yes, we are.” His voice sounded scratchy, but she didn’t comment on it. “You must be going stir-crazy.”

“A bit, but everyone’s stopped in to check on me and Maggie’s become smothering.”

“Rough life to have so many people care about you,” he grumbled, wondering if anyone would check on him that way. “Read anything good?”

“No, I spent most of the day glued to my screen watching Mr. The-Movie’s-Always-Better sell books like he’s done it all his life.” She sounded happy.

“Creeper.”

Penny laughed. He’d seen the cameras, one in each corner and one over the register, but he didn’t think they were operational, just fake deterrents.

“How did you know everything?”

“I cheated. I watched some YouTube videos on top sellers and listened to a podcast this morning.” Bash prayed the cameras didn’t have audio. If they did, Penny probably heard his in-depth conversations and book recommendations, not someone faking their way through the day. Or faking it in a relationship.

If they’d evolved past small talk, shouldn’t he tell her the truth? He cleared his throat, unsure if she’d welcome his confession. “I try to read before bed. It helps me wind down.”

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