Chapter 8
HAZEL
Eating dinner with Penn and his roommates feels so comfortable…and they’re not even being loud. I’m beginning to wonder if the insulation between floors just sucks and I’ve been complaining to the wrong people.
Like Penn said, Noah made stir fry with chicken, veggies, and steamed rice. It’s delicious. Penn and the blond one—Fisher—have beer with their dinner, but Noah sticks with water.
“Come on, Noah, live a little!” Fisher teases.
Noah’s looking down at his plate and stabs a pea pod with his fork, then looks up at Fisher through his lashes. “I just had a beer at trivia the other night. I’m a wild man.”
Ally pats him on the shoulder. “Yes, you are! Don’t let them bully you.”
Noah sits up and smiles at her. Ally and Noah are, like…disgustingly adorable.
Fisher turns to me and nods at my half-empty wineglass. “Hazel, I’m surprised you’re drinking. From what Penn told us about you needing to study in silence all the time, I figured you were a stick in the mud like Noah.”
I blow out a breath. “After this day? I might drink the whole bottle.”
“Go right ahead. I’d like to see that,” Penn says, sliding the bottle of rosé closer to me.
“Don’t tempt me,” I tease, taking another bite of chicken.
“So, are you a dance on the table kind of drunk, or a purchase random items online kind of drunk?” Fisher asks, leaning back in his seat and resting his elbow on Penn’s chair.
I consider his question then swallow. “I’d say I’m more of a sob in the shower kind of drunk.” I laugh at my own joke, but everyone around the kitchen island stares at me in concern. That’s what I get for trying to be funny.
“Damn, Bubbles…” Penn breaks the silence—thank goodness—and huffs an awkward laugh. “You’re pretty emo, huh?”
I narrow my eyes at the brick wall of a man. His blue eyes dance with mischief as he stares back.
“Oh please,” Ally says, waving her fork in the air as she speaks. “Every girl needs a good shower cry once in a while.”
“Thank you.” I shoot her a pointed look of gratitude for having my back.
The five of us continue chatting while we eat, and I learn so much about them during the meal.
Ally has a part in a dance production that takes up most of her time, but she also teaches dance lessons to kids.
She’s kind and sweet but also has a sassy streak.
The boys are all NHL rookies this year, fresh out of college, which means they’re at least a few years younger than me, but they don’t act like a group of immature bros like I assumed they would when they’re together.
Noah is quiet but hilarious with his dry one-liners.
Fisher is the golden retriever of the loft, flirty and fun, but I think there’s more to him deep down.
And Penn is a chameleon, soaking in whatever’s going on around him and matching the vibe seamlessly.
I wonder what his childhood was like to make him do that? Blinking, I brush the thought aside. Sometimes my studies take over my brain and cause me to analyze people.
My phone periodically buzzes where it lies on the island, but Penn is the only one who notices.
After the sixth or so vibration, he takes my empty plate and loads it with his in the dishwasher.
I have never seen Chadwick put a dish in the dishwasher, so the action stands out to me.
Something about the rock-hard tattooed arm sliding a plate into an appliance has me feeling some kind of way.
The same kind of way I felt in his room earlier when he knew exactly how to help with my situation. Maybe I have a competency kink…
Right when my blood pressure has normalized, Penn goes around the island gathering his roommate’s plates as well, loading them into the dishwasher along with a few other dishes on the counter. I jump up to help, but he shakes his head.
“Noah and Ally cook together, I clean up, and Fisher vacuums.” He points at my chair. “And your job, Bubbles, is to sit your ass back down and relax for once.”
His tone is friendly but firm, and for some reason, I listen and sit back down.
Once the dishwasher is full, Penn reaches into the cabinet under the sink and pulls out a detergent pod, then places it inside the appliance.
The muscle in his bicep flexes with the movement, making the sparrow tattoo there look like its wing is twitching.
This completely normal action has my insides melting.
I’ve never known a man who knew how to see a need and then jumped in and met it without being asked.
My parents always had very traditional roles in our house, and that worked for them, I think, but Chadwick grew up wealthy.
I’m not sure he even knows how to turn on a dishwasher or a washing machine.
I don’t realize I’m staring at Penn unabashedly until Ally clears her throat.
