Chapter 24 Audrey
Chapter twenty-four
Audrey
As soon as my tires hit the highway, I make a mental list. Lists make me calm, lists have orders, lists tell me what to do next in life.
I swing by the dry cleaners on the way back to the apartment, and the moment my feet enter Penny’s place, I go into full swing. Hair up, headphones in, playlist blasting, unpacking. Not thinking about Rhett.
Definitely not thinking about his mouth all over me or the way our breathing was in sync.
I managed to unpack the rest of my stuff in just under two hours, stuffing the clothes that didn’t fit into the dresser and closet under the bed in suitcases. It would have to do for now. This was all temporary, I reminded myself.
I sat on the queen bed, leaning against the moss green, velvet headboard, and took a deep breath.
The room was furnished already, it was very Penny.
Glamorous, jewel-toned and overly girly.
It made me miss her, and even though I’d been to her place a hundred times before, and I technically live here, it still felt weird to be here alone.
Penny wouldn’t be back until tomorrow afternoon, and we’d only have half a day to catch up before work began again on Monday, so I decided to see what else I could do.
Her pantry was pretty bare and so was the refrigerator.
I guess that’s the life of a jet-setter, but either way, I decided the least I could do was go to the store and stock up for the upcoming week.
Something told me we’d be having a lot of late-night snacks and TV chat sessions.
I quickly jot down a grocery list, grab my reusable bags, and slip on my tennis shoes, deciding to walk the few blocks to the local market.
As I’m checking out, my bags full of charcuterie board essentials and champagne, of course, my phone buzzes in my pocket.
Rhett: I know I’m supposed to wait three days, or some stupid rule, but I'm not really a rules guy so I’m taking my chance. Do you have plans next weekend?
I read the text with a fluttering in my stomach. I thank the cashier, grab my bags and walk home with a phone in my face.
Audrey: A rule breaker, huh? I might have plans…it depends…
Rhett: Well, if you find yourself without them, I'd like to take you somewhere special Friday night.
Somersaults in my stomach again. Why do I feel like a hormonal teenager right now?
Audrey: Only if you promise to make me coffee the next morning.
Rhett: As you wish.
I can’t believe he just used The Princess Bride on me. Or that I implied I wanted to spend the night again. If I'm being honest with myself, I do. Maybe that means I’m using him to escape my own loneliness, knowing Penny will be busy again next weekend.
Or maybe I just like this guy.
“Is this what you did all day?” Penny’s eyes are saucers as I walk carefully with a charcuterie board resting on my arms into the living room.
She’s sprawled out on her pink velvet sectional but sits up abruptly when I set it down before her.
Penny may be a health freak, but I know a snack board is the quickest way to her heart.
“No! I did laundry, too,” I snap back. Maybe tonight I will tell her about the move to New York, but Penny doesn’t give me the chance. As soon as I sit down, she is all over me about my date with Rhett. And my impromptu cookie-turned-sex delivery.
“I was gone for two days and you literally boned Red, spent the night on a farm, and met his mom.” Penny’s lips pull into a smirk, and I roll my eyes but can’t help smiling a little, too.
“Penny! First, he grew up on a farm. He doesn’t own a farm. Were you listening? And his mom is really sweet. This is all just moving so fast.”
She leans forward, squeezing my arm. “I know, I'm just kidding you, babe. This sounds good. This is the rebound you need.”
I know whatever Rhett and I have is casual, and that’s all it could ever be, but rebound leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
“Don’t judge me, because I don’t think I've fully processed this all, and I don’t know how to explain it, but I really enjoy being around him. He brings out a peace in me, a side of me I haven’t experienced, maybe…ever?”
Penny’s quiet for a moment. “Maybe he brings out a side of yourself you never got to show around Jackson. It’s okay to be confused. You just got out of a long-term relationship. This is new territory. Don’t overthink it.”
Well, that’s impossible. Overthinking it was a personality trait of mine.
“I’ll try. I really will,” I promise, more to myself than to her.
“I’ve never heard you so undone. You like this guy, don’t you?”
I grow flustered, my face reddening as I turn to my best friend. “Yeah, I do. But it could never work. I mean, look at him. And look at me. We don’t belong together. That much is clear.”
Penny sighs loudly. “So, let’s say, hypothetically, this is more than a rebound. In that case, I'm having a hard time seeing why it can’t work. You were never happy with Jackson; let’s be real. And Rhett seems to be everything he wasn’t. That’s a start.”
Sometimes I seriously hated Penny for being so blunt.
“Relationships are too complicated. I’m so afraid of making the wrong choice again.”
“If Rhett feels right to you…that’s okay. Only you know what’s right for you. Trust yourself, Aud.”
I groan, leaning back on the sofa, looking up at Penny's navy blue ceiling. “I think this calls for champagne.”
“I thought you’d never say so.” She hops off the sofa to grab the bottle from the refrigerator.
I’d tell Penny about the job and the move another night.
Tonight, I just wanted to be with my best friend. One day at a time.