Samantha
SAMANTHA
I t’s unnatural to wake up before 7 AM on a Saturday, and yet, here I am. Standing outside of the house, waiting for Penny so she can see what I’ve done with the sunroom before her showing. She had a budget for the staging, and we ended up renting the furniture. The landscapers did a great job with the front lawn. Next to the front steps, there are pots full of colorful flowers. Marigolds, Zinnias, and tulips. The curb appeal of this place is eye-catching, and I hope I made Penny proud with the sunroom. She pulls up to the house in her black sedan and gets out of her car, all smiles, looking amazing as always. She’s dressed in black pants, a blue top, and a black blazer. It’s still weird for me to see her in her element. Professional Penny is a far contrast from the Penny I know. The one I’ve known since college likes to start with shots at the bar and wears mini-dresses with platform shoes. Her hair and makeup are always flawless.
“Morning sunshine!” She says, a little too chipper for my taste.
“Morning," I say, deadpan .
“Don’t look so excited," she says with a teasing smile.
"I am excited," I say honestly. "Just excited and tired."
“We'll wake you up. Want to show me the sunroom?”
“Sure do," I say, feeling a little nervous but hopeful.
We walk into the house and take in the space. The living room and kitchen are open-concept, which I’ve always found a little uninviting. The living room has a cream-colored couch, a dark patterned rug over the hardwood floors, and a coffee table. When we make it to the sunroom, that’s off of the living room, I take a breath and open the door, watching Penny’s reaction. Her eyes light up, and she smiles widely as she looks around the room. I set up a gliding bench with yellow, teal, and pink pillows for cushions. Two round teal end tables sit on either side of the rocking bench, with a small coffee table in front of it. I took some extra plants from the landscapers, placed them in large pots I got at the thrift store, and set them in the corner near one of the windows. Besides the huge windows, my favorite thing about this room is the lights I'd hung up over the entire room to give off a romantic glow.
“Sam, this looks so good!”
I’m relieved that she likes it, and honestly, I’m proud of myself.
“Thanks," I say. “I’m glad you like it.”
I’m hopeful I could do this full-time at some point, but I know it’s going to take a while to get there. I watch her take photos of the entire space, and a swell of pride flows through me. She puts her phone away and smiles at me.
“I knew you were the right person for the job! Want to celebrate with coffee?”
“Yes, please," I say, and we link arms and walk through the house and out to our cars.
The coffee shop Penny likes to go to just opened about two years ago. It's usually packed with college kids getting their fuel for their next exam or pulling an all-nighter studying. It's not so busy this early in the morning on a Saturday, though, and we're grateful.
“So, about your hot boss," Penny says casually as we sit out on the patio of the cafe. It's a sunny day today, making the air warm and humid.
“He’s not my boss.”
“If I were you, I’d let him boss me around as much as he wanted.”
“Jesus, Penny. He’s hot, yes, but he’s also very rude.”
“Is he?”
“Yes.”
“Why do you hate him again?”
“Because he made me look ridiculous when he told everyone I was his assistant when I first started and made me get him lunch every week.”
“But didn’t you get him back by eating his lunch every day after that?”
I laugh at the memory. He makes fantastic salads. “Yeah, I did. But he deserved it. And he parks in my spot every single day like a douchebag, he’s constantly making comments, and he acts like he’s the hottest thing in the room…”
“Which he is, "Penny says, but I choose to ignore her.
“And he’s always doing things to purposely piss me off! He’s just.. God, I can’t stand him.”
Penny gives me a knowing look.
“What?”
“Nothing," she says innocently, but she looks very much like she has something to say.
“What?” I ask again.
“Didn’t he catch you watching porn? And he didn’t immediately go to HR and get you fired, so he has to be somewhat decent, right?”
“Unsolicited porn, thank you very much," I say, and she gives me a cheeky smile. I roll my eyes. “I guess, but I’m sure he’ll use it against me at some point.”
“You really don’t like him, do you?”
“I can think he’s hot and a douchebag," I say. “Two things can be true at once.”
“But have you thought about sleeping with him?”
“Maybe only when I’m really desperate, but there is no way in hell I am sleeping with him. Besides, office relationships are a big no-no.”
She shrugs. “I think it’d be hot.”
“You think everything is hot," I say.
“Well, when you finally end up sleeping with him, I want to know every detail.”
I shake my head. Penny really has no clue how unlikely that is to happen.
“Maybe if hell freezes over, or the fate of all humanity depends on it.”