I whip my head to glance at her where she sits next to me to find her watching me with a smirk. “Penn is really helpful,” she says.
“Oh, yeah? That’s good.” Wow, Hazel, could you say anything more boring?
Penn dries his big hands on a towel then leans his palms against the countertop across from me. My phone buzzes again, and he glances knowingly at the device. “Wanna go upstairs?”
I can feel Ally still watching me, and I’m anxious to get away from prying eyes. “Upstairs?”
“We have a rooftop patio. Perks of living in the penthouse.” He grins. “No noisy upstairs neighbors, just insane views.”
“Of course you have the rooftop,” I mutter, but I’m smiling. “Yes, let’s go.”
I thank Noah again for dinner, and all three of them watch with matching smirks as Penn leads me up the staircase off the living room, and we step out onto a gorgeous rooftop space.
The sun has set, but bulb lights are hung all around the roof, bathing everything in warm light.
There’s patio furniture, an outdoor table and chairs, and a hot tub.
“Wow, this is great,” I say dumbly.
Penn slumps down onto the cushioned patio sofa, and I hesitate before taking the seat beside him.
The cold breeze coming off the bay rustles his hair and blows the scent of him right into my face.
He smells warm and natural, like a sunny day in the forest. There’s nothing artificial about it, no expensive cologne or designer body wash. It’s nice.
“So,” Penn says. “Has Chad-dick moved out yet?”
With a groan, I pull up his texts and read through the last few texts.
Cheater Chadwick
Your food is getting cold.
Cheater Chadwick
You’re acting really rude, Haze.
There’s a fifteen minute gap between these two texts and the most recent one.
Cheater Chadwick
If you think this is going to make me leave, you’re wrong. I’m staying here, whether you like it or not. Also, you should ask Matthews about his dad…after that, you won’t want to spend so much time with him.
My stomach twists uncomfortably and I look up at Penn, who’s reading over my shoulder. His demeanor has completely changed. His blue eyes are sad, but his dark brows are scrunched in a hard, angry furrow.
“This guy is the worst,” he grits out. “But if waiting him out isn’t going to work, I think we need to up the ante.”
Something about his sad eyes gets to me, and before I can stop the words, I blurt, “Maybe we should do this fake dating thing for real.”
Penn looks at me in confusion. “What, like keep pretending to be together?”
“Yes. I mean, just so we can really make him miserable. Because clearly, he’s not leaving without a fight.”
Penn slowly shakes his head. “It would definitely get in his head. He likes to win.”
“There’s not much in it for you though,” I say with an exasperated sigh.
He huffs a laugh. “Are you kidding me? Fisher will not stop bugging me to be his wingman. You have no idea how many evenings I’d rather just stay home instead of going out with him. But if I had a girlfriend…” Penn waggles his eyebrows.
I roll my eyes. “Oh yeah, I’m sure it’s so troublesome picking up beautiful women every night.”
Penn shrugs one shoulder, then leans back against the couch cushion. “It gets old. Actually, it got old a while ago.”
“Really?” I ask, unconvinced.
“Listen, I haven’t gone home with a girl in…” he trails off as he thinks. “A long time now. I go out with Fishy, do some flirting, then once he leaves with his flavor of the week, I come home. Alone.”
“So, why do you even go out with him then?”
“Well, Fisher is fun to chill with, and Noah and Ally like it when they have the place to themselves.” He tilts his head in my direction with a knowing expression. “And I have a reputation to uphold.” He says the last part with sarcasm.
I’m not sure I believe him. I stare at him, waiting for the other shoe to drop, for the real reason he’d be my fake boyfriend.
Finally, Penn sighs. “Okay, fine. I hate your ex-boyfriend, and making him miserable is actually very fun for me.”
I nod. “There it is.”
“So, are you in or not?”
I worry my bottom lip, considering. “Yes, but I think we need some ground rules.”
“Rules make everything boring.”
“Rules make everything safer, therefore more fun,” I snap back.
Penn chuckles as he gives me a sidelong glance. “Whoa, I bet you’re fun at parties.”
I look at his handsome, laughing face for a moment, then turn away to pull up the notes app on my phone. I title the new note Revenge Dating Rules.
