“Theo?” Penny’s voice spoke so softly; I almost didn’t hear her.
“Yeah,” I said as I helped her into the front seat of my Audi.
“Please don’t take me home.”
I leaned my head into the door, arm resting on the car frame. “I have to.”
A war battled in my mind. I wanted nothing more than to take her to my home, to my bed. Reclaim her as mine. But, she was engaged.
“Ok, but can we go anywhere else first?” Her pained voice pulled at the few heartstrings still attached.
I hopped in the car, racing through the streets, taking her to the one place I felt most at home—the beach.
My mind over thought every scenario of what would happen when we reached it. I knew what I wanted to happen, but my mind couldn’t erase past events.
When I pulled up to the dimly lit parking area, I glanced over to Penny as she gazed out the window.
“Are you ok?” I asked.
She sighed before answering. “Yeah, I’m ok. Thank you for bringing me here.”
She opened the car door, hopped out, and ran to the shoreline. She ran until waves crashed at her knees. The moon hung low in the sky, giving the illusion of a magical moment. It was anything but.
Memories flooded me of the night we met. I wanted to hold her again, touch her, taste her, feel her body shaking beneath mine.
Following her into the water, I wrapped my arm around her waist. “Let’s get you home.”
She gazed up at me, her eyes the color of my dreams, and I tugged her body closer.
“Theo, please don’t let me go.” Her arms flew around my neck, and our lips were inches apart.
“Don’t, Penny,” I breathed against her mouth. “You’re engaged to my brother.”
“Don’t remind me,” she whispered over the crashing waves.
“Why him?” I asked.
She pushed away from me and ran along the sandy beach. Of course, I chased after her. I would always chase her, even if she wasn’t available.
“Penny, talk to me,” I yelled as she kept running.
She stopped abruptly and spun around and almost lost her footing due to the alcohol coursing through her. “Well if I could feel my lips, I would.” She reached up and massaged her lips with her fingers. “Why do you have to be so perfect?”
I shook my head. “I’m definitely not perfect.” She was, though, even drunk.
“Excuse me, I need to make a call,” she slurred.
I laughed. God, she was making no sense in drunk mode. “What?”
“Where’s my phone?” she asked, looking down at the sand. “Oh, here it is.” She leaned down and picked up a large seashell and held it to her ear.
I couldn’t help but laugh. “Penny, what are you doing?”
She held up a finger and shushed me. “Shh. I’m on the phone.” She put her other finger up to her ear as if she were blocking out the noise of the ocean. “Oh, hi, can you bring me a piece of paper and a pen so Theo here can make a sign that says he’s not perfect,” I shook my head. She would never let me forget that sign. It was fucking common sense. “Yeah, it needs to be huge. Gigantic. Enormous. Bigger than Theo’s cock.” She winked at me. And then she went straight to crying drunk. “Because he is perfect, and I don’t want anyone else to know.”
Ah, fuck. Tears streamed down her cheeks and she hiccuped. “Give me the phone, Penny.” Yeah, I held out my hand for the seashell phone.
“K, thanks, bye.” She tossed the seashell into the ocean. “I don’t want anyone else to have you,” she sobbed.