Playing at Forever

Chapter One



Penelope Lang lay in bed, staring up at the ceiling as she waited for the alarm to go off. She dreaded the day ahead of her, as she always did, and so she prolonged the start for as long as she could manage.

Eventually, though, the alarm sounded and she rolled over, pressing the button to silence the incessant, raucous beeping.

She remained there for several moments, laying on her side, her eyes roaming around the room. Boxes were still stacked neatly along the wall, waiting for their fate to be decided. Unfortunately, Penny was no closer to knowing what lay ahead for her belongings than she was in regard to her own future. Not that there was any hurry—no, Penny was well aware that she had time to ponder.

Sounds stirred below. She heard the high pitched voices of two young girls, and then the responding voice that of her best friend Amy McCaan. Penny sighed, rising to a sitting position and swinging her feet over the edge of the bed. It was difficult to even drag herself to her feet, let alone walk out and begin readying herself for the day.

But she did, knowing she had responsibilities to tend to.

Downstairs, Penny found the pale-haired Amy and her two young daughters sitting at the dining table, finishing off their breakfast. Abruptly, the older of the two girls turned to face Penny. “Aunt Penny, will you tell Mommy that ice cream is okay for dinner?” Penny laughed then, shaking her head even as she felt a slight blush color her cheeks. She immediately understood why the little girl might make such a request.

Darla pouted in response. “But you did it!”

Amy stepped in, the guilt clearly displayed on Penny’s face. “Well, Darla, Aunt Penny is old enough to do what she wants. When you get old enough to move out and live on your own, you’ll be more than welcome to eat all the ice cream you like.” Her tone was that which only a mother could possess and Penny was taken back to her own childhood, hearing the voice of her mother providing almost the same exact lecture.

“Aunt Penny doesn’t live by herself.” Amy’s eyes darted in the direction of her best friend and Penny looked down for a moment before shrugging indifferently. The blush livened once more, but Penny ignored it.

“That’s because Mommy asked her to stay here with us while Daddy’s away.” It was at least partially the truth, Penny mused as she took the mug of coffee being offered to her.

Of course, Amy had more demanded that Penny move in. And not because her husband was away on business. No, it had nothing at all to do with Amy, and everything to do with Penny.

An image of a man conjured in her mind—attractive, well-maintained. The image brought with it a familiar dull ache which possessed her chest only momentarily. She had grown accustomed to the pain now.

“Well you can stay as long as you want, Aunt Penny.” It was the younger girl who spoke now, reaching up and taking Penny’s hand. “You make me happy.” A different ache now swelled within her as she set her mug aside and lowered herself to her knee so that she was at eye-level with the young blonde-haired girl.

“You make me happy too, Amber,” Penny whispered, leaning forward and pressing her lips to the little girl’s forehead, the ache swelling ever-so-subtly. “Now you better hurry, you don’t want to miss your bus.” Amber touched her lips to Penny’s cheek before turning and grabbing her backpack. Darla blew her mom a kiss before turning to Penny and doing the same.

“You girls have a good day,” Amy called as they hurried toward the door. The house suddenly grew quiet as the heavy thudding of the door signaled their departure. Penny raised herself to her feet with a deep sigh, reaching out for the mug of coffee.

“Sorry about the ice cream,” she apologized, taking a sip of the bitter liquid and perching herself on a stool at the bar.

“You’ve earned as much ice cream as you want, Pen.” Penny shrugged, not really agreeing. She shouldn’t be setting bad examples for the girls. They were, after all, still young and impressionable. “Especially when you have to spend all day, every day—”

“Don’t remind me,” Penny held up a hand to silence her friend, the image of the same attractive man fluttering before her eyes.

“Well, I’m just saying…it can’t be easy.” Penny couldn’t agree more, but what choice did she have?

She was the one who’d chosen to put everything she had on the line in order to open up her own restaurant—along with her husband, of course.