“Rule number one, no, um…” My cheeks heat. “Stuff.”
Penn grins. “You mean, like, bedroom stuff?”
My throat goes dry. “Yes.”
“Good luck resisting me,” he says with a wink.
I ignore his comment as I type in the rule, but feel a blush creeping up my chest. “And you can’t bring anyone else home, either. I’m sorry, but I don’t want Chadwick to see and think I’m getting cheated on. Again.”
“Of course not.” Penn looks genuinely taken aback. “I’ve been cheated on before, too, and I’d never do that to anyone I was with—real or fake.”
“And not, erm, seeing anybody else for that long isn’t going to be a problem for you?”
He laughs. “Bubbles, did you not hear a word I just said about all that stuff getting old?”
I’m still not sure I believe him on that, but I do believe he’s not the type to cheat. So I nod.
“Rule two…” I think. “What day will we fake a break up?”
Penn hums thoughtfully. “How long is Chadwick doing PT here?”
“He said six weeks.”
“Okay, well how about after that?”
Six weeks. That seems like a long time, but we also need enough time for it to be convincing, so Chadwick will give up and leave me alone. “Okay. Six weeks.” I type in our expiration date.
“Rule three,” Penn says with a teasing lilt. “Kissing and touching is allowed during times we’re in front of others and need to be convincing.”
“Kissing, like on the mouth?” My voice raises several octaves on the word mouth.
Penn glances down at my lips. “Bubbles, if we were really together…there’s no way I wouldn’t kiss you every chance I got.”
I swallow, feeling suddenly quite warm. Are these bulb lights emitting heat? “Um, okay. But only when absolutely needed.”
“Rule four,” I say on an exhale. “You need to spend some time in my apartment. Especially while Chadwick is staying there.”
“Easy enough.”
“Are you scared of spiders?”
“Why?” Penn raises his eyebrows.
“No reason.”
His expression grows serious. “Tell me.”
“It’s nothing.” I shrug.
“Is your apartment infested with spiders?”
I laugh. “No, it’s not.”
This seems to ease his worries enough for him to move on. “Rule five, you have to come to at least three of my home games.”
I wrinkle my nose. The perk of no longer dating Chadwick was no more hockey games. I don’t hate watching, but the crowds and the noise are just…a lot.
He sees my expression. “It’s good for optics if Chadwick sees you leaving the apartment to watch me play. Otherwise, he’ll wonder why you don’t go and support your boyfriend.”
“Fine. Three games.” I type it into the note. “Anything else?”
“If anything comes up that you need me for, I’ll do my best to be there. I’m leaving tomorrow for a couple games on the road, but if you need anything, just call me.” He holds up his hand and beckons. “Actually, gimme your phone now. I’ll put my number in.”
His statement is actually very thoughtful. And something my real boyfriend never offered. Maybe this fake boyfriend thing isn’t so bad.
I smile at Penn as I pass him my phone, and he smiles back, tapping in his number before handing it back. His eyes are darker out here, midnight blue…like the night sky.
My phone pings again, taking my focus away from Penn’s eyes.
Cheater Chadwick
I’m going to bed. But you can’t avoid me forever.
I puff up my cheeks, and then release the air in a dramatic sigh. “Well, I guess it’s safe to go home now.” Once the words are out, I realize I’m not eager to return to my apartment. It’s been nice up here in loft 3B. I had…fun.
“You sure you’ll be okay?” He asks. I nod, and his eyes twinkle naughtily. “If you hadn’t made all these boring rules for us, I could have gone down there and helped you make a big ruckus tonight. Then he’d leave even sooner.”
I bark out a surprised laugh. The audacity of this man.
“Goodnight, Playboy.” I stand up, looking down at him.
Penn smirks, then gets to his feet, towering over me at his full height. He sticks his hand out in front of him and waits for me to shake it.
I stare at his outstretched hand for a long moment, before I finally slide mine into his.
Penn’s palm is warm and calloused as it wraps around my fingers.
He gives me one solid shake, before releasing me.
My hand drops to my side, but I flex my fingers, wondering why the sensation of his skin on mine is lingering.
Even as I say goodbye to the rest of the 3B gang and step inside the elevator, the heat of his hand seems to remain on my palm.