The group shuffled around a few times, and a little while later, I found myself watching them all from the outside with Ramona, who bumped my arm.
“Have I told you that you’ve ruined my life?”
I frowned. “What? Why?”
“I went to the grocery store yesterday, and I couldn’t stop thinking about the little old checkout lady’s nipples when I noticed how pale her lips were.”
I burst out laughing. Ramona looked pleased.
“Bodie’s great, Pen.”
I smiled. “He is, isn’t he?”
She nodded, smirking. “I never thought I’d live to see you on a real date.”
I frowned. “This isn’t a date. This is a preamble to naked cartwheels and an attempt to get Ronnie laid.”
That earned a laugh. “First, this is totally a date. And you guys have been all over each other in the cutest way.”
My frowned deepened. “Yeah, because we’re hot for each other.”
“Oh my God, Penny. It’s a date. Open your eyes.”
I blinked, watching Bodie from across the room. “I mean, I guess technically it is, but that’s not what we’re doing. I’m not his girlfriend.” I said it like it was a filthy word.
Ramona laughed, shaking her head at me. “You know that being a girlfriend doesn’t mean you’re chained up in somebody’s basement, right?”
“If you say so.” I took a sip of my tequila.
She let it go, thankfully. I was starting to feel itchy.
Ramona nodded to the group. “So Jude and Veronica went over about as well as lead frisbee.”
I sighed. “Man, I’m so disappointed. They had to go and open their mouths and ruin my plans.”
She chuckled. “They didn’t even make it two sentences into a conversation. But look at them eyeballing each other.”
“I think they’re trying to explode each other.”
They really were — the two of them were staring across the room with narrowed eyes, and I wondered what else had been said. It must have been seriously infuriating, and I wished I’d heard every word.
“Well,” Ramona started, “even if the Ronnie trap failed, the Bodie trap is still fully in place and ready to blow.”
I snickered. “Yeah, it is.”
She smiled at me. “I’m happy for you, Penny. I really like him.”
I sighed wistfully. “He’s perfect for me right now. I had no idea that guys like him existed in the dating wild.”
She opened her mouth like she had something to say but stopped herself, smiling instead. “Speak of the devil.”
When I followed her eyeline, I found Bodie walking over, his eyes on mine in a way that made my knees go weak, though there was nothing lewd or suggestive about it. It was just pervasive, slipping into me, through me, spreading all over me in a way that set me on fire.
“Hey,” he said with a smile.
“Hi.” I smiled back like the fool that I was.
Ramona touched my arm. “I’m gonna go make sure Shep’s not telling any stories he shouldn’t. You know how chatty he gets.”
I laughed. “Oh, man. Hopefully not the dick sock story again.”
“Oh, he’s well past that. We’re into koala bear territory.”
I waved her away. “Go. Run.”
And with that, she headed back to the group, leaving me and Bodie alone.
“Having fun?” I asked.
“I am. I like your friends.”
“I like yours too.”
“Too bad about Veronica and Jude though.”
I pouted. “I know. We were just talking about that. Honestly, I’ve met your brother, and I can’t believe I thought it was a good idea. Pretty much the only thing they have in common is that they’re single.”
“Not true. They’re both artists, and they have smart-ass mouths.”
I laughed and stepped into him, resting my hand on his chest. “So, I was thinking about you surfing the other day.”
“Oh, were you?” He pulled me closer.
“Mmhmm. And I was thinking about what a badass you are.”
He laughed. “Said the badass.”
“When you guys go, can I come with?”
One of his brows rose. “Any chance I might get you on a board? Because that would fulfill so many fantasies.”
I drew a little circle on his chest with the pad of my finger. “Only if you promise to surf shirtless. I think it might be worth getting eaten by a shark to see that once before I die.”
When he chuckled and kissed me, I thought I might melt right there in his arms.
“Have we waited long enough?” I asked when he broke the kiss like a tyrant.
“That was the question I came over here to ask. Are you ready to go?”
My heart thumped, and my lips smiled. “Only since you got here.”
We said our goodbyes and headed out, hand in hand, then with our arms around each other as we walked to his apartment.
I thought about what Ramona had said, thought about Bodie and how easy it was to be with him. Even having been with him all night, he was never needy, always independent. In fact, I had been the needy one, seeking him out to touch him, kiss him.
I had no idea what had gotten into me, but when I actually thought about it, it freaked me out.
Were we dating? Was I his girlfriend? I couldn’t even say the word in my head without my insides shriveling up.
But when I thought about how I felt about Bodie, those shriveled up insides bloomed and filled up again. He’d told me it could be easy, and now … well, now I was on a date with him, one I’d set up without even realizing I was doing it.
If that wasn’t going with the flow, I couldn’t imagine what was.
He hadn’t put any demands on me, hadn’t pushed the boundaries of what I was comfortable with. He hadn’t done anything but let me breathe, let me be, and somehow that was exactly what I needed. And he knew it.
We’d been on a date, and I hadn’t felt trapped or uncomfortable or cagey at all. I felt good. I felt happy.
So I took that as a sign that I was on the right track. And if we could keep on being easy, then I could stay put — for a little while at least. Ride the wave. Enjoy the scenery. Get high off of Bodie.
I did my best not to think about what would happen when I came down.
10
STEAK AT STAKE
Penny
The next afternoon, I took a sip of my champagne, facing the mirrors in the bridal shop, but I turned as Ramona came out from the dressing room, cheeks pink and eyes shining.
She looked stunning and stunned and absolutely gorgeous.
She was a rustling of lace and silk chiffon as she spanned the room and stepped up onto the platform, pressing her palm to her stomach.
The dress itself was simple and beautiful with beadwork that looked Edwardian — structured and flowing all at once in draping designs. Her waist was waspish from the corset underneath the soft fabric, and the sweeping neckline cut the slightest V between her breasts, framing her chest and neck tattoos like they had been made for each other.
“It’s happening. This is it,” she whispered with a shaky breath. “I … for a long time, I didn’t think it would. He never asked, you know? He couldn’t leave Joel, but Joel finding Annika changed everything. I should buy that woman an island.”