Page 68 of An Unexpected Holiday
“I never in a million years said you weren’t good enough for Finn. Damn it, Penny. You are the most wonderful person I know. You’re sweet, beautiful, caring, giving, funny, and the most loyal person I’ve ever met.”
This stopped Penny. She lifted her coffee again, holding its heat to her chest, trying to make sense of Bonnie’s words. “Then why…?”
“I didn’t want you to date him because he’s not good enough for you.”
“Huh?”
“I’m sorry. I should have explained better. But I had no idea you liked him so much. I thought I’d stepped in soon enough and….”
Penny’s slight shake of the head corrected her.
“Okay,” Bonnie said meaningfully. “I see that now. But I didn’t before. It’s just—he used to have this girlfriend, Ciara.They were practically engaged. But then they broke up. And he hasn’t really dated since. Not seriously, anyway. Like I said, damaged goods. And I didn’t want you getting involved with someone like that. I know you, Penny. You don’t really do flings. And I didn’t want you to get hurt.”
“Well then, what the hell was Seamus all about?” Penny retorted angrily, taking them both off guard.
“Well, I thought,” Bonnie blushed, “he’s just so hunky. And he seemed to like you.”
“No. Finn liked me,” Penny corrected. “Or I thought he did. Maybe he didn’t; I don’t know. But Seamus just wanted to sleep with me.”
“Oh,” Bonnie perked up at this.
“We just covered that… I’m not that type. Although, apparently last night, I thought I was, until I actually came face to face with doing it.”
“Jesus, Penny, what did I miss?”
“A lot.”
Penny sighed deeply. There was no getting around it; she was going to have to tell Bonnie what had happened. Head bent, staring at her hands, she recounted her flirtatious behavior with Seamus and what followed, flinching as she felt him hovering over her again, remembering the sudden fear when she’d known things had gone too far. Feeling the wash of relief when Finn arrived. Her words slowed as she came to the end of it, finally daring to peek up at her listener, “If Finn hadn’t come then, I don’t know what would have happened. I don’t think Seamus would have… but… well, I wasn’t exactly being my best self.”
“That fucker!” Bonnie’s eyes lit with anger. “And Finn just let him go?!”
“He didn’t really do anything. I mean, I didn’t really say no until after he kissed me. And he didn’t get a chance to kiss me again. I think it was pretty amazing that Finn stood his groundwith him in the first place. You do recall how big Seamus is, right?”
“I’ll hit him myself,” Bonnie said, standing as if she meant to do it right then.
“Stop it, Bonnie. That’s not the part I’m worried about.”
“Then, what? Oh, Finn.”
“I acted like an ass last night. Seeing him with all those girls flocked around him. And what you said. Or what I thought you were saying. I felt like a fool. Like maybe he hadn’t liked me at all. Like it was Carson all over again.”
“Why do you keep going back to Carson? I don’t understand what he has to do with anything. To be honest, Felix would never have picked him as his best man if it weren’t for some stupid agreement they’d made years ago. Why is he even important to you?” Bonnie plopped back down in exasperation.
Rubbing at her face as if she could erase it all, Penny let out a slow groan, finally lowering her hands to hug her shoulders. This was turning into a rough morning. “I tried to tell you before. But you laughed,” she muttered softly.
Bonnie’s patience was waning. Her foot tapped out her irritation, bouncing the couch and vibrating the two occupants there. “Tried to tell me what? When?”
“Senior year. We… he… Well, he went out with me. Kind of.”
“Carson went out with you?” The shock in Bonnie’s voice was discernible.
“There it is again,” Penny said it in a small voice tinged with anger. “I get it. Who the hell does Penny North think she is? You actually laughed in my face when I mentioned him to you.”
“Honestly, Penny, I don’t remember that. But it doesn’t surprise me.”
Penny’s mouth twisted in pain.
“Because he’s not good enough for you either,” Bonnie said, reaching across to squeeze Penny’s foot, making her look up.“Carson was a conceited, self-centered prick. You had nothing in common. Sure, he was good-looking. But that was all he had going for him.” Bonnie’s eyes narrowed as she finished her rant. “What were you saying? What happened with him?”