Her lying, cheating husband, that was. The one who had only months ago revealed to her that he had been having an affair with the woman Penny had hired to lighten her workload so that she would have more time to be a wife. More time to start a family. More time to make him happy.

She suddenly longed for some sort of heavy liquor rather than the hot bitter liquid she was sipping. It would much better prepare her for the day ahead of her, to be spent in the very presence of her soon-to-be ex husband and his new lover.

With a heavy sigh, she placed her mug on the countertop and pulled the oversized sweater she wore tighter around her. “You don’t have to do this, Pen,” her friend whispered, pulling Penny from her thoughts. “I mean—I know you don’t want to even consider it, but you can always sell the restaurant—”

“No,” Penny said with a firm shake of her head. She had worked hard to get her hands on The Seaside and she wasn’t going to let anything take it away from her. Ever since she had been a little girl, she had dreamed of owning her own restaurant. Her parents had been small business owners, running and operating their own movie rental store and she had taken her cue from them. She’d saved every penny she had, and borrowed as much as she could, in order to achieve her dream. “Out of the question.”

“I hate to see you so unhappy.”

“Well, take comfort in the fact that they are probably just as unhappy as I am.” Penny smiled mischievously, though smiling was the last thing she felt like doing.

“That is comforting,” Amy said with a crooked smile. “Come on, I’ll walk with you. I need to pick up a few things anyway.” Penny slid from the stool and made her way toward the door, slipping on her shoes and stepping out into the cool morning air. The smell of the ocean lingered faintly in the air and Penny closed her eyes, breathing it in.

She had lived in the same small North Carolina town ever since she was born. She had envisioned herself raising her own family here, but now—she wasn’t so sure.

Her mind traveled back to her previous thoughts. She had been with Kevin since high school—they had married just after college and had been together for nearly ten years, all considered.

His affair had come as such a shock, not just to her—but to everyone. They had seemed like the perfect couple—they’d had a comfortable life, a nice home, a popular business. All of which he was now sharing with her while Penny stayed in her best friend’s guest room.

Well, all except the popular business. She didn’t care about the house, the cars, any of it—except the restaurant. The Seaside was hers. It was her dream. She had put so much of herself into it—dedicated hours upon hours not just at the restaurant, but dreaming it up and putting it into effect. It was celebrating it’s fifth year running and business was only growing.

If nothing else, she would at least have one of her dreams.

The two women were walking now, making their way toward the coast of their small town. Amy chattered on at Penny’s side, talking about the weather. Penny hardly noticed—she dressed the same regardless of the weather. Neutral clothing—lots of blacks and whites and grays, nothing too close fitting. She wasn’t looking to be noticed.

She didn’t need any more heartache than she’d already been through.

As if on cue, Amy paused at one of the street-side vendors—magazines and newspapers filling the racks. Penny stopped, not minding the delay—whatever kept her from the tension-filled hours that would soon follow. “Wow, Pen. Look at him.”

It was then that Penny realized what Amy was looking at.

The rack was full of various tabloids and celebrity gossip magazines, but it only took a moment for Penny to find the one that had caught Amy’s attention.

The cover was almost entirely composed of an angry looking man. He was sitting at a bar, all alone, with several empty glasses in front of him. Penny stepped forward, scrutinizing the image a bit more closely. His eyes were darkened, heavy with pain and resentment.

An image of this man, much younger than he was in the photo, flooded her mind. She remembered the sound of his voice, the touch of his lips, the warmth of his arms. Even then, he’d had the brooding look perfected. It had seemingly only gotten better with time.

The headline read, Troubled in paradise? She knew if she reached forward and flipped open the magazine, she would find some long story about the troubled behavior of a Hollywood star—one of the elite. Thomson Davis, they would call him.

Of course, to her, he would always be Tommy Davidson. “You know they probably just sat there snapping pictures for hours, waiting for the worst one.” Penny spoke, though she didn’t believe it was as coincidental as she made it out to be. The darkness in his eyes—it called out to her, begging for solace, just as it always had.

“Even so…” Amy shrugged, letting go of her thoughts of little Tommy all grown up and turning around to continue on. Penny lingered for just a moment longer though, staring at the photo, searching his eyes.

She’d always been able to read Tommy better than anyone else.

The memory of the last time she’d seen him crossed her mind. It had been the night he left for Los Angeles. The last night of their high school performance of Romeo and Juliet. After the show had finished, the two had hopped on his motorcycle and driven to a secluded little beach. They’d been the best of friends—never anything more, never anything less. He was a year her senior, but that had never made a difference.

That night, though, she crossed the line. She remembered rising to her tiptoes and pressing her lips to his—briefly, but it was enough to make the memory almost tangible even ten years later.

They had kissed before—after all, he had played Romeo and she had played his Juliet. And if she was being completely honest, she always thought there might be something more there—something buried deep down that neither was willing to recognize for fear of losing whatever it was they had. Because their friendship was what had mattered most—to both of them. The knowledge that, no matter what, they had each other to turn to, had guided them through high school without so much as once allowing a hint of romance to stir.

But that night, knowing it would probably be their last—Penny hadn’t been able to stop herself. She remembered the way his eyes held hers for a moment, as if anticipating what was to come. She’d convinced herself it had been nothing more than curiosity on both parts—after three years together, how much could one kiss hurt?

It was a kiss like none other she’d ever experienced. Tinted with longing, edged with desperation, tasting of goodbye.

“Don’t forget about me,” she had whispered into his ear, touching her lips to his cheek, fighting against tears.

“I promise,” he’d responded, taking her face between his hands.

It was, for all practical purposes, the last time they’d ever spoken.

A strange pain jolted through her as she thought about the wounded look that had always been in his eyes. How she had once longed to erase that pain. Tommy had become a near permanent fixture at her side after he’d moved to the small town during his sophomore year of high school, her freshman. She still remembered the first time she ever saw him—dressed in worn baggy jeans and a plain white t-shirt. He was the definition of tall, dark, and handsome—with piercing dark blue eyes and perfectly chiseled features.

He had walked into her parents’ small shop seeking a job. He hadn’t found employment, but he had found a friend. A safe haven. Somewhere he could go to escape the realities of his life.

Tommy Davidson had always been troubled.

“You’re probably right about that magazine—those gossip magazines do everything they can to cause trouble.” Amy was saying, and Penny only nodded in agreement, still not believing her own words. She passed by this magazine rack every day, and it seemed to be a growing trend. There always seemed to be some story about the troubles Thomson Davis was facing, ranging from rough breakups and Hollywood rivalries gone too far to rumors of drugs and alcohol abuse.

Even though it had been over ten years since she’d spoken to him, she couldn’t help the trickle of worry that flushed through her. “I can’t even imagine what his life must be like now. How many blockbusters has he been in?”

“I lost count,” Penny mumbled, fully aware that she was lying. She knew far more about Tommy than she let on. She couldn’t help it—it seemed only natural to follow his career—and as best she could, his life.

“You know, it’d be nice if he’d remember the little people. Where would he be without us?” Amy had been the stage director during most of Tommy’s performances and Penny had almost always been his leading lady.

“Well, Amy, I imagine it’s pretty easy to forget about your old life when you’re completely overwhelmed by your new one.” This was how Penny had comforted herself over the first few years of silence.

“I’d never forget you,” Amy replied mockingly, wrapping her arm around Penny’s shoulders. “Even if I was worth millions of dollars, with mansions spanning the globe.”

“It’s good to know who your true friends are.” Penny said with a smile as they approached her restaurant, only half joking at that point. She recognized Kevin’s car parked in the parking lot and dread filled her. How much she loathed the idea of stepping inside her restaurant and seeing him there. Probably with Gina, the woman he was now having a supposedly legitimate relationship with.

For a moment, she allowed herself to slip into a fictional reality. She played the role of the scorned lover, betrayed by the man who had promised to love her. Who had promised her eternal happiness.

In this reality, though, Kevin was a horrible man—some sort of Mafioso, who’d finally crossed the line. And in would waltz the hero—tall, dark and handsome with dark blue eyes. He would not only put the bad guy away, but he would sweep Penny off her feet and show her what love was meant to be like.

She almost laughed aloud as she turned and waved to her friend, tightening her sweater once more before turning back and heading into her dream—her dream which was slowly becoming a nightmare.



Thomas Davidson sat high above the ground, staring blankly in front of him. He didn’t notice the waterfall to his left, cascading down into the pool. He didn’t pay attention to the beautiful view in front of him—the way the hilly landscape seemed to contrast so beautifully with the lights of the city. He didn’t even hear the constant hum of noise coming from below him as people he hardly knew, much less cared about, pranced around his house.

The only thing he was aware of was the weight in his lap. It wasn’t heavy—not to hold. But it carried a great deal of substance.

He looked down with a tired sounding sigh, his hands resting on the stack of papers.

It was his script. The one thing he’d ever done in his entire life that he was actually proud of.

The one thing nobody wanted to touch.

He rose to his feet in one graceful movement and angrily tore the stack of paper to shreds, sending it flying over the edge of the balcony and raining down on the pool below him. A few pieces were caught up in the wind and carried off, toward the mountains.

Another burst of anger flashed through him and he turned, rushing into the master suite so that he wouldn’t put his fist through one of the many panes of glass that surrounded him. He at least had enough presence of mind to remember what a hassle that had been last time. Instead, he paced around the large room, his thoughts muddled.

“Yo, Tom—what’s going on?” Tommy turned to find his manager, and supposed best friend, standing in the doorway, propping one of the heavy glass doors open as he leaned against it.

He radiated confidence. Success. Wealth.

Of course, Graham had it all thanks to Tommy.

“Nothing,” Tommy responded, shaking his head as he ran his hands through his already-disheveled hair. Graham wouldn’t understand.

“Nothing? So you just decided to let garbage rain down on the pool?” Tommy laughed morosely. Garbage. Well, it might as well be.

“It was my script.” Tommy replied, his teeth clenched. The other man sighed, shifting his weight so that he was now holding the door open with his hand rather than his shoulder. It seemed to Tommy an act of frustration.

“Look, man—Fox is willing to take it.” He spoke to him almost as an annoyed parent would speak to a spoiled child.

“But not as long as I’m lead.” Tommy closed his eyes, trying to maintain control of the anger that was raging through him.

He’d come to Hollywood looking for an escape. He’d come looking for happiness—a new life, a new future. He’d even found both, and he was grateful.

He had struck gold when he was given the lead role in what would become one of the biggest action series to hit theaters since Die Hard. He’d reprised the role several times, reveling in the stardom and fame that came with each progressive film. Everyone around him had encouraged him to keep going—to keep bringing in the money and the celebrity.

But he was tired of the same roles. He was tired of the same characters. Even when he took roles in other movies, they were all the same—the tough macho man out to save the day.

Was it too much to ask for something different?

Apparently so.

“It isn’t just you.” Of course Graham was lying. It was the one stipulation from every studio he’d offered the script to. They would make the film, but not so long as Tommy was the lead.

He’d worked hard on this. It was his chance to prove himself—to remake himself. Everyone just assumed that he was a mindless drone, carrying on without an original thought of his own.

“Look, Tom. They just don’t think you’re right for the part. You’ve written something really deep here—intense. They don’t think you can pull it off.” Graham took a step closer and the heavy glass door swung quietly closed behind him. “I’m not saying I agree with them—but, I mean—really, can you blame them?”

“They should give me a chance—”

“It’s not just your acting they’re doubting, Tom.” Tommy narrowed his eyes. “You’ve been all over the tabloids—the drinking, the fighting, the accidents. They’d be nervous to cast you even if it wasn’t a challenge.”

“Isn’t it your job to make that a nonissue?” The anger was boiling to life inside him. Who was Graham to say anything? He’d been right there alongside Tommy throughout all of it! Graham knew the tabloids exaggerated—shouldn’t he be defending him?

“Hey, I can only spin so much. You’re out there fighting with paparazzi and driving recklessly, acting like you don’t have a care in the world. Then you show up with this dark, depressing manuscript—”

“You said it was good!” Tommy paced across the room, throwing his arms in the air in frustration. “You told me to shop it around—”

“I didn’t think you were going to take me seriously, man.” It was like a sudden emptiness flooded through Tommy. He stopped dead in his tracks, staring blankly in front of him.

He was so fed up with everything this life had to offer. He was sick of his so-called friends walking all over him, using him for nothing more than a paycheck. He was sick of feeling so uninspired.

How had things gotten this way? He remembered a moment that seemed like eons ago when he’d been so filled with hope.

Her eyes danced into his view, then—such a warm brown, so inviting and comforting, revealing to him her optimism for the future. She’d had faith in him—known that he would make it.

She’d always believed in him—his Penny Lane.

Tommy remembered how she would smile and roll her eyes any time he called her that.

The memory of Penelope Lang was one he could never forget, even if he wanted to. He knew—he’d tried.

Suddenly he was struck with an overwhelming desire. It passed through him in waves, growing stronger with every passing surge and washing away the anger.

“I have to get out of here,” Tommy heard his own voice as if from some far away place, his mind already crossing the distance. He felt his feet carrying him forward, moving through the large, lifeless home as if on autopilot.

There had been an emptiness inside him, growing deeper and deeper every day. And he’d been trying so hard to fill the void—to find something to make it stop. He’d tried everything.

Well, almost everything.

He knew that Graham was following behind him, calling out to him, but he didn’t care. He had to leave. He had to get away from all of this—it was suffocating him.

Memories of a time similar to this danced through his mind. He’d just moved for what seemed like the millionth time. His father had been berating him—as usual. Telling him he was worthless—that he would never amount to anything. To his father, the Colonel, Tommy was nothing more than dead weight.

He remembered the way the walls had closed in on him. His chest had tightened, his vision blurred. He’d darted out of the house and kicked his dirt bike to life, speeding off down the street. There was nowhere to go, though—he hadn’t known a soul, and he knew he couldn’t make it on his own yet.

So he wandered aimlessly, letting his bike guide him toward whatever destiny had planned out for him.

And then he saw her.

Penelope Lang was a beautiful girl—he’d seen that right from the start. Tommy had never told her, but he hadn’t accidentally wandered into the movie rental store, looking for a job.

What had initially brought him there was her. He’d caught just the briefest glimpse of her long, fair brown hair, her soft coloring, her bright smile. She had been walking down the street, making her way to work, lost in her own thoughts. He’d become mesmerized in just a matter of seconds.

He could still remember the way everything seemed to melt away the moment their eyes met. He walked into the store, coming up with the excuse of looking for a job at the last minute—really, all he’d wanted was to meet her. He’d never expected anything would come of it.

But it had.

By now, Tommy was putting his helmet on, no longer paying any attention to the people who were coming to watch him leave. The motorcycle beneath him roared loudly as he brought her to life and he closed his eyes, letting the memory of Penny wash over him once more.

From that day forward, she had always been his refuge. Whether she knew it or not.

And now, more than ever before, he needed to have that back.

The gates in front of him opened slowly, but he sped through—careful to avoid the toes of the crowd of paparazzi that was constantly perched just outside his property.

With a deep breath of fresh air, Tommy once again let his bike guide him to his destiny.