Chapter 10 #2
“And I fully support you, friend,” Penny says, “but could you maybe direct your future acts of liberation inward instead of onto me?”
Keira nods seriously. “Yes. I can do that.” She pauses. “At least I think I can do that. Can I do that?” She turns her attention to Gene and me. “Anyway! Great work today, guys. I need to run home and check on my turkey. I’ll see you tomorrow at our first lap event!”
“We gotta stop calling it a lap event,” Penny grumbles.
“Actually!” I shout as Keira’s walking away. “I told Eugene here he’s dismissed from further elf duties, so it’ll just be me tomorrow.”
Keira stops in her tracks. “Oh.”
Is it me, or does she seem disappointed by this?
One glance at Eugene’s face tells me he clocked her reaction as well.
Keira schools her features and says cheerily, “Well, bye forever then, Eugene! Unless maybe I see you at Bossfit for another Penny and Matt workout session!”
“Yes! Let’s plan on that!” Eugene smiles warmly.
“How ’bout let’s not!” Penny shoots a playful finger gun at Keira. “Will you please go check your turkey before you sign me up for anything else without my consent?”
Keira winces, and with an apologetic salute, she exits the tent.
“Sorry,” Penny says to me. “The workout the other day was… interesting. Just ultimately not for me.”
“Understood.” I nod.
Eugene zips up his winter coat and juts a thumb toward the exit. “If it’s cool, I’m gonna head up to the heights now.”
“Thank you, Eugene,” Penny says. “I’ll speak with accounts first thing Monday morning and get you a stipend for your help today.”
He waves her off. “No stipend necessary. Though if Herald’s is game, we’re always grateful for a Bossfit shout-out on social media.”
She smiles. “I’ll run it by Keira. I’m sure we can make that happen.”
“Great.” He slings his backpack over his shoulder and points at me. “See you in an hour?”
“Yeah, man. See you in an hour.” I shout to his retreating back, “Don’t let anyone give you shit about your costume on the subway.”
He lifts a fist in the air and exits the tent.
Penny and I stand staring at each other for a moment.
“Can I walk you out?” I break the silence.
“Uh… sure.” She hesitates. “Yeah. Why not?”
We reach the street. “You going this way?” She points.
“Yup.”
I’m going whichever way she’s going. But I don’t tell her that.
We walk west on 32nd Street. Is it an insane thought to have that we walk well together? Because, fuck it, we walk well together. In New York City, not everyone you walk with is a compatible walker. Her strides and mine just seem to go together. Not too fast, not too slow. And totally in sync.
“You catching a train back to Brooklyn?” She nods toward Penn Station.
“No, actually, I live on 43rd. Gonna prep some roasted vegetables and head to Washington Heights for Thanksgiving with Eugene and his family.”
“You live in Manhattan?”
“You sound surprised.” I chuckle.
“No, not surprised. I guess I just assumed you lived in Brooklyn, close to your gym. Plus, Manhattan is—”
“Super fucking expensive,” I finish the sentence for her. “Tell me about it! Though Brooklyn prices aren’t much cheaper these days. Years ago, I snagged artist lottery housing at the Plaza on 43rd. With rent that low, they’ll have to pry that apartment out of my cold, dead hands.”
“Artist housing? For a personal trainer?” Her brows scrunch together in confusion.
“Used to be an actor,” I say. “Lots of commercials and the occasional downtown play. I still do some print work and a fitness spot now and then to prove I’m still ‘in the business.’ Can’t have them coming after my crib!”
No idea why I just called my apartment a crib. Eugene’s right. I’m truly unhinged around this woman.
“Huh,” she says thoughtfully. “I had no idea.”
I gesture between us. “Former dancer, former actor. Maybe we have more in common than you thought?”
She smiles. “Yeah. Maybe.”
We hang a right on 7th Avenue and start walking Uptown.
“How ’bout you?” I ask. “Where’re you heading?”
“If you’re asking where I live…”
I hold my hands up. “I wouldn’t dare.”
“I’m in Manhattan too, but I’m heading back to Herald’s to do inventory.”
“On Thanksgiving?!”
“Simmer down, sir.” She chuckles. “Not everyone has an amazing family they want to share an epic four-hour meal with. Trust me, I’ll have a happier holiday at work.”
We fall into another silence that stretches for the next block.
When we stop at the crosswalk, I lean closer to her and say, “I don’t have the ideal family situation either. Why else do you think I need to tag along with Eugene to his?”
Her brown eyes lock with mine and go misty for a moment. It’s hard to tell if it’s from emotion or the cold breeze whipping around us.
“Cool if we change the subject?” Her voice cracks slightly.
Okay, it was definitely emotion.
“Of course!” We cross the street. “So? How did we do today?”
“You were… fine.”
I laugh. “High praise, madam.”
She takes a deep breath, places a hand on my arm, and says, “You were wonderful, Matt. Truly. I was wrong. I see now that we absolutely picked the right guy for this job.”
We’ve reached Herald’s and stop outside the 34th Street entrance. I give her a gentle nudge with my shoulder. “That was painful for you, wasn’t it?”
“Hurt like a bitch, yeah.” She chuckles.
“Well, I appreciate the compliment. And your confidence in me.”
She moves toward the building and pulls her work badge out of her purse. “Okay, I’d better—”
“May I be so bold as to say this has been nice?” I blurt.
She turns to face me, but doesn’t say anything.
“Walking with you,” I continue. “Talking with you. I mean, don’t want to sound cocky, but… is it possible that I’m growing on you, Penny Whitaker?”
She shakes her head. “I don’t know what you—”
“Well, up until now, every other time I talked to you, it seemed like you’d prefer I didn’t.”
She squeezes the bridge of her nose and stares at her feet. “I don’t mind chatting with you, Matt.”
“Whoa! More high praise!” I joke.
She takes a deep breath and looks directly at me. “Would it be okay if I say that you’re not my type and just leave it at that?”
Ouch.
“Sure. Just so we’re clear, though, you’re not my type either,” I say. I meant it when I said it to Eugene the other day. But saying it now to her face, it no longer feels true.
“Okay, good.” She nods.
“Good.” I nod back. “Cool. Glad we got that out of the way. Now we can just be friends. Ya know, if you’re into that sort of thing.”
“If I’m into having friends?” She smiles. “Yes, I’m into having friends.”
“Great. Friends, it is.” I reach out my hand for her to shake. When she takes it, I turn hers over and kiss it instead.
See? Unhinged.
“Do you kiss all your friends’ hands?” she asks slyly.
“Oh, constantly! Yeah, ask Eugene. I slobber all over that guy.”
She laughs. “Good to know.”
“Well, I should get home to my vegetables,” I say dumbly.
“Happy Thanksgiving, Matt,” she says.
“Happy Thanksgiving to you, too, Penny.”
I turn and start walking away.
“Matt?” she calls after me.
I whip around. “Yeah?”
“I enjoyed walking and talking with you, too.” With that, she gives me a shy wave and heads into the store.
Me? I head back to my apartment with a new skip in my step and a cheesy ass smile on my face.