Page 14 of Cozy Girl Fall
If only her thoughts were as easy to control, Penny would be able to meet Tasha’s eyes with no problems at all. But surely she couldn’t be held responsible for where her brain wandered or what she dreamed about without her consent? It was her history with Ethan that kept muddying the waters for her mentally, that was all. Like reaching for a cigarette even after you’ve given up smoking—Ethan was a habit she’d quit years ago, but now she was back, running into him left, right and center, so of course the temptation would grow stronger again.
The lighting above their table shifted to a deep purple, signaling happy hour, and Tasha shrugged. “Yeah, but I know what you two are like. Do you remember when you first started dating?” Penny hesitated and then nodded. “Well, I’d warned Ethan away from you just before that. You were my best friend and I didn’t want to share. Plus, I figured it would be awkward if you guys broke up.”
“But … we dated anyway?” Penny was a little takenaback—this was the first she was hearing about the reservations Tasha had had when they were younger. But a lot had changed since then. Penny was an adult now, they all were, and she’d learned from her mistakes.
Tasha’s chin dipped in agreement. “There never was any keeping you two apart.” She hesitated, biting her lip. “I’ve only just got you back, Pen. I don’t want you two doing something you’ll regret that makes you run off again.”
“Things are different now,” Penny protested and then smiled and thanked the waitress for bringing over their next round of drinks. “There’s a lot of history between us and seeing him after all this time … Well, I won’t lie. It hurts, because I know I screwed up back then and I hurt you both. I don’t want to do that ever again.”
What Tasha had said was true: Penny knew that she and Ethan had a connection that was buried deep inside her chest, that twanged whenever she saw him, but Tasha was right to warn her away. She wasn’t staying past Christmas—and Penny had already broken Ethan’s heart once.
Tasha covered Penny’s hand with her own and squeezed lightly. “Thank you for telling me that. I’m sorry it hurts you to see him. If it helps, I don’t think he holds it against you.” Tasha took a gulp of her drink and then smiled sweetly. “Neither do I. It was a long time ago.”
“I just—” Penny blew out a shaky breath and tried again. “I tried to tell you guys I was leaving, so many times, but as soon as I brought the topic around to our plans after high school you guys were so firm. So clear. Neither of you understood why anyone would want to leave here, butIdid. It was dumb, and wrong, but I was scared that if I talked to you, you’d persuade me to stay.” Tears burned in Penny’s eyes and she blinked quickly. “And if I’d stayed, I wouldn’t have known if I could have made it, if I could have had the career I wanted.” Her laugh was wet as she took a long sip of her drink. “I mean, it turns out Ididn’tmake it, but hey. At least now I know.” She rolled her eyes. “Sorry, I just … You deserved an explanation.” Tasha was quiet, just listening intently, and she seemed to understand that Penny didn’t want to delve any deeper right then, allowing her to change the subject. “That’s enough talk about the past and me and your brother. What’s new in your love life?”
Tasha squeezed her hand and then shrugged as she withdrew. “Nothing to tell really. At this rate I’ll have to go into the city to meet someone.” They laughed and continued chatting, and Penny was relieved to feel that the air between them was lighter. By the time they’d finished their drinks the lights in the bar had turned a sweet pink that made Tasha gasp. “Oh my gosh, we need to go. Those lights mean last call.”
Penny shook her head. “No way, it’s—” Her eyesfound the time on her phone and widened. “Oh shit. How is it almost midnight?”
Tasha giggled and Penny couldn’t help but join in. “How are you getting home?”
“I was originally going to drive home but it looks like I’m going to have to call a cab and come back for my car tomorrow.”
“No, no. That’s silly, plus they’ll charge you an arm and a leg to go all the way out to your parents’ place. I’ll call Ethan, I’m sure he won’t mind dropping you off—or you can stay at my place?” Tasha already had her phone up to her ear and Penny could hear it ringing from across the table, immediately recognizing the deep tone of the familiar voice on the other end of the line.
She must have zoned out, because the next thing she knew, Tasha was hanging up and then freezing in place as she looked at Penny apologetically.
“Shit, I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking. Is this going to be OK? Him picking us up?”
No.“Yeah, of course. I’ll need to head back to my parents’ though if that’s OK. I’m supposed to be getting up early to go to yoga with my mom.”
Tasha giggled and then clamped her hand over her mouth as she looked at the collection of margarita glasses on the table between them. “Good luck with that.”
The door to the bar opened not too long later and the bartender called out that they were closing to the newcomer, who raised their large hand in acknowledgement.
Ethan.
His eyes, the same shade as Tasha’s, quickly found the table where Penny and Tasha were sitting, taking the two of them in, and he grinned at the collection of margarita glasses the waitress was collecting from their tabletop.
“I’d ask if you guys had a good time but I can see that you did,” he teased and Penny could feel the warmth in his voice all the way down to her toes. “Ready to go?”
They stood to follow him and Penny stopped abruptly as a blur of blonde hair moved between them. “Ethan!”
He turned and smiled, a fond look crossing his face, and Penny felt her stomach sour for reasons that had nothing to do with the alcohol, and everything to do with Ethan’s ex-fiancée. “Shel. You OK? Got a way home?”
Shelby nodded but her fingers curled around his arm and Penny had to look away, an unreasonable urge to pry those fingers off of Ethan rising up and fading only when she caught Tasha watching for her reaction. She smiled weakly and Tasha linked her arm through Penny’s, forgiving her weakness without a word.
“Are we leaving or not?” Tasha said, interrupting whatever Shelby had been saying, and Penny coughed to hide her laugh.
Ethan rolled his eyes, the action good-natured, as he gently turned away from Shelby and ushered the two of them toward the door, calling out a goodbyeas they went. As Ethan tucked Penny and Tasha under his arms and led them out to his car, Penny couldn’t resist the petty urge rising in her. She turned under Ethan’s arm, throwing a smug look Shelby’s way as she watched them leave.
8
Yoga was tricky on a good day. Yoga with a margarita hangover? Diabolical.
“And let your body elongate, stretching into our downward dog. Breathe for ten counts, imagining every vertebrae in your spine perfectly in line as you scoop into our C-position. Good, and lift with your abdominal muscles into our tree pose—”
Penny was lost at ‘elongate’.
