The relief I felt at hearing his words bowled me over. He wanted me to stay.
I took my coffee cup, careful not to slosh any, and sat down in one of the high stools on the other side of the kitchen island. Penn answered his phone and handed me the laptop with his free hand.
"Yes, I'm still here. No, it's not a good time."
I opened up my email, found my old resume, and pretended to pore over it as Penn talked. It was clearly his boss, but I still didn't understand the sharp, opposing tone he took every time they talked directly. I wondered if maybe Penn was a prodigy that Xavier Templeton had saved from some free-range, survivalist life.
"Maybe next time you won't cancel at the last minute and still expect me to show up," Penn snapped. He hung up the phone and slid it away across the granite kitchen island.
"Um, I think your computer needs an update. I can't download my resume," I said.
His dark eyebrows furrowed together. "Sure, go ahead. Do whatever you need to."
"You don't want to do it?"
He shook his head and devoured his omelet while casting irritated glances out the window at the mansion. "I'm glad you stayed for breakfast," he said.
I studied him from under my lashes as I ran the updates software on his laptop. Clearly, Penn was no technology prodigy. The administrative password had been 1234. What on earth did he do for Xa
vier Templeton?
"Are you really in such a hurry to get a job at a hotel?" Penn asked.
I jumped and had to gather my thoughts. "No. I mean, yes. It's not just any hotel—it's the Ritz-Carlton. It's a huge opportunity that could set the whole trajectory for my career."
"And you have to start right away?" Penn studied me over the edge of his coffee cup.
"Well, the job doesn't actually start until September, and the application deadline isn’t until the end of this month."
"So, your friend was right? You could take the summer off?" Penn set down his cup and leaned on the kitchen island. "Why not spend the summer doing something you love before you settle for the practical choice?"
The probing warmth of his dark-brown eyes made me squirm in my seat. "Why do you care what I do with my summer?"
He stood up with a baffled laugh. "I don't know. I like this. I like you."
"You think I'm a silly college graduate who's chasing pretty, shiny things and knows nothing about the real world or regrets," I snapped.
"Is that what you think people see when they look at you?"
Tears stung my eyes. "I know about regrets."
Penn caught my hand and kissed the back of it. "I'm an ass. I went about this all wrong. All I was trying to say is that, if you want, you can have this apartment rent-free for the summer. You can stay and try out singing; do whatever you want."
"I couldn't do that." I shook my head and then jumped as a figure appeared in the apartment door.
Xavier Templeton met my surprised gaze with a quiet look. "I think you owe it to that voice I heard last night to take Penn up on his offer."
I tipped my chin up. "I can make my own way. I pay my rent."
"Never turn down the right generosity," Xavier said. "It almost always becomes a regret. And, again, I agree with Penn. Why not spend the summer making sure you don't have any regrets?"
My chin slipped. When he phrased it that way, the whole thing made more sense. I would be able to concentrate more fully on my career once I had spent a little time clearing my head.
"It's too generous." I gestured to the view of the Golden Gate Bridge. "I can't stay here."
"I tried," Xavier said. He sauntered into the living room and took a seat on the longer, leather couch. "The rest is up to you, son."
"Don't call me that," Penn snapped. "Excuse me